Vijayawada: Tension prevailed at Dr NTR University of Health Sciences (NTRUHS) here on July 20 when scores of students belonging to the Fathima Institute of Medical Sciences (FIMS), Kadapa, staged a protest and threatened to commit suicide by jumping from the university administrative building, depressed over de-recognition of their college by the Medical Council of India (MCI).
Students and their parents reached the university campus around 1 pm and raised slogans against the government and vice chancellor Dr T.V. Ravi Raju for failing to take alternative measures considering the future of over 100 students who got admission in the college paying lakhs of rupees. They further demanded that the vice-chancellor accommodate them in other colleges.
Sharma added, “Poverty forces teenaged girls to work along with their parents. Also, some communities do not prefer to educate girls.”
The protesters are worried about their career as they have already lost two academic years in their fight against the college and government over MCI recognition. “We paid around Rs 60 – Rs 80 lakh for admission in the college. Now, we are facing problems due to cancellation of recognition to the college by MCI. The management had hidden the facts from us saying that the problem will be resolved in couple of months when the issue came to light in 2016. Now, they are apathetic to our problem,” a student of FIMS, Kokatam Vishnu, said.
The students and their parents are worried about their future and alleged that two academic years have gone down the drain due to the MCI’s decision. “The government should adjust the students in other colleges,” Shaik Allabkashu, father of a student demanded.
Health minister Kamineni Srinivas said the government had done its best to resolve the issue. The college management approached the Supreme Court, he said and assured the students of reimbursement of admission fees.
“The MCI cancelled the recognition of Fathima College only after the Supreme Court issued instructions to it. At this point of time, we can only assure fee reimbursement for students,” the health minister said.
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