Health Minister I. Subramaniam on Saturday said the governor’s office has sent back the bill passed by the assembly in April, seeking an explanation for setting up a Siddha Medical University.
Addressing a function at the Rashtriya Siddha Sansthan, he said the law department of the state government had received information about the bill being sent back on July 29, 2022. He said that a detailed reply is being prepared in consultation with legal experts. It will be sent to the Governor’s office within a week.
“We sincerely hope that the governor, after receiving his reply, will expedite the assent of the bill and help promote Siddha and other Indian systems of medicine in Tamil Nadu,” he said. He said that the university would be the first of its kind in the country for the Indian medical system.
According to the bill, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu will be the Chancellor of the proposed university and not the Governor. When asked whether the clarification sought by the Governor’s office was about this aspect of the Bill, sources in the Health and Family Welfare Department said it has more to do with the admission of students in the university. While it is implied that the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) is mandatory even for Siddha courses, the governor’s office has sought specific clarifications regarding the same, sources said.
Chief Minister MK Stalin met Governor RN Ravi on June 2, 2022, seeking early approval for 21 bills pending in the Governor’s office. He specifically referred to the Siddha Medical University Bill as admissions to medical courses were about to begin.
The state government has earmarked about 20 acres of land at Madhavaram near Chennai for setting up the university. The policy note of the Department of Health and Family Welfare for the year 2022-23 states that the university will be temporarily located in the annexe campus of Arignar Anna Government Hospital for Indian Medicine at Arumbakkam.