Bill passed to let TNPSC handle university staff hiring

Bill passed to let TNPSC handle university staff hiring

The Bill stated that the move would establish a more uniform, efficient, professional and transparent system for recruiting non-teaching staff at the universities.

Chief Minister M K Stalin speaking during the state Assembly session on Thursday.

Express News Service

Updated on:

17 Oct 2025, 8:51 am

3 min read

CHENNAI: The state Assembly on Thursday passed a Bill allowing the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) to manage the recruitment of non-teaching staff for 22 state universities. The Bill amends the TN Public Service Commission (Additional Functions) Act, 2022, which empowers the TNPSC to conduct recruitment for various government departments and undertakings. Until now, the recruitment for non-teaching positions in these state-run universities was managed by the respective university administrations.

The Bill stated that the move would establish a more uniform, efficient, professional and transparent system for recruiting non-teaching staff at the universities. It would also make it easier for job seekers from rural areas to apply for such positions, while relieving universities of the cumbersome task of conducting their own recruitment drives

Bill passed to extend tenure of SOs in rural local bodies

The Assembly also passed a Bill to amend the TN Panchayats Act, 1994, to extend the term of office of special officers (SOs) appointed to administer village panchayats, panchayat union councils and district panchayats till January 5, 2026, or until the first meeting of the local bodies after the general elections. While the rural development department had issued an order in this regard in July, the Bill was now passed in the Assembly.

According to the Bill, the government is finalising proposals to expand municipal corporations, municipal councils and town panchayats by including certain adjoining village panchayats in 28 districts. Only after the delimitation and reservation processes are completed after this amalgamation, elections for these rural local bodies can be notified. A total of 9,581 village panchayats, 314 panchayat union councils and 28 district panchayats are being run by the SOs.

The tenure of elected representatives of panchayats in these 28 districts expired on January 5 this year. As elections could not be conducted before that date, the government amended the TN Panchayats Act, 1994, to appoint SOs to administer these bodies until July 5. The Act was now amended to extend the tenure of SOs till January 2026 or until the elections are held.

Tender exemption clause of 1998 Act scrapped

The state government has moved to tighten its tendering system by scrapping the exemption clause in the TN Transparency in Tenders Act, 1998, that allowed select procurements to bypass the standard open tender process. An amendment passed on Thursday removes Section 16 of the law, which previously permitted direct procurement in limited circumstances such as emergencies, ensuring compatibility, or sourcing from state-owned or non-commercial entities. The provision also allowed purchases through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) platform without adhering to sections 9 and 10 governing open tendering procedures.

According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons, Section 16 explicitly exempted procurements made through the GeM special purpose vehicle from the application of sections 9 and 10 of the Act. This exemption covered purchases through mechanisms such as rate contracts, online bidding, online reverse auctions and any other method notified by the government. The government said the exemption had become redundant as TN already operates its own e-procurement portal (tntenders.gov.in).

This apart, the Assembly on Thursday also introduced a Bill to amend the TN Dr Ambedkar Law University Act, 1996, which sought to amend relevant rules that disqualified the deaf-mute from holding authority positions in the university. The proposed changes also seek to update a penal reference in the Act to align with the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

E-office goes offline: Are ministers in love with pen and paper in MP?

E-office goes offline: Are ministers in love with pen and paper in MP?

9 Months Since Its Launch, New System Fails To Bridge The Last-Mile Gap

Ankur.Sirothia@timesofindia.com 29.09.2025

Bhopal : The much-publicised e-office system in Madhya Pradesh, intended to transition government file processing from paper to digital, has failed to gain full traction—particularly among ministers, who remain reluctant to adopt the paperless system. While files now move digitally from clerks to senior bureaucrats like additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries, and secretaries, the process breaks down at the ministerial level. 

Once a file reaches a minister, it is printed out and converted back into a physical document for approval. Recently, officials from the General Administration Department (GAD) confirmed that ministers have yet to begin using the e-office system. The system was formally launched on January 1 this year by chief minister Mohan Yadav, who hailed it as a step toward transparency and good governance through digitalization. 

Prior to its launch, departments received training in digital file handling. The system was first introduced in the Secretariat, CM Office, and chief secretary’s office, and later expanded to departmental heads and district collectors. Notably, on October 25, 2024, the chief secretary had ordered all departments to fully implement e-office by January 1, 2025. The objective was to improve transparency, streamline workflows, and ensure timely completion of tasks. However, ministers remain outside the digital loop, with no set timeline for their inclusion. 

