MCI rejection of 26 medical colleges, overridden by SC panel

The Supreme Court appointed Oversight Committee, in a major decision has allowed 26 medical institutions to commence their academic session, starting September 30.This has been done overriding Medical Council of India's (MCI), earlier rejection of 86 institutions.

The permission of commencement of session to the 26 institutions however, comes with three strict conditions. The first that the 26 institutes will have to give an undertaking to the MCI that they won’t remain deficient when the new session starts on September 30; secondly, they will give MCI bank guarantees worth Rs 2 crore each; last but not the least, the OC will reserve the right to inspect these new colleges before or after September 30, to see if they are complying with norms.

The former Chief Justice of India, RM Lodha headed three member panel that was appointed by the apex court to look into the functioning of MCI has initiated the new development. The other two members of the oversight panel (OC), constitutes former CAG Vinod Rai and the renowned liver expert SK Sarin. The three member panel had asked the applicants to file in fresh applications to a window opened by them, between June 15 and 22 and requested compliance, as well. 39 institutions had responded and the panel has now granted commencement of session permission to 26 of them, according to Health Ministry sources.

Letters of permission to the 26 new institutes will be handed over for new campuses, after they submit state government undertakings- stating that they will successfully do away with existing drawbacks, by September 30; when the new batch of MBBS students comes in.

This, as mentioned before is subject to the satisfaction of the Oversight Committee's conditions.

“If the OC is not satisfied, it has reserved the right to debar new colleges from admissions for the subsequent two years. This is the practice the SC has followed in granting approvals to new colleges,” a Ministry official said.

The newly approved institutions are Ananta Institute of Medical Sciences, Rajasthan; NIMRA Institute of Medical Sciences, Andhra Pradesh; Saraswati Medical College, UP; Sri Sakshi Medical College, Madhya Pradesh; World College of Medical Sciences, Jhajjar, Haryana; Kerala Medical College; NC Medical College, Panipat (Haryana); Local Medical College, Saharanpur and Prasad Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow.