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Kerala University gets Naac nod with 'A' grade

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (Naac), an autonomous body under the University Grants Commission (UGC) of India, has accorded 'A' grade status to Kerala University.

The only other university with 'A' grade status in the state is Sanskrit university. The Naac accreditation of Kerala University had elapsed in 2008. It was a recent decision by the UGC that no grant would be given to universities that fail to acquire Naac accreditation before April 2015 that prompted the Kerala University to speed up the accreditation renewal process which had been lagging behind schedule.

According to the terms and conditions fixed by UGC, only those universities that acquire 'A' grade status would be eligible to pitch for centre of excellence status. "A grade means more funds from UGC and more avenues for academic expansion.

The 'A' grade which the university has been granted now is the result of coordinated efforts on the part of academic and staff members of the university," said Kerala University registrar K Mohammed Basheer.

While many colleges affiliated to Kerala University were assessed with 'A' Grade by Naac, it's the first time that the university has itself got the grade. According to R Jayaprakash, former principal of Sreenarayana College, Kollam, who worked as the general convener of the steering committee which prepared the self-study report of the university submitted to Naac, the 'A' grade would help the university when it scouts for funds from agencies other than UGC.

It would also mean more share of fund from the Union government's Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (Rusa) programme for improving quality of higher education in the country.

The university was accredited with 'B++' grade in 2003. However, it not only failed to go in for reaccreditation due in 2008, but could not even send the mandatory annual report to the council during the accredited years. The annual report is expected to carry separate evaluation reports on the functioning of university departments, affiliated institutions, teaching learning process, campus infrastructure, teacher strength, research activities, etc.

According to senior officials of the university, the process for Naac reaccreditation started almost a year ago, but the process gained momentum after P K Radhakrishnan was appointed the vice-chancellor last year.

After former vice-chancellor A Jayakrishnan completed his term in December 2012, there was no VC for the university until February 2014. UGC's 12th plan allocation for the University of Kerala stands at Rs 15.76 crore, while the 11th plan funding was Rs 17.75 crore. Though Naac used to give A +, B+ and B++ grades to universities, of late it has limited the grades to A, B and C.

Maharashtra medical education on verge of collapse...TIMES OF INDIA 4.3.2015

MUMBAI: Dismal response to last month's advertisement for the post of professors and associate professors at the government-run Grant Medical College and JJ Group of Hospitals shows that medical education in the state is on the verge of collapse, thanks to lack of seriousness at all levels.

While six posts of professors attracted just two applications—both for dentistry department—there were seven applicants for 46 posts of associate professors—none of them for any key department.

An ex-medical college dean said the response may have been poor since the posts were to be filled up on a contract basis and for a fixed salary. "We offer Rs 40,000/month for associate professors and Rs 50,000 for professors. I don't think any medical teacher will take up a job for such meagre pay. It reflects the casual approach of the medical education department.''

He warned that the medical education department was on the verge of collapse due to lack of consistency in recruitment policy and if immediate steps were not taken some medical colleges may get derecognized due to non-compliance to Medical Council of India-prescribed conditions.

Elaborating on his contention, the former dean said last year the cabinet decided to withdraw all the teaching posts from Maharashtra Public Service Commission's (MPSC) purview on the grounds that there was an inordinate delay in the recruitment process. Since the decision, not a single teacher has been appointed. Now, there is a proposal to entrust the task again to MPSC. "Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis must fix responsibility for the mess in the medical education department. Frequent changes in policies have had an adverse impact on the department," he said.

On the vacancies, the former dean said in the past five years, no serious effort had been made to fill up posts in 14 medical colleges across the state. Out of the 362 posts of professors, 122 lay vacant while out of the 934 posts of associate professors and 1,434 posts of assistant professors, 468 and 862 posts are to be filled. "The condition of assistant professors is very bad. Out of the 1,434 posts, 669 work for 29 days a month and their term is extended on a monthly basis,'' he said.

Poor response:

Advertisement for recruitment at the prestigious Grant Medical College and JJ Group of Hospitals:

* 46 associate professor posts

Applications received: 7

Not a single application received for 18 out of 22 departments, including nephrology, radiology and medicine

* 6 professor posts

Applications received: 2, for the department of dentistry

Total vacant posts in 14 Total government medical colleges across the state

1) Professor Posts: 362

Vacant: 122

2) Associate professors

934

Vacant: 468

3) Assistant professors

1,434

Vacant: 862

MUHS recommends 26 new colleges in Maharashtra

NASHIK: The Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) has recommended a list of 26 colleges that have applied to open undergraduate courses during the academic year 2015-16. The proposals of five colleges have been rejected for not filling the necessary criteria.

