NMC rejects patient’s appeal to ethics board, says only doctors can do so

NMC rejects patient’s appeal to ethics board, says only doctors can do so

Rema.Nagarajan@timesofindia.com 10.03.2025

Despite National Medical Commission (NMC) deciding last Sept that not only doctors, but patients too can appeal to Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) against decisions of state medical councils, on Feb 21, EMRB rejected the appeal of a patient from Punjab. Incidentally, EMRB is totally vacant since the tenure of all members came to an end last year, raising the question of who rejected the appeal. From Sept 2020, when NMC was constituted, hundreds of patient appeals were rejected saying that NMC Act allowed only doctors to appeal. This is despite the patients’ right to appeal being upheld by a Supreme Court order in 2002. However, the minutes of the 16th meeting of the NMC held on Sept 29 last year, obtained through RTI in Jan stated: “NMC had agreed that all appeals received by EMRB will be entertained. Further, as regards action not being taken by State Medical Councils on complaints filed by Non-medicos even after issuance of reminders by the boards. It was decided to send a communication by EMRB to State Medical Councils to complete the process in a time bound manner. In case of failure by the concerned SMC to act upon, EMRB may take over the complaint matter from the SMC and dispose the same. This is noted by EMRB, and board will proceed further accordingly.” The minutes were approved by Dec.

Gokul Chand Aneja from Amritsar in Punjab filed an appeal dated Jan 30 against the decision of the Punjab Medical Council, in a case of alleged medical negli gence which led to his wife’s death. Aneja received a letter from NMC dated Feb 21 rejecting his appeal stating that the EMRB had decided in Oct 2021, that in keeping with the NMC Act 2019, “only medical practitioners or professionals should be allowed as (sic) appeals before EMRB”. In March 2022, the NMC had rejected the appeal of a patient from Faridabad in Haryana. 

The letter from the EMRB rejecting the appeal of Aneja appears to be a copy-paste of the letter issued in March 2022 with just a change in dates, name of recipient etc. “The NMC appears to be in shambles. Who took the decision to reject an appeal when the 

EMRB is vacant? It looks like Aneja’s appeal was rejected by some functionary in the EMRB division who just copied an earlier letter. Such a casual approach is shocking,” said Dr KV Babu, ophthalmologist and RTI activist, who has been fighting since 2022 to get the right of patients to appeal restored.

NMC overrules SC’s and its own decision, rejects patient’s appeal

NMC overrules SC’s and its own decision, rejects patient’s appeal

Rema.Nagarajan@timesofindia.com 10.03.2025

Despite National Medical Commission (NMC) deciding last Sept that not only doctors, but patients too can appeal to Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) against decisions of state medical councils, on Feb 21, EMRB rejected the appeal of a patient from Punjab. 

Incidentally, EMRB is totally vacant since the tenure of all members came to an end last year, raising the question of who rejected appeal. From Sept 2020, when NMC was constituted, hundreds of patient appeals were rejected saying that NMC Act allowed only doctors to appeal. This is despite the patients’ right to appeal being upheld by a Supreme Court order in 2002. 

However, the minutes of the 16th meeting of the NMC held on Sept 29 last year, obtained through RTI in Jan stated: “NMC had agreed that all appeals received by EMRB will be entertained. Further, as regards action not being taken by State Medical Councils on complaints filed by Non-medicos even after issuance of reminders by the boards. It was decided to send a communication by EMRB to State Medical Councils to complete the process in a time bound manner. In case of failure by the concerned SMC to act upon, EMRB may take over the complaint matter from the SMC and dispose the same. This is noted by EMRB, and board will proceed further accordingly.” The minutes were approved by Dec. Full report on www.toi.in

RTI request denied, petitioner told PIO was ‘on leave’

RTI request denied, petitioner told PIO was ‘on leave’ 

Venkadesan.S @timesofindia.com 10.03.2025

Chennai : The role of a Public Information Officer (PIO) under the Right to Information (RTI) Act is to either provide the requested information or deny it based on officially cited reasons. However, in a response to an RTI plea, a petitioner received a reply from the PIO saying the information could not be furnished as he was on leave. City-based RTI activist M. Kasimayan sought details of how Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) funds were used by the model govt higher secondary school at Peru Nagar in Kancheepuram from 2017 to 2023. 

