Allahabad HC judge’s remarks on rape of minor, and challenges faced by nursing community feature in Lok Sabha Zero Hour

Congress MP K.C. Venugopal in the Lok Sabha during the Budget Session of the Parliament, in New Delhi on March 26, 2025.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Observations by an Allahabad High Court judge on rape, and challenges faced by nurses across the country, were among the main issues that Lok Sabha members raised during Zero Hour on Wednesday (March 26, 2025).

Demanding action against a sitting Allahabad High Court judge who, in an order, had said that grabbing breasts and pulling the pyjama strings of a minor girl did not amount to rape, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member Mukesh Rajput said the judge’s observations in a case related to the alleged rape of a minor girl were “undignified, disturbing and condemnable”.

“It is regrettable that people occupying high posts make such remarks. It is a post where a person in distress turns to seek justice… But when a sitting judge makes such remarks regarding women, it is horrifying and condemnable,” the BJP member from Farrukhabad said, adding that the remarks had women uncomfortable.

“Such a person should apologise to women. I urge the Minister to take note of these remarks and take action against this person as mandated by the Constitution,” Mr. Rajput said.

‘insensitive, inhuman’ remarks by Justice Mishra on Allahabad rape case

The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the comments of Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra of the Allahabad High Court, saying they depicted “total insensitiveness” and an “inhuman approach”.

Senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha member from Alappuzha, K.C. Venugopal, raised the issue of challenges faced by nurses, affecting their work and the quality of healthcare in the country.

Mr. Venugopal said that a nurse registered in one State had to go through separate registration processes in every other State in which they wanted to work.

“This makes it difficult, time-consuming, and creates unnecessary hurdles for skilled nurses to move freely across States. Another major issue is the delay in the Nurses Registration and Tracking System (NRTS), started by the Indian Nursing Council in 2018,” he said.

The Congress leader said that although there was an online system, many nurses were still waiting for their National Unique Identification Number (NUID), and only 12 lakh out of 36 lakh nurses in India had received their NUID number.

Mr. Venugopal also said though the Supreme Court had ruled that nurses should be paid according in accordance with their grade and the number of beds in a hospital, this was not being being followed in several States, and especially in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

“I urge the government to create a single national registration system for nurses, so they do not have to register separately in every State. The process of issuing NUIDs should also be made faster. Lastly, hospitals must be made to follow the Supreme Court’s salary guidelines to ensure our nurses are treated fairly,” Mr. Venugopal said.