Despite protests and social media campaign by medical students, MUHS firm about conducting offline exams

Despite protests and social media campaign by medical students, MUHS firm about conducting offline exams

The university authorities said that these students are future doctors and they are expected to step up in emergency situations. Exams for second-year medical students are set to begin on June 10.

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/future-doctors-have-to-step-up-muhs-to-conduct-offline-exams-despite-protests-by-students-7343893/

Written by Alifiya Khan | Pune |

Updated: June 4, 2021 6:48:49 pmNavi Mumbai Municipal Corporation staff along with students from Terna Medical College donne PPE's and travel in a special bus to reach the door to door survey location in Juinagar , Navi Mumbai.(Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)

For the last few weeks, medical students from the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) have been protesting against the decision of the university and state government to conduct written exams in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Citing risk to life and fear of contracting the infection, the students have been running a sustained social media campaign and have even filed a case in the Bombay High Court, which is expected to come up for hearing soon.

However, the university authorities said that cancellation of offline exams is not an option since the students are future doctors and are expected to step up in an emergency situation. Exams for second-year medical students are expected to start from June 10.

Dr Nitin Karmalkar, acting vice-chancellor of MUHS, said he was aware of the students’ demands but it was not possible to accept them. “There was a meeting about 10 days ago chaired by Minister of Medical Education Amit Deshmukh, and attended by the director and secretary of the state Medical Education department, me and others. The ministry decided to go ahead with the exams. The comparison with the decision to cancel Class 12 and 10 exams, which students are doing, is unreasonable… these are medical students who will go on to be doctors, who are expected to handle emergency duties. This is an important and noble profession, we can’t conduct remote exams for these students. Since their number is small, we can ensure strict social distancing and complete Covid protocol while students come to examination centres,” he said.

Meanwhile, the students cited the example of Dr Rahul Pawar, a medical student at Maharashtra Institute of Medical Science and Research in Latur, who died recently. The student had started showing symptoms of Covid-19 infection a few days after completing his final examination in April.

“We are not scared of exams but we also have families. The university can conduct the exams one month after vaccinating all of us,” said a student from Ambejogai.

Many students have also been complaining about the strict lockdown situation in their districts, making it difficult for them to reach exam centres. Rohit Salunkhe, one of the students, tweeted, “My examination centre is 65 km away from where I live. Public and private transport is currently closed due to the lockdown. Please tell us how to reach the examination centre?”

Sumaiya Nadeem, another medical student, tweeted that her flight from Kolkata to Pune has been cancelled and she is now looking for another flight. She said she will also have to repeat her RT- PCR test, mandatory before boarding flights.

Asked about students who are stuck in other cities, Karmalkar said that they were not supposed to leave for their hometowns in the first place. “Our hostels and campus are safe places; students knew exams are approaching so they were supposed to be here. In any case, if students are facing difficulties due to transport and lockdown, they can approach us. I have personally not received any application so far in this regard,” he said.

All colleges and institutions imparting education in health sciences in Maharashtra are affiliated to the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), headquartered in Nashik. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate studies and research in modern medicine and Indian systems of medicine, including undergraduate degrees like Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery (BAMS), Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS), Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS), as well as degrees in dental and nursing courses.

Decision on extension of lockdown today

Decision on extension of lockdown today

Stalin chairs a meeting of officials

05/06/2021

The Hindu 

Taking stock: Chief Minister M.K. Stalin reviewing the COVID situation at a meeting with officials in Chennai on Friday.

Special CorrespondentCHENNAI

The Tamil Nadu government will announce on Saturday whether or not the intense lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the State will be extended beyond the morning of June 7.

On Friday, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin chaired a meeting of officials to discuss the situation. An official said the decision would be announced formally on Saturday.

Chief Secretary V. Irai Anbu, Director-General of Police J.K. Tripathy, Finance Secretary S. Krishnan, Commissioner of Revenue Administration K. Phanindra Reddy, Revenue Secretary Kumar Jayant, Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan, Commissioner of the Greater Chennai Corporation Gagandeep Singh Bedi and senior officials were present.```

Pension norms eased for families of deceased staff

Pension norms eased for families of deceased staff

Several govt. employees have died of COVID-19, says Centre

05/06/2021

S. Vijay Kumar CHENNAI

The Union government has written to all Ministries relaxing the norms for disbursing pension to families of deceased employees considering their urgent need of funds for their livelihood.

The authorities have been told to disburse the provisional family pension immediately after receiving the claim with a death certificate.

According to sources in the Railways, the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions wrote to the Railway Board and Secretaries of all Ministries on Thursday on simplified payment of family pension, death gratuity and other dues to the family on death of a government servant during service saying that the COVID-19 pandemic had claimed the lives of several government employees during the recent surge.

‘Sole bread-winners’

“In many cases, the deceased employees were the sole bread-winners of their families and the casualties have left families devastated and in an urgent need for funds for livelihood. It is, therefore, incumbent on the government to ensure that the family pension and other entitlements in respect of the deceased employees are released to their families expeditiously,” the advisory said.

