Ronita Torcato

The Maharashtra Government plans to open 12 new medical colleges to address the shortage of Maratha reservation seats. Additionally, it has allowed the re-introduction of 10 National Medical Commission (NMC) recognized courses offered by the Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS), Mumbai, under the Maharashtra Medical Council Act, 1965.

Last year, ten of CPS’s 26 courses were de-recognized by the Maharashtra Medical Council due to various issues, including poor infrastructure and training facilities, lack of transparency, inadequate supervision, and corrupt examination procedures. CPS President Dr. Ajay D. Sambre mentioned that these courses are recognized by the Central Government under the NMC Act, 2019, covering various specialties such as dermatology, obstetrics, gynaecology, pathology, surgery, medicine, ophthalmology, and child health, aligning with NMC standards.

Following litigation, where CPS contended that the courses recognized under the NMC Act 2019 cannot be de-recognized by the state government, Maharashtra decided to review its decision in December 2023. In October 2023, the Medical Education Department of Maharashtra reconsidered its decision to derecognize CPS courses. There were reports of a faceoff between Hasan Miyalal Mushrif, Minister of Medical Education, and Girish Mahajan, former Medical Education Minister, regarding this issue.

Regarding the establishment of new colleges, the NMC received 112 proposals from across the state, including St. George College in Mumbai, in addition to 10 government colleges and 2 deemed universities, all seeking MBBS programs. A gazette notification was issued on March 15, according to state medical education department secretary Dinesh Waghmare.

Around 1,500 students will be eligible for admission to postgraduate courses once the backlog for 2022 and 2023 is cleared.

Also read: Budget 2024-25: Proposes new medical colleges, emphasizes upskilling and youth employment