Hi-Tech medical college students call it a strike, Relay fast unto death

Rourkela: The Supreme Court’s cancellation of 100 MBBS admissions for the year 2015-16 of Odisha’s Rourkela based High Tech Medical College, saw the first year students of the college begin a fast onto death on Saturday.

The students accompanied by parents also demonstrated outside the principal’s office earlier in the day.

Mediating a special leave petition (SLP) filed by the State Government of Orissa and the Medical Council of India(MCI), against the Orissa High Court judgment, the Supreme Court had in September cancelled the admissions of these students.

The Supreme Court had also negated the interim High Court order given in favour of the Hi Tech Medical College, allowing it to admit students through a test which stood in gross violation of the Orissa Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and fixation of fee) Act, 2007.

The Hi Tech College authorities had moved court against the MCI’s stand disallowing the college from giving admissions in its MBBS and Dental courses, due to infra structural deficiencies.

“ This is gross injustice being meted out to us for no fault of ours, if there is anyone to be held responsible , it should be the state government and the college authorities. How could we know the technicalities? Would any student or their guardian have put his time and money at risk, If they Knew? We ask the authorities to make alternate arrangements for us, failing which we will die demonstrating here, said a seemingly disturbed student.

The students have been on a relay for three days now, in the hope of a favourable decision being taken by the college.

The students are also alleging that the apex court’s cancellation has made it difficult for them to retrieve their university registration numbers.

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