Page 2 - Medical Colleges

NEET-UG physics question: Experts say there is only one correct answer

A panel of three experts of IIT Delhi has told the Supreme Court that there was was only one right answer and not two to a controversial physics question that was asked in the NEET-UG 2024 examination. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice JB Pardiwala on Monday had asked the Director, IIT-Delhi to set up a team of three experts for going into the particular question of physics and submit a report on the correct answer by Tuesday noon. At the outset, the CJI referred to the contents of the report, and said, "We have received the IIT Delhi report. The IIT Director Rangan Banerjee...constituted a committee from the department of physics and they say a team of three experts examined the question. They say that the option four is the correct answer." The CJI further said the option four, which says the "Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect' is correct". "The committee has opined clearly that there was only one option which is option four (4). So t

No water, no food: Kerala man trapped in medical college lift for 2 days

A 59 year old patient became trapped in a lift in Thiruvananthapuram Medical College for more than 40 hours. Three staff members have been suspended as investigation continues

NMC directs all medical colleges to set up 'tobacco cessation centres'

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has directed medical colleges across the country to set up 'tobacco cessation centres' to combat the adverse effects of tobacco use and promote public health. This initiative aims to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure by integrating specialised services for tobacco cessation into the educational and healthcare framework, a circular issued by the NMC on Friday stated. "In line with its commitment to promoting public health and combating the adverse effects of tobacco use, the government has decided to establish tobacco cessation centres in medical colleges across the country," it said. "All the hospitals attached to each of the medical colleges are directed to make provisions for 'tobacco cessation centre'. This can be a special clinic run by the Department of Psychiatry and/or other departments," the circular said. These centres should also be established in rural and urban health centres that the college has adopted for training. These

NEET's problems: Look deeper

We should not just solve the proximate symptoms

Four Indian students drown in Russia, one rescued: What we know so far

The Consulate General of India in St Petersburg informed that they are working together with the local authorities of Veliky Novgorod city to send the mortal remains to the relatives

Need more doctors, hospital beds to achieve healthcare vision 2047: Report

There is a need to increase the number of qualified doctors to more than 50 lakh and also add 30 lakh more hospital beds in the country in order to achieve India's healthcare vision 2047, according to a report. The increase in the number of doctors and beds in hospitals would help India get closer to the average of developed countries, as per a FICCI-EY Report titled 'Decoding India's Healthcare Landscape'. India has witnessed a significant increase in the number of medical colleges and MBBS seats, addressing the growing demand for healthcare professionals, it said. The number of registered allopathic doctors witnessed substantial growth, rising from 6,60,801 in 2005 to 13,08,009 such doctors in 2022, the report said. Similarly, the bed capacity in government hospitals across India has consistently grown from 4.7 lakh beds in 2005 to 8.5 lakh beds in 2021. The report also highlighted the importance of having 100 per cent health insurance coverage for the country's population. It

New York medical school to become tuition-free after $1 billion donation

The donation made by former Professor Ruth Gottesman stands as one of the largest charitable contributions to an educational institution in the United States

Decadal perspective of Modi govt: Support for education and health

A large proportion of Indians still pay money from their own pockets for medical expenditure with limited insurance coverage

Health Budget: Experts hail more medical colleges, vaccination for girls

Healthcare experts on Thursday gave a thumbs up to the Centre's plan to set up more medical colleges by utilising the existing hospital infrastructure, with some saying the move demonstrates a "holistic commitment" to health. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting the interim Union Budget for 2024-2025 on Thursday, among other announcements, also said the government will encourage vaccination for girls in the 9-14 year age group for the prevention of cervical cancer. Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla hailed the government's announcement. "I applaud the announcement to vaccinate girls aged 9-14 against cervical cancer. Let's pledge to prevent HPV (Human Papillomavirus) and ensure easy access to vaccination. Extending health cover for ASHA and anganwadi workers, setting up more medical colleges and streamlining maternal and child healthcare schemes demonstrate a holistic commitment to health," he wrote in a post on X. Other medical experts said creatio

NEET PG exam fee for candidates of all categories reduced by Rs 750

The NEET PG examination fee has been reduced by Rs 750 for all candidates, an official said. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has decided to reduce the exam fees to benefit the lakhs of candidates appearing for the examinations under it, the official said. Any candidate submitting the application form for the forthcoming examination after January 1, 2024 will have to pay the reduced fee, the official said. The reduced fee would be less than application fee charged in 2013. In 2013, application fee for general and OBC category was Rs 3,750, which was raised to Rs 4,250 in 2021 (the current fee). This has been reduced to Rs 3,500 with effect from January 1, 2024. In 2013, the application fee for SC, ST and PWD candidates was Rs 2,750, which was which was raised to Rs 3,250 in 2021. This has been reduced to Rs 2,500 now.

