‘Govt. still hopeful of getting MCI nod for admissions in six colleges’

Higher Education Minister R.V. Deshpande has said the State government has not given up hope of getting the Medical Council of India’s (MCI) approval for starting admissions in the six new government medical colleges in the State.

A team of high-level officials from the State, headed by the Secretary of the Health Department, was in New Delhi to meet their counterparts at the Centre on persuading the MCI to reverse its decision to deny approval for admissions in the six colleges for this academic year.

“I’m unaware of the details of the outcome of the meeting… I am still hopeful that the MCI will allow admissions to help the poor and meritorious students get an opportunity to pursue medical course at an affordable cost,” Mr. Deshpande told presspersons here on Sunday.

He said the main intention of the State government was to open up more avenues to children from poor economic background to pursue their dream of studying medicine. “In pursuance of its policy to open at least one medical college in every district headquarter, the government decided to establish colleges in Gulbarga, Koppal, Chamarajanagar, Gadag, Karwar, and Kodagu this year and sought the MCI’s permission. “The MCI, however, rejected the proposal to admit 150 students each in the six colleges stating that norms stipulated by it were not met,” Mr. Deshpande said.

Also, the government had again pleaded with the MCI to allow admissions to 50 enhanced seats each in the Mysore Medical College and Research Institute and the Vijayanagara Institute of Medical Sciences, Bellary.

The MCI has given its nod for admissions to 100 enhanced seats in the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute and 50 enhanced seats in the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Hubli.

To a question, he said the government was seized of the issue of bringing in changes in the cadre and recruitment rules to accommodate Women Studies graduates from Gulbarga University and other universities. “This issue needs to be discussed with the vice-chancellors concerned and officials of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms,” he said.