Latest news with #RSS-backed
The Print
21-07-2025
- Health
- The Print
Once brought in as ‘historic reform', National Medical Commission is showing same symptoms as predecessor
NMC comprises 33 members, a chairperson, 10 ex-officio members, and 22 part-time members. In addition, there are four autonomous boards to support its functioning—for undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) education, medical assessment and rating, and ethics and registration. What was considered the most appealing feature of the new medical education regulator was that its members would be 'selected' on the basis of 'merit'. New Delhi: In 2020, the constitution of the National Medical Commission (NMC) was hailed as a ' historic reform ' in the field of medical education and the practice of medicine. It replaced its predecessor Medical Commission of India (MCI), a network of elected representatives set up in 1933 and governed by Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, which had come to be viewed as a den of corruption, inefficiency and arbitrariness. 'Men and women with impeccable integrity, professionalism, experience and stature have been now placed at the helm to steer the medical education reforms further,' the Centre had said, announcing NMC's inception on 25 September, 2020. However, nearly five years later, a massive 'scandal'—involving senior NMC officials, some from the Union health ministry and a former University Grants Commission head—has been unearthed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and many suspect it is just the 'tip of the iceberg'. The allegations being probed include unauthorised sharing of classified regulatory information, manipulation of statutory inspection processes, and widespread bribery to secure favourable treatment for private medical colleges—reminiscent of the MCI era. The episode has once again triggered passionate debates on the commission's functioning, with doctors and medical experts telling ThePrint that NMC has not been able to deliver on its promises. Many point out that NMC has been unable to successfully perform any of its stipulated 'key functions'—streamlining regulations, rating of institutions, raising focus on research, introducing a national licentiate examination after MBBS course, creating an all-India register of doctors, and preparing guidelines for fee regulation by private medical colleges. Neither has it been able to develop standards for Community Health Officers with limited practicing licence, and no MBBS degrees, providing primary healthcare services in rural areas, those in the fraternity rue. Additionally, many doctors anonymously express concerns about the growing influence of the RSS-backed National Medicos Organisation (NMO) on the functioning of the NMC, and the alleged religious agenda. Also Read: Health diagnostics is a game of 'molecules & money'. Amazon has just entered the race 'Bureaucratic & political interference' According to the previous national president of Indian Medical Association Dr R.V. Asokan, NMC was 'never meant to perform'. 'It was meant to be its master's voice, which it is. The expectation was that it should perform as an arm of the government, favouring medical colleges at the cost of quality in teaching and training, and promoting mixopathy and crosspathy (integration of modern medicine with alternative medicine), and it it faithfully doing it,' Dr Asokan told ThePrint. IMA—the largest network of doctors in the country—had fought tooth and nail against the constitution of the NMC, arguing that MCI was a democratic body duly elected by the entire medical fraternity of the country, and that it deserved a clean-up, not extinction. Dr Ravi Wankhedkar, another former IMA president, said that the only 'achievement' that the NMC can showcase is the massive expansion of UG and PG seats, and the number of medical colleges coming up at the cost of alarming dilution of infrastructure and faculty norms, and declining teaching standards. Government statistics show that India had 731 medical colleges offering 1,12,112 MBBS seats, and 72,627 PG or PG-equivalent seats in medicine in the 2024-25 academic session. According to health ministry data, this was a substantial hike from 387 colleges, 51,348 MBBS seats and 31,185 PG seats before 2014. 'But so poor is the quality of teaching and learning in medical colleges these days that we will be extremely wary about getting treated by the doctors passing out of the current system. I am really concerned about what happens to patient safety and healthcare services in this country once the new generation of doctors takes over,' Dr Wankhedkar told ThePrint. Yet, he added, the benefit that the government is getting out of this is that they can boast about opening medical colleges and increasing the number of seats in medicine to 'score political points'. Asked about the many such observations about the NMC, the body's outgoing chairman Dr B.N. Gangadhar told ThePrint that while he respected his colleagues' opinion, given that the expectations from the commission were huge, it had done a 'reasonably fair job thus far'. 'Several changes have been brought out, including massive expansion of medical colleges, number of UG and PG seats. Implementation of these changes will take time. It's all a work in progress,' he said. Incoming NMC chairperson Dr Abhijat Sheth, appointed last week, is set to take charge soon. Dr Gangadhar also described the announcement of new teaching recruitment norms this month, allowing specialists in non-teaching hospitals to be able to work as teachers, as a move aimed at correcting the biggest problem plaguing the sector—faculty shortage. But many have argued that this will further dilute teaching training standards. A senior NMC functionary, whose term ended two years ago, confirmed the assessment that others in the medical fraternity have made. 'We tried to do many things, but the bureaucracy harassed us like anything. The intent of setting up NMC was right, but the way things are, I see little hope. There is too much political and bureaucratic interference,' said the ex-NMC member, requesting anonymity. ThePrint also reached Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava via email for a comment on these allegations. This report will be updated if and when a response is received. 