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Friday, November 22, 2024

NEWS TODAY 22.11.2024

HC asks govt to declare nursing students’ results for ‘19-20 & ‘20-21

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 22.11.2024

Bhopal/Jabalpur : A division bench of the MP High Court, seized a PIL over 'fake' nursing colleges operating in the state, on Thursday directed the state govt to declare the results of students for the academic sessions 2019-20 & 2020-21. It further ordered that all the eligible nursing and paramedical colleges in the state for the session 2024-25 will be affiliated with MP Medical University. The court also directed that the list and shortcomings found in the colleges declared 'unfit' to operate should be enumerated on MP Nursing Council’s website.

President of the Law Students' Union, Vishal Baghel, filed a PIL raising the issue of alarge number of 'fake' nursing colleges operating in the state, particularly in the tribal areas, which don't have the requisite infrastructure or manpower to run the nursing courses. In the course of the hearing, the HC ordered a probe by CBI into the credentials of all the nursing colleges in the state and whether they have the requisite facilities to operate nursing courses. The CBI gave a clean chit to 169 nursing colleges, pointed out deficiencies in 74 but said that they can be rectified, & found 65 colleges unfit to operate.

Later, the court constituted a three-member committee headed by Justice Rajendra Kumar Shrivastava, to examine whether the 74 colleges with deficiencies that could be cured, actually do it within the given time frame and decide on adjusting students of these colleges to other colleges in the meantime. The 65 nursing colleges found unsuitable for operation will be shut, & their students will not be adjusted to any other college, said court

Jobs tough to come by, Indian students in US turn babysitters

Nirupa.Vatyam@timesofindia.com 22.11.2024

TIMES OF INDIA BANGALORE

Hyderabad : It was once the best of times. But for students in the US now, it appears to be getting worse by the day. While as per US norms students are allowed to take up only on-campus work, many used to find part-time (illegal) work outside to cover their expenses. But with such part-time work too becoming difficult to find in the current market, to make ends meet a lot of students have turned to finding jobs next door — babysitting. Students from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and elsewhere are now tapping into the Indian community settled there to find a way out of a financial hole. This is also a preferred option for many girls as it provides for a safer work environment and they get paid anywhere between $13 and $18 per hour, with some even covering food, accommodation, or both.

“I babysit a six-year-old boy for about eight hours a day and get paid $13 an hour. I also get a meal for taking care of the boy,” said a student from the Hyderabad studying in Ohio, adding that it was way better than working in a local store or gas station as the job is within the community she lives in.

Another Telugu student in Connecticut said she is provided with food and accommodation by her employer. “I have to take care of a two-and-a-half-year-old six days a week. For those six days, food and accommodation are taken care of by the girl’s parents. On Sundays, I stay in my friend’s room,” the 23-year-old said.

She said she gets paid only about $10 an hour, but was more than happy to take the job as her rent was covered. On an average a student spends about $300 per month on rent in the US. According to the Open Doors 2024 report, there are about 39,000 Indian students in Texas, 20,000 in Illinois, 13,500 in Ohio, and 7,000 in Connecticut. Of these, about 50% are Telugu students.

Delhi is losing an average of five trees per hour

Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Delhi Residents’ Plea Against Felling Of Trees For Overbridge

AmitAnand.Choudhary@timesofindia.com 22.11.2024

New Delhi : With Delhi losing on an average five trees per hour and the city facing life threatening pollution levels, the city residents seem to have woken up to the importance of trees in their life and one resident asso ciation of a colony on Thursday approached SC against cutting of trees for the construction of a foot-over-bridge. The Resident Association of Inderpuri in central Delhi fi led the petition to restrain railways for constructing a foot-over bridge at Railway Halt near the colony as 15-20 trees would have to be cut for the project.

The petition was mentioned before a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih agreed to hear its plea and listed it for Fri day. “It is of paramount importance to note that the protection and preservation of existing trees has a direct and proportional effect on the protection of the environment in the National Capital. The inaction of the authorities concerned to protect the existing trees has a direct and proportional effect on the health and well-being of the applicant and the general public including the violation of their right to a clean and healthy environment, which is implicit in their fundamental right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution,” the petition, filed through advocate Manan Verma, said.

HC: Waving black flag not defamatory

22,11,2024

Kochi : Kerala high court has ruled that waving or showing a black flag, even at a CM’s convoy, does not constitute defamation or an illegal act. Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas said such an act cannot be interpreted as defamatory under Section 499 of IPC. The high court reinforced the constitutional right to peaceful protest and rejected the criminalisation of symbolic acts of dissent.

