Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), Bengaluru.
Credit: DH File Photo
Bengaluru: In a bid to ensure that the new medical colleges at Ramanagara and Kanakapura can start functioning from the 2025-26 academic year, the state government has given an undertaking to the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) that it will equip both the institutions with all the required infrastructure.
The varsity’s Local Inspection Committee had flagged lack of infrastructure at the two colleges that the state government is keen on getting up and running at the earliest.
RGUHS Vice-Chancellor Dr M K Ramesh confirmed to DH that the government had been intimated about the two new medical colleges not meeting the standard criteria for infrastructural requirements. “The issue was discussed at the Committee of Academic Council (CAC) and it was decided that, if the government was willing to provide an undertaking to address the problem, the proposal would be sent to the NMC. Subsequently, the government did provide the undertaking,” Dr Ramesh added.
RGUHS officials said that the committee from NMC was likely to conduct an inspection of all the medical colleges, including the new institutions at Ramanagara and Kanakapura, within the next six months. “if the committee find that the infrastructure at the colleges don’t meet basic criteria, NMC is likely to reject proposals for increasing enrolment at the existing colleges, while refusing permission to start admission at the two new colleges,” an official said.
The NMC had denied permission for the medical colleges at Ramanagara and Kanakapura to admit students last year as well, besides penalising 27 other medical colleges, including 11 private institutions, in the state for not having an adequate number of faculty members.
However, sources in the Department of Medical Education said that it would be difficult to address all the problems that the inspection committee has flagged at colleges in Ramanagara and Kanakapura. “Besides ensuring there are enough teachers, the government has to fix all the infrastructural issues before the NMC committee’s visit, which will not be easy,” an official in the department said.
The copy of the undertaking provided to RGUHS by the Principal Secretary of the Department of Medical Education, accessed by DH, reads: “Verifying your letter regarding shortage of human resources at the 16 government medical colleges for enhancement of seats, and at the newly-proposed two medical colleges, we are submitting an undertaking to develop the necessary infrastructure within the given time.”
New pvt medical college in Hunsur, Mysuru
Meanwhile, the RGUHS greenlit a proposal for the establishment of a private medical college in Hunsur taluk, Mysuru district. The new college – Farookh Academy of Medical Education – will admit 150 students per year. However, approval from NMC is awaited.