NMC withdraws updated syllabus rules on ‘sodomy & lesbianism’

NMC withdraws updated syllabus rules on ‘sodomy & lesbianism’ 

New Delhi : National Medical Commission has withdrawn the Competency Based Medical Education (CBME) Guidelines, 2024, the updated curriculum for medical graduates published last week. The action follows an uproar over the reintroduction of ‘sodomy and lesbianism’ as unnatural sexual offences in the forensic medicine and toxicology curriculum for undergraduate medical students. The CBME guidelines, 2024, also brought back topics such as the hymen and its type, and its medico-legal importance besides defining virginity and defloration, legitimacy and its medicolegal importance. Some of these subjects were done away with in 2022 in accordance with a Madras high court directive. 

NMC on Thursday notified that the circular issuing guidelines under CBME 2024 stands “withdrawn and cancelled” with immediate effect. “The above guidelines will be revised and uploaded in due course,” it said. CBME was introduced in 2019. After five years, NMC amended it to include latest updates. However, many academics pointed out that some of the changes were not only controversial but regressive and that it required a rethink

HC: OCI cardholders can’t avail Hyd-K’taka reservation benefits

HC: OCI cardholders can’t avail Hyd-K’taka reservation benefits

 TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru : Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders are not be eligible for HyderabadKarnataka reservation benefits provided under Article 371J of the Constitution, the Karnataka high court ruled. A division bench consisting of Justice N V Anjaria and Justice K V Aravind passed the order while dismissing a petition filed by Meghana Kuruvalli, an 18-year-old student residing in Bengaluru. Meghana, a UK citizen, sought a direction to the authorities to consider her case for admission to the MBBS and BDS courses for academic year 2024-25 in Karnataka, under the Hyderabad-Karnataka region quota, also known as the Kalyana-Karnataka quota. She claimed eligibility based on her birth in Secunderabad, and having studied for the last six years in Ballari, which falls under the Hyderabad-Karnataka region.

 However, she was instructed to register as a foreign national/OCI, which she argued is contrary to the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Anushka Rengunthwar case. The Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA), though, submitted that according to the Karnataka Selection of Candidates for Admission to Govt Seats in Professional Educational Institutions Rules-2006, OCI cardholders are treated as foreign nationals and only eligible for Non-Resident Indian (NRI) seats in private medical, dental colleges.

GOOD, BUT NOT THE GREAT-EST!

CINEMA OF THE WEEK 

GOOD, BUT NOT THE GREAT-EST! 

The Greatest Of All Time (Action/Thriller) ★★★ Cast: Vijay, Prashanth, Prabhudeva, Mohan, Sneha, Laila, Jayaram, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Vaibhav Direction: Venkat Prabhu Duration: 3 hour 3 minutes Language: Tamil (U/A) 

M S Gandhi (Vijay) a former Special Anti-Terrorist Squad (SATS) officer, embarks on a mission that squares back to his blood, threatening his family life. In the 2007 film ‘Azhagiya Tamil Magan’, Vijay was pitted against his look-alike. Seventeen years later, it’s the same, but now it’s Thalapathy vs Ilaya Thalapathy. A new version for his fans. 

M S Gandhi (Vijay), a highly skilled agent of the Special AntiTerrorist Squad (SATS) is the typical ‘family man’, who hides his occupation from his wife (Sneha). The couple, parents to a boy (Jeevan), are expecting their second child. Gandhi’s SATS team consists of Sunil Thiagarajan (Prashanth), Kalyan Sundaram (Prabhudeva), Ajay (Ajmal Ameer) and their boss Nazeer (Jayaram). On a workcation to Thailand, an unpleasant incident changes his life. Seventeen years on, Gandhi is now an immigration officer, taking care of his daughter who lives with his estranged wife. On a work trip to Russia, he accidentally meets his longlost son Jeevan (a de-aged Vijay). And thus begins a cat-and-mouse game. 

With action and emotional sequences, the first half sets the stage for an interesting interval block, which supposedly packs a punch. The second half has plenty of twists, but the climax— a fanpleaser set during the CSK live match — is a bit of a drag. The story line follows a familiar template, and the narrative, unfortunately, is very easy to foresee. The overall length is a concern, too. The action sequences are just about average, though the face-offs between young and old Vijay are engaging. With a conventional story, the director capitalises on Vijay’s trademark charm. With de-aging technology, he gets to do it twice as well! Vijay pulls off both roles with ease. 

