Med student loses interest in psychiatry, hangs herself

Med student loses interest in psychiatry, hangs herself 

DHARWAD HOSTEL 

Basavaraj.Kattimani@timesofindia.com 29.01.2026

In a tragic incident, a medical student ended her life by hanging herself at Dharwad Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Dimhans) hostel Wednesday. According to police sources, the deceased is Pragnya Palegar, 25, of Shivamogga. She was staying at the hostel with a roommate. The suicide came to light when the roommate returned to the hostel Wednesday morning. Dimhans director Dr Arunkumar C told TOI

Pragnya was pursuing PG in MD Psychiatry. Having got admission on Jan 1, she had been staying at the hostel for the past few days. As she lost interest in psychiatry subject after taking admission, her parents came to the city to counsel and persuade her to continue the studies. “But we do not know what exactly transpired between them. We are shocked to know about her suicide. Her roommate alerted college staff and police after seeing her body,” Arunkumar added. 

Pragnya’s mother Dr Rekha, who is an anatomy professor, said the former took admission on her own interest. “After getting admission, she told us she was not interested in pursuing the course. As it is common for students to face such situations during the initial days of their PG, we thought she too was going through the same. We came to Dharwad and counselled her. We went back to Shivamogga yesterday. But she ended her life by hanging the next morning,” she said, adding the family is distraught at losing the lone daughter. 

PR Gangenahalli, inspector at Dharwad sub-urban police station quoted the victim’s parents, saying she lost interest in the course and took the extreme step, counselling by parents notwithstanding. “We filed a case and completed the formalities, including autopsy,” he added. If you are in need of support, call suicide-prevention helplines — Arogya Vani: 104, Sahai: 080- 25497777.

OCI draft quota rules in medical edu notified

 OCI draft quota rules in medical edu notified

 TIMES NEWS NETWORK 24.01.2026

Bengaluru : The govt has notified draft rules specifying quotas for Overseas Citizens of India in medical education. As per the rules, OCIs born on or before March 4, 2021, or OCI card holders before the date, are not entitled to any reservation applicable to a citizen of India. OCI candidates born on or after March 5, 2021 or such card holders after that date, are eligible for admission only against any Non-Resident Indian (NRI) seat or supernumerary seat. 

The rule is in sync with Supreme Court orders and central govt rules. The state is now amending Karnataka Educational Institutions (Prohibition of Capitation Fee) Act, 1984 (Karnataka Act 37 of 1984), for admission to govt seats under professional educational institutions rules, 2006. It is also applicable to postgraduate medical and dental degree and diploma courses. 

Members of the public can send objections/suggestions until 15 days from the date of publication of the draft; it was published on Jan 21. “We followed Supreme Court and central govt rules all these years. However, students approached the court despite that. We requested the medical education department to amend the rules so that they are specified. Now, the department notified the rules,” said H Prasanna, executive director, Karnataka Examinations Authority. 

Karnataka usually gets around 100 students with OCI cards for engineering admissions and 20 for medical. CET is taken by over 3.1 lakh students and NEET by around 1.4 lakh students in the state. The students were considered for general merit quota; they were not eligible for reservations.

In 2023 too, -40 was good enough for NEET PG

In 2023 too, -40 was good enough for NEET PG 

Rema.Nagarajan@timesofindia.com 19.01.2026

There is much outrage in the medical community that the cut off for NEET PG 2025 has been reduced to zero percentile for the reserved category, which is equivalent to a score of -40. However, this is not the first time a score of -40 was good enough to qualify. The cut off was similarly reduced to zero percentile in 2023 for all categories and then too the equivalent score was -40. 

In 2023, when the medical counselling committee announced the reduction to zero percentile, it did not reveal that this was equivalent to a score of -40. TOI had analysed NEET scores and pointed out that zero percentile meant 14 candidates who scored zero marks, 13 with negative marks and the one getting the lowest mark of -40 out of 800 would also qualify. 

In 2025, there are 126 candidates who have scored zero or less. Zero percentile means the lowest score or that none of the candidates got less. In 2023 and in 2025, one candidate got the lowest score of -40. Interestingly, in July 2022, in response to a petition filed by three students seeking lower cut off, govt had stated in court that “minimum qualifying percentile for admission is required to be maintained to ensure minimum standard of education and general standards for admission to professional courses”. Taking govt’s argument into consideration, the court dismissed the petition and ruled against lowering the standards of medical education as it “involves in its ambit the matter of life and death”. 

In 2023, govt officials were quoted in news reports justifying lowering the cut off to zero as aone-time measure to fill vacant PG seats. However, this has become a regular feature with cut offs being lowered to abysmal levels every year. About 2 lakh to 2.3 lakh students appear for NEET PG for over 70,000 seats. However, the seats in private colleges remain vacant as the fees for clinical subjects in many of them runs into crores, which most candidates cannot afford. 

