The Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM), the Union government agency regulating AYUSH education in the country, has issued termination and debarment notices to over 1,100 teachers of Ayurveda and other colleges across India, on the charge of illegally serving in more than one college.
In a bulk email sent to such teachers, the CCIM has debarred them from serving as teachers in Ayurveda colleges for 10 years. The emails were received from November 10 to 27.
This follows a circular issued a few months ago by the AYUSH Ministry that colleges had to clean up their roster list, by removing duplicate teachers, `on paper’ teachers, `ghost’ teachers, or teachers who were serving in more than one college at the same time, in violation of norms.
The emails, titled `Withdrawal of Teacher codes’, say the recipient cannot teach for the next decade.
Teachers say the notices are unlawful as they do not mention reasons for dismissal, not based on the penal provisions of any law, and do not have provisions for grievance redressal or appeal.
The All-India Ayurveda Teachers’ Association action committee and other bodies are urging the Union government to repeal the order. Its members say they will fight against the orders.
“The Union government has issued us notices in the form of emails, without either letterheads or signatures of any officer. We will not accept them. We will move the court against these orders. They are unjust and malicious. They have been issued without due diligence or application of mind. They are like photocopied pamphlets issued by a nameless body to random people in the market,” said a teacher from a college in Belagavi who has received such a notice.
The action committee has filed over 1,000 RTI applications to the CCIM and State AYUSH ministries seeking information on which the debarment notices were issued.
Copies sought
“We have sought copies of all documents like records, advices/opinions, reports, papers, file notings, email communications and audio and video data , meeting notices/agenda copy, minutes of meetings, details of members present in meetings, and the relevant laws, sections, rules, regulations, and gazette notification copies that led to the change in teacher code status. We know that the Indian Medicine Central Council Act of 1970, which regulates AYUSH education, does not have any penal provisions. There is no mention of debarring teachers for 10 years. That is why, we have sought on what basis is the action being taken against us,” said another teacher who has filed a RTI application.
“We are seeking the details of the offence committed by teachers, the punishment prescribed for each such offence, the authority empowered to punish, quantum of punishment, and the mode of punishment,” said a teacher.
“We have written to the government demanding the constitution of a grievance redressal mechanism like a board of hearing, and the officers to be empanelled for it. Once we get replies to these questions, we will begin by asking the Union government to withdraw these orders. If it does not help us, we will go to the High Court as this order violates our fundamental right to work anywhere in the country and the legal right to be heard,” a teacher added.
