Taking the first step in streamlining the paramedical staffing across the state, the newly constituted Madhya Pradesh Paramedical Council has laid guidelines on their registration and permission to run paramedical courses.

Dr Vijaylaxmi Sadho, Madhya Pradesh Minister for Medical Education, chaired the first meeting of the council at Bhopal recently and finalized the responsibilities and duties of the Registrar and the Chairperson of the council. The council members also worked out reservation of seats in the 31 paramedical courses and the fee structures.

The council will shortly seek assistance from the Union government and the World Health Organization (WHO) for its functioning, decided the members. The members were informed that the Madhya Pradesh Paramedical Council is world's paramedical council of its kind.

The council will shortly start the registration process of the paramedical personnel who have passed out of such courses before the 12 March, 2001. Also, those paramedical personnel working in government departments who are presently working in government departments and have cleared higher secondary (10+2) examinations, with a diploma or degree from any of the recognized institutes, will be registered.

The members decided that the entrance to the 31 courses earmarked by the Council wouldbe given through examinations organized by the Professional Board of Examinations. The candidates from general candidates will have to procure a minimum of 50 per cent and a reserved candidate should procure a minimum of 40 per cent to get admission.

Notably, there would be no entrance examinations held for the certificate courses. Here the admissions will be given on the basis of the marks scored in the 10+22 examinations. In case of vacant seats, the Council will offer seats to the remaining candidates on merit basis.

The Council has decided to make sure that the admission forms are available at all medical colleges, Ayurvedic colleges and homoeopathic colleges of the state.

The state government will recognize the institutes running the courses after prior recommendation from the council. The permissions will be given to applications received from 1st July to 30th November. The admission process will continue till December 24, and by January 1, 2004, the courses will start.

For applications seeking sanction of courses received during the month of January, the permissions will be given by May, 30, and the admission process will start in June.

The Council has earmarked 50 per cent free seats, 35 per cent payment seats and 15 per cent NRI seats, for the courses. The free seats have also been reserved for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes. In case the NRI seats remain vacant, these might be converted into the payment seats, decided the council.

The students studying in the government and private paramedical institutes will have to pay tuition fees, caution money and other fees like sports fees, during the first year. Only tuition fees will be charged during the corresponding year. The Council will meet every month to ensure that decisions taken during this meeting are implemented properly.

This meeting was attended by State Medical Education Secretary Aruna Sharma, Indian Systems o Medicine Commissioner A N Tiwari, Director Medical Education Dr V K Joshi,deans of all the medical colleges in the state, Chairman of Professional Examination Board and principals of Ayurvedic, Unani and Homoeopathic colleges.