The Madras High Court will hear on Sunday, January 21 a PIL against half-day holiday for Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, on account of 'Pran Prathishta' ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

First Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay V Gangapurwala and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy are slated to hear the PIL petition in open court at 10:30 am. The Chief Justice accepted a request for an urgent hearing since JIPMER had issued the circular regarding the closure only on Friday, January 19.

The circular, issued with the approval of the Director of JIPMER, said that the institute shall remain closed till 2.30 pm on January 22 but "the emergency services will run as usual."

The circular has been issued in accordance with an official memorandum from the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, issued for the Central government employees to participate in the 'Prana Prathishta' celebrations.

However, petitioner questioned how a premier government medical institution in the Union Territory could close down for half a day barring the emergency services.