'Reforms' that turned out to be non-starters The NMC Act of 2019 had envisaged the National Exit Test or NExT as a singular qualifying examination to replace three existing exams in the field of medicine—the final MBBS exams, the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for PG seats (NEET-PG), and the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) for foreign graduates to practice medicine in India. The Act had stated that qualifying in NExT would be a must—within three years of the Act getting notified—for every MBBS graduate to receive a licence to practice medicine in the country. Later, in 2023, the NMC had announced that from 2024 onwards, the NExT exam would be conducted twice a year, only to face stiff resistance from medical students across India forcing the regulator and the government to put the idea on hold. In a representation to the government in 2023, the IMA had said that the group, along with various networks of medical students, rejected NExT in toto for its 'anti-student content'. In January last year, the NMC sought public feedback on the feasibility of the test, indicating that it was unsure about the basic premise of the test. There has been no word on the fate of this proposed examination since. In 2022, the commission had ruled that private medical colleges in India will have to keep the fee for half the seats at par with that charged by government colleges in the respective states they are located in. This had come amid concerns that fee for MBBS seats at a private medical college in India could range between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 30 lakh a year, meaning that students would have to shell out anywhere from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore for the duration of the course. This move was, however, challenged in different high courts and the Supreme Court, and was stayed and never implemented. Another key task of creating a national medical registry (NMR), meant to create a database of credentials and details of the nearly 13 lakh doctors practicing in the country, has also been struggling to take off. Over the last five years, the database has been able to register just about a few hundred doctors, with most doctors in even metro cities yet to be registered on the portal, NMC sources said. 'I feel that the MCI-Board of Governors (BoG) that had been put in place after dissolution of the MCI was at least able to carry out certain measures. NMC has fared poorly on many counts,' said Dr Satendra Singh, professor of physiology with the University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi. MCI-BoG—headed by Dr V.K. Paul, member-health, NITI Aayog—which worked on an interim basis for two years between 2018 and 2020, had brought in plans like district residency programme (DRP) scheme, and allowing private hospitals to start PG-equivalent courses that were later implemented by the NMC. Worse still, Dr Singh said, the commission has so far not even been able to ensure implementation of the competency-based medical education (CBME) curriculum across the country, mandatory under the World Federation for Medical Education's (WFME) Global Standards for Quality Improvement: Basic Medical Education, 2020. Established by an initiative of the World Health Organisation and the World Medical Association, the WFME had awarded recognition status to the NMC for 10 years in 2023. Also Read: Bringing dramatic drop in TB deaths, how TN set an example for rest of India with one-of-a-kind model Series of U-turns In September last year, NMC was forced to amend its contentious CBME guidelines after vehement protests by activists who called the guidelines 'outdated' and 'archaic'. The 2024 guidelines for the undergraduate forensic medicine curriculum were set to replace the 2019 guidelines in the upcoming academic session, and apply to one lakh medical students across universities in the country. Those who opposed the guidelines, however, underlined that the guidelines deemed 'lesbianism and sodomy' as unnatural sexual offences, clubbing them with sadism, necrophilia and voyeurism. This was not the first time that the NMC had gone back on a decision, which was being publicised as a 'reform'. A similar controversy had erupted in 2023 when the body had mandated doctors to prescribe generic drugs or face penalties, forcing it to put the professional conduct regulations on hold. The same year, after strong protests from southern states, the NMC had deferred its decision to set up more MBBS colleges, and add more UG seats based on the population of different states. 'The number of corrigendums and addendums that the NMC has published over the last few years is higher than what the MCI published in the over seven decades that it existed,' Dr Singh said. 'It shows how this body is functioning—without the required seriousness and vision that are absolute must.' The regulator, he stressed, has turned out to be 'old wine in a new bottle with little action that matters, and a master of U-turns that put a question mark on its credibility'. He also pointed out how the body has been working on an ad-hoc basis for the last two years. Dr Gangadhar, former director of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, who had been the chairman of the commission's Medical Assessment and Rating Board since 2020, was appointed as officiating NMC chairman in 2023, when the term of its first chief Dr S.C. Sharma ended. In July last year, he was appointed as NMC chairman, but the positions of whole-time members and chairpersons of three out of four boards at the commission have been lying vacant for nearly two years, though several whole-time and part members of NMC were selected through a draw of lots by Health Minister J.P. Nadda last week. Besides the new chairperson, name of the new president of the medical assessment and rating board was also announced on 11 July. 