HC directs Ramadoss to sign degrees

New Delhi, Sep 3: In a setback to Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, the Delhi High Court today directed him to sign the degrees issued to 49 MBBS scholars of All India India Institute of Medical Sciences which the Minister had held ''invalid''.

Justice S Ravinder Bhatt directed Dr Ramadoss, who is also President of AIIMS, to put his signature on the 49 degrees issued by the Institute also signed by Dean (Examinations), a post held invalid by the Minister.

Dr Ramadoss had contended since the post was invalid, any degree signed by the official would be ''unauthorised''.

On a petition filed by some resident doctors, the court also rejected Dr Ramadoss' contention that he would sign and issue an independent degree to the scholars, who needed it to apply for post graduation abroad.

The court directed the Minister to put his siganature on the degree issued by the Institute to remove all apprehensions regarding the validity of the document.

UNI