Nursing admissions: Managements toughen stand; meeting called by government postponed

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The nursing college management associations have toughened their stance against the government’s unilateral decision to invite applications for B.Sc Nursing admissions before the announcement of the Plus Two exam results. As a result, the meeting called today by Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department, Rajan Khobragade, has been postponed after the management associations informed that they would not attend. They stated that officials are acting on their own and that they would only participate in a discussion at the ministerial level.

In protest against the decision to invite applications without consultation, the management associations declared that they would carry out admissions to all seats in self-financing colleges on their own and would not give up 50% of the seats to the government. Kerala Kaumudi had reported this on Wednesday. This prompted the Additional Chief Secretary to call for a meeting today at 2:30 PM.

In the past, the government had held discussions with the management associations before initiating the admission process. Although the management associations had submitted a letter requesting such discussions this time, no action was taken, and the government began the admission procedures, which provoked the management associations.