The issue of granting permission to start the Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital at Chrompet near Kancheepuram with deemed university status by the Centre and Medical Council of India (MCI) without the knowledge of the state government has stirred up a controversy and questions on the status of medical education.

Sources point out the MCI should have sought a desirability and feasibility certificate from the state government before issuing permission to the institution. But sources that support the permission say there was no need to involve the state as the institute was registered as a deemed medical university and as per the norms, it was not mandatory to seek opinion of the state government, and the institution has been applying to MCI for recognition since 1989.

Adding a new dimension to the controversy, the Tamil Nadu Government Doctors' Association (TNGDA) has said it was wrong on the part of MCI to give permission without the state's knowledge, and the government should question it in the Supreme Court.

The association president Dr.Prakasham noted when health is a state subject, medical education should be also brought under the state list. It is to note expressing helplessness in the issue, the state chief minister J Jayalaliyha had said since education was in the concurrent list handled by the centre, the state government had limitations in this.

According to TNGDA, the association was planning to implead in the Supreme Court if the state moved the court, and the government should try to reverse the deemed university status for the institution. He said MCI had violated all the norms related this.

The association also points out the MCI decision to grant permission to a recently started institution was of double standards, as the same Council had rejected the request for increasing seats in the more than a decade old Salem and Chengalpet medical colleges to 100, despite several requests from the Directorate of Medical Education. Similarly, MCI has not given sanction for the upcoming Government run medical colleges at Theni, Kanyakumari and Vellore citing various technical hurdles to be cleared. Nevertheless, permission has come relatively easy for the private sector, alleged the doctors' association.