National Exit Test for MBBS students to be held from 2023

National Exit Test for MBBS students to be held from 2023

Exam May Serve As Entrance Test For PG Programs

Bharat.Yagnik@timesgroup.com

Ahmedabad:21.07.2021 

The National Medical Council (NMC) aims to conduct the National Exit Test (NeXT) exam for final year MBBS students from 2023, said top sources close to the development. The broad modalities of the exam have been finalized, sources added.

Sources said that a decision in this regard was taken at a meeting held by the Union ministry of health and family welfare held on June 10 to review the work being undertaken by the National Medical Commission, the country's medical education regulator.

The commission has passed a resolution to set up an examination cell and steps are being taken to expedite the approval process, said sources. A clear picture is expected to emerge in the next six months or so.

The exam will be a common eligibility and entrance test for awarding the licence for practising medicine and surgery to students who have cleared MBBS studies and are doing their medical internship programme.

Also, the exam is likely to serve as an entrance test for admission to PG medical degree programs, replacing National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (PG). About 1.40 lakh students took NEET PG exams last year. The qualifying criteria for NEET (PG) is a 50 percentile score.

“The decision is in line with the central government’s overall plan for one nation, one exam,” said sources.

NeXT will be an online exam and the question paper will be based on the syllabus of undergraduate medical programs. The NeXT question paper will consist only of MCQ -type questions.

‘Plan to implement NeXT from 2023’

A plan is being worked out to implement NeXT from 2023. A committee will be formed on how to take forward the implementation plan. Also, there is a plan to also conduct practical exams the possibility of which will be examined by this committee,” according to sources in NMC.

Conducting practical exams across the country will be a major challenge for NMC, said an expert in the medical education field. An NMC official, when contacted, refused to comment on the matter.

Sexual abuse case: Siva Sankar Baba denied bail

Sexual abuse case: Siva Sankar Baba denied bail

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:21.07.2021

A Chengalpattu special court has dismissed three bail applications of selfstyled godman and founder of Sushil Hari International Residential School Siva Sankar Baba who was arrested on charges of sexually abusing minor students.

Refusing any relief to Baba, special judge for cases under the Pocso Act P Velmurugan on Monday dismissed all the three bail applications moved by him.

The court concurred with the submission of the CB-CID police that the accused who is an influential person might tamper the evidence and threaten the witnesses if enlarged on bail.

According to the prosecution, the All Women Police Station, Mamallapuram has so far, registered three different FIRs against Baba for sexually abusing his students under the provisions of the Prevention of Children against Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and IPC.

The accused who was absconding since the issue came to light was traced down by the CB-CID near Delhi.

‘Govt thinking of relaxing norms for old age pension’

‘Govt thinking of relaxing norms for old age pension’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Madurai:21.07.2021

The possibilities of relaxing some of the norms of the old age pension scheme (OPA) in Tamil Nadu, to make more people eligible for the benefit of these schemes, were being explored and the drawbacks have been taken to the notice of the chief minister M K Stalin, minister for revenue and disaster management, K K S S R Ramachandran has said.

Speaking to reporters after a review meeting with revenue officials of Madurai, Theni and Dindigul district on Tuesday, Ramachandran said that the rules laid down by the former AIADMK government, for obtaining the pension, had made it difficult for many people to get the pension. “There are people who have children (sons), which makes them ineligible for the OAP, but in reality these children do not take care of the parents and they need some financial support. So, we are trying to find a solution to it,” he said. Sources from the revenue department said that there were already more than 5,000 petitions for old age pension pending in Madurai district alone, of which one-third are eligible, but till date the lack of funds forced them them to enroll new beneficiaries only after the death of an existing beneficiary. Earlier, it was specified that people applying for these benefits should come under the below poverty line (BPL) category, but this is no longer mandatory, as identifying BPL category people in villages was easy but not in the city.

