By Paojel Chaoba
IMPHAL, September 7: The College of Nursing RIMS has overstepped the affiliation regulations laid down by the Manipur University and has started the admission process for the academic year 2012-13 without proper infrastructure and staff.
Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor of Manipur University (Prof) H Nandakumar Sharma (HNK) in his personal capacity has given the go ahead to do so without adhering to the norms prescribed by the UGC (University Grants Commission).
The RIMS Nursing College was started from 2011 after getting an approval from the Nursing Council of India.
However, affiliation with a university was required and to save the career of 37 students already admitted for the first year session the college was given temporary affiliation by the Manipur University under its School of Medical Sciences, but with certain conditions.
The RIMS authorities were told not to conduct fresh admission for the 1st Year and 2nd Year courses until and all the posts sanctioned by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for the College are filled up through regular appointment.
The procedure as per Manipur University affiliation rules is to conduct inspections from time to time for assessment and further upgradation of the Nursing course to higher standard.
A team of four faculty members of Manipur University inspected the Nursing College infrastructure on July 4 last.
The team members were Dr L Leiren Singh, Prof L Rupachandra, Prof N Joykumar and Prof W Nabakumar.
The inspection team found that 32 students had already been admitted in the 2nd year B. Sc Nursing course without approval from the University and preparations were underway for admitting fresh students which contradicted the norms laid down by MU.
No regular Principal was appointed while the day-to-day administration of the college was looked after by a RIMS Professor Dr N Damayanti who is also the wife of RIMS Director Prof Sinam Sekharjit. It may be mentioned that Dr Damayanti is not qualified for the post and such arrangement is against the rules of the Nursing Council of India.
And only ten tutors out of the fourteen sanctioned posts were appointed. The teacher student ratio of 1:10 was also not maintained.
The inspection team was of the opinion that the nursing course conducted by RIMS contradicts the affiliation rules of the MU and recommended that the temporary affiliation should not be extended till the conditions of the University are fulfilled.
However, the Vice Chancellor (Prof) HNK Sharma in complete disregard of MU norms gave the green signal for commencement of 2nd year classes and fresh student absorption to RIMS authorities.
The grounds on giving the approval was that appointment has been made for Professor cum Vice Principal, Associate Professors, Lecturers and Tutors and that the B Sc Nursing Course was funded by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
According to one Assistant Controller of MU, S Sahidur Rehman, a total of 30 students from RIMS appeared for the first year B.Sc nursing exam held on July 30, 2012. Three institutes namely Nursing College of RIMS, RDO Lamshang and Kangleipak Medical and Nursing Institute, Khurai Konsam Leikai have been given affiliation by MU.