Kerala HC directs Centre to conduct feasibility study for AIIMS at Kozhikode, submit report by Feb 25

Kozhikode: Even as the Union government continues to delay a decision on Kerala’s long-pending demand for an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the Kerala High Court has directed the Centre to conduct a feasibility study at the site identified by the State government at Kinaloor in Kozhikode district.

The interim order was passed on February 4 by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V M, in a petition filed by the AIIMS Kasaragod Janakeeya Koottayma, a people’s collective which has been demanding that Kasaragod be considered for the premier health institute.

While the petition sought inclusion of Kasaragod as a potential site, the court’s direction has now opened the door for site inspection at Kinaloor, which the state government has consistently projected as its preferred location.

As per the interim order, the Union government has been directed to complete the feasibility study before the next hearing on February 25, and to place on record a written affidavit stating whether the Kinaloor site is feasible for establishing AIIMS and whether it conforms to the guidelines and conditions prescribed for the project.

Referring to the State government’s affidavit dated May 30, 2025, the bench said it was incumbent upon the Union government to communicate its final decision on Kinaloor, which, according to the State, conforms to the guidelines prescribed for establishing AIIMS. The court noted that the State had justified the suitability of the site.

When the matter was taken up on February 4, the counsel for the Union government submitted that he had received no instructions from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, but assured the court that a written communication would be placed on record by the next hearing.

The court adjourned the case to February 25 and directed the Union Health Secretary to file an affidavit clarifying whether the proposed site conforms to central guidelines. “In the meantime, we direct the Union of India to conduct a feasibility study, in coordination with the State respondents, regarding the proposed site,” the bench ordered.

Land availability
The State government has identified around 151 acres of unused land with the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) at Kinaloor and Kanthalad villages in Kozhikode’s Panangad panchayat for the project. In addition, a social impact assessment has recorded consent from private landholders to part with about 40.68 hectares (around 100 acres) from Kinaloor and Kanthalad villages, comfortably meeting the Union government’s requirement of 200 acres for AIIMS.

A 12-year timeline
Kerala’s struggle for AIIMS dates back to June 19, 2014, when the Union Health Ministry asked Kerala to identify “three or four” potential locations for AIIMS, specifying the need for around 200 acres with road connectivity and basic infrastructure, to be provided free of cost by the State.

On July 15, 2014, the State Cabinet shortlisted four sites -- Kinaloor (Kozhikode), Nettukaltheri (near Open Jail in Thiruvananthapuram), Kottayam Medical College land, and HMT land in Ernakulam -- and informed the Union government the very next day.

On June 4, 2016, the four District Collectors submitted feasibility reports on the proposed sites. Based on these reports, the State government wrote to the Union government seeking an early visit by the Expert Committee to complete site inspections and to sanction AIIMS for Kerala at the earliest.

On January 9, 2017, after assessing land availability and other criteria, the State government informed the Union government that Kinaloor was the most suitable site for establishing AIIMS. This position was reiterated on January 1, 2019, when the Chief Minister wrote to the Union Health Ministry stating that the 200-acre land parcel at Kinaloor was the most viable among the locations proposed by the State.

Subsequent government orders between April and August 2022 gave permission to KSIDC to transfer over 151 acres to the State Health Department, exclusively for AIIMS.

Despite repeated letters, in May 2022 and October 2024, requesting the deputation of a central team for a feasibility study, the Union government did not respond.

Social impact assessment
A Social Impact Assessment (SIA) conducted by the SIA Unit of Don Bosco Arts & Science College, Iritty, and submitted on November 8, 2022, recorded the consent of 197 households -- around 270 landowners -- to part with private land for the project.

The study examined several alternative proposals and noted that Kasaragod district’s demand for AIIMS was fair. “AIIMS is coveted by every district. The prominent among them is the Kasaragod district. Looking at the poor health services and economic backwardness, their need is fair,” the SIA report said.

Sreenath of the AIIMS Kasaragod Collective said the High Court’s direction to conduct a feasibility study was a positive development. “We have been before the court since 2024. If Kinaloor does not meet the criteria, it will strengthen our case,” he said.

AIIMS for Kerala did not figure in the 2026-2027 Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1. Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism Suresh Gopi had also made repeated public announcements that the premier healthcare institution would be brought to Kerala.