schockers from MCI and CENTRAL GOVT ...

1. MCI notifies new test for all medical admissions in country : the Medical Council of India (MCI) has issued a notification on 21-12-2010, making the 'National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test' (NEET) as the sole qualification for MBBS as well as post-graduate medical admissions in all medical colleges across the country.

Marks obtained in mathematics in Plus Two too would be considered for admission to the MBBS course.

An all-India as well as a state-wise merit list of candidates should be prepared on the basis of the marks obtained in the NEET, and the minimum marks for admission to an MBBS course would be 50%. It would be, however, 40% per cent for SC, ST and OBC candidates, and 45% for disabled persons.

"No candidate, who has failed to obtain the minimum eligibility marks shall be admitted to MBBS course in the academic year (concerned)," the notification states.

What is most controversial about the whole notification is the fact that the NEET had been made the sole admission criterion for 'all' admissions, including those being offered by unaided minority/non-minority institutions.

2. NCHRH : the Centre will have the powers to supersede the NCHRH and all bodies under it, if necessary, in “public interest”.

The National Board of Examinations (NBE) will be disbanded . the National Board of Examinations, established in 1860, will be dissolved and its functions taken over by the National Board for Health Education (NBHE) to be set up under the proposed law.

the Board will determine, coordinate and maintain standards for health education and research; specify minimum requirements in terms of faculty, infrastructure and clinical workload for establishment of institutions for the discipline of health; lay down curricula for examinations; design and approve new courses of study on the recommendations of the institutes, hospitals and universities; undertake faculty development programmes; specify the schedule of admission for various courses; and importantly, conduct examinations for all under-graduate, post-graduate, doctoral, post-doctoral and diploma courses, fellowship programmes and screening tests.

It will specify parameters defining the equivalence between academic qualifications granted by different health institutions in India and abroad and lay down norms and mechanisms for transparent, efficient and accountable governance in a health university or higher health educational institution.

At the same time, it will approve and notify standards of academic quality for accreditation and benchmarking of education in recognised health institutions