Critically ill patients should not get neglected during doctors’ strike: SC

‘We Must Evolve A Mechanism For This As Doctors Have Right To Strike’

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi 3.12.2019

The Supreme Court on Monday said it intends to evolve a mechanism by which doctors’ strike do not deprive critically ill patients of care and derail emergency health services while seeking responses from the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the health ministry.

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant issued notices to IMA secretary R V Asokan and health secretary Preeti Sudan on a petition by NGO ‘People for Better Treatment’, which sought initiation of contempt proceedings against them for allowing a nationwide doctors’ strike in June. While disagreeing with the petitioner’s plea for initiation of contempt, the SC decided to evolve a mechanism to ensure that critically ill patients and those in need of emergency medical help are not neglected during doctors’ strike.

The NGO’s president Kunal Saha moved the contempt petition alleging regular violation of the SC’s November 11, 2014 order, which was passed after the same NGO had brought to the court’s notice a series of strikes by doctors leading to enormous suffering to patients and death of some.

In the November 2014 order, the SC had recognised doctors’ right to strike work but had said striking doctors could face disciplinary action from regulatory bodies like Medical Council of India and state medical councils if anyone approached these bodies with complaint against doctors for going on strike.

However, it had disposed of the NGO’s PIL and said, “We would only express our desire that doctors, who carry out a noble service as god’s agent by saving lives of people, should not resort to strikes with any intermittent cause but undertake their responsibilities with efficiency and utmost sincerity at all times.”

Referring to the order, the bench headed by CJI Bobde told counsel Sanjay Hegde and Rabin Mazumdar that though the court had recognised doctors’ right to go on strike, “we would like to evolve a mechanism by which patients who are admitted in ICU and emergency healthcare services remain unaffected during the strike by doctors”.

The petitioner NGO said, “In spite of repeated and clear calls from the highest court of the land, doctors across India have continued to resort to strikes, disrupting regular hospital services and bringing endless pain, suffering and death for hapless patients.” The NGO cited repeated strike calls by doctors in West Bengal and also mentioned the IMAinitiated nation-wide doctors’ strike on June 17, which crippled medical services across the country.


HEALTH MATTERS: In the November 2014 order, SC had recognised doctors’ right to strike work but had said striking doctors could face disciplinary action from regulatory bodies

DAY OF DISABLED PERSONS - DEC 3

Shunned as a burden at birth, this disabled man now supports his family

Sukshma R@timesgroup.com

Madurai:3.12.2019

Born with multiple disabilities,SenthilKumarwasseen by hisfamily as an oddity and nothing but a burden, incapable of eating, grooming or using the toilet independently. Little did they know that 30 years later he would be supporting them financially. The 42-year-old now has a hefty bank balance too.

“He doesn’t even understand the concept of money or math. He can’t even count the number of zeroes in his bank balance. But, he is able to provide for his family who once only sawhim as a burden,” saidDr Dayalan Barnabas, principal, CSI Elwin Centre, Sivakasi,where SenthilKumar underwent special education. With multiple disabilities, life was once unbearable for him.

“At the age of 17, after he completed his special education at our school, he was sent back home to his family as is the norm. However, being unable to take care of himself as he cannot see or hear, he tried to get the attention of people by touch. However, people around him, especially women, felt the touch inappropriate.Thisescalatedto a situation where the family wanted him to stay away forever,” said Dr Dayalan.

It was then that Senthil Kumar was taken in as an inmate at the Special Employees Hostel at the CSI Elwin Centre, where he was given vocational training. He soon managed to get job in a packaging company. The hostel now has10 special adults.

Apart from helping them get a job, the CSI Elwin Centre opens and monitors bank accounts for them. “We manage bank accounts for special employees so that they can safely save money for their future. But we found some people taking away our inmates for a while to get the money they earned. So, we came up with a process by which if the family convinced us on the need for money, we allowed them to draw it from the bank account,” said Dr Dayalan.

