Withdrawal symptoms
He’s at it again. It wasn’t too long ago that the courts had the last word on Anbumani Ramadoss’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences crusade. Now the health minister has lined up one of the country’s largest educational houses, the Manipal Group, in his sights. The group, with nearly 15,000 students from around 50 countries, is the latest to be at the receiving end of Ramadoss’s fury with two of its medical colleges—Kasturba Medical Colleges (KMC) in Manipal and Mangalore—being served derecognition notices last fortnight.Inadequate infrastructure, shortage of faculty and excessive intake of students were among the observations that led to the notice. The council also objected to Malaysian students being given the medical degree as part of the twinning programme with the Manipal University’s own arm, Melaka Manipal Medical College in Malaysia. It also expressed disapproval regarding the enrolment of students from Antigua and the West Indies.The colleges were asked to address the observations and the Centre asked the state Government for a report. Karnataka Medical Education Minister Ramachandra Gowda says, “There were a few things to be rectified that have now been done. The Centre should now restore full recognition as this group is one of the largest in the state and is known for its standards. Also, we are not comfortable with the way MCI is functioning now.”The trouble began when an MCI team inspected the university’s facilities in August last year and recommended withdrawal of recognition to the Union Health Ministry.
The Centre then referred the case to the state Government, which in its January 2008 report said that eight of 11 issues raised by the MCI had been verified and were addressed by the institution.
A central inspection team then visited the medical colleges in May. With its results pending for over a month at the ministry, KMC completed the admission process as per the normal course.
A gazette notification issued by the Health Ministry after a week of admissions, said: “MBBS of Manipal University shall be a recognised qualification when granted in or before 2008.”
Manipal Group Chairman Ramdas Pai says clarification was sent on the observations of the inspection team and it was only when Ramadoss refused to meet, did they seek the help of the Prime Minister’s Office. The faculty and the students hoped for smoother sailing after the meetings between Pai and Health Secretary Naresh Dayal but were surprised by the September 23 partial modification to the notice extending grant of recognised degree to 2009. More drama followed when the Health Ministry faxed a note to both the KMCs that it had decided to recognise the MBBS degrees awarded by these two colleges up to 2013. The September 29 note also said foreign students should not be allowed to share the facilities and faculty meant for Indian students. The notice read: “All deficiencies should be rectified within a year, failing which these two colleges will face derecognition of MBBS degree of students admitted after the academic year 2008, and for considering the case of restoration of seats, these two colleges will be subjected to half-yearly inspections by MCI and the government of India.”
“Compared to other schools that have MCI recognition, we have better facilities and faculty but we have been unnecessarily discriminated against,” says Pai. When we saw the notice on September 30, it was practically impossible to reduce the intake. It would also mean loss of an academic year for the students,” he says. There will be financial losses too, as the faculty was meant for 500 students, adds Ballal. The number of foreign students is within the limit fixed by the Centre, he says, adding there is no provision in the MCI Act for halfyearly inspections of medical colleges that have existed for over 50 years.
Like Gowda’s call for doing away with MCI, even the National Knowledge Commission (NKC), headed by Sam Pitroda, has made several such recommendations. One of its proposals is to set up an Independent Regulatory Authority for High Education (IRAHE) to streamline regulation of higher education in the country, which at present is marked by multiplicity of regulators, often with overlapping mandates. “This is the time for the IRAHE to come into being and take full control,” says Pai. But right now, Ballal doesn’t know where his 250 students will
The Centre then referred the case to the state Government, which in its January 2008 report said that eight of 11 issues raised by the MCI had been verified and were addressed by the institution.
A central inspection team then visited the medical colleges in May. With its results pending for over a month at the ministry, KMC completed the admission process as per the normal course.
A gazette notification issued by the Health Ministry after a week of admissions, said: “MBBS of Manipal University shall be a recognised qualification when granted in or before 2008.”
Manipal Group Chairman Ramdas Pai says clarification was sent on the observations of the inspection team and it was only when Ramadoss refused to meet, did they seek the help of the Prime Minister’s Office. The faculty and the students hoped for smoother sailing after the meetings between Pai and Health Secretary Naresh Dayal but were surprised by the September 23 partial modification to the notice extending grant of recognised degree to 2009. More drama followed when the Health Ministry faxed a note to both the KMCs that it had decided to recognise the MBBS degrees awarded by these two colleges up to 2013. The September 29 note also said foreign students should not be allowed to share the facilities and faculty meant for Indian students. The notice read: “All deficiencies should be rectified within a year, failing which these two colleges will face derecognition of MBBS degree of students admitted after the academic year 2008, and for considering the case of restoration of seats, these two colleges will be subjected to half-yearly inspections by MCI and the government of India.”
“Compared to other schools that have MCI recognition, we have better facilities and faculty but we have been unnecessarily discriminated against,” says Pai. When we saw the notice on September 30, it was practically impossible to reduce the intake. It would also mean loss of an academic year for the students,” he says. There will be financial losses too, as the faculty was meant for 500 students, adds Ballal. The number of foreign students is within the limit fixed by the Centre, he says, adding there is no provision in the MCI Act for halfyearly inspections of medical colleges that have existed for over 50 years.
Like Gowda’s call for doing away with MCI, even the National Knowledge Commission (NKC), headed by Sam Pitroda, has made several such recommendations. One of its proposals is to set up an Independent Regulatory Authority for High Education (IRAHE) to streamline regulation of higher education in the country, which at present is marked by multiplicity of regulators, often with overlapping mandates. “This is the time for the IRAHE to come into being and take full control,” says Pai. But right now, Ballal doesn’t know where his 250 students will
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