Medical students protest against NMC Bill

STAFF REPORTER

CHENNAI, AUGUST 03, 2019 00:00 IST

Students of Madras Medical College boycotted classes and staged a sit-in near the Dean’s office in Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital on Friday.B. Jothi Ramalingam

Proposals for bringing in Community Health Providers and NEXT singled out for attack

About 400 students of Madras Medical College (MMC) boycotted classes and staged a sit-in on Friday.

They were protesting against the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill which, according to them, would disrupt the healthcare system.

Under the banner of Tamil Nadu Medical Students Association, second, third and final year MMC students, and also many from Government Medical College, Omandurar Estate, boycotted classes and participated in the day-long protest from 8 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. on the MMC campus.

The protesting students said that bringing in Community Health Providers would affect the rural healthcare system in Tamil Nadu, the National Exit Test (NEXT) would impact the quality of doctors and replacing the Medical Council of India (MCI) with NMC would result in poor representation of doctors from States. According to the Bill, persons connected with the medical profession could be granted limited licences to practise medicine as Community Health Providers. These persons can prescribe specified medicines independently, but only in a primary and preventive healthcare context.

“We study medicine for five-and-a-half years of which one year is for Compulsory Rotatory Residential Internship. How can Community Health Providers learn medicine in a few months of training and prescribe medications at the primary health centre level? This will affect healthcare in villages, and it will be disastrous for a State like Tamil Nadu that has come a long way in rural health,” one of the protesting students said.

Opposing NEXT, the students said as of now, they have theory and practical examinations conducted by the medical university in the final year of MBBS. “NEXT will contain multiple choice questions, and this will only result in mushrooming of coaching centres like that for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test,” another student said.

The students lamented the lack of clarity on NEXT, its pattern or subjects that would be covered. “There are no proper guidelines. With NEXT, our clinical orientation and understanding will be lost,” he said. Some students said there was no clarity on what would happen if students failed to clear NEXT. As per the Bill, NEXT would be the basis for admission to postgraduate courses.

On NMC replacing MCI, the students said it would result in loss of autonomy and NMC, a nominated body, would not have adequate representation of doctors from States.

UGC names 20 institutions for eminence tag

Priscilla Jebaraj

NEW DELHI, AUGUST 03, 2019 00:00 IST

The chosen universities will be given greater autonomy an d freedom to decide fees and course durations.* FILE PHOTO

Five private ones among those denied the status due to absence of rankings

The IITs Madras and Kharagpur, Delhi University, University of Hyderabad, Amritha Vishwa Vidyapeetham and VIT are among the 20 institutions recommended for the grant of the Institute of Eminence status by the University Grants Commission on Friday.

However, the UGC denied the tag to five private universities — Azim Premji University, Ashoka University, KREA University, Indian Institute for Human Settlements and the Indian Institute of Public Health — on the grounds that they have not been placed in any global or national rankings. Since their exclusion left a vacant slot on the list of private universities given the tag, the Satya Bharti Foundation — telecom major Airtel’s philanthropic arm — became the second greenfield institution to be given IoE status, after Jio Institute which is backed by the Reliance Foundation.

“We considered two types [of institutions], those who are already ranked well and those which are potential institutions. We might have felt something has potential, but government may feel something else, they may have felt that if an institution is not ranked at all, it cannot be considered. It is entirely justified,” said N. Gopalaswami, former Chief Election Commissioner who headed the expert panel which initially identified the list of IoEs.

The scheme is aimed at developing 20 world-class institutions which would put India on the global education map.

Five public universities also did not make the cut. Tezpur, Panjab and Andhra Universities were left out as they are not ranked. Savitribai Phule Pune University and Aligarh Muslim University are both in the same 801-1,000 ranking slab in the QS World rankings as the Benares Hindu University; however, BHU squeaked through as it was higher placed than the other two in the India rankings.

Anna University and Jadavpur University have been given the IoE tag on a conditional basis as they are state universities, and will be finalised only after the Tamil Nadu and West Bengal governments issue an official communication allocating their share of funds (up to 50%).

