Pvt medical college with highest fees in state derecognised
Vedantaa Was 1st To Be Registered Under Cos Act
Hemali.Chhapia@timesgroup.com
Mumbai: 13.06.2018
Just two months after it got a free hand from the state government to decide its fee structure, Vedantaa Institute of Medical Sciences in Palghar has been derecognized by the Medical Council of India (MCI), which reported “large-scale” infrastructure deficiencies, including inadequate teaching staff, at the institute. Vedantaa is Maharashtra’s first private limited medical college and was in the news last year for charging the highest fees among all private medical colleges in the state.
The college moved the Bombay high court against the MCI inspection, stating that few teachers were present that day due to a cyclone warning and requesting a second inspection. The high court directed MCI to conduct the second inspection. The MCI then moved the Supreme Court, which rejected the college’s plea for a second inspection.
Vedantaa was in the news for charging ₹14 lakh a year as fees
Vedantaa cannot admit students now, last year’s may be transferred
The MCI has effectively reduced Vedantaa’s student intake to zero for the current year, and the admitted students might be transferred to other colleges in the state.
The MCI inspection found that the college had 84% faculty deficiency, 87% shortfall of resident doctors and its pathology, microbiology, pharmacology, forensic medicine and community medicine departments were under construction. That apart, MCI inspectors found the bed occupancy was 1% at 10am, and the majority of the wards were locked or under renovation and non-functional. Also, data on outdoor patient department (OPD) attendance and radiological and laboratory investigations was inflated.
On days of the inspection, the MCI noted, there was no major, minor or daycare operation, no woman was present in the labour room, the blood bank was non-functional, the library was not available, and the exam hall was under construction.
“If they don’t get permission by the time the first year results are announced, we will transfer the students to other private colleges,” said Dr Pravin Shingare, head, Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER).
Shingare said before the college was given the MCI nod to start operations, it was merely checked for the essential requirements for the first year. But when the inspection for granting the first renewal for the 2018-19 admissions was conducted on September 25 and 26, 2017, the MCI inspectors submitted a negative report.
When TOI contacted college dean Dr Ganesh Kesari, he refused to comment. But in the Supreme Court, the college had contended that staff attendance was low on the days of the inspection as there was a cyclone warning, and it requested a second chance to fix the deficiencies and another round of MCI inspection. Supreme Court turned down that request though.
The MCI’s executive committee recommended that it wouuld suggest that “the Central government invoke Regulation 8
(3)(1)(a) of the Establishment of Medical College Regulation, 1999, and disapprove the application of the Vedantaa Institute of Medical Sciences, Palghar, Maharashtra, under the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences Nashik u/s 10A of the IMC Act, 1956, for renewal of permission of MBBS course 2nd batch (150 seats) for the academic year 2018-2019.”
State government sources said the college will not be able to admit any students for the coming year. Apart from the Supreme Court ruling, another case against fees is to come up in the high court on Wednesday.
Earlier in April, the state had exempted this college from the ambit of the Fee Regulating Authority (FRA). This decision gave the institute a free hand to fix tuition and other fees. In a letter to the FRA, the state government had said the move was in line with the Centre’s decision to invite private companies to set up medical colleges.
The decision had shocked the medical fraternity and activists who had said this was the thin end of the wedge and colleges would increasingly use existing rules to opt out of the regulatory framework, making medical education dearer.
Last year, Vedantaa was set up as Maharashtra’s first medical college under a private limited company. All other private colleges and hospitals in the state are set up as trusts.
The state had decided that the government would not reimburse fees of reserved category students admitted to Vedantaa, as is the case in other private colleges. Last year, DMER exempted it from the FRA. But parents moved the FRA andthis quasi-judicial body ruled that as Vedantaa was a private professional college affiliated to the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, it would fall under the purview of the FRA.
In a meeting on December 2, the FRA resolved that the institute was subject to its jurisdiction under provisions of the Maharashtra Private and Unaided Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Fees) Act, 2015. Yet, the government overturned the FRA's decision.
