Nepal college derecognition : MCI gets notice

Written by Meenaa on Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

NEW DELHI: Students graduating from Manipal College of Medical Sciences (MCOMS), Pokhra, Nepal, on Monday challenged in Supreme Court the decision of Medical Council of India (MCI) not to allow them to practice medicine in India without clearing a mandatory screening test.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice P Sathasivam sought responses of MCI and the Union health ministry on their plea alleging that graduates in medicine from universities in other countries were not asked to clear similar screening tests.

Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocate K K Venugopal said the Delhi High Court erred in holding the MCI’s norm as just and proper when on the face of it, it was contrary to the norms as MCOMS had been recognised by both the Nepal Medical Council and the Nepal government.

“The future of the students is bleak if they fail to clear the screening test. It is not necessary that every student, even if meritorious, clears a screening test,” Venugopal argued.

Though the Bench issued notices to the MCI and health ministry, it did raise the same concern on which the High Court had based its judgment, which refused to do away with the screening test.

The Bench asked, “Why does the MCOMS not allow inspection by MCI, which is tasked with maintaining standards of medical education in India.”

To this query, Venugopal replied, “Can MCI go and inspect a medical college in UK? It is all based on reciprocity. If the MCI wants to inspect MCOMS, then it should go through proper channel and send the request to the ministry of external affairs, which would then forward it to the Nepalese government.”

After the court issued notices, the counsel pleaded for a stay on the HC judgment on the ground that the petitioners needed to urgently apply for admissions to post-graduate courses. The Bench refused to stay the HC order and issued notice on their application seeking stay.

18 Nov 2008, TNN