Ramadoss asked to sign on degrees in 24 hrs

HC orders Ramadoss to put his signature on the medical certificate of medical graduates within 24 hours.

Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, who is involved in a running battle with AIIIMS Director P Venugopal, was on Monday directed to put his signature on the certificates of medical graduates within 24 hours, an issue on which the prestigeous hospital witnessed a three-day strike last week.

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Giving the direction, Justice S Ravinder Bhatt also held that the degrees bearing the signature of the Registrar, whose appointment has been the bone of contention between AIIMS Director P Venugopal and Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, shall be deemed to be valid.

"The Union Health Minister shall affix his signature on 49 certificates/degrees as well as such other certificates of the students who need these to take admission for higher studies.

"The Minister shall sign the certificates within 24 hours," Justice Bhatt observed.

The High Court also directed the AIIMS authority to immediately forward these certificates to the Minister's office so that these could be sent to him by flight as he was in Chennai.

"The 49 degrees/certificates forwarded to the Minister containing signature of Sandeep Agrawal, the AIIMS Registrar, shall be deemed to have been validly executed," the Court said.