The recent draft guidelines issued by the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB), under the National Medical Commission (NMC), have sparked widespread concern among medical faculty and students across Andhra Pradesh.
The exclusion of faculty-student ratio and intern stipend as criteria for ranking medical colleges has triggered criticism, with many alleging that the new framework compromises both educational standards and student welfare. Students' Unions and faculty associations are now calling for the rollback of the new draft and demanding wider consultations across the country, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
Doctors and faculty members of the state argue that an adequate faculty ratio is fundamental to maintaining quality in medical education. Without a sufficient number of trained teachers, medical students are likely to receive subpar clinical training, which can ultimately impact patient care.
"Faculty-student ratio is not just a metric, it's the backbone of medical education. Ignoring it in assessment is a disservice to the future of healthcare," said Dr M Rajesh, Pediatrician, Nellore.
Medical interns, who are already overburdened with work, fear that the removal of stipends from the evaluation criteria could further strain their training experience.
"Many of us depend on the stipend for basic needs while we work long hours. Removing it from the ranking criteria will give colleges a free pass to ignore our needs," said S Harsha, a final-year MBBS intern at a private medical college in Guntur district.
Dr Ambati Naga Radhakrishna Yadav, Chairman of the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) NTR District Doctors Wing, has formally raised the issue with the judiciary.
"I have written to the Chief Justice of India, requesting his urgent intervention in the matter as this is benefitting the private Medical colleges. The NMC's decision undermines both the quality of education and the well-being of students. We cannot allow medical education to be dictated by commercial interests," he said.