In U-turn, govt to re-consider decision on 2 medical colleges

Apparently caught on the wrong foot for permitting two medical colleges to admit more students despite a Supreme Court order to the contrary, the Union Health Ministry on Friday took a U-turn, saying it would re-consider the decision.

Apparently caught on the wrong foot for permitting two medical colleges to admit more students despite a Supreme Court order to the contrary, the Union Health Ministry on Friday took a U-turn, saying it would re-consider the decision.

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The ministry’s change of stand comes in wake of the latest inspection report of the Medical Council of India (MCI), which visited the two colleges — Index Medical College (Indore) and Rohilkhand Medical College (Bareilly) — on October 1. The MCI has reiterated that the colleges don’t have adequate facility to take in more students. According to the report, the colleges lack even basic infrastructure for students.

Health Minister Anbumani Ramdoss had on September 26 permitted the two private colleges to increase student capacity and enroll 150 students. Permission was granted on the ground that a central team from Safdarjung had found both institutions to house “adequate facilities”.

However, the same day, Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium had informed the court that the colleges were woefully low on facilities. He contended they weren’t even fit to get permission for 50 seats. On the basis of his statement, the court declined permission to the institutions to enroll more students.

The court has granted the ministry time till October 13 to file its response.