Med edu rule tweak to hit MSc, PhD degree-holders

Med edu rule tweak to hit MSc, PhD degree-holders

NMC Changes Proportion Of Non-Clinical Faculty

Rema.Nagarajan@timesgroup.com

28.03.2021 

In the midst of soaring demand for faculty with hundreds of medical colleges being opened across India, the National Medical Commission’s (NMC) teacher eligibility and qualification guidelines have slashed the proportion of teachers with MSc/PhD degree in non-clinical subjects from medical colleges who can be hired as faculty. This change in guideline is expected to affect thousands with such degrees already teaching in medical colleges and those studying for these degrees.

Earlier guidelines of the Medical Council of India allowed the appointment of candidates with medical MSc/PhD qualifications to be appointed as teachers in the five non-clinical specialities to the extent of 30% (50% in Biochemistry) of the total faculty strength.

The National MSc Medical Teachers Association (NMMTA) has launched a nation-wide agitation against the new guidelines. NMC was expected to carry forward the MCI’s guidelines. The draft released for public feedback by NMC was in tune with the MCI norms. However, when the finalized norms were published through a gazette notification, the permissible percentage was halved to 15% in Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry and completely removed for Pharmacology and Microbiology disciplines, sending shockwaves among the Medical MSc/PhD community.

In an FAQ released subsequently, it was clarified that the latest notification would apply to new medical colleges starting 2021-22 MBBS batch. The guidelines would also apply to existing colleges that seek to enhance MBBS seats. Also, all new appointments in old and new medical colleges alike would be as per the new norms.

“Despite an increase in the MD seats in the non-clinical specialities, 40-50% of them remain vacant each year, as most MBBS graduates prefer PG in clinical specialities. Therefore, faculty deficiency in the non-clinical specialities will continue. The faculty positions in many colleges are still vacant despite several rounds of interviews as candidates with MBBS/MD qualifications are unavailable. Suitably qualified teachers with Medical MSc/PhD qualifications could fill that void”, stated Arjun Maitra, General Secretary of NMMTA. He added NMC being doctordominated was prejudiced against non-doctors and sought the health ministry’s intervention in the matter.

“With the new guidelines in place, the current faculties, especially in pharmacology and microbiology, would be forced to remain in the same job. With no other prospects, these faculties could be subjected to a variety of harassments and denials of opportunities including promotions or salary hikes”, said Dr Sridhar Rao, President of the association.

“Hundreds of such teachers are currently working on tenure or contract basis. Medical colleges are refusing to continue or renew their services citing the new guidelines. All of them would be rendered jobless. NMC’s statement that existing faculties wouldn’t be affected is untrue. Tutors are being denied promotions. A couple of teachers have already been sacked”, said Maitra.

“Over a thousand students, who are pursuing their 3-year Medical MSc courses in the 35-odd medical colleges across India, will be affected”, said Dr Ayan Das, joint secretary representing Delhi.

The practice of appointing non-doctors as teachers in non-clinical subjects dates back to the 1960s, when there was an acute shortage of teachers with MBBS/MD qualifications.

COURSE CHANGE

Co-Win to have hourly slots instead of wider window

Co-Win to have hourly slots instead of wider window

Those Aged 45+ Can Register Now

Neha.Madaan@timesgroup.com

Pune:28.03.2021 

Vaccination slots on Co-Win will be fine-tuned to have hourly and two-hourly slots from the current wider “forenoon” and “afternoon” windows to benefit beneficiaries booking prior appointments, RS Sharma, who heads the committee overseeing the vaccine delivery system, told TOI on Saturday.

“Once we reach a higher scale of vaccination, the system will automatically start fine-tuning slots to hourly and two-hourly windows, compared to the existing forenoon and afternoon slot options. The objective is to encourage more and more online appointments instead of direct walk-ins at vaccination centres,” Sharma said.

He added, “Walk-ins can create uncertainties at times, as this process depends on availability of sufficient walk-in slots on a particular day. However, pre-registering and booking appointments online for specific time slots takes care of such issues and ensures a smooth, hassle-free process.”

