Ayurvedic colleges asked to stop admissions

The Central Council of Indian Systems of Medicine and the Madhya Pradesh government are at loggerheads, following the council's directive not to admit students to the government ayurvedic medical colleges in the state for 1997-98 without its approval.

In separate letters to the colleges and the state government, Council Secretary Premraj Sharma made the message clear, adding that he would soon carry out inspections in all colleges.

The decision, sources say, was brought about because of 'insufficient facilities' in all the state's eight government colleges -- these fall pathetically short of the norms laid by the CCISM.

The government, meanwhile, has ignored the directive completely, and is going ahead with the Bachelors Degree in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery admissions. Its stand is that there is 'no justification in sending such a letter after the admission process had already started.'

A State Directorate of Indian Systems of Medicine nd Homeopathy spokesman said the Council should have carried out its inspection sometime last year, instead of initiating it in the last moment.

Asked whether the Council would recognise degrees awarded to students if the state government went ahead with admissions, he assured that it would.

"All efforts are being made by the government to improve the facilities and infrastructure in medical colleges," he added.

UNI