The other institutions which have been recommended for IoE status are Jamia Hamdard, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, OP Jindal University and Shiv Nadar University.

UGC nod to IIT-Madras for ‘Institutions of Eminence’ tag

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:03.08.2019

IIT-Madras, IITKharagpur, Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University and University of Hyderabad, among others could be the new entrants to the list of “Institutions of Eminence.” The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Friday recommended five government institutions and seven private institutions for IoE status and letter of intent (LoI) respectively.

The recommendations now wait for the government’s approval before being notified. The UGC in its meeting considered the reports of the empowered expert committee (EEC) appointed by government under the chairmanship of N Gopalaswami recommending 15 public institutions and 15 private institutions for granting status of IoE.

Among the private institutions recommended for issue of LoI include Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Vellore Institute of Technology, Jamia Hamdard, Kalinga Institute of Technology, O P Jindal University and Shiv Nadar University. The commission also recommended Bharti (Satya Bharti Foundation) for issuance of LoI in the vacant slot under the greenfield category for yet to be established institutions.

“This is a tremendous encouragement for a young university and our philanthropic work. Our next mission is to be among the top 500 global institutions and top 50 young institutions,” said C Raj Kumar, vice chancellor, O P Jindal University.

Among those institutions which missed out from the recommended list are government run Savitribai Phule Pune University, Aligarh Muslim University, Tezpur University, Panjab University and Andhra University. Meanwhile, Jadavpur University and Anna University can be considered for issue of the IoE status only after the respective state governments have issued an official communication allocating their share of the funds (up to 50%).

According to a UGC official, “The mandate has been to prepare the institutions for securing international standard and to be among the top ranked institutions in global rankings. Therefore, the institutions not recommended are those which have not figured in any of the national or global rankings.”

Vellore Institute of Technology is among the private institutions recommended for issue of letter of intent (LoI)

Scooter girls are the new ‘delivery boys’

Number of women in India’s delivery business is up to 68k from 40k in 2018. The ripples are being felt far and wide in the 10L-strong workforce

Ishita Mishra & Anam Ajmal | TNN 03.08.2019

The scooter comes to a halt outside a restaurant in the narrow bylanes of Dehradun. As the rider moves towards the kitchen, heads turn. An unfazed Reena Gupta quickly picks up a parcel and starts the GPS on her phone. Minutes later, the mother of two is knocking at a stranger’s house, pizza in hand.

As new-age internet companies expand businesses, an increasing number of women are making their presence felt in the gig economy space. In the delivery sector alone, which has about 10 lakh employees, 67,900 are women — up from 40,000 in 2018 — according to latest estimates.

There’s been a surge in women applying to be delivery partners in big metros and smaller cities, says a spokesperson at Zomato. The company has 2 lakh delivery partners. Increased participation of women has led to the roll-out of delivery via bicycle, targeted at those who don’t know how to ride a bike.

Some women are leaving their low-paying “9 to 5” desk jobs as assistants and back-office employees to embrace this digitally mediated work. And driving this choice are factors like greater flexibility, more working-time autonomy and better pay parity than in traditional jobs.

Reena joined Zomato last September after her husband lost his job at a medical store. “It was an unusual choice but I decided to give it a shot,” the arts graduate told TOI.

What sealed the deal for her was the freedom to decide her working hours, set her own targets and higher pay — she earns up to Rs 6,000 every week, delivering up to 20 orders a day.

Firdaus Ansari from Chhattisgarh’s Bhilai quit her job as a doctor’s assistant last year and became a food delivery agent. No longer bound by a desk job, she has extra time at hand and is now focusing on dreams cast aside years ago — like pursuing a bachelors in sociology. She attends classes early morning and starts picking up orders after 1 pm.

Priyanka, a 22-year-old from Mumbai who has been with Swiggy for 10 months, chose to be a delivery partner for financial reasons. “My parents passed away when I was a teenager. I have three younger siblings to raise. This job has given me financial independence.” She also enjoys meeting new people and is now familiar with many areas of the city.