Every year spent in school, college may improve life expectancy: Lancet

Every year spent in school or university may improve life expectancy, while not attending an educational institute could be as bad as smoking or heavy drinking, according to a study published in The Lancet Public Health journal. The research identified data from 59 countries and included over 10,000 data points collected from more than 600 published articles. The team, including researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), found that education saves lives regardless of age, sex, location, and social and demographic backgrounds. They found was that the risk of death drops by 2 per cent with every additional year of education. That means those who completed six years of primary school had a lower risk of death by an average of 13 per cent. After graduating from secondary school, the risk of dying was cut by nearly 25 per cent, and 18 years of education lowered the risk by 34 per cent. according to the study. Researchers also compared the effects of educa

NMC asks States, UTs to do away with seat leaving bond in medical colleges

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has urged the states and UTs to do away with the seat leaving bond policy in medical colleges to create a supportive environment for students and help address their mental health concerns. The NMC's Anti Ragging Committee recently recommended that instead of imposing a heavy seat leaving bond, states may consider debarring students who wish to leave the seat from admission in their state the next one year. In a letter addressed to the Principal Secretary, Health and Medical Education of all states and UTs, president of the Under Graduate Medical Education Board of the NMC, Dr Aruna V Vanikar said the Commission has received grievances pertaining to the "alarming levels of stress, anxiety, and depression" faced by medical students specially PG students across various institutions. These mental health challenges are primarily due to inability of the individual to acclimatise with a different environment prevailing within their new ...

FMGE December 2023 admit card to be released today at official website

Applicants can get their Foreign Medical Graduate Exam (FMGE) 2023 admit cards via official site at nbe.edu.in, utilising their login credentials. It will be released by NBEMS

NEET exams for postgraduate medical studies rescheduled to July 7

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Postgraduate examination has been rescheduled to July 7 this year, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences said on Tuesday. The cut-off date for the purpose of eligibility for the exam this year is August 15. The exam was earlier scheduled to be held on March 3. "In supersession of NBEMS notice dated 09.11.2023 and pursuant to the receipt of NMC letter dated January 3, 2024, the conduct of NEET-PG 2024 examination, which was earlier notified to be tentatively held on March 3, 2024, stands rescheduled," the NBEMS said in a notice. "The NEET-PG 2024 shall now be conducted on July 7, 2024," it said. According to the recently notified "Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023", the existing NEET-PG examination will continue till the proposed National Exit Test (NExT) becomes operational for the purpose of PG admission. The NEET-PG is an eligibility-cum-ranking examination prescribed as the single entrance examination

Doctor-people ratio in India 1:834, including AYUSH professionals: Govt

India's doctor-population ratio is 1:834 assuming 80 per cent availability of registered allopathic doctors and 5.65 lakh AYUSH doctors, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. There are 36.14 lakh nursing personnel in the country and the nurse-population ratio is 1:476, she said. According to the National Medical Commission (NMC), there are 13,08,009 allopathic doctors registered with the State Medical Councils and the National Medical Commission (NMC) as on June, 2022, Pawar said in a written reply. "Assuming 80 per cent availability of registered allopathic doctors and 5.65 lakh AYUSH doctors, the doctor-population ratio in the country is 1:834," she said. Pawar also said the government has increased the number of medical colleges and subsequently increased MBBS seats. There is an increase of 82 per cent in medical colleges from 387 before 2014 to 706 as of now. Further, there is an increase of 112 per cent in MBBS seats from 51,348 b

NMC issues notice to 349 medical colleges for standards violation: Report

In India, around 40 medical colleges have lost recognition in the last one to two months of period for not following standards set by the National Medical Commission (NMC), the sources told

82% rise in medical colleges since 2014, MBBS seats up by 112%: Govt

MBBS seats went up from 51,348 to 1,08,940 while PG seats surged from 31,185 to 70,674, in the same period, she said

Global Ayurveda Festival 2023: Ministers from across the world to join

5th edition of Global Ayurveda Festival 2023 will take place in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala today. This is a five-day event which will begin today. VP Jagdeep Dhankhar will inaugurate the event

President Droupadi Murmu presents President's Colour honour to AFMC

The President of India and the Supreme Commander of Armed Forces, Droupadi Murmu, on Friday presented the President's Colour to the AFMC and extolled the role of female officers in the armed forces medical services. The Pune-based Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) is in its platinum jubilee year. President's Colour, also known as Rashtrapati ka Nishaan', is the highest honour bestowed upon any military unit. Hindu, Muslim Christian and Sikh priests, who were part of the armed forces, performed the consecration ceremony, following which President Murmu presented the President's Color to the AFMC. The event was attended by senior dignitaries and officials from the central and Maharashtra governments and the armed forces. Addressing the gathering, President Murmu lauded the institute's role in the armed forces medical services, especially during the COVID pandemic. She also extolled the role of female officers in the armed forces medical services and urged women to take inspiratio

Medical education regulator defers decision on MBBS seat cap by a year

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has deferred by a year its decision to cap the number of MBBS seats to 100 per 10 lakh population following protests by southern states. The decision was taken after the Union Health Ministry on November 1 asked the medical education regulator to re-examine the provisions of the ratio of 100 MBBS seats per 10 lakh population in states. "It is informed that a decision has been taken by the Undergraduate Medical Education Board, National Medical Commission that the 'objective' clause under Chapter-1 of 'Guidelines for Under Graduate Courses under Establishment of New Medical Institutions, Starting of New Medical Courses, Increase of Seats for Existing Courses and Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023" (notified by UGMEB on August 16, 2023) shall be implemented from academic year 2025-26," the Commission said. The NMC had in August stated that "After 2023-24 (from the 2024-25 academic year), letter of permission for starting of new medical ...