Sharma said fine-tuned time slots are also likely to reduce crowding at vaccination centres and chances of people being turned away despite prior registration.

The wider “forenoon” and “afternoon” slots have caused issues as people were not being offered a more specific time window to visit a vaccination centre.

For instance, a person arriving at 1pm (part of the wider afternoon slot) may have to wait in a crowded queue for hours to get the shot. A narrower 1pm-2pm slot, instead, can improve the experience.

Sharma also said with the addition of the 45-plus age group, the country is likely to reach 50 lakh vaccinations per day after April 1. The average number of people receiving the jab daily currently stands at 25 lakh.

He said registrations have already started for people from this priority group. “Anyone aged 45 or above can now start registering on Co-Win website as changes have already been made to the system. Those scheduling appointments in this age group for April 1, or after that, will not be required to carry a comorbidity certificate,” he added.

Senior health ministry officials said Co-Win has been prepared to handle the extra load.

“The system will not crash,” an official said. The beneficiaries from April will also include those who’re up for their second dose (especially Covaxin).

Ministry officials said they expect the number of Covid vaccine doses administered in India from April 1 to cross 40 lakh doses per day, or more. “The increase will be closely linked to states’ capacity and planning. But Co-Win is indeed prepared to handle so many vaccinations per day,” a health ministry official said.

The objective of hourly slots is to encourage more and more online appointments instead of direct walk-ins at vaccination centres

Tough questions don’t make a good exam

TOI INTERVIEW

Tough questions don’t make a good exam

28.03.2021 

The National Testing Agency has revamped the conduct of some of India’s biggest exams. Its DG Vineet Joshi tells Manash Gohain of the initiatives it will implement under the NEP. Excerpts from the interview:

What are the pros and cons of computer-based models?

A: The biggest advantage of the computer-based test is the candidate has the freedom and the flexibility to change their answers. Many a times a candidate feels he or she has not been given the full three hours because somebody might say that the paper was given late, or it was collected early. On a computer-based test you can check the clock on the computer to confirm you have got the full three hours.

In a computer-based test, since the logistics involved are lesser, we can organise it in many cities. Also since we are able to declare results faster, we are also able to conduct some exams twice a year.

How does NTA ensure the same difficulty level, errorfree translation and normalisation process for exams written multiple times over multiple sessions?

A: We ensure that every group appearing in one shift are of similar type and that is decided randomly. We ensure that the male to female ratio, the ratio between various categories, the ratio of candidates appearing from across different states is similar. After that, if there was any difference in the difficulty level, we equate these different candidates on the basis of percentile, and then we decide the rank.

What are the initiatives NTA will implement under the new education policy (NEP)?

A: As far as NTA’s role in improvement in entrance examinations is concerned, the policy says that there will be one examination which will be conducted for admission to higher educational institutions. It will consist of two parts -- the aptitude test and the subject test. This can be voluntarily undertaken by all the universities across the country so that it reduces the burden on the candidate. What we have been told by the ministry of education is for the upcoming academic session (2021-22), if everything goes fine, the admission to higher educational institutions, especially in the central universities, could happen through one entrance examination. Things are still under discussion, and a final decision needs to be taken.

What has been the biggest challenge the NTA faced?

A: To change the mindset of the question paper-setters. The same goes for people who are taking the tests. In India, what is generally accepted is that a difficult question paper is a better question paper. And that candidates who are doing well, are better. But difficulty does not mean you created a test of a higher level. Difficulty could be challenging a candidate by maintaining the same level at which he or she is studying, while making it interesting, more application-oriented, bringing three four concepts together.

Unfortunately, what we have been doing so far in most of our exams is that we raised the difficulty level. This leads to candidates getting frustrated. They do not take much interest in whatever they are learning inside the classroom and they also feel that whatever is being learned inside the classroom is useless.

NTA has emerged as one of the largest exam conducting bodies globally. Can it match global standards?

