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TMI Blog2019 (2) TMI 1960X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... emedy of mandamus would not be available - In VST INDUSTRIES LTD. VERSUS VST INDUSTRIES WORKERS UNION AND ANR. ETC. [ 2000 (12) TMI 913 - SUPREME COURT ], a two judge Bench of this Court held that a mere violation of the conditions of service will not provide a valid basis for the exercise of the writ jurisdiction Under Article 226, in a situation where the activity does not have the features of a public duty. In running the hospital, Ramakrishna Mission does not discharge a public function. Undoubtedly, the hospital is in receipt of some element of grant. The grants which are received by the hospital cover only a part of the expenditure. The terms of the grant do not indicate any form of governmental control in the management or day to day functioning of the hospital. The nature of the work which is rendered by Ramakrishna Mission, in general, including in relation to its activities concerning the hospital in question is purely voluntary - The mere fact that land had been provided on a concessional basis to the hospital would not by itself result in the conclusion that the hospital performs a public function. In the present case, the absence of state control in the management of t ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... be amenable to the writ jurisdiction Under Article 226 of the Constitution on a liberal interpretation of the expression 'authority' in that Article. 3. The first Respondent joined the Ramakrishna Mission Hospital at Itanagar on 15 March 1980 as a General Duty Worker. He was regularised with effect from 1 August 1980 by a letter dated 23 July 1980. On 31 March 1982, the first Respondent was promoted to the substantive post of Nursing Aid. He was made permanent on 13 April 1984. Subsequently on 31 December 2005, he was promoted as an Office Assistant with effect from 1 October 2005. 4. The conditions of service of the employees of the hospital are governed by the Service Rules. Among them is Rule 18 which provides for superannuation in the following terms: 18. SUPERANNUATION (RETIREMENT): (i) A permanent employee/staff shall normally retire from the services of the Hospital after 35 years of service or an attaining the age of 60 (sixty) years. Provided further, the Management in the service of the Hospital may extend the service of an employee/staff even after 35 years of service or he attains the age of 60 (sixty) years, whichever is earlier, subject to his medical fi ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... Chakraborty v. State of Arunachal Pradesh 2005 (4) GLT 150, holding that Ramakrishna Mission fell with the ctegory of 'other authorities' Under Articles 12 and 226 of the Constitution. The High Court held that this decision of the learned Single Judge which had held the field for thirteen years should not be disturbed. It was further held that the Appellant is running a very large hospital in the State and utilised public funds for a part of its operation and would be amenable to writ jurisdiction. While answering the preliminary issues against the Appellants, the High Court directed that the appeal be placed for hearing subsequently. 10. While entertaining the present proceedings, this Court by its order dated 19 November 2018 issued notice and granted a stay of the judgment and order of the High Court dated 6 April 2018. In pursuance of the order issuing notice, a counter affidavit has been filed on behalf of the Union of India through the Ministry of Tribal Affairs as well as by the Government of Arunachal Pradesh. 11. The State government, in support of the view which has been taken by the High Court, has submitted that: (i) The land over which Ramakrishna Mission H ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... alf of the State of Arunachal Pradesh has placed reliance on the statement of facts contained in the counter affidavit, as noticed earlier. Learned Counsel submitted that the Ramakrishna Mission Hospital is the only hospital in the State of Arunachal Pradesh and hence, by virtue of its monopoly status, must be held to be amenable to the writ jurisdiction Under Article 226. That apart, it was urged that the hospital receives grants in aid from the State government. The function of conducting a hospital in the State of Arunachal Pradesh, it was urged, must be held to be a public function rendering the Appellants amenable to the jurisdiction of the High Court Under Article 226. 15. The rival submissions fall for consideration. 16. Ramakrishna Mission runs a 263 bedded hospital at Itanagar. The grant in aid which is provided by the State government covers the cost of running 60 beds out of 263 bedded hospital. Relevant factual data in regard to the nature and extent of the grants has been placed on record. About 32.26 per cent of the total income of the hospital for 2014-2015, 23.33 for 2015-16 and 22.53 per cent for 2016-17 was from the grants provided by the State government. The r ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... se activities are voluntary, charitable and nonprofit making in nature. The activities undertaken by the Mission, a non-profit entity are not closely related to those performed by the state in its sovereign capacity nor do they partake of the nature of a public duty. 20. The Governing Body of the Mission is constituted by members of the Board of Trustees of Ramakrishna Math and is vested with the power and authority to manage the organization. The properties and funds of the Mission and its management vest in the Governing Body. Any person can become a member of the Mission if elected by the Governing Body. Members on roll form the quorum of the annual general meetings. The Managing Committee comprises of members appointed by the Governing Body for managing the affairs of the Mission. Under the Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulations of the Mission, there is no governmental control in the functioning, administration and day to day management of the Mission. The conditions of service of the employees of the hospital are governed by service Rules which are framed by the Mission without the intervention of any governmental body. 21. In coming to the conclusion that the A ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... f bodies affecting rights of people cannot be put into watertight compartments", it laid down two exceptions where the remedy of mandamus would not be available: 15. If the rights are purely of a private character no mandamus can issue. If the management of the college is purely a private body with no public duty mandamus will not lie. These are two exceptions to mandamus.... 