Lowering the cut off increases the pool of ‘qualified’ candidates and improves the chance of finding candidates with deep pockets who can afford the fees even if they have rock bottom scores. “To lower NEET PG qualifying marks to abysmal level is driven solely by commercial considerations. This decision ‘reserves’ post-graduate medical seats to the rich and mighty in commercial fiefdoms called private medical colleges. This is shameful and must be condemned as unadulterated corruption,” tweeted former principal health secretary of Andhra Pradesh Dr P V Ramesh.

NEET PG cut-off slashed to 7th percentile for general category

NEET PG cut-off slashed to 7th percentile for general category 

IN GUJARAT, 642 SEATS VACANT 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  14.01.2026

Ahmedabad : After prolonged deliberations and mounting pressure from states, the National Board of Examinations (NBE) officially announced a significant reduction in the NEET-PG percentile criteria for admission to postgraduate medical courses, including MD and MS. The decision came after the completion of two rounds of counselling, with a large number of seats remaining vacant across the country.

Candidates from the general and EWS categories in the 7th percentile too will now be considered eligible for PG medical admission, equivalent to 103 marks in NEET-PG. For candidates in the GeneralPwD category, the qualifying percentile reduced to 5 percentile (around 90 marks). Notably, candidates belonging to SC, ST, and OBC categories will now be eligible at 0 percentile, which corresponds to minus 40 marks.

The earlier eligibility criteria —50th percentile (general), 45th percentile (PwD), and 40th percentile (reserved categories) — were applied for the first two rounds of counselling. However, despite this, over 20,000 PG medical seats remain vacant nationwide. In Gujarat alone, around 642 seats are currently vacant due to non-reporting by candidates, unconfirmed admissions, newly approved seats, and non-converted seats. 

Following the revised percentile announcement, authorities confirmed that fresh registration was mandatory for candidates wishing to participate in the upcoming counselling rounds under the lowered eligibility criteria. There have also been demands that candidates who did not secure their preferred courses in the first two rounds be allowed to participate in the fresh round. Registration for local seats in Gujarat is expected to begin on Thursday, with the detailed admission schedule to be announced shortly thereafter.

NEET-PG cut-off slashed to fill 9,000 vacant seats amid doctor shortage

NEET-PG cut-off slashed to fill 9,000 vacant seats amid doctor shortage

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesofindia.com 14.01.2026

New Delhi : The govt on Tuesday lowered the qualifying cut-off for NEET-PG 2025, paving the way to fill more than 9,000 vacant postgraduate medical seats across the country, amid concerns that a large chunk of training capacity was being wasted at a time of acute doctor shortages. The decision was notified by National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), which revised qualifying percentiles across categories to expand eligibility for counselling and admissions. Officials said around 2.42 lakh candidates appeared for NEET-PG this year, but a high cut-off had left thousands of seats unfilled. 

Under the revised criteria, the qualifying percentile for general and EWS candidates has been reduced from the 50 th to the 7 th percentile, and for general persons with benchmark disability (PwBD) from the 45 th to the 5 th percentile. For SC, ST and OBC candidates, including PwBD, the percentile has been reduced from 40 to zero, with the corresponding cut-off score fixed at –40 out of 800 (due to negative marking). 

Officials said India has around 65,000–70,000 PG medical seats, and allowing nearly one in seven seats to remain vacant would weaken teaching hospitals and strain healthcare delivery, particularly in govt institutions that rely heavily on resident doctors. The relaxation followed a representation by Indian Medical Association (IMA), which had written to Union health minister J P Nadda on Jan 12, seeking a rational revision of cut-offs to prevent large-scale vacancies.

MCC moves to lower qualifying percentile

 MCC moves to lower qualifying percentile

 PG MEDICAL INTAKE HALTED 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  11.01.2026

Ahmedabad : Round 3 of PG medical counselling for 2025 has been put on hold as the medical counselling committee (MCC) moves to revise the qualifying percentile. The MCC has instructed all state medical education departments and vice chancellors to halt third-round proceedings until a revised schedule is officially released, a move that makes it unlikely for the process to commence before Jan 15.

The delay comes at a time when Gujarat has 635 vacant PG medical seats. This includes 163 seats left empty due to non-reporting by candidates allotted seats. Additionally, 354 seats were already vacant, and approval was recently granted for 118 new PG seats. 

The MCC clarified that the all-India quota and state-level schedules will only be uploaded once the authority approves the new eligibility criteria. Additionally, the Union health ministry is conducting hearings until Jan 10 regarding appeals from state-run colleges for even more PG seats. Sources suggest that if the qualifying percentile is lowered, the Round 3 process may restart entirely to allow newly eligible candidates to apply

Clinical research no longer optional, to be integrated into MBBS, PG medical curriculum: NMC Chief

Clinical research no longer optional, to be integrated into MBBS, PG medical curriculum: NMC Chief 

Written By : MD Bureau Published On 5 Jan 2026 12:45 PM  

New Delhi: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has decided to integrate clinical research as a core component of medical education, moving it out of the optional category and embedding it into the mainstream clinical curriculum, including assessment and training.