The ruling came as the court quashed a case against Congress workers Simil, Phijo, and Sumesh Dayanandan from North Paravoor in Ernakulam district. Police had charged the trio with waving a black flag at the CM’s convoy on April 9, 2017, allegedly intending to defame him. TNN

Docs flag removal of respiratory med depts from MBBS syllabus

NMC Justified It Saying It’s To Reduce Load

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesofindia.com 22.11.2024

New Delhi : Members of Indian Chest Society (ICS) have expressed concern regarding the recent removal of specialised respiratory medicine departments from the MBBS syllabus, as outlined in the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) 2023 guidelines that took effect this year. The alteration comes at a time when there is an increasing prevalence of respiratory disorders associated with pollution and various pulmonary conditions in many parts of the country, especially in the national capital and neighbouring areas.

Medical experts have criticised National Medical Commission’s justification for re ducing the academic load on MBBS students, noting it as an unreasonable stance, given the growing need for primary physicians to address the surge in respiratory conditions. Dr GC Khilnani, director of respiratory medicine at PSRI Hospital and ICS (north zone) chair, highlighted India’s position among the world’s most polluted nations. He pointed out that PM2.5 exposure exceeds WHO safety guidelines for over 99% of Indians, requiring urgent action to reduce pollution and strengthen medical facilities. The health consequences are significant, with respiratory and cardiovascular conditions worsening when the air quality index turns hazardous, particularly affecting vulnerable groups.

The Poseidon study, published in The Lancet in 2015, showed respiratory symptoms constitute over half of all medical consulta

tions in India. Dr Khilnani stressed the need for systematic improvements, particularly in developing comprehensive respiratory healthcare infrastructure, to address pollution-related medical challenges. As the chairman of respiratory medicine, critical care and sleep medicine at Saroj Superspeciality Hospital and Jaipur Golden Hospital, and vice-president of ICS, Dr Rakesh Chawla emphasised how respiratory medicine departments are essential for diagnosing and treating complex breathing disorders while backing broader health initiatives. He cautioned that removing these specialised departments would severely impact patient care, particularly in managing tuberculosis (TB), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pollution-related illnesses. Such actions would impede India’s efforts to eradicate TB, he added.

PG NEET seat matrix not neat on KEA site: Aspirants

SruthySusan.Ullas@timesofindia.com 22.11.2024

Bengaluru : The display format of PG NEET seat matrix on the website of Karnataka Examinations Authority has created confusion among aspirants over the seats available for option entry. The option entry for medical postgraduate seats began on Nov 19 and is open until 4pm on Nov 22. However, when the option entry began, it triggered confusion about the seats available as many colleges displayed streams they did not have.

“For instance, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, a super-speciality hospital, was showing seats for ENT, obstetrics and gynaecology (OBG). Similarly, other colleges like Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, a paediatric speciality hospital, and Sanjay Gandhi Hospital of Trauma and Orthopaedics, which is a trauma and orthopaedic speciality hospital, were also showing ENT and OBG. How is this possible?” asked a parent, who is also a doctor.

“A seat matrix was initially released by the directorate of medical education. But when we logged in with the personal ID and passcode, several non-existent seats were shown. I, for instance, opted for surgery in Kidwai. It is now reflected in my preferred list. This is very misleading. Does this seat exist?” asked another student. She added that many of her friends also opted for seats that are not reflected in the original list. The students also raised concerns that fees are not reflected on the website. “There is only one more day for option entry. No fees were mentioned until Thursday evening. In some of the seats, there are two fee categories. What if we opt for one, and the fee falls into the higher category? There was a lack of clarity for close to two days after the option entry began,” she said.

However, KEA said that all colleges in the option entry show all the courses, irrespective of the streams available in the hospital. “This does not mean that they will be allotted these seats that do not exist in a college. Students can check the streams available with each college and apply accordingly. We will change this

display in order to avoid any more confusion,” a KEA official pointed out. Need to train surgeons in paediatric orthopaedics Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health will start a new super speciality course MCh (Master of Chirurgiae) in paediatric orthopaedics with a yearly intake of three students from this year. With this, the institute will become the only one in the state to offer this. Its director Sanjay KS said, “Bone and joint problems are one of the commonest causes for outpatient consultations and admissions, which forms a huge health burden in the community. The orthopaedic speciality training is mainly focused on adult issues as the cases of trauma and other diseases are more in the adult community, and the paediatric problems are different. Therefore, there is a need to train the surgeons in the field of paediatric orthopaedics, which will benefit society at large in the long term.”

Docs warn against giving antibiotics to kids suffering from viral infections

Yashaswini.Sri@timesofindia.com 22.11.2024

Bengaluru : Doctors are urging parents to think twice before administering antibiotics to children sans advice, cautioning that unnecessary use not only fails to treat common viral infections but also contributes to the alarming rise of antibiotic resistance. “Cold, cough and mild fever in children are overwhelmingly caused by viruses, which antibiotics cannot treat,” said Dr Manvanthar M, senior specialist in paediatrics and PICU at Aster RV Hospital.