This isn't the government’s first attempt at digitalizing file movement. The idea of replacing penand-paper with a digital system was floated as early as 2006, but little progress was made. It was revived in 2016, and serious implementation efforts began in 2017. The e-office system was introduced in April 2018, and the General Administration Department mandated all departments to adopt it. A dedicated control room was established, and around 500 new computers and 150 scanners were installed at the Secretariat. Employees were trained in various aspects of the system—including file tracking, confidentiality protocols, and digital drafting—but the initiative lost momentum due to the 2018 election year. 

When the Congress government took office, it expanded the e-office system to the district level and set deadlines, but the administration changed again within 18 months, followed by the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic. In November 2021, new security guidelines were issued for e-office usage, emphasizing data safety, e-signatures, and limiting physical copies to confidential documents only. However, interest in the system faded once more. The project was relaunched in January 2025 and is now active across the Secretariat and field offices. Yet ministers continue to prefer paper files. “Files in the e-office cannot be held back indefinitely. The e-office system shows when and at which level a file is stuck”, said a senior GAD official.

Why only 18 out of 56 invited vice chancellors attended the annual conference called by TN governor R.N. Ravi?

Why only 18 out of 56 invited vice chancellors attended the annual conference called by TN governor R.N. Ravi?

According to sources, none of the VCs gave reasons or sent any message to the governor for not skipping the conference 

By Lakshmi Subramanian Updated: April 25, 2025 21:03 IST

President Jagdeep Dhankhar poses for group photos during the inauguration of the Vice Chancellors conference in Tamil Nadu, in Udhagamandalam. Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi is also seen | PTI In yet another blow to Tamil Nadu governor R.N. Ravi, only one-third of the Vice Chancellors (VC) turned up to the annual VC conference called by him at Ooty on Friday. Inaugurated by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar, the meeting turned into a damp squib even when Ravi had tried to impress saying that there was no power struggle between the government and the Raj Bhavan.

Out of the 56 state, central and private universities in Tamil Nadu, only 18 VCs attended the conference. The VCs of all the 18 state-run universities skipped the meeting. All the VCs including the heads of five central universities, 20 state universities, four central institutions, and 27 private universities were formally invited by the Raj Bhavan for the annual VCs conference. But only 18 of them attended, according to the sources in the Raj Bhavan.

And out of the 18 who attended the meeting only two were from the state universities and even these two were not VCs and only representatives. One of them, the director of the research department - was deputed by Periyar University VC as his representative. The other was a college principal representing Alagappa University’s physical education department.

However, according to sources, none of the VCs gave reasons or sent any message to the governor for not skipping the conference. Raj Bhavan sources said, “reasons unknown” when asked. Sixteen VCs who attended the meeting were from the central universities.

The meeting which had been an annual affair since 2022 has always had full attendance. But this time there was very poor attendance indicating a political backlash for the conference. While Ravi and Raj Bhavan call the meeting a meaningful event aimed towards building a stern path to improve the academic dialogue and innovation in the higher education sector, the VCs of the state universities skipping the conference stems out of the growing tussle between the governor and the government and the recent Supreme Court ruling against Ravi.

Earlier on Wednesday the Raj Bhavan, in a media release, slammed the reports saying that the VCs conference called by the governor was not a power struggle between the government and the Raj Bhavan and that it was a regular affair. The governor’s office then called the media reports as “entirely erroneous and mischievous.”

Non-MBBS VC for medical university faces Rajasthan doctors' opposition

Non-MBBS VC for medical university faces Rajasthan doctors' opposition

Mar 5, 2025, 2:29 IST

Haribhau Bagde.

JAIPUR: Rajasthan's medical fraternity reacted with outrage Tuesday to governor Haribhau Bagde appointing someone with a doctoral degree in pharmaceutical sciences as vice chancellor of Rajasthan University of Health Sciences (RUHS), terming it "unacceptable" and threatening a statewide agitation if the decision wasn't revoked, reports Intishab Ali.

The state chapter of IMA has written to Bagde, saying Pramod Yeole being asked to take charge of RUHS was at odds with the institution's responsibility of setting high standards in medical education, and improving public health outcomes. Thirty medical colleges are affiliated to the university. Yeole was previously VC of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University in Aurangabad and pro VC of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University.

Periyar University accused of imposing New Education Policy for Ph.D. admissions

Periyar University accused of imposing New Education Policy for Ph.D. admissions

The SFI and Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam have alleged that the Periyar University administration was imposing New Education Policy, without the Tamil Nadu Government’s consent.

M. Sabari  04.02.2025

Salem

The Students Federation of India (SFI) and Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam (DVK) have accused the Periyar University administration of imposing New Education Policy (NEP), and demanded to cancel the regulations issued for Ph.D. admission.

