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Time of India
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘EWS quota could shrink PG general pvt med seats to 5%'
Mumbai: If the state moves ahead with its plan to introduce the 10% economically weaker section (EWS) quota in postgraduate medical admissions in private colleges —without expanding the total number of seats—it could leave the general category with barely 5% of the pie left to claim. For undergraduate students, 40% seats would be left. The concern began brew-ing among all medical aspirants. A day after the state's admission brochure for undergraduate medicine included the announcement about EWS reservations in private colleges, the calculations began—and the implications were not lost on aspiring postgraduates too. "With the inclusion of EWS and Maratha quotas, open category students are left with a mere 5% in private PG medical seats," said parent representative Brijesh Sutaria. "Constitutional categories already account for 45%, while 50% go to institutional and NRI quotas. It's a shrinking corridor for general merit students." You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai In 2019, when the EWS quota was introduced nationwide, the central govt expanded seats by 25% in govt colleges to cushion the blow for all quotas. Sutaria said he believes Maharashtra must do the same for the private colleges now. "The govt needs to approach the National Medical Commission and seek a proportional increase in PG seats," he said, calling it the only way to "restore fairness and access." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top 15 Most Beautiful Women in the World Undo However, sources said the same was done for undergraduate seats too before including the mention of the EWS quota in the admission brochure released on Wednesday. "However, the NMC wrote to the state that there were no plans to increase the seats." It is not clear whether the state will once again approach the NMC for PG seats. At the heart of the uproar is the absence of a seat hike. Without increasing the intake, say students, introducing the EWS quota amounts to slicing up an already cramped pie. In letters to the state govt and the National Medical Commission, students said the move goes against of the Supreme Court's directive that the EWS reservation must ride on a 25% expansion in capacity, not at the cost of existing quotas. Maharashtra is the only state in the country that has chosen to implement the 10% EWS quota in private medical colleges. At present, 22 private medical colleges in Maharashtra offer 3,120 MBBS seats. The new reservation, however, bypasses minority-run institutions, where the quota won't apply. For postgraduate aspirants, the competition narrows even further. The total number of PG medical seats available across private institutes in the state is about 900. " Students are seeking appointments with senior officials in the govt and in Delhi to present their case," said parent representative Sudha Shenoy.
Mint
7 hours ago
- Health
- Mint
Centre plans to introduce $10,000 fee to recognize foreign medical courses
New Delhi: India's National Medical Commission (NMC), the country's apex medical education regulator, has proposed to overhaul rules and introduce a fee to recognize medical courses offered by universities abroad. Under its new draft rules, foreign universities or accreditation agencies will need to pay the NMC a fee of $10,000 ( ₹ 8.6 lakh) for each application seeking recognition by India of a medical course conducted by them. 'Any foreign authority in any country outside India, entrusted with the recognition shall remit $10,000 (US dollars ten thousand only) per qualification as fees to the Commission while submitting its application in a proforma,' the NMC said in a draft notification, amending a clause of the National Medical Commission (Recognition of Medical Qualification) regulations. The development is significant given that 25,000 Indian students go abroad annually to pursue a medical degree, with the preferred countries being Russia, China, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan. These graduate doctors can practise in India only if the NMC recognizes their medical degree. Charging fees for recognition of foreign medical courses is common globally, including in the US, Canada and the UK. Given the limited number of 1.1 lakh MBBS seats in India, and about 2.5 million applicants vying for them, overseas medical education becomes the second choice for many. 'The NMC is doing this to ensure high medical standards in India. The fee helps in formalizing and streamlining the recognition process and ensuring only top-quality foreign qualifications are recognized,' an official familiar with the matter said. 'This amendment particularly impacts the 20,000-25,000 Indian students who study MBBS abroad annually.' The cost of studying medicine in Russia, China, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan ranges from ₹ 18 lakh to ₹ 48 lakh, depending on the course duration (5-6 years), university, city, and living expenses. International bodies such as the World Federation for Medical Education charge about $60,000 to recognize national accrediting agencies. The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates in the US charges various fees to certify international medical graduates. Mint reported earlier that the government recently appointed a chairman and other key members to fill vacancies in four NMC boards that oversee the functioning of medical colleges in India. Queries sent to the health ministry spokesperson remained unanswered till press time.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Dental Curriculum India: Urgent Overhaul Needed to Align with Modern Practices
