July 17: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) may soon increase the bond amount for students seeking admission to the Nair Hospital Dental College from Rs 20,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

This is being done to prevent them from discontinuing the course half-way through. The college has often been left with vacant seats after its students left for greener pastures - MBBS, engineering, BAMS. Now, if the BMC's proposal to increase the bond amount is accepted, the students will have to think twice before applying elsewhere.

In the proposal, which is likely to be taken up for discussion at the Standing Committee meeting this Saturday, the administration has sought sanction for the upward revision in the bond amount from the academic year 1995-96 with retrospective effect.

If a student withdraws his admission to join some other course after the last date of enrolment to the BDS course fixed by the University of Mumbai, then the BMC will restrict the recovery of the bond amount to the extent of tuition and term fees for the remaining terms which the students would have normally paid for the entire course period.

The Nair Hospital Dental College is the only BMC-run dental college in Mumbai and admits 60 students every year to its degree course. The surety bond of Rs 20,000 and a service agreement to be executed by the students was first introduced by the BMC at the Nair Dental College in 1986-87.

The terms and conditions of the surety bond state that the student shall diligently prosecute and complete the course at the said college and strictly comply with the rules and regulations of the institution.

In the item circulated before the Standing Committee, the municipal commissioner has said, ``It has been experienced in the last many years that a number of students discontinue the BDS course with the sanction of the concerned civic authorities.'' He has pointed out that while applying for the BDS admission, students also apply for admission to other courses. If they are selected for the course of their choice, they withdraw their forms from the BDS.

If the student admitted to the BDS course withdraws his admission within the time limit for enrolment of students to the course, the vacancy is filled in by admitting the next candidate on the merit list. However, instances of students withdrawing their admissions after the expiry of the date fixed by the university are increasing.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.