Post-graduate diploma, gratis varsity

However, nowhere in the heap of letters exchanged between the director of health services, who recommended Dr Munde8217;s candidature, and the university8217;s Executive Council, is there any mention as to why he deserved special consideration.

Dr Munde was among the last batch of students who acquired the Licentiate of the College ofPhysicians LCPS degree in 1980, a graduate medical course which existed prior to the current MBBS course and which became defunct in the same year. The course, conducted by medical schools through individual universities, had recognition from the College of Physicians as well as the Medical Council of India MCI. Dr Munde himself had acquired his degree through a medical school affiliated to the University of Bombay.

However, when the five-year course became defunct in 1980, students still completing the course and who wanted to take a PG course in medicine were required to take a special condensed MBBS course to qualify for post-graduate studies. However, Dr Munde could not qualify for the special course as he had failed the LCPS final exam twice.

The doctor8217;s journey towards getting admission to the PG diploma began in 1991, five years before he was actually admitted to the SRT Rural Medical College and Hospital at Ambajogai in Beed district, which is affiliated to the BAMU. In February 1991, DrMunde, who was a government medical officer by then, wrote to the then director of health services DHS seeking his recommendation for admission to the course via a quota as an in-service candidate.

Being the first ever LCPS candidate to enroll for PG studies in Maharashtra, the DHS wrote to the university, asking it to state the criteria for admission in this case.

In response, the university8217;s Executive Council passed a resolution on April 20, 1991, saying it was clearing Munde8217;s candidature as a special case8217;. It failed to specify the criteria it ostensibly used.

Also, the communication between the university and the DHS, which has been officially made available to The Indian Express indicates that neither authority had sought the opinion of the MCI, the apex body controlling medical courses and admissions. Curiously, the Executive Council did have an MCI member on its board, who chose to remain silent on the issue.

However, another obstacle cropped up. Complaints were received that Dr Munde hadcleared the LCPS final exam after three attempts and should therefore be debarred from admission. But this hurdle too was swept aside, with the DHS telling the dean of SRT College vide a letter dated July 2, 1996, that the attempt restrictions were not applicable to Dr Munde as he was an in-service candidate. No matter what the problem, someone always rushed to the doctor8217;s aid.

Finally, on July 3, 1996, Dr Munde was admitted to SRT College. However, on January 27, 1997, another problem surfaced. The new deputy registrar and controller of examinations, who was oblivious to Dr Munde8217;s medical history8217;, wrote to the doctor saying he was rejecting his eligibility for the PG course as his basic degree, the LCPS, was not recognised by the university.

However, copies of this letter were not sent to the dean of the faculty of medicine at the university or the vice-chancellor, so that the fresh batch of officials who had taken charge by that time were unable to reopen the case. Yet, on February 12, 1997, DrMunde8217;s eligibility was cleared and the niggling problems plaguing Dr Munde8217;s case were swept under the carpet yet again.

After failing his first attempt in December 1997, the doctor cleared the final impediment in his seven-year obstacle course in June 1998 and was at last eligible8217; to qualify as a post-graduate doctor in Public Health.Strangely, Dr Munde8217;s guide, Dr M V Keshkar, found nothing unusual in an LCPS doctor being allowed to pursue a post-graduate diploma designed exclusively for MBBS students. In fact, a few years ago, students from the Gurugobind Singh Government Medical College and Hospital at Nanded and two private colleges in the region were refused admission to PG courses on the ground that their degree had not ben granted MCI recognition.

BAMU Vice-Chancellor Dr Shivraj Nakade, under whose tenure Dr Munde will be conferred his PG diploma, told The Indian Express that since the decision to allow Dr Munde admission to the PG course was taken by the previous Executive Council, whileShivajirao Bhosale was vice-chancellor, he could not remedy the situation now.

However, Dean of Faculty of Medicine at the university, Dr Ramdas Ambulgekar, admits that all is not well. 8220;Anything which does not have MCI recognition should also not be recognised by the university. The university should have brought it to the notice of the faculty of medicine,8221; he says, adding that the then Executive Council had no jurisdiction to pass the resolution on Dr Munde as they did not consult the faculty of medicine.