Medical aspirants, parents meet Minister over concerns against the EWS quota in private medical colleges
Aspirants and colleges are up in arms against the state government decision to implement 10 percent EWS reservation in private medical colleges. Both claim that it is unfair without allowing proportionate additional intake to accommodate the EWS seats, a one-time measure followed in the year 2019 when EWS was implemented in all government medical colleges.
Furthermore, students have complained that if the EWS quota is applied without a boost in total intake, the number of seats under general-merit will reduce drastically, causing cut-off scores to soar leading to heightened competition to bag a seat.
However, after a meeting with the state government on Tuesday, aspirants and parents are hopeful of a positive outcome. Parent representative Sudha Shenoy said, 'The minister gave us a patient hearing and assured us that the matter would be looked into for corrective measures. He connected us with the Principal Secretary of the Medical Education Department, who told us that the quota was implemented as part of affirmative action. However, we explained that EWS students are already receiving fee reimbursement under the state government's scheme. Additionally, we presented various court rulings in similar cases from different high courts. Following this, we were assured that all legal aspects would be considered before revoking the clause from the information brochure.'
Shenoy further added that parents are willing to move court in case the government insists on EWS quota implementation without additional intake.
When contacted, principal secretary of medical education department Dheeraj Kumar said, 'We have received the representation from various associations, and we are examining from all angles.'
Minister warns pharmacy colleges in state
Minister for Higher and Technical Education Chandrakant Patil has warned institutions running B Pharm and D Pharm courses in Maharashtra to meet all required norms within a month, or they will not be allowed to conduct admission from academic year 2025-26. Amid increasing concerns over mushrooming pharmacy colleges in the state leading to vacancy concerns, the higher and technical education department had ordered a re-inspection of those which were granted permissions during past few years. In a high-level meeting held on Tuesday, officials reviewed compliance from 2022 to 2025. And it was found that several colleges still lack basic academic and infrastructural facilities, as per the requirements mentioned in the Pharmacy Council of India's inspection format.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh: ₹1.5L income criterion for EWS admissions to group home unreasonable, says HC
The Punjab and Haryana high court has said that the income criterion set by the Chandigarh administration for economically weaker sections (EWS) seeking admission to the group home facility for persons with mental and intellectual disabilities 'appears unreasonable'. The UT's counsel had not disputed the ₹ 1.5 lakh annual income cap and informed the court that it is based on a May 2016 order of the department of food supplies, consumer affairs and legal metrology. (HT photo for representation) These observations from the high court bench of chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Sanjiv Berry came during a hearing in a public interest litigation (PIL), in which various conditions set by the administration for admission to the group home in Sector 31 were challenged in April this year. During the hearing, the counsel for the petitioner had informed that under the EWS quota, where 25% of the twin-sharing rooms are reserved, the annual income fixed is of not more than ₹1.5 lakh. Hence, those earning more than this can't apply. The UT's counsel had not disputed the ₹1.5 lakh annual income cap and informed the court that it is based on a May 2016 order of the department of food supplies, consumer affairs and legal metrology. Chandigarh: ₹1.5L income criterion for EWS admissions to group home unreasonable, says HC 'This order was issued nearly a decade ago, based on some data collected even earlier. But, despite the passage of more than a decade, the said criteria has not been revised, which appears to be quite unreasonable, especially considering the inflationary trends in the past ten years,' the bench observed, asking UT to reconsider the issue. UT's counsel had further informed that a meeting, to be chaired by the administrator, is likely to be held in the near future, during which the issues raised in the petition would be taken up. The court has fixed the next date of hearing on September 11. It observed that it has no doubt that the welfare objectives under the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, would be duly considered by the administration and the shortcomings, anomalies and loopholes pointed out by the petitioners will be considered. Besides the EWS admissions' issue, the petitioner has also challenged the condition of demanding ₹20 lakh as security for general category admissions by the administration. Lying locked since July 2024, plea seeks to make it operational The plea also says UT be directed to make the group home, which has been lying locked since July 2024, operational at the earliest as deserving and needy candidates are desperately waiting for the admission. The construction of the facility was completed last year but it is yet to be opened by the administration. The UT had invited applications for admission from February 17. Can accommodate 90 residents Built at a cost of over ₹35 crore, the facility includes accommodation for 90 residents, courtyards, landscaped gardens, and a therapeutic campus for residents dealing with mental health challenges. The social welfare department has set monthly charges of ₹16,000 for a twin-sharing room, ₹25,000 for a single room and ₹35,000 for a suite room. In addition to the monthly fee, electricity, vocational classes and cross subsidy charges will be added and the yearly fee would increase by 5%. During admission, a one-time security fund of ₹20 lakh will have to be deposited.
