NEWS TODAY 16-17.12.2024

 

Student association demands a reduction in cut-off for PG

Student association demands a reduction in cut-off for PG

By HT Correspondent

Dec 17, 2024 07:26 AM IST

IMA's Junior Doctors Network urges Health Minister Nadda to lower NEET-PG 2024 cut-off due to 15,000-16,000 vacant seats post- counselling.

Mumbai: The Indian Medical Association's Junior Doctors Network (IMA-JDN) wrote to union health minister JP Nadda on Sunday, urging a reduction in National Eligibility cum Entrance Test - Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2024 cut-off. Student association demands a reduction in cut-off for PG

This demand is coming after the second round of the NEET-PG counseling concluded. As per data by National Medical Commission (NMC), after round 2 counselling, 31,490 candidates were declared qualified for admission and around 15,000-16,000 seats remain vacant. Out of this, 1,500 seats are from Maharashtra.

The letter said, "Despite the extensive efforts by the National Board of Examinations (NBE) and other authorities, a significant number of PG seats remain unfilled across the country." It said that these vacancies translate into an underutilization of valuable resources in the country's healthcare education system and hinder the development of a robust medical workforce. The letter also stated that reducing the cut-off marks will ensure eligible and competent candidates to get a seat, which will thereby strengthen the country's healthcare system. “Reduction in cut-off marks will provide another chance to candidate fostering talent development. Also, this will address the disparity between the growing demand for specialized healthcare services and the availability of qualified professionals,” stated the letter.

In NEET PG's second round, 31,490 candidates were declared as qualified for admission. Last year, in a major relief to PG medical aspirants, the union health ministry directed the NMC to reduce the cut-off for qualifying percentile for NEET-PG 2023 to zero across all categories.

Candidate gets 101.66 out of 100 in job test, aspirants protest Indore : 17.12.2024

Candidate gets 101.66 out of 100 in job test, aspirants protest Indore : 17.12.2024

Job aspirants staged a protest in Indore on Monday raising questions over a candidate getting 101.66 marks out of total 100 due to the adoption of "normalisation process" in a Madhya Pradesh government recruitment. . . examination. 

The protesters alleged fraud in the recruitment examination and demanded a fair inquiry. Eyewitnesses said the agitating unemployed youth gathered in front of the district collector's office and handed over a memorandum addressed to chief minister Mohan Yadav to an officer. The memorandum said in the joint recruitment examination 2023 (Van and Jail Recruitment Test 2023) of Forest and Jail departments, a candidate scored 101.66 marks out of a total of 100 and topped the selection list. The result of this examination conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Employees Selection Board, headquartered in Bhopal, was declared on December 13. 

After the announcement of the result, the board clarified the "process of normalisation" has been adopted in the recruitment examination as per rules. . , because of which candidates can get more than full marks (100) and less than zero. Normalization is a process for ensuring that students are neither advantaged nor disadvantaged by the difficulty of papers they write. The process involves revising the score of a student in a way that it becomes comparable with the score of another. This becomes necessary when an examination in the same subject is held in multiple sessions, each with a different paper. A leader of the protesters, Gopal Prajapat, told reporters, "This is the first time in the state's history that a candidate has scored more than the total marks due to the normalization process adopted in the recruitment exam. We are protesting against the unfair process. . . of normalization and demanding a fair inquiry." PTI

RGUHS evaluation: Medicos cry foul over mark disparity

RGUHS evaluation: Medicos cry foul over mark disparity 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 17.12.2024

Bengaluru : MBBS students of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) from batches admitted in 2018 and before have raised questions about the credibility of evaluation of answer scripts. As per the rules, evaluation is done by four experts, and the average of their marks is considered as the final score. Students allege that these four marks are often so varied that they lack credibility. When there is a disparity of more than 15%, the answer script goes to a fifth evaluator, and the average of the four best scores is taken. "Some of the marks will be as high as 70, while another could be as low as 10. How can the same paper have so much inconsistency when evaluated?" a student asked. 

A group of students approached the registrar on Monday, raising the issue. The process has been challenged in the Karnataka high court by various batches of students. For those from batches admitted in 2019 onwards, the system is different, with the best of two evaluations being considered. For the batches prior to 2019, the system has shuttled between considering the average of four, the best of two, and again the average of four, depending on court orders. “We're okay with the average of four or best of two. But our concern is that the university isn't addressing the basic issue where invigilators are giving extremely varied marks for the same paper. While a difference of a few marks is understandable, how can the marks vary so much for the same answer?” asked one student. 

“I attempted the same paper for the fourth time and failed by 1-2 marks. I lost out on six months studying the same paper at home. And every time we have to reappear, we end up paying as much as Rs 2 lakh in private seats for repeat exam fees,” said another student. RGUHS vice-chancellor MK Ramesh said there are around 3.5 lakh students, with about 12 lakh answer scripts for 38,000 evaluators. “It is only natural that a few students might have an issue. We're also engaging with the evaluators, giving instructions, directions, advice, and counseling. Just because one person got varied marks, we cannot denigrate the credentials of the complete system,” he said. "Every time we try to provide a solution, some will still go to court."

11 nursing colleges await nod from finance department

11 nursing colleges await nod from finance department

 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  17.11.2024

Chennai : In April 2023, the state announced it had permission from the Center to establish 11 new nursing colleges in existing govt medical college campuses, with an intake of 100 students each. But the files related to these colleges are still awaiting approval from the finance department. The central government agreed to cover 60% of the costs. "Once established, these colleges will increase the number of govt nursing colleges in the state to 17," health minister Ma Subramanian said. 

