The National Medical Commission (NMC) has approved 50 more medical seats at the Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences (SMIMS) for the local students, an official said on November 27.
These seats will be free of cost for students from Sikkim who top the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). The state government will pay all expenses of the course, the official added. The latest development takes the number of reserved seats under the state quota to a total of 80. Earlier, there were 30 reserved seats for local students but they had to pay for the five-year course.
Welcoming the decision, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang called it a "big achievement" and said that the approval letter has been received and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Sikkim government and SMIMS.
He said that the state government was trying to get more seats for the local students for some years now, adding that the decision will now benefit students from the financially weaker background.
"Earlier, parents and guardians had to pay around Rs 16-17 lakh annually, which amounted to around Rs 1 crore by the time their wards completed the MBBS course. Many deserving candidates had to drop out due to the high fees. But now, the state government will sponsor the education of the 50 selected students," he said. Admission to the 50 seats will begin this semester.