No classes since November, 249 students await shifting
FARIDKOT : It has now been more than a month since classes stopped completely at Chintpurni Medical College, Pathankot, and 249 students are the biggest sufferers of the row. There has been no clarity on when they will be shifted to other colleges to begin studies in earnest.
The Punjabd and Haryana high court-set deadline for shifting expired on November 8.
Students and parents had protested outside the headquarters of the Medical Council of India (MCI) in New Delhi earlier this week (on Monday).
For 2014 batch students, their pre-final exam is still due.
Rohan (named changed), a 2014 batch student, said, “Since the third year, classes of clinical subjects have not been held. We are now losing previous time and are behind our peers in other medical colleges. Lack of infrastructure to study is hurting us.”
“The MCI must be sensitive to our plight. We will require extra classes as it is. We must be shifted at the earliest,” another student added.
“We have paid a large fee of ₹20 lakh for the management quota and ₹6 lakh for the government quota. Yet, out wards are sitting at home for the past month. The students should be shifted,” a parent said.
Meanwhile, sources said the oversight committee had issued a circular for approval on the shifting process of the students. It had received the Punjab government proposal from the MCI on November 1.
Dr Sushil Garg, president of the Chintpurni Medical College Parents’ Association said, “We filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana high court to get a contempt of court order. None of the parties appeared on December 8, the next date of hearing is December 18.”
He added, “Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has issued several assurances that the interest of students would be protected at all costs. Yet, a month after the college shut down, students are still at home.”
Following this Monday’s protest, students also plan to launch a protest against the MCI on December 11 (Monday).