MCI asks medical colleges to put up online students’ feedback on faculty

After a terse letter to the Union Health Ministry by the Supreme Court-mandated Oversight Committee, the Medical Council of India (MCI) has issued directions to all medical colleges to update their websites which should include students’ feedback on faculty.

MCI wrote a letter recently to all medical colleges, asking them to update their websites in the first week of every month which should also include data of every undergraduate incorporating their score in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and fees charged by the college.

The student information, including their attendance and performance, should be updated as and when the student moves to another semester.

“As part of a 360 degree evaluation, students’ feedback, as regards regularity in teaching, practical demonstration, hands-on-training, infrastructure facilities should be included,” the MCI letter said, quoting directions from the Oversight Committee mandated by the Supreme Court to oversee functioning of MCI.

The Supreme Court had in May appointed an Oversight Committee comprising former Chief Justice of India Justice R M Lodha, renowned liver specialist and Director of Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences Dr Shiv Sareen and former CAG Vinod Rai.

According to the order, the Oversight Committee will have the authority to oversee all statutory functions under the MCI Act.

“All policy decisions of the MCI will require approval of the Oversight Committee. The Committee will be free to issue appropriate remedial directions,” the order said.

Besides this, all colleges have been asked to maintain attendance electronically which should be made available to the assessors during the time of inspection.

The MCI also asked the medical colleges to have a comprehensive website depicting the medical college and the hospital and it should “necessarily be updated in the first week of every month”. .

The website should display faculty members, along with their designation, their attendance and monthly teaching schedule, the MCI order said.

“A maximum of 70 per cent lectures of the scheduled lectures must be taken by the respective faculty,” it said.