Mumbai: The National Medical Commission (NMC) on Tuesday granted permission for eight new medical colleges in Maharashtra following review pleas from the state government. Earlier in August this year, the NMC had granted permission for two medical colleges in Nashik and Mumbai and on Tuesday eight new medical colleges in Gadchiroli, Amravati, Washim, Jalna, Buldana, Ambernath, Bhandara, and Hingoli have been approved in the state. A total of 800 students will get admission for MBBS in these newly announced eight colleges.
The state government had applied to open 10 new medical colleges with 100 intake capacity each in the current academic year as it looks to improve the state’s doctor-to-population ratio and enhance healthcare facilities across Maharashtra.
“This announcement will help in increasing a lot of things, including the doctor-to-population ratio in Maharashtra. Apart from that, a lot of students will also benefit as the number of seats in government medical colleges will increase by almost 900 (800). Different sections of the society, like the SCs, STs and OBCs will also benefit as there will be scholarships for them. Since these are government-run colleges, the fees will also be o the lower side, helping poor students,” Dinesh Waghmare, the secretary of Maharashtra government’s Education Department told The Free Press Journal.
With the state government aiming to establish a medical college in every district, there are now a total of 35 government medical colleges in Maharashtra. A total of 4,850 students will get admission from these government medical college every year.
“Many students of the state were going to different countries for medical education. Now, due to the increase in the number of medical colleges in Maharashtra itself, students can now get medical education in the state,” the state government said in a press release.
However, activists raised concerns that students who had to take admission in private medical colleges due to lack of seats will feel unfairly treated and asked off the state government will accommodate the transfer of students who got good marks from private colleges to the to be built medical colleges.
“The announcement has sparked concerns for meritorious students who secured admission in private and deemed medical colleges despite achieving high scores in NEET UG. With new MBBS seats being added in upcoming rounds, these students might feel unfairly placed, especially considering the struggles they faced during exams and results, along with court cases and official inquiries, said activist Brijesh Sutaria.
“The situation raises questions about the impact on students who already secured admission in private colleges. Will they be given a chance to transfer to government colleges if seats become available? Or will they be stuck paying higher fees in private institutions,” he asked.
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The state government has also announced to provide 403 crores to each college for the construction of these 10 colleges and other necessary equipment. It has been decided to carry out the work through public sector activities of the central government for the construction of government medical colleges in a quality manner. At present, the construction tender process of 10 Mahavidyala is in the final stage through Public Sector Undertaking and the construction will be started soon.