Protests Erupt at SMS Medical College’s Tropical Medicine Department

Allegations of Rule Violations

Faculty and students from the Tropical Medicine Department at Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Medical College are staging protests against the institution. They claim that the rules set forth by the National Medical Commission (NMC) are being overlooked, with professors from their own department being marginalized in studies, examinations, and thesis work.

Background of the Dispute

Despite having received approval from both the NMC and the Rajasthan University of Health Sciences (RUHS), tensions reportedly escalated last month during practical examinations for postgraduate students. According to the established regulations, the University is responsible for appointing external examiners for practical assessments. However, the SMS college administration allegedly appointed a professor from the General Medicine Department instead of selecting a faculty member from the Tropical Medicine Department, leading to discontent among staff and students.

Continued Disregard for NMC Guidelines

Following this incident, it has been reported that guides for thesis and other academic work are also being sourced from the General Medicine Department, which goes against NMC guidelines.

Justifications from College Administration

In response to the protests, the Principal and Additional Principal of SMS Medical College have defended their decision. Dr. Deepak Maheshwari, Principal, and Dr. Monika Jain, Additional Principal (Administration), stated that the professors currently appointed in the Tropical Medicine Department do not meet the eligibility criteria as per the Apex Medical Commission’s guidelines. They emphasized that both professors hail from the Microbiology Department and lack the requisite three years of clinical experience, which is necessary for serving as examiners and guides. Consequently, Dr. Meena from the General Medicine Department has been appointed to these roles.

Response from the Tropical Medicine Department

Dr. Jain, Head of the Tropical Medicine Department, expressed her concerns to Bhaskar, stating, “If there has been any change in NMC guidelines recently, I am not aware of it. But I have been a guide before and have supervised students’ theses. We are qualified for both examiner and guide.”

Clarifications on Faculty Appointments

Regarding faculty eligibility in the Tropical Medicine Department, the Additional Principal clarified that the NMC considers only those faculty members from the General Medicine Department as qualified for appointments. If no eligible professor is available from General Medicine, a professor from Microbiology, who may lack the necessary clinical experience, can also be considered for appointment.

Related Information

For further details, please refer to the article on Doctor Of Medicine (MD) in Tropical Medicine, which covers admission processes, fees, medical colleges, and eligibility criteria.