The Medical Council of India has approved 21 new medical colleges at the undergraduate
level
Those aspiring to be doctors can now hope for more as the
government has decided to create 4,452 MBBS seats in 21 new medical colleges and
increase the number of seats in existing institutions this year. The
Medical Council of India has approved 21 new medical colleges at the undergraduate
level, taking the total number of medical colleges in the country to 335, including
185 in the private sector and 150 in the government sector, sources said.
Of the new colleges approved, 16 are in the private sector and five in the government
sector. In another significant development, the MCI allowed 33 existing medical
colleges to add additional undergraduate seats (MBBS).
The MCI, in this regard also rejected as many as 71 applications from colleges for
approval of additional medical seats, said Dr. Purshotam Lal, member of MCI's Board
of Governors. While the 21 new medical colleges will add 2,650 fresh MBBS seats,
33 existing ones have been granted permission to add 1,802 fresh seats, said Dr.
Lal. With this, MCI has added 12.6 per cent medical seats in the country this year
alone.
Both moves will together create a pool of 39,785 seats in the country, which is
reeling under doctor shortage currently pegged at six lakh.
The MCI had received applications for setting up as many as 86 new medical colleges,
of which only 21 got the final nod after scrutiny and inspection. Similarly, a total
of 104 applications were received for further increase in seats by existing medical
colleges, of which only 33 were accorded sanction and the remaining were rejected
after scrutiny and inspection.
The Supreme Court on Thursday slammed private medical and dental colleges for lapses
in admissions and said it will have to step in if things do not improve.
The apex court vacation bench of Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice A. K. Patnaik said:
"Private medical colleges are doing wrong admissions. The court has to stop it."
Taking note of the commercialisation of education in a matter related to medical
colleges admissions, the court observed that in "those (earlier) days, schools and
colleges were set up for charity and for imparting education". The court's indictment
of private medical and dental colleges came after it was told that in Kerala the
managements of the self-finance private medical and dental colleges had even filled
up 66 postgraduate degree and eight postgraduate diploma seats from the 50 per cent
quota earmarked for the state and central governments.
The admission of these 74 students plunged into uncertainty as the apex court said
their admissions would be subject to the state high court verdict on the petition
of these colleges challenging a Kerala government order. The state government in
its order extended the date for admission to these seats under its quota.
Medical Council of India's (MCI's) senior counsel Amarendra Saran told the court
that it would discharge the students admitted by the managements of these colleges
in excess of their 50 per cent quota.
In self finance private medical colleges, 50 per cent seats fall under the category
of management quota and 50 per cent seats are earmarked to be filled up by the state
and central governments. The central government's quota goes to the state government
if it so decides.
Courtesy: DNA India