23. Following the decision in Andi Mukta (supra), this Court has had the occasion to re-visit the underlying principles in successive decisions. This has led to the evolution of principles to determine what constitutes a 'public duty' and 'public function' and whether the writ of mandamus would be available to an individual who seeks to enforce her right. 24. In VST Industries Ltd. v. VST Industries Workers' Union (2001) 1 SCC 298, a two judge Bench of this Court held that a mere violation of the conditions of service will not provide a valid basis for the exercise of the writ jurisdiction Under Article 226, in a situation where the activity does not have the features of a public duty. This Court noted: 7. In de Smith, Woolf and Jowell's Judicial Review of Administrative Acti ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ctions' or a 'public duty': 28. A writ Under Article 226 can lie against a "person" if it is a statutory body or performs a public function or discharges a public or statutory duty... ICRISAT has not been set up by a statute nor are its activities statutorily controlled. Although, it is not easy to define what a public function or public duty is, it can reasonably be said that such functions are similar to or closely related to those performable by the State in its sovereign capacity. The primary activity of ICRISAT is to conduct research and training programmes in the sphere of agriculture purely on a voluntary basis. A service voluntarily undertaken cannot be said to be a public duty. Besides ICRISAT has a role which extends beyond the territorial boundaries of India and its activities are designed to benefit people from all over the world. While the Indian public may be the beneficiary of the activities of the Institute, it certainly cannot be said that ICRISAT owes a duty to the Indian public to provide research and training facilities. Applying the above test, this Court upheld the decision of the High Court that the writ petition against ICRISAT was n ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... he source of such power is immaterial, but, nevertheless, there must be the public law element in such action...There cannot be any general definition of public authority or public action. The facts of each case decide the point. 29. More recently in K K Saksena v. International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (2015) 4 SCC 670, another two judge Bench of this Court held that a writ would not lie to enforce purely private law rights. Consequently, even if a body is performing a public duty and is amenable to the exercise of writ jurisdiction, all its decisions would not be subject to judicial review. The Court held thus: 43. What follows from a minute and careful reading of the aforesaid judgments of this Court is that if a person or authority is "State" within the meaning of Article 12 of the Constitution, admittedly a writ petition Under Article 226 would lie against such a person or body. However, we may add that even in such cases writ would not lie to enforce private law rights. There are a catena of judgments on this aspect and it is not necessary to refer to those judgments as that is the basic principle of judicial review of an action under the administrat ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... s an adjunct of its social policy or the imperatives of economic development. The mere fact that land had been provided on a concessional basis to the hospital would not by itself result in the conclusion that the hospital performs a public function. In the present case, the absence of state control in the management of the hospital has a significant bearing on our coming to the conclusion that the hospital does not come within the ambit of a public authority. 32. It has been submitted before us that the hospital is subject to Regulation by the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act 2010. Does the Regulation of hospitals and nursing homes by law render the hospital a statutory body? Private individuals and organizations are subject to diverse obligations under the law. The law is a ubiquitous phenomenon. From the registration of birth to the reporting of death, law imposes obligations on diverse aspects of individual lives. From incorporation to dissolution, business has to act in compliance with law. But that does not make every entity or activity an authority Under Article 226. Regulation by a statute does not constitute the hospital as a body which is constit ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... and services. The Act, inter alia, stipulates conditions to be satisfied by clinical establishments for registration. However, the Act does not govern contracts of service entered into by the Hospital with respect to its employees. These fall within the ambit of purely private contracts, against which writ jurisdiction cannot lie. The sanctity of this distinction must be preserved. 35. For the above reasons, we are of the view that the Division Bench of the High Court was not justified in coming to the conclusion that the Appellants are amenable to the writ jurisdiction Under Article 226 of the Constitution as an authority within the meaning of the Article. 36. For the reasons that we have adduced above, we hold that neither the Ramakrishna Mission, nor the hospital would constitute an authority within the meaning of Article 226 of the Constitution. 37. Before concluding, it would be necessary to also advert to the fact that while the learned Single Judge had come to the conclusion that the Appellants are 'State' within the meaning of Article 12, the Division Bench has not accepted that finding. The Division Bench ruled, as we have noticed earlier, that the Appellants d ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X
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