One Degree, Two Certificates, but Which One is Valid- the AIIMS Tamasha

They waited for over two years to get their degree certificates. After furious protests that attracted nationwide attention, the graduate students of India’s premier medical institute, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, situated in the national capital of New Delhi, are in for more surprise.

They have been told they would be blessed with two certificates now. Only they don’t know which of the two would be legal tender!

The institute, coming under the purview of the federal government, is at the centre of some endless acrimony between India’s Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and the Director of the institute Dr.P.Venugopal.

One of the points of differences was the appointment of the official authorized to sign the certificates, the registrar.

As the impasse continued, the Director went ahead to have one of his own men anointed the registrar.

The minister retaliated by refusing to countersign the degree certificates signed by the new registrar.

The director would not give in either and so the tussle continued till the frustrated students took to the streets. The New Delhi High Court intervened.

When the minister argued that he could not be party to an illegal document issued as it was by an official whose appointment had not been validated by the institute’s governing body, the court said, go ahead, issue one yourselves, but don’t penalize the students.

But it would not declare invalid the certificates issued by director Venugopal. And so the students would have two certificates for the same degree.

Of course neither would have the seal of the designated authority!

But who will arbitrate which certificate is valid is the question agitating the students now!

Source-Medindia
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