Med school details to go public CIC instructs MCI to disclose key details of every medical institution

Med school details to go public

CIC instructs MCI to disclose key details of every medical institution

Given the recent spate of medical colleges and universities being set up without proper accreditation, prospective medical students have reason to breathe easy. A new order makes it simpler for them to demarcate the good institutions from the unscrupulous ones that charge capitation fees. In his order dated December 28, the central information commissioner, Shailesh Gandhi, has directed the Medical Council of India to put up copies of assessment reports where applicable and the approved/rejected status granted to medical colleges, by July 30, 2012. The data for the previous academic year will be displayed on the website before 1 March, 2012. The directions were passed under the commission’s powers, under section 19(8)(a)(iii) of the RTI Act. Suo moto disclosure is to be made under section 4 of the Act. Gandhi passed the order after receiving a complaint from a certain G Vishnu, from Delhi. In his complaint, Vishnu had stated that the MCI had not adhered to the provisions of the RTI Act and made any suo moto disclosure. The MCI is given responsibilities that range from inspecting colleges to formulating reports (see box for more details). The complainant had asked for a comprehensive list. Vishnu had further alleged that the MCI often does not penalise institutions that take capitation fees. In view of the above allegations, he had demanded that the MCI be directed to put up seven key pieces of information: primary inspection reports in their entirety; approval and rejection reports of each institution in their entirety; first report compiled after the first year of the college’s inception; annual/bi-annual mandatory inspections; action taken and penalties levied for charging capitation fees; experience and eligibility of the teachers; details of the officers undertaking the inspections. The public information officer stated that although the information was available, it ran into several thousand of pages. “It would be difficult to put them up,” he reasoned. However, the commission stated that the main points could be displayed, since it was every person’s fundamental right to access information, and this would also reduce the number of RTI applications being filed.