According to the faculty attached to Periyar University, the varsity had recently issued regulations for Ph.D. for students who joined after July 1, 2024, in compliance with University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations 2022. In that regulation, the university has mentioned the eligibility criteria for Ph.D. as a pass in Class X, Plus-Two, UG and PG, (10+2+3+2) or 10th, PUC, UG and PG, or 10th, three-year diploma, UG and PG, or 10th, Plus-Two, and five-year integratedprogramme, 10th, Plus Two, four-year UG and PG, or 10th, plus two, and four-year UG degree (10+2+4) as per UGC guidelines.

Meanwhile, SFI and DVK have raised objections to adding the qualification 10+2+4 for Ph.D., alleging that this was in the New Education Policy that a candidate shall join Ph.D. without completing PG, if he or she passed the four-year UG Programme.

DVK president Kolathur Mani alleged that admitting candidates without PG degree was indirectly implementing the Union Government’s NEP. While the Tamil Nadu government did not give its consent to implement the NEP, the Periyar University administration is trying to implement it. The Tamil Nadu government should oppose the University’s move and take steps to cancel these regulations issued by the university. The government should ensure the old regulations are followed for Ph.D admission, Mr. Mani added.

The SFI district secretary, S. Pavithran, said that the Periyar University had purposely issued these regulations to divert the various issues against the administration. If these regulations are implemented, it will be like accepting the 16 years of education qualification for a Ph.D., as per NEP. The government should take action against the officials who released these regulations.

Officialsattached to Periyar Universityhave denied these allegations.

Periyar University Vice-Chancellor R. Jagannathan was not available for comments.

Doctors oppose T.N. govt.’s plan to appoint 658 specialists through walk-in interviews

Doctors oppose T.N. govt.’s plan to appoint 658 specialists through walk-in interviews

The Hindu Bureau 04.02.2025

Chennai

The Legal Coordination Committee for Government Doctors (LCC) has strongly opposed the Tamil Nadu government’s recent announcement to appoint 658 specialist doctors, including 207 obstetricians, through walk-in interviews. According to LCC, the move, which was announced by the Health Minister, would cause confusion and set back the healthcare sector.

The committee said Tamil Nadu, known for its robust healthcare infrastructure, should adhere to established procedures, such as those involving the Medical Services Recruitment Board, rather than rushing appointments through walk-in interviews. In a press release, the LCC raised concerns over the transparency of such a process, recalling previous opposition from both doctors and the DMK when similar schemes were proposed under the previous regime.

The LCC also called for new doctors to be appointed to supernumerary positions under the Directorate of Medical Services and Directorate of Public Health to avoid disrupting the careers of specialist doctors already in government service, particularly those completing higher education. It said doctors with experience should be prioritised in appointments.

Semiconductor courses needed in tierII and III HEIs for better outreach

Semiconductor courses needed in tierII and III HEIs for better outreach

Semiconductor expertise and AI skills can help students make cross disciplinary innovations 

Rajlakshmi.Ghosh@timesofindia.com  20.01.2024EDUCATION TIMES BANGALORE 

As the national and global demand for semiconductor talent continues to grow, the need for graduates to lead innovations crucial to India’s economic and technological aspirations, has become important. To meet this demand, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), in addition to National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the country’s premier technical institutes such as the IITs and IISc are introducing short-term minor programmes and skill-based courses to prepare tomorrow’s engineers for India’s burgeoning semiconductor ecosystem. Joining the ranks are students from polytechnic colleges, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), private or government colleges and diploma holders who are making optimum use of these courses to make a career in the manufacturing sector. Reportedly, the semiconductor industry is set to create 1 million jobs in India by 2026.

“The semiconductor sector is a critical driver of technological innovation, and its demand for cutting-edge programmes stems from several factors that include rapid technological advancements, complexity of semiconductor manufacturing, demand for specialised skills, environmental and sustainability concerns, global competition and national security,” TG Sitharam, chairman, AICTE, tells Education Times. Key courses The AICTE has introduced two new courses to fulfil the objectives of the SEMICON India Mission and to make India a global hub for electronics manufacturing and design: Diploma in IC manufacturing and BTech/BE in Electronics Engineering (VLSI Design & Technology) apart from a minor degree in VLSI Design & Technology. “The Council has accorded approval to 629 institutions with 10,524 approved intakes during AY 2023-24 to commence PG/UG/Diploma level courses in VLSI/semiconductor-related domain,” Prof Sitharam informs. Down South, to bridge the skill gaps and enable students to work with emerging technology areas, IITM-Pravartak has analysed the domain areas where skilling is required, and then with the help of an industry expert developed the training content that will be UGC compliant. This has led to short-term minor programmes such as Comprehensive Electronics and Embedded system, Application Driven Electronics & Embedded Technology with IoT, Advanced Electronics Manufacturing with Power electronics (from the electronics stream), and Digital Manufacturing Practice (from the mechanical stream) being started recently along with Education Ministry’s SWAYAM Plus for engineering/diploma/science students and graduates. The aim is to provide semiconductor industry training with placement assistance for deserving students.

