14 pvt nursing colleges soon

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 18

The Himachal Government has decided to give a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the opening of 14 nursing colleges.

There are 24 nursing colleges, including one government college, with 750 seats.

Despite the state having six government medical colleges, the government has not taken any decision to attach nursing colleges with these. However, Government Nursing College with 60 seats will be functional at Lal Bahadur Shastri Medical College, Nerchowk, Mandi, this year.

As many as 70 seats remained vacant last year in spite of the fact that private colleges were allowed to admit students who did not clear the entrance test.

Even in Dr RP Government Medical College, Tanda (Kangra), the General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) School has not been upgraded into a nursing college while there is no move to open nursing colleges at Government Medical Colleges at Nahan, Chamba and Hamirpur as it would have bearing on private nursing colleges which are depending on government medical institutions for practical training.

The move of the government is baffling and anti-students as the annual fee in the lone Government Nursing College at the IGMC is only Rs 18,000 while the fee in private colleges is Rs 60,400 for government quota seats and Rs 1,40,200 for management quota seats. There are 53 GNM schools with over 1,800 seats and 1,200 seats were filled last year.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has indicted previous governments for opening private universities without assessing the needs and opening nine universities in one district. It appears that the government seems to have ignored the observations of CAG in respect of new nursing colleges.

Punjab, which has about 100 nursing colleges, is facing the problem of plenty and Himachal is going the same way. Himachal allowed 74 BEd colleges in past two decades and these colleges are finding it difficult to fill seats.

70 seats vacant last year

• There are 24 nursing colleges, including one government college, with 750 seats
• As many as 70 seats remained vacant last year in spite of the fact that private colleges were allowed to admit students who did not clear the entrance test
• Even in Tanda college, General Nursing and Midwifery School has not been upgraded into a nursing college
• There is no move to open nursing colleges at Government Medical Colleges at Nahan, Chamba and Hamirpur as it would have bearing on private nursing colleges which are depending on government medical institutions for practical training