HELPING HAND: Minister K K S S R Ramachandran distributes a sewing machine to a beneficiary in Madurai on Tuesday

Pvt hosps told to use CSR funds for free vaccination

Pvt hosps told to use CSR funds for free vaccination

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

21.07.2021

Health minister Ma Subramanian conducted a meeting with representatives of private hospitals in Coimbatore, Tirupur and Erode districts at the Kovai Medical Center and Hospital (KMCH) in Coimbatore on Tuesday to discuss the feasibility of using corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds to procure vaccines to inoculate the public free of cost.

The minister said they had collected ₹61 lakh from CSR funds of private hospitals so far and 7,878 people could be vaccinated free of cost with the same.

The meeting was attended by the representatives of 117 hospitals. The minister said the state government was encouraging all private companies to contribute their CSR funds to procure vaccines. The funds would be routed to private hospitals, which would use them to procure vaccines and inoculate the public free of cost.

“The Union government has allotted 75% of a state’s quota to the government and 25% to private hospitals, which are not fully utilizing the quota, as cost is involved in it. So, they are now encouraged to tie up with corporate firms to vaccinate the public for free,” Subramaniam said while speaking to the media at Walayar check post.

The representatives of the hospitals said six to seven private hospitals would launch the scheme initially. “The directorate of public health should provide the hospitals with facilities to store and transport the vaccines for rural camps,” a source said.

Pointing out that many corporate firms were donating oxygen concentrators, generators, and cylinders to the hospitals, he said the state had adequate number of them presently. “We want private hospitals to procure vaccines with the CSR funds and conduct camps in rural areas.” The source said they had received 180 petitions from people stating their villages weren’t allotted enough vaccines.

Earlier in the day, the minister inaugurated a vaccination camp for disabled people at Chinniyampalayam. He said Coimbatore was allotted the highest number of vaccines after Chennai. The district has vaccinated 10.97 lakh people so far. “The state has received 1.8 crore doses of vaccine so far and we need another 10 crore doses. We could achieve the target soon if private hospitals use their full quota.”

The minister said ₹61 lakh has been collected from CSR funds of private hospitals so far and 7,878 people could be vaccinated free of cost with the same

TN govt eases income norm for OBC certs

TN govt eases income norm for OBC certs

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:21.07.2021

Candidates applying for Other Backward Classes (OBC) certificates in Tamil Nadu need not worry about creamy layer criteria as the state government has directed revenue officials and collectors to issue the certificate without insisting on income details. OBC certificates are required for candidates from backward communities to apply for admissions to central educational institutions and jobs.

The July 5 order states that salary and agriculture income need not be taken into account while calculating annual income ceiling of ₹8 lakh for parents of non-creamy layer category. The order, however, does not cover six categories, including people occupying constitutional posts and service and professional categories identified by the Centre in 1993. The move comes amid complaints about some officials raising objections while issuing OBC certificates citing income criteria.

‘There were issues in giving OBC certificates’

The communique was issued by A Karthik, BC, MBC & Minorities Welfare Department secretary.

For instance, an applicant, whose parent earns an annual income of ₹10 lakh that includes ₹7 lakh through salary and agriculture income will still be eligible for OBC certificate as the ₹3 lakh income through other sources alone will be calculated as the annual income. Even if an applicant’s income is ₹25 lakh, so long as the income through sources other than salary and agriculture is under the ₹8-lakh ceiling, they will still be eligible for OBC certificate.

The secretary further said in the letter to district collectors and revenue administration department that it had been brought to the government’s notice that there were issues in giving OBC certificates, hampering benefits offered by the Union government under 27% reservation for OBCs.

So long as the income through sources other than salary and agriculture is under the ₹8-lakh ceiling, they will still be eligible for OBC certificate

Stipend for Uttrakhand MBBS interns increased to Rs 17000 per month

Stipend for Uttrakhand MBBS interns increased to Rs 17000 per month: Dehradun: After weeks of protest and agitation, 330 medical interns of the state medical colleges have finally got relief as the government has now raised their stipend from Rs 7,500 to Rs 17,000...

