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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

HC orders fresh elections in three months

Dr. Rumi F. Beramji Mumbai: In a jolt, the Bombay High Court has directed the state government to hold elections to the Maharashtra Council of Acupuncture (MCA) - which is managed by an Administrator for past three years – within three months, here on Friday. A division bench of the Bombay High Court (Aurangabad Bench) comprising Justice Ajit Kadethankar and Justice Vibha Kankanwadi were disposing off a petition filed a senior medical practitioner, Dr. Laxman Bhimrao Sawant through his...

HC orders fresh elections in three months

Dr. Rumi F. Beramji Mumbai : In a jolt, the Bombay High Court has directed the state government to hold elections to the Maharashtra Council of Acupuncture (MCA) - which is managed by an Administrator for past three years – within three months, here on Friday.   A division bench of the Bombay High Court (Aurangabad Bench) comprising Justice Ajit Kadethankar and Justice Vibha Kankanwadi were disposing off a petition filed a senior medical practitioner, Dr. Laxman Bhimrao Sawant through his lawyer Sharad V. Natu, seeking different reliefs.   These included alleged serious irregularities in the functioning of the MCA and challenging the continuation of the Administrator for a prolonged period pending the elections. The matter was highlighted in detail by  ‘ The Perfect Voice’   on April 21.   Strong Observations In its order uploaded today, Justice Kadethankar and Justice Kankanwadi noted the petitioner’s contentions that the Administrator, Dr. Rumi F. Beramji was appointed for only one year, and that period is over.   “It should be the endeavour of the State to implement the various provisions of the Act, that is, the Maharashtra Acupuncture System of Therapy Act, 2015. Holding of elections and formation of the council as per Section 3 of the said Act should be adhered to by the State Government and it cannot be then postponed in infinity,” said the court.   Accordingly, Justice Kadethankar and Justice Kankanwadi directed the state government, through the Medical Education & Drugs Department (MEDD) to conduct the MCA elections within a period of three months.   Prolonged Tenure Among other things, the petitioner had termed the appointment and prolonged tenure of former MCA Chairman Dr. Rumi F. Beramji as “illegal and arbitrary,” and detrimental to the cause of Acupuncture.   Elected as the inaugural head (May 2018-May 2023) of the five-member statutory body, Dr. Beramji, was subsequently appointed its Administrator after the MCA’s term expired.   Adv. Natu pointed out that the Administrator’s appointment was intended to be a stop-gap arrangement for one year to facilitate the polls, but it was subsequently ‘extended’. However, nearly three years later, Dr. Beramji continued without fresh elections being conducted, raising questions over adherence to statutory norms and principles of governance.   Directionless Members Dr. Sawant further contended that while Dr. Beramji was installed as Administrator, the remaining members of the council were effectively superseded, leaving the regulatory body without its mandated collective structure, and over 6500-members directionless.   He argued that the excuse cited for delay in conducting elections was ostensibly an incomplete voter list, but this reason was flimsy considering the extended time lapse.   The petition, which was heard and disposed of on April 22, also levelled serious allegations against the style of functioning of the MCA Administrator, decisions were taken unilaterally, whimsically and without transparency or institutional accountability.   Selective Targeting It also made accusations of ‘selective targeting’ of certain prominent members who attempted to raise valid issues, including the globally-renowned noted acupuncture expert Dr. P. B. Lohiya of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.   Other members raised doubts over approvals granted to more than a dozen acupuncture colleges and some two dozen Continuous Acupuncture Education (CAE) centres in undue haste, purportedly in violation of prescribed norms and alleged shady deals. Many of these institutions, it was claimed, either exist only on paper or lack essential infrastructure, faculty and facilities.   The petitioner called for a comprehensive review of the Administrator’s tenure, a financial audit of the MCA's affairs, and an independent probe by the MEDD into the approvals granted to the institutions in recent years.   Dr. Sawant had sought quashing Dr. Beramji’s appointment as MCA Administrator and setting aside all policy decisions taken during his tenure in the last three years, and ordering the government to hold elections to the body.

The Fighter for Reservation

Mahadev Jankar

Mahadev Jankar has dedicated his life for the cause of the Dhangar community to which he belongs. Known as a very honest and down to earth social worker, he has chosen the politics as the means to achieve the goals he has set for the community. His party, the Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, had been a part of the ruling Mahayuti for a long time. However, he was unhappy within the alliance and had announced that he is quitting the alliance. The BJP, however, left one seat for the party and now the results shall decide whether he is with the NDA or has finally quit.


Born on April 19, 1968, in the small village of Palsawade in the Satara district, Mahadev Jagannath Jankar’s journey to politics began with his education. He completed his B.Tech in Electrical Engineering with a gold medal from Walchand College of Engineering, Sangli. Despite receiving lucrative job offers, he chose to dedicate his life to social work and the upliftment of the underprivileged. His commitment to social service was so strong that he vowed never to marry or have a family of his own, focusing entirely on his mission to bring about social change.


In 2003, Jankar founded the Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, aiming to represent the interests of the backward classes and marginalized communities. His political career saw him contesting various elections, including the Madha Lok Sabha seat in 2009 and the Baramati Lok Sabha seat in 2014. Although he did not win these elections, his efforts garnered significant support and respect from the people. He put up a great fight against Supriya Sule and lost by a thin margin.


Jankar’s dedication and hard work for the Dhangar community paid off when he was elected as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) of Maharashtra on January 23, 2015. His political journey continued to ascend as he was appointed as the Minister for Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, and Fisheries Department in the Maharashtra government on July 8, 2016. He served in this position until November 9, 2019.


Jankar has been a vocal advocate for rights of the Dhangar community, particularly their demand for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. The Dhangars, who account for up to 9% of Maharashtra’s population, currently receive 3.5% reservation under the Nomadic Tribe (NT) category. However, they have been fighting for ST status, which would grant them 7% reservation. This demand has led to significant protests and clashes over the years, with the community feeling marginalized and overlooked by successive governments.

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