Bengaluru: The Karnataka state government has proposed that deemed-to-be universities allocate 25% of their medical seats to the government. However, the move has met with resistance from the universities, which argue that such a directive conflicts with existing legal provisions.
Currently, there are 12 medical colleges affiliated with 10 deemed-to-be universities in Karnataka, nine of which are part of a consortium of deemed universities. Together, these colleges offer a total of 2,500 MBBS seats. The government’s proposal, conveyed during a recent meeting between the principal secretary of medical education and the colleges’ principals, aims to address the shortage of medical seats available to students from government quotas.
According to Sujatha Rathod, Director of Medical Education, most colleges that attended the meeting indicated a willingness to discuss the proposal with their respective managements. However, one institution failed to attend, prompting a formal notice, and another outright refused to comply. Rathod emphasized that the response was mixed and that further discussions were needed.
Dr. S Kumar, secretary of the consortium of deemed-to-be universities, has clarified that the legal framework does not support the government’s request. He pointed out that in 2005-06, under pressure from the Karnataka government, nine deemed universities had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to share postgraduate seats with the government. This arrangement was later invalidated by the High Court, which ruled that deemed universities operated under different regulations compared to affiliated colleges. The Supreme Court also upheld this ruling, reinforcing the legal distinction.
Kumar noted that while some colleges had agreed to allocate 25% of new seats or new courses for government quota in the past, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has not sought No Objection Certificates (NoCs) for increasing intake or starting new courses in recent years. This change has impacted the current discussions on seat allocation.
The situation has sparked frustration among various stakeholders. Despite repeated requests from the state government and the Government-appointed Fee Regulatory Committee (FRC), several deemed universities, including those operated by prominent political figures, have not complied with seat-sharing expectations. In contrast, private medical colleges are mandated to reserve 40% of their seats for government quotas.
Justice Subhash Adi of the FRC has reiterated the need for uniformity in regulations, stating, “The NMC’s official memorandum clarifies that the same set of guidelines applicable to private medical colleges should also apply to deemed-to-be universities.” This stance underscores the FRC’s position that deemed universities should adhere to similar quota requirements as their private counterparts.
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In related news, several recent developments highlight ongoing issues in medical education and policy:
- Pondy Opposition Protests: Opposition parties in Puducherry, including the DMK and Congress, have staged protests against the AINRC-BJP government’s failure to secure 50% of seats in private medical colleges for government quotas. The Leader of Opposition, R. Siva, has called for the enforcement of National Medical Commission’s directives and suggested implementing legislation akin to those in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
- Cabinet Clears Projects in Minister’s Constituency: The Maharashtra state cabinet has approved a ₹2 crore fund for a cooperative project in Junnar, led by MLA Atul Benke. Additionally, ₹487 crores have been sanctioned for an Ayurveda college in Kolhapur’s Kagal taluka, the constituency of Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif.
- Tripura MP Advocates for AIIMS-like Medical College: BJP MP from East Tripura has urged Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda to prioritize the establishment of an AIIMS-like medical college in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council. The MP highlighted the lack of advanced healthcare services in the region and urged expedited action to overcome delays in the proposed medical college.
The debate over medical seat allocations in deemed universities reflects broader issues in India’s medical education sector, where legal, regulatory, and administrative challenges continue to shape access to education and healthcare services.
