Indian Courts Dismiss PILs in Medical and Protest Cases

On Wednesday, September 16, 2026, two Indian courts dismissed public interest litigations in separate cases, criticizing petitioners for filing routine or publicity-driven cases. The Supreme Court rejected a plea for a uniform medical qualification verification system, while the Delhi High Court dismissed a petition seeking an inquiry into alleged police lathi-charge during student protests. The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe, dismissed the PIL filed by advocate Narendra Kumar Goswami. The petition sought directions for a fraud-resistant verification mechanism for medical qualifications and registrations across the country. The court questioned Goswami's practice of filing one PIL per week, remarking that he had made it a "factory" and asking if he ever applied his mind. The bench also suggested that such petitions might be filed for publicity. Goswami argued that the PIL raised important questions about verifying medical qualifications, citing incidents of alleged fake degrees.