Campus Talk: Aspirants unhappy as Maharashtra govt adds only 50 seats at govt medical colleges

Out of 14 applications for new medical colleges in Maharashtra, including ten government-run and four private colleges or deemed universities, only two have received NMC nod. Among the two are the G T hospital in Mumbai and the MGM Nerul with an approved intake of only 50 seats each for this academic year.

An aspirant of medical studies said, “The MGM Nerul is a deemed university, which means higher fee structure in line with private medical colleges. That leaves us with only 50 more seats at government medical colleges. In the backdrop of assurances to add nearly 1,000 new seats at government medical colleges, only 50 is hardly any relief.”

Earlier this year, the Maharashtra government had announced that the state will get ten new government medical colleges in Mumbai, Nashik, Buldhana, Hingoli, Gadchiroli, Washim, Jalna, Amravati, Bhandara, and Thane. The authorities had further said that the government medical colleges will have 100 seats each. The state government had also sanctioned close to 4,000 posts of teaching and non-teaching staff for these colleges.

According to officials, the NMC rejected the applications of all the government medical colleges, except GT Hospital, since they failed to meet the prescribed norms.

While the Maharashtra government has decided to appeal for a review of the applications, Brijesh Sutaria, whose ward is an aspirant of medical studies, said, “The state government should have taken proactive steps and realise the grave need for having more seats at government medical colleges. The 50 additional seats are welcome but it will not have the desired impact.”