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IMSA Honorary Fellowship for Justice K. Narayana Kurup

Justice K. Narayana Kurup (left) receives the Honorary Fellowship of the International Medical Sciences Academy (IMSA) at its convocation, from the IMSA president Jagadishan (centre), in Manipal on Saturday.

Manipal: Justice K. Narayana Kurup, a former judge of the Kerala and Madras High Courts, was conferred an Honorary Fellowship of the International Medical Sciences Academy (IMSA) at its convocation here on Saturday.

The IMSA is an associate member of the Council of International Organisation of Medical Sciences, WHO, Geneva. The convocation has been arranged as part of the annual conference of IMSA held here in association with the Manipal University.

Mr. Justice Narayana Kurup was among the eight persons who received honorary fellowships.

The fellowship was conferred on him by IMSA president Dr. Jagadishan.

Justice Narayana Kurup is the second non-medical person conferred this Honorary Fellowship, the other being Dr. G.N. Hunsfield, inventor of CT Scan, who is also a Nobel Laureate.

The citation reads: “Justice K. Narayan Kurup is an eminent jurist of transnational repute whose judgments and orders have given new dimension to constitutional law, human rights, public health environment, animal rights, etc.”

During his tenure on the Kerala High Court Bench, he had earned the acclaim of distinguished jurists from India and abroad as well as public at large including the fourth estate for his landmark orders and judgments in many a public interest litigation and cases relating to burning public issues, the most important of which is the classic and landmark verdict, which he wrote for the Division Bench banning smoking in public places and it has been hailed by the international community as a unique contribution by the Indian judiciary to protect human rights to health.”

This “classic judgment which is a treatise on law and medicine has served as an eye-opener and trendsetter to initiate anti-smoking measures not only in India but also for the rest of the world. Imbibing the spirit of the judgment, the Committee Nations numbering 181 met in Geneva in May 2003 and took a unanimous decision to initiate anti-tobacco legislation in their respective countries. The judgment has a global fallout saving millions of innocent and unsuspecting non-smokers from the hazards of second hand smoke.”

The citation said, “By his landmark rulings banning public puffing and prohibiting training and display of five species of animals (lion, tiger, bear, panther, and monkey) in circuses throughout India, he has given teeth to the lofty ideals of compassion to fellow beings and ostracism of tobacco from society which occupied a top notch in Gandhiji’s agenda.”

Speaking to The Hindu later, Mr. Justice Kurup said, “But for the judicial position I occupied, I would not have been in a position to make any substantial contribution to humanity in the fields of public health, human rights, environment, animal rights, etc.”

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