NMC Chairperson and NBEMS President Dr Abhijat Sheth said the decision has been approved in principle by the NMC Board.

A joint committee involving ICMR, IISc, IITs and medical experts will be formed to draft a framework for large-scale integration of clinical research across undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. The initiative is expected to enhance the quality of medical education and foster a stronger culture of clinical research within the medical fraternity.

Speaking to ANI, Dr Abhijat Sheth, Chairperson NMC and President NBEMS said, "Clinical research is an important subject and we realise that it should be integrated into the mainstream part of the clinical medicine rather than optional or side subjects."

Hence, the National Medical Commission has decided that clinical research will be an integral part of clinical medicine, where not only the curriculum, but also curriculum assessment and training will be a part of the medical curriculum, said.

"I am happy to say that recently, the National Medical Commission Board has approved this in principle.Now, we will form a committee with ICMR, with the Indian Institute of Science and Technology and IITs and the experts from the medical fraternity to frame the draft proposal on how we will go for the clinical research on a large scale that includes both, undergraduate as well as postgraduate medical education as well as what ICMR has suggested that they will be very happy to start new PhD courses for clinical research and same also has been expressed by Indian Institute of Science and Technology and few of the Indian Institute of Technologies across India which has already far advanced into innovations and discovery. 

This will be a big advantage in terms of enhancement of quality in the medical education as well as a big advantage to the nation to build up the culture of clinical research amongst the medical fraternity, which is the need of the hour," added Dr Sheth, quotes ANI.

NBEMS to train doctors in AI, ML

 NBEMS to train doctors in AI, ML 

Sonal.Srivastava@timesofindia.com 05.01.2026

The National Board of Examinations (NBEMS) has recently announced introduction of online programme in Artificial Intelligence in Medical Education for postgraduate doctors and faculty, to facilitate precision medicine in Indian medical systems, enable datadriven decision-making during public health emergencies, improve hospital management, ensure uniform quality of training, and prepare doctors for a digital future. 

Furthermore, the NBEMS will soon launch a two-year fellowship for doctors to train in AI and ML in IITs. NBEMS is primarily an exam-conducting authority and does not traditionally run academic programmes. Moreover, doctors consulting large language models (LLMs) for diagnosis could create a trust deficit between patients and physicians. Against this backdrop, it is essential to examine why AI, including LLMs, is being integrated into healthcare systems and how its role is being defined.

“India produces nearly 75,000 postgraduate doctors every year, yet the country continues to face a specialist deficit estimated at 10-15 lakh. With over 17,000 hospitals spread across vastly different geographies and capacities, ensuring uniform quality of training has become challenging. AI, ML, and digital health technologies can help bridge gaps in healthcare delivery. Integrating AI in medical education is driven by two converging realities. First, healthcare delivery is becoming increasingly data-intensive—from imaging and pathology to genomics and hospital management. 

Second, human cognition alone can no longer process the sheer volume of clinical data being generated daily,” says Dr Minu Bajpai, vice president, NBEMS. Reducing Human Error A global survey by Elsevier across 111 countries, covering over 3,000 physicians, found that 83% of doctors without technological literacy risk being left behind. “AI will not replace doctors, but doctors trained in the latest technology will replace those who are not. AI will reinforce and standardise clinical diagnosis. For example, digitised biopsy slides can be analysed through AI software, enabling accurate reporting even in districts without specialist pathologists. X-rays, CT scans and MRIs can be increasingly interpreted with AI assistance, reducing reporting delays and  human error,” says Dr Bajpai.

AI processes genetic data, disease history, comorbidities, and lifestyle factors to suggest personalised treatment, particularly for chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer. “Patients need different treatment pathways, and that precision is not possible without data analytics,” he adds. The NBEMS has developed modules to train doctors in AI and ML at IITs and will soon launch a fellowship that will enable doctors to learn algorithm development at premier engineering institutions.

NMC clears 171 additional PG seats for ’25-26 academic yr Don’t Wait For Formal Nod To Include Them, Counselling Authorities Told

NMC clears 171 additional PG seats for ’25-26 academic yr Don’t Wait For Formal Nod To Include Them, Counselling Authorities Told 

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesofindia.com  02.01.2026

New Delhi : Medical aspirants seeking PG admissions will get a wider choice this year after National Medical Commission (NMC) approved 171 extra PG seats across medical colleges and directed counselling authorities to include them without waiting for formal nod. 

As per a public notice, the 171 extra seats span key specialties, including general medicine, general surgery, anaesthesiology, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, radiology, dermatology, emergency medicine, psychiatry, orthopaedics, respiratory medicine and pathology. Colleges across multiple states, including UP, Maharashtra, TN, Gujarat, Odisha, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, WB, Chhattisgarh and Haryana, have received extraseats under appeal process. 

