After MCI decree, fate of 124 med students uncertain

Times of India, Aug 14, 2015
BHAWANIPATNA: The careers of 124 students of Sardar Rajas Medical College hang in balance as the Medical Council of India (MCI) decided not to renew permission for admission to the college for the third academic session (2015-16).

The students have been sitting on strike since July 30 in front of the Kalahandi collectorate demanding that the state government intervene.

Nilakantha Sahu, father of Jyotirmaya Sahu (20) of Ganjam's Hinjilikatu, had arranged for Rs 4.25 lakh in a single day after their son passed the 3rd counseling round and was admitted to Sardar Rajas Medical College in 2013. In the second academic year, Jyotirmaya's parents took an education loan of Rs 4 lakh. And now this.

About 124 students (first year and second year batches) are staring at an uncertain fate. They have been demanding faculty members, laboratories, libraries and other facilities that the MCI norms stipulate.

Members of the Kalahandi Medical College Action committee led by retired professor Akhaya Kumar Nanda are also picketing in support of the students. All political parties too are backing them.

Last week, a meeting was convened by the Kalahandi bar association and it was unanimously decided that the students and representatives would meet the CM and health minister shortly to resolve the issue.

Sardar Rajas college union president M Samirkrishnan Reddy said they had not received any assurances from the government even after 15 days had passed.

"The state government should take over the college as soon as possible," Reddy added.

Following orders from the Supreme Court, the fact-finding team of MCI had made a surprise visit to the medical college to verify the information provided by the management of the college to the apex court on February 10, 2015, sources said.

The Council Assessors' report of MCI stated that the executive committee of the council had decided to recommend to the Union government not to renew permission for admission of the third batch of students for the 2015-16 academic year following 41 deficiencies found in the college, the sources added.

The executive committee of the council decided on March 5, 2015 to invoke/forfeit the bank guarantees submitted by the institute and directed the institute to submit fresh bank guarantee within two weeks.