 "MBBS students needn't do rural duty for now")
The health ministry has decided to put on hold its recent decision to make one-year of rural posting at primary healthcare centre mandatory for MBBS students, before they seek admission to post graduate course.
This comes in the wake of protests held by medical students on Thursday against the proposal for increasing the duration of the MBBS course from the existing 5.5 years to 6.5 years with the addition of a compulsory one-year rural posting for admission into post-graduate programmes.
“The Minister has directed concerned officials of the Ministry to keep the notification in abeyance,” the health ministry said in a statement after student representatives met Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. The ministry has also said that rural posting will not be mandatory for appearing in post graduate examination for the year 2015-16.
Around 2,000 doctors from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), University College of Medical Sciences, Lady Hardinge Medical College, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Maulana Azad Medical College took part in the protest.
Setting at rest all speculation that the period of MBBS course has been extended by 2 years, the health ministry also said that “there is no such proposal”.
This comes in the wake of protests held by medical students on Thursday against the proposal for increasing the duration of the MBBS course from the existing 5.5 years to 6.5 years with the addition of a compulsory one-year rural posting for admission into post-graduate programmes.
“The Minister has directed concerned officials of the Ministry to keep the notification in abeyance,” the health ministry said in a statement after student representatives met Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. The ministry has also said that rural posting will not be mandatory for appearing in post graduate examination for the year 2015-16.
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According to the statement, a letter to this effect has already been sent to the Medical Council of India.
Around 2,000 doctors from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), University College of Medical Sciences, Lady Hardinge Medical College, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Maulana Azad Medical College took part in the protest.
Setting at rest all speculation that the period of MBBS course has been extended by 2 years, the health ministry also said that “there is no such proposal”.