Sharan Prakash Patil, Minister for Medical Education, Government of Karnataka, has directed the officials of the department to carry out inspections and proceed to seal all those nursing colleges that are unable to offer basic infrastructure to the students enrolled.
While in a meeting at Vikasa Soudha with the management of nursing colleges along with officials of the department of medical education, with the minister as chair, he stated that they have received several complaints regarding the absence of proper infrastructure at many nursing colleges of Karntaka, stated a report by PTI.
Hence, he directed Sujatha Rathore, Director, Medical Education, who was also in attendance, to look into these colleges and seal those that were found lacking.
The minister also shared his displeasure at the situation, especially against the managements of private colleges. He said that the state government has gone easy on them and was hoping they would correct their mistakes but it wasn't so.
"Barring a few, most of the colleges lack facilities such as inadequate teaching and non-teaching staff, lack of library and laboratory facilities, hygiene and other issues. They collect huge fees from students during admission but fail to provide facilities," said the minister.
Patil also said he had rejected the demand of nursing college managements to hike the fee structure by 20 per cent, keeping the interests of students in mind.
The fee for each student getting admission under government quota is Rs 10,000 and Rs 1 lakh under the management quota and for non-Karnataka students it will be Rs 1.40 lakh.
The minister also urged the colleges to provide 40 per cent seats under government quota.
"There are 35,000 seats available in 611 nursing colleges. Right now, 20 per cent of it comes under the government quota. If they make it 40 per cent, it will greatly help poor students," he added.
The minister also instructed the officials to work out modalities to begin the admission process in July instead of September from the current academic year.
Senior officials including Mohammad Mohsin, Principal Secretary, Medical Education Department and PR Shivaprasad, Registrar, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences attended the meeting.
