NMC penalises 27 medical colleges in Karnataka for poor infrastructure; AIDSO condemns

NEW DELHI: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has penalised at least 27 medical colleges in Karnataka for not reaching the prescribed standard required to run a medical institute, as per reports. “Though the medical colleges must maintain prescribed standards, imposing penal sums on them is highly undemocratic,” AIDSO Karnataka state secretary Ajay Kamath criticized the decision.

13 government medical colleges and 11 private medical colleges were penalised sums ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 15 lakh. As per the Deccan Herald, a highest penalty of Rs 15 lakh has been imposed on five government medical colleges namely - Chikkamagaluru Institute of Medical Sciences, Chitradurga Institute of Medical Sciences, Chikkaballapur Institute of Medical Sciences, MIMS Mandya, and YIMS Yadgir.

“KRIMS Karwar; MMCRI Mysuru; GIMS, Gulbarga; SIMS, Shivamogga, Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences and CIMS Chamrajnagar (Rs 3 lakh each) and KIMS Hubli (Rs 2 lakh),” these are the other institutes in the list.

“This approach of NMC is against the very object of Quality Education. If the number of faculty is less and the infrastructure does not meet necessary standards then it is the bounded duty of all authorities to own up the responsibility and fill up vacancies and provide adequate funds for developing infrastructure especially in Government Medical Colleges,” AIDSO member said.

“Several reports have mentioned the dire state of government medical colleges in the state. Yet neither the state governments nor the NMC has suggested this or made any moves in this regard! Rather, the state government is trying to push NRI quota in Government Medical College to mint money instead of providing financial assistance to improve quality,” he added.

The Karnataka state government has proposed a 15% quota for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in government medical colleges. Several education activists have condemned this move and the All India Save Education Committee (AISEC) described it as "financial and moral bankruptcy”.

“Approach of NMC shows it is washing its hands from taking responsibility of Improving medical education in the country. AIDSO Karnataka condemns this approach of NMC and demands state government to immediately grant adequate funds for Medical Education. Penalising an education institution for no mistake of its, but of those who govern should never become a norm as it destroys very essence of Education,” he said.