While digital forces may have opened new opportunities for women, it’s not always a trouble-free ride. Safety remains a concern and companies are starting to take note. Swiggy — which employs over 1.95 lakh delivery executives and has 700 women — has designated “safe zones” for women employees in over 20 cities.

“They work in shifts that end before 6 pm and operate in areas identified as safe zones,” a company spokesperson said.

“Our location is tracked by area managers. The key is to keep someone informed,” said Menka Pakhare, a 34-yearold who works with Zomato in Mumbai and was a housewife for 13 years before taking up the job.

Firdaus added that initially she was scared to take orders after dark, but her job has taught her how to deal with all kinds of situation.

But gender dynamics remain strong and convincing “society” that women can enter male-dominated professions is a challenge. Firdaus gives the example of another girl who had joined with her but quit shortly afterwards due to family pressure.

Some resolute women like 39-year-old Harshika Pandya — one of the 12 female Zomato delivery partners in Surat — manage to stand their ground. Harshika was working in the back office of a finance company and decided on Zomato in 2018.

“When I started out, my family said it was a man’s job. But I stuck to my decision,” said Harshika, who usually picks up her last order around 1.30am.

Ashwini, 34, Swiggy’s first female delivery partner in Vadodara who recently moved to Bengaluru for her daughter’s higher studies, said that each ride she undertakes delivers a message that no job belongs to any particular gender.

Observers back the thought. “When women opt for jobs where they are seen in public places, it increases their visibility, which leads to normalisation and acceptance of such work in society. It also gives women better career options and leads to an increase in their confidence levels and economic worth,” said Ranjana Kumari, director, Centre for Social Research.

India is indeed moving beyond gender, said Preethisha, the country’s first transgender food delivery person with Uber Eats who lives in Chennai. She has high hopes for the future. “Today, gender doesn’t stop people from pursuing opportunities. With more women and marginalised communities in the workforce, the future will be even better,” said the 32-year-old.

Harshika agreed. “Ye soch badalne ka safar hai (This is a journey to change mindsets),” she said.

Food, religion, politics get mixed up in unsavoury curry
Dish Named ‘Iyer Chicken’, Hotel Apologises For ‘Typo’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Madurai:03.08.2019

‘Kumbakonam Iyer Chicken’, a dish announced on social media by a hotel in Madurai city, has landed it in trouble.

It was removed from the hotel's social media account after Brahmins’ associations and right-wing outfits took exception. Representatives of the hotel told TOI that the designer who made the poster inadvertently typed ‘Iyer’ in place of ‘Fried’.

The owner of the establishment (Hotel Milagu), on North Masi Street, has been busy apologizing to callers and sending statements of regret. But many continued to protest.

Associations named after the community launched a strong social media campaign, with a few outfits seeking action against the hotel. On Thursday evening, a section of people went to the hotel to protest and were engaged in a heated argument with the staff. Police had to rush in and bring the situation under control.

“I am a Brahmin myself and the manager of the hotel. It is completely my mistake,” C Ramanathan told TOI.

“The hotel did not look for cheap publicity or promotion as it is 11 years old,” he claimed, adding that he received the design of the promotion, did a hurried check and shared it on Facebook a few days ago. “I had to rush to Chennai for a health checkup and came to know about the controversy on Wednesday night. From Thursday we have been answering calls, offering explanations and apologising,” he said. Ramanathan said that they had also sent apology letters to associations of the community which had not directly protested as they did not want to hurt their sentiments.

