Govt proposes MBBS revamp

Aher said the Supreme Court had, while disposing of a case filed by P Unnikrishnan, drafted a free, payment and NRI seat-formula. While the fees for free seats are Rs 12,000, for the payment and NRI seats, they are Rs 1.05 lakh and Rs 5.25 lakh respectively.

Aher said that during the last five years, there has been a slight variation in the marks secured by free seat candidates as compared to payment seat candidates.He said it appeared as though parents too were taxed, by having to pay higher fees for marks that varied by less than one per cent.

Aher said his government had filed an affidavit before the court along with a scheme for the abolition of payment seats. 8220;We have suggested that the present scheme of 50 per cent free seats and 50 per cent payment seats be modified. We have informed the apex court that free seats should be increased to 80 per cent, while the NRI seats should be increased to 20 per cent. I feel that an increase in the number of NRI seats will generate funds for meeting the expenditure,8221; Aher said.

The government had also submitted before the committee that privileges and special rights claimed by institutions for admissions should be abolished, and rules and guidelines framed by the State Government in accordance with Supreme Court directives should be treated as final, subject to challenge only in the Supreme Court.

The Government brought to the committee8217;s notice the need to continue thehonorary system in the larger interest of the student community. The Medical Council of India had made it clear to all the state governments that by the year 2000, the honorary system should be scrapped and that part-time or honorary teachers should be replaced by full-time teachers.

According to Aher, since there is an acute shortage of teachers, the honorary system should be continued. 8220;The trend among medical teachers is to quit jobs and go in for private practice as that is more lucrative. Therefore, it will be improper to scrap the honorary system,8221; he added.

The Government also urged the committee to take a fresh look at the 25 per cent reservation for post-graduation courses on all-India basis. 8220;It should be reduced to 15 per cent. In fact, owing to 25 per cent reservation, Maharashtra is the biggest loser since we have the largest number of medical colleges with the maximum number of seats,8221; the Health Minister said.

The Government also submitted that the post-graduation course should bereduced to four years and the one-year internship be scrapped atleast for students who are not keen to take up post-graduation.