Students generate Rs 40 cr under EMC by state govt

Students generate Rs 40 cr under EMC by state govt 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  06.04.2026 TIMES OF INDIA CHANDIGARH

Over 1.2 lakh UG students in Punjab have collectively generated near ly Rs 40 crore of revenue within a single academic term under the state government’s newly mandated Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum (EMC). Rolled out for the 2025-26 academic year across 20 universities, 320 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), and 91 polytechnics, the programme has successfully transformed over one lakh students into active entrepreneurs. The curriculum’s delivery was spearheaded through the ‘Punjab Startup App’, an AI-powered, mobile-first platform designed in partnership with Masters’ Union School of Business. During the first term, from October to February, the initiative achieved remarkable financial milestones. Reaching 1.5 lakh students in its first year alone, the state now targets scaling the programme to 5 lakh students by 2028-29. 

The EMC makes job creation a core outcome of undergraduate education through a mandatory, credit-linked course. Universities must ensure a minimum of two credits per semester, shifting student evaluations away from traditional written exams. Instead, students are graded on practical execution, market reflections, customer feedback, and actual revenue impact tracked via the app. Learners choose practical business tracks like e-commerce or freelancing, progressing through structured milestones covering budgeting, go-to-market strategies, and order fulfilment

Madras univ raises fees

Madras univ raises fees 

Ragu.Raman@timesofindia.com 02.04.2026

Chennai : The University of Madras on Wednesday increased fees by 10% for all courses and by 15% for selfsupported courses. “A majority of the courses collect less than ₹5,000 per year as fees. This amount will not help resolve a financial crisis,” said aprofessor. The university also passed a resolution to disaffiliate Dr MGR Janaki Arts and Science College for Women at Raja Annamalaipuram. The college, which was founded in 1996 by Latha Rajendran in memory of chief minister M G Ramachandran and his wife V N Janaki, will be brought under Vel’s Institute of Science, Technology and Advanced Studies from 2026-27 academic year. “The proposal was mooted by the college. Following the payment of the provisional affiliation fees from 2013-14 to 2020-21, the university would grant approval for the disaffiliation,” a sourcesaid

IGNOU DEGREE

Patenting can never be just an academic exercise: Experts

Patenting can never be just an academic exercise: Experts 

Others are little better, leading an expert from Ambattur, Tamil Nadu, who analysed the data, to wonder, “Are patents being filed as innovation assets or as metrics for rankings and visibility?” Galgotias University, which exhibited a Chinese dogbot at the India AI Impact summit, published 2,233 patents over five years but secured two grants. A sharper focus on 20202023 outcomes (as it takes an average two years to grant a patent under the expedited route) shows even wider disparity. The IITs presented 3,331 patent publications and got 2,118 patents, pushing the success rate to 64%. 

The IISc successfully converted 257 of its 379 applications in 20202023, an approval rate of nearly 68%. For Lovely Professional University, the picture was barely any better in that period: 5,774 publications, 164 grants, and a success rate of a mere 2.8%. Chandigarh University shows a sharper skew—5,318 filings since 2020, only 45 grants overall. In 2023, it published 2,350 patents and received 44, a success rate of 1.87%. 

The National Institutes of Technology collectively published 2,333 patent applications in 2020- 2025 and secured 949 grants, a success rate of 41%. In 2020-2023, 933 of NITs’ patent publications yielded 626 grants, a success rate of 67.1%, comparable to India’s top public research universities. For serious innovation, according to education experts, patenting can never be just an academic exercise as it requires sustained financial investment in labs, hiring of researchers and legal support to achieve successful conversion and technology transfer. Currently, several privately-run institutions appear to be filing for patents on an industrial scale but have almost nothing to show on conversion. Galgotias University had filed 1,752 applications in 2020-2023 and received none. 

Shobhit Institute of Engineering and Technology has a similar story: 961 filings, zero approvals—both cumulatively and in2020-2023. 

Pvt univs file more patents but IITs, IISc win more nods 

Mumbai : India’s research story in higher education is often told through the rise in patent applications. However, a closer reading of data—from the India Patent Office for 2020-2025— suggests a more uncomfortable reality: the system increasingly rewards activity, not outcomes. The Indian Institutes of Technology, collectively, filed for 6,558 patents and got 2,806, an approval rate of 43%. 

The premier Indian Institute of Science mirrors this trajectory, as do the NITs, reports Hemali Chhapia. Now compare this with high-volume private universities. Lovely Professional University leads in numbers with 7,096 patent applications over five years. Yet only 164 granted, a success rate of 2.3%. The IITs presented 3,331 patent publications and got 2,118 patents, pushing the success rate to 64%.

Guv’s nominee walks out; BDU forms new panel

Guv’s nominee walks out; BDU forms new panel 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  22.02.2026

Trichy : More than 10 days after the governor’s syndicate nominee in the panel for scrutiny of registrar, controller of examinations, and director for centre of distance education appointments at Bharathidasan University walked out, the university administration cancelled the panel and ordered the formation of a fresh committee. S Amudha, the governor’s committee had walked out on Feb 9 over the issue of marking certain candidates as ‘non-eligible’. In this backdrop, an official communication from the university sent on Feb 20 to the members concerned stated the existing committee had been cancelled for “administrative reasons” and a fresh committee constituted. The new committee, is scheduled to meet on March 3.

Staff crunch: Most univs operate at 50%

Staff crunch: Most univs operate at 50% 

V.Srivatsal@timesofindia.com 22.01.2026

Trichy : Data from 21 state universities received under an RTI petition shows most institutions are functioning with around 50% vacancies. A few, including Madras University, have vacancies as high as 65% of sanctioned strength across ranks of professor, associate professor and assistant professor. 

Fourteen universities fall in 40–50% vacancy range, with TN physical education and sports university at 56%, Manonmaniam Sundaranar university at 50% and Bharathidasan university at 49%. With double-digit retirements expected in 2026 and 2027, the situation could worsen. 

Bharathiar university is the only institution with relatively lower vacancies at 15%, though it is also set to see over 20 retirements by 2026–27, says the RTI data collected by an activist between Apr and various months of 2025. Sources said the last major recruitment drive across state universities was carried out in 2014. “It is not just this govt, but the previous govt as well. Steps will have to be taken to address this at the earliest, as it affects students’ education. If there are not enough qualified staff, how can quality education be delivered,” said former Madras university V-C P Duraisamy. There are 335 vacancies against a sanctioned strength of 515 at the university. 

“Guest faculty are engaged to bridge the gap. While many of them are competent, they are not recognised as regular employees and therefore cannot take up several academic responsibilities. They are not permitted to guide research scholars or formally present projects and papers, affecting the research output a regular staff may have added. The shortage of regular staff also affects formation of committees with diverse representation, resulting in same individuals being repeatedly nominated to university and govt committees,” said a senior retired professor from BDU. 

Former AUT president K Pandiyan said the crisis is financial. “UGC restrictions on distance education reduced income. For years, TN withheld block grants from institutions earning higher

revenues. Grants were restored after 2019, but it didn’t help. Poor recruitment in the past affected research inflows, while corruption, administrative lapses and nepotism weakened things,” he said.

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