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Education News

teaching one textbook at the start of provided that the medical college
the academic year and soon, there is a shall follow the ratio of 100 MBBS
revision, and they are asked to teach seats for every 10 lakh population in
something else. That’s why teachers that state/UT,” states the notifica-
should not rely solely on textbooks tion.
but use other resources to achieve Currently, the number of medical
curricular goals. Unfortunately, this seats available annually across
is not feasible in government schools Tamil Nadu’s 74 medical colleges —
where teachers are complacent and government, deemed and private,
poorly trained. Therefore, state gov- included — is 11,500. This means
ernments have a great responsibility the state will not be able to add
to desist from constantly meddling more seats, or open new medical
with textbooks content. We hope the colleges as it has already crossed
new TRC will focus on ensuring that the mark. The NMC notification
government school children have ac- has two outcomes. First, it caps the
cess to best quality texts,” says Prof. number of MBBS students’ annual
A.S. Seetharamu, former professor intake at 150. Henceforth, LOPs
of education, Institute of Social & Eco- will be granted to medical colleges
nomic Change, Bengaluru. whose annual intake is 50/100/150.
This might be wishful thinking. Be- Colleges applying for an intake of
cause the new TRC has been given a more than 150 per year will not be
mere three months to revise textbooks granted a licence. Second, it has
of four grades. Moreover the word is decreed the ratio of one medical
that the top priority of the TRC is to seat/student for 10 lakh (10,00,000) dds Dr. K. Kolandasamy,
cleanse next year’s textbooks of hindu- population in every state. Tamil Aformer Director of Public Health
tva ideology and content of the ousted Nadu (pop.67 million) which and Preventive Medicine in the state
BJP government. currently has an annual intake of government: “Within Tamil Nadu,
Reshma Ravishanker (Bengaluru) 155 students per 10 lakh population there are six districts — Tenkasi,
won’t be permitted to establish new Perungalur, Kanchipuram, Ranipet,
TAMIL NADU medical colleges, public or private in Mayiladuthurai, and Tirupathur
Control mindset the near future. — which do not have any medical
Although the gazette notifica-
college. To access medical education,
tion doesn’t give the rationale of the aspiring students from these districts
state in which public demand order, according to NMC sources, its have to travel to other districts. So,
for (allopathy) medical purpose is to ensure uniform distri- one medical college per district is
A practitioner qualifications bution of medical practitioners coun- essential. Rather than putting a cap,
is arguably highest countrywide, an trywide. “Tamil Nadu has more than the policy should be to encourage
August 16 notification of the Nation- 1,80,000 registered doctors of whom private participation in establish-
al Medical Commission has caused 1,50,000 are still practicing. The rec- ing medical colleges in India rather
widespread dismay. ommended ratio is 1:1,000 and we than push entrepreneurs to faraway
Under NMC’s Extraordinary already have 1:600,” Dr. K. Sent- lands. The restrictions have been
Gazette Notification wordily titled hil, President of the TN Government introduced to ensure that resources
‘Guidelines for Undergraduate Doctors Association, explained to a are adequately distributed. But it’s
Courses under the Establishment of Times of India correspondent (TOI, equally important that the quality of
New Medical Institutions, Starting September 22). medical education is good.”
of New Medical Courses, Increase of Unsurprisingly, this notification Self-evidently, the justification for
Seats for Existing Courses & Assess- has annoyed medical practitioners issuing this notification is flimsy and
ment and Rating Regulations, 2023’, and educationists in the state which reflects the control-and-command
medical colleges shall follow the ratio is emerging as an international mindset of the Union government
of 100 MBBS seats for every 10 lakh centre for medical tourism. “Public dominated NMC. It may well be
population in that state or Union ter- health is a state subject and when legally challenged on the ground that
ritory (UT)’. “Letters of Permission a state feels it needs more medical it is in contravention of the right of
(LOP) for starting new medical col- colleges, it should be encouraged,” citizens to conduct their business in
leges will be issued only for annual says Manickavel Arumugum, a any part or state of India.
intake capacity of 50/100/150 seats, Chennai-based career counselor. Shivani Chaturvedi (Chennai)

22 EDUCATIONWORLD OCTOBER 2023