Tanda college gets nod for 50 more seats

Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 16

Finally, the Union Health Ministry has permitted Dr RP Medical College, Tanda (Kangra), to fill 50 additional MBBS seats for this session after the second inspection, raising the total number of seats to 100.

The government on the recommendations of the Medical Council of India (MCI) had conveyed to the state government in February this year that permission to admit 50 additional students in the Tanda college would not be given. The Heath Secretary and the Director, Medical Education, took up the matter with the Centre and assured it that the deficiencies would be removed.

Another inspection was held by the MCI on April 8, 2015, and the team recommended that the permission for 50 additional MBBS seats could be given.

As the state government also took up the matter with Union Health Minister, the Centre approved it.

The Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) had also asked for the renewal of permission for filling 35 additional seats and the Centre allowed the college to admit 100 students.

The two state-run colleges got the approval for 200 MBBS seats, 100 in each college after great efforts but a private college got the permission to fill 150 seats only in the third batch of MBBS (2015-16), raising many eyebrows.

The IGMC is well-equipped college, completing 50 years next year while the Tanda college was set up in 1996.

The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president has already appointed a committee to go into the facilities and faculty at the private college in comparison with two medical colleges and also questioned the MCI for approving 150 seats for the third batch of MBBS in the private college.