New Delhi: "Nursing constitutes to be an important component of the healthcare system. However, the opportunities available in the Capital to train nurses till now, have been far and few".

Realizing this, the Government of India has decided to open two new nursing colleges in the state - College of Nursing at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and College of Nursing at Safdarjung Hospital, both in affiliation with Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU), Delhi.

The two new colleges will offer B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing programme of four-years duration.

The nursing college at Safdarjung Hospital will admit 100 students, whereas the one at Dr. RML Hospital will have an intake of 50.

Admission to both the colleges will be done on the basis of a Common Entrance Test (CET), which will be conducted by the University on September 20, 2008.

The programme is open only to the unmarried female candidates who have qualified their 10+2 with minimum 50% marks in the aggregate of four subjects including English, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

The Prospectus-cum-Application Form for the said course can be obtained from either of the nursing colleges at Safdarjung Hospital or Dr. RML Hospital or from the Admission Helpline at GGSIPU, Kashmere Gate against a DD of Rs.200 in favour of "PAO, Dr. RML Hospital, New Delhi".

The last date to obtain the Application Form by hand is August 27, 2008 and the deadline for submitting the filled-in applications is August 30, 2008.

Speaking about the new institutions, Prof. K. K. Aggarwal, Vice Chancellor, GGSIPU said, "GGSIP University has always endeavoured to offer educational opportunities in those professional disciplines which are in demand by the society. Both Dr. RML and Safdarjung are well established hospitals and we are happy to be associated with their nursing colleges. This move will moreover, increase our overall intake in the nursing programme by 225 seats."

Besides these two new Government colleges, GGSIPU has granted affiliation to another nursing college this year, which is St. Stephen's College of Nursing with an intake of 25.

Earlier, the University was offering B.Sc (Hons.) Nursing programme only through one institution namely, Laxmi Bai Batra College of Nursing at Tughlakabad Institutional Area with 50 seats.