UP: Medical students being denied admission at Private Medical colleges

Lucknow: Reports are coming in that since the announcement of UP government's new policy for medical admissions, indications are that private colleges are not entertaining any students for admissions.

In August, Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav, initiated a new education policy directing private medical colleges to grant 50 % of their seats for meritorious students from the economically weaker sections; fixing the fee at Rs. 36,000 per annum. Private medical colleges are against the order as it would lead to grievous losses for them.

Some medical aspirants along with their parents, on Wednesday, visited the the telemedicine centre at Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, where counselling was in progress. The admissions were being coordinated by the Medical Education, Directorate.

"My son was allotted Hind Medical College but when we went to the college, the authorities told us that the private college association has approached the apex court against the medical education order on admission. I don't know the fate of my child now," rued Vandana Verma, a housewife in Lucknow. Similar reports came for Era's Lucknow Medical College and Subharti Medical College in Meerut as well.

When contacted, Director General (Medical Education), Dr VN Tripathi said, "The state government has brought about the change in admission process and it is obligatory for them (private colleges) to follow the orders. They will have to face action in case they violate the order."

Asked to comment on the writ petition being claimed by the Private Medical Colleges Association, Dr Tripathi said, "The petition is yet to be admitted in the court, and our policy is student friendly and essential to ensure quality in medical education."

However, certain medical colleges seem to have completed their admissions. One such being- Rama Medical College, Kanpur, where students are believed to have completed the registration process, to confirm admissions.

Principal, Dr R K Srivastava said that half of the total 86 seats in their college would be given to the NEET qualified candidates. "So far, 22 students had reported. After verifying the documents, admission to the candidates would be given as per the administration norms," he said.