However, the university administration claims the colleges will only be able to start from the next academic year (2016 -17) as procedures and permission from the state and central council would take at least another year.

There has been only one nursing college which has been able to seek permission from the state and central government. If all the recommended colleges get the nod, it would create at least 1,300 additional seats.

Registrar of the university, Kashinath Garkal, said that applications for opening colleges or starting a new course are supposed to be made by the institutions by October 31, after the notification is issued. "The colleges have to comply with the norms mentioned in the prospective plan according to the different parameters mentioned in them. The colleges are considered according to the population nearby and infrastructural aspects which are considered and recommended to the state government once the university is satisfied," he said.

Garkal said that the institution also has to get permission from the central council and state government which have independent heads for different categories. "The proposal again comes to MUHS for final consent. Officials recheck the facilities and infrastructure that was mentioned during the first application. An affiliation committee is set up to check the facts and the academic council approves it. It is only after this that the college can start functioning," he added.

He said the process is lengthy it would be another year before any of these colleges are be able to start the courses.

"So far, a nursing college, the Anand Charitable Trust, Anand Hospital, from Vaijapur, has been able to seek permission from state government and central council. The process of giving the final consent will begin," he said.

Five applications have been received for medical colleges, one for a dental college, two each for Ayurveda, Bachelor of Paramedical Technology (BPMT) and homeopathy colleges, six for physiotherapy and eight for nursing.

At present there are 35 medical colleges, 28 dental, 62 Ayurveda, 6 Unani, 45 homeopathy, and 155 colleges of allied health sciences, which amounts to 331 institutes across the state.

Ayush doctors may get nod to do abortions

NEW DELHI: Here's something ayurveda gurus like Charak and Susrutha may not have imagined. Modern ayurvedacharayas, homoeopaths and other Ayush doctors may soon be allowed to conduct non-invasive abortions.

The health ministry has worked out changes to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Amendment Bill. The revised bill proposes to allow Ayush doctors to conduct non-invasive procedures on women seeking to terminate pregnancy. The draft bill will soon be sent to the Cabinet.

"We have made revisions to the earlier draft and proposed that Ayush doctors who are registered healthcare specialists be allowed to carry out non-invasive procedure, which would mean prescribing medicines etc," a senior health ministry official told TOI.
Another key amendment seeks to increase the period for abortion to 24 weeks from the present 20 weeks.

The government's proposal, originally formulated taking a cue from a study conducted by Population Council, is aimed at increasing access to safe abortion by expanding the number of healthcare providers.

Estimates show around 7 million abortions are conducted in India every year and over 50% of them are said to be illegal.

Initially, the government had decided to allow midwives and Ayush doctors to do even invasive procedures for abortion, but dropped it following mounting objections from allopathic practitioners, particularly Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI).

IMA, a pan India voluntary organization with a membership of 2.5 lakh allopathic practitioners, said even the latest move can put patients at risk as well as allow unethical practices and sex selective abortions.

BANGALORE CHEAPEST, SINGAPORE COSTLIEST CITY IN WORLD

பிளஸ் 2 பொதுத்தேர்வு நாளை தொடக்கம்

தமிழகம் முழுவதும் பிளஸ் 2 பொதுத்தேர்வு வியாழக்கிழமை (மார்ச் 5) தொடங்குகிறது. மொத்தம் 8.43 லட்சம் மாணவர்கள் தேர்வு எழுதுகின்றனர்.

இந்தத் தேர்வு மார்ச் 31-ஆம் தேதி வரை நடைபெற உள்ளது. இதற்காக 2,377 தேர்வு மையங்கள் அமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. தேர்வுகள் காலை 10 மணி முதல் பிற்பகல் 1.15 மணி வரை நடைபெறும்.

இதில் முதல் 10 நிமிஷங்கள் வினாத்தாளைப் படித்துப் பார்க்கவும், அடுத்த 5 நிமிஷங்கள் விடைத்தாள் விவரங்களைப் பூர்த்தி செய்யவும் வழங்கப்படும். 10.15 முதல் 1.15 வரை தேர்வு நடைபெறும்.

மாணவர்கள் 3 மணி நேரம் எந்தவித சிரமும் இல்லாமல் தேர்வு எழுதுவதற்காக அனைத்து ஏற்பாடுகளும் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளதாக அரசுத் தேர்வுகள் இயக்குநர் கே.தேவராஜன் தெரிவித்தார்.