'If the medical education regulator has to be run with a draw of lots, why not even choose our parliamentarians like that?' remarked Dr Asokan. He added that while there were issues with the way MCI had been functioning, mainly as too much power was vested with one person, it at least ensured that 'ruthless standards' were maintained in colleges leading to Indian doctors making their name world over. The former NMC member quoted earlier said that 'quality people' were reluctant to work with the commission, given the tight bureaucratic control. Influenced by NMO's ideology? In 2022, NMC had made it compulsory for every medical college to have a 'Department of Integrative Medicine Research' to promote integration of modern medicine with homoeopathy and Indian systems of medicine, such as Ayurveda. In December 2023, a section of doctors had protested strongly against the change in the logo by the commission, calling it a move aimed at 'altering' the 'secular' face of the government agency. The new logo had a colorful picture of Dhanvantari, recognised as the physician of the gods in Hinduism, and called the 'God of Ayurveda' in some religious texts. In April this year, the regulator had ruled that offering medical duty during the Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand would be counted as part of the District Residency Programme—a mandatory requirement for PG students to serve for three months in district hospitals or district health systems. 'These decisions have largely been due to NMO's line of thinking, which many in the medical fraternity now believe has too much influence on the commission's policy decisions,' said a doctor and faculty member at a medical college in Delhi, requesting anonymity. However, Dr Gangadhar dismissed these concerns. He said that the adoption of the logo followed a collective decision by NMC members after the idea was floated by a local IMA president from Maharashtra. 'The idea to include Char Dham Yatra in DRP for colleges across the country came after wide consultation within the commission, but a particular group associated with an organisation from some colleges decided to follow it,' he clarified. On the claims that the commission is actively promoting crosspathy—a term he said he does not agree with—the outgoing chairman maintained that the idea exists in the NMC Act itself. 'The (NMC) Act itself says that multiple boards (of different streams of medicine) should be meeting and discussing with an open mind as to what is needed and can be done. We are just following these provisions. Otherwise, the Act itself should be scrapped,' he remarked. (Edited by Mannat Chugh) Also Read: Govt tightens drug billing norm for CGHS claims. What new rule is & why pvt hospitals are pushing back
The Hindu
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
DMK's student wing holds protest in Coimbatore against Palaniswami's remarks on temple funds
The DMK's student wing held a protest in Coimbatore on Monday condemning AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami's remarks on the use of temple funds for educational institutions. The demonstration, held at Tatabad in Coimbatore city, also criticised the BJP-led Union government's education policies. Led by student wing secretary R. Rajiv Gandhi, the protest saw participation from party MPs K. Prakash and Ganapathi P. Rajkumar, district secretaries, and office-bearers of the students' wing. Addressing the gathering, Mr. Rajiv Gandhi said Mr. Palaniswami had remained silent during his tenure as Chief Minister on issues such as NEET and the National Education Policy, and was now criticising the use of temple funds without understanding their purpose. He alleged that the BJP was scripting Mr. Palaniswami's statements and accused him of aligning with RSS-backed narratives. The protesters also criticised the withdrawal of scholarships that were earlier available to minority students under schemes named after A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Maulana Azad. They said the DMK government had stepped in to support the affected students. Slogans were raised condemning Mr. Palaniswami and the Union government, with participants rejecting what they described as politically motivated narratives against the Dravidian model of governance.
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
ED registers money laundering case in U.P. religious conversion racket
The Enforcement Directorate has registered a money laundering case in connection with a religious conversion racket recently busted in Uttar Pradesh's Balrampur district, official sources said Wednesday (July 9, 2025). The agency has pressed various sections under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to look into the possible generation of "proceeds of crime" by the accused, they said. Also Read | Row after RSS-backed magazine accuses Amazon of religious conversion The probe by the central agency stems from an FIR filed by the U.P. Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) at a police station in Gomtinagar, Lucknow, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act, 2021. The police have alleged that the accused acted in an organised manner to convert individuals from Hindu and other non-Muslim communities to Islam. Four people, including the alleged mastermind Jalaluddin alias Chhangur Baba, have been arrested by the ATS as part of the investigation. The three others are Naveen alias Jamaluddin and Mehboob, Jalaluddin's son apart from Neetu alias Nasreen. They are lodged in jail currently. The police had said in a statement that "the poor, helpless labourers, weaker sections, and widowed women were lured with incentives, financial aid, promises of marriage, or forced through intimidation, in violation of established procedures for religious conversion by the accused". The ED is trying to quantify the illicit funds generated in this case and the possible volume of the proceeds of crime under the PMLA. The accused will be questioned in due course of time, the sources said. U.P. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday that "initial probe" has shown that the activities of accused Jalaluddin are "not only against society but also against the nation". Asserting that there will be no leniency in matters related to law and order in the state, the chief minister stated, "The properties of the accused and other criminals linked to his gang will be seized, and strict legal action will be taken against them."