His villainous side is compelling. With Vijaykant as a front, Vijay also sends a ‘political message.’ Mohan as Rajiv Menon, a former SATS officer gone rogue, does a great job as a bad boy, but between the two Vijays, his character gets lost. Prashanth, Prabhudeva, Sneha, Jayram, Meenakshi Chowdary add to Vijay’s charm. Yo gi Babu and Premji bring comic relief, with the former scoring big in the Gandhi-Nehru bit. The de-aging technology has been crafted well, contrary to the comments after the release of the trailer. A few throwback gestures and dialogues from a few of Vijay and Venkat Prabhu’s films are blended naturally without going overboard. 

Yuvan Shankar Raja scores well in action and elevation sequences, but the songs, including the special number with Trisha, are a big letdown. Siddharth Nuni’s cinematography, too, is just about average. Endless fan moments, all mass and no solid substance makes it an average watch. — Ronak Kotecha To review any movie and check show timings visit etimes.in

At RG Kar, CBI probes ‘diversion’ of college fund

At RG Kar, CBI probes ‘diversion’ of college fund 

Rohit.Khanna@timesofindia.com 

Kolkata : CBI started probing alleged money laundering through academic funds diversion and disposal of bio-medical waste in RG Kar Hospital during arrested ex-principal Sandip Ghosh’stenure. The agency has come across allegations of the hospital’s funds being drained in counselling sessions for UG and PG students. 

In a 20-day counselling session, the hospital allegedly spent Rs 14 lakh on hiring CCTV cameras, sound systems, tables, chairs and computer accessories, and a few other expense heads. Expenses for backing up data on a pen drive was between Rs 4,000 and Rs 12,000 per day. Huge amounts were also spent in the name of procuring hybrid Wi-Fi connection, printer toners and other accessories. 

The agency is also examining documents related to work orders for biomedical waste management companies without any treatment facility in Bengal. 

The agency has stumbled upon a complaint in which bio-medical waste was found at dump sites at Barrackpore Municipality and Budge Budge Municipality, several kilometres from the hospital. It was alleged the companies dumped hazardous waste in plastic bags and left them open at these sites. Some other offences may surface during the probe, the agency has told a CBI court that remanded Ghosh earlier this week.

NEWS TO DAY 05.09.2024

 

Nursing colleges get notice over excess fee collection

Nursing colleges get notice over excess fee collection 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 5.9.24

Bengaluru : Flooded by complaints over additional fees being collected from students seeking admission to nursing colleges, the admission overseeing committee has issued a notice to such institutions asking them to adhere to rules. As per Justice B Manohar, who heads the committee, there have been at least six written complaints and numerous phone calls regarding the same. Currently, the fee structure is Rs 10,000 for students admitted under the govt quota, Rs 1 lakh under management quota, and Rs 1.40 lakh for nonKarnataka students. “Some colleges have been demanding up to Rs 1 lakh for govt quota seats. They charge the excess fee under additional heads like uniform and transport. 

When I interacted with the principals and said that the students do not need transport, they came up with excuses like the students will have to be taken to the hospital. These explanations cannot be accepted. Colleges will have to adhere to the rules,” said Justice Manohar. 

“Demanding and collection of any amount over and above the fee prescribed by govt is contrary to law and ex ploitation of the students. As you are all aware that under the consensual agreement between the state govt and the association of private nursing colleges, the fee payable by the students, both under govt quota seats and private quota seats, are fixed by the state govt,” said the notice. Any demand for amount over and above the fee prescribed by the govt is not only contrary to the provisions of the Karnataka Educational Institutions (Prohibition of Capitation Fee) Act, 1984, but also the Karnataka Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Determination of Fee) Act, 2006, the notice dated Sept 4,2024 said, adding that action will be taken in accordance with the law. 

“The govt should address the practice of private nursing colleges requiring local students to stay in hostels and forcibly, collecting hostel fees . This includes cases where students are threatened, saying their admit cards will be withheld. Action should be taken against such  coercive practices,” said Mithesh Kumar Moodukonaje of National PreUniversity Students, Parents and Teachers’Association. He requested KEA to publish full list of students, who are allotted seats, to ensure transparency in admissions

CYBER CRIME