Schemes for Making Medical Education accessible to all: Minister Informs Parliament

The Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), Sh Faggan Singh Kulaste through a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, apprised the parliament about the various schemes of the government for making medical education accessible to all. The reply stated:-

In case of Government medical colleges, the respective State Governments are responsible for fixation of fees. However, in the case of private unaided medical colleges, the fee structure is decided by a Committee set up by the respective State Governments under the Chairmanship of a retired High Court Judge in pursuance of the directions of the Honorable Supreme Court of India. It is for the Committee to decide whether the fee hike proposed by an Institute is justified and the fee fixed by the Committee is binding on the Institute.

The following three Centrally Sponsored Schemes are being run by Central Government to make medical education accessible to all:

i. Strengthening/upgradation of State Government Medical Colleges for starting new PG courses/Increase of PG seats with fund sharing between the Central and State Government.
ii. Establishment of New Medical Colleges by upgrading district/referral hospitals preferably in underserved districts of the country with fund sharing between the Central Government and States.
iii. Strengthening/ upgradation of existing State Government/Central Government Medical Colleges to increase MBBS seats with fund sharing between the Central Government and States.

With the passage of Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Act, 2016, a uniform entrance examination for admission to Under Graduate and Post Graduate medical courses in the country viz. National Eligibility–cum–Entrance Test (NEET) has been introduced from the Academic Year 2016-17. It would help curb malpractices in medical admissions especially in private medical colleges, will lead to greater transparency and ensure better standards of Medical Education.

Further, Medical Council of India with the prior approval of the Central Government has notified amendment in Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 1997 and Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000 for prescribing mandatory combined counseling for admission to all UG and PG medical courses.