Medical College Shutdown: More Irregularities revealed at Subharti University

Dehradun: A week after taking over Shridev Suman Subharti Medical College, the state government has come up with a big revelation suggesting that major irregularities are persisting at Ras Bihari Bose Subharti University, to which the medical college was affiliated with.

In its submission to the SC recently, the state informed the apex court that the medical college was operating over 12 different colleges, including hostels for students, in just three buildings on 13.59 acres land whereas a 20-acre campus is mandatory to run just one medical college.

Medical Dialogues earlier reported that on December 6, the apex court had ordered the Uttarakhand government to take over the land, buildings and assets of the self-financing Subharti 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 in the college. 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 Medical Council of India (MCI) and affiliated with Dehradun's Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Uttarakhand 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.

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

At one point at the hearing, the University authorities asked the SC for clarity on the status of the other colleges in the campus. On this, the DAG stated, "Since the apex court ordered the state government to take over only the medical college, there is no clarity on the status of the other colleges."

Then, the apex court asked the state government for its opinion on the matter, following which the state government informed the court about the prevailing irregularities in the university.

It was submitted that apart from a medical college, Subharti authorities were running a paramedical college, a nursing college, a pharmacy college, polytechnic and computer science colleges, a journalism institute, a management college, science and arts college, and even a yogic science college. All these colleges were being run on 13.59 acres whereas a 20-acre campus is mandatory to run just one medical college.

The university also asked the apex court about compensation for assets that were taken over by the state government. In response, the state submitted that an ordinance has to be passed in the assembly and only then the institution will get back its money.

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When contacted, Dr Krishnan of Subharti told TOI that the court has asked the university authorities to give a detailed report on the assets belonging to the university as well as the medical college. The court never asked the state government to take over the university. Orders were passed only to take over the medical college.

For the moment, the government is planning to amalgamate Subharti University with the HNB Garhwal University. "There is a proposal to merge Subharti with HNB Garhwal University to ensure that the students get the proper education. However, a final decision will be taken only after the SC order," the DAG informed.

Medical College CLOSED- Staff still UNPAID

On 13^th December, the staff of the shut medical college including over 400 doctors, medical teachers and paramedical staff protested inside the university campus demanding pending stipends and clarity regarding the status of their employment. The agitating employees are also demanding that the medical college should be returned to its old management with the Subharti University.

A doctor on condition of anonymity told TOI, "The SC and the state government should at least think about us before shutting a varsity. When we approached the administration, they told us that their bank accounts have been seized and they can't process salaries."

However, the state has assured that the medical college staff will be paid their stipends at the earliest. The Director of Medical Education Dr Sayana stated to Pioneer, "We are taking all steps to ensure that the salary of the staffers is paid at the earliest."

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