NEWS TODAY 16.09.2024

 

No printed texts for University of Madras distance education students

No printed texts for University of Madras distance education students

As the IDE was unable to publish books and give hard copies to students, it handed out soft copies due to which many students didn’t attempt the exam.

University of Madras(Photo | Express)

Binita Jaiswal

16 Sep 2024, 10:00 am

CHENNAI: Students of the University of Madras Institute of Distance Education (IDE) programme said that they have not received hard copies of their study materials for over a year. Varsity officials said that they couldn’t float tenders to select publishing firms as the vice-chancellor post remains vacant.

Students who took admissions in IDE courses last year are yet to receive hard copies of the books, but this did not deter IDE from conducting the semester examinations. As the IDE was unable to publish books and give hard copies to students, it handed out soft copies due to which many students didn’t attempt the exam.

“I am in the fourth semester now but I’m yet to receive my second semester books. There is a WhatsApp group in which we get regular updates about classes and examinations. In that group, we only received soft copies of study materials for the second and third semesters. It’s not at all feasible to take printouts of over 2,000 pages when I have paid a course fee of Rs 15,000,” said a student of Masters in Journalism at IDE.

IDE director says tenders floated, selection process in final stages

As, I found it difficult to study with material in PDF format, I did not attempt the last two semester examinations. It’s high time that the IDE provides us proper books,” she added.

For the past year, we have been requesting hard copies but all our appeals have fallen on deaf ears. IDE is a major source of income for the varsity. Despite collecting course and examination fees from us, they are not giving us books, which is unfair,” said S Dhamodaran, another student. Even though the admission season of IDE for the academic year 2024-25 began in July, students are yet to receive their books.

“Usually, students are given books for the first year at the time of admission. However, I am yet to receive my books. Every time I check with the officials, they say that I will receive the books within a week,” said K Shantipriya, a student who enrolled this year. Thousands of students enrolled in IDE have similar tales to tell.

Meanwhile, the varsity officials have attributed the problem to the absence of a vice-chancellor. “The contract of the previous book publisher expired last year but we were not able to call tenders to select a new one as there is no vice-chancellor to give nod to necessary approvals. The convenor committee, constituted to manage affairs of the university, hardly meets so it was difficult to get clearance from them,” said an official of the varsity.

IDE spends over Rs 50 lakh annually to publish the books.

However, Director of IDE S Aravindhan said things have been sorted out and by next week, the students will get the books. “As per the direction of the state government, we floated e-tenders to select the book publishers and the selection process is in its final stages. The syndicate body of the varsity will give the green signal following which we will immediately start the publishing work of the book,” said Aravindhan.

New AICTE format for MTech certificates to ensure clarity in qualifications

New AICTE format for MTech certificates to ensure clarity in qualifications

 Priyadarshini.Gupta@timesofindia.com 16.09.2024 

To ensure quality in technical education, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) recently approved a standardised format for postgraduate certificate courses. It has directed all institutions offering Master of Technology (MTech) to uniformly adopt the standardised format for issuing their certificates, starting from this academic year. 

The format clearly specifies the main branch of engineering, followed by the specialisation within parentheses. For example, if a student has completed his/her MTech in the field of Computer Science with a focus on Artificial Intelligence, the certificate should read: MTech in Computer Science (specialisation in Artificial Intelligence). The approach will not only bring uniformity across all institutions but also enhance the recognition and value of the qualifications conferred to students.

 Core area of expertise TG Sitharam, chairman, AICTE, says, “The primary reason for introducing a standardised format for MTech certificates is to en sure that the main branch of study is clearly reflected alongside the specialisation. This clarity is crucial for recruiters and other stakeholders, as it makes it easier and allows them to accurately understand the student’s core area of expertise. The format will also benefit the recruitment process for employers when hiring across states or from multiple institutions. It will simplify the process for employers by making it easier to compare and verify credentials along with the main branch and specialisation.” The process will simplify the selection process as in an era of interdisciplinary education, where specialisations often overlap, explicitly stating the main branch provides a clear foundation of the student's academic background. 