Hindustan Times
03-08-2025
- Hindustan Times
Delhi govt to renovate 50,000 EWS houses for slum residents
Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta and urban development minister Ashish Sood on Saturday inspected EWS (economically weaker sections) flats in Sultanpuri, north-west Delhi to review their maintenance, current condition, and potential for allotting them to slum dwellers. Gupta has announced that the government will renovate 50,000 old and dilapidated flats built for EWS over the past few decades and allot them to slum dwellers A DUSIB block of flats in Sultanpuri that chief minister Rekha Gupta inspected on Saturday. (ANI) The inspections were carried out a day after Gupta directed all government departments, the Indian Railways, and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) that no slum dwellings should be demolished in the city, and promised that all future removals, if unavoidable, would be accompanied by advance rehabilitation. 'Due to the indifference and malicious policies of previous governments, these flats, ready since 2011, remained deserted for years. Despite spending crores of rupees, they were not handed over to slum dwellers. Drawing inspiration from the resolve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' our government is now renovating 50,000 such flats. Electricity, water, toilets, sewer, and parks will be provided here. Our goal is to ensure that the slum dwellers of Delhi receive a safe, clean, and dignified life,' Gupta said after the inspection. In Sultanpuri, 1,060 EWS flats with F+4 structure for slum dwellers were constructed in 2016. The project is located at Site No. A-3, near C-Block, Sultanpuri. The total project area is 27,720sqm, while the carpet area of each unit is fixed at 25sqm. The layout of these houses includes one living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, toilet, and balcony. The approved cost was ₹52.81 crore, which later escalated to ₹67.84 crore. The per-unit cost, according to the approved amount, was ₹4.98 lakh, and according to the revised cost, is ₹6.40 lakh. The tender cost of the project was set at ₹51.72 crore, while the total expenditure reached ₹63.83 crore. The construction of the project was completed on March 31, 2016, delivering a total of 1,060 houses. Gupta said a similar situation exists with another 50,000 flats built in Delhi's outer areas, many of which have deteriorated so severely that substantial funds will be required to make them habitable. Treating this as a matter of the poor's rights, the Delhi government is working with complete commitment to ensure every slum dweller has access to safe, dignified, and well-equipped housing. The central government has already sanctioned approximately ₹732 crore to repair thousands of these flats. 'Our government is committed to ensuring dignified housing and a better life for slum dwellers. The Delhi government is also preparing a comprehensive strategy to meet the demand for 1 million houses. These efforts are fully aligned with Modi's resolve of providing housing for every poor person,' Gupta said. During the inspection, Gupta directed officials who accompanied her to prioritise immediate repair of salvageable flats and reconstruct those beyond repair. 'In the first phase we aim to operationalise 50,000 flats for resettlement while a comprehensive strategy is being finalised to address the projected need for 1 million houses in the future,' said Gupta. Sood said that DUSIB (Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board) flats in Sultanpuri had long stood as a symbol of neglect and political apathy. 'Despite investing crores of rupees, 50,000 flats remained abandoned, while hundreds of thousands of people continued to live in inhumane conditions in slums. Our government has resolved to redevelop these flats and ensure the availability of all essential facilities — water, electricity, sewerage, bathing spaces, toilets, parks, and safety. The Delhi government is committed to ensuring that no slum-dweller is forced to live an insecure, undignified, or unhealthy life anymore,' said Sood. An official said under the government's slum relocation and rehabilitation policy, the in-situ rehabilitation requires that eligible slum dwellers be offered alternative housing on the same land or within a 5km radius of their existing settlements. Commenting on the situation, the Congress said that the Prime Minister falsely promised the slum dwellers about providing flats. 'Since coming to power the BJP government in Delhi has demolished several slums, leaving many people homeless. To understand the pain and suffering of those troubled by the BJP's demolition drive, Rahul Gandhi reached out to the slum areas to understand their issues and raised them in Parliament. The BJP government, under continuous pressure from Delhi Congress's intervention, has promised to halt the demolitions,' Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav said.
Time of India
02-08-2025
- Time of India
NU Academic Council Allows Carry-On One Last Time
Nagpur: The Nagpur University (NU) academic council on Saturday rolled back its decision taken a month ago and allowed the carry-on provision for "one last time" to consistently failing students. The decision was taken through a 12/3 majority vote. Another 12 members of the council were not present at the meeting. Last year too, the NU allowed carry-on as a one-time exception and held a special examination. The carry-on provision allows admission to the academic year 2025-26 for students who haven't cleared even a single subject from their previous semesters in their entire course. Last month, the NU had rejected the proposal to allow carry-on as these students had already got three attempts to clear their subjects, besides the move adversely impacted the university's academic calendar. NU officials and teachers across the board had expressed concerns over the quality of education if carry-on was allowed. Acting vice-chancellor Madhavi Khode Chavare said the university is not going to hold any special exam, and these students will have to appear in the regular exam. The acting VC said carry-on is not applicable to six courses governed by the Pharmacy Council of India and NCTE (National Council of Teachers Education). NU officials said students led by various political groups had intensified their protests following the rejection of the proposal. "They were emboldened by the recent decisions of other universities to allow carry-on and repeatedly cited the same as a reason for NU to follow suit," officials said. Earlier, top NU officials tested the authenticity of these applicants demanding carry-on and grew suspicious about their background. "In some cases, those demanding carry-on didn't actually know what it meant. Later, when top officers explained to them, they gave up their demand," officials said. However, the issue took a new turn when some political outfits created social media channels and groups to run a campaign. This led to a flooding of emails to the university officials and office bearers. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
