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Indian Express
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Private medical colleges up in arms after govt pushes 10% EWS reservation
A day after the Maharashtra government's decision to extend 10 percent reservation to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in private medical colleges came to light, private institutions across the state have expressed strong opposition and said they were not even consulted before this crucial decision was taken. Pointing out that the government did not think about increasing the overall intake to accommodate EWS seats, they said it will hurt their finances. Upset by the move, office-bearers of the Association of Managements of Unaided Private Medical and Dental Colleges (AMUPMDC) said they will soon write to the state government to register their opposition to the government's move. While raising various concerns about the move, members of AMUPMDC, who are the trustees/owners of private medical colleges, said they will demand a proportionate increase in intake within general merit seats as they said if the government insists on implementing the EWS reservation without the increase in intake, it will be impossible for them to continue functioning effectively. A member of the association said, 'This decision has just surfaced and is currently under discussion among our members. We are definitely going to write to the government to raise our concerns. If they insist on implementing 10 percent EWS reservation in private medical colleges, the government must ensure proportionate additional intake—unconditionally—just as it was allowed for government medical colleges.' Meanwhile, state government representatives–medical education minister Hasan Mushrif, secretary Dheeraj Kumar and representatives from Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) – did not respond to calls and messages sent by The Indian Express requesting for their comments. Pointing out their concerns, another member of AMUPMDC said the decision to increase intake would require approval from the National Medical Commission (NMC), which is the sole authority for sanctioning additional intake. 'It is unheard of to grant an unconditional 10 percent increase in intake,' the member added. According to the association, this additional intake has to be unconditional. 'If colleges are asked to increase the number of beds, faculty members etc to allow additional intake, then that is not a solution and also quite unfair as GMCs were not asked to meet any conditions for the additional intake,' said the head of a private medical college. Referring to the 2019 decision when the EWS reservation was introduced in government medical colleges (GMCs), and a proportionate increase in general merit seats was sanctioned to accommodate EWS seats without reducing the number of open-merit seats, the member said, 'All GMCs received additional intake. It is unfair to ask private medical colleges to reserve 10 percent of seats from the existing lot without offering similar relief,' a member said. The issue surfaced when the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell released the state medical admissions information brochure on Wednesday, revealing that 10 percent EWS reservation would now apply to private medical colleges as well. The announcement caused immediate shockwaves among stakeholders—students, parents, and colleges—as they were not consulted in advance. With this change expected to significantly reduce the number of open-merit seats, candidates and parents now fear a steep rise in cut-off scores, making it harder to secure admission. Colleges, on the other hand, warn that this move could impact their financial conditions to a great extent. A trustee of a private medical college said, 'The reimbursement expected from the government for students admitted under various reservation categories is already delayed. Now, adding 10 percent more students under reserved categories while reducing general merit seats—where students pay full fees—will severely impact our income and thereby college's day-to-day functioning.' Private colleges argue that had the government consulted them, these challenges could have been highlighted in advance. 'We were shocked to learn about such a critical decision through the admission brochure. If this move directly affects private medical colleges, their representation should have been ensured in the committee that made the decision,' said the head of another private medical college.