In a notice issued on Dec 31, 2025, NMC’s Medical Assessment and Rating Board said PG seats granted by the First Appeal Committee for the 2025–26 academic year will be treated as valid for counselling. The additional seats were approved after medical colleges challenged earlier MARB decisions under provisions of NMC Act, 2019. These appeals were examined by the First Appeal Committee in meetings held on Dec 22 and 23, following which extra seats were sanctioned. 

The commission clarified that the list uploaded on the NMC website would itself serve as the valid document for counselling, ensuring that eligible PG seats are not lost due to administrative delays. Formal LoPs for the newly sanctioned seats, it said, will be issued shortly.

MEDICAL COUNSELLING COMMITTEE

Ref. U-12021/11/2025-MEC Dated: 27-12-2025.

NOTICE

Urgent Attention:

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) of DGHS has received several.

requests from PG candidates seeking to resign their Round 1 or Round 2

seats, as the results of State Counselling are currently being declared and

some States have not yet announced their results.

In view of the above, the competent authority has decided to extend the

time period for resignation. Accordingly, candidates who wish to resign

from their Round 1 or Round 2 seats are permitted to do so up to 04:00

PM on 29.12.2025 with forfeiture of security deposit.

Further, the reporting period for Round 2 of PG Counselling has also been

extended up to 04:00 PM on 29.12.2025.

Notice posted on: 27.12.2025

Scalpel losing edge: Few medical grads opt for surgery

Scalpel losing edge: Few medical grads opt for surgery 

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesofindia.com 

New Delhi : India’s top-performing medical graduates have made their preference clear in this year’s NEET-PG counselling — career stability is trumping the operating table. In the first round of NEET-PG 2025, medicine and radiology dominated choices among high-rankers while general surgery saw one of its steepest drops in recent years, reflecting growing concerns over stress, long training pathways and mounting medico-legal pressures. 

Among the first 1,500 candidates, 632 (42%) chose MD General Medicine and 447 (30%) opted for MD Radiodiagnosis. Only 99 students (6.6%) selected MS General Surgery, indicating a widening shift away from high-risk procedural fields. A strong preference for Delhi also emerged, with six of the top 10 candidates choosing Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. 

Dr Neeraj Nischal from the department of medicine at AIIMS said, “MD Medicine is the gateway to almost all superspecialities, so it has always been in high demand. Students feel diagnostics offers a more controlled work life, though that may not always be true.” The fall in interest for surgery, senior clinicians say, is rooted in deeper anxieties. “Surgical branches are very demanding — you need passion. Otherwise, burnout is inevitable,” Dr Nischal said. 

Surgeons themselves acknowledge that the field has steadily lost appeal. “It takes much longer to settle down because general surgery is only the first step — you usually need to super-specialise in neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, urology or paediatric surgery,” said Dr Piyush Ranjan from AIIMS surgery department.

Hidden costs increase PG medical course fee past ₹16 lakh cap at universities in TN UPTO ₹75 LA YEAR

Hidden costs increase PG medical course fee past ₹16 lakh cap at universities in TN UPTO ₹75 LA YEAR 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  22.11.2025

Chennai : Deemed universities across Tamil Nadu have increased tuition fees for postgraduate medical courses, with some setting it at ₹75 lakh a year, taking the threeyear fee tally for highdemand clinical courses to ₹2.2 crore. Health department officials said attempts to cap the fee according to Madras high court’s direction failed, as matters are pending in court. While deemed universities display the total fee on their admission brochures, self-financing medical colleges and state private medical universities conceal it. 

The fee-fixation committee capped the 2025 tuition fee for clinical and non-clinical courses at ₹16 lakh towards tuition fees at selffinancing colleges. But candidates say they are asked to pay up to ₹35 lakh, citing rising costs of hospital operations, hostel maintenance, mess, and transport costs. “We won’t know the cost until we go to the colleges with allotment letters,” said a doctor waiting for admissions to a postgraduate course. Directorate of medical education officials say this happened in undergraduate education in 2025. At least 50 undergraduate medical students, who were allotted seats in self-financing medical colleges and state private universities in 2025, have written to the state selection committee complaining that colleges are demanding higher fees, officials said. “There is no syntax. I was asked to pay ₹8 lakh more by the committee for management quota in one college during my son’s admission. My friend was asked to pay ₹10 lakh in another college,” said Shankar R. They paid the fees not just because they could afford it, but also because they did not want to forfeit deposits in the third round.

 While in the first two rounds of counselling, students are allowed a “free exit” where they are not punished for not taking the seat allotted to them, students must forfeit the security deposit of ₹1.3 lakh. If they download admit cards, they lose the first-year tuition fee of ₹16 lakh. Despite this, candidates withdrew from the third round. “One candidate was confident of taking the seat. He downloaded the admit card after paying ₹15 lakh. When they went to the college, they were asked to pay ₹8 lakh more. Nowhere was this fee mentioned. 