“This distinction not only enhances the transparency of the qualifications but also ensures that the candidate's knowledge in their core field is recognised,  giving them an edge in fields where interdisciplinary skills are becoming increasingly relevant,” added Sitharam.

Medical aspirants await state nod to 49 new colleges

Medical aspirants await state nod to 49 new colleges

Hemali.Chhapia@timesofindia.com 16.09.2024 

Mumbai : Even as medical aspirants queue up to find a seat, all eyes are on the chief minister’s office, which has a pending file requiring approval to start 49 colleges. These comprise a mixed bag of new institutes that offer a range of medical education programmes, including MBBS colleges, nursing institutes, physiotherapy, and naturopathy colleges.

 All these private institutes have completed several levels of inspection, including an inspection by the committees of the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences and the Directorate of Medical Education and Research. Sources said the institutes that received approval of affiliation from the MUHS include three MBBS colleges, one dental college, 19 nursing colleges, 18 of postbasic nursing, 14 of ayurveda, and two of homeopathy. The list of 49 includes some physiotherapy and naturopathy colleges as well. States across India are giving a green signal to their new colleges to start so that a larger pool of seats is available. With this year’s medical entrance test -undergraduate National Eligibili ty cum Entrance Test -having several top rankers and high scorers, the marks cutoff for entry to medical colleges has soared. 

“In most colleges, the difference in closing ranks between 2023 and 2024 in every round of admission has seen a huge gap of a 1,000-odd ranks. With the cut-off for general merit seats being high, students have been pushed to either opt for private colleges or choose another stream of medicine or take a year’s break and reapply next year,” said a principal. In Maharashtra, the scenario is no different. The MBBS cut-off in govt colleges in the open category stands at 642 in the first merit list; last year the corresponding cut-off was 587. In private colleges, too, admissions in open category seats closed at 602 in the first round this year. In 2023-24, gates closed at a score of 534. College managements said that despite the huge “rush and desperation” for a seat, the state is sitting on the file for new colleges. “As admissions are on, thousands of students can benefit from getting a seat if this file is cleared and colleges are given much-needed approval to participate in this year’s admission,” said a trustee of a college.

Students must have adequate information on med practice regulations in Georgia

Students must have adequate information on med practice regulations in Georgia

Several aspirants are being misguided as consultants withhold crucial Georgian government rules on the independent practice licence, which is granted after nine years of education in the country

Byline: Ayushi.Gupta1 @timesofindia.com 16.09.2024 

Medical students aspiring to study in Georgia must acquire complete information on the ground rules related to practising as a doctor after completion of the medical course. NMC has been continuously discouraging students from getting medical education abroad citing the substandard education quality.

However, several study-abroad agents/counsellors have been taking advantage of gullible students and their parents. They often withhold crucial information regarding the rules, regulations, and laws of foreign countries. These agents provide incomplete information, promising medical education that meets NMC guidelines in India, which may not always be accurate or reliable.

Innocent students and parents often realise the deceit only after they land in a foreign country and face difficulty in practising as independent doctors. 

In Georgia, any student completing Doctor of Medicine (MD) and a year-long internship is allowed to work as a junior doctor assisting a senior doctor. Most of them do not fulfil the criteria to appear for the Foreign Medical Graduate Exam (FMGE) and struggle to get a medical licence to practice in India. Sarvan Maharishi (24), Hyderabad, who wanted to study in a foreign medical college, told Education Times how he was misled into applying to a medical college in Georgia by an agent, where he paid a fee of Rs 2 lakh to the agency. Sarvan says, "I visited an education service agency in Hyderabad to get admission into a medical college in Georgia. I was unaware of Georgia's medical practice laws, which made it easy for them to deceive me." He was saved as he learnt about the regulations on the internet.

Knowing the Georgian law:

According to Georgian legislation, to take the postgraduate residency course and obtain the right to independent medical practice, one must pass the Unified State Certification Exam (Article 17, Law of Georgia on Medical Practice).

Santosh Biradar, a practising advocate from Hyderabad has been trying to create awareness about foreign medical education.

