Tamil Nadu medical students left in lurch over delay in certificates

By Express News Service  |   Published: 29th November 2016 01:34 AM  |  

Last Updated: 29th November 2016 05:09 AM

CHENNAI: Even as the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University has announced convocation of MBBS students on December 3, students who passed out of Sri Muthukumaran Medical College are left in the lurch as the university is yet to issue them the provisional-II certificate.

This does not just mean the students could not enroll themselves with the state medical council, but they also can not get admission into PG courses.

The problem has it roots in the Medical Council of India’s bar on the institution to admit students after it found that the college did not meet the standards. But after a court battle, the students got a favourable order. Then, they also received provisional-I certificate from the university and also obtained temporary registration with Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC) and completed their CRRI last year.

Now, to get registration in TNMC, the students need provisional-II certificate from the university. But it has now said that the provisional-II certificate can be issued only on the basis of a written order from the Medical Council of India.

“Ministry of health and family welfare and Executive Committe of MCI have recognised 2010 batch of our college. MCI in its executive committee meeting passed the order for recognition. But, the university is waiting for the order copy, which will take a few months,” said S Manoj Prabhakar, one of the affected students.

“We don’t understand why the university is sticking to the formal order. It has provided recognition without those orders to many colleges, even to a Government Medical College in the past. The MCI has filed in the court that it granted recognition for 2010 batch, and we also confirmed it from the MCI through official communication,” said a TNMC source.

“A few of our batchmates secured good ranks in the PG entrance exam conducted by All India Medical Sciences(AIIMS) and Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh this month. But could not participate in the counselling of AIIMS,which is scheduled for the second week of December and also in PGIMER counseling to be held this month end. Without provisional certificate II, we could not register our course. We are also unemployed for eight months now,” said Manoj Prabhakar.

The students also said after completion of one year Compulsory Rotatory Resident Internship (CRRI), they are eligible to get the degree. But the university is not ready to award them the degree at its 28th convocation to be held on December 3.

Speaking to Express, T Balasubramanian, Registrar of the university, said there was no direct communication from MCI to the university. “MCI should recognise the institution. We have not received any orders on it. We cannot take advocate’s version, who says that MCI had granted permission and submitted so in the court. We also have written three letters to MCI asking if its true, but we didn’t receive any response from them. Without recognition, nothing can be done, we need to get it on paper.”