Accommodate all 300 MBBS students in GMCs: Supreme Court on Subharti Medical College case

Dehradun: The Supreme Court, in a verdict passed recently, has ordered the state government to accommodate 300 MBBS students of the defunct Shridev Suman Subharti Medical College (SSSMC), to government-run medical institutes in the state.

The students had been running pillar to post urging the state government to accommodate them to other medical colleges since December last year when the medical college was shut down after various discrepancies were noticed in the institute.

Medical Dialogues had been extensively reporting about the controversial case of self-financing Subharti Medical College. On December 6, the Supreme Court had ordered the Uttarakhand government to take over the land, buildings and assets of the Medical College within 24 hours and run it as a government entity thereafter.

This decision was taken in view of the petitions filed by a group of 74 NEET qualified students, who were admitted to the first year MBBS course. The students moved the apex court saying that as there was a lack of infrastructure and faculty, they should be transferred to any other medical college in the state.

At that hearing, the Deputy Advocate General (DAG) of Uttarakhand J K Sethi told the bench that the state would be willing to take over the college along with its entire infrastructure and assets, both movable and immovable so that it could meet the norms of MCI and affiliated with Dehradun's Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Uttarakhand Medical University (HNB Medical University).

The SC had made it clear that if the university affiliates the institution and MCI grants requisite permission, the students can sit for the first-year examination of MBBS course to be conducted by the university.

Read Also: Take over Shridev Suman Subharti Medical College: Supreme Court directs Uttarakhand Govt

In the next hearing, the state had revealed the irregularities that persisted at the Subharti University. The DAG Uttarakhand stated that the institution was making a "mockery of education" and all the students were being taken for a ride.

Read Also: Medical College Shutdown: More Irregularities revealed at Subharti University

After the SC order on its shutdown and acquisition by government, the Subharti management had announced winter vacations till January 15.

Earlier, the government was planning to amalgamate Subharti University with the HNB Garhwal University. However, with no update on the amalgamation, the MBBS are confused as to which university will conduct the examinations.

Read Also: Staring at Uncertain Future, Subharti Medical College MBBS students hold protest

Further, in an affidavit filed with SC on January 15, the MCI backed the idea to shift MBBS students of the medical college to other medical colleges running across the state.

In 2017, the MCI had inspected the medical college and found several deficiencies. The same year, the medical education governing body barred the medical college from admitting students for the next two academic years. However, the MCI did allow the 150 MBBS students who taken admission to the college in 2016, to continue their studies in the same premises, saying their degrees will be valid.

Read Also: 150 MBBS students of Subharti Medical College should be Shifted: MCI tells court

Read Also: Subharti Medical College MBBS Admission Process Stuck: Students threaten Protest

Uttarakhand government decided to start the admission process of these MBBS students to other private and government medical colleges across the state on the basis of their NEET score within two weeks. It was decided that those MBBS students who score high will be shifted to 3 government medical colleges and those who get low marks will get admissions at 2 private medical colleges in Uttarakhand.

The officials added that both year students will be again made to sit for the first-year exams after the medical college is allotted to them. However, sources from the government had informed that time that the 2nd year MBBS students had approached the SC against the clause which makes them reappear for the first-year exam.

Read Also: Subharti Medical College MBBS students to be admitted to other medical colleges based on NEET scores: Report

The long-delayed counselling of 300 MBBS students was held on March 6.

Read Also: Subharti Medical College MBBS counselling from tomorrow March 6

However, the students were not happy with the court's decision on moving them to private colleges. 74 students filed an application in the apex court. Citing the reason of very high fees, these students urged the court to ask the state government to ensure each of them is admitted in government colleges.

Now, considering the plea of aggrieved students, the SC had ordered to the state to accommodate them to GMCs.

DAG Sethi informed TOI, "The court has asked the state government to ensure that all the MBBS students of SSSMC are admitted in government medical colleges. We have three government medical colleges in the state and all the students will now be adjusted in them only."

The students will be shifted in the basis of NEET scores and the court once again maintained that both 1^st and 2^nd year students have to appear in first year exams and if they passed, they would be allowed to move to the next class, adds TOI.