Published Feb 06, 2026 | 2:20 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 06, 2026 | 2:47 PM
Kerala High Court. (Supplied)
Synopsis: The high court has directed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to submit an affidavit clarifying whether the Kinaloor site in Kozhikode, identified by the state and under Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) ownership, meets central guidelines for establishing AIIMS.
Kerala’s long-standing demand for an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has sparked political and legal tensions, with the high court stepping in to seek clarity from the Centre.
The high court has directed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to submit an affidavit clarifying whether the Kinaloor site in Kozhikode, identified by the state and under Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) ownership, meets central guidelines for establishing AIIMS.
The court also instructed the Centre to conduct a feasibility study at the site in coordination with state authorities before the next hearing on 25 February.
The state had proposed four potential locations—Kinaloor in Kozhikode, Nettukaltheri near the open jail in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam MCH land, and HMT land in Ernakulam—but Kinaloor was consistently identified as the most viable site.
In 2019, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed the Union government that 200 acres at Kinaloor were available, and subsequent orders in 2022 allowed KSIDC to transfer 151 acres to the Health Department for AIIMS.
A social impact assessment also recorded consent from private landowners for an additional 100 acres, meeting the required land criteria. Despite repeated requests in 2022 and 2024 for a central team to conduct a feasibility study, the Union government delayed action.
The high court noted that while Kasaragod’s demand for AIIMS is valid, the feasibility study at Kinaloor should proceed as an interim measure. The court further emphasized that the Centre must communicate its final decision regarding Kinaloor, which the state asserts meets all guidelines.
Kerala first identified potential AIIMS sites in 2014, followed by feasibility reports in 2016. The state reiterated Kinaloor as the preferred location in 2017 and again in 2019. Despite assurances from Union ministers, the 2026–27 Union Budget also made no mention of AIIMS for Kerala, keeping the issue unresolved.
Sreenath of the AIIMS Kasaragod Collective welcomed the court’s directive, saying it could strengthen Kasaragod’s case if Kinaloor is found unsuitable.
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Sreelakshmi Soman)
