Andhra Pradesh government comes under fire after it decided not to launch Pulivendula Medical College this year

NMC withdraws permission for Dr. YSR Government Medical College launch, sparking criticism from Congress and student unions.

The National Medical Commission’s (NMC) withdrawal of permission for the launch of Dr. YSR Government Medical College at Pulivendula in Kadapa district for the academic year 2024-25, upon receiving a letter from the Director of Medical Education, Andhra Pradesh, stating that the college did not have the required infrastructure, drew criticism from the Congress party and student unions.

The DME’s letter suggested that the NMC should not consider admissions in this academic year (2024-25) as the college’s work was still not complete, and the college was not in a position to provide complete facilities to the students.

The Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) granted the college a letter of permission on August 16, 2024, to establish a new medical college with 50 MBBS seats.

The government’s decision to drop the launch this academic year has been sharply criticised by leaders of students’ unions and the Congress party.

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Y.S. Sharmila, on Sunday, September 15, slammed the TDP-led coalition government in the State for its decision not to go ahead with the admissions in the college this academic year. She alleged that the government had plans to privatise the new medical colleges in the State and hand over medical education to private individuals, which in turn “will deprive poor students of medical education.”

Referring to the reports that the government plans to study the Gujarat Public-Private Partnership model (PPP), she said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu should explain to the people of the State the government’s stand on privatisation to allay their fears.

She said the fact that the government had expressed inability to provide facilities at the five new colleges at Pulivendula, Adoni, Markapuram, Madanapalle and Paderu despite being an active part of the coalition government at the Centre proved its inefficiency.