Centre lets PIMS fill MBBS seats, with riders

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, August 30

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare today allowed the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Jalandhar, to fill 150 MBBS seats during this academic session, but with several riders.

The PIMS Principal and Chairman have been directed to submit an affidavit stating that all deficiencies in infrastructure have been removed in accordance with the compliance report submitted to the ministry two months ago.

The institute will give Rs 2 crore as bank guarantee to the Medical Council of India (MCI). The guarantee will be valid for one year or until the first renewal assessment.

As per another condition, the Supreme Court-appointed Oversight Committee can order an inspection of the college after September 30 to verify the compliance report.

In case deficiencies are detected, the college will be debarred from making fresh admissions for the next two years (2017-19). The ministry has sent a communiqué on these conditions to Baba Farid University of Health Sciences.

In June, the ministry had denied permission for admissions due to the inadequacies in infrastructure in the medical college. The ministry’s order had come after the MCI conducted an inspection in February.

Two months ago, the ministry gave another opportunity to the college to present its case before the Oversight Committee, headed by former Chief Justice of India RM Lodha. Several other medical and dental colleges, which were denied permission to make admissions this year, also got a chance to meet the deficiencies.