HC questions NMC inspection of college during admissions

HC questions NMC inspection of college during admissions

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

15.09.2023

Ahmedabad : The Gujarat high court on Thursday slammed the National Medical Commission (NMC) for its inspection at

BK Shah Medical College & Research Centre at Sumandeep Vidyapeeth in Vadodara following an anonym ous complaint.

The court questioned the commission’s intention behind conducting the inspection during the admission process.

The NMC, after conducting the exercise, pointed out deficiencies in the operations of the hospital and medical college and slashed 100 medical seats, leaving 62 recently admitted students high and dry. So, Justice Nikhil Kariel suggested remedial measures and said that the medical college should deposit an amount and the NMC can carry out another inspection and point out deficiencies. He said the college should comply with the norms.

The NMC’s inspection report gav e a long list of deficiencies including private practice by the medical college’s faculty members and the hospital admitting fake patients to show occupancy and still falling short.

Accordingly, NMC deducted 100 seats which the college was allo wed to fill in addition to 150 seats. Since 62 students, admitted through the all-India quota, have been placed in the ‘nosafe’ zone by the Medical Co unselling Committee, they too have approached the HC. The judge called for a solution to the situation so that n o student in the ‘no safe’ zone has to give up his/her seat. After hearing the grievances of the college and the students, and the explanation of the admission committee, the HC questioned the NMC about the timing of the inspection . The judge said that by carrying out such an exercise on an anonymous complaint, the NMC itself appears to be derailing the admission process. “How many anonymous complaints do you receive? And how many such co mplaints are acted upon? I am telling

you to not take it to that extent. I am putting you on guard,” the judge told NIA’s counsel. Raising a question on the intent of the NMC, the court said, “If the last inspection was done properly, what action did you take against the earlier inspection committee? This means that they did not do their job properly.”

The court has posted further hearing of the matter on Friday