A: We are already conducting a very big competitive examination at a pan-India level. Though in terms of numbers you will say that it's China's Gaokao (the country’s national college entrance examination) is the largest exams with about one crore plus candidates. But it is conducted only in a few languages. For NEET, we have conducted it for 16 lakh candidates in 11 languages. So, doing such a big examination in these many languages is the first of its kind globally. With our following the best practices of the world, which are there in terms of ensuring validity and the reliability we are on the path to becoming one of the best exam conducting agencies in the world.

Many who paid for foreign tours last yr yet to get refund

Many who paid for foreign tours last yr yet to get refund

Manju .V@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:28.03.2021 

Summer holiday revellers who paid lakhs for foreign destination group tours that were cancelled last summer because of the lockdown are yet to receive a refund. The matter is now with the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), which issued a show cause notice to a top tour operator last week.

The governments in other countries have been strict in imposing consumer rights, said Advocate Shirish Deshpande, chairman, Mumbai Grahak Panchayat, a consumer rights body. For instance, European Commission sent comprehensive directions last year to tour operators to respect consumers’ right to refund; Competition and Market Authority-UK in July last year warnsed tour operators of strict action in case of consumer rights violations; UK has also initiated investigations in many such cases; US-Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued guidelines for refund compliance.

In India, the tourism ministry has passed on the matter to state governments concerned. “This ministry has regularly been requesting hotels, tour operators… to waive off cancellation charges and refund advance payments to consumers up to the extent possible or explore an amicable resolution...” said the March 11 letter sent by Meenakshi Mehta, joint director general, tourism ministry, to state governments. It asked the state government concerned to address and resolve the refund issue.

On March 17, Anupam Mishra, the CCPA commissioner, issued a show cause notice to Veena World after MGP, in February, filed consumer complaints against a top tour operator alleging unfair trade practices. “Violating the right to full refund of the entire class of consumers, compelling them to accept credit shell, wrongful deduction of exorbitant charges...” were some of the points in the show cause notice.

Veena Patil of Veena World said: “Our legal team will be responding to the show cause notice, point by point. We have always been open, we communicate our position, be it to MGP or others.” She added that Veena World had reopened domestic group tour bookings on January 14 for group tours to Kashmir, Kullu Manali, North East, Andaman and the like.

“Till date, over 10,000 have booked and 8,300 have travelled so far. More than 4,000 were guests who had booked foreign group tours that got cancelled last year. In case of senior citizens, the credit amount is transferrable to their blood relations,” Patil said.

There is no official data on the quantum of sum trapped in credit with tour companies. But an MGP survey, that covered about 2,700 affected people found that the big tour operators (Veena World, Kesari, Makemytrip, Mango, Neem and Thomas Cook) owed over Rs 43 crore to these respondents. “The actual amount lying in credit with these operators would be much higher,” said Deshpande. “Of the 2,700 survey respondents, about 1,800 were senior citizens. They have no means to legal recourse,” he said, adding that most were from Maharashtra.

JUST PICTURE POSTCARDS

Attendance dips at DK colleges

Attendance dips at DK colleges

Kevin.Mendonsa@timesgroup.com

Mangaluru:28.03.2021 

Schools and colleges in Dakshina Kannada district are reporting a drop in attendance amid concerns over Covid-19. Some parents are wary of sending the children to campuses.

Students from Kerala are missing classes because of the mandatory Covid-19 testing requirement. People travelling from the neighbouring state must furnish a Covid-19 negative certificate to enter Karnataka. Vittal K, the principal of Kittel Memorial PU College, told STOI that a girl student from Kerala had not attended classes for the past few weeks. “It is due to the mandatory RTPCR test. We will have a clear picture of the attendance in PU colleges on Monday,” he said.

A professor from Mangalore University College in Hampankatta said that local students were also avoiding classes. One deemed university has temporarily shut its constituent colleges and Mangalore University has suspended PG classes on its main campus after cases were reported there.

New wave may be severe, say experts as cases climb

New wave may be severe, say experts as cases climb

TIPPING POINT: Doctors Warn There Is No Room For Complacency

Cases Among Young Kids And Students Pose New Challenges

Sunitha.Rao@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:28.03.2021 

With Karnataka now reporting more than 2,500 Covid-19 cases a day, experts have warned that the second wave could be severe. Health minister K Sudhakar also expressed concerns about the surge on Saturday.

