Delhi High Court Issues Notice On PIL Against Rule Restricting Nursing Courses At AIIMS, DU And GGSIPU To Only Females

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice on a public interest litigation challenging the rule stating that only female candidates were eligible for B.Sc (Hons.) Nursing Course in Nursing colleges run by All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi University and Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Mini Pushkarna sought a response from the Union Government, Delhi Government, Indian Nursing Council, AIIMSand the varsities.

The plea has been moved by the Indian Professional Nurses Association which is a non-governmental registered body working for the welfare of nurses across the country. It has been filed through Advocates Robin Raju and Aanchal Bumb. 

The plea also seeks a direction to consider bringing a fresh rule which provides that persons of all genders are eligible for admission to B.Sc.(H) nursing courses.

It further states that denying other genders apart from females the opportunity to study B.Sc (H) Nursing courses in premier and affordable nursing colleges of the national capital is arbitrary and against the principles of democracy, fairness and equality.

“Further, continuing with the practice of considering only female candidates eligible for admission to B.Sc.(H) Nursing course is manifestly arbitrary and does not meet the standard of reasonable nexus to object sought to be achieved and reasonable classification based on intelligible differentia imposed by Article 14,” the plea reads.

It adds: “The classification created only entitles female candidates to a specific B.Sc. (H) Nursing course on the basis of a rule that does not consider the present-day realities. The rule completely discards the fact that there is a dearth of nursing professionals in the country and hence prohibiting non-female candidates from getting admission to B.Sc (H) Nursing course is also against the interest of the public at large.”

Title: Indian Professional Nurses Association (IPNA) v. Union of India & Ors.