The cloud of uncertainty hanging over the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute with regard to admission of third batch of students to 150 seats for the academic year 2012-2013 cleared on Wednesday after the Medical Council of India granted it approval.
There are 105 seats for students of the Union Territory, while the remaining 45 are reserved for filling up under Central Government quota(22 seats)and Non-resident Indian students (23 seats). With this the government can move ahead to start the counseling for admissions for professional courses through CENTAC.
There are another 265 seats in seven self- financing medical colleges to be filled up through CENTAC.
Though MCI had earlier denied approval to the college citing deficiencies in faculty and minor lapses in infrastructure, the college authorities had made a representation to the MCI after fulfilling the deficiencies by recruiting 132 faculty members including professors, assistant professors, senior residents, junior residents and tutors.
Thereafter it was expected that MCI would revisit the college, but it did not happen. Sources said the MCI would have felt convinced by the representation made citing fulfilment of the MCI requirements with regard to faculty and infrastructure and thus given approval without a re-visit.
It may be recalled that the college was in similar trouble in the very first year of commencement, when the MCI initially declined approval. However, through a court direction, the MCI had to make a re-inspection after the college had complied with the MCI requirement and thus approval was granted.
Taking these aspects into consideration, the government will have to act so that such a situation does not arise again.
The planning commission in its meeting for plan allocation granted `100 crore for construction of the medical college, which should be utilised without delay, instead of keeping the matters pending to the fag end of the year resulting in many complications.