Dr. V.P. Chaturvedi and Ors. v. Union of India and Ors.

Judgment

ORIGINAL JURISDICTION: Writ Petition No. 917 of 1990. (Under Artice! 32 of the Constitution of India). (With I.A. Nos. 1-3/90 in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 9/88 and Contempt Petition No. 45/91 in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 602/90). S.K. Bhattacharya and R. Venkataramani for the Petitioners. Altaf Ahmed, Aclditional Solicitor General, S.K. Mehta. A. DR. V.P. CHATURVEDI v. U.0.1. Mariarputham, Ashok Bhan, Ms. A. Subhashini, R. Ramachandran, · A S.I?. Kalra and Arnn Madan for the Respondents. The following Order of the Court was delivered: The main application is under Article 32 of the Constitution while the Contempt Petition and the Interlocutory Applications in the connected Writ Petitfon are for orders and directions. The common aspects in all the three proceedings are that the petitioners before this Court are Research Scholars connected with Projects entrusted to different Institutions. They are before the Co"\lrt for security of employment and improvement of conditions of service. .

In Writ Petition 999 of 1988, along with Writ Petition No. 1043 of 1989 we gave our judgment on March 22, 1990. We then indicated: "The Institute set up by Statute is intended to carry on research in a continuous way to improve the level of medical knowledge. Under the Act the Institute is an autonomous body though the Chairman thereof is no other than the Union Minister of Health. It is true that the Institute is entrusted from time to time with research projects by the World Health Organisation, the Indian Council of Medical Research and other government and semi-government bodies. It is appropriate that a Scheme should be evolved by the Institute in coordination with the Health Ministry and the Indian Council of Medical Research so that a team of researchers is built up to meet the general requirements of research.

It is quite possible that certain projects would require specialised hands and on such occasions a special team could be set up on casual basis by drawing the compe' lent hands from different institutions for a period but to keep up the tempo of research if a team of researchers is built up, it would be convenient for the Institute for purposes of discipline and control as also for efficiency. The Health Ministry must also sponsor continuous research projects in the field of medicine and health and for such purpose several projects should be listed out from time to time and entrusted to the respondent-Institute as alsq a similar Institute at Chandigarh and to institutes as and when set up elsewhere. This would assist in updating relevant medical information and knowledge, apart from building up a scientific tone and temper for general circulation.

We commend tnat the Institute initiates serious action in this regard \V,,ho!>t delay and we suggest that the Ministry of Health a.ic< 1•1e Indian Council of Medical Research collaborate with the Institute to work out the same. Pursuant to our observations the Ministry of Health appears to have taken some action and particulars relating thereto have been placed before us. On that occasion we indicated that those who have put in 15 years of research work should immediately be regularised and ·core a cadre could be built up. The Helath Ministry has no objection to a core cadre of researchers being created. The Indian Council of Medical Research ('ICMR' for short) is actually the organisation set up for the research purposes and as we gather the Union of India in the relevant Ministry meets its expenditure on research by funding.

The Court does not have the adequate technical knowhow but we are of the view that if appropriate coordination is made and the Health Ministry, ICMR and the Institutes where research is carried on tie up their operations more useful work can be done and simultaneously the researchers would have better terms of employment. All the Institutes where research is carried on may not be at the national capital. What is necessary is the emergence of a small monitoring unit which would finalise the various research projects well in advance and receive offers of projects from organisations like World Health Organisation nr other bodies. No consideration has been given as to why the drug manufacturers in India who have engaged themselves in a very lucrative trade should also participate in research programmes. Quality of work in . research institutes specialised in their fields is bound to be better than research carried on by the manufacturers themselves.

A scheme could be evolved by which established drug manufacturers could be required to participate in such programmes by supporting particular research projec.ts which the monitoring body could allot. Continuing research not only keeps up the level of knowledge but also helps the enhancement of efficiency of treatment of diseases and in the matter of providing relief to the patients. Mr. Venkataramani seriously presses before us that the researchers should have some scheme where within two to three years they could-as in other Government service-be made permanep.t and given guarantees of service. When we gave our final decision in Writ Petition No. 999/1988 we had no intention of creating a permanent cadre of the type Mr. Venkataramani argues about. In fact projeet- DR. V.P. CHATURVEDI '· U.0.1. wise research helps to generate better efficien_cy than caderiscd research organisation.

Once service guarantees are provided and security of service is available, the flow of inspiration from within perhaps slows down. We had, therefore, thought that those who had put in long period of research work should only be provided security so that in the later part of their service life, they may not be put to inconvenience. We have no objection to a core cadre being built up and if the Health Ministry is of the view that there should be a core cadre, perhaps, it can quickly be set up and such of the researchers who have put in a more or less continued period of work could be brought into the cadre at the first instance on regular basis. The Committee which the Union of India has perhaps to set up may -look into this matter more thoroughly and give shape to the idea we have conveyed by our judgment. The Patel Chest Institute seems to be more or less a permanent feature and researchers therein may be continued against the programmes available.

The funding of course has to be ultimately done by the Health Ministry and the manner of funding may be determined by it. The researchers who have worked in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences should be continued upon availability of its programmes but those was have put in longer periods may be absorbed in available . vacancies. We are aware of the stand taken by Committee that researchers may be treated as in service candidates when regular vacancies occur for absorption. This_ has our approval. We adjourn these matters by two months to receive a comprehensive response from the Union Government in the Health Ministry so that we would have the opportunity of examining the comprehensive scheme and then make a final order. Call on 4.10.1991. G.N. Matters adjourned.