UOI Vs. RAM PAL SINGH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Central Government floated a scheme in the year 1975, known as =Integrated Child Development Scheme (hereinafter referred to as .ICDS.). The object of the Scheme was integrated delivery of certain services such as supplementary nutrition, immunization, health check-up, referral service, non- formal education to pre-school children, pregnant and lactating women. The Scheme aimed to improve the health and nutritional status of children and women and to reduce the incidence of school drop outs and to promote the physical and social development and welfare of the child. The Scheme was funded by the Central Government and different voluntary organizations and local bodies were entrusted with the work of implementing the Scheme.

(2.) In or around the year 1976, Ministry of Education and Social Welfare, Government of India, entrusted the work pertaining to monitoring of health and nutrition aspects to various medical colleges under the overall coordination and guidance of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (hereinafter referred to as the =AIIMS. On 30.06.1976 a Central Technical Committee was constituted by the Ministry of Education and Social Welfare, Government of India, to review the progress of the work and Dr.B.N.Tandon, Professor of Medicine and Head of Department of Gastroenterology and Human Nutrition, AIIMS was appointed as the Chairman of the said Committee.

(3.) Between the years 1976 to 1989, the Director of AIIMS appointed respondents Nos.1 to 6 on various posts to carry out the work pertaining to ICDS entrusted to AIIMS by the Central Government. Significant is it to note that the terms and conditions contained in the appointment letter(s) issued by AIIMS to respondents Nos.1 to 6 clearly stated that the post against which they were appointed was purely temporary and was likely to continue till the ICDS Scheme lasted.