He said, "Medical colleges in Georgia provide a license for 'independent practice' only after a total of 9 years of education in the country. Agents claim that after completing a 5-year MBBS course (known as MD in Georgia) and an additional year of internship, the student would receive a license to practice. However, they withhold information on the independent practice licence, which is granted only after completing three years of residency and passing the National Post-Diploma Qualification Exam (NPDQE), in addition to the 5 years of MBBS and one year of internship."

Furthermore, it is concerning that the NMC does not recognise the junior doctor license provided in Georgia. On August 9, 2024, the Georgian Embassy in India notified Indian students about recent amendments made by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Youth of Georgia regarding the medical education system.

The notice stated, "According to Article 14 of the Law of Georgia on Medical Practice, graduates of the MD program (equivalent to MBBS in India), known as junior doctors, are authorised to perform the duties of a doctor. This is fully equivalent to an MBBS qualification in India. A junior doctor performs clinical duties under the guidance of a certified specialist. If a certified doctor is not available, a junior doctor can provide emergency medical care independently."

A senior official at the NMC, speaking on condition of anonymity, says, "NMC has been trying to train doctors through internship programmes and practical training. We want students to consider reappearing for the NEET UG and focusing on performing better in the entrance exam, rather than opting for foreign medical colleges where many countries do not follow NMC norms. 

These foreign graduates often lack the practical skills needed to treat patients independently and fail to meet the licensing requirements mandated by the NMC."

"For obtaining a licence to practise medicine in Armenia and Georgia, post-graduation in a specialised field is mandatory. Duration of postgraduation varies according to the specialisation course which may range from one to four years," reads an RTI response from the Embassy of India, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia, also holding Georgia in its jurisdiction.

Missing MYH medico found in Ujjain after two days

Missing MYH medico found in Ujjain after two days

 TIMES NEWS NETWORK  16.09.2024 

Indore : Dr Hemant Girwal, the first-year PG resident at MY Hospital who had been missing for the past two days was found at near Ramghat under Mahakal police station of Ujjain on Sunday night. “We were alerted by Sanyogitaganj police station that the mobile phone of Dr Hemant was switched on for a few minutes and the location was found to be near Ramghat. Based on the information a team was rushed to the spot and the doctor was found. He has been brought to the police station but is not in the state to speak. Sanyogitaganj police team is on its way to take him back,” Mahakal police station in-charge Ajay Verma told TOI. Dr Hemant in the Orthopaedics department of the Medical College had gone missing on Friday afternoon after appearing before a committee to probe some allegations levelled against him by a female doctor. His phone was switched off around 5:00 pm after which he went missing. 

Dr Girwal was on Thursday posted in operation theatre 7 and had gone to operation theatre 2 for some work when he bumped into a senior female doctor, who filed a complaint against him. The resident doctors are now demanding the removal of the female doctor who had accused Dr Girwal, fuelling the controversy. On Saturday, the situation escalated as resident doctors staged a significant protest within the hospital premises, which nearly resulted in a physical alterca- tion with senior doctors. The Resident Doctors’Association (RDA) remains firm in their demand for action against the female doctor, while the Medical Teachers’Association has come forward to oppose the behaviour of the protesting residents. In response to the escalating situation, the MGM medical college dean, Sanjay Dixit, said, "A five-member investigation team headed by Dr Sumitra Yadav has been constituted to look into the matter.

It has come to the fore that the doctor's mobile phone was switched on for a brief  moment and the last location was found to be in Kshipra, based on which police are trying to look for him." Sanyogitaganj police station in-charge, Satish Patel had earlier sent a team there after reports that Dr Girwal might be in Simrol but he was not found there.

Living woman declared dead with help of patwari to grab her land; man held

Living woman declared dead with help of patwari to grab her land; man held 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 16.09.2024

Bhopal/Jabalpur : A living woman was shown as dead using a fake death certificate, and her land was fraudulently transferred into someone else’s name in Katni district. The accused, who got the land transferred to his name, was arrested by Katni police on Friday. The patwari who had helped him do so was already arrested earlier. The accused has been identified as Rajesh Kol, 47, a resident of Katni town. Police said that on April 11 this year, a case was registered at Kaimor Police Station against the accused Ram Lal Gautia, a resident of Vijayraghavgarh, and the accused Rajesh Kol. The investigation was underway. 

