Health Ministry to approve medical colleges, HRD affiliation

Updated on: Wednesday, July 27, 2011

After differences over jurisdiction of medical education have been resolved, the Health Ministry will have the right on granting approvals to medical colleges, while the HRD Ministry will control their affiliation.

A compromise formula hammered out over the weekend by the ministers of Health and HRD will pave the way for standardisation of medical education and opening of fresh avenues for research in the field.

The HRD ministry will also have control over medical research and will help in its funding, as part of the formula evolved at the instance of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, officials said here.

The two ministries had major differences over power to control their respective areas within the ambit of proposed higher education regulation bills., resolved the issue after the two ministers met here over the weekend.

With the two ministries involved in a tussle over the jurisdiction of medical education, the National Commission for Human Resources in Health (NCHRH) and the National Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER) draft bills have been pending for the past several months.

The NCHER bill calls for setting up of a medical board for research promotion and facilitation. NCHRH will grant approval for opening of medical colleges, while the NCHER will have control over their affiliation.

A senior official said there will be cross-representation of members in these two bodies and both will coordinate in setting standards of medical research.

The HRD Ministry has agreed to give NCHRH the right to approve new medical colleges and courses but with a rider that the university which awards the degree will decide if it wants to affiliate a college or not.

The new bills will authorise universities granting affiliation to medical colleges to lay down their own standards, which are higher than the minimum required for their approval by NCHRH.

Any university, while demanding higher standards, can refuse affiliation to a medical college that does not come up to its standards. Thus, approval for setting up of a medical college does not guarantee it the right to get affiliation from a university.

Since the NCHER will provide accreditation to various medical colleges, their standard is expected to rise.

The NCHER will also have under it a Board for Innovation and Research to boost inter-disciplinary research, including research in medical technology.

Health Ministry to approve medical colleges, HRD affiliation

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