மாநிலம் முழுவதும் 3,000-க்கும் அதிகமான மாணவர்கள் தேர்வு எழுதும் உதவியாளர்களைக் கேட்டுள்ளனர். அரசாணையின்படி, தகுதியுள்ள அனைவருக்கும் உதவியாளர்கள் நியமிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளனர்.

10 ஆண்டுகளுக்கும் மேல் அனுபவம் வாய்ந்த ஆசிரியர்களே பெரும்பாலும் தேர்வு உதவியாளர்களாக நியமிக்கப்படுகின்றனர். எனவே, உதவியாளர்களை வழங்குவதில் எந்தவித சிரமும் இல்லை எனவும் அவர் தெரிவித்தார்.

தேர்வு மையங்களுக்குத் தடையில்லா மின்சாரம், போக்குவரத்து வசதி ஆகியவையும் ஏற்பாடு செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. இந்தத் தேர்வை தனித்தேர்வர்களாக 42,693 பேர் எழுத உள்ளனர்.

60 ஆயிரத்துக்கும் மேற்பட்ட ஆசிரியர்கள்: தேர்வுப் பணிகளில் 60 ஆயிரத்துக்கும் அதிகமான ஆசிரியர்கள், கல்வித் துறை பணியாளர்கள் ஈடுபடுத்தப்படுகின்றனர்.

10 தேர்வறைகளுக்கு ஒருவர் என்ற வீதத்தில் 4,500-க்கும் மேற்பட்டோர் தேர்வு மையங்களைக் கண்காணிக்க உள்ளனர். அதோடு, மாவட்டக் கல்வி அலுவலர்கள், மாவட்ட முதன்மைக் கல்வி அலுவலர்கள் தலைமையில் 250-க்கும் மேற்பட்ட பறக்கும் படைகளும் அமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன.

மேலும், பள்ளிக் கல்வி இயக்குநர்கள், இணை இயக்குநர்களுக்கு தேர்வுப் பணிகளை மேற்பார்வையிட மாவட்டங்கள் ஒதுக்கீடு செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளன. இவர்கள் அனைவரும் ஏற்கெனவே தங்களுக்குரிய மாவட்டங்களுக்குச் சென்று தேர்வு ஏற்பாடுகளைச் செய்துள்ளனர்.

மாணவிகள் அதிகம்: பிளஸ் 2 தேர்வை 3 லட்சத்து 90,753 மாணவர்களும், 4 லட்சத்து 52,311 மாணவிகளும் எழுத உள்ளனர். மாணவர்களை விட மாணவிகளின் எண்ணிக்கை 60 ஆயிரம் அதிகமாக உள்ளது. இந்தத் தேர்வை புழல் சிறைவாசிகள் 77 பேர் எழுதுகின்றனர்.

கூடுதல் நேரம்: இந்தத் தேர்வுகளில் கற்றலில் குறைபாடுடையவர்கள், பார்வையற்றோர், காதுகேளாதோர், வாய் பேசாதோர் உள்ளிட்ட மாற்றுத்திறனாளிகளுக்கு தேர்வு எழுதும் உதவியாளர், ஒரு மொழிப்பாடம் தவிர்ப்பு, கூடுதலாக ஒரு மணி நேரம் போன்ற சலுகைகள் வழங்கப்படுகின்றன.

விடைத்தாள்களைக் கொண்டுவர ஏற்பாடு: கடந்த ஆண்டைப் போலவே, தேர்வு மையங்களுக்கு வினாத்தாள்கள் வாகனங்களில் கொண்டு செல்லப்பட்டு, அதே வாகனங்களில் விடைத்தாள் கட்டுகளை மாவட்டங்களில் அமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ள விடைத்தாள் கட்டுகள் சேகரிக்கும் மையங்களுக்குக் கொண்டுசெல்லவும் ஏற்பாடு செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது.

சென்னையில்...: சென்னை மாவட்டத்தில் பிளஸ் 2 தேர்வை 144 தேர்வு மையங்களில் 53 ஆயிரம் மாணவர்கள் எழுத உள்ளனர்.

புதுச்சேரியில்...: புதுச்சேரியில் 33 தேர்வு மையங்களில் 14 ஆயிரம் மாணவர்கள் பிளஸ் 2 தேர்வு எழுதுகின்றனர்.