The Indian Nursing Council (INC) has published the judgment issued by the Kerala High Court has directing the State Government to take immediate action against private nursing colleges that are not paying their teaching staff salaries on par with government or UGC scales. The court, presided over by Mr. Justice D. K. Singh, ruled on a petition filed by the Kerala State United Nurses Association-Teachers Association.
The petitioner’s grievance centered on the non-compliance with the Indian Nursing Council (Revised Regulations and Curriculum for B.Sc. (Nursing) Program) Regulations 2020, specifically Note iv of Regulation 5D, which mandates that the salary of teaching faculty in private colleges must not be less than what is admissible in State/Central Government Colleges of Nursing or as per the UGC scales. The court noted that despite the association raising the issue, no effective measures had been taken to enforce the regulation.
In its judgment, the High Court emphasized that the Indian Nursing Council regulations are binding on all concerned parties as they have not been challenged. The court stated that it is the duty of the State Government and the Indian Nursing Council to ensure these regulations are implemented.
The court declared the petitioner’s grievance to be “bona fide and justified” and issued the following specific directions:
- The State Government is directed to issue a show cause notice to all private nursing colleges that are not implementing the salary mandate.
- After reviewing the responses from the colleges, the State Government must submit a report and its recommendations to the Indian Nursing Council for appropriate action.
- The Indian Nursing Council is directed to act upon these recommendations and take punitive action, including de-recognition, against any erring private colleges.
With these directions, the writ petition was closed, marking a crucial step toward ensuring fair compensation for nursing faculty in private institutions across Kerala.
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