Government Warned Against Dilution of Medical Standards

The Supreme Court Wednesday told the central government that dilution of the standards in the name of streamlining of medical education would not be tolerated.

The court's observation came when Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam told a bench that the differences between the government and the Medical Council of India on the question of grant of recognition to new medical colleges had been sorted out and there would not be any complaints from colleges.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and judges C.K. Thakker and P.K. Balasubramanyan told Subramaniam that if any condition for recognition were relaxed, the medical education would become substandard which would not be permitted.

However, Subramaniam assured the court that every effort would be made to maintain international standards in the medical colleges.

The court was hearing petitions on streamlining of procedures relating to medical admissions and grant of affiliation to institutions.

The government said it had held discussions with the states on the question of increasing the all India seats from 15 to 20 percent but most of the states were not in favour of it.

On conducting counselling through the process of video-conferencing, the government submitted that this was experimented last year in Jaipur and Delhi and was not successful. The bench directed the government to experiment it again next year in a far off place in south India.

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The bench also asked the director general of health services to file an affidavit in the next date of hearing in September listing out the developments.

(Source: IANS)