Kathmandu: The Medical Education Commission (MEC) has approved and decided to implement the Scholarship Grant Procedure, 2083. The decision was made at a meeting of the Commission held today at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, chaired by Prime Minister Balendra Shah.
According to Deepa Dahal, Press and Research Adviser to the Prime Minister, the Commission endorsed the procedure within 24 hours of receiving approval from the Ministry of Education and Sports and the Ministry of Finance, thereby resolving longstanding legal ambiguities and issues on a long-term basis.
The legal basis for formulating the necessary guidelines and procedures was established following the addition of Section 54(B) to the National Medical Education Act, 2075 through the Ordinance to Amend Certain Nepal Acts, 2083, published in the Nepal Gazette.
Previously, a legal vacuum had emerged after all existing directives and procedures of the Commission were automatically rendered invalid under Section 35 of the Legislation Act, 2081.
To address the issue, the Commission received positive recommendations and formal consent from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education and Sports on Jestha 1.
The newly approved procedure paves the way for the distribution of grants to public educational institutions in return for providing free scholarships. It also enables grant allocation for offering free scholarships at the postgraduate level, including DM (Doctorate of Medicine) and MCh (Master of Chirurgiae) programs.
Furthermore, the procedure authorizes the Commission to provide grants to medical education institutions that offer free scholarships at all levels of medical studies, including postgraduate DM and MCh programs.
The meeting was co-chaired by Health and Food Hygiene Minister Nisha Mehta and attended by MEC Vice-Chairperson Prof. Dr. Shrikrishna Giri, along with other Commission members.