Senthil Kumar, who earns ₹5,000 a month, was able to provide ₹ 1 lakh for his sister’s wedding in 2014. He also gave₹30,000 to meet the hospital expenses of his sister’s child birth in 2017. “Even people without any disabilities who earn good money hesitate to give away so much to support their family. Would you believe the family once wanted to get rid of him?” said Dr Dayalan.

Tamil Nadu will apply for four more medical colleges, says CM

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:3.12.2019

Tamil Nadu will apply for four more medical colleges under a centrally sponsored scheme, chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said on Monday.

The proposal for setting up government medical colleges in Kancheepuram, Cuddalore, Ariyalur and Kallakuruchi will be submitted to the Medical Council of India (MCI) along with the land parcels identified for each of these colleges, he said at a function organised by the health department to distributed appointment orders to doctors, nurses and physiotherpists.

The state has been granted nine colleges under the central scheme. In August, the cabinet committee on economic affairs approved setting up of 75 government medical colleges by 2021-22. The centre has proposed to partially fund the project as it wanted to increase the number of medical schools. Tamil Nadu, which has 24 medical colleges, proposed new colleges in two batches. In the first batch, six colleges were proposed in Tiruppur, Nilgiris, Ramanathapuram, Namakkal, Dindugal and Virudhunagar. Once decks were cleared for all the six colleges, the state applied for permission to set up colleges in coastal and tribal belts – Krishnagiri, Thiruvallur and Nagapattinam.

These nine colleges were expected to add 1,350 MBBS seats and create more than 9,000 jobs health professionals.Hospitals attachedtothese colleges will have 750 beds. Less than a week after getting clearance from the Union health ministry, the state has proposedcollegesin four more unserved areas. The move came after Union minister of state Ashwini Kumar Choubey told parliament that 49 colleges have been approved by the MCI in eight states. The centre had planned to give permission for 75 colleges across the country. While Rajasthan was permitted to start15 medical colleges, UP got granted 13 and Tamil Nadu bagged nine.

The state health department decided to make use of the vacant slots in the scheme to apply for more colleges. “We had planned for this long time ago. It is a policy decision of the state to have at least one medical college hospital in every district. Besides creating more MBBS seats we will be able to offer tertiary care facility to people,” said health minister C Vijayabaskar. Doctors and specialists such as cardiologist, neurologists and oncologists, will be able to work from underserved areas and backward districts, he said. “Having a tertiary care facility will help us beat the golden hour and reduce fatalities due to road accidents,” said health secretary Beela Rajesh, who will be presenting the proposals before the MCI technical committee.

Online registration for Neet ’20 begins

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:3.12.2019

Online registration for National eligibility-cum-entrance test (Neet) 2020 commenced on Monday. Students can register their applications at ntaneet.nic.in.

In the wake of Neet impersonation cases, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has made thumb impression mandatory at the application stage itself. It has also asked the candidates to upload postcard-size photograph with 80% of face coverage and ears visible on a white background.

NTA will conduct this year’s exam in pen and paper mode. Neet is scheduled to be held from 2 pm to 5 pm on May 3, 2020. Admissions to MBBS course in medical colleges across the country will be made through Neet.

As per the NTA’s announcement, the last date for registration is December 31. Neet (UG) 2020 will be held in 11 languages, including English, Tamil and Hindi. The three-hour exam will have180 multiple questions from physics, chemistry and biology.

Around 11,000 students from government and government-aided schools are being trained in 412 government-sponsored Neet coaching centres across the state. “This year, we are giving Neet coaching using a multi-pronged approach and utilising whoever is willing to give free coaching to our students,” school education director S Kannappan said.

EtoosIndia, an institute based in Kota, Rajasthan, is offering coaching at some centres, while trained subject teachers from government schools are holding classes in others.

School education department is planning to coach differentlyabled children studying in government schools with the help of doctors and medical students. Headmasters have been told to encourage and help medical aspirants in Neet registration.

