VIT Convocation

 

Single test for UG seats in central univs from ’21

Single test for UG seats in central univs from ’21

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:26.12.2020

In a move to end the tyranny of cut-off marks based on Class XII board exams in college admissions, the government has set up a seven-member committee to recommend modalities for conducting a “high quality aptitude test” for admission to undergraduate programmes in central universities. The plan will take effect from the 2021-22 academic session, said Amit Khare, secretary, ministry of higher education.

The computer-based common test, to be conducted by the National Testing Agency, will have one general test and multiple subjectspecific tests.

‘All aspirants should appear for common & subject-specific tests’

UGC Chairperson Prof D PSingh said the committee is expected to submit its recommendations within a month. Officials of the ministry of education (MoE) said it would give an opportunity to universities to enrol aspirants with “aptitude” for a course and also eliminate the need to appear in multiple admission and entrance exams. The minimum eligibility to be set for the test would also ensure that more candidates are eligible for admission.

For example, at present any unreserved candidate with even 90% in the ‘best of four’ Class XII Board papers cannot secure a seat in the commerce stream in most of Delhi University (DU) colleges.

But even a candidate with 60% will be able to sit for the common entrance exam and possibly qualify for admissions. Moreover, difference in evaluation scheme of various Boards has been a concern for UG admissions. Typically higher scoring science stream students edge out aspirants in social science subjects on the basis of Class XII board marks.

According to MoE sources, all aspirants will have to appear for the common aptitude test (comprising verbal and quantitative ability and logical reasoning), followed by subjectspecific tests. The National Education Policy, 2020 envisaged that NTA “will work to offer a high-quality common aptitude test, as well as specialised common subject exams in the sciences, humanities, languages, arts, and vocational subjects, at least twice every year.

“These exams shall test conceptual understanding ... Students will be able to choose the subjects for taking the test, and each university will be able to see each student’s individual subject portfolio and admit students into their programmes based on individual interests and talents”.

While the policy speaks of offering the exam a maximum of two times in a year, Khare said it would be conducted only once for the 2021-22 session.

The seven-member committee will be chaired by Professor R P Tiwari, vice chancellor of Central University of Punjab, Bathinda. The other members include VCs of DU, Central University of South Bihar, Central University of Mizoram and Banaras Hindu University, along with director general of NTA and joint secretary (central universities) of MoE.

As per UGC, as of June 2020, there are 54 central universities in the country.

மாணவர்களுக்கு மருத்துவப்படிப்பு கட்டணம் முதல்வருக்கு

மாணவர்களுக்கு மருத்துவப்படிப்பு கட்டணம் முதல்வருக்கு 

உயர்நீதிமன்றம் பாராட்டு

Added : டிச 25, 2020 01:23


மதுரை:தனியார் மருத்துவக் கல்லுாரியில் சேரும் தகுதியான அரசுப் பள்ளி மாணவர்களுக்கு கட்டணத்தை அரசே ஏற்கும் தமிழக முதல்வரின் சலுகை அறிவிப்பை பாராட்ட வேண்டும் என உயர்நீதிமன்ற மதுரைக் கிளை உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது.

பரமக்குடி பிடாரிசேரி கார்த்திகாஜோதி தாக்கல் செய்த மனு:என் பெற்றோர் கூலி தொழிலாளிகள். மருத்துவப் படிப்பு மாணவர் சேர்க்கையில் அரசு பள்ளி மாணவர்களுக்கான 7.5 சதவீத உள்ஒதுக்கீடு அடிப்படையில், தனியார் மருத்துவக் கல்லுாரில் எனக்கு இடம் கிடைத்தது. கட்டணம் செலுத்த இயலாததால் சேர முடியவில்லை.தனியார் மருத்துவக் கல்லுாரிகளில் சேரும் தகுதியான அரசுப் பள்ளி மாணவர்களுக்கு கட்டணத்தை அரசே ஏற்பதாக தமிழக முதல்வர் அறிவித்தார்.

