Source: Ekantipur
The Supreme Court has ordered the Tribhuvan University to grant affiliation to National Medical College (NMC), Kathmandu , an extension of Birjung-based National Medical College.
Responding to a writ filed by the college, a division bench of Chief Justice Damodar Prasad Sharma and Justice Om Prakash Mishra on Tuesday concluded that NMC should be given affiliation as it meets the criteria set by the government.
The TU Institute of Medicine (IoM) had declined to grant affiliation to NMC earlier. The TU had later published a notice—without IoM’s knowledge—calling for applications for affiliation from colleges that had taken the letter of intent from the Ministry of Education in September last year. A team led by Dr Kabir Nath Yogi had also inspected the NMC at Ghattekulo and recommended the TU to grant the affiliation.
Dr Kabir Nath Yogi told the Post on Wednesday that NMC has fulfilled all criteria and there is no reason to refuse the affiliation. “The college meets all the criteria set by the government. We have suggested the TU to grant its affiliation,” said Dr Yogi.
The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has, however, denied to recognise the notice published by the TU, nor consent the recommendation made by the inspection team, citing that the university had flouted its regulations in the process.
Sources say that the TU had published the notice with the intent of granting affiliation to NMC, Nepal Police, Manmohan Memorial Medical College and People’s Dental College. While NMC was reportedly built on UCPN (Maoist) investment, Manmohan Memorial has a significant investment from CPN-UML cadre Rajendra Pandey, and People’s Dental College is promoted by Sunil Sharma, who also has a major stake in Nobel Medical College. Sharma was tried by the anti-graft body, CIAA, for amassing wealth through illegal means.
Dr Ramesh Kanta
Adhikari-led expert committee formed to determine whether the country
needs a separate medical university, in its final report, had said that
there is indeed a need for a separate medical university, and that all
the new medical colleges which are awaiting affiliations should be
allowed to function under that university. Dr Rakesh Shriwastav, dean of
IoM, declined to comment until they get an official letter from the
apex court.
