More intake allowed in medical, dental colleges

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, APRIL 19. The Government has cleared the long-pending applications of several medical and dental colleges for starting new courses apart from enhancing the intake of the existing courses.

At a marathon meeting of the State Cabinet here on Thursday, it was decided to decline approval to some applications seeking to open ayurvedic colleges as the Centre had imposed a ban on them. The application of the Srinivasa Trust to start a new medical college at Whitefield, on the outskirts of Bangalore, was approved by the Government.

Under the rules of the Medical Council of India and the Dental Council of India, the State governments could only grant the Essentiality Certificate apart from a No Objection Certificate. It was for the MCI and the DCI to grant new colleges apart from approving an enhancement in intake, although the final decision on the matter vested with the Union Government. Thus, the approvals given by the Cabinet amounted to one of the hurdles faced by the applicant institutions being cleared.

Prof. B. K. Chandrashekar, Minister of State for Information, who briefed presspersons on the decisions, said the institutions which had been permitted a higher intake for the existing courses or to start new courses were M.R. Medical College, Gulbarga, JJM Medical College, Davangere, Kidwai Institute of Oncology, Bangalore, Command Hospital of the Air Force, M. S. Ramaiah Medical College, Bangalore, and KLE Nursing Society, Belgaum.Several dental colleges have also received the approval for a higher intake. The Cabinet also discussed the new industrial policy for the State. Owing to some clarifications that were sought, it was decided to approve the policy in the next Cabinet meeting.

It was, however, decided that the State would have a pragmatic new industrial policy from next month. The previous industrial policy was evolved in 1996 and it has ceased to have any effect owing to various factors, including several sections of the policy becoming outdated and redundant.

Prof. Chandrashekar said the Cabinet put off a final decision on the bridge across the Tungabhadra at Anegundi near Hampi which had been opposed by the UNESCO, and the quantum of compensation to be paid to the displaced persons of the additional land now being acquired for the Upper Krishna Project.With the Hampi bridge across the Tungabhadra in the final stages of construction, the Government would like to request the UNESCO to, at least, permit a one-way traffic movement on the bridge as it would not come in the way of the preservation of the ancient historical monuments.

The other important decisions of the Cabinet were a power subsidy of Rs. 2 crores to the hi-tech Sathya Sai Hospital at Whitefield; Adi Chunchanagiri Medical College permitted to retain 299 acres of excess agricultural land in its possession; Government to abide by the apex court's order for promotion of personnel in the Public Works Department; prosecution against those indicted by the Justice B.N. Krishnan Commission of Inquiry into the police firing at Gokak in 1995.

Cabinet decisions at a glance

- Power subsidy to Sathya Sai Hospital, Bangalore.

- Action against officials held guilty by the Justice B. N. Krishnan Commission of Inquiry.

- Government to abide by the apex court's order on PWD promotions.

- Govt. to request UNESCO to permit one-way traffic on Hampi bridge.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Land of Grace beckons
Next     : CM calls for private initiatives