இதனடிப்படையில் எனக்கு மருத்துவப் படிப்பில் இடம் ஒதுக்க வேண்டும். இவ்வாறு கார்த்திகா ஜோதி குறிப்பிட்டார்.நீதிபதி எஸ்.வைத்தியநாதன் உத்தரவு: தனியார் மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகளில் சேரும் தகுதியான மாணவர்களுக்கு அரசே கட்டணம் செலுத்தும் சிறந்த முடிவை தமிழக முதல்வர் எடுத்துள்ளார். அது தொடர்பான அறிவிப்பு தனியார் கல்லுாரியில் கிடைத்த வாய்ப்பை மனுதாரர் நிராகரித்த பின் வெளியாகியுள்ளது.

அகில இந்திய ஒதுக்கீட்டில் திரும்ப ஒப்படைத்த இடங்களில் இருப்பு மற்றும் மதிப்பெண் அடிப்படையில் மனுதாரர் போன்றவர்களுக்கு வாய்ப்பளிக்க பரிசீலிக்கப்படலாம்.மக்களுக்கு சேவையாற்ற தகுதியான டாக்டர்களை உருவாக்கும் நோக்கில் முதல்வரின் முடிவு அமைந்து உள்ளது.

மருத்துவப் படிப்பு மற்றும் உயர் படிப்பிற்கு சீட் பெற ஒருவர் அதிக பணம் செலவிட்டால், பணம் ஈட்டவே முயற்சிப்பார். சேவை செய்ய முன்வரமாட்டார். தமிழக முதல்வரின் சலுகை அறிவிப்பை பாராட்ட வேண்டும்.மனுதாரர் மற்றும் மாணவர்கள் அருண், சவுந்தர்யா, கவுசல்யாவிற்கு தலா ஒரு இடத்தை காலியாக வைக்க வேண்டும். விசாரணை ஜன., 7க்கு ஒத்திவைக்கப்படுகிறது என்றார்.

Despite Pongal dole, lakhs yet to convert PDS cards

Despite Pongal dole, lakhs yet to convert PDS cards

This is despite the cardholders given two weeks for applying conversion which ended on December 20. 

Published: 25th December 2020 05:37 AM 

By B Anbuselvan

Express News Service

CHENNAI: As many as 3.77 lakh families have decided to continue with their sugar ration cards, which will make them ineligible for Rs 2,500 cash and gift hamper announced by the State government for Pongal festival. Surprisingly, while the government has parked about Rs 100 crore additionally anticipating about 3.75 lakh sugar cards may get converted into rice cards to avail the cash benefit, only 1.96 lakh sugar card holders have applied for card changeover.

This is despite the card holders given two weeks for applying conversion which ended on December 20. 

The State has 49,472 cards which won’t get any commodities from ration shops. With this, a total of 4.19 lakh families won’t get the Pongal gift. A recently issued G.O. pegged the total expenditure for distributing Pongal gifts to 2.1 crore ration card holders at Rs 5,604.76 crore, which includes Rs 100 crore earmarked for 3.75 lakh sugar card holders.

Official sources from the Civil Supplies Department said many card holders might have shown reluctancy for conversion as they have to give up their privilege of higher quantities of sugar. The Non-Priority HouseHold - Sugar (NPHH - S) type cards which are called ‘sugar cards’ are eligible for all the commodities except rice. About 500 grams of sugar per head is given to all card holders subject to a maximum of 2 kg per month.

In addition, sugar cards are eligible for 500 gm per head additionally subjected to the maximum of 3 kg. “Though the government projected migration of 3.75 sugar cards to rice in view of Pongal gift, many seems to be not interested to give up their additional sugar,” sources said. A close look into the data has revealed that the total number of sugar cards which stood at 10.01 lakh in 2018 had come down to 5.73 lakh in 2019 and further plunged to 3.77 lakh as of December.

Sources said in view of possible legal embargo, the government has taken a policy decision that those who are eligible for free rice can be given a Pongal gift. Subsequently, it has announced a special drive conversion of the cards online. All those who applied for card conversion have been granted approval, said a senior official. The State government issues five types of ration cards, of which people belonging to below poverty line are given Priority HouseHold (PHH) and Priority HouseHold - Antyodaya Anna Yojana (PHH-AAY) cards as per the norms prescribed in National Food Security Act.