“There are about 2.8 lakh cases in Maharashtra, 24,000 in Kerala, 22,000 in Punjab and 19,000 in Karnataka. It is clear that the second wave has begun. If we don’t curb activities, the danger is imminent,” he said, urging citizens to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour. He added that Karnataka’s daily positivity rate of 1.6 per cent was slightly higher than the national average of 1.5 per cent.

According to epidemiologist Dr Giridhara R Babu, a member of the state technical advisory committee on Covid-19, multiple factors are at play and there are some unanswered questions. “We don’t know what proportion of the current cases are reinfections. We don’t know because the patients probably didn’t know it the first time in the absence of symptoms,” he said. Antibodies that work against coronavirus may have waned and the same strain may have resulted in reinfection.

Dr Babu is concerned about the spread of newer variants of the virus. According to a recent study by Nimhans, 34 lineages of the virus have been detected in Bengaluru. “The new variants might be more infectious, spreading among people in a shorter period. But this has not been proved. The surge is real and we need to find out why it is happening. For this, we will have to track a group of people who had Covid-19 earlier and test them again,” he said.

The government also needs to commission cell culture or in vitro studies to ascertain how fast new variants spread. “If resources are made available, there are several advanced laboratories where this research work can be conducted,” he added.

Another way to understand the virus transmission rate is by conducting contact tracing and identifying the variant in the index case. The same should be checked among the primary and secondary contacts. “The results should be compared with the infectiousness of other variants,” Dr Babu said, adding the pace of vaccination must pick up.

Dr CN Manjunath said the latest infection trends should be analysed. “It’s too early to say whether the second wave is going to be worse. The impact of the resurgence of the old strain, in addition to new variants around, is not known,” he said.

BEST SHOT: People register for vaccination in Bengaluru on Saturday

Oppn, govt argue over numbers

Opposition leader Siddaramaiah on Saturday accused the state government of lying about the Covid-19 deaths, claiming the health and planning & statistics departments had mentioned different figures. “The health department said 12,090 people died because of Covid-19 in the state till December 2020, while the statistics department put this figure at 22,320. Which one is true?” Siddaramaiah asked.

He alleged that the government had also lied about procurement of medical supplies (masks, sanitisers, PPE kits) and demanded a white paper on the actual number of Covid-19 cases, including deaths, treatment details and compensation paid.

Health minister K Sudhakar termed the allegations as false. “The government has no intention to hide statistics. It is not possible to hide or fudge data,” he said. On the different figures cited by the said departments, he said the chief registrar of births and deaths had clarified that the numbers were provisional entries and subject to reconciliation.

At 73, retired teacher places ad for partner

At 73, retired teacher places ad for partner

Shrinivasa.M@timesgroup.com

Mysuru:28.03.2021 

A matrimonial advertisement published by a 73-year-old retired teacher seeking a husband has triggered debate and discussion in the city and online, with many cheering her boldness and positive attitude, and others advising caution against frauds.

In the ad, the woman sought an alliance from any healthy man older than her, and mandatorily a Brahmin, of her community. She said she is leading a lonely life and looking for a “jeevana sangati”. She told STOI: “I don’t have a family of my own. My parents are no more. My first marriage ended in divorce. I fear staying alone. Thoughts that I may fall at home and fail to get help or fear of walking home from the bus stop have led me to look for a life partner.”

She said her marriage and divorce were painful and the hurt prevented her from contemplating remarriage all these years. More than a spouse in the traditional sense, she added, what she needs now is a “companion for the rest of my life”. The advertisement, widely shared on social media, drew applause from many who said her decision would break cultural stereotypes in society.

Roopa Hassan, an activist, said the septuagenarian most likely feared loneliness and has thus chosen to look for a partner at this age, having led an independent life so far. “She should be very careful about her decision, or else, criminals may take advantage of it. The best move would be to find a life partner through trustworthy organisations,” Hassan said.

Raveesh BN, a psychiatry professor, said the ad should be an eye-opener for society where old people are most often neglected.