Citing their involvement in a nursing college scam, a division bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court ordered the immediate removal of Anita Chand, the secretary, and Jiten Chandra Shukla, the chairman, of the MP Nursing Registration Council (MPNRC) on December 13, 2024. The court’s ruling came after a petition submitted by the Law Students’ Association President, Vishal Baghel, who charged Shukla and Chand with conspiring to fraudulently recognize a number of phoney nursing schools in the state.
Particular accusations against the two officials were emphasized in the petition. Anita Chand was charged with being on the inspection committee that, in March 2022, produced a fraudulent report that resulted in the registration of RKS Nursing College in Bhopal. This recognition was later revoked after it was determined to be invalid. Similarly, the defective process of awarding recognition to several nursing institutions, including many bogus ones, was linked to Jiten Chandra Shukla, the director of MPNRC at the time of these irregularities.
The state administration answered that a three-member committee had been established to look into the charges against Anita Chand, even though the court had previously issued an oral judgement ordering the dismissal of these individuals. The bench, which was chaired by Justices Sanjay Dwivedi and A K Paliwal, was unhappy with this explanation, stating that Shukla and Chand’s participation in the process of identifying phoney colleges rendered their posts untenable. The court was worried that they would sway ongoing investigations or alter scam-related material.
The state’s attempt to defend the officials was criticized by the judges, who saw it as an attempt to thwart the court’s attempts to resolve flaws in the recognition process. Such officials, who contributed to the issue, could not be trusted to hold important positions, the bench stated, particularly where there was a clear likelihood of additional manipulation or attempts to shield other culpable individuals. As a result, the court mandated that Dr. Jiten Chandra Shukla be removed from his position as MPNRC Chairman and Anita Chand be removed from her position as Registrar. Additionally, they gave the state instructions to replace them with capable cops who have a spotless service record.
The court further ordered the Office of the Advocate General to swiftly notify the relevant authorities of the ruling for prompt implementation, and instructed the Chief Secretary to guarantee adherence to this order. The court’s determination to eradicate corruption and anomalies in the state’s nursing education system is demonstrated by this decision.
SOURCE :
TIMES OF INDIA
