Introduction:

In a recent ruling by the Kerala High Court, the appeal filed by the Association of Clinical Microbiologists and Biochemists against the exclusion of B.Sc. Medical Biochemistry and B.Sc. Medical Microbiology courses from the 2018-19 prospectus has been dismissed. Justices A. Muhamed Mustaque and S. Manu deliberated on whether such decisions fall within the purview of governmental policy, emphasizing the limited scope for judicial review in such matters.

Arguments:

The petitioners, students of the affected courses, argued that their career prospects would be adversely affected by the exclusion, raising concerns over the perceived legitimacy of their degrees. They contended that the courses were previously included in the prospectus and their abrupt removal by the Director of Medical Education was unjustified.

On the other hand, the government defended its decision as a policy matter, asserting that these courses were not offered in any government institution in Kerala and lacked job opportunities within the state. It maintained that inclusion or exclusion from the prospectus did not affect the recognition of the degrees conferred by universities or apex bodies.

Court’s Judgement:

The High Court upheld the government’s decision, citing that decisions regarding inclusion in the prospectus and admission processes are fundamentally matters of policy. The court acknowledged that while policy decisions can be subject to judicial review under specific grounds, no such violations of legal or fundamental rights were evident in this case. It emphasized that the exclusion from the prospectus does not diminish the academic or professional value of the degrees obtained from accredited universities.