Chintpurni medical college controversy continues

Gagan K Teja

Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 11

The controversy pertaining to shifting of medical students of Chintpurni Medical College and Hospital, Pathankot, refuses to die down with the parents now alleging that the college authorities are harassing the students by deliberately shortening their attendance, and thus delaying the process of shifting.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on September 8 had directed the Punjab Government to follow the procedure laid out by the Medical Council of India and shift all students of Chintpurni College to other medical colleges across the state within two months.

These students have being hanging mid-way since 2011 after the MCI refused to give approval to the institution citing various anomalies in their functioning. However, despite this move, the college admitted students in 2011, 2014 and 2016.

While the 150-student batch of 2011 had earlier moved a petition with the HC and was allowed to be shifted to other medical colleges, the High Court orders of Friday were related to a separate petition moved by 101 students of the 2014 batch of the same college.

Notably, the college has already lost two surety bonds of Rs 10 crore and Rs 2 crore furnished to admit the students in 2014 and 2016 on the recommendations made by two separate committees constituted by the Supreme Court. Following the surety bonds, the apex court had allowed the college to admit medical students on condition that it would meet all requirements laid down by the MCI. However, the college failed to meet the MCI guidelines in 2014 and then again in 2016, and its surety bonds were forfeited.

Now, the parents rue that the college authorities were keeping their wards on tenterhooks, thus playing with their future. Members of the Chintpurni Medical College Parents Association, Pathankot, organised a meeting in Patiala, showing concern about the annual examination of the students which are scheduled in November this year.

Dr Shuhil Garg, president of the association, rued that the college was now deliberately marking their children absent from classes to show lecture shortage and appealed to the state government to shift students as soon as possible so that the students can pursue their exams without any panic and the examination form are also be filled in September.

The association also stated that due to the court case, the Chinpurni college authorities are deliberately trying to shorten the attendance of students and delay the process of shifting. The association strongly demanded that the government must make immediate efforts to shift the students so that they can smoothly continue their studies in other colleges.

The case

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on September 8 had directed the Punjab Government to follow the procedure laid out by the Medical Council of India and shift all students of Chintpurni College to other medical colleges across the state within two months. These students have being hanging mid-way since 2011 after the MCI refused to give approval to the institution citing various anomalies in their functioning. However, despite this move, the college admitted students in 2011, 2014 and 2016.