JK medical colleges get renewal for additional MBBS seats

Medical Council of India (MCI) has asked the Union Health Ministry to grant renewal of increased MBBS seat quota in government-run medical colleges of Jammu and Kashmir.

The council has recommended to the Centre to grant permission for admission against the increased seats for 2015-16. Last year, the seats were increased from 100 to 150 in Government Medical Colleges (GMC) in Jammu and Srinagar, and 50 to 100 in SKIMS Medical College, Srinagar.

Last year an inspection team of the MCI visited the state for assessment of physical and other teaching facilities and found some deficiencies in faculty and teaching infrastructure.

However, the executive committee of the council considered the compliance report by State Health Secretary and assessors’ report and recommended the renewal of permission for admission against 50 increased seats for the third batch of MBBS to the Central government.

“The Executive Committee of the Council considered the compliance verification assessment reports of May 7, 2015 and March, 24 & 25, 2015 along with an undertaking of the Commissioner Secretary to Government of Jammu and Kashmir (May 13, 2015) and decided to recommend to the Central government to renew the permission for admission of 3rd batch of MBBS students against the increased intake capacity from 100-150 in GMC, Srinagar and GMC, Jammu under Kashmir University u/s 10A of the IMC Act, 1956 for the academic year 2015-2016,” said MCI recommendations.

Last year the state government had submitted the compliance report after the last MCI inspection had promised to rectify the deficiencies by March 31 but due to various reasons, including floods, the same could not be done. Only some vacant faculty positions were filled.

According to a senior official the MCI has been generous towards the medical colleges of J&K as it has recommended renewing the permission for increased quota of MBBS seats.