Future of 274 medical students of Odisha hangs in uncertainty

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Nov 13:

After the Supreme Court stayed the admissions in 100 seats of Hi-Tech Medical College & Hospital of Rourkela and 50 seats of Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) in Odisha capital, a decision is yet to be taken to accommodate 124 medical students of Sardar Rajas Medical College of Bhawanipatna.

Odisha Government recently expressed its inability to accommodate the students of Sardar Rajas Medical College in other medical colleges of the state in a meeting convened by the Union Health ministry at New Delhi on November 9. The outcome of the meeting has been forwarded to the MCI Council.

The state government has been citing that the students of Sardar Rajas College don’t fulfil the eligibility criteria as per AIPMT rankings to get admission to government run medical colleges. So far as private run colleges are concerned, intake bar on Hi Tech and KIMS make things difficult.

“The AIPMT ranks of the students of Sardar Rajas College are way below as compared to the students studying in government medical colleges. If we get them to government colleges, it will create inequality and benefit the private college students unnecessarily,” said Health Secretary Aarti Ahuja.

“In order to ensure that the studies of the medical students are not hampered, the Supreme Court and the High Court have given their views. We are currently in discussion with MCI, and whatever decisions are taken as per law it will be carried out,” said Health minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak.

The students, however, are the worst hit as usual.

“The MCI has reduced medical seats in some of the private colleges this year citing lack of infrastructure. What good would it serve, if the government shifts us to any of these colleges! It is the State Government that is pressing hard to deny us a government medical college seat and delaying the process by trying to push us to a private college,” complained a student without wanting to be named.

Notably, recently, the Odisha High Court had directed the Assistant Solicitor General (ASG) to apprise the court of the decision taken to accommodate the students of Sardar Rajas Medical College at Jaring in Kalahandi district and facilitate their admission in three private medical colleges in the state.