They have no budget,” said student counsellor Manickavel Arumugam. “Sometimes it seems like the deemed university method is better as there is no hidden fee. Parents opt for it if they can afford it,” he said. The family, he said, has filed a complaint with the selection committee for violation of fee committee norms. Directorate of medical education officials said they will forward complaints to the fee committee headed by Justice R Pongaiappan. On Thursday, the judge told TOI that according to the GO, his term has ended. “The complaints will be dealt with by my successor,” he said. Parents are upset. “By the time they appoint a new committee, this admission season would have ended,” said Saravanakumar K, a parent.

Repeated delays in NEET PG counselling disrupt academic cycle, burdening resident docs

Repeated delays in NEET PG counselling disrupt academic cycle, burdening resident docs 

Experts warn that unless the schedule is streamlined and accountability is fixed, the ripple effects will continue to affect the postgraduate training cycle year after year

Sonal.Srivastava@timesofindia.com  27.10.2025  TIMES EDUCATION 

In 2025, the delay in NEET PG counselling and admissions has affected the academic cycle and is causing significant stress among PG aspirants and resident doctors due to uncertainty and increased workload. The NEET PG exam was held on August 3, 2025, and the results were declared on August 19, 2025. However, more than 60 days have passed since the exam, and admissions are still pending. 

In 2024, too, the NEET PG counselling was delayed, and the round 1 admissions were conducted in October. The PG counselling has been struggling with a steady schedule for the last five years; only in 2020 and 2023 did the counselling schedule start on time, giving PG students enough time to settle into their first-year routine. A delayed academic cycle creates a vicious loop and has a domino effect on the entire PG course. The authorities must ensure the academic cycle returns to track in 2026 to ensure a smooth admission process.

 “To regularise the academic cycle, some adjustments need to be made. This year, the seat metrics (seat data) were shared on October 15, and counselling registrations could begin only after the NMC shared the seat matrix. There’s only one way to make the process smoother: conduct inspections and release results on time,” says a Health Ministry official on condition of anonymity. Often, students are partly responsible for delays; they file petitions and delay the process further. If exams and metrics are completed on time, counselling will automatically begin on time.

 “NMC is facing staffing issues — it has 33 members, of whom just two are active. If exams and metrics are delayed, the entire timeline shifts. Ideally, exams should take place by March, and the counselling process should start by May or June. But when the initial flow breaks, the delay compounds. 

This year, the session should start around November, after the first round of counselling,” adds the official. The NEET PG course spans three years. In the first year, students must submit their thesis protocol; in the second year, they write the thesis; and in the third year, they take their final exam followed by the district residency programme.

 “If metrics come as late as October-November, everything shifts,” says the official. The PG course runs year-wise, and students must take one final exam after three years. “Postgraduates become eligible for taking superspeciality exams. Hence, when PG courses end late, super-speciality exams get delayed too. The delay starts from the very first year. The NMC conducts inspections regularly. Usually, they should start around September and ideally finish by March. It was delayed this year due to a lack of staff and court cases,” says the official. 

Resident doctors say that the NMC keeps updating the seat matrix long after the results have been announced and the counselling schedule released, and this lack of accountability and the inability to adhere to fixed timelines have become a pattern over the past three to four years. “Every year, counselling gets delayed and batches overlap; there’s no strict timeline for when postgraduate residency starts. There are two sets of students — those who’ve just finished their internship and are appearing for the PG exam for the first time, and those who’ve taken a drop of one or two years to secure their preferred branch. Those who’ve taken a drop spend heavily on rent and coaching fees, amounting to Rs 50,000 60,000 a month.

 It’s stressful for both the students and their parents,” says Dr Devaunshi Kaul, senior resident, Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Safdarjung Hospital, and national president, FORDA. FAIMA executive, Dr Aman Kaushik, a NEET PG aspirant, says, “When the INI CET exam can be conducted on schedule, then it should not be untenable to conduct the NEET PG exam on schedule. AIIMS releases the schedule much in advance. It is important that NBEMS releases its exam schedule on time for the 2026-27 cycle.”

31-year-old woman’s mild urinary infection becomes a life-threatening emergency with kidney stones and septic shock; know the overlooked key signs

31-year-old woman’s mild urinary infection becomes a life-threatening emergency with kidney stones and septic shock; know the overlooked key signs

etimes.in | Oct 18, 2025, 10.21 AM IST

A routine urinary tract infection (UTI) nearly cost 31-year-old Lauren Carson her life, transforming what seemed like a minor health issue into a life-threatening emergency. Initially, Lauren experienced mild discomfort and assumed it was a typical UTI, expecting antibiotics to resolve the problem. 

However, her symptoms worsened, progressing to severe back pain and confusion, along with chills and an unusually high fever. Unbeknownst to her, the infection had caused kidney stones and triggered septic shock, a dangerous condition where the infection spreads into the bloodstream and causes organ failure. Within 24 hours, Lauren faced a critical risk of death and required emergency surgery to save her life. Her experience underscores the hidden dangers of UTIs, reminding women not to underestimate recurring infections or ignore warning signs such as fatigue, pain, or confusion.

