Tamil Nadu   

High Court issues notice to MCI

Special Correspondent

Petition seeks eligibility certificates for students waiting to join foreign universities

CHENNAI: A public interest litigation petition, seeking to direct the Medical Council of India (MCI) to issue eligibility certificates to thousands of Indian students waiting to join foreign colleges that do not figure in the MCI's schedule, has been filed in the Madras High Court.

The First Bench comprising Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justice K. Chandru admitted the petition filed by two parents, and ordered notice to the MCI.

In their joint petition, V. Iyyankutty and P. Annadurai contended that at least 2,500 to 3,000 Indian students had got admission in Chinese and European medical colleges in June and July 2006.

They all must join the college in August, they said. They added that the admission process was stalled because of an alteration in the Declaration of Eligibility Certificate application form issued by the MCI.

According to them, most of these students were unable to sign the declaration, as their institutions were not listed in the MCI's schedule of foreign medical institutions.

They are, however, recognised by the local governments as well as World Directory of Medical Schools published by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The petitioners submitted that though there were over 1,700 recognised medical institutions in the world, only a few dozens figured in the MCI's listed/recognised foreign medical colleges.

Most of the listed institutions were either non-English in nature or governed by restricted admission norms, they said. Medical courses available in countries such as the U.K., the U.S., Canada and Australia were very expensive, costing between Rs.15 lakh and Rs. 20 lakh as annual fee. There were severe visa conditions as well.

Pointing out that the High Courts of Delhi and Andhra Pradesh directed the MCI to consider similar pleas favourably, the petitioners prayed for a direction to the MCI to issue eligibility certificates to students without insisting on a declaration.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

The vision for excellence
CENVAT abolition led to textile industry "revival"
Rural students not for Common Entrance Test
High Court issues notice to MCI
Restore rotation system for Chennai Mayor post: IUML
Security tightened in Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri districts
New Zealand calling
Order on transfer of Secretariat staff revoked
Schoolteachers to stage demonstration
Centre urged to withdraw National Seed Act 2004
Government launches special aid scheme for differently-abled persons
3,000 take part in run for the less privileged
Briefly

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu