The Hindu : 'Why no clear commitment against private colleges?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 20, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

'Why no clear commitment against private colleges?

By Feroze Ahmed

CHENNAI MAY 19. Health department officials say the Government has always discouraged private medical colleges. Government doctors and medical college students are demanding that the State should not allow such institutions. As one senior official put it, ``Both are on the same side. So what are they fighting over?''

The Health Minister, S. Semmalai, and officials insist that the Government has in the past two years rejected about 10 applications for private colleges. But they refuse to confirm whether the Government, as a policy, is against starting such new colleges, taking refuge in the fact that States have little say in the issue.

This stance has led students and doctors to suspect that Tamil Nadu is in line for a rush of private colleges. Says a doctor: ``If the Government is really against allowing such colleges, as it seems to suggest, it will just have to say so, and this strike would not have happened. If, after such a commitment, the Medical Council of India allows private colleges here, we will be ready to join hands with the State to fight them.''

The strike by the medical students started about a month ago, almost without notice. They claim that the agitation was ignited by two factors: Permission given for a sixth private institution in Tamil Nadu - the Meenakshi Amman Medical College at Kancheepuram, and a 2001 government order (GO 211), which ``almost invites private medical colleges''.

The MAMC, after a long battle with the Government, won a Supreme Court order last year to start the college.

Officials say though the Government has been against private colleges, the fifth institution, Vinayaka Medical College in Salem, too obtained permission after a Supreme Court directive in 1996.

Following this, the Government passed an order in 1998, stating it would not permit new private medical colleges. The Madras High Court struck it down.

In 1999, the Government appointed a commission, headed by Lalitha Kameshwaran, to spell out ways of preventing new private colleges. On its suggestion, the Government decided that the distance between new and existing colleges be at least 100 km.

But this move boomeranged when the Government wanted to start medical colleges in Theni, Vellore and Kanyakumari, and the 100-km restriction was removed in the controversial GO 211.

(Other private colleges in the State are the Sri Ramachandra Medical College - now a deemed university, the Christian Medical College at Vellore, and the PSG Medical College in Coimbatore, besides the MBBS course offered in the Annamalai University.)

Citing these instances, officials claim the State has been stripped of any authority on private colleges. But why was the Government against them in the first place? Because, say the officials, there are too many doctors in Tamil Nadu and the Government fears a dilution of standards. Exactly what the agitating medicos have been saying.

However, officials and Mr. Semmalai have repeatedly said quality will be ensured in private colleges.

The medicos do not believe that claim, and take it as proof of private institutions coming up. Doctors charge that allowing private institutions would lead to de-standardisation of government colleges, which could even lose MCI recognition.

Already, the Tiruchi Government Medical College and several degrees programmes offered in other government colleges are not recognised, they add.

Doctors point out that students learn by studying patients, who would flock only to government hospitals and not private institutions. ``Why else would students studying in private colleges in Karnataka come to Tamil Nadu for house surgeoncy? Besides, if the Government is able to easily hire 2,900 doctors now, is it not an index of the saturation in Tamil Nadu and unemployment among doctors. Do we then need more medical colleges and more doctors?'', asks a senior government doctor.

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