The accused Rajesh Kol had falsely declared Ratiya Kol, son of Hariprasad Kol, a resident of Kalhara, Kaimor, as deceased and, in collusion with the patwari Ram Lal Gautia, fraudulently transferred the land of the living landowner to his own name. An inquiry report regarding the mutation was requested from the patwari, who reported on March 20, 2023, that the land in question was currently registered in the name of Ratiya, son of Hariprasad Kol. The death certificate falsely recorded Ratiya Bai's death on March 15, 1998. The accused and the patwari had used this false death certificate to transfer the land to Rajesh Kol's name. 

When the living Ratiya Kol learned of this, she provided proof of being alive and filed a complaint. The investigation by the tehsildar of Vijayraghavgarh was in favour of the living person, confirming the fraudulent transfer by Ram Lal Gautia and Rajesh Kol. Based on the tehsildar's report, the crime was registered, and an investigation was conducted. Ram Lal Gautia was previously arrested, while Rajesh Kol had been absconding since the incident. He was arrested on September 13, said police.

Man tries to exploit flood situation by pushing wife into swollen river

Man tries to exploit flood situation by pushing wife into swollen river 

MAN ARRESTED

P.Naveen@timesofindia.com 16.09.2024 

Bhopal : A 45-year-old man in Gwalior district attempted to take advantage of the severe flooding in the Dabra region to murder his wife after she came to know about his extramarital affairs. He reportedly pushed her into the overflowing Parvati River and returned home. The suspect, Dalveer Jatav, allegedly pushed his wife, Savitribai Jatav, into the flood-swollen river with the intention to take advantage of the natural disaster to conceal his crime, say police. 

Dalveer resides in the Dabra Tehsil of Gwalior district, an area that was completely submerged three days ago due to heavy rains. The army, State Disaster Emer gency Response Force (SDERF), and local administration successfully rescued over 400 people, saving their lives amid the severe flooding. Dalveer, who works in the Public Works Department, has now been charged with the murder of his wife. Savitribai Jatav had gone missing on September 12. The missing person report was filed by her son when she failed to return home. Dalveer, however, feigned concern while the police conducted searches. But the investigation soon focused on him due to inconsistencies in his story and evidence of marital discord.

 According to police re ports, Dalveer lured Savitribai to the river, which was swollen and flowing due to heavy rains in the region. Under the guise of showing her the extent of the flooding, he pushed her into the turbulent waters. Savitribai, who was employed by the Tribal Welfare Department and had been troubled by her husband’s extramarital affair, was swept away and drowned. Dalveer eventually confessed to the crime during police interrogation, admitting that he had taken advantage of the flood situation to dispose of his wife’s body.  The police are now engaged in a search operation in the Parvati River, despite challenging conditions due to the ongoing flood.

HC fines naib tehsildar ₹50k for wrong interpretation of order

HC fines naib tehsildar ₹50k for wrong interpretation of order 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 16.09.2024 

Bhopal/Jabalpur : The MP high court imposed a cost of Rs 50,000 on a naib tehsildar for the wrong interpretation of a high court order and passing an illegal order giving possession of a shop to two person, citing the court order. The court further asked to initiate contempt proceedings against the naib tehsildar for the lapse. 

A Jabalpur resident, Praveen Gupta, in his petition, said that he and his sisters had left a portion of the shop for their mother, Shakuntala. His mother later sold the shop under her possession to respondents Manoj Kumar and Mukesh Tarpade. They had sought police protection to take posses- sion of the shop. When police force was not provided to them, they moved the High Court with the prayer to provide them police protection, but the court rejected the petition. They later filed a review petition in the court. Hearing the review petition, the court asked SP, Jabalpur, to decide on their application for police protection. 

However, the naib tehsildar in charge of the area passed an order giving possession of the shop to the two respondents, citing the court order. The petitioner said that the naib tehsildar wrongly interpreted the court order because the court had not given an order to give the respondents possession of the shop. During the hearing of the petition, the bench of Justice S. G. Ahluwalia found that the naib tehsildar had wrongly interpreted the court order and passed the order to give possession of the shop to the two respondents. There was no order to this effect in the review petition by the High Court. Taking serious note of the lapse by the naib tehsildar, the court imposed a cost of Rs 50,000 on him and also ordered that contempt proceedings be initiated against him in the case.