A major overhaul of the curriculum will require multi-domain expertise and inputs from education technology experts Rooban Thavarajah India's dental education system is now at a critical point. The last major overhaul to the undergraduate (UG) dental curriculum occurred on July 25, 2007, based on the domain expertise requirements and evaluation (outcome-based assessment) framework of the time. Since then, the field of dentistry, teaching-learning (TL) methodology, and assessment characteristics have evolved rapidly. Over these years, Indian dental classrooms have seen students from the 1990s, the 2000s, and now the Gen Alpha generation. The gap between what is taught and what is needed in real dental practice in India has grown significantly. But the syllabus has failed to include landmark developments in dentistry. Digital dentistry, for example, is increasingly integrated into regular dental practice, becoming a mainstream tool in an average dental practice. Such advances offer greater precision, efficiency and patient comfort. Globally, there is also a fundamental shift from focusing only on treatment to emphasising prevention, behavioural changes and patient education. But the current syllabus still focuses on procedures and diseases. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like My 4-year-old kidneys are failing, only you can help Donate For Health Donate Now Undo Even well-known dental filling materials such as silver amalgam and gold fillings are replaced with composites and glass ionomer cement. Important legal updates, such as changes in the Consumer Protection Act, the Clinical Establishment Act, and new rules /guidelines on infection control and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), have also not been incorporated into the basic structure of the curriculum. This leaves new graduates less prepared for real-world dental practice. The 'COVID-19' batch (the ones who did higher secondary schooling during the pandemic) and subsequent batches were forced to make a rapid shift to online and hybrid learning, opening newer dimensions in TL methodology. Today's undergraduate dental students are digital natives, accustomed to fast access to information, interactive learning, and technology-driven environments. But the curriculum, education framework, and assessment, designed for a pre-digital era by such teachers, fail to engage students effectively or equip them for the realities of modern dental practice. Motor-skill transfer is a crucial part of learning in dentistry. It is at this training-delivery system that dentistry is unique. Studies evaluating multi-dimensional competency-based training for dental students have found such structured skill-transfer modules to be far more effective in imparting practical, real-world skills and knowledge than traditional methods. In India, the National Medical Commission has shifted medical education to a competency-based model. Yet, these innovations wait to be integrated into the dental curriculum. At the evaluation and assessment front, students are graded based on subjective impressions rather than objective competencies. This must be replaced by better options. Additionally, to produce better dentists, entrepreneurial training, financial literacy, and practice management content must be incorporated into the core curriculum. There have been attempts to update the syllabus and TL framework, but with limited success. Regulatory inertia, lack of consensus among stakeholders, and the sheer scale of the system have all contributed to this stagnation. The National Dental Commission Bill 2023, which is yet to come into full force, aims to replace the 75-year-old Dental Council of India (DCI) with a new regulatory body. The new commission promises reforms, including a National Exit Test for licensure and a standardized accreditation system. However, these changes are still in the pipeline and have yet to impact the day-to-day reality of dental education. Also, the Indian student's shift in cognitive domain, attention span and fine motor skills have to be accounted for while updating the curriculum. The societal acceptance and use of edutainment, coaching classes and advanced digital TL aids transformed the entire domain of TL methodologies, none of which are taken generally into account during the curriculum development. The need for an immediate and comprehensive update to India's dental education system is clear and urgent. It must begin with a comprehensive curriculum overhaul based on a multi-dimensional competency-based framework, enabling students to achieve the minimum EPA essential for modern dental practice. To ensure consistent quality, uniform standards and accreditation policies must be established nationwide, supported by robust faculty development programs, adoption of student-centric teaching-learning methodologies, and the implementation of best policy practices. It is imperative to shift away from the traditional time-bound, didactic teaching model toward a competency-based education system that focuses on real-world skills, including the precision and fine motor skill requirements