Quit undermining States’ powers over education: MK Stalin

Quit undermining States’ powers over education: MK Stalin

CM writes to Union minister, objects to draft PG medical edu norms

Published: 01st August 2021 04:50 AM 

Chief Minister MK Stalin.

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The State government has raised strong objection to the Draft Post Graduation Medical Education Regulations released recently by the National Medical Commission. Chief Minister MK Stalin, in a letter to Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandavia, said the draft regulations intend to undermine the role of the States in the postgraduate medical education since their role in admission of students under their own State quota is sought to be unilaterally removed.

“It is unfortunate that such draft regulations have been formulated without a proper understanding of the predominant role of State Governments in this domain. The Union Government and the National Medical Council need to appreciate the fact that the States had heavily invested their resources to create most of the PG seats. Considering this, our State has consistently been opposed to such measures aimed at centralisation of States’ powers,” the CM said. He added that the proposed regulation is not only unacceptable but is also in contravention of the provisions in the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act, governing the common counselling for the seats at the State level.

“In this connection, I would like to draw your kind attention to Section 11.2 of the draft PG Regulations, which attempts to centralise and designate the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India as the designated authority for counselling for State quota seats, he said, pointing out that the section is clearly contrary to the provision in Section 15 of the Main NMC Act, 2019, which explicitly mentions that “the designated authority of the State Government shall conduct the common counselling for the seats at the State level,” the Chief Minister added.

Noting that Tamil Nadu has consistently expressed objection to the proposed National Exit Test as well as the proposal to make it the basis of admissions to PG seats, Stalin said that the draft regulations are totally against the consistent and principled stand of our State government.

“Any hasty attempts, as brought out in the draft regulations, aimed at changing the present methodology of counselling for the State quota seats against the provision of the NMC Act and the proposal to make the National Exit test as the basis of PG admissions in future, should be immediately stopped,” he urged.