The All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) has strongly condemned the National Medical Commission's (NMC) decision to penalise medical colleges in Karnataka for not meeting the prescribed standards. AIDSO District Secretary Chandrakala expressed concern over the NMC's actions, which she described as undemocratic and contrary to the goal of quality education, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
Recently, the NMC issued notices to several medical colleges in the state, penalising 13 government medical colleges and 11 private institutions with fines ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 15 lakh.
These penalties were imposed for failing to meet the required standards to operate a medical college. While acknowledging the necessity for medical colleges to adhere to prescribed standards, Chandrakala termed the imposition of financial penalties as highly undemocratic. Further, she argued that "This approach undermines the objective of providing quality education."
"If the number of faculty is insufficient and the infrastructure does not meet the necessary standards, it is the duty of all authorities to take responsibility, fill vacancies, and provide adequate funds for developing infrastructure, especially in government medical colleges," Chandrakala stated.
"Numerous reports have highlighted the dire state of government medical colleges in Karnataka. However, neither the state government nor the NMC has taken significant steps to address these issues. Instead, the state government is pushing for an NRI quota in government medical colleges to generate revenue, rather than providing financial assistance to improve the quality of education," she said.
"The NMC's approach indicates an attempt to shirk its responsibility from improving medical education in the country," Chandrakala alleged.
"We condemn this approach of the NMC and demand that the state government immediately allocate adequate funds for medical education. Penalising educational institutions for the mistakes of those in governance should never become a norm as it destroys the very essence of education," she said.
