HC orders new varsity panel

December 10: In a major setback, Dr S N Deshmukh, dean of Medical faculty, Mumbai University, has been replaced in an inspection committee ...

December 10: In a major setback, Dr S N Deshmukh, dean of Medical faculty, Mumbai University, has been replaced in an inspection committee of C J Somaiya medical college. The Bombay High Court passed this order on December 8 stating that Dr Deshmukh the husband of Vice-chancellor Dr Snehalata Deshmukh cannot be a part of this committee as his son-in-law is a lecturer in the same college.

The division bench of Justice Ashok Agarwal and Vishnu Sahai ordered that the C J Somaiya Medical college be freshly inspected by a new committee in order to decide if the college can admit 100 students per academic year. The new committee comprises Dr Lalita Naik member of the Academic council of the Mumbai University and Dr J K Tandon, statutory inspector of the Medical Council of India MCI.

As per the court order, this committee replaces the inspection committee comprising Dr S N Deshmukh, Dean of medical faculty, Mumbai University, Dr Srikant Sapatnekar, Professor and Head of department of preventive and social medicine PSM, J J Hospital and Dr Bansal, permanant inspector of the MCI. The new committee is to submit an independent report on the college within the next five days. The judges also emphasised that the new committee members will not be influenced by the earlier report. The matter will be heard on Tuesday, December 16.

The MCI carries out periodic inspections to check the working of medical colleges in order to accord them or renew recognition from the council. Following an MCI inspection in March 1997, the council had accorded recognition to Somaiya college on condition that it admits 50 students per batch. The college then filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court pleading that the college be allowed to admit 100 students.

In November 1997, the HC ordered that the college be freshly inspected by a committee comprising representatives from the Mumbai university, state Government and the MCI. Thus nominated by their respective institutions, Dr S N Deshmukh, Dr Sapatnekar and Dr Bansal inspected the college and submitted a report.

In the hearing on December 8, the Justices quashed this report and remarked that as a matter of propriety, Dr Deshmukh, the V-C8217;s husband, should not have been the University nominee for this inspection. MCI counsel Dhananjay Chandrachud had earlier pointed out that Dr Deshmukh8217;s son-in-law is presently working as a lecturer at the Somaiya college.

The MCI counsel also stated that a book translated by the vice-chancellor has been published by the Somaiya group of companies. 8220;Thirdly, the vice-chancellor has written to the MCI Secretary recommending that the Somaiya college should be permitted to admit 100 students,8221; the MCI counsel said.

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Mumbai University counsel Rui Rodrigues argued that in the past, the MCI has permitted three other medical colleges to continue admitting 100 students without proper inspection and verification of reports submitted by the colleges. 8220;In the case of J L N Medical college, Ajmer, the MCI has relied upon an inspection report submitted in 1995. The Patna medical college was last inspected in 1993 and the Dr V M Medical college, Sholapur in February 1992. When the MCI itself acts arbitrarily, can it lie on the mouth of the devil to preach the Bible?8221; the University counsel questioned. The counsel also asserted that though Dr S N Deshmukh is the vice-chancellor8217;s husband, he is an independent competent authority being the dean of medical faculty. 8220;He is also an elected member of the MCI and the Maharashtra Medical council MMC,8221; he added.