NEET counselling: Paperwork tires aspirants, thrills shops

NEET counselling: Paperwork tires aspirants, thrills shops

SruthySusan.Ullas@timesofindia.com 16.09.2024

Bengaluru : On any NEET counselling day at the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) headquarters on 18th Main Road, Malleswaram, you’ll find crowds thronging photocopying shops in the neighbourhood. As KEA mandates that candidates should submit notarised bonds in the format provided on stamp papers of Rs 20 and Rs 100 for MBBS admissions, shops in the area make a killing, charging Rs 400. Parents and students complain that shops fleece them as they struggle to ensure they have all papers done right. 

“There is no clarity on whether the annexure can be produced on e-stamp paper. The choice 2 candidates were first asked to deposit only the fees and suddenly on Friday (Sept 6), the first 60K rank holders were asked to verify their documents in person on Monday (Sept 9, which came after two closed holidays). So there was no other way for the students but to be at the mercy of notaries and shops operating in tandem. The two affidavits were supposed to be on stamp papers priced Rs 20 and Rs 100, respectively, but the shops charged Rs 400 for stamp papers for each annexure,” said a student’s parent. 

Lanes next to the KEA office are dotted with shops that know the exercise well. There are stamp papers ready to be typed with the details you seek and notaries at hand to sign and affix their seals to the documents. There are annexures 1 (general affidavit) and annexure 9 (rural service bond), St John’s Medical College undertaking and antiragging affidavits — all at their fingertips. Many parents have demanded that the process of attestation be removed. “It is unnecessary... I made a notarised officer sign more than 30 sheets of paper. We were not sure which documents had to be attested, so we got all attested. Isn’t self-attestation enough? Why are we continuing with these bureaucratic processes?” said another student’s parent.

In annexure 1, students testify they have not taken seats through any other exams, have not surrendered seats before or will not submit fake documents. Annexure 9 is about willingness to  take up rural service after graduating. KEA maintained only Rs 20 and Rs 100 bond papers are being asked for. 

NMC introduces seat upgrade option in the third counselling round Candidates can enrol in the medical college of their choice if they are not satisfied with the ones allotted in earlier rounds

NMC introduces seat upgrade option in the third counselling round Candidates can enrol in the medical college of their choice if they are not satisfied with the ones allotted in earlier rounds

Sonal.Srivastava@timesofindia.com 16.09.2024 

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) recently released a list of 6,947 virtual vacancies for MBBS, BDS, and BSc Nursing admissions for the second round of counselling. Earlier, students were allowed to apply for a seat upgrade only in the first and second rounds. To increase flexibility and transparency, the National Medical Commission (NMC) will also allow candidates to opt for an upgrade in the third round of counselling.

A virtual seat is created in a medical college when the candidate who has been allotted that seat decides to opt for a seat upgrade in the next round of counselling. Once the candidates get the upgrade/seat of their choice, the seat allotted earlier becomes a clear vacancy and will be allotted to the next candidate on the rank list. This year several virtual seats have been added to medical colleges across various states and Union Ter ritories, including Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Delhi (NCT), Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal. 

“Virtual vacancies are not clear vacancies; they are not vacated yet. If somebody is holding a seat and wants to upgrade to a better college/seat, that seat will be marked as a virtual vacancy. Only when the candidate who has asked for an upgrade gets an upgraded seat will his/her seat become a clear vacancy. If the candidate does not get a seat, his seat will not be allocated to another candidate.

Virtual vacancies are those where the person holding the seat vacates it for a higher seat,” says Dr B Srinivas, secretary, NMC. Students had the upgrade option for the first and second counselling rounds for the last few years, but from this year onwards, candidates will be able to apply for the seat upgrade after the third round of counselling, too. 

