Blind student threatens suicide on losing seat
NEWDELHI: A 19-year-old medical student who is unable to see beyond a distance of 8cm has threatened suicide after the Medical Council of India( MCI) cancelled his admission since his disability is regarded too severe for someone pursuing MBBS.
Sure sh’ sta le highlights a problem of neglect and delays that plague almost every government office in the country. He was given admission in 2016 by authorities in Karnataka who should have taken note of his condition, only for it be cancelled almost a year later by MCI.
On August 28, Suresh wrote a seven-page letter, and a two-page suicide note with a headline, “Notice of Death” in which he listed his struggle to land the college seat.
He said that despite his 70% visual disability, he scored 86% in his Class 12 examinations, studied hard to prepare for the medical college examination, and sold ancestral property to pay for his first year fees during a period in life that also coincided with the death of his parents.
“Out of severe depression, I have written to MCI to solve my problem. I have no option but to end my life if I don’t get a solution in my favour,” he told HT over a phone call.
OnJune 26, MCI cancelled his admission because it violated a 2009 regulation. The rule says that the only disability allowed in medical colleges is of the lower limbs, and a candidate had to fall underthe50%-70%severitytobe eligible for reserved seats.