Indian Express
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Maharashtra medical admissions: 10% EWS reservation in private medical colleges, no increase in total intake
As Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell has declared commencement of admissions for medical undergraduate (UG) courses in state, the information brochure indicates implementation of 10 per cent Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) reservation in private medical colleges, which is feared to drastically reduce the number of open seats as there is no increase in intake to accommodate this reservation. The information brochure, released on Wednesday, under annexure on constitutional reservation, mentions EWS reservation in private medical colleges. Under the subhead of EWS category reservation, it states, 'In Government /Government Aided/ Corporation / Private Unaided Institutions (excluding Minority Institutions), 10% of the available seats under State Quota shall be reserved for candidates belonging to EWS category.' But many have highlighted a concern that this will drastically reduce the seats available for open-merit, in private medical colleges, as there is no increase in total intake. A parent representative, Sudha Shenoy, said, 'When EWS reservation was implemented in Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) in 2019, all were granted one-time increase in the intake capacity in open-merit seats to accommodate 10 per cent reservation for EWS, so that there is no impact on the number of seats available under general category, which caters to everyone. Without any increase in intake, out of 3000 odd seats available in open-merit at private medical colleges, close to 300 will be used to accommodate EWS reservation. This is a considerable reduction in the number of seats available for open-merit.' Shenoy also pointed out that students under EWS category are already allowed fee-benefit. 'Then why was there a need to introduce this reservation now?' she questioned. Another parent representative, Brijesh Sutaria pointed out that increase in intake is only National Medical Council's (NMC) prerogative. 'Whereas admissions to private medical colleges are by state admission regulatory bodies. The state will have to approach NMC seeking a one-time increase in seats. Otherwise, the number of open-merit seats will be reduced considerably.' A trustee of a private medical college however highlighted that students who have an annual family income of less than Rs 8 lakh are already getting the EWS fee-benefit from the government, wherein the government reimburses 50 percent of total fees for boys and 100 percent fee for girls since last year. 'Then it becomes unclear to understand the objective behind bringing separate reservation,' said the trustee. Additionally, this year onwards, the Maharashtra government has implemented a strict definition of NRI candidates. Now, only those candidates who themselves or whose parents are NRIs can apply under the NRI quota, or if their legal guardian is an NRI. This is in contrast to the earlier practice where any NRI family member could endorse a sponsorship to pay the fees. Welcoming the move, Muzaffar Khan, medical education counsellor, said, 'This will put an end to fraudulent admissions taking place under NRI quota. Furthermore, if any seats remain vacant, they will be made open for Indians. Instead of 5X fees charged for NRI students, if made available to Indians, fees will be only 3X.'
The Print
21-07-2025
- Health
- The Print
Punjab MBBS students call off strike after govt agrees to address stipends & fee demands
More than 2,000 students in Amritsar, Faridkot and Patiala had been protesting since 7 May and had announced a strike Monday, claiming that the issue of stagnant stipends and repeated fee hikes had not been addressed. Resident doctors were also participating in solidarity and had raised their own demands for a stipend hike. The state government has yet to issue a statement confirming the development. New Delhi: MBBS students and interns from various government medical colleges (GMCs) in three major cities in Punjab said they had called off a more than 50-day protest after the state government agreed to revise their stipends and review the fees. This came hours after the students announced a strike. After a meeting between the Forum of Resident Doctors (FORD), Punjab, and state Health Minister Balbir Singh and Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, which lasted over 5 hours, Dr. Milan, who was present at the meeting, said the government had agreed to address the students' concerns. Under the revised stipend structure, junior doctors will receive Rs 76,000 in their first year, Rs 77,000 in their second year, and Rs 78,000 in their third year. Senior doctors, similarly, will receive Rs 92,000, Rs 93,000 and Rs 94,000 over their three years, a statement from FORD issued late Monday said. The pay for interns was raised to Rs 22,000. These salaries would be reviewed yearly. A MBBS Fees and Bond committee will review the fee hikes, the statement further said. A notification in this regard is expected to be issued in two weeks. In another statement, the FORD said, 'After detailed discussions, the Government of Punjab has agreed to constitute a committee to review and recommend reforms to make medical education fees more affordable. Additionally, the government has committed to a stipend hike for both MBBS and MD students, fulfilling a longstanding demand of resident doctors across the state.' 