Although the petitioner submitted his application in Feb, the reply he received earlier this month said the details he sought were with headmaster S Ezhil, and could not be provided as he was on leave. The response was sent by the headmaster, but it was undersigned in green ink by an unidentified person. “If the PIO concerned is on leave, the assistant PIO can furnish the information. The undersigned did not disclose who he/she is. The reply raises many doubts,” said Kasimayan, adding that he would file a complaint before the information commission.

NEET aspirant kills mother, critically injures father after being told to stop using mobile in Madhya Pradesh

NEET aspirant kills mother, critically injures father after being told to stop using mobile in Madhya Pradesh

TNN | Mar 5, 2025, 11.43 AM IST

BHOPAL: A 20-year-old NEET aspirant was so addicted to his mobile phone that it drove him to a murderous rage when his parents asked him not to use it.

He lashed out at them with an iron rod, killing his mother, while his father is in a critical condition at a hospital.

The incident took place at Sikandra village panchayat under Waraseoni police station of Balaghat district.

Accused Satyam Katre, 20, is the only child of Kishore Katre and Pratibha Katre—both govt teachers. On Monday night, Satyam attacked both his parents with an iron rod, inflicting severe injuries. Thereafter, he himself called his relatives and police, informing them that he killed his parents.

The kin and police rushed to the spot. Both the injured were rushed to Gondiya in neighbouring Maharashtra for treatment. His mother, Pratibha Katre, died during treatment on Tuesday night at around 10.30 pm. His father, Kishore Katre, is in ICU.

“We rounded up the youth on Monday night itself. When asked, he said that he watches his mobile phone regularly and gets uncomfortable without the phone.

On Monday night, his father asked him to stop using the mobile, which led to the incident. We have seized his phone and will be sending it for forensic tests. Primarily, he is a mobile addict, but what he was watching on the phone will be clear after forensic evaluation. New sections will be added after the death of his mother,” sub-divisional officer of police, Wareseoni, Abhishek Chowdhary told TOI.

Local villagers say that he mostly used to remain reserved and confined to his phone; otherwise, his behaviour was normal.

“His parents are well-educated, the entire family is educated. And parents wanted him to do something good. They sent him to Kota to prepare for NEET, he returned after around four months. Both his parents are teachers, he is their only child, and he used to remain at home with his phone,” sarpanch of Sikandara village, Kanhaiyalal Khairwar told TOI.

“On Monday night, he himself informed the relatives and police. I also went with the police to his house. He was present there, neither sad nor happy. The iron rod used was also present there,” he said.

“He was addicted to mobile phones, the neighbours told us,” Khairwar said.

Experts say that this addiction is similar to the addiction to narcotic substances.

“This is a behavioural addiction, and it also works on those reward centres of the brain where other addictions like liquor work, thus there are similar reactions when the addicted person is stopped or restricted. It is required to be seen as a mental disorder rather than an evil,” consultant psychiatrist Dr Satyakant Trivedi told TOI.

Madras HC imposes ₹5L on TN govt for ‘unnecessary’ appeal

Madras HC imposes ₹5L on TN govt for ‘unnecessary’ appeal 

Sureshkumar.k@timesofindia.com 08.03.2025

Chennai : An ‘unnecessary’ appeal in Madras high court has cost Tamil Nadu govt₹5 lakh. Adivision bench of Justice R Subramanian and Justice G Arul Murugan imposed the cost on the govt for ‘unnecessarily’ moving an appeal against the appointment of a sanitary worker to a minority-aided college. 

The judges observed that although the state govt had the power to regulate appointments in govt aided colleges, this cannot be done through administrative orders that contradict the existing rules. The issue pertains to a plea moved by St Christopher’s College of Education, Vepery, Chennai, challenging a GO rejecting the approval of the appointment of a sanitary worker for the college.

As a single judge of the court allowed the plea and ruled in favour of the college, the state moved the present appeal. The court said, “This unnecessary appeal by the govt challenges the order of the single judge, which directed approval of the appointment of a sanitary worker in the respondent college, which is admittedly a minority institution.” 

