FIMS students protest against medical college closure; reassured of fee reimbursement

Vijaywada : The de recognition ordered by the Supreme Court of Fathima Institute of Medical Sciences (FIMS) escalated tensions at Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences when students of Fathima Institute of Medical Sciences (FIMS), Kadapa, staged a protest and threatened to commit suicide by jumping from the university administrative building. The medical students are extremely upset over de-recognition of their college by the Medical Council of India (MCI).

Slogans were raised by students and their parents against the government and the Vice Chancellor Dr. TV Ravi Raju for having failed to come up with suitable alternatives instead of closure, on the university campus, after the crowds reached it at 1 PM. The students expressed their anger through the protest saying that the future of a 100 students who had paid lakhs of Rupees for fee, was at stake. They demanded that the Vice Chancellor adjust them in other colleges.

The protestors said that they had already lost two precious years of their college over their battle with the Government and the MCI over the issue of recognition.

"We paid around Rs 60 - Rs 80 lakh for admission in the college. Now, we are facing problems due to cancellation of recognition to the college by MCI. The management had hidden the facts from us saying that the problem will be resolved in couple of months when the issue came to light in 2016. Now, they are apathetic to our problem," said a student .

"The government should adjust the students in other colleges," a father of a student stated.

The Health Minister, Kamineni Srinivas said that utmost efforts by the government have been made to resolve the issue. The management of the college had moved the Supreme Court to reassure the students that their admission fee would be reimbursed.