The Centre was planning to start Bachelor of Rural Health Course to address shortage of medical manpower in rural areas. Union Minister for Health Gulab Nabi Azad said in Bangalore on Wednesday evening that a group of 25 students from notified rural areas will undergo training for three and half years in district hospitals and taught by serving or retired professors. He said, they will be obligated to serve mostly in sub-centres and if need be in primary health centres. The medical schools at district level would select students from rural areas and minimum education qualification needed is 10 plus two with Chemistry, Zoology, Botany as subjects. Mr Azad said, the education programme in no way would lack in quality in comparison to MBBS.