Students on a dharna at CIP in Kanke, Ranchi, on Monday. (Hardeep Singh)

MPhil and PhD students of Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP) went on an indefinite dharna on Monday, demanding immediate recognition of the two courses.

The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), the accrediting agency for clinical psychologists in India, had de-recognised the programmes in 2009 for not having adequate number of teachers.

However, the mental healthcare institute has still been taking students in MPhil and PhD, thereby putting their future at stake as their names would not figure on the Central Rehabilitation Register maintained by the RCI.

“The institute has been denied recognition on the grounds of shortage of teachers. Our argument is that if an institute is unfit for running courses, how can it treat patients?” asked a student.

At present, CIP has a total of 30 seats in MPhil (18 in clinical psychology and 12 in psychiatric social work) and four in PhD (only clinical psychology).

The students claimed that the clinical psychology department has one assistant professor, one clinical psychologist, two assistant psychologists and one lab assistant. There are two assistant professors, one senior and one junior psychiatric social worker — both non-teaching staff — in psychiatric social work.

CIP director Daya Ram admitted the acute shortage of faculty, but said they were doing their bit to improve the situation. “The institute needs at least two more assistant professors and one associate professor in the clinical psychology department.”

Health minister Rajendra Prasad Singh said: “I will conduct a meeting soon to work out a solution.”