THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a rare instance, the ruling LDF and the opposition UDF on Wednesday joined hands to pass a bill to regularize the controversial admissions made to Kannur and
Karuna medical colleges in 2016-17. The admission supervisory committee had struck down these admissions and the Supreme Court had upheld its order.
Health minister
K K Shailaja said lone
BJP MLA O Rajagopal also approved the legislation, which will help 149 MBBS students – 118 in Kannur medical college and 31in Karuna medical college -- to continue their studies. Interestingly, the Supreme Court is expected to consider an appeal filed by Medical Council of India (MCI) against regularization of these admissions on Thursday.
The act will replace the ordinance issued a few months ago regularising the admissions. The admission supervisory committee had even found prima facie evidence for many students paying capitation fee and recommended a probe. The Supreme Court had, in its first hearing of the MCI plea, come down hard on the state government for issuing the ordinance.
Students must not suffer, says Shailaja
Shailaja told the assembly that students should not suffer for the fault of managements. Opposition leader
Ramesh Chennithala also supported the bill. “We are supporting it for the students. It should not read as a nexus between the opposition and the government. There is no harm in passing a bill to protect students’ interests,” he said.
Congress MLA V T Balram, however, opposed the move. “It is nothing but legalising illegal admissions made by private managements. This will set a wrong precedent,” he said. The
Youth Congress has also flayed the move.
