Former MP slams Puducherry L-G's proposal of Tamil medium in medical education

M. Ramadass, former MP and director of Pondicherry University, said it would be imprudent to allocate the Union Territory’s scarce monetary and human resources to build a new medium of medical education, given the fact that there was no demand for such a scheme

Disapproving of Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan's proposal to introduce Tamil medium in medical education, former Member of Parliament and Director of Pondicherry University, M. Ramadass said the Puducherry government should instead be concentrating on providing quality education at the primary level, and in building reputable institutions of higher learning in the Union Territory.

“We have a smooth medical education system at present. There has been no demand from students or parents -- not even as a choice in medical colleges to have Tamil medium. Medical education is linked to national and international developments , innovations and discoveries and these are easily communicated and facilitated by the medium of English in enriching the intellect of our doctors,” he said in a statement.

According to him, after the introduction of NEET, students who have studied in class 12 under the CBSE curriculum and in private schools are largely getting admitted to MBBS courses. These students have a perfect understanding of biological and physical sciences in English. Their continuance of medical education in the same language would ensure easy transition, comfort and accumulation of knowledge, he contended.

The medical colleges in the UT are affiliated to Pondicherry Central University which offers a syllabus and conducts examinations in English, he said. The present pattern of systems followed would have to be tinkered with if the government was to offer another medium simultaneously, The introduction of the new medium would create needless disparity between the English and Tamil medium students within the same campus, the former MP said.

“We would only be doing a great disservice to the budding doctors. Tamil medium may be thought of in a situation where majority of students seeking admission to MBBS course have been trained in Tamil medium schools . But this does not happen in Puducherry and only the reverse is true. Therefore, there would be no takers for Tamil medium in medical education now, even if it is introduced,” he added.

The former MP further stated that it would be imprudent to allocate UT’s scarce monetary and human resources to build a new medium of medical education given the fact that there are no professors, no books and no examination system to transact in Tamil medium.