The directorate of medical education submitted a proposal to the state finance department a few weeks later. “They wanted to know if the Center will fund recurring expenses such as salaries every year. Officials in the ministry told us the scheme allows funding only for the establishment of the college. So it is a one-time funding that can be used for construction of buildings,” said a senior health department official. The finance department also sought justification for new colleges. 

According to TN nursing council, the state, which has more than 1.8 lakh nurses, will in 2025 achieve the WHO recommendation of a minimum of three nurses per 1,000 population to ensure adequate healthcare coverage. "This ratio is crucial for providing quality healthcare services and addressing the global shortage of healthcare professionals," said TN Nurses and Midwives Council registrar S Ani Grace Kalaimathi. "While India has 1.8 per 1,000 population, TN will have close to 3 per 1,000," she said.

 Director of Medical Education Dr J Sangumani did not respond to calls, but officials in DME said they were unable to justify the need for more nursing colleges to the finance department. “The govt has 26 schools of nursing offering three year diploma courses in addition to the six colleges of nursing. In addition, more than 250 private colleges are offering more than 16,000 BSc nursing seats every year” the official said. Healthcare experts, however, say there are not enough nurses. in the state.

Will EWS students securing NRI and mgmt quota seats create a level playing field

Will EWS students securing NRI and mgmt quota seats create a level playing field

Rajlakshmi.Ghosh@timesofindia.com 16.12.2024

NEET PG admissions have sparked debates about fairness as some students from the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) are obtaining management and NRI quota seats in medical colleges. . , requiring them to pay course fees amounting to crores of rupees. However, experts argue that their admissions could be valid considering both Management and NRI quota seats fall under the unreserved category and are open to students from every stratum. Since EWS candidates are those who belong to families with an annual income of less than Rs 8 lakh, there is a murmur on how such candidates can pay a sizeable sum running into crores for their three-year PG degree course. 

Providing clarity 

Clearing doubts about the issue, a senior faculty from a medical college in Delhi-NCR, explains, “As per the norms, both management and NRI quota seats come under the unreserved category, hence these seats are open to EWS candidates, including those from the SC/ST categories, as per merit and choice. The problem arises when candidates claim to be from the EWS category during the application form-filling and later, at the time of reporting for counselling, opt for the NRI/management quota seats where the course fees are high. In such instances, a candidate's EWS certificate has no relevance. If aspirants are raising ethical concerns, they should take it up on a case-to-case basis with the college authorities offering admissions and the relevant administrative bodies, in this case, it is the tehsildar of the respective states that issues the EWS certificate. after the necessary verifications.”

 As per a media report, over 24,600 PG medical seats were allotted in the first round announced on November 20. Of these, 135 management quota seats in the private medical colleges and 8 NRI seats were allotted to candidates registered as EWS in clinical specialties of private medical colleges for which they need to pay tuition fees that could range anywhere between Rs 25 lakh to Rs 90 lakh per annum. It is important to note that the verification of credentials for students applying under the EWS category is typically handled at the state level or by individual colleges rather than directly by the NMC. The recent developments have generated concern regarding the mismatch in the admission process. Many aspiring medical students feel that those who may have wrongfully taken advantage of the EWS classification are undermining the opportunities meant for genuinely disadvantaged individuals.

Private medical colleges often prioritize profit generation, and management and NRI quota seats can command significantly higher fees than government quotas. This financial incentive may lead colleges to overlook regulations on EWS certification,” says Dr B Unnikrishnan, dean, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, MAHE.

UP: Eight female MBBS students suspended at state-run medical college in Gorakhpur, here's why

UP: Eight female MBBS students suspended at state-run medical college in Gorakhpur, here's why

The suspension followed an investigation conducted by a nine-member disciplinary committee. The disciplinary committee was led by the principal of the college.

Edited By: Anurag Roushan @Candid_Tilaiyan Gorakhpur

Published : Dec 13, 2024 21:35 IST, Updated : Dec 13, 2024 21:36 IST

As many as eight female MBBS students have been suspended for three months at Madhav Prasad Tripathi Medical College in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur district. As per officials, they all were students from the 2023 batch and got suspended over allegations of indiscipline.

The students were accused of engaging in factionalism and forcibly entering a fellow student’s hostel room, where they allegedly assaulted her on Wednesday night. The incident prompted an inquiry by a nine-member disciplinary committee, following which the suspension was imposed, stated Professor Rajesh Mohan, the college principal.

The suspension followed an investigation conducted by a nine-member disciplinary committee. The probe began when the complainant, a student residing in the hostel, alleged that she had been having trouble with her peers for the past several days.

"She claimed she was subjected to social ostracism, which culminated in the forced entry into her room on Wednesday night. A female security guard, along with other students, intervened to control the situation," said the Principal.

The disciplinary committee was led by the principal, along with Dr Naushad Alam, Dr CB Pandey, and Dr Ekta Dwivedi. The investigation was conducted under the guidance of Assistant Warden Dr Shagufta Shamil, the principal said.

Similar incident in West Bengal

In a similar incident in West Bengal in September this year, at least forty students from the state-run College of Medicine and JNM Hospital were expelled for six months following allegations of threatening fellow students. The decision was made during a meeting of the Extended College Council, as stated in an official document.

"Based on a large number of prima facie evidence, depositions by individual students and digital evidence, the Extended College Council decided to expel the following students from the hostel, hospital and college campus for a period of six months at least (pending further investigations into to the allegations against them) starting from today (sic)," the minutes of the meeting said.

(With inputs from PTI)