Sunsari, June 25

BP Koirala Institute of Health and Sciences has clarified that the quota it allocated for foreign students is in consonance with the National Medical Education Act.

The institute’s clarification through a press statement today comes amidst accusation from residential students that it has been unfair in allocating more seats for foreign students compared to Nepali students aspiring for medical studies.

The institute has allocated 26 seats for foreign students out of the total 123 seats in MD and MS programmes across all departments, excluding the dental department. All 27 seats in dental department have been allocated for Nepali students.

While residential students at the institute have protested the quota allocation for foreign students, saying more seats were allocated for foreign students department-wise than allowed by the Medical Education Act, the institute has said that the quota allocation for foreign students is fair.

“The National Medical Education Act has provided that the quota for foreign students in master’s and bachelor’s programmes cannot exceed one-third of the total students, and the allocated 26 seats for foreign students is well under the threshold,” said institute Vice-chancellor Prof Dr Raj Kumar Rauniyar.

“If the national act is anything to go by, 41 seats should have been allocated to foreign students, but, we’ve limited the  foreign students quota to 26 seats only,” Rauniyar said.

The institute has allocated four, three and two seats out of the total quota of six, five and four under surgery, medicine and ENT department respectively for foreign students. Residential students have, in particular, protested these department-wise allocation, which according to them, is beyond the one third quota provisioned by the Act.

Meanwhile, amidst the controversy, the institute published the results of entrance exams yesterday.