VIJAYWADA: As the new academic year is about to begin, the students and the staff of Dr NRS Government Ayurvedic Medical College have once again raised the issue of granting more seats to the college. It has become a regular feature for the students and the staff of the 92-year-old college, which has been constantly neglected by the AP government, to bring pressure on the authorities concerned to take steps to solve their problems.
NRS Govt Ayurvedic Medical College, which has a 100-bed hospital attached to it, is one of the two Ayurvedic colleges in AP. Another Ayurvedic Medical College is located in Tirupati.
The main problem faced by NRS Government Ayurvedic College is stalling of admissions into the college by the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) citing lack of proper facilities and staff.
“NRS Govt Ayurvedic College has 30 seats for BAMS. But the seats are allowed to be filled only if CCIM is satisfied with the facilities at the college. Due to lack of facilities at the college, admissions were cancelled for 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic years. On conditional permission, seats were filled for the 2013-14 academic year. We have come to know that the CCIM is planning to cancel admissions citing lack of faculty this year as well. If the situation continues, college may have to be wound up,” worries Cherukuri Rajeev Prasad, a fourth year student.
With the CCIM expressing displeasure at the inadequate staff at the college, this time the situation has once again come to square one. As a result, the students fear cancellation of admissions this academic year, which will deal a severe blow to their prospects.
“While we are demanding the increase in the quota of seats, the CCIM is planning to cancel the existing quota of 30 seats. After division of the state, we are left with only two colleges in AP. There are less than 100 seats in the state. How can they cater to the students all over the state?” questions V Sravani, a fourth year BAMS student. Lack of support from the state government to the college is said to be the prime reason for the sorry state of college which has a rich tradition and has the potential of being converted into a premier institute.
The government has neglected providing even basic facilities needed for a medical college like recruitment of new faculty, sufficient furniture, good classrooms, purchasing new books for the library, increasing medicines at pharmacy and others. “Last year, we were able to get seats on conditional permission. If the state government takes the initiative at least now, we can get back our seats,” says Sree Rama Kishore, president of NRS Ayurvedic Medical College Students Committee.