Resolve nursing students’ issue: Governor of Maharashtra K Sankaranarayanan to Medical education minister Dr Vijaykumar Gavit

Governor of Maharashtra K Sankaranarayanan on Wednesday asked the medical education minister Dr Vijaykumar Gavit to resolve the issue of regularising the admission of nursing students from private nursing colleges as early as possible. Nearly 640 students from 64 private nursing colleges are sitting on a chain hunger strike at Azad Maidan.    
“The governor had called the minister and medical education secretary Milind Mhaiskar to Raj Bhavan following a receipt of representation from deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha Prof PJ Kurien, other MPs and organisations on the issue of rejection of admission to several nursing students from private colleges,” a press statement from Sankaranarayanan’s office said. “He also discussed the issue with chief minister Prithviraj Chavan separately,” it added.  
“Two more students have sat on hunger strike today. It will continue overnight,” said Riju Poykail, secretary, Indian Nursing Association.    
Every year, private nursing colleges admit 60 to 70 per cent of students based on merit. But the state autonomous admission body Pravesh Niyantran Samiti cancelled the validity of their admission midway through the academic year in 2013 leaving the students in the lurch.