Kerala High Court directs the Union Government to review Kerala's pending AIIMS proposal

14 October 2026

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. has directed the Union Government to review the proposal for an All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Kerala and take necessary steps.
The direction came in WP(C) 18550/2024, AIIMS Kasargod Janakeeya Koottayma v Union of India and Ors., and a connected case, which seek an AIIMS for the State under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
The Deputy Solicitor General told the Court that the proposal is at the consultation stage, that a decision can follow only once the Government decides whether to continue PMSSY for the next five years, and that States with weaker healthcare infrastructure are being prioritised.
The Bench asked which criteria Kerala fails to meet, noted that AIIMS institutions exist in affluent parts of the country, and said it was not satisfied with the criteria placed before it.
It recorded that the proposal has been pending with the Ministry for almost ten years with little substantial progress beyond correspondence.
A memorandum seeking an AIIMS in Kozhikode district was submitted to the Union Health Minister; the matter has been posted after six weeks.