unique to dentistry. Such a shift will prepare graduates to meet contemporary clinical demands and align Indian dental education with global standards. A major overhaul of the curriculum will require multi-domain expertise and inputs from education technology experts. Assessments should be realistic, continuous throughout the year, and cumulative rather than limited to a few exams. Digital tools for assessing knowledge and skills, as well as for maintaining academic records, should be used. The world of dentistry is evolving at a breakneck speed, and the curriculum must keep pace with it. The time for incremental change has passed; what is now needed is a bold and comprehensive curriculum overhaul. Uniform educational standards needed Unlike medical education, where nearly half of all colleges are govt-run, only about one in eight dental colleges in India is govt-run. The rest are private, with most being deemed universities. This has led to several challenges. Govt colleges often have better patient inflow and clinical exposure, while private colleges may focus more on research, innovation and rankings. Hence, striking the right balance between innovation and foundational core competencies for maintaining minimum educational standards across all institutions is the need of the hour. If an imbalance is created, it has the potential of skewing the profession's core ability. Ensuring uniform dental educational standards across such a diverse and predominantly private sector is a big challenge for regulators. Globally, dentistry is moving towards Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs), which focus on real-world competencies and essential fine motor skills for dental practice. Time for India to do the same. (The writer is with the department of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology/ Microbiology at Ragas Dental College & Hospital in Chennai)
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
NMC warns against admission in undergraduate courses at four foreign medical colleges, issues advisory
NEW DELHI: The National Medical Commission (NMC) on Monday strictly advised medical aspirants not to seek admission in undergraduate medical courses at three medical colleges in Central America and one in Uzbekistan. Failure to adhere to the advisory will result in ineligibility for medical registration in India, the NMC stated. The medical colleges in question are: Central American Health and Sciences University, Belize Columbus Central University, Belize Washington University of Health and Sciences, Belize Chirchik Branch of Tashkent State Medical University, Uzbekistan The alert was issued after the Indian Embassy in Mexico and the Eurasia Division of the Ministry of External Affairs raised serious concerns that these institutions were not meeting the required Indian standards in medical education. 'It is also advised that, before seeking admission to any foreign medical institute or university, prospective students and their parents carefully read the alert/advisory uploaded on the National Medical Commission (NMC) website dated 19th May 2025. The advisory contains critical information regarding recognised institutions, eligibility criteria, and other important guidelines,' said the alert issued by Sukh Lal Meena, Director, Under-Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB).
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
BAMS, BHMS graduates found practicing allopathic medicine in Hyderabad, TGMC to file cases
The Telangana Medical Council (TGMC) on Monday, July 21, conducted surprise inspections at multiple clinics in the Hayathnagar area of Hyderabad. The action, part of an ongoing campaign to safeguard public health, exposed a troubling nexus of fake doctors operating under the guise of legitimate practitioners. During the inspections, five establishments were found flouting medical regulations. Among them was Sunrays Hospital and Diagnostic Centre, where Umakant, a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) graduate, was caught administering allopathic treatments he is not licenced to provide. Despite lacking the qualifications mandated for such practice, he had allegedly been treating patients with modern medicine. At Sri Vijaya Brahmendra First Aid Centre, the operator, identified as Brahmendra, was found offering allopathic services in clear violation of medical norms. Similarly, at Hanuman First Aid Centre, an individual named Vinod, with no medical degree and only an Intermediate qualification, was reportedly providing unauthorised treatment to unsuspecting patients. In another instance, Sri Sai Poly Clinic was found to be run by K.S. Prasad, a Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) graduate who was allegedly posing as an MBBS doctor while practising allopathy. At Balaji First Aid Centre, the operator, Rambabu, was delivering medical services without any recognised medical registration or qualifications. The inspection team comprised TGMC Vice Chairman Gundagani Srinivas, K.U.N. Vishnu, and Vigilance Officer Rakesh. TGMC officials confirmed that cases would be filed against all those found violating the law. The charges will be registered under relevant sections of the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act, including Sections 34 and 54, the Telangana State Medical Practitioners Registration Act (Section 22), and Sections 318 and 319 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