 “The programmes can be pursued while the student is pursuing BTech/MTech at IIT Madras or other technical colleges/institutes,” says Kavitha Gopal, senior consultant, IIT Madras Pravartak elaborating there is a good amount of awareness about these programmes among the students through social media reach outs and word of mouth, hence they see them as a good value addition to their career pathway which will be leading them to research studies/ placements or starting their own startup business

Revised 1:20 teacher-student ratio for BPharm courses may increase faculty load, lower education standards

Revised 1:20 teacher-student ratio for BPharm courses may increase faculty load, lower education standards 

PCI says directive aims at optimising teaching resources across pharmacy institutions, will not impact existing staff 

Priyadarshini.Gupta@timesofindia.com 20.01.2025  EDUCATION TIMES

 AHAMEDABAD

The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has specified the staff-to-student ratio for Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) courses should not exceed 1:20 in theory and practical classes in the pharmacy colleges. The directive came as part of a revised circular to initiate the approval process for pharmacy institutions for the academic session 2025-26. The teacher-student ratio earlier was 1:15, which has been increased from the new academic year. The PCI has revised faculty requirements based on student enrolments. Staff requirement for BPharm courses with 60 students in a batch has been reduced from a total of 15 to 12. Earlier, a college had four professors, four associate professors, and seven assistant professors, which now will be three professors, four associate professors, five assistant professors/lecturers, apart from the principal. 

For BPharm courses having 100 students, the faculty requirement has been brought down from 25 to 20. Earlier, it was four professors, seven associate professors, and 14 assistant professors/ lecturers, which will now be four professors, seven associate professors, and nine assistant professors/lecturers, apart from the principal. While the PCI wants to optimise faculty utilisation across pharmacy institutions, educators think the move will burden the teachers. 

Better allocation 

The PCI plans to introduce measures so that the directive does not affect the existing faculty. Speaking to Education Times, Montukumar Patel, president, PCI, says, “The ratio change aims to optimise resource utilisation across pharmacy institutions. Earlier, the distribution of workload, particularly in subjects taught during the second and third years of the course, resulted in some faculty members having limited responsibilities during certain academic periods, leading to underutilisation of teaching resources. By adopting the revised ratio, institutions can better allocate teaching staff across subjects and academic years.”Several institutions usually follow the ratio of 1:15. Srinivas Mutalik, professor and principal, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MAHE, Udupi, says, “A 1:15 ratio ensures more personalised attention for students, enhancing their learning experience. 

However, teachers will now need to pay more attention, especially in practicals, where close supervision is critical.” The revised ratio is likely to increase the workload for the faculty. Daksh Bhatia, professor, KIET School of Pharmacy, Ghaziabad, says, “Teachers are already burdened with responsibilities beyond their core teaching duties such as handling accreditation processes, research activities, and consulting. These administrative demands leave them with little time to focus on teaching.” He adds, “With fewer faculty members, the pressure will intensify as teachers will cover more subjects and manage larger groups of students. This maydegrade the quality of education.

Only 3% of doctors who applied for NMR enrolment got registered: RTI

Only 3% of doctors who applied for NMR enrolment got registered: RTI

According to the RTI reply, the NMR received 8,598 applications by January 14. However, approval for 8,318 applications is still pending. Of the applications, two have been rejected.

Kavita Bajeli-Datt

Updated on:

19 Jan 2025, 7:50 am

NEW DELHI: Only 3 per cent of MBBS doctors who had applied for registration in the National Medical Register (NMR), launched by Union Health Minister JP Nadda with much fanfare five months ago, have been enrolled so far, as per a RTI reply. There are over 13 lakh licensed medical practitioners (RMP) in India.

According to the RTI reply, the NMR received 8,598 applications by January 14. However, approval for 8,318 applications is still pending. Of the applications, two have been rejected.

According to RTI activist Dr KV Babu, only 3 per cent of allopathic doctor applications have been approved.

“Of the 8,598 applications filed, 8,318 are still awaiting approval. The RTI reply clearly shows that only 278 applications have been approved by NMC so far,” said Dr Babu, who had filed the RTI on December 30 to know the number of doctors registered in the portal since its launch.

“NMC should understand the implications of 97% non-approval of the applications,” said Dr Babu, who received the reply on January 14.

“This means that less than 9,000 out of 13 lakh Indian doctors have even applied for the registration in about five months. The more applications are non-approved, the fewer new applications will come up,” he said.