“Choice filling is left to the students, and they can opt for as many seats as they want. The idea is that the seats should not remain vacant. If the candidates go for an upgrade, then vacant seats should be filled,” says Dr Srinivas. Govt seats fill up first He points out that seats in government colleges are the first to be taken. Most seats remain vacant in private colleges, or NRI seats might get fewer takers. “Allowing candidates to upgrade seats enhances student mobility. They can either choose a government college or a private one,” says Dr Srinivas. The reason for the introduction of the virtual vacancies was to prevent seats from being wasted.

“Virtual vacancy is a good option to prevent the seats from remaining vacant in prestigious colleges. It increases accessibility in the admission process, reduces the paperwork, and provides a clear picture to candidates. However, technical issues might cause unnecessary problems. It is essential that all candidates know about virtual vacancies; often, candidates in rural areas are not aware of these vacancies and lose the opportunity. Another challenge is that if the deemed or private colleges get to know about the candidate leaving the institute, they might force the candidate to apply for the next round, so they can use his seat for their stray vacancy round,” says Dr KM Abul Hasan, chairman, IMA Junior Doctor’s Network.

Arappor sends CM, DVAC coffee powder to wake up

Arappor sends CM, DVAC coffee powder to wake up

VenkadesanS@timesofindia.com 

Chennai : Anti-graft organisation Arappor Iyakkam on Sunday launched a novel campaign called 'Wake Up DVAC' to highlight the poor performance of the anti-corruption agency in the last three years on probing corruption complaints. The protesters sent coffee powder to DVAC chief Abhay Kumar Singh, as well as chief minister M K Stalin and chief secretary N Muruganandham on Sunday. The sachet of coffee powder also had a petition attached that elaborated how DVAC has been sleeping on a number of bribery and corruption complaints against govt officials in various departments.

 “DVAC registered 281 regular FIRs in 2019, but the number dwindled to 130 and 140 in the years 2022, 2023, and 72 so far this year,” sa id the petition. According to Arappor Iyakkam, Chennai units of DVAC have registered only four cases this year, while the number was 55 in 2019. "More importantly, it is shocking to learn that the eight Chennai units of DVAC together have not even filed a single FIR since June," said Jayaram Venkatesan, founder, Arappor Iyakkam. He said that out of the 32 complaints filed by Arappor Iyakkam since 2017 about corruption to the tune of several thousand crores in different govt departments, DVAC has converted only four of them into FIRs. The campaign accused the DVAC and state govt of intentionally delaying investigations and approvals, protecting corrupt officials. "We hope that the coffee powder will be a wake-up call to the authorities to act on the complaints against corrupt officials who have swindled taxpayers' money," he added.

Early completion of 2024-25 academic session made possible for students in affiliated colleges of Anna varsity

Early completion of 2024-25 academic session made possible for students in affiliated colleges of Anna varsity

The Hindu Bureau

COIMBATORE 16.09.2024

Having commenced the induction programme for first-year engineering students on August 4, heads of affiliated colleges of Anna University opine the 90 working days per semester norm could be fulfilled with relative ease for the 2024-25 session at an earlier date when compared to previous years.

For the last three years in the aftermath of the COVID-19 lockdown, Anna University was able to gradually advance the commencement of first semester, by tweaking the calendar to include Saturdays as working days, according to college heads.

In the 2023-24 session, seven Saturdays were working days. The induction programme began on September 11, and the classes commenced on September 25. The last working day was on January 4, 2024, and practical exams commenced on the following day.

The end semester exam commenced on January 22. In the subsequent semester, 12 Saturdays were working days.

The classes for the second semester began on March 13, and the last working day was June 13. The practical exams commenced on July 8, and the end-semester exams began on June 15.

For the fresh batch of students, the 2024-25 session could be completed at least a week in advance, a college head said.

The classes for the second, third and final year students in the 2024-25 session commenced on August 12.

As per the schedule, the last working day will be on November 22, and the end-semester exam will commence on December 2. Eight Saturdays will be working days.

Re-opening day for next semester (Jan-May 2025) will be January 20, 2025, as per the academic calendar of Anna University.

Yet, this year, there was a gap of four months between the publication of Plus Two results and commencement of first-year classes.