'In light of these significant developments, FORD Punjab has decided to call off the ongoing strike, and all OPD and hospital services will resume as normal from tomorrow, 1st July 2025.' ThePrint reached out to the state health minister and Kumar Rahul, Punjab's principal secretary of health & family welfare, for comment through messages. This report will be updated if and when they respond. ThePrint had earlier reported that discontent had been brewing since 2020, when the fee for the 5.5-year MBBS course (including one year compulsory internship) was hiked by a steep 77 percent in government colleges—from Rs 4.4 lakh to Rs 7.8 lakh. Since then, the state has continued to increase the fee by 5 percent annually. Protesting interns argued that this placed an unsustainable financial burden on students, particularly those who were from economically weaker backgrounds. This was further compounded by the stagnant monthly stipend of Rs 15,000. Punjab's stipend amount for interns is the lowest among neighbouring states: Haryana pays Rs 24,300 monthly, Himachal Pradesh Rs 20,000, Chandigarh Rs 30,070 and Delhi Rs 30,000. Earlier, Kumar Rahul had acknowledged the issue, telling ThePrint on WhatsApp: 'There has been a 5 percent increase in fees every year since 2020. The protest is more about the demand for an increased stipend, which has been taken up with the Finance Department.' On Monday, outpatient department (OPD) and operation theatre services were hit at GMCs in Amritsar, Faridkot and Patiala after the strike was announced. A letter submitted by the Medical Students' Association to the director principal of GMC Amritsar, seen by ThePrint, said, 'Despite repeated representations and discussions, no concrete steps have been taken by the authorities to address these pressing issues. The stipend being paid is not in line with inflation, and the burden of bond-related fees has worsened the situation.' 'In view of the continued neglect of our demands, we have no option but to proceed with a strike.' Similar letters were also submitted to authorities at GMCs in Faridkot and Patiala. Speaking to ThePrint about the strike earlier, the president of the Medical Students' Association at GMC Amritsar and MBBS intern, Dr. Archit Bawa, said, 'It's been over 50 days now. Doctors of Punjab have been protesting on the roads, but our demands remain unaddressed. We didn't want to stop OPD services, but the government left us with no choice. This is our only resort.' (Edited by Sanya Mathur)
New Indian Express
17-07-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Doctors must have 75% attendance to get leave, says Tamil Nadu DME
TIRUNELVELI: Deans of all government medical colleges in Tamil Nadu have been instructed to ensure that doctors maintain at least 75% attendance before granting them leave, except in emergencies. In a communication sent on Monday, Dr E Theranirajan, Director of Medical Education and Research (DME), also warned of stringent action if deficiencies in the Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS) are not rectified within four months. The directive comes in the wake of the National Medical Commission (NMC) granting only conditional renewal of MBBS seats for the 2025–26 academic year in 36 government medical colleges (GMCs) across the state. 'A detailed action plan and written assurance have already been submitted to the NMC. For that, monitoring AEBAS, department-wise and college-wise, in all 36 GMCs is necessary to prevent attendance-related deficiencies as mentioned in the conditional renewal,' Theranirajan said. 'Due to the persistent lack of minimum required faculty in 11 colleges, the NMC directed a personal hearing at the commission, during which the health secretary and DME appeared and submitted a written assurance to rectify the deficiencies. Considering this, the NMC has granted conditional renewal of MBBS seats, with the condition that all deficiencies must be rectified within four months. If not, stringent action will be initiated,' the DME said. According to the communication, AEBAS data revealed deficient attendance of faculty, residents, and tutors across all departments in the GMCs at Kanniyakumari, Ramanathapuram, Nilgiris, and Karur. In Stanley Medical College, 16 out of 20 departments were found deficient, while 19 out of 20 departments in Chengalpattu GMC and 15 out of 20 in Omandurar GMC also recorded inadequate attendance.
New Indian Express
12-07-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Covid gone, PG doctors who served at TIMS left in the lurch
HYDERABAD: Four years after completing their year-long posting, over 100 postgraduate doctors deployed at the Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS), Gachibowli during the Covid-19 pandemic continue to await formal recognition of their service. The delay has affected their eligibility for assistant professor posts in government medical colleges (GMCs), as the health department has yet to acknowledge their service under senior residency. In 2020, around 120 PG doctors from GMCs were deployed for emergency Covid duty at TIMS, with an assurance that their one-year service would be treated as senior residency under the administration of Osmania Medical College (OMC), a prerequisite to apply for assistant professor positions. However, the doctors were issued experience letters from TIMS and not OMC, leaving their senior residency status in dispute. The TIMS certificate is not accepted by state GMCs, private medical colleges or the Health Ministry, as TIMS is not a recognised teaching institution under any state GMC. In contrast, hospitals such as ENT or Niloufer fall under OMC's administrative control and are recognised for teaching purposes. Dr Md Jahangir told TNIE: 'We served during the peak of the Covid crisis, risking our lives. Now, our experience is not recognised anywhere. The certificate by TIMS is not valid, and we are not eligible for the upcoming assistant professor recruitment. It has left us in a difficult position.' Doctors said they were not offered counselling for senior residency postings, a process usually conducted based on merit lists. Instead, they were directly informed of their postings at TIMS without being given any options or clear information about recognition. At the time, they were assured of experience certificates from OMC.