The NMR is mandated under Section 31 of the NMC Act, 2019, which states that the Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) of the NMC shall maintain a national register in the electronic form containing the name, address, and all recognised qualifications possessed by a licensed medical practitioner.

As per the gazette notification of May 10, 2023, enrolling is mandatory in NMR, which Nadda has described as a comprehensive and dynamic database for allopathic (MBBS) registered doctors in India.

Dr Babu said the delay in registration is because doctors are being asked to upload an Aadhaar and submit an affidavit if their names or state medical council names do not match the current data.

As doctor registration became very complicated, the Indian Medical Association, which has 4 lakh members, took up the matter with NMC last October.

“Once the state medical councils approve the registration of a doctor, it should be automatically approved by the EMRB and entered into the NMR register,” Dr Babu said.

8,000+ PG medical seats vacant in allIndia third round; parents fear admissions may be delayed 15.01.2025

8,000+ PG medical seats vacant in allIndia third round; parents fear admissions may be delayed 

 15.01.2025 TIMES OF INDIA MUMBAI 

Mumbai : More than 8,000 postgraduate seats are vacant in medical colleges across the country for the third all-India round of admissions. Besides, close to 100 new seats are added to the process. With the eligibility criteria brought down to 15 percentile in NEET-PG for admissions to postgraduate seats, many more students will now be eligible to participate in the third round. Postgraduate medical admissions have been delayed this year even as the results for NEET-PG were announ ced in July last year. The NEET-PG admission deadline this year is Feb 15.

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has released the seat vacancy list for the upcoming third round. Parent representative Sudha Shenoy, though, said the second round of admissions is still not over in several states, and therefore now the third round is likely to be delayed. Seats even in sought-after courses such as general medicine, radio-diagnosis and general surgery, are also vacant for the the third round. At the start of the process, the cutoff was 50 percentile. It was lowered further as many seats, including in clinical courses, were vacant after the second round. Several students' organisations also demanded lowering of the percentile to fill the vacant seats.

[NEET PG 2024] MP HC Directs Authorities To Not Compel Candidates To Resign From Counselling Or Forfeit Deposit Till 2nd Round Result Is Declared

[NEET PG 2024] MP HC Directs Authorities To Not Compel Candidates To Resign From Counselling Or Forfeit Deposit Till 2nd Round Result Is Declared

Anukriti Mishra

13 Jan 2025 5:40 PM

The MP High Court has directed the Centre and State authorities to not compel candidates to resign from All India 2nd round counselling of NEET PG and to not forfeit the security amount till the results of 2nd round of counselling is declared by the State.

The division bench of Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice Anuradha Shukla observed, “the results of the 2nd round counselling have already been stayed by this Court in W.P. No.162/2025, the respondents are directed not to compel the petitioners to resign as also not to forfeit the security amount till the result of the 2nd round counselling is declared by the State.” The respondents in the present plea are the Union of India, Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) Through Directorate General of Health Services, State Of Madhya Pradesh Through Principal Secretary Department of Forest, Director Medical Education And National Board of Examinations In Medical Sciences (NBEMS).

In the present case, the petitioners are MBBS graduates, who had appeared for the NEET PG-2024 examination. The petitioners after securing the requisite percentile and rank had become eligible to participate in the counselling at both All India Quota (AIQ) and State levels. However, due to interim order passed by the Court in W.P. No.162/2025, the results of 2nd round of counselling for the NEET PG-2024 examination have been stayed.

The counsel for the petitioners contended that because of the interim order passed by this Court, the petitioners would be forced to resign from All India Quota 2nd round counselling as per the guidelines, which provides that the candidate has to resign and deposit the security amount on or before 14.01.2025. Therefore, the counsel prayed for a direction to the respondents to extend or relax the resignation guidelines for All India Quota PG Counselling only for 2nd round seats without forfeiture of security deposits until the results of 2nd round counselling are declared.

The court considering the circumstances thus, directed the respondents to not compel the petitioners to resign and also not to forfeit the security amount till the result of the 2nd round counselling is declared by the State.

The present petition was hence, disposed of.

Case Title: Dr. Yash Dubey And Others Versus Union Of India And Others, Writ Petition No. 1207 of 2025

Govt replies to plea against NRI quota in med colleges

Govt replies to plea against NRI quota in med colleges 

HC SEEKS RESPONSE TIMES NEWS NETWORK 10.12.2024 

Bhopal/Jabalpur : The state govt on Monday presented its reply in response to a petition filed in the MP high court challenging that all the seats under NRI quota in private medical colleges are restricted to only 8 branches of medical science, which remain high in demand. The bench comprising Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf, who are hearing the pe- tition, asked for distribution of copies of the reply to all the parties in the case while fixing the case for hearing on December 18. Dr Ojas Yadav of Bhopal in his petition said that NEET prepared a list of eligible NRI candidates for admission. The NRI quota in private medical colleges of the state is 15 percent. There are normally 22 branches of medical science in a medical college but the NRI quota is applicable to only 8 branches, which attract the maximum number of students. 

Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Alok Bagrecha said that more NRI seats in branches which have a high demand among students affect the prospects of meritorious students as the seats in those branches gets drastically reduced. There are 545 seats in the 8 branches in question, 152 of them reserved for NRI. In a medical college at Bhopal, there are 8 post graduate seats in surgery, 4 of them reserved for NRIs. No seat has been allotted to gene- ral and SC candidates. He contended that NRI quota seats should be evenly distributed among all the branches. The reservation policy being followed by the state government is illegal. In several top branches, 40 to 50% have been reserved for the NRI students. The court had asked the respondents in the case to file replies on the petition. 

After receiving a reply from the state govt, the court asked for circulation of its copies among all the litigants involved in the case while deferring hearing of the case to December 18.

HC orders govt to issue recognition to nursing colleges

HC orders govt to issue recognition to nursing colleges 

16.11.2024 TIMES OF INDIA BHOPAL.

Bhopal/Jabalpur : A division bench of MP high court asked the state govt to continue giving recognition to nursing colleges according to rules prevalent. A bunch of nursing colleges had presented an application, before the bench hearing a PIL relating to hundreds of 'fake' nursing colleges operating in the state, stating that they have been in operation before the year 2013 and they used to get recognition on the basis of affiliation to a government hospital but the MP Nursing Council has refused to give them recognition this year on the ground that only colleges with 100-bed hospitals of their own would get recognition. 

In its reply, the state govt said that according to rules of nursing education, 2018, only colleges with a 100-bed hospital of their own were eligible to get recognition of their courses. The bench of Justice Sanjay Dwivedi and Justice A K Paliwal, however, asked the state govt to continue giving recognition to such colleges this year based on their affiliation to a govt medical college. The court further asked the state govt not to make any changes in the rules relating to recognition to nursing colleges till the pendency of the PIL they are dealing with. On an application moved by Vishal Baghel accusing the Nursing Council registrar of irregularities, the court asked the govt to hold an inquiry into charges against it. Baghel accused the registrar Anita Chand of recommending colleges 'unsuitable' to run nursing colleges for recognition.

Govt sets timeline for nod to set up self-financing colleges

Govt sets timeline for nod to set up self-financing colleges

Poulami.Roy@timesofindia.com 07.11.2024

Kolkata : The state higher education department streamlined the process of obtaining a no objection certificate (NOC) for setting up self-financed colleges in Bengal. Each step in the whole process, which will now be overseen by an integrated law cell acting as the nodal branch, has to be completed within a stipulated time frame. This process will be completed in less than two years. If everything goes well, the NOC can be issued within two months from the date of receipt of compliance. “It was necessary as we noticed in some cases the process took 3-5 years to complete,” said an official of the department. 

A memorandum issued by the department stated that it was necessary to frame a standard operating procedure (SOP) for streamlining the process. The policy to set up self-financing degree colle ges was framed in 2015. According to the policy, an applicant needs to submit an application containing the proposal and eight copies of a detailed project report, along with the application fee, to establish a self-financing degree college. After receiving an application, the integrated law cell is required to initiate the file within one month. The law cell must propose the formation of an enquiry committee to examine the detailed project report, visit the location of the proposed college, the background of the applicant, among other aspects. If the proposal is found non-viable, it must be communicated within 15 days. 

The enquiry panel must submit its report within one month from the date of its constitution. If the committee is not able to submit its report within the stipulated time ,it must seek prior permission to extend the deadline. The committee will submit the report to the law cell , and the entire process has to be completed within two months

Issue provisional certificates to law grads, HC orders BCG

Issue provisional certificates to law grads, HC orders BCG 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  22.10.2024 

Ahmedabad : In a huge relief for law graduates, whose requests for provisional enrolment were not being considered by the Bar Council of Gujarat (BCG), the Gujarat high court on Monday directed the BCG to grant provisional certificates to them and other such students from the state so they could practise law. A provisional certificate will enable them to take the All-India Bar (AIB) examination, which is mandatory for permanent enrolment with the Bar Council. Lawyers involved in the litigation said that around 5,000 law graduates would benefit from the HC’s interim order. More than 2,600 applications for provisional enrolment, submitted by law graduates from govt law colleges and grant-in-aid law colleges, are yet to be processed by the BCG. Students from 19-20 such institutions, awaiting provisional enrolment, had approached the high court as Bar Council of India (BCI) had not renewed the recognition of their colleges. 

