Committee for Professional Colleges in Kerala recommends cancellation of Kannur Medical College recognition
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a significant order on Wednesday, the Admission Supervisory Committee for Professional Colleges in Kerala, chaired by Justice R Rajendra Babu, has recommended to the Kerala University of Health Sciences to withdraw the affiliation/recognition of Kannur Medical College (KMC), Anjarakandy, for 2018-19.
The disciplinary action comes in the wake of the college management defaulting on repayment of fees collected from the students
The committee had directed the college to pay half the amount claimed by the complainants by Friday. However, on Wednesday, the principal-in-charge through a communication sought an adjournment of the hearing to Friday. The request for the adjournment was rejected by the committee, read the order of the committee.
Earlier, highlighting the dire need of money for securing admission for their children, the parents of around 28 students submitted an affidavit before the committee that anticipating the repayment of the fee paid to KMC, they had arranged admissions for their children in other medical colleges. Following this, the committee directed the college to pay at least a portion of the amount.
“But the college did not pay the amount and requested time. The matter that was posted on July 10 was transferred to July 19. Yet, the college did not pay any amount. The parents submitted that their children had lost their valuable two years and if the money is not received in a short time may lose one more year. They submitted that coercive steps also will have to be taken against the college,” reads an excerpt from the order.
At the same time, in the complaints filed by 28 students, claims ranging from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 50 lakh have been put forward. The committee, while finding that in certain cases bank guarantee was collected for securing the future payments, observed that in most of the cases the college had collected an amount much more than the first-year fee, which amounts to the collection of a capitation fee.
It is said though the Committee had posted the matter for hearing on June 12, it was transferred five times, the latest to July 19. During this time, the committee also passed an interim order on June 25 directing the college to produce the DD for the undisputed amount.