Karnataka: 8 state medical colleges denied permission

Bengaluru: The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has made public the list of eight educational institutions which have not been given permission to start new medical colleges in the state for the academic year 2015-16.

One of the colleges denied permission was proposed by Sri Siddhartha Academy of Higher Education, which belongs to KPCC president Dr G. Parameshwar. The ministry has also denied permission to four medical colleges by the state government. Siddhartha Academy had planned to set up the medical college in Bengaluru Rural district on Bengaluru-Tuamkuru road.

Sources said that while the state government had issued a no objection certificate to the institution, the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Science had granted the affiliation.  “The institution was planning to set up the college for the last two years, and even this year, the approval has not been given. It could be due to lack of facilities at the college,” said an officer close to the developments.

East Point College of Medical Sciences & Research Centre (Bengaluru), Sambharam Institute of Medical Sciences & Research (Kolar) and Kanachur Institute of Medical Sciences (Mangalore) are the other private institution that have been denied permission.

The state government had sought permission to start new medical colleges in Chamarajanagar, Chitradurga, Karwar and Kodagu. But none of these colleges have bee approved, sources said.

Ministry sources said that this is not the end of the road for the colleges. “They can apply again by ensuring that all the facilities are put in place at these colleges,” he said. St. John's Medical College too has been denied permission to increase the intake from 60 to 150.