IN A SOUP

Pudukottai coffee shop takes stand against bigotry

Trichy:

Zomato’s stand against religious bigotry had an echo in Pudukottai town with the owner of a coffee shop putting up a board saying food has no religion and his establishment was closed to bigots. M Arunmozhi, 47, owner of Ayngaran restaurant and coffee shop in Pudukottai, told TOI he was deeply moved by the strong stand food delivery app Zomato took when a customer asked it to change the Muslim deliveryman. As a gesture of solidarity he put up a signboard in front of his restaurant saying “food has no religion and Ayngaran is shut for bigots”. Arunmozhi says many of his customers were all praise for his gesture. Arunmozhi said he was also very disturbed by clashes among people of different religious group in Pudukottai in the last week. Thus he had decided to openly condemn the spread of hate by those who differentiated among people on the basis of religion.

SIGNED & STAMPED

EWS quota triggers demand for income certificates in city

Yogesh.Kabirdoss@timesgroup.com

Chennai:03.08.2019

Taluk offices in and around the city are witnessing demand for income certificates from the economically weaker sections (EWS) among forward castes. Though Tamil Nadu has not introduced the 10% quota for EWS in education and employment, people who were not covered under any reservation, are seeking the certificate as the Centre has opened doors for the purpose. With the number of applications expected to rise, legal experts urged the government to make procedures stringent to prevent misuse in obtaining the certificates.

Revenue department sources said six applications have been received in Egmore and Mambalam taluks. While the applications are under process at Egmore, one applicant received his EWS income certificate at Mambalam, official sources said. “In Ponneri taluk, which comprises suburbs in the north, five EWS income certificates have been issued to people belonging to forward castes in the past month,” a Tiruvallur district official said. “Income certificates under EWS category were largely sought by individuals from backward classes to ascertain their eligibility for central government jobs, where the creamy layer rule applies. Now, forward caste people are also seeking it in light of the10% quota for EWS announced by the Union government,” the official added.

Last May, the state government releasedcriteria for EWS reservations. While an annual income cap of ₹8 lakh has been fixed for the reservation, those owning more than 1,000sqft flat or residential plot measuring 900 sqft in urban areas are not eligible for the quota among theforwardcastes.After verification, the tahsildar of the respective taluk should obtain a self-declaration form from the applicant. The income certificate is valid for a year.

Madras high court advocate M Radhakrishnan said issuing EWS certificates should be stringent as there was scope for misuse. “The certificates should be issued only by an officer abovethe rankof revenue divisional officer or sub-collector.Thisfixes accountability as only a self-declaration is obtained from the applicant”.

Saravana Bhavan told to pay ₹1 lakh to customer

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:03.08.2019

The state consumer disputes redressal forum has asked Saravana Bhavan to pay a Delhi-based lawyer, who complained he suffered food poisoning after eating at its Anna Salai outlet, ₹1.1lakh for mental agony and litigation costs.

S K Saamy, in his petition stated that he went to the Anna Salai branch of the restaurant on October 10, 2014. When his food was served, he had noticed strands of hair in it and brought it to the notice of the waiter and the manager. While the food was replaced, an hour after eating it the petitioner said he felt uneasiness in the stomach and then experienced nausea and vomiting.

He got admitted in the Royapettah Government Hospital the next day, where doctors told him that he was suffering from food poisoning. “The restaurant is responsible for serving defective food and causing ill-health and mental agony,” the lawyer stated in his petition.

In response, the hotel management submitted that no other customer who consumed food that day made any complaints and this particular complaint was made two years after, with an ulterior motive of extorting money. The management also pointed out that the complainant’s petitions were dismissed by the Madras high court and by the National Human Rights Commission.

The forum, after perusing the submissions held that there was no necessity for the complainant to file a false petition and noted that he did not get admitted in the hospital the same day as it was raining that night.

The forum also dismissed the restaurant’s submission that the petition was dismissed by the Madras high court and NHRC and pointed out that the petitions were not for seeking compensation for mental agony, but for directing police to register FIR against the restaurant. Subsequently, judicial member K Baskaran and member S M Latha Maheshwari directed the management to pay ₹1.1 lakh to the customer for mental agony and litigation costs.

While the food with strands of hair was replaced, an hour after eating it the petitioner felt uneasiness in the stomach and then experienced nausea