40. Permission for establishment of new allied and healthcare institutions, new courses of study, etc.—(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act or any other law for the time being in force, on and from the date of commencement of this Act,— (a) no person shall establish an allied and healthcare institution; or (b) no allied and healthcare institution shall— (i) open a new or higher course of study or training (including post-graduate course of study or training) which would enable students of each course of study or training to qualify himself for the award of any recognised allied and healthcare qualification; or (ii) increase its admission capacity in any course of study or training (including post-graduate course of study or training); or (iii) admit a new batch of students in any unrecognised course of study or training (including post-graduate course of study or training), except with the previous permission of the State Council obtained in accordance with the provisions of this Act: Provided that the allied and healthcare qualification granted to a person in respect of a new or higher course of study or new batch without previous permission of the State Council shall not be a recognised allied and healthcare qualification for the purposes of this Act: Provided further that where there is no State Council constituted by a State Government, the Commission shall give the previous permission for the purposes of this section. (2) (a) Every person or allied and healthcare institution shall, for the purpose of obtaining permission under sub-section (1), submit to the State Council a scheme in accordance with the provisions of clause (b). (b) The scheme referred to in clause (a) shall be in such form and contain such particulars and be preferred in such manner and be accompanied with such fee as may be prescribed by the Central Government. (3) On receipt of a scheme under sub-section (2), the State Council may obtain such other particulars as may be considered necessary by it from the person or the allied and healthcare institution concerned, and thereafter, it may, — 18 (a) if the scheme is defective and does not contain any necessary particulars, give a reasonable opportunity to the person or allied and healthcare institution concerned for making a written representation and it shall be open to such person or allied and healthcare institution to rectify the defects, if any, specified by the State Council; (b) consider the scheme, having regard to the factors referred to in sub-section (5). (4) The State Council may, after considering the scheme and after obtaining, where necessary, such other particulars under sub-section (2) as may be considered necessary by it from the person or allied and healthcare institution concerned, and having regard to the factors referred to in sub-section (5), either approve with such conditions, if any, as it may consider necessary or disapprove the scheme and any such approval shall constitute as a permission under sub-section (1): Provided that no such scheme shall be disapproved by the State Council except after giving the person or allied and healthcare institution concerned a reasonable opportunity of being heard: Provided further that nothing in this sub-section shall prevent any person or allied and healthcare institution whose scheme has not been approved by the State Council to submit a fresh scheme and the provisions of this section shall apply to such scheme, as if such scheme had been submitted for the first time under sub-section (2). (5) The State Council shall, while passing an order under sub-section (4), have due regard to the following factors, namely:-- (a) whether the proposed allied and healthcare institution or the existing allied and healthcare institution seeking to open a new or higher course of study or training, would be in a position to offer the basic standards of education as specified by regulations; (b) whether the person seeking to establish an allied and healthcare institution or the existing allied and healthcare institution seeking to open a new or higher course of study or training or to increase its admission capacity has adequate financial resources; (c) whether necessary facilities in respect of staff, equipment, accommodation, training, hospital and other facilities to ensure proper functioning of the allied and healthcare institution or conducting the new course of study or training or accommodating the increased admission capacity have been provided or would be provided as may be specified in the scheme; (d) whether adequate facilities, having regard to the number of students likely to attend such allied and healthcare institution or course of study or training or as a result of the increased admission capacity, have been provided or would be provided as may be specified in the scheme; (e) whether any arrangement has been made or programme drawn to impart proper training to students likely to attend such allied and healthcare institution or the course of study or training by the persons having the recognised allied and healthcare qualifications; (f) the requirement of manpower in the allied and healthcare institution; and (g) any other factors as may be specified by regulation. (6) Where the State Council passes an order under sub-section (4), a copy of the order shall be communicated to the person or allied and healthcare institution as the case may be. Explanation.—For the purposes of this section,— (a) "person" includes any University, institution or a trust, but does not include the Central Government or State Government; (b) "admission capacity", in relation to any course of study or training (including post-graduate course of study or training) in an allied and healthcare institution, means the maximum number of students as may be decided by the State Council from time to time for being admitted to such course of study or training. 41. Power to require information from allied and healthcare institutions.—(1) Any University or college or institution imparting education in any recognised category shall furnish information to the State 19 Council regarding course of study, duration of course, scheme of assessment and examinations and other eligibility conditions in order to obtain the requisite qualifications as an allied and healthcare institution under this Act as the State Council may from time to time require. (2) Any University or college or institution imparting education in any recognised category as on the date of commencement of this Act shall furnish to the State Council such information in such manner as may be specified by regulations. 42. Recognition of allied and healthcare qualifications by State Council.—(1) The State Council shall cause to verify the standards of any allied and healthcare institution where education in the recognised category is given, or to attend any examination held by any educational or research institution for the purpose of recognition of allied and healthcare qualifications by that allied and healthcare institution in such manner as may be specified by regulations. (2) The verification made under sub-section (1) shall not interfere with the conduct of any training or examination, but shall be for the purpose of reporting to the State Council on the adequacy of the standards of education including staff, equipment, accommodation, training and other facilities for giving education in the recognised categories, as the case may be, or on the sufficiency of every examination which they attend. (3) The State Council shall forward a copy of the report of verification of standards to the allied and healthcare institution concerned and a copy with remarks of the institution hereon to the Commission. 43. Withdrawal of recognition.—(1) On receipt of a report from the State Council, if the Commission is of the opinion that— (a) the courses of study and examination to be undergone in, or the proficiency required from candidates at any examination held by a University or any allied and healthcare institution do not conform to the standards specified by the Commission for the respective courses, as the case may be; or (b) the standards and norms for infrastructure, faculty and quality of education in allied and healthcare institution as determined by the Commission for the respective courses, as the case may be, are not adhered to by any University or allied and healthcare institution, and such University or allied and healthcare institution has failed to take necessary corrective action to maintain specified minimum standards, it may initiate action in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (2). (2) After considering such representations, and on such enquiry as it may deem fit, the Commission may, within a period of ninety days from the date of receipt from the State Council under sub-section (1), by order, withdraw the recognition granted to the allied and healthcare institution: Provided that before any order passed, the Commission shall afford, the allied and healthcare institution and the State Government within whose jurisdiction the allied and healthcare institution is situated an opportunity of being heard: Provided further that the Commission shall, before taking any action for withdrawal of recognition granted to the allied and healthcare professionals qualification awarded by a University or allied and healthcare institution, impose fine in consultation with the concerned State Council. (3) The Commission may, after making such further inquiry, if any, as it may think fit, by notification, direct that,-- (a) any allied and healthcare qualification shall be a recognised qualification under this Act only when granted before a specified date; or (b) any allied and healthcare qualification if granted to students of a specified allied and healthcare institution shall be the recognised qualification only when granted before a specified date; or (c) any qualification shall be the recognised qualification in relation to a specified allied and healthcare institution only when granted after a specified date. 20 44. Failure to maintain minimum essential standards by allied and healthcare institutions.—The State Council may take such measures, including issuing warning, imposing fine, reducing intake or stoppage of admissions and recommending to the Commission for withdrawal of recognition, against an allied and healthcare institution for failure to maintain the minimum essential standards specified by the Commission under this Act.