Subharti Medical College MBBS students to be admitted to other medical colleges based on NEET scores: Report

Dehradun: In a much-awaited relief to the 150 MBBS students suffering due to their admission in the defunct Shridev Suman Subharti Medical College (SSSMC), the government is now moving ahead with the beginning of their admission process for 150 MBBS students to other medical colleges

Confirming the information to TOI, certain officials said that the Uttarakhand government stated has decided to start the admission process of these MBBS students to other private and government medical colleges across the state on the basis of their NEET score within two weeks.

The MBBS students will be admitted to other medical colleges on the basis of their NEET scores. Those who score high will be shifted to 3 government medical colleges and those who get low marks will get admissions at 2 private medical colleges in Uttarakhand.

The medical college was shut down after various discrepancies were noticed in the institute. Medical Dialogues had been extensively reporting about the controversial case of self-financing Subharti Medical College. On December 6, the Supreme Court had ordered the Uttarakhand government to take over the land, buildings and assets of the 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. 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 MCI and affiliated with Dehradun's Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Uttarakhand Medical University (HNB 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.

Read Also: Take over Shridev Suman Subharti Medical College: Supreme Court directs Uttarakhand Govt

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

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.

Read Also: Medical College Shutdown: More Irregularities revealed at Subharti University

After the SC order on its shutdown and acquisition by government, the Subharti management had announced winter vacations till January 15.

Earlier, the government was planning to amalgamate Subharti University with the HNB Garhwal University. However, with no update on the amalgamation, the MBBS are confused as to which university will conduct the examinations.

Read Also: Staring at Uncertain Future, Subharti Medical College MBBS students hold protest

Further, in an affidavit filed with SC on January 15, the MCI backed the idea to shift MBBS students of the medical college to other medical colleges running across the state.

In 2017, the MCI had inspected the medical college and found several deficiencies. The same year, the medical education governing body barred the medical college from admitting students for the next two academic years. However, the MCI did allow the 150 MBBS students who taken admission to the college in 2016, to continue their studies in the same premises, saying their degrees will be valid.

Read Also: 150 MBBS students of Subharti Medical College should be Shifted: MCI tells court

Now, the state government has decided to start the admission process for 1^st and 2nd-year MBBS students reports TOI. The admission process will be completed within two weeks as per certain officials. The officials added that both year students will be again made to sit for the first-year exams after the medical college is allotted to them.

However, sources from the government told TOI that the 2nd year MBBS students have approached the SC against the clause which makes them to reappear for the first-year exam. The matter is reportedly pending in the court.

The criteria on how these MBBS students will be shifted has been finalized by the committee constituted by the state government on the special orders of the apex court to adjust the students of Subharti Medical College in private and government medical colleges.

The head of the committee, Dr Hemchandra Pandey, Vice-Chancellor of HNB University, informed TOI that they have already submitted their report to the government on categories and criteria on which the students will be allotted medical college.

"There is one more meeting scheduled with members of the concerned medical colleges (3 government and 2 private ones) after which we will start the counselling. It may take another 10 to 15 days," Dr Pandey said.

The committee in its report maintained, "The shifting of students will be on basis of their marks obtained in the NEET. Those who scored higher marks will be transferred to government colleges, while private colleges will be allotted to those who scored less."

The committee has also retained the orders of the apex court which has said that 2nd-year MBBS students will also have to reappear in the first-year exam after admissions, reports TOI.