From mild UTI to life-threatening crisis: Lauren Carson’s battle with septic shock

As reported by Ladbible, Lauren Carson, a resident of Belfast, first experienced what she believed were standard UTI symptoms in August. Like many women, she assumed it would be a straightforward infection resolved with antibiotics. She visited her GP and was prescribed a week-long course, expecting relief.

However, her symptoms did not improve. While on holiday in Mallorca, Lauren continued to feel unwell but dismissed it as fatigue from travelling and activity in a warm climate. Upon returning home, her condition worsened with severe back pain that left her unable to work. Following her GP’s advice, she went to hospital, where the severity of her condition was finally revealed.

"I thought I had strained a muscle from running, but it wasn’t that at all," Lauren recalled. The true cause of her pain was a UTI that had led to kidney stone formation. This complication went unnoticed until her infection became critical.

Lauren had developed six kidney stones, believed to be caused by the UTI. The infection escalated rapidly, sending her body into septic shock; a life-threatening response where infection spreads into the bloodstream. "I went into septic shock within six hours. My blood cell levels were dangerously high, and I couldn’t remember anything," she explained.

Lauren Carson undergoes urgent surgery

Doctors informed Lauren that she needed urgent surgery within 24 hours to remove the kidney stones and prevent further deterioration. The operation was successful, and she is now recovering.

Reflecting on her ordeal, Lauren said, "As a woman, you assume it’s just a UTI and that drinking water or cranberry juice will help. I never expected it to become something so serious."

Understanding UTIs and their risks

According to the NHS, urinary tract infections occur when bacteria enter the urinary system, including the bladder, kidneys, ureters, or urethra. Most UTIs are easily treated with antibiotics, and symptoms typically resolve within three to five days.

However, recurrent infections or delayed treatment can lead to severe complications such as kidney damage, kidney stones, and sepsis. UTIs are more common in women due to anatomical differences, which can make them more prone to bacterial infections.

Warning signs of severe infection and sepsis

Sepsis can develop rapidly and may present with the following symptoms:

Confusion or slurred speech

Pale, blotchy, or discoloured skin

Rashes that do not fade under pressure

High fever

Difficulty breathing

It’s crucial to understand that not all symptoms need to be present for sepsis to occur. Immediate medical attention is essential if a UTI worsens or does not improve with antibiotics.

NEET SS 2025 likely to be conducted in November

NEET SS 2025 likely to be conducted in November 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 13.10.2025 BANGALURU

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) will soon begin the application process for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Super Speciality (NEET SS) for the 2025 academic session on its official website. 

Interested candidates will be able to submit their applications online. Only those who complete and submit the NEET SS 2025 application before the specified deadline will be allowed to take the exam. As of now, the NBEMS has not issued an official notification regarding the application process. However, based on the tentative NBEMS schedule, which indicates that NEET SS 2025 is likely to be held in November, it is anticipated that the registration process will begin shortly. The formal announcement is still awaited. According to the provisional timetable, the NEET SS 2025 exam is scheduled for November 7 and 8, 2025. The test will be held in two sessions each day: the morning session from 9 am to 11.30 am, and the afternoon session from 2 pm to 4.30 pm. Each session will last 150 minutes. 

NEET SS is a computerbased PG entrance exam for super-speciality courses. It runs for two and a half hours and includes 15 different superspeciality subject groups. Applicants must choose their subject group during the registration process.

Cabinet adds 10,000 new MBBS, PG seats; faculty shortage could restrict seat expansion

Cabinet adds 10,000 new MBBS, PG seats; faculty shortage could restrict seat expansion

 Unless the paucity is addressed, increasing seats would risk diluting training quality of new doctors 

Sonal.Srivastava@timesofindia.com 06.10.2025

The Union Cabinet approved phase-III medical expansion in September 2025, greenlighting the addition of over 10,000 new MBBS and PG seats to boost India’s healthcare capacity. As the government pushes ahead with expanding MBBS and postgraduate medical seats across the country, experts warn that a chronic shortage of faculty and inadequate infrastructure may dilute the quality of medical education. 

A 2023 NITI Aayog report pegged the faculty shortfall at nearly 30%. According to data presented in the Rajya Sabha, approximately 40% of faculty positions in various AIIMS remained unfilled in 2025. Premier institutions, such as AIIMS New Delhi, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur, and Rishikesh, have a faculty shortage of 23%-38% across various levels. 

A senior official from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare acknowledges that the shortage of faculty remains a pressing concern. “The government has put in place stop-gap measures to address the issue as medical seats continue to expand,” he adds. “In a few streams, especially in the preand para-clinical areas, medical colleges are unable to find suitable faculty as fewer students opt for them compared to clinical subjects,” says the official. To increase the faculty number, the government has allowed MSc and PhD candidates to teach preand para-clinical subjects. “This is only for the initial years; eventually, reliance will increase on AI and e-books that will assist the faculty,” says the official.

