SC notice to SIKKIM MANIPAL UNIVERSITY for misusing lapsed policy .

Saturday, 09 June 2012 00:02 Pioneer News Service | New Delhi

The Medical Council of India (MCI) has found that the Sikkim Manipal University admitted MBBS students for the 2011-12 academic session under a Central Government policy that had lapsed a year earlier.

As per the 2001 policy, which was valid till 2011, medical colleges in tribal and hilly areas could admit students by taking the benefit of medical facilities and staff of a nearby Government hospital.

Despite the policy having lapsed last year, the University’s medical college Sikkim Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS), which had entered into an agreement with the STNM Hospital in Sikkim, continued admitting students under the old arrangement for the 2011-12 session also.

Finding the University at fault, the MCI objected to granting permission to the University to admit more than 50 students. Under the MCI Regulations for Establishment of Medical College, the regulatory body pointed out that the medical college should have a hospital “owned and established” by it in order to admit students. Regardless of the MCI objection, the University went ahead with admitting 100 students on the basis of a Sikkim High Court order.

This order was challenged by MCI before the Supreme Court which reverted the matter back to the High Court for full and final disposal of the case.

On April 27 this year, the HC asked MCI to reassess the case of SIMS by taking into account the facilities at the Government-run STNM Hospital.

This order was not acceptable to MCI which again came to Supreme Court to stay the said direction. Hearing the petition filed by advocate Amit Kumar, the vacation bench of Justices KS Radhakrishnan and JS Khehar on Friday issued notice on the appeal and posted the matter for hearing in the first week of July.

According to MCI, the HC order ran contrary to the MCI Regulations and hence could not be sustained.

It claimed the 2001 policy was devised to encourage medical skills in far-flung tribal and hilly areas. It was earlier valid for three years but was later extended looking into the medical needs of the north-east region. But with the policy not in existence, the MCI questioned how the HC allowed the SIMS to claim benefit of facilities available at the government hospital. The SC also issued notice on the MCI application seeking stay of the high court ruling.