The Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC) has decided to take legal action against G.R. Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Mangaluru, after a forged letter for renewal of permission for MBBS course for 2nd batch (1st Renewal) for the academic year 2022-23 was found.
The NMC issued a public notice on September 20 and said that it had come to the notice of MARB of NMC that a forged letter dated September 13 has been issued to G.R. Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Karnataka, towards renewal of permission for MBBS course for 2nd batch for 2022-23.
Maintaining that the letter has not been issued by the Member/president, MARB of NMC, it deemed the letter as forged and said it cannot be considered as a valid permission from MARB of NMC. “The above facts are brought to the notice of all stakeholders concerned and the general public to not take any action based on the fake letter. Appropriate action is being taken in the matter in accordance with the law,” the NMC said.
The NMC’s Medical Assessment and Rating Board had granted permission for G.R. Medical College Hospital and Research Centre in 2021-22 with an annual intake of 150 seats. But it disapproved the proposal for grant of permission for second batch for 150 seats for the academic year of 2022-23. The disapproval was based on the assessment of the colleges by MARB on September 5 and 6, 2022. However, the college management admitted 150 MBBS students illegally for the academic year of 2022-23, without having valid permission.
But, in the press release recently issued by the G.R. Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, it was said that the management got renewal permission for MBBS course 2nd batch (2022-23) with 150 MBBS seats from the NMC. They also sent the order to the Director of Medical Education of Government of Karnataka with a copy to the Principal Secretary of Government of Karnataka, Department of Health and Family Welfare.
However, the college was not permitted to make any admission for the MBBS course for 2023-24.
Speaking to The Hindu, B.L. Sujatha Rathod, Director, Directorate of Medical Education said, “On September 13, we got a carbon copy (CC) of e-mail from the NMC e-mail ID, stating that admission approval has been given to G.R. Medical College, MBBS course for 2nd batch (1st Renewal) for the academic year of 2022-23. In the last one month, we have come to know that it was a fake letter which had been circulated. We immediately wrote to the NMC seeking clarity on the ingenuity of the letter on September 14. After cross verification, it came to light that the e-mailed letter was fake.”
