In 2016, 150 medical aspirants from all across India enrolled in the MBBS in the then newly formed World College of Medical Sciences and Research, Jhajjar, Haryana. Three years down the line, 148 of them are on the streets, accusing the college of ruining their careers and therefore, demanding that the government euthanise them. They also started an indefinite hunger strike on Monday.
The students complained that the college doesn't follow the guidelines laid down by the Medical Council of India and does not have enough faculty members. It is also no longer recognised by the MCI. "We had permanent faculty for just two months. They weren't paid regularly and quit in some time. Since then, we have been preparing for examinations all on our own or by getting help from students in other colleges. Even though we managed to clear the theory exams, passing practicals was difficult," says Neeraj Ahlawat, a fourth-year student.
The college has only one batch and was apparently banned from admitting new batches in 2017, 2018 and 2019. "In 2019, the renewal permission for the only batch was also rejected by MCI," says Neeraj. A video clip that we accessed showed that most wards of the medical college are either closed or empty.
The students had complained to almost all the concerned authorities, asking them to shift them to a different college, so that they could continue their course. However, they did not receive any response from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of India, Medical Council of India or the Government of Haryana. They had also filed a case against the college in the Haryana High Court.
This is when the students decided to launch a protest and demand euthanasia. "We are currently on a hunger strike at the city's centre. Our career is ruined and there is no one who is ready to listen to us. We are continuing this strike till death," says Neeraj.
The college's dean Dr Nitya Nand denied commenting on this issue.