Delayed start

“The delayed start of first-year classes in the affiliated engineering colleges of Anna University vis-a-vis other professional programmes is inevitable as the counselling for engineering admissions is usually initiated only after completion of the process in medical and agricultural universities to prevent migration of students,” head of an engineering institution in Coimbatore said.

Is healthcare being compromised due to delay in posting deans to government medical colleges?

Is healthcare being compromised due to delay in posting deans to government medical colleges?

TheDrugs Control Department had pointed out that the medical store in Madurai Government Rajaji Hospital was in a bad shape and had recommended changes to be carried out, but no steps were taken allegedly due to lack of authority of the in-charge dean; In-charge deans cannot match the expertise and experience of deans who are shortlisted for the post, say activists

C. Palanivel Rajan

Madurai  16.09.2024 

Delay in appointment of deans in some of the important government medical colleges in the southern part of the State is hampering not only important administrative processes but also the smooth functioning of the hospitals.

As the post of deans remains vacant in government medical colleges in Madurai, Ramanathapuram, Kanniyakumari, Theni and Virudhunagar, for the time being senior doctors are holding the post with Full Additional Charge (FAC).

Though temporary arrangements have been made for administering the medical colleges and hospitals, the efficiency of a full-time dean cannot be matched by the in-charge deans, say activists and former deans.

For the southern districts, Madurai Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) remains the key referral point. Though all the districts have their own government hospitals, the GRH, due to its capability of handling large numbers of patients with serious complications, plays a key role in treating numerous patients every single day.

But the irony is that the GRH has been operating with no full-time dean since May 2024. After the retirement of A. Rathinavel, C. Dharmaraj, Professor, General Medicine, Madurai Medical College, assumed office as in -charge dean. Following his retirement, V. Selvarani, Professor, Department of Cardiology, Madurai Medical College, took over as in-charge dean.

The number of dean in-charges in the recent days raises a critical question of how badly this would affect the functioning of the hospital and what is the key role of a dean in a government hospital.

A retired government medical college dean, who does not wish to be named, says that though the powers of a dean have been conferred on an in-charge dean, there would surely be a lag in decision-making. “In-charge deans enjoy both legal and financial powers but their commitment to the post varies. In their short period of stay, they will not wish to bear unnecessary burden,” he points out.

“Though it seems that a dean with full additional charges can operate a hospital like a regular dean, issues like enforcing discipline or getting respect from their subordinates or colleagues may pull down their performance,” the senior doctor adds.

Another dean of a government medical college hospital, listing out the key functions of a dean, said administrating treatment, education and research at their medical colleges and hospitals were the three broad functions.

“The functions are innumerable. But, to point out a few - health delivery system, outpatient department function, inpatient care, central lab services, pharmacy, basic amenities provision, special services, schemes operation, supervision, review and monitoring of services, calamity management, reporting and surveillance of infectious diseases, reporting of births and deaths, budget, finance management, working staff grievances, medicolegal responsibility, fire safety measures, bio-medical and solid waste management - are some of the major responsibilities,” the doctor notes.

Though these might sound like routine functions, each one carries equal importance considering the seriousness of diseases and complexities with which patients were treated at the hospitals.

“In simple things like managing inadequate medical staff at the hospital, a dean can order for using extra staff from a particular department to fill the existing vacancy, but in case of an in-charge dean, though it is performable, due to lack of moral authority, this may not be possible leading to a huge struggle in pursuing the said duty,” the dean says.

In Madurai GRH, the medical store has been identified to be in a bad shape even by theDrugs Control Department, but no steps could be taken to change or modify the infrastructure allegedly due to lack of authority.

A GRH official, requesting anonymity, says, though officials of the Drugs Control Department lack authority to take action against a government hospital for not maintaining the medicinal standards, they can recommend the changes that needs to be carried out.

Based on that, the official says, the Drug Control Department found irregularities in maintenance of drugs at the hospital during a recent inspection and had also reported to the in-charge dean. “As the in-charge dean was not in a position to immediately allot funds for renovation or procure instruments to maintain standards, he refused to carry forward the recommendations of the Drug Control Department,” the official says.

