Secretary Education to head a panel to probe the reduction of Himachal’s quota by MMU in MBBS admission

Himachal Pradesh announced in the state assembly to form a Panel headed by the Secretary of Education Rakesh Kanwar to probe the reduction of state quota arbitrarily and increase in the management quota by the Maharishi Markandeshwar Medical University and MM College Kumarhati in Solan district in the MBBS course.

This was stated by Education Minister Rohit Thakur while replying to a clarification given to Congress member Rajesh Dharmani and ID Lakhanpal in the Assembly on Monday. Mr Thakur said that the Secretary of Education would chair the committee to find out the difference in the hike of the Management quota fee and other funds including the Hostel fee being recovered from the student by the MMU. He said that the Panel would probe the legal implications of a reduction in the state quota in the MBBS courses by the MMU.  

The committee will look into the reduction in state quota, hike in fees, and hostel charges. The minister said that the panel would also look at the approval given to the MMU site. The team would ensure that the university had conducted a geological survey and in the wake of the recent heavy rain, the committee took cognizance of the matter. He said that after the panel conducted its probe the government may appoint a committee of MLAs to take further action.    

Raising the issue in the state assembly Mr Dharmani said that a number of private institutions are operating in the state and MMU is allowed to set up a Medical College at Kamarhati in Solan district in private sectors. He said that there was a provision of a 50 percent state quota for the youth of Himachal Pradesh to enroll in the MBBS courses but recently the university increased the management quota and reduced the state quota. He said that MMU is collecting the exorbitant fee from the state youths. He said that there was the provision of a fee of up to 50.82 Lakh for the MBBS course, however collecting more fees from the student’s university has increased the management quota. 

The Members said that the university is collecting Rs. 95 lakh from the students enrolled in the Management quota. The complaint was also filed before the Himachal Pradesh Private Regulatory Education Commission by the affected students. Notices were issued to MMU but no action was taken. Mr. Dharmani said that the university is blackmailing the students, threatening them with dire action. 
He said that the issue also went to the Himachal Pradesh High Court about the collection of fees but the university did not respond to the complaint so far. Congress MLA also pointed out that TCP passed the MMU campus however the road connectivity to the campus is steep and it is very risky to drive on the steep roads. Members said that the government should take action to regulate such educational institutions to provide justice to the victim’s students. Member said that three Ayurvedic colleges were opened in the private sector in the state also victimising the students demanding the exorbitant fee and other funds from them.    

Congress member Inderdutt Lakhan Pal also raised the issue of depriving nursing students of appearing in the final examination by the nursing Institute at Kalaambh in Sirmaur district. He said that the Himalayan Group of the Institute is threatening the students to not allow them to appear in the 3rd-semester examination.