Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government has amended one of the primary requirements to establish a nursing college. Under new rules for 2024, an institution needs at least 8,150 square feet of space. This, however, is a massive downgrade from existing rules, which say that it needs at least 19,060 square feet.
Significantly, the Indian Nursing Council mandates at least 23,720 square feet, in addition to other requisites like a certain number of faculty members, a canteen and a library, and a 100-bed hospital.
This comes five months after NDTV reported on the condition of many such institutions in the state, where the CBI is already probing over 600 after many were found without proper faculty or infrastructure.
NDTV visited one 'college' - the Savita Institute Of Health Science in Bhopal's Data Colony - and found it was being run out of three rooms on one floor of a three-storey residential building.
The 'college', run by NM Srivastava - a former director of medical education in Madhya Pradesh - offers a Bachelors degree and a diploma course.
Inquiries into other 'colleges' found one faculty member taught at 10 across three cities - as the principal in some and an associate professor in others. Investigating agencies have made similarly disturbing discoveries, including 'colleges' with no faculty that just hand out 'certificates'.
NDTV Ground Report | 3-Room Nursing College In Madhya Pradesh Exposes A Larger Problem
Nineteen such institutes were de-recognised in August, after which the state authorised the CBI to examine all institutions registered in 2020/21. Per the latest update on this investigation, nearly 50 per cent (of 670) have been declared ineligible, prompting the Madhya Pradesh government to act.
Activist Vishal Baghel told NDTV he plans to challenge these rules in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which earlier released the names of all 308 institutions investigated by the CBI and the result of each investigation; i.e., with the tags 'suitable', 'deficient', or 'unstable' in front of their names.
Per this list, even a state government institution in Rewa was found unsuitable. The CBI also pointed out that only 169 colleges investigated so far met the requirements. On the CBI's 'red list' is Savita Nursing Institute, which was started in 2015/16 and has seen at least four batches of students 'graduate', raising serious questions.
The state government had sought permission from the High Court to start the process of recognition for 2024/25 and this permission has been given.