This was due to their failure to meet certain criteria, including the appointment of adequate faculty members and failure to pay inspection fees to the BCI. The students submitted before the HC that they took admission through a common admission process after applying to the respective universities. The colleges, whether they had BCI approval or not, were featured on the websites of the universities which had given the students admission to those colleges. However, since the colleges did not have approvals from the BCI, the BCG had not been processing their applications. Justice Aniruddha Mayee ordered the BCG to process the applications and issue provisional certificates, subject to the verification of forms and other documents later, so the students could practise law. 

The HC extended the deadline for submitting the applications from Oct 24 to Oct 31 in the interest of the law graduates. The HC made it clear that “the present direction is passed in peculiar circumstances in the state of Gujarat and should not be treated as a precedent.” 

10/22/24, 9:06 AM Times of India ePaper ahmedabad - Read Today’s English News Paper Online https://epaper.indiatimes.com/timesepaper/publication-the-times-of-india,city-ahmedabad.cms 1/2 10/22/24, 9:06 AM Times of India ePaper ahmedabad - Read Today’

Newborn with twin foetuses in abdomen dies after surgery

Newborn with twin foetuses in abdomen dies after surgery

Sumati.Yengkhom@timesofindia.com 

TIMES OF INDIA  KOLKATA 201.10.2024

21.10.2024 

Kolkata : In a rare case, a three-day-old baby with foetuses of twins in its abdomen, died a day after undergoing a surgery to remove the foetuses at NRS Medical College & Hospital (NRSMCH) on Sunday. The condition called foetus-in-fetu (FIF) is extremely rare and only around 200 such cases have been reported around the globe, said doctors at NRS. It is a congenital disorder that makes a malformed foetus develop inside another during pregnancy. The foetuses inside the baby’s abdomen had formed partially. While in most cases only one foetus is found, in this case doctors found twin foetuses inside the newborn.

The baby was referred from a hospital in Malda with issues of the abdomen and breathing difficulty. After admission at the Kolkata hospital, doctors conducted extensive diagnosis that confirmed the presence of the twin foetuses inside the newborn's abdomen. “The twins were not fully formed and had developed only a few features like limbs and part of the skull in one. But each foetus had developed fingers and toes adding to the complexity of the surgical procedure,” said a doctor at the paediatric surgery department. Doctors said that in such a situation the only treatment was to surgically remove the malformed foetuses to save the newborn. Since the condition calls for an emergency surgery, the medical team decided to go ahead without delay to save the newborn. While the procedure was done on Saturday, the newborn died on Sunday. 

“During the surgery we removed both the foetuses successfully, but the newborn died a day later. While I have seen a few such cases, this is the first time we came across a twin foetus in the newborn. This made the procedure a lot more challenging,” said a doctor of the department. Doctors said that while FIF often remain asymptomatic during the pregnancy the disorder can be detected during antenatal USG. And if the detection is within 24 weeks of gestation the  pregnancy can be terminated. In this case the condition was detected only when brought to NRSMCH.

Ph.D. holder accuses guides of getting cash and gold from research scholars

Ph.D. holder accuses guides of getting cash and gold from research scholars

A. Prakash (second left) handing over a petition to Governor R.N. Ravi at the 39th convocation ceremony held at Bharathiar University in Coimbatore on Monday.

The Hindu Bureau  15.10/.2024

Coimbatore

A Ph.D. holder hailing from Virudhunagar district petitioned Governor R.N. Ravi on the dais at the 39th convocation ceremony of the Bharathiar University in Coimbatore, after receiving the degree from him, on Monday.

The petition raised serious allegations against some of the Ph.D. guides, ranging from collecting money and gold from research scholars to forcing them to do works at their residences.

A. Prakash from V. Pudupatti in Virudhunagar gave the petition to the Governor, when he was called on to the dais to receive his Ph.D. degree. Mr. Ravi received the petition, which was submitted on behalf of Mr. Prakash and a few research scholars and students of the university, and handed it over to his staff.

The petition, with the subject line “‘problems faced by the research scholars and students of Bharathiar University”, alleged that some guides at the university do not treat research scholars in a dignified manner. Apart from academic works, the research scholars are forced to work in the home of some guides, alleged the petition that was signed by more than 20 persons.

It alleged that research scholars are advised by some guides to spend ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh at the time of viva voce. Due to the compulsion, research scholars are offering money, food in the department and gold to some guides after the successful completion viva voce.

According to the petitioners, Bharathiar University has Adi Dravidar hostels. But since it is run as general hostels, research scholars and students belonging to Adi Dravidar communities have to pay monthly mess fees.

