National Medical Commission to take action against GR Medical College for illegal admission

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sep 22, 2023: In a surprising development regarding the GR Medical College in Mangaluru, which had faced controversy over its 2022-23 admissions, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has declared that the letter claimed by the college, approving their intake, is counterfeit. This revelation has once again left hundreds of students and their parents in a state of uncertainty.

On July 28, the NMC’s Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) communicated to the health and family welfare department that it had indeed granted permission for the establishment of the college for the academic year 2021-22 with an annual intake of 150 seats. However, it categorically rejected the proposal to grant permission for a second batch with 150 seats for the academic year 2022-23.

The NMC’s letter stated, "Nevertheless, the aforementioned medical college proceeded to admit 150 MBBS students for the 2022-23 academic year without possessing a valid permission."

Following a report by TOI on August 8 that exposed the illegality of the admissions, concerned students and parents demanded clarity from the college and sought legal recourse through the high court.

On September 18, the college issued a press release asserting that the NMC had granted them permission for an intake of 150 students for the 2022-23 batch through a letter dated September 13. However, NMC, on Wednesday evening, posted a circular on its website, refuting the authenticity of the letter, labeling it as a forgery.

The circular stated, "It is hereby clarified that the aforementioned letter was not issued by a member or the president of the MARB of NMC. Consequently, the letter is deemed fraudulent and invalid as permission."

The NMC also mentioned that appropriate legal actions are being pursued in accordance with the law.

In response, the college’s spokesperson defended their position, stating, "We received the letter from the director of medical education (DME). It is part of a chain of emails that were exchanged between different government bodies. We did not initiate the communication."

B.L. Sujatha Rathod, Director, Directorate of Medical Education said, “On September 13, we got a CC of e-mail from the NMC e-mail ID, stating that admission approval has been given to G.R. Medical College, MBBS course for 2nd batch (1st Renewal) for the academic year of 2022-23. In the last one month, we have come to know that it was a fake letter which had been circulated. We immediately wrote to the NMC seeking clarity on the ingenuity of the letter on September 14. After cross verification, it came to light that the e-mailed letter was fake."