Central govt "attempt to not implement" OBC reservation in State-surrendered medical seats for 2021-22 appears to be contempt: Madras High Court

 Central govt "attempt to not implement" OBC reservation in State-surrendered medical seats for 2021-22 appears to be contempt: Madras High Court

The Court has given the respondent authorities a week's time to indicate how it proposes to implement the OBC reservation.

Madras High Court

Meera Emmanuel

Published on : 19 Jul, 2021 , 2:49 pm

The Madras High Court on Monday observed that the apparent attempts by the Central government not to implement Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation in State-surrendered medical seats for the All India Quota (AIQ) in non-central medical colleges in Tamil Nadu appeared to be prima facie contempt of Court and in the teeth of the High Court's earlier order of July 27, 2020.

Admissions into the medical colleges in the State can now be only upon implementing such reservation quota, the Bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy noted in its interim order.

The Bench opined that the Union's stance to defer the implementation of the OBC reservation until the Saloni Kumari case before the Supreme Court is decided was, prima facie, unacceptable.

"The Union's attempt to not implement the OBC reservation quota in respect of AIQ seats in the academic year 2021-22 appears to be contumacious, in derogation of the order dated July 27, 2020 passed by this Court and contrary to the representation made before the Supreme Court as recorded in the order dated October 26, 2020," the Court said.

The Court has now given the alleged contemnors a week's time to "indicate their considered stand as to the mode and manner of the (implementation of the) OBC reservation quota in terms of the 1993 Act in respect of AIQ seats in the State pertaining to medical and dental colleges from the next academic year of 2021-22."

The Court has also noted that the State government has already indicated its proposal for OBC reservation implementation to the Committee by the middle of October.

By the July 27, 2020 order, the High Court had directed the constitution of a Committee to work out how the OBC reservation can be implemented from the academic year 2021-2022, with the participation of the Central government, the State government, the Medical Council of India and the Dental Council of India.

A contempt plea was filed earlier this year by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party, which has raised concerns that the OBC reservation may not be implemented this academic year either.

Senior advocate P Wilson, appearing for the DMK, pointed out that while the Committee has been formed in terms of the High Court's order, the implementation of the OBC reservation is not being done citing an application pending before the Supreme Court.

He added that this pending application is not connected with or pose any impediment to the implementation of the OBC reservation in medical colleges in Tamil Nadu. He further pointed out that the Central government itself had earlier given a positive undertaking in the Supreme Court that the OBC reservation would be implemented from 2021-22 after the State government moved a plea in the Supreme Court urging for a shorter timeline for the reservation.

In arguments today, the counsel appearing for the Central government authorities countered that the All-India Quota is something that is being monitored by the Supreme Court. As such, some clarification is required before proceeding further, it was argued. There is no wilful disobedience of any order, it was asserted.

The Court, however, was unconvinced.

"We think this is in the teeth of the order of the court. You said that you would implement it this year. Long before, you said that the Saloni Kumar (case) has nothing to do with it," Chief Justice Banerjee orally observed.

Additional Solicitor General R Sankaranarayanan assured the Court that the Central government has not been against the implementation of the OBC quota, and that its only reservation was with respect to exceeding a 50% limit. The only question is the manner of implementation, the ASG said while seeking ten days' time to file an affidavit.

"It has to be implemented in the year 2021-22," Chief Justice Banerjee went on to emphasise, adding, "you make a statement, we’ll adjourn the matter, after a week you tell us how you will implement it. Not implementing is not a choice."

In its interim order, the Bench recorded that the matter was finally decided by the Madras High Court on July 27, 2020 after the Supreme Court clarified that the top Court is not dealing with any similar matter.

It also noted that in an October 26, 2020 order, the Supreme Court had recorded the Centre's submission that a committee was already in place to decide on how to implement the OBC reservations and further that the top Court had recorded that a final decision would be taken by the Committee for implementation from 2021-22.

"To repeat, the considered stand of the Union was that steps were being taken to implement the OBC reservation to AIQ seats in the State from the academic year 21-22," the Court noted.

The matter will be heard next on Monday.