Gian Sagar Trust gets provisional nod to offer 100 BDS seats from next year
Govt says final certificate could be issued in a month after due diligence of financial condition of the trust under new management is completed; BFUHS also gives conditional consent for MBBS course
There is a shortage of dental institutions in the state. The government accordingly grants provisional essentiality certificate to Gian Sagar Education Charitable Trust S CHANDRA, additional chief secy
More than a year after the Punjab government revoked the essentiality certificate of Gian Sagar Medical College and Hospital, Banur, after its trust failed to run the college in May 2017, the department of medical education and research (DMRE) has issued a provisional essentiality certificate for 100 BDS seats for next year to the Gian Sagar Education Charitable Trust.
An essentiality certificate is a mandatory condition to run a medical college. A new management had taken over the trust in May this year. Last year, over 1,500 students of the college were shifted to other medical colleges in the state.
Following the state government’s lead, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot, has also agreed to a proposal of the new trust management for provisional grant of consent of affiliation to start MBBS course with 100 seats for 2019-20.
When contacted, a senior official from BFUHS told HT that their consent is subject to permission from the Union ministry of health and family welfare.
‘FINAL CERTIFICATE IN A MONTH’
Additional chief secretary, DMRE, Satish Chandra said, “For now, we have issued only a provisional essentiality certificate. If everything is clear and the trust is found to have the financial resources, the final certificate will be issued in a month.”
The letter that issues the provisional certificate reads, “There is a shortage of dental institutions in the state. There are only two government and 11 private dental colleges. The state government accordingly grants provisional essentiality certificate to Gian Sagar Education Charitable Trust for starting Gian Sagar Dental College, Banur in Patiala district with 100 BDS seats.”
“This essentiality certificate is subject to detailed verification and due diligence regarding the financial viability of the trust to run the medical college. The verification and due diligence would be completed within one month. The Dental Council of India is requested to process the application of the trust to restart the Gian Sagar Dental College from 2019-20,” the letter concludes.
A senior functionary of BFUHS claimed that it had been a good step to revive the college, which will increase the medical and dental seats as the state had already lost its 250 MBBS seats after the closure of Gian Sagar and Chintpurni Medical College.
However, the same official sounded a note of caution, “The state government should be extra vigilant in ensuring that the financial condition of the trust is in shape. In case the trust again fails to run the institution, students and parents will suffer,” he added.