In response to a High Court directive amidst a CBI probe into an alleged nursing college scam, Madhya Pradesh's government has ordered the closure of 66 nursing colleges across 31 districts.
The scandal revolves around severe irregularities, including lacking infrastructure and existence only on paper, within several nursing colleges.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, complying with the High Court order, mandated the closure of these colleges, directing officials to ensure minimal disruption for affected students, including facilitating exam arrangements.
The Commissioner of the Medical Education Department forwarded the list of these colleges to district collectors, instructing them to adhere to the court's directives.
Already stripped of recognition, these colleges faced similar actions in various districts, notably in Indore.
The list includes eight colleges in Betul, six in Bhopal, five in Indore, four each in Chhatarpur, Dhar and Sehore, three in Narmadapuram, two each in Bhind, Chhindwara, Jabalpur, Jhabua, Mandla, Rewa, Seoni and Shahdol.
A college each in Alirajpur, Anuppur, Barwani, Burhanpur, Dewas, Gwalior, Khandwa, Khargone, Morena, Panna, Sagar, Tikamgarh, Ujjain, Umaria, Vidisha and Sheopur also figures in the list.
Earlier, the CBI and Anti-Corruption Bureau had formed specialised teams to investigate the matter.
A recent incident saw a CBI official apprehended for allegedly accepting a bribe from a nursing college chairman. Subsequently, the CBI terminated the implicated inspector's services.
The ongoing CBI investigation has unveiled allegations of officers collecting bribes ranging from Rs 2 to Rs 10 lakh from each institute for favourable inspection reports.