திருவாரூர் மத்திய பல்கலைக்கழகத்தில் மாணவி தூக்குப்போட்டு தற்கொலை போலீசார் விசாரணை



திருவாரூர் மத்திய பல்கலைக்கழகத்தில் மாணவி தூக்குப்போட்டு தற்கொலை செய்து கொண்டார். இதுபற்றி போலீசார் விசாரணை நடத்தி வருகின்றனர்.

பதிவு: டிசம்பர் 02, 2019 05:10 AM

திருவாரூர்,

திருவாரூர் அருகே உள்ள நீலக்குடியில் தமிழ்நாடு மத்திய பல்கலைக்கழகம் செயல்பட்டு வருகிறது. இங்கு கிருஷ்ணகிரி மாவட்டம் ஓசூரை சேர்ந்த முரளி என்பவரின் மகள் மைதிலி (வயது 19), ஒருங்கிணைந்த பி.எஸ்.சி. பி.எட். பட்டப்படிப்பில் 2-ம் ஆண்டு படித்து வந்தார். பல்கலைக்கழக விடுதியில் தங்கி இருந்த அவர், நேற்று முன்தினம் இரவில் உணவு சாப்பிட வரவில்லை என தெரிகிறது.

இதையடுத்து சக மாணவிகள் மைதிலியின் அறைக்கு சென்று பார்த்தனர். அப்போது மைதிலி விடுதி அறையில் தூக்கில் பிணமாக தொங்கினார். அவர் தூக்குப்போட்டு தற்கொலை செய்து கொண்டதாக தெரிகிறது. இதனால் அதிர்ச்சி அடைந்த மாணவிகள் கதறி அழுதபடி பல்கலைக்கழக நிர்வாகிகளுக்கு தகவல் தெரிவித்தனர்.

பின்னர் நன்னிலம் போலீஸ் நிலையத்திற்கு தகவல் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டது. அதன்பேரில் போலீசார் பல்கலைக்கழகத்துக்கு விரைந்து சென்று தூக்கில் தொங்கிய மாணவியின் உடலை கைப்பற்றி பிரேத பரிசோதனைக்காக திருவாரூர் அரசு மருத்துவக்கல்லூரி மருத்துவமனைக்கு அனுப்பி வைத்தனர்.

மைதிலியின் தற்கொலை தொடர்பாக அவரது நண்பர்கள் மற்றும் பல்கலைக்கழக பேராசிரியர்களிடம் போலீசார் விசாரணை மேற்கொண்டு வருகிறார்கள். மைதிலி தற்கொலை செய்து கொண்டது குறித்து ஓசூரில் வசிக்கும் அவருடைய பெற்றோருக்கும் தகவல் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டது. அவர்கள் உடனடியாக திருவாரூர் வந்தனர்.

மைதிலியின் உடல் பிரேத பரிசோதனைக்கு பிறகு பெற்றோரிடம் ஒப்படைக்கப்பட்டது. மாணவியின் தற்கொலைக்கான காரணம் குறித்து நன்னிலம் போலீசார் வழக்குப்பதிவு செய்து தீவிர விசாரணை நடத்தி வருகிறார்கள்.

பல்கலைக்கழக விடுதியில் மாணவி தற்கொலை செய்து கொண்ட விவகாரம் திருவாரூரில் பெரும் பரபரப்பை ஏற்படுத்தி உள்ளது.

Gauhati Varsity Offered 21 Unapproved Courses, Gave False Affidavits To UGC: CAG

The Gauhati University has jeopardised the career prospects of nearly 74,000 students and collected Rs 39 crore as enrolment fees from them by offering 21 unapproved courses through its distance learning centre for seven years, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has said in a report.

The findings of the CAG were tabled during the ongoing Winter Session of the Assam Assembly.

Guwahati:

The Gauhati University has jeopardised the career prospects of nearly 74,000 students and collected Rs 39 crore as enrolment fees from them by offering 21 unapproved courses through its distance learning centre for seven years, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has said in a report.

The findings of the CAG, tabled during the ongoing Winter Session of the Assam Assembly, also says that the oldest university of the northeast had submitted multiple false affidavits to the UGC, assuring the commission that it will not start any new distance course without approval.

