Sharan Prakash Patil, Minister for Medical Education, at the Karnataka State Council meeting at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Monday (March 16). | Photo credit: Special arrangement
Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil has expressed concern that the new admission norms prescribed for non-medical courses by the National Commission for Allied and Health Professions (NCAHP) could trigger a fresh education crisis and even lead to the closure of several institutions in Karnataka.
In a reply to members of the Legislative Council on Monday (March 16), the minister said that the Commission has stipulated that only students who have passed II PUC in the science stream will be eligible for admission to non-medical courses. According to him, the rule has created concern among institutions in the state.
Mr. Patil pointed out that in Karnataka thousands of students have traditionally opted for non-medical diploma courses after completing SSLC. However, the new regulation imposes completion of II PUC with science subjects as mandatory for admission.
“We discussed the problem with the chairman of the commission and asked for the rules to be simplified. The chairman assured us that a meeting will be called to discuss the matter,” said the minister, adding that the proposed amendment will apply throughout the country.
The issue was raised by Congress member Ivan D’Souza, who said the new eligibility condition would adversely affect students aspiring for non-medical courses.
He said the NCAHP had written to the University Grants Commission on January 2 and directed that admissions to non-medical courses across the country would be restricted to students who had completed PUC with science subjects. The directive should be implemented from the academic year 2026-2027.
Karnataka currently has 640 non-medical institutions, including 32 government colleges and 608 private colleges. If the new regulation comes into force, 450 to 500 colleges may face a shortage of eligible applicants for admission, raising concerns about their viability, Mr D’Souza said.
NEET problem
In another question, Mr. Patil clarified that the introduction of National Eligibility Test (NEET) has not reduced the number of medical posts available to the state. He said 15% horizontal reservation is available for rural students and the government will discuss with the higher education ministry to explore other measures to support students from rural areas preparing for the examination.
Ambulances
Responding to a separate question on emergency medical service, Mr. Patil said there was no shortage of ambulances in the state. While the National Health Mission guidelines require around 820 ambulances for the population of Karnataka, the state currently has 1,715 ambulances in operation under the NHM and 108 Arogya Kavacha emergency services.
Of these, 715 ambulances operate through a centralized command and control system within the 108 service, with about 1,000 managed by local hospitals. The government is taking steps to bring all 1,715 ambulances under a single command and control center within the next three months and integrate them with the 112 emergency line, he said.
Cancer treatment
Oncology services will soon start at peripheral cancer centers in Tumakuru and Mysuru. The construction of buildings for these centers has been completed and measures are underway to complete the recruitment of medical and non-medical personnel and to procure and install the necessary medical equipment in the centers, the minister said.
Published – 16 March 2026 20:55 IST
