Don't panic over denial of recognition to IGMCRI: Puducherry Lt Governor urges students

Puducherry: In light of the denial of "continuation of recognition" by the National Medical Commission (NMC) for 150 MBBS seats at the State government-run Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute (IGMCRI), Puducherry Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan has advised parents and students not to panic.

Soundararajan, paid a visit on Saturday to the college in neighbouring Kadirkamam, in the wake of the announcement of the NMC that given "certain deficiencies the Under Graduate Medical Education Board of the NMC", it declined to grant recognition to the college. She held discussions with officials of the Department of Health, including its Secretary C Udaya Kumar, and also officials of the college.

Also read- NMC Denies Continuation Of Recognition, IGMCRI Loses 150 MBBS Seats

Medical Dialogues team had recently reported about the matter where NMC- the apex medical commission decided to deny continuation of recognition for the medical college as it opined that the college lacked the required number of faculty and resident doctors. 

Communicating to the Dean of the medical college, the Director of the Under Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB), Shambhu Sharan Kumar further informed that the college does not have an Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS) and installation/functioning of cameras as well.

MBBS admissions at IGMCRI commenced in 2010 and later the institute got a permanent registration in 2015 for 150 MBBS seats. The Union Government added 30 more seats to the institute under the EWS category back in 2019. Therefore, the institute had an intake capacity for altogether 180 MBBS seats.

Since it is mandatory to inspect the medical colleges every five years, it was scheduled to be conducted in 2020. However, due to the ongoing pandemic situation, no physical inspection was carried out that year.

Speaking to reporters later, she said she had come across media reports today that said the NMC had cited certain deficiencies concerning the teaching faculty, based on footage of CCTV cameras installed at the college, and declined to continue its recognition of the MBBS degrees (150 seats) awarded by Pondicherry Central University.

Blaming the officials for "being responsible for the current mess" in the working of the college, the Lt Governor said, "Stern action would be taken against the officials who had failed to link the biometric-based attendance system to the NMC's website." Stating that the medical college offered good education and students from poor families were able to get trained in medicine there, she said no efforts would be spared to take action against officials who had failed to rectify the deficiencies highlighted by the NMC.

"I would only ask the parents and students not to panic, as steps are now taken to put everything in order," she said.

Also read- No NMC Recognition For 3 Medical Colleges, Tamil Nadu To Lose 500 MBBS Seats