The CAG said that the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), with approval of the Distance Education Council (DEC), had recognised the Institute of Distance and Open Learning (IDOL) of the Gauhati University (GU) in August 2010 for offering eight courses for three years from 2010-11.

"It was specifically instructed that IDOL, GU shall not offer any other course through distance mode other than the eight courses," the report said, adding that later the approval was extended by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for five more years from 2013-14 to 2017-18.

The recognition was offered based on recommendations of the joint committee comprising the UGC, DEC and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), it said.

"Audit observed that IDOL, GU had offered 21 unapproved courses beyond the approved eight courses through ODL (open and distance learning) mode during the year 2010-11 to 2016-17," the CAG said.

It pointed out that the DEC and the IGNOU had clearly stated in July 2013 that courses offered by the GU through distance mode other than the eight approved courses were not recognised by the DEC and such degrees were not valid for jobs in central government services.

"Audit also observed that 73,912 students were enrolled in 19 courses out of 21 unapproved courses during the year 2010-11 to 2016-17 and the GU collected fees of Rs 39.06 crore on these unapproved courses," the report highlighted.

It said there was no admission in MSc-Mathematics and PGD-Insurance Management.

The CAG found the GU had submitted affidavits to the UGC "from time to time" assuring the commission that it will not start any new distance education programme "without prior approval of UGC", and in anticipation of recognition of such courses.

"As such, the GU submitted false affidavits for getting an extension of the recognition of IDOL," it said. On being questioned, GU replied in October 2017 and December 2018 that the unapproved courses were offered in anticipation of approval, but they were discontinued from the academic year 2017, the Auditor General said in the report.

"The reply was not tenable because the courses were offered without the approval of UGC and AICTE," the report said.

On being enquired by the audit, the UGC said in February 2018 that no university can offer programmes through distance mode without obtaining prior and specific approval from the commission, it said.

"Moreover, false affidavit submitted by the GU indicated that the university had not even approached for such approval," the report stressed.

The CAG said that the matter was reported to the government in August 2018, but no reply has come yet.

"The GU was offering unapproved courses risking the career prospects of the students as degrees under such courses were not valid for jobs in central government services," it added.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Karnataka colleges spent only 44% UGC funds

TNN | Dec 2, 2019, 06.08 AM IST

BENGALURU: While educationists lament lack of funds, the University Grants Commission (UGC) allocated Rs 19.8 crore to Karnataka colleges in the past seven years, but they utilised less than half of it, just Rs 8.8 crore.

Of the 513 colleges eligible for funds in the state, only around 200 used the allocation optimally. Government colleges account for huge sums of unutilised funds.

In reply to an RTI plea, UGC said the amount was released under three schemes — construction of women’s hostels, for sports infrastructure & equipment and general development assistance.

Colleges must return unused funds: UGC

While Rs 11.8 crore was announced as general development assistance, only Rs 6.4 crore was released and Rs 4.9 crore utilised. Under the Rs 5.4 crore allocated for development of sports infrastructure, only Rs 2.4 crore released and Rs 2.1 crore was used. Under the scheme to construct hostels, only Rs 1.7 crore of the total Rs 2.5 crore available was put to use. The amount released but unitilised has to be returned to UGC.

UGC sources said the released amount falling short of allocation is due to colleges not submitting plans and seeking funds.

While the time limit to utilise these funds expired in March 2019, the statutory body extended it to March 2020. However, officials don’t think there will be much of a change in the next three months.

The RTI reply also points out that UGC, time and again, apprised the department of collegiate education and state higher education council about allocation getting lapsed for lack of initiative from colleges.

“The reasons for the lapse vary but are mostly operational matters like frequent change of principals affecting timely completion of projects. The lack of good leadership is a major factor,” said an official of the higher education department.

In many colleges, teachers close to retirement are appointed as principals and they don’t want to take up new responsibilities. There are also no adequate teaching staff who can take up new projects. The bureacracy in construction agencies (also government bodies) makes it difficult for projects to start. All these lead to colleges not utilising the amount released,” he added.