Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In a major reprieve to thousands of students whose careers have been hanging in a balance, the Principal bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur on Monday, directed Medical University, Jabalpur to issue enrolment to the students of all unsuitable nursing colleges to appear in examination.
Division bench of Justice Sanjay Dwivedi and Justice AK Paliwal passed the order while hearing the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Law Students Association's president advocate Vishal Baghel.
In February 2024, the CBI, in its report to the High Court, had divided the nursing colleges into three categories- suitable, deficient, and unsuitable. Of these, 66 colleges were categorised as 'unsuitable', 169 are suitable, 37 colleges 'suitable with minor deficiency', and 73 colleges were termed 'deficient'.
Earlier, the examinations for BSc first year (2020-21), BSc third year (2019-20), Post-Basic BSc (2020-21) and MSc Nursing (2020-21) were held earlier in May after the HC order. Around 20,000 students had appeared in the examinations. The High Court, in its March order had permitted around 30,000 students of 'unsuitable nursing colleges' to write their main examinations.
Earlier, the HC had stopped the students of nursing colleges, which were found to be running without required infrastructure or dispensaries across Madhya Pradesh, to write examinations.
The students of†unsuitable nursing colleges†took the plea in their application that they had provided their services in the Government Health Centres during the Covid-19 outbreak, when the 'doctors and permanent staff' turned their back towards their duties in fear of their life. When the nursing students were asked to come out, they, without caring for their lives, came forward and discharged their duties at the health centres, they argued in their petition.
