Maharashtra plans to allow private universities to offer medical courses

Mumbai: Soon, the private universities in Maharashtra with NAAC ‘A’ grade accreditation, which currently offer higher and technical education, may offer medical education courses, said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis during a meeting of the Maharashtra State Commission for Higher Education and Development (MAHED) in Mumbai. At present, only the private medical colleges affiliated under Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) and a few deemed universities can run medical courses in the state. The state now plans to amend the Maharashtra Private Universities Act, 2023, in the upcoming winter session of the Assembly to allow private universities into this space. Also read- Maha Medical Council told to register CCMP-qualified homeopaths, doctors cry foul Apart from an NAAC ‘A’ grade, universities must have at least 20 years of experience in education, proper infrastructure, and a hospital with 300 to 500 beds, as required by the National Medical Commission (NMC) to get permission to offer medical education courses as the proposal comes with strict conditions. This means, initially, only those universities that already run medical colleges and hospitals under the same management will be eligible and thus get more anatomy. Such universities will be able to design their own syllabus and conduct exams, even after remaining under NMC rules. While in the initial years, those with existing infrastructure will be allowed to offer health science courses, in future, it may be extended to new colleges, under private universities, significantly increasing the intake capacity in these sought-after courses. If all goes to plan, Maharashtra would join nine other states, where private universities have been allowed to run medical colleges. This move is aimed at increasing the number of medical seats in the state and reducing the need for students to go abroad for studies, often to countries facing crises such as Ukraine. However, parents have raised concerns that private universities may set very high fees, making medical education unaffordable for many. "Medical aspirants are forced to go to other countries such as Ukraine, which are in the midst of conflict, and also pay more. These private universities will help in increasing our capacity," a government representative told TOI. Meanwhile, five to six educational groups have already expressed interest in the proposal.