Mumbai: Students and teachers of Topiwala National Medical College, affiliated to Nair Hospital, are upset about the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s intention of building a public gymnasium in the open ground on the campus. After the plan was discovered by the college, the teachers last week wrote to the authorities to not take over the space as it could put the college’s recognition by the National Medical Commission (NMC) at stake or cause the number of undergraduate seats to be reduced.
The number of seats in a medical college are directly proportional to the amenities provided for extracurricular activities, and in extreme cases, the number of seats can be reduced if the amenities are found to be insufficient by NMC.
As per the proposal floated a couple of years ago, the gymnasium will take up 158 square metres, leaving just 98 square metres of the ground for the college’s use. The teachers told HT that they were informed that the gym was to be earlier built at Shivaji Park in Dadar but the BMC later zeroed in on their campus. The letter, signed by all the teaching faculties of the college, has been forwarded to the officials of the BMC.
“The plan of the proposed gym shows that more than half the open ground, which is currently a part of the facilities that the college is supposed to provide to its undergraduate students, will no longer belong to the college. It is the only such open space within the campus and is even used by children of faculty members living on the campus,” said one of the signatories to the letter. The students too are extremely agitated, he added.
The undergraduate students are worried about losing their admissions if the number of seats are reduced. Another worry they have is opening up the hostel and residential quarters area to the public, which could compromise their safety and disrupt the peace and quiet in the area.
Dean Dr Pravin Rathi, when questioned, said he was unaware of the issue since he had taken charge only four months earlier. “The teachers apprised me of the plan,” he said. “I have forwarded their objections to the civic officials.”
When asked about the concerns expressed by the teachers, deputy municipal commissioner (public health) Sanjay Kurhade acknowledged receipt of the letter. “The proposal was conceived a couple of years ago,” he said. “I am not aware of the exact details. However, if and when the proposal is taken forward, we will take cognisance of the land area and that required by the college to continue having the same number of seats.”