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Bharat Bandh today LIVE updates: Workers and farmers to go on strike against Govt. policies, say trade unions
About 30-40 crore workers and farmers will participate in the general strike on Wednesday (July 9, 2025), claimed leaders of 10 central trade unions (CTUs) in New Delhi. The leaders had said that the workers supported the 17-point charter of demands of the strike, called against the Union government's policies. However, the Union Labour Ministry on Tuesday (July 8, 2025) claimed that about 213 unions, including the RSS-backed Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), have informed it that they will not participate in the nationwide general strike. The CTUs said the Centre is trying to put pressure and intimidate the workers but the strike will be a success. The Ministry maintains that it is ready to hold discussions with the trade unions, while CTUs say all tripartite mechanisms such as the Indian Labour Conference have been undermined by the incumbent government. An association of bank employees on Monday (July 7, 2025) said the banking sector would also join the nationwide strike. Follow the latest updates here:
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
The Hindu Morning Digest: July 9, 2025
Bharat Bandh: Centre says several unions backed off from strike; unions refute claim The Union Labour Ministry has claimed that about 213 Unions, including the RSS-backed Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), have informed it that they will not participate in the nationwide general strike called by ten Central Trade Unions (CTUs) on Wednesday (July 9, 2025). However, the CTUs said the Centre is trying to put pressure and intimidate the workers but the strike will be a success. India, Brazil partnership relevant to the entire world: PM Modi India and Brazil are in agreement that all global problems should be resolved through dialogue, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (July 8, 2025) in Brasilia. Speaking after bilateral-level talks between Indian and Brazilian teams, Mr. Modi described President Lula Da Silva as the 'chief architect' of the India-Brazil Strategic Partnership and expressed gratitude after he was conferred with the highest state honour of Brazil. The Prime Minister said India-Brazil cooperation was an 'important pillar' for the world. Bihar Special Intensive Revision: Five of 11 documents sought do not show date or place of birth At least five out of the 11 key documents sought by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for Bihar's voters' list revision do not indicate the applicant's place or date of birth — one of the pre-requisites for inclusion in the electoral rolls. Aadhaar, voter identity cards issued by the Election Commission of India (Electors Photo Identity Card) or PAN cards have not been included in the list of 11 indicative documents that the applicants can produce. However, these excluded documents are often the ones submitted by people to procure any of the 11 documents required for inclusion during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar. Bihar Cabinet makes domicile must for women's job quota The Bihar Cabinet on Tuesday (July 8, 2025) made domicile mandatory for accessing the 35% reservation for women in State government jobs. Previously, women from outside Bihar could also benefit from the reservation policy, which was introduced by the State government in 2016. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The State is scheduled to go to polls later this year. Ban on fuel to 'end of life' vehicles in Delhi put on hold till November 1 The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) on Tuesday deferred the ban on refuelling of overage or 'end of life' vehicles (ELVs) in Delhi to November 1. The prohibition will now come into effect in the national capital on the day it is scheduled to be enforced in the five adjoining 'high-vehicle-density' (HVD) districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar and Sonipat. Countrywide survey reveals deficits in student learning The results of the Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development Rashtriya Sarvekshen (PARAKH RS), formerly known as the National Achievement Survey (NAS), have revealed that Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu and Chandigarh are the best performing States and Union Territories in school education. How long can a suspect be kept in jail, HC asks Delhi Police in 2020 riots case The Delhi High Court on Tuesday (July 8, 2025) questioned the Delhi Police as to how long accused persons can be kept in jail while remarking that five years have elapsed since the February 2020 riots, yet the arguments on the framing of charges have still not been concluded. Cuddalore train accident: Conflicting versions emerge about what led to the Semmanguppam tragedy Conflicting versions have emerged about the cause of the accident involving the Villupuram-Mayiladuthurai Passenger and a school van that resulted in the death of three students at Semmankuppam in Cuddalore on Tuesday (July 8, 2025). BRICS set up to 'hurt us', 'degenerate' U.S. dollar: Trump President Donald Trump on Tuesday (July 8, 2025) claimed that BRICS was established to 'hurt' the U.S. and 'degenerate' the dollar as he warned that the member countries of the bloc would face a 10% tariff. Mr. Trump made the remarks while talking to reporters at the sixth Cabinet meeting at the White House. 'They have to pay 10% if they are in BRICS,' he said. Macron calls for the U.K. and Europe to de-risk ties with America and China French President Emmanuel Macron made a strong plea for the U.K. and other European countries to de-risk their relationships with and decrease their reliance on both the U.S. and China. Mr. Macron made these remarks in an address to both Houses of the British Parliament on Tuesday afternoon, the first day of his three-day state visit to the U.K.
