KARACHI: Students in a fix as SU disaffiliates college
By Mukhtar Alam
KARACHI, Oct 26: The academic careers of over a dozen of students are at stake, without any of their fault, due to disaffiliation of the medical college they were enrolled in, by the University of Sindh, Jamshoro.
In their attempts to get relief from the Sindh government in this regard, the students have also approached the Sindh chief minister, who, they say, keeping in view the past precedence, can issue directives for their admissions to different public medical colleges or universities.
The students in question, belonging to five different batches, had been admitted to the defunct Bhutta Medical College, Faisalabad, which was granted temporary affiliation by the Sindh University in September, 1998, to conduct MBBS classes. The varsity had also conducted separate examinations of the first, second and third year students of the college, and issued pass certificates to them as well.
However, the students got a big blow when the Sindh University, in view of the findings and recommendations of authorities concerned, disaffiliated the Punjab-based college in mid 2002.
According to students, the High Court of Sindh, while dismissing constitutional petition of the college principal, had observed that students who had joined the college after grant of temporary affiliation by the University of Sindh, should not be allowed to suffer.
The court had observed that the University of Sindh should provide all help to the college students regarding their accommodation in recognized medical colleges, so that their academic career be saved.
Later, after being approached by the students, the Punjab chief minister, taking up the matter, supported their case for seeking relief from Sindh University and Sindh health department, but to no avail, claimed the student.
In a letter, dated March 25, the Sindh governor, who is also the chancellor of the public-run university in the province, informed the Punjab chief minister that the Faisalabad-based college was disaffiliated as it failed to fulfil certain conditions, required for confirmation of affiliation.
“The admissions to medical colleges are granted on domicile basis and since all these students are domiciled in the Punjab, I would request that they may be accommodated in medical colleges of the Punjab so that the SHC decision is implemented,” included the governor’s DO letter.
In an urgent letter, dated July 21, 2003, the Health department of the Punjab, asked the Vice-Chancellor of the Sindh University to fulfil its liabilities arising due to its act of according affiliation to the Bhutta Medical College, knowing that it was outside its jurisdiction.
“The Punjab Health department can not take the responsibility of the left over liabilities of a private institution, arising out of the act of Sindh University, without any concurrence of the Punjab government,” the letter added.
Referring to the domicile issue in the case of medical college admissions, the health department said that the domicile of a student did not bar him or her to appear in examination in any professional examination, as the students admitted against reciprocal seats of different provinces appeared in examination in the province where they were enrolled.
“The issue of Punjab domicile at this stage is therefore, irrelevant and should not bar the students in question to sit in examination in the institutions of Sindh, where they were already registered and had appeared in an examination under their scheme,” the letter said.
In its attempt to convince the Sindh government, the health department also referred to the MBBS examinations schemes, which varied in the case of medical colleges of Punjab and Sindh. It would not be possible for the defunct BMC’s students to sit in examination under the prevailing examination system and schedule in Punjab, which also called for internal promotion test for students of first year and Ist professional examination by the University at the end of second year education, it was stated further.
While requesting for immediate action, the Health department said that the Sindh University should arrange placement and examination of the students, which numbered around 17, in medical colleges or the university, ie Liaquat University of Medical and Health Science.
