No admissions at Maha’s 5 govt ayurveda colleges this yr

Nagpur: All the five government ayurveda colleges in the state – Nagpur, Nanded, Osmanabad (Dharashiv), Mumbai and Jalgaon – cannot participate in the 2022-23 admission process to be held this year as the National Commission for Indian Medicine (NCISM) has denied them permission for degree and postgraduate admissions.
The decision has shocked aspirants of BAMS (Bachelor of ayurvedic medicine and surgery) along with the 8,000 ayurveda doctors aspiring to pursue post graduate degree courses in these government colleges.
According to NCISM, in the inspection conducted by its medical assessment and rating board, all the five government ayurveda colleges in Maharashtra did not meet the minimum standards. These colleges were found to have less than the required number of professors. Hospitals affiliated with the colleges did not have the necessary number of beds. Also, facilities required for research are not ready, as per the Board.
The Board has asked these colleges to rectify the errors by December 31, 2022. An admission compliance report is to be submitted for 2023–24, which means these colleges would not admit students for the current academic year 2022-23. This means, the state will lose 563 degree (BAMS) and 246 post-graduate (MD, MS) seats in government ayurveda colleges.
Maharashtra has 16 aided and 60 unaided ayurveda colleges. The All-India Ayush postgraduate entrance examination for ayurveda MD and MS was held on October 15, and the admission process will start in mid-November.
Now, many BAMS doctors who have cleared the entrance examination are worried. “Though very less, but PG students get stipend in government colleges. Hence, BAMS doctors from economically weaker sections strive for PG admissions in government colleges. Unfortunately, with no admissions this year, hundreds of talented and needy students will be at a loss,” said Dr Shubham Bobade, former president of students forum of National Integrated Medical Association (NIMA).
NIMA has submitted a petition letter to MLC Pravin Datke on Wednesdy. A delegation is also trying to meet medical education minister Girish Mahajan in this regard. “In a telephonic conversation, the minister assured to solve the issue soon but nothing has happened till date at the state as well as central level,” said Dr Bobade.
State government’s directorate of Ayush has urged NCISM to re-consider its decision.
“We have submitted an appeal to reconsider the denial of conditional permission to government ayurved colleges and hospitals of Maharashtra for admission in UG (BAMS) and PG (MD/MS) courses under section 28 of NCISM Act, 2020, and relevant regulations there under for the academic session 2022-23,” reads a correspondence issued by Vaidya K Rajeshwar Reddy, director of Ayush, Maharashtra state.