C. Anand Raj, a health activist based in Madurai, referring to such delays in carrying out necessary works, says: “In-charge deans cannot match the expertise and experience of Deans who have been shortlisted for the post. Though the in-charge’s duty is mostly given to doctors in the rank of head of departments, it cannot be said they would have the necessary power to take actions swiftly and boldly.”

Mr. Anand Raj adds that doctors and the public have never witnessed such indefinite delays in several years. “When the panel list for the dean posting is prepared several days ahead of the retirement of a dean, why cannot the health department act on the list that is already placed for their perusal,” he asks.

“Officials were comparing the efficiency of performance observed in medical college hospitals in districts like Virudhunagar and Theni which were administered by in-charge deans. They say the same efficiency can be expectedin super speciality hospitals run by deans in-charge. But, in reality, the super speciality hospitals are of a completely different league demanding high-level of experience from doctors to be appointed as deans,” he notes.

G. R. Ravindranath, General Secretary, Doctor’s Association for Social Equality, says “the delay in appointment not only slows the functioning of the hospital, but also puts a huge burden on the person in-charge, who may be incapable or inexperienced. This also flouts the National Medical Commission’s norms to appoint full-time dean in every medical college hospital” he adds.

The retired government hospital dean said the delay in posting a full-time dean would also affect the prospect of the eligible doctors who were on the list for the position.

He adds that starting from top positions like Directors and Deans to professors, doctors under the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) and Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services (DMS) and Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, preparation of panels for promotion was also being delayed.

Due to this, many senior doctors and professors retire without attaining their promotion, the dean adds.

A senior health official says the panel for appointment of dean is ready and as Chief Minister M. K. Stalin was back in the State, the appointment process would start soon.

PARENTS EXPECTATIONS FROM THEIR KIDS

 

NEWS TODAY 15.09.2024

 

Court quashes FIR for no number plate

Court quashes FIR for no number plate 

SagarKumar.Mutha@timesofindia.com  15.09.2024 

Hyderabad : Stating that slapping a cheating case against a rider for driving a bike without a number plate cannot be sustained, Justice K Sujana of Telangana high court has quashed a criminal case booked against R Vasundhara Chary of Lal Darwaza.

The judge heard the petition filed by Chary and quashed an FIR booked against him. A sub-inspector of the Charminar police station, while conducting vehicle check at Gulzar Houz, stopped Chary’s bike and questioned him as to why his bike did not have a number plate. The SI registered an FIR against him under IPC Section 420 (cheating) and Section 80(a) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Chary challenged the FIR. His counsel Akash Kumar Baglekar said:

 “If the petitioner cheats anyone, then a cheating case can be booked. Hence, the charge under IPC 420 cannot be sustained. Similarly Section 80-a of the MV Act only mandates that the vehicle must display its number. There is no punishment for those who fail to display the number. Hence, this section too cannot be retained,” the counsel argued. 

The judge found force in the petitioner's argument and quashed the FIR.

Doc accused of misbehaviour by female senior missing for over 24 hrs

Doc accused of misbehaviour by female senior missing for over 24 hrs

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 15.09.2024 

Indore : There is still no trace of first-year PG resident Dr Hemant Girwal, who went missing on Friday afternoon after appearing before a committee that probed allegations levelled against him by a senior female doctor at Indore’s MY Hospital. Junior doctors staged a noisy protest on Saturday, demanding action against the senior doctor if her allegations turned out to be false. 

During the protest, a group of junior doctors created a ruckus outside an operation theatre and got into a heated argument with some senior doctors. Scuffles broke out. “Around 25 junior doctors of the orthopaedics department remained absent from duty today. Their protest outside the OT halted planned surgeries for about two hours,” MYH superintendent Dr Ashok Yadav said. Later, the protesting raised slogans against the fema le doctor, who had accused Dr Girwal of misbehaving with her. 

According to JDA chief Harendra Pratap Singh Tomar, the allegations led to severe mental distress for Girwal. After the MYH superintendent wrote to Sanyogitaganj police, a case was registered on Friday night. “We have contacted Dr Girwal’s wife, who is posted in Rewa, and his father, who lives in their native place in Dhar. They are unaware of his whereabouts. His mobile phone is still switched off. Our search is on,” ACP Tushar Singh said.