Page 63 - EW July 2022

Special Report

didn’t make much headway. In 2005, Dismal data
the bureau filed a closure report in the
case stating that the Rs.65 lakh taken No. of medical Doctor-population Public health
by Desai was “goodwill” money. Four colleges ratio (per 10,000) expenditure (% GDP)
years later in 2009, Desai who had India 596 7.35 0.99
packed the MCI board with cronies China 420 22.27 3.0
and was driving the council from the USA 193 26.1 8.52
back seat, was re-elected president Germany 42 44.35 9.09
of MCI. But a reported fall-out with Ukraine 23 29.92 3.18
his protectors (i.e, politicians and bu- Russia 82 38.19 3.45
reaucrats) in the Central government Philippines 40 7.73 1.66
resulted in his being re-arrested a year Malaysia 32 22.86 2.0
later (2010) and charged with cor- Canada 17 24.43 7.61
ruption. In May 2010, the newly re- France 31 32.74 8.33
elected Congress-led UPA-II govern- UK 34 30.04 8.07
ment dissolved MCI and constituted
a Board of Governors (BoG) to run it Source: EW compilation
for a year pending the enactment of a
Self-evidently, against the back-
new law to replace the council. drop of a widening demand-supply
B UT THAT LAW WAS NOT gap in medical education, this populist
proclamation was ill-advised because
drafted until 2019 when
the BJP/NDA 2.0 gov-
ernment was returned to it will discourage private investment
in medical education. The infrastruc-
power at the Centre. Soon after, the ture norms prescribed by NMC for
BJP government dissolved MCI and greenfield medical colleges are formi-
a year later on September 25, 2020, dable and capital intensive. Neither
both houses of Parliament passed domestic nor foreign edupreneurs are
the National Medical Commission likely to be enthused by the prospect
Bill, 2020. Welcoming the National of admitting half their students at ar-
Medical Commission (NMC), prime tificially lowered government college
minister Narendra Modi said: “We fees.
are transforming the entire medical “NMC promises radical change and
education and healthcare sector. The transformation in medical education.
National Medical Commission will Sambit Dash: same nuts & bolts But although medical education has a
bring great transparency and also ra- new structure, the nuts and bolts are
tionalise norms to set up new medical tighter regulation of private medical the same. Its positive initiatives are the
colleges. It will also improve the quali- colleges and private deemed univer- establishment of autonomous boards
ty and availability of human resources sities providing medical education. to draw up contemporary competen-
in this sector.” Subsequently, he also On February 3, NMC directed all cy-based undergraduate and postgrad
announced the promotion of 15 new private medical colleges and deemed curriculums and an assessment and
AIIMS (All India Institutes of Medical universities to charge 50 percent of ratings board. Yet on the larger issues
Sciences) at a cost of Rs.2,000 crore their students the (highly subsidised) of liberalising rules and regulations
each. tuition fees levied by government for promoting new colleges, increasing
Since then three years on, NMC medical colleges from the academic student intake and most important,
is yet to announce any radical initia- year 2022-23 onward. A month later addressing the problem of severe fac-
tives to address the root problems of (March 7), prime minister Modi justi- ulty shortages, it needs to do more. Its
inadequate capacity, discretionary fied this populist NMC proclamation. regulation capping fees for 50 percent
licensing, red tape and inspector raj. “A few days back, the government has of seats in private colleges and deemed
Instead, its two major announcements taken another big decision which will universities is a disincentive which
have been introduction of NEXT (Na- benefit the poor and middle-class chil- several private colleges have already
tional Exit Test) — a licentiate exam dren. We have decided that half the challenged in the courts. If NMC truly
which all medical graduates from seats in private medical colleges will wants to transform medical education,
India and abroad are obliged to clear be charged at par with government it must focus on easing the strangle-
to practice medicine in India — and medical colleges,” he tweeted. hold of age-old regulations and give

62 EDUCATIONWORLD JULY 2022