Tamil Nadu Health Minister K. G. Arunraj has accused at least four private medical colleges, reportedly linked to leaders of the DMK and AIADMK parties, of exploiting legal loopholes to attain deemed university status. This maneuver, according to the minister, has bypassed state regulations on seat-sharing and fee caps, potentially jeopardizing as many as 462 government-quota MBBS seats and 35 seats reserved for government school students under the 7.5% quota.
The minister stated that these institutions circumvented the state’s authority by directly approaching national regulators for approval, thereby sidestepping mandatory No Objection Certificates (NOCs) and other state-level procedures. He highlighted the case of Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Institute of Medical Sciences and Srinivasan Medical College, which were previously state private universities but were granted deemed status without the state government’s prior knowledge. The government was reportedly informed of this change only two days prior when the National Medical Commission listed them as deemed universities.
Further, Minister Arunraj alleged that a college owned by DMK MLA S. Kathiravan from Manachanallur obtained deemed university status without applying for an NOC, directly approaching the University Grants Commission (UGC) through procedural loopholes. This, he contended, violated the state’s rights and undermined social justice by denying meritorious and government school students their rightful seats.
The minister also pointed to alleged inaction by the previous DMK government, stating that mandatory procedures were ignored and legal options were not pursued in a timely manner. He cited the example of Karpaga Vinayaga, which sought clearance from Anna University for its engineering programs and Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University for its medical college on June 7, 2023. When neither university responded within the stipulated 60-day window, the college, as per rules, was deemed to have received approval.
The implications of these institutions gaining deemed university status are significant. Allotments to deemed universities are managed by the Centre’s medical counselling committee. Consequently, the state risks losing control over these seats, which include management-quota and BDS seats in addition to the MBBS seats. The minister indicated that two more colleges have applied for deemed status, and these institutions are also reportedly owned or managed by leaders of Dravidian parties.
In response to these developments, the state government intends to file a writ petition seeking the cancellation of the newly acquired deemed university status for these colleges. Minister Arunraj emphasized that the current government would not permit such practices and has directed officials to investigate why action was not taken against errant schools in previous years. He urged parents to report any instances of excess fee collection or rule violations to the district school education officials, the department headquarters, or the minister’s office.
This issue brings to the forefront the complexities of regulating private higher education institutions in India and the ongoing efforts by state governments to assert their authority and protect the interests of students, particularly concerning access and affordability in medical education.
The Chenab Times News Desk