Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Seen.......and..heard!

I shall spend time on the news that are in the limelight. What I feel surprised is that small things at times irk us while larger, distinct ones do not even create a ripple. Why's this? Are we insensitive as a nation? Or is it that we're afraid to take a stand lest we offend somebody? Let's go through these interesting bit of the state of affairs and then you'll understand the point that I'm trying to make. Here, I go.

 (a) The Quality of our Doctors.

       It came as a shock to me to understand that the loopholes that exist in our professional education
       system help kids, who fail in the Common Entrance Test, enter government medical colleges.
       Here's how it happens:-

          (i) Didn't you get admission in the government medical colleges in your state? You need
               not worry that you're also nowhere in the merit list.
         (ii) Buy a seat in any of the private medical colleges - the ones that have the least of the
               facilities would be the ideal. Also pray that it doesn't get permission to admit students
               in the coming years! (As per statistics, there are about 42 such medical colleges, across