In some good news, Chief Minister of Puducherry N Rangasamy, announced yesterday, December 5, that the Puducherry government will pay the MBBS fees in private colleges for CENTAC-sponsored (Centralised Admission Committee) students beginning next year. He added that a Government Order (GO) in this regard would be issued soon.
The chief minister told first-year students at the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute (IGMCRI) that because private colleges collect fees in advance, parents have been struggling and taking loans to pay the fees. The government will provide financial assistance eventually, through a welfare scheme.
The government has taken steps to provide funding for postgraduate courses in all departments at IGMCRI. Rangasamy added that a medical university will be established by affiliating all of the medical colleges in the area. "Special medical facilities to treat diseases will be provided in IGMCRI. Buildings and technology will be brought with the help of private companies so the institute will become a world-class college. Students in IGMCRI are those who scored high marks in the NEET exam and they should study well and the pass percentage ratio should not decrease even by 1%," he said, adding that defects in the system must be brought to the government's notice.
According to Rangasamy, all medical students must go to villages and work with humility. "Puducherry is a small UT (union territory) spanning 26 km from any point. Doctors should not hesitate to work where they are posted. The benefits of telemedicine should be made accessible to all," said the chief minister. He also advised students to consider their parents' difficulties and not to neglect their studies. MLA KSP Ramesh, Director of Health Dr G Sriramalu, Director of IGMCRI Dr Udhaykumar and College Dean Ramachandran were present.
