RTI reply debunks Yogi's claim, UP got only 18 medical colleges in five years

“All 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh will have a medical college in next six months,” Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had claimed in July last year.

In an indirect reference to the Congress and other opposition parties that ruled UP, the monk turned CM said, “It is ironic that only 12 government medical colleges were built in UP between 1947 and 2016, but our government set up 32 new medical colleges since assuming power in 2017”.

If Yogi Adityanath’s words are to be believed, UP – India’s largest state in terms of area and population has the highest numbers of medical colleges.

However, an RTI reply debunks claims made by the UP CM and his government's publicity blitz.

According to the RTI reply, provided by the Medical Commission of India, there were 45 medical colleges in UP in 2017 when the BJP government took over the rein.

“As of 31 July 2021, the number of medical colleges in UP is 54,” says the reply which means only nine medical colleges have been set up by the Yogi government in the last five years.

Nine medical colleges were hastily inaugurated by PM Modi on October 25.

Interestingly, MCI which is responsible for monitoring quality medical education and providing accreditation to medical colleges being set up by the government or private entity has further contradicted itself and forwarded the RTI application to the Uttar Pradesh Medical Council.

Congress worker and RTI activist Tejpal said that the UP government has given full-page advertisements in all major newspapers published from Delhi, showcasing the development done by the BJP government but people have not forgotten that hundreds of children died in BRD Medical College (Gorakhpur) due to lack of oxygen.

“Even if the nine medical colleges inaugurated by the PM are added to the list, the number goes up to 63 which is less than the claims made by the BJP government and enough to puncture the false claims,” said Tejpal.

The updated list of the MCI, however, claims there are 66 medical colleges in UP. NH cannot verify the claims.

As of now, Karnataka has the highest number of medical colleges in the country.