Vedantaa Was 1st To Be Registered Under Cos Act
Hemali.Chhapia@timesgroup.com
Mumbai: 13.06.2018
Just two months after it got a free hand from the state government to decide its fee structure, Vedantaa Institute of Medical Sciences in Palghar has been derecognized by the Medical Council of India (MCI), which reported “large-scale” infrastructure deficiencies, including inadequate teaching staff, at the institute. Vedantaa is Maharashtra’s first private limited medical college and was in the news last year for charging the highest fees among all private medical colleges in the state.
The college moved the Bombay high court against the MCI inspection, stating that few teachers were present that day due to a cyclone warning and requesting a second inspection. The high court directed MCI to conduct the second inspection. The MCI then moved the Supreme Court, which rejected the college’s plea for a second inspection.
Vedantaa was in the news for charging ₹14 lakh a year as fees
Vedantaa cannot admit students now, last year’s may be transferred
The MCI has effectively reduced Vedantaa’s student intake to zero for the current year, and the admitted students might be transferred to other colleges in the state.
The MCI inspection found that the college had 84% faculty deficiency, 87% shortfall of resident doctors and its pathology, microbiology, pharmacology, forensic medicine and community medicine departments were under construction. That apart, MCI inspectors found the bed occupancy was 1% at 10am, and the majority of the wards were locked or under renovation and non-functional. Also, data on outdoor patient department (OPD) attendance and radiological and laboratory investigations was inflated.
On days of the inspection, the MCI noted, there was no major, minor or daycare operation, no woman was present in the labour room, the blood bank was non-functional, the library was not available, and the exam hall was under construction.
“If they don’t get permission by the time the first year results are announced, we will transfer the students to other private colleges,” said Dr Pravin Shingare, head, Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER).
Shingare said before the college was given the MCI nod to start operations, it was merely checked for the essential requirements for the first year. But when the inspection for granting the first renewal for the 2018-19 admissions was conducted on September 25 and 26, 2017, the MCI inspectors submitted a negative report.
When TOI contacted college dean Dr Ganesh Kesari, he refused to comment. But in the Supreme Court, the college had contended that staff attendance was low on the days of the inspection as there was a cyclone warning, and it requested a second chance to fix the deficiencies and another round of MCI inspection. Supreme Court turned down that request though.
The MCI’s executive committee recommended that it wouuld suggest that “the Central government invoke Regulation 8
(3)(1)(a) of the Establishment of Medical College Regulation, 1999, and disapprove the application of the Vedantaa Institute of Medical Sciences, Palghar, Maharashtra, under the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences Nashik u/s 10A of the IMC Act, 1956, for renewal of permission of MBBS course 2nd batch (150 seats) for the academic year 2018-2019.”
State government sources said the college will not be able to admit any students for the coming year. Apart from the Supreme Court ruling, another case against fees is to come up in the high court on Wednesday.
Earlier in April, the state had exempted this college from the ambit of the Fee Regulating Authority (FRA). This decision gave the institute a free hand to fix tuition and other fees. In a letter to the FRA, the state government had said the move was in line with the Centre’s decision to invite private companies to set up medical colleges.
The decision had shocked the medical fraternity and activists who had said this was the thin end of the wedge and colleges would increasingly use existing rules to opt out of the regulatory framework, making medical education dearer.
Last year, Vedantaa was set up as Maharashtra’s first medical college under a private limited company. All other private colleges and hospitals in the state are set up as trusts.
The state had decided that the government would not reimburse fees of reserved category students admitted to Vedantaa, as is the case in other private colleges. Last year, DMER exempted it from the FRA. But parents moved the FRA andthis quasi-judicial body ruled that as Vedantaa was a private professional college affiliated to the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, it would fall under the purview of the FRA.
In a meeting on December 2, the FRA resolved that the institute was subject to its jurisdiction under provisions of the Maharashtra Private and Unaided Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Fees) Act, 2015. Yet, the government overturned the FRA's decision.
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