MBBS scholarship awardees today accused the Ministry of Education of delaying the admission process. They said the MoE had failed to allocate number for seats of medical colleges.

The students said that there was no coordination between the departments within MoE.

Future of around 200 MBBS, BDS, and BSc Nursing students, who were awarded with scholarships, is in jeopardy due to MoE’s negligence, they said. The entrance exam for admission in medical colleges was held in December 2013 whereas the admission process started only in August this year.

As per the existing provision, the total number of seats for medical colleges are approved by the Nepal Medical Council while the MoE allocates seats for individual medical college and completes other processes for admission. Krishna Kharel, coordinator, MBBS Scholarship Students Struggle Committee, today said that they have been visiting the MoE, Ministry of Health and Population and NMC for more than a month to pressure the respective ministries to resolve the issue, but in vain.

“After much pressure, NMC allocated the number of seats last week and sent the letter to MoE. But the Higher Education Section under the MoE failed to forward the letter to the Scholarship Section. We had to carry the letters ourselves to expedite the process,” he said.

He stated that such kind of negligence from the MoE was inexcusable and irrational.

The government this year denied affiliation to Biratnagar-based Birat Medical College and Rupandehi-based Devdaha Medical College affiliated to Kathmandu University.

According to Kharel, NMC had allocated 133 seats for remaining medical colleges affiliated to KU — Sinamangal-based Kathmandu Medical College, Jorpati-based Nepal Medical College, Bharatpur-based College of Medical Sciences, Banke-based Nepalgunj Medical College, Palpa-based Lumbini Medical College and Biratnagar-based Nobel Medical College.

Prakash Maharjan, Chief, Scholarship Section, MoE, said that 45 per cent of the total seats are allocated for women, Dalit, Madhes, indigenous and marginalised communities among others and remaining 55 per cent seats are provided to meritorious students. “Out of 133 seats, meritorious students will occupy 73 seats while 60 seats will be given to meritorious students from reservation quotas,” he said.

The MoE is scheduled to conduct scholarship examinations on December 6 for various subjects for next year whereas Dilli Ram Rimal, Chief, Higher Education Section, MoE.

source:the himalayan times, 1 Dec 2014