He recently led a study, examining 104 respiratory infection cases from Bengaluru, revealing that 60% were viral, while only 40% were bacterial among children. A majority of viral cases were caused by Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) at 52%, followed by influenza (33%), H1N1 (17.4%) and rhinovirus (14.2%). He added, “Influenza peaks in Aug, while rhinovirus and RSV dominate in Sept. Viral illnesses spread rapidly — if a father falls ill today and the child the next day, it’s likely to be viral. Unlike bacterial pneumonias, which require antibiotics and longer recovery times, viral pneumonias often improve within 48 hours with proper care.” Dr Yogesh Kumar Gupta, paediatrician at Fortis Hospital, supported this stance, saying that 90% of the 30-35 children he sees daily with respiratory illnesses are viral cases.

“Rampant misuse of antibiotics, especially for viral illnesses, is fuelling antibiotic resistance, a growing concern. If unchecked, we may face a future where routine infections become untreatable,” he added. Dr Vishal V Jali, consultant intensivist and paediatrician, Motherhood Hospitals, told TOI that out of every 100 infection cases among children he sees, 70 are viral. “Children’s viral illnesses often re solve with time and care, while bacterial infections, though less common, need targeted antibiotics. Judicious use is vital to protect children’s health now and in future.” Dr Ravali Polepaka, consultant paediatrician, TriLife Hospital, highlighted the widespread misconceptions about antibiotics.

“Many parents believe starting antibiotics early ensures quicker recovery or limits disease spread. This leads to self-medication, using leftover prescriptions, over-the-counter antibiotics, or even those meant for siblings or adults. Others stop or change antibiotics within 48 hours if there’s no improvement, which is counterproductive. The first step is identifying whether the illness is bacterial or viral, and then assessing its severity. For mild cases like cold or flu, letting the illness run its course is better to prevent resistance. If antibiotics are prescribed, it’s crucial to complete the full course to avoid recurrence

B’luru’s private universities open door wider for foreign faculty

SruthySusan.Ullas@timesofindia.com 22.11.2024

Bengaluru : Private universities in the city are on a recruitment spree for foreign faculty. In their attempt at internationalisation, many are hiring people from other countries, mostly as guest faculty, even while they aspire for full-time recruitment. Alliance University, which currently has two fulltime international faculty members and 42 visiting ones a year, plans to recruit 20 such faculty members in the near future.

The initiative is to “enhance academic excellence and foster a globally diverse learning environment”, the university said. “Job postings have been published on platforms such as LinkedIn and UniJobs to reach a wide and relevant audience,” said Jyothsna Pais, deputy director (HR), Alliance University. Dayananda Sagar University doesn’t have full-time faculty but currently invites foreign professors for a shorter period of 15-30 days. The university, which currently has around 15 such faculty members a year, also plans to start recruiting them full time. Presidency University, which has regularly hosted 20 international visiting faculty members so far, is looking at making full-time recruitments for the coming academic year. While recruitments are smooth, thanks to international collaborations and a dedicated Office of International Affairs, visa processing and administrative formalities can sometimes pose challenges that require careful navigation, said Sivaperumal S, dean (academics) and director of International Affairs, Presidency University.

“We call them for a shor ter period because bringing foreign faculty from developed nations for a longer period is much more expensive. We, on the other hand, are charging a mid-range fee (on students). Even while we intend to recruit full time, compensation is a challenge. There are those who are ready to come to India for a lower salary, as everyone sees India as one big opportunity. But then, you have to know them personally to recruit them,” said a private university recruiter. Service mindset Established universities have full-time faculty members. Christ (deemed to be) University has 13 full-time faculty members from the US, Australia, Russia, South Korea, Italy, among others, teaching Western classical music, the atre, Korean language, and international studies. “We hardly find candidates with a PhD in Western classical music in India. Similarly, many major schools of theatre are from Russia and the US,” said registrar Anil Pinto.

“They come with a service mindset. They have a sense of giving back. Many of them come through personal networks or walkins. They look for a sense of security and clarity on the kind of institution they belong to.” Some of the universities take the help of consultants to hire faculty from abroad. “The association of foreign nationals with private universities is mainly in the form of guest faculty. Hiring foreign faculty as regular staff is still a distant reality, although with growing collaborations, many private universities have started paying attention to it. That said, many private universities are intensifying efforts to hire faculty from Europe, the UK, and the US. We’ve been approached by a few Bengaluru-based universities to hire foreign faculty from Europe, Latin America, and Australia. The requirements are specifically in the emerging areas of AI, ML, and management,” said Kalpesh Banker, managing partner, EduShine Search Partners, a recruitment firm specialising in the higher education sector.

Jobs tough to come by, desi students in US turn babysitters

Nirupa.Vatyam@timesofindia.com 22.11.2024

Students from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and elsewhere are now tapping into the Indian community settled there to find a way out of a financial hole. This is also a preferred option for many girls as it provides for a safer work envi ronment and they get paid anywhere between $13 and $18 per hour, with some even covering food, accommodation, or both. “I babysit a six-year-old boy for about eight hours a day and get paid $13 an hour. I also get a meal for taking care of the boy,” said a student from the Hyderabad studying in Ohio, adding that it was way better than working in a local store or gas station as the job is within the community she lives in.