Karnataka’s Minister for Medical Education and Skill Development, Sharan Prakash Patil, has instructed officials to withdraw affiliations and shut down paramedical institutions that fail to meet the required infrastructure and teaching standards. This directive came during a review meeting of the state paramedical board on Thursday, where officials reported significant deficiencies in several private colleges.
Among the issues highlighted were colleges operating in cramped, substandard spaces. One institution was found to have just a single microscope shared by hundreds of students, while another lacked proper lighting. Additionally, inspections revealed over 10 colleges were illegally transferring students to other institutions without approval from the paramedical board. Many of these colleges also failed to provide essential teaching and training for their courses.
Minister Patil emphasized the need for strict action, saying, “Close down such colleges without any consideration; we must send a strong message to them.” He further assured that students impacted by these closures would be transferred to better-equipped institutions.
Karnataka has 566 paramedical colleges, of which 529 are private institutions. These colleges enrolled 22,256 students for the 2024-25 academic year. While private colleges charge Rs 20,000 annually for a three-year course, government colleges offer the same at Rs 8,500.
This crackdown aims to uphold the quality of paramedical education in the state, ensuring that students receive proper training for their careers in the healthcare sector. The paramedical stream includes various diploma courses such as medical laboratory technology (DMLT), medical imaging technology (DMIT), health inspector (DHI), and medical records technology (DMRT).