Date:04/05/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/05/04/stories/2007050412150400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

50 more seats each planned in two medical colleges

Special Correspondent

MCI approval needed to increase the number of seats

Five more engineering colleges to come up

BANGALORE: The Government plans to increase the number of seats from 100 to 150 in the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Hubli, and the Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS), Bellary, from the coming academic year (2007).

Minister for Medical Education V.S. Acharya told The Hindu that a Cabinet subcommittee headed by Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Thursday proposed that the number of seats in the two colleges be increased. The Medical Council of India's approval is necessary to increase the intake of students.

Nod for college

The subcommittee also decided to sanction an engineering college to be set up in Shimoga.

It discussed the availability of infrastructure to accommodate more students in medical colleges and the five newly sanctioned engineering colleges. A sum of Rs. 8 crore has been released for the construction of a building at VIMS. The new engineering colleges will come up in Hassan, K.R. Pet, Chamarajanagar, Ramanagaram, and Bellary.

The subcommittee has also increased the number of seats for postgraduate and diploma courses in some medical, dental and engineering colleges based on the recommendations of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Dr. Acharya said.