The remaining three types of cards issued as per the preferences of the families who are considered to be living above the poverty line. The expenses of commodities were fully funded by the State government.

HC comes to the aid of medical aspirants

 

MCh in surgical oncology costs ₹75L at college

ANNUAL FEE

MCh in surgical oncology costs ₹75L at college

Sunitha.Rao@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru: 25.12.2020

Centralised counselling by the medical counselling committee (MCC) under the Union health ministry is under way for admission to super-specialty courses and MCh in surgical oncology is emerging as one of the costliest specialties in Karnataka.

The course costs Rs 75 lakh a year at Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) in Bengaluru, with an additional miscellaneous fee of Rs 88,000, as per its website. Those with MS in general surgery and ENT among others are eligible to take the course.

Social media is agog with criticism over the Rs 2.2-crore cost for the three-year course. Critics are calling it a mockery of the ‘affordable’ medical education in India. The cost was in fact Rs 1 crore per year in 2019. VIMS has five seats for the course.

In contrast, it costs Rs 2.4 lakh in the first year at government-run Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology. The hospital has 11 seats of MCh of surgical oncology. “Our charges are fixed by the RGUHS. In the first year, the fee is Rs 2.4 lakh and for the next two consecutive years, it is Rs 2 lakh each. The total fee will be Rs 6.4 lakh. The medicos get Rs 60,000 stipend per month and earn Rs 7.2 lakh per year as they pursue it,” said Dr C Ramachandra, director, KMIO. The course costs Rs 40 lakh per year at MS Ramaiah Medical College.

According to VIMS authorities, admission cost for the course has been reduced this year due to the pandemic. “Fee is fixed by the management and there is high demand for MCh in surgical oncology. The high cost of modern equipment used in our hospital and salary paid to the teaching faculty are all to be considered while fixing the fee,” said Dr G Prabhakar, principal, VIMS. “As of now, there are no changes in the admission fee of candidates who joined the course in the previous years,” he added.

Doctors opined the cost of super-specialty courses is a clear indication of the public health scenario. “The longevity of our population has improved. Ability to diagnose and treat cases has also improved with technical advancement. With surgical care now available for certain types of cancer, surgical oncology has now come into the picture,” said Dr Hemant T, registrar, MS Ramaiah Medical College.

According to him, the admission fee is less for DM cardiology as more seats are available in the discipline. “There are also Diplomate of National Board courses run by hospitals for DM cardiology at a lower cost. Medical colleges cannot compete with DNB fees,” he added. DNB fees are in the range of a couple of lakh rupees.

NOT THE RIGHT STEP

Becoming a super specialist will become a distant dream for many doctors as private colleges fix very high fees. This is not a move in the right direction when the government wants to make medical education affordable. Sadly, the role of universities like RGUHS is limited and we can’t intervene in fixing the cost

Dr H J Jai Krishna |

SYNDICATE MEMBER, RGUHS

As per the fee details put out by VIMS, a seat in MCh plastic surgery costs Rs 7.5 lakh a year, the lowest in terms of admission cost in the college. The second lowest fee is for DM cardiology (Rs 27 lakh)

HC relief for three med aspirants

HC relief for three med aspirants

Madurai:25.12.2020

Granting relief to three aggrieved MBBS aspirants who applied for seats under the 7.5% quota for government school students but could not make it due to different reasons, Madras high court directed the authorities to keep three seats vacant when the All India Quota seats are surrendered.

Petitioner G Kathikajothi had got placement under the quota in a private college but since it required her to pay more fees, she did not accept it. Justice S Vaidyanathan observed that chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had made a commitment that fees would be borne by the government for meritorious students who could not pay them in private colleges. The offer had been made after the petitioner refused to accept the seat. Hence, the judge said that the gesture shown by the CM may be applied for the petitioner depending upon seat availability, marks scored and the surrender of seats in All India Quota. TNN