Family pension

Stating that the completion of the process for sanction of family pension and its disbursement through the bank could take some time, the department cited provisions under Rule 80-A of the Central Civil Service (Pension) Rules, 1972, that provided for payment of provisional family pension and also provisional death gratuity, pending issue of the Pension Payment Order (PPO).

The advisory urged all Ministries to strictly comply with an earlier order calling for sanction of provisional family pension by the Head of Office immediately on receipt of a claim for family pension and death certificate from the eligible family member, without waiting for forwarding of the family pension case to Pay & Accounts Office (PAO).

Rule 80-A provides for payment of provisional death gratuity by the Head of Office once the family pension/death gratuity case has been forwarded to the PAO.

Regular pension

“Simultaneously, action may be taken on priority basis for disbursement of regular family pension through the bank and for payment of other entitlements of the family on death of the government servant. It may be ensured that the PPO for family pension is issued and disbursement of regular family pension is commenced by the bank not later than one month after the receipt of the claim for family pension,” the communication said.

Ready reckoners

To facilitate expeditious disbursement of all the entitlements of the family on death of a government servant, two separate ready reckoners were sent to all Ministries to calculate the pension and other terminal benefits for employees under the Old Pension Scheme and the National Pension System, the sources added.

Now, Mamata’s picture on vaccine certificates

Now, Mamata’s picture on vaccine certificates

They were issued by the Bengal govt.

05/06/2021

Mamata Banerjee

Special correspondent Kolkata

As the vaccination drive picks up in West Bengal, now certificates of COVID-19 vaccination issued by West Bengal Health Department have a photograph of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The certificates issued by State government’s vaccination on wheels initiative, where a bus has been converted into a mobile vaccination centre, have Ms. Banerjee's photograph.

Along with the picture, the certificate has slogan “Be Alert, Be Safe” in both Bengali and English.

Vaccination certificates have carried photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which in the past was criticised by Trinamool Congress.

Minister and chairperson of Board of Administrators Kolkata Municipal Corporation Firhad Hakim defended the move saying that there is nothing wrong in having photograph of the head of State on certificate.

Bhatariya Janata Party (BJP) State spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said that the Trinamool Congress wants to project that the place that our Prime Minister holds in our parliamentary democracy can be replaced by the Chief Minister. The Trinamool Congress and the BJP leadership also sparred over the GST (Goods and Service Tax) on vaccines by the Centre

Meetings to decide on board exams

Meetings to decide on board exams

05/06/2021

Staff Reporter CHENNAI

The Hindu 

A meeting with representatives from all legislative parties will be held on Saturday via video-conferencing to listen to their views about conducting Class 12 exams for State board students in Tamil Nadu, said School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi.

“The meeting will be held via video-conferencing from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., following which a meeting has been scheduled with health experts, including psychologists and psychiatrists. This is to understand what the mental state of students in Tamil Nadu are with regard to the exams,” the Minister said.

“Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is very clear that students should not be at a disadvantage because of the decision, which is why we are seeking views from all sides before a final decision is made,” he said.

Based on the meetings, a report will be given to the Chief Minister and a final decision will be made by him. “For many years now, Class 12 board exam marks have been the basis for students pursuing higher studies and we do not want any of them to face a roadblock because of this. We are also following the decisions being taken by other Sates with regard to the conduct of board exams,” Mr. Poyyamozhi said.

On Friday, he chaired a meeting with Chief Educational Officers and District Educational Officers and spoke to them about feedback from schools, parents, teachers and students in their jurisdictions. “We have got varying reports from different districts,” he said, when asked what the consensus was on conducting board exams.

HC surprised with Centre counsel’s reply

HC surprised with Centre counsel’s reply

05/06/2021

Press Trust of India New Delhi

The Hindu

The Delhi High Court on Friday was surprised with the submission of Centre’s counsel that Amphotericin B, one of the medicines used for treating black fungus was readily available in the market.

When the court said if the medicine was available in abundance there should not have been so many deaths, Central government standing counsel Kirtiman Singh said people were not dying because of lack of medicines but the disease black fungus itself is dangerous.

Petition in HC challenges MUHS exam on June 10

Petition in HC challenges MUHS exam on June 10

Nagpur Bench to pass order today

05/06/2021

Special CorrespondentMumbai

The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court on Friday said it will pass an order on Saturday in a plea challenging the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences’ (MUHS) decision to conduct physical exams for medical students on June 10.

A single judge Bench of Justice Avinash Gharote was hearing a plea filed by the NGO Herd Foundation and Nitesh Tantarpale, a student, challenging the decision and the direction to sign an undertaking that the State would not be held responsible if students contract COVID-19 while appearing for the exam.

Defending MUHS’s stand, advocate Abhijit Deshpande said, “Two phases of Winter 2020 have been conducted and the third one will begin on June 10. All question papers have been dispatched.”

Advocate Rahul Bhangde, appearing for the petitioners, said that those who had appeared for exams in the first two phases were fully vaccinated, but the 45,000 students who will appear for the exam on June 10 must be vaccinated.

The court said, “So should everything in the country stop till everyone is vaccinated? Let the student get tested before he gets out of the house. Today, even those who are 45 years and above are not getting vaccines, how can students be bypassed? Getting infected is a risk all of us carry.”