Puducherry: MCI directs to discharge PG students from PIMS

The Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) has received a recent diktat from the Medical Council of India (MCI) over the PG course offered at the college.

The nodal medical agency has directed PIMS to discharge nine post graduate medical students from the institute. These students have less than the prescribed percentage marks in the post graduate entrance exam for admission.

MCI has even reported the name of the nine students to the principal of the private medical college and sought an action within two weeks. The institution has been asked to submit compliance within two weeks for further consideration in the matter.

The matter at the moment seems to hang in balance as PIMS has clearly stated it stand that it is an unaided Christian religious minority institution, and they had obtained approval for admission to the PG course from the state government through a common entrance test for private medical colleges in the state. Students were taken only on a merit basis. However, there were a few seats unfilled, and as a result had lapsed. Thereafter, the management decided to fill these seats, implying over the matter of admission of the 9 students under the management quota.

As implied by some sources in the Director of Medical Education and Research, the Pondicherry University will intervene in the matter as the admission of these candidates is against the prescribed minimum qualification of both MCI and Supreme Court. The MCI's directions have been sent to Pondicherry University for necessary action, as further implied by the sources.

As reported by Hindu, originally a sub-committee considered the admission of PG students in PIMS for the academic year 2015-16 at its meeting held on September 30, 2015 and a clarification of the college.

The private medical college clarified that the institute is an unaided private Christian religious minority institution. The admission for the PG course for the year 2015-16 has been made as per the directives of admission committee constituted by the Government of Puducherry headed by Justice A.C.Arumugaperumal Adityan, retired judge of Madras High Court through common entrance test for the private medical colleges in Puducherry and the admission are made as per the merit list. The management said, "A few seats were not filled in the counselling and lapsed, hence we have admitted.

"There is no concessional agreement between the Government of Puducherry and the private unaided institutions at Puducherry for any percentage of seats in the PG courses. Hence, the government has not sponsored any PG students, thus all admissions were made under management quota", said the private medical college.

Considering the clarification of the college, the MCI Committee decided, "All the above nine students are required to be discharged as they have less than the prescribed percentage marks for the respective categories in the PG entrance exam and also the sub-committee accepted all admissions made by the institute in management quota."

The matter along with recommendations of the monitoring subcommittee was placed before PG committee which approved the minutes of sub-committee.