Broadening the faculty pool through MSc and PhD candidates is necessary; however, preference will be given to candidates with MBBS/MD degrees. Once there is sufficient faculty and the system stabilises, these pressures will gradually subside, he adds.

Doubling MBBS seats without increasing the number of teachers and developing infrastructure will not help sustain the quality of education, says Dr Sajal Bansal, chief advisor, FAIMA, Maharashtra. “The student-teacher ratio is impacted negatively because of faculty shortage. Earlier, one teacher taught 20-25 students; now, a teacher is expected to handle a higher number of students,” he adds. To understand student experiences, FAIMA has launched a nationwide survey of medical students, covering issues such as faculty availability, clinical exposure, libraries, and infrastructure. 

Over 1,700 responses have been received so far. The shortage is particularly acute in non-clinical subjects such as Anatomy, Pharmacology, and Microbiology, where PG seats often remain vacant. “Most students prefer clinical branches because they want patient exposure, and non-clinical departments suffer because opportunities are limited — labs are under equipped, research exposure is poor, and job prospects are uncertain,” says Dr Bansal. Hospitals with more than 220 beds are also being converted into medical colleges to expand capacity. “These measures may bring some temporary relief, but they will not fully solve the shortage,” says Dr Sanjay Teotia, senior consultant, Balrampur Hospital, UP. 

Unless the shortage is addressed, the rapid expansion of medical seats risks diluting the training of new doctors. “Infrastructure and faculty must grow in tandem with seat expansion. Otherwise, the system will produce doctors with limited clinical exposure and inadequate guidance, which will ultimately affect patient care,” says Dr Teotia. SSC introduces reforms to make exams secure and transparent The SSC has rolled out a series of reforms to make its examinations more transparent, secure, and convenient for candidates. Candidates appearing in SSC exams can view their own question papers, responses, and the correct answers. However, restrictions apply during ongoing multishift exams to ensure that papers from later sessions are not compromised. To further assist aspirants, the Commission has also decided to publish selected past question papers as official sample sets at regular intervals. SSC has halved the fee for challenging questions, from Rs 100 to Rs 50 per question, reducing the financial burden on aspirants who wish to contest an answer. 

Another significant measure is the introduction of equi-percentile normalisation. This method compares candidates based on their percentile score rather than raw marks. It removes any 

advantage or disadvantage that may arise from variation in difficulty levels across different exam shifts. Ensuring exam security and fairness has also been a major focus. Aadhaarbased authentication has been introduced to prevent impersonation and to stop candidates from attempting the same exam multiple times.

HC: Conduct add’l mop-up counselling for NEET-SS

HC: Conduct add’l mop-up counselling for NEET-SS 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  19.09.2025

Chennai : Madras high court has directed the director general of health services and the medical counselling committee to conduct additional mopup counselling for NEET-SS 2024-25 to include the unfilled super-specialty seats in Tamil Nadu and complete the process within four weeks. 

Justice G K Ilanthiriayan issued the order following a plea by three PG doctors who wanted to pursue super-specialty courses of their choice but were denied due to the nonconduct of mop-up counselling. Representing the petitioners, senior advocate P H Arvindh Pandian submitted that the failure of the counselling committee to conduct mop-up counselling for NEET-SS 202425 has left a large number of super-specialty seats vacant, despite there being willing, eligible, and meritorious candidates available to fill them. 

The denial of a mop-up counselling round results in the arbitrary and unjustified non-utilization of valuable public and private medical education resources, particularly in high-demand specialties and prestigious institutions like the Madras Medical College, Stanley Medical College, and Madurai Medical College.

 “The authorities are under a statutory and administrative obligation under the PG Medical Education (Amendment) Regulations, 2019, to conduct counselling for all super specialty seats in a manner that ensures maximum seat utilization. The current approach defeats this objective,” he added.

13 govt. medical colleges to have new PG courses from academic year 2026-27

13 govt. medical colleges to have new PG courses from academic year 2026-27

A total of 460 new PG seats have been proposed in 13 government medical colleges. 

THE HINDU BUREAU CHENNAI 17.07.2025

Tamil Nadu has proposed to launch new postgraduate (PG) medical courses in 13 government medical colleges from the academic year 2026-2027. Of these, 11 colleges were established in 2022 while two-year-old Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital (KCSSH) will see an increase in its existing PG seats.

The Essentiality Certificate has been issued and permission granted to the Director of Medical Education and Research to apply for approval from National Medical Commission (NMC).

A total of 460 new PG seats have been proposed at the government medical colleges in Pudukottai, Karur, Ramanathapuram, Tiruppur, Tiruvallur, Namakkal, Virudhunagar, Nilgiris, Kallakurichi, Dindigul, Nagapattinam, Ariyalur and Krishnagiri. Except Pudukottai and Karur, the rest are among the 11 new medical colleges added in 2022.

