Finally, MCI restores MBBS seats in 2 medical colleges
After much hue and cry, the Medical Council of India (MCI) finally restored the MBBS seats in two state-run medical colleges.
After much hue and cry, the Medical Council of India (MCI) finally restored the MBBS seats in two state-run medical colleges.
“MCI chairperson has recommended the health ministry to restore the seats in the two medical colleges,” said additional chief secretary health Vineet Chaudhary talking to Hindustan Times.
We have received intimation from the MCI that the seats in the two colleges have been restored, added Chaudhary.
The reduction in seats had stirred up a political row in the state as the opposition BJP had cornered the Congress government over the issue.
Earlier on July 10, the state government pleaded its case with the Medical Council of India. Health minister Kaul Singh Thakur had met union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan requesting him to restore the number of seat in both the medical colleges of the state.
The MCI team had visited both medical colleges in April and recommended the reduction of seats, following which the number of seats had gone down from 100 to 50 in the Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College, Tanda and 100 to 65 in the Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla.
The MCI had asked the state government to reduce the MBBS seats in the two colleges citing the lack of infrastructure for the students.
Reduction of seats had raised the concern of the parents of those students who had cleared the pre-medical tests and even the government had completed the counseling for 200 seats.
The state government had been facing the heat over the reduction of seats from the BJP and the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The opposition parties had also been targeting the state government for approving 150 seats in private medical colleges.