The State government has issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for identifying and initiating action against unauthorised institutions and institutions conducting unapproved courses in the health sector.
The Health Department, in an order issued recently, said complaints were received about certain institutions operating without approval of the Central or State government, affiliation to a recognised University, a recognition from the competent statutory council or board. Among institutions that have obtained approval, certain courses were being offered without requisite affiliation, recognition or statutory sanction.
The issue spans the full range of health education, including medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied healthcare, rehabilitation sciences, Indian Systems of Medicine (ayurveda, siddha, unani), homeopathy, yoga, naturopathy, and public health. According to the order, such institutions often mislead students into enrolling in such courses at a high cost, resulting in financial loss, academic uncertainty and long-term damage to their careers, besides posing risks to public health.
Despite earlier government instructions, such institutions continue to operate in various places, prompting the need for a SOP. It proposes to establish a uniform and clearly defined operational framework for district-level action against both. The objective is to adopt procedures for taking action on the violations through legal process and safeguarding the interests of students.
Under the SOP, the Joint Director of Health Services (JDHS) will serve as the nodal officer at the district level for implementation of the SOP. Every year on April 1, the Registrar of Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, Directorate of Medical Education and Research, Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and Directorate of Indian Medicine must provide the JDHS with district-wise lists of approved institutions and courses.
In case of a complaint, the JDHS will constitute an inspection team to visit the institutions and verify whether the institution is authorised, whether each course offered has the required approvals and examine student admission records, fee collection and infrastructure and clinical training facilities. The report should be submitted to the District Collector.
On the basis of the inspection report, if violations are confirmed, the JDHS will submit a factual report to the Collector. After the Collector’s approval, a complaint will be filed with the Superintendent or Commissioner of Police for action under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, including offences related to cheating, dishonest inducement, forgery, misrepresentation and endangering public safety and health.
The Collector should take steps to prevent further admission to unauthorised institutions or unapproved courses, and wherever warranted, order the closure of such institution after following due legal process.
The SOP also requires the directorates to publish updated lists of approved institutions and courses on their websites every April 1. The JDHS should periodically compile and circulate the list within the district to the Collector, while institutions must prominently display their statutory approvals, council recognitions, and affiliation details on their premises and official websites.
Published – July 10, 2026 04:33 am IST