KCSSH, which is attached to the Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, currently offers 38 PG seats. The State government has now proposed 28 additional seats across seven specialties of Nephrology, Urology, Medical Gastroenterology, Surgical Gastroenterology, Cardiology, Aneasthesiology and Radiology.

The courses proposed in the 13 medical colleges include MD in General Medicine, Paediatrics, General Surgery, Orthopaedics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Radio diagnosis, Anaesthesiology.

Doctors’ concern

However, some government doctors have pointed out that institutions such as the Government Omandurar Medical College and Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital have not been included. “The increase in seats could have been better distributed. Many of us expected an increase in seats in a number of specialties here according to the patient load, but have been left out.” said a doctor who did not wish to be named.

A. Ramalingam, general secretary of Service Doctors and Postgraduates Association, said the government is gradually phasing out junior and senior resident posts. “The State government is misusing PGs as manpower to address the prevailing shortage of doctors,” he said.

Pvt medical colleges to pay govt PGs stipend only

Pvt medical colleges to pay govt PGs stipend only 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 16.07.2025

Chennai : Madras high court has clarified that private self financing medical colleges are required to pay only a stipend, and not a full salary, to in-service govt doctors pursuing postgraduate or super-specialty courses under the govt quota. 

A division bench of Justice R Subramanian and Justice K Surender passed the order while partly allowing a batch of appeals moved by Karpaga Vinayaga Medical College and others. They challenged a single judge's order that directed private colleges to pay salaries to in-service doctors studying in their institutions. 

The appeals were moved based on a GO dated Feb 7, 2020, which permits salary payments only to in-service doctors studying in govt medical colleges, including Raja Muthiah Medical College (a govt-acquired institution), and denies the same to those studying in private colleges. 

The institutions argued that they should not be compelled to pay full salaries, as the inservice doctors were not employees of the private institutions. They cited Regulation 13.3 of the Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations, which mandates payment of a stipend on par with govt medical colleges but does not refer to salary. Concurring with the submissions, the judges said private colleges are liable to pay only the stipend fixed by the state govt for postgraduate medical students and not the full salary that govt-employed doctors receive while studying in govt institutions. 

“Inservice doctors in private colleges do not retain employee status with those institutions and are to be treated as students,” the bench said.

BREAKING | NBE Moves Supreme Court Seeking Permission To Conduct NEET-PG 2025 Exam On August 3

BREAKING | NBE Moves Supreme Court Seeking Permission To Conduct NEET-PG 2025 Exam On August 3

LIVELAW NEWS NETWORK

3 June 2025 6:48 PM

The National Board of Examination has filed an application in the Supreme Court seeking to postpone the NEET-PG 2025 exam to August 3, 2025 in the 1st shift from 9 am to 12:30 pm.

Earlier, the NBE had decided to postpone the NEET-PG exam, initially scheduled on June 15, following the Supreme Court's direction to hold it in single shift instead of double shifts.

The Court, in its order passed on May 30, had criticised the NBE decision to hold the exam in two shifts.

In its application, NBE said August 3 is the earliest possible available date given by its technology partner TCS to conduct the exam in single shift.

As per TCS, time remaining between May 30 and June 15 was insufficient to hold the exam in a single shift— as now there will be a requirement to provide a greater number of Centres in a greater number of Cities and an extensive hardware supply chain management.

"The current booking of test centres is double the capacity as the examination was planned at the centres in two shifts...1000+ Centres shall need to be booked and engaged which will require considerable time. The infrastructure needed to be engaged to execute a shift of 242679 Candidates with Buffer would require Infrastructure for 2.70 Lakh to be made available across the country which will require considerable amount of time," the application states.

Further, the application window will need to be reopened and candidates will need to be given a fresh opportunity to opt for the test city of their choice in accordance with the Information Bulletin. After the receipt of new test city choices from the candidates, the distribution of candidates at the test centres shall need to be done afresh. This process would also take some time.

After the completion of the aforementioned process, candidates will be informed of their test city at least two weeks prior to the date of the examination and the admit card informing the candidates of their specific centre at least 4 days before the said exam for the purposes of enabling the candidates to make appropriate arrangements for travel, etc. to take the exam.

There will also be requirement of additional manpower, ranging from Invigilators, Security Staff, Network Admins, etc. "The hiring of the high volume of quality manpower, Training, and preparation of such high number of Manpower and conducting multiple dry runs and mocks with them would require considerable time," the application adds.

NBE also highlighted that NEET PG is a high stake exam and tackling malpractices is a major challenge for which, all law enforcement agencies will be required to join hands.

Overall, NBE has cited reasons like time required for arranging secure examination premises, adequate number of compatible computer systems, three-tier power backup systems, network infrastructure, security software and hardware, trained technical manpower, anti-cheating and surveillance measures, operational readiness of each test centre, mock drills, load tests, system audits