No doubt, the govt has the power to regulate appointments in govt-aided colleges, but that cannot be done through administrative orders that contradict the existing rules. We, therefore, see no merit in the appeal. This writ appeal fails, and it is accordingly dismissed, the judges said. Since we find that this appeal is a re-agitation of a matter settled by the court and approved by the Supreme Court, we impose a cost of ₹5,00,000 on the govt, the court said.

Indian Railways: You can book an entire train! Just know the right procedure

Indian Railways: You can book an entire train! Just know the right procedure

Pritam SantraMarch 06, 2025 - 08:10 AM

Indian Railways: The wedding season has commenced, leading many individuals to reserve train tickets for extended travels. To facilitate this, one has the option to book an entire coach or multiple seats simultaneously. According to railway regulations, any individual is permitted to make such bookings.

Know the process

There are two available methods for this process. You may either visit the ticket counter to secure a seat for the entire journey in one transaction or opt to apply online from the comfort of your home. Indian Railways provides passengers with the opportunity to reserve an entire coach or several coaches at once, which is particularly advantageous for transporting individuals or groups from an organization. To proceed with this, you can access the railway’s official website for bookings or utilize the online platform.

For those interested in reserving an entire train coach, please visit IRCTC’s FTR website at www.ftr.irctc.co.in and log in using your user ID. This platform will present you with options to book coaches and trains. Upon selecting this option, you will need to input travel-related information, including the travel date and coach details. After completing this information, you will proceed to make the payment, thereby securing the entire coach. It is important to note that when booking an entire railway coach, individual details for each passenger are not required; only the information of the person making the booking is necessary. Consequently, the entire coach will be reserved under the name of a single individual, allowing all passengers to travel together.

Book train online

To book a train online, you must reach out to the Digital Commercial Manager or Station Master and provide comprehensive journey details. After calculating the fare, they will facilitate the booking of the entire coach. Please be aware that booking a complete coach will incur an additional charge of 30 to 35 percent over the standard fare, along with a security deposit of Rs. 50,000 for the coach, which will be refunded after the journey concludes.

However, should you wish to reserve an entire train, a separate fare will apply. Usually, there are 18 coaches in a train. So along with all these coaches, you will also have to pay the train engine fare. The reason for this is that when the entire train is booked, the engine goes to the place you have booked.

Thai man finds entire snake frozen inside ice cream bar, internet is horrified

Thai man finds entire snake frozen inside ice cream bar, internet is horrified

By   Mahipal Singh Chouhan

Mar 07, 2025 08:30 PM IST

A Thai man was stunned to discover a whole snake frozen inside an ice cream bar he had bought from a street vendor.

A man in Thailand was left horrified after finding an entire snake frozen inside an ice cream bar he had purchased from a street vendor. The bizarre incident quickly went viral, leaving social media users in shock and disbelief.

A Thai man was shocked to find a snake frozen in his ice cream bar.(Facebook)

The man, identified online as Rayban Naklengboon from Pak Tho in Mueang Ratchaburi, central Thailand, took to Facebook to share photos of his chilling discovery. The images showed the black-and-yellow snake’s head clearly visible, peeking out from the frozen treat.

“Is it dead yet?” – the viral post

Rayban’s post, written in Thai, read: “Such big eyes! Is it dead yet? Black bean, street vendor, real picture because I bought it myself.” His reference to “black bean” is a nod to a type of ice cream commonly sold by street vendors in Thailand.

The post immediately gained traction, attracting thousands of reactions, comments, and shares. Users couldn’t believe their eyes, with many expressing both horror and amusement over the bizarre discovery.

Social media reacts with shock and humour

The comments section quickly turned into a mix of jokes and genuine concern. One user quipped, “This is why I stick to store-bought ice cream.” Another remarked, “Forget black bean, this is clearly a new flavour—snake surprise.”

Some users were more horrified than amused. “I will never buy ice cream from a street vendor again!” one person wrote, while another questioned, “How does something like this even happen? Did no one check before freezing?”

Others couldn’t resist cracking jokes. “Congratulations! You unlocked the ‘wild’ version of ice cream,” someone teased. Another commented, “This gives a whole new meaning to brain freeze.”

Others warned about the potential dangers of consuming street food. “This is why food safety regulations are so important,” one user pointed out. Another quipped, “At least you got more protein with your dessert.”