By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The North East Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) has once again come under the scanner following reports that none of the students from the State, who had applied for the MBBS course, were willing to pursue their medical course in the institute.
It is learnt that students have opted for other medical institutes in the country ranked below NEIGRIHMS, which has been given the same rank and status like other premier institutions in the country like AIIMS and JIPMER.
As per the list issued by the State Government of the students selected to undergo MBBS courses in various medical institutes of the State on Tuesday, it is found that students have preferred to pursue their course in lower-ranked institutes like Agartala Medical College and Silchar Medical College.
One of the main reasons why students have opted for institutes other than NEIGRIHMS is because the Medical Council of India (MCI) is yet to fully recognise the course here.
Presently the MBBS courses at NEIGRIHMS is being run under section 10-A of the MCI Act. As per section 10 A of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and the Dentistry Act, 1948, the Central government’s permission to medical institutes are granted initially for one year, i.e., for admitting only one batch of students in a calendar year.
The permissions are to be renewed on a yearly basis after verification of achievements of annual targets. This process is continued till such time the full required infrastructure is created and recognition is granted under the relevant Act.
As per the MCI criteria, a medical institute has to have a minimum of 69 faculties. But sadly at present there are only 30 odd faculties at NEIGRIHMS.
Only in June last, NEIGRIHMS students had gone on strike demanding for immediate increase in the strength of teaching faculty at the institute.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on Tuesday, a senior government official has admitted that the students had rejected the seat offers at NEIGRIHMS.
According to the official, the students were asked to select the institute where they preferred to pursue their studies from among the list of the medical institutes given by the Government.
“Surprisingly, we found out that none of the students have selected NEIGRIHMS,” the official added.
When asked if the Government had allotted the seats as per the preference of the students, he informed that the Government only asked the student to select the institute where they prefer to study at the time of application.
“It is the Government who allots the seats to the students on the basis of percentage of marks. A student with a lower percentage cannot expect to get admission into a prestigious institute like JIPMER. This seat is always given to a student who tops in the percentage column,” the official said.
With no student opting for NEIGRIHMS, he said the Government on its own had to select the students for the nine seats which have been allotted to the State in NEIGRIHMS.
“If the Government does not fill the seats on its own, we would be losing the nine seats,” the official said, even as he added that the students are probably hesitant to pursue their medical studies in NEIGRIHMS fearing an uncertain future.