Aizawl: The Centre has cleared the setting up of Mizoram's first medical college, to be named Mizoram Institute of Medical Education and Research (MIMER), officials said on Thursday.
According to them, after the medical college was recommended by the Medical Council of India (MCI), the ministry of health and family welfare approved it and issued a letter of permission (LOP) on Tuesday.
The officials said the proposed medical college was inspected by the MCI on three occasions.
After the last inspection on April 4, the MCI finally submitted its recommendations to the Centre on May 2.
The LOP was issued by commissioner and secretary of the Union ministry of health and family welfare on Tuesday.
It stated that go-ahead to the medical college was given based on the recommendations of the MCI under Section 10-A of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956.
The ministry also directed the Mizoram government to begin its academic session from 2018-19 with 100 seats.
As per the LOP, the medical college will have proper infrastructure, including machines, teaching and non-teaching staff and amenities to meet MCI norms for establishment of a medical college.
Mimer director Dr L. Fimate said 15 per cent seats will be reserved for central pool and the rest will be monitored by the state government.
"All applicants should be taken through NEET and there will be no separate entrance test for admission," he said.
According to the officials, classes for the academic session 2018-19 will commence from August.
They said the college would begin with three courses - anatomy, physiology and biochemistry.
MIMER is being established at state referral hospital at Falkawn village, about 16km from here.
The college at present has 74 teaching faculties, including three professors, four associate professors, 28 assistant professors, eight senior resident doctors, 17 junior resident doctors and 14 demonstrators.
This means that it has met 75 per cent requirement of teaching staff.
The state government has also appointed former Chief Justice of Tripura High Court T. Vaiphei as chairman of the fee fixation committee.
Officials said the state government may have to spend nearly Rs 50 crore annually for running the medical college.