The petition claimed that the university administration allocates ₹75 lakh per year for hostel maintenance. Accusing the administration of not properly using the allocation, the petitioners alleged that money for hostel maintenance was being collected from hostel inmates through monthly mess fee.

Mr. Prakash apologised for giving the petition to the Governor on the dais, stating that he did not know other ways to take it to the Chancellor’s attention.

After the ceremony, Minister for Higher Education Govi Chezhiaan made a surprise visit to a hostel for research scholars on the campus and enquired inmates, whether they had grievances. He also enquired the faculty about the upkeep of the hostel and checked the quality of food being served there.

Foundation Day: PSG IMS&R confers honour on four alumni

Foundation Day: PSG IMS&R confers honour on four alumni

The awardees with the dignitaries at the Foundation Day celebrations of PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in the city on Monday.

The Hindu Bureau

COIMBATORE  1.10.2024 

The Foundation Day celebrations of PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (PSG IMS&R) here on Monday was marked by conferment of Distinguished Alumnus Scroll of Honour on four old students.

The awardees constituted Urmila Soman, Lead Consultant, Minimally Invasive Gynaecology, Apollo Adlux Hospital, Kochi; M Malarvizhi, Professor & Head of Department of Medical Gastroenterology, Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai; M Ganesh, Chief Gastroenterologist & Chairman, SG Gastro Care, Coimbatore; and S. Saravana Kumar, Senior & Lead Consultant, Department of Obesity & Diabetic Center, GEM Hospital, Coimbatore.

The institution has been celebrating its Foundation Day in commemoration of its start in 1985 as one among the three medical colleges permitted by the State government for the first time.

Felicitating the awardees, Surgical Gastroenterologist J. S. Rajkumar, Chairman and Chief SurgeonatLifelineGroup of Hospitals, Kilpauk, Chennai, recalled the illustrious legacy of PSG and Sons Charities, and its profound impact on society through providing essential healthcare services, education, environmental conservation, community empowerment, and preserving and promoting cultural heritage.

Presiding over the function, Managing Trustee of PSG & Sons Charities Trust, L Gopalakrishnan, recalled that the healthcare initiative began with the setting up of the rural health centre at Vedapatti 50 years ago.

The institute has consistently been ranked the top 50 among medical schools as per the National Institute ranking framework, he said, appreciating the alumni for offering mentorship and sharing their best practices with students and the faculty.

Principal of the institution T. M. Subba Rao, and Vice-Principal G. Sumithra also spoke.

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.

Financial crisis of MKU dominates discussions at Senate meeting

Financial crisis of MKU dominates discussions at Senate meeting

Madurai Kamaraj University Vice-Chancellor J. Kumar said the university followed its own method to handle the situation.

Vice-Chancellor says the government has been apprised of the financial crisis at MKU; issues pertaining to delay in payment of salaries, transparency in expenditure are also discussed

THE HINDU BUREAU

MADURAI

The government had been apprised of the financial crisis at Madurai Kamaraj University and steps were being taken to resolve the problem, said Vice-Chancellor J. Kumar at the Senate meeting held on Tuesday. He said the Chief Minister could intervene in order to resolve the issue and the university administration would wait for the move.

Issues pertaining to delay in payment of salaries and transparency in expenditure were also discussed at the meeting. A communication was sent to the university with regard to audit objection and it was being looked into, he said.

Mr. Kumar said the university followed its own method to handle the situation. He was responding to the query raised by Senate member Sankar Natesan who sought to know about short and long-term plans for revenue generation to improve the present financial situation.

To a similar query raised by A. Velanganni Joseph, another member, Mr. Kumar said steps would be taken to resolve the issue on the administrative side. A. Chandra Bose, a member, resolved to request the Syndicate that the university fix the maximum duration for Ph.D. thesis evaluation and create an effective online tracking system so that students would be able to know the status of their theses.

After raising queries pertaining to infrastructure issues on the university premises, a Senate member, M. Sulthan Ibrahim, stressed the need to form a committee in order to rectify exam-related issues. The Syndicate members said the issues would be duly addressed.

Syndicate member Nagarathinam told the Senate members that some of the queries that were being raised at the meeting were being repeated in different words. The Senate members said they should be allowed to present their views at the meeting.

In the adjournment motion moved by the Senate members, issues pertaining to mandatory publication of papers in journals, relaxing the Ph.D. entrance cut-off from 50% to 35%, expenses of the university and Honorary Doctorate for freedom fighter Alagam Perumal Kone were discussed. Mr. Kumar read the Vice-Chancellor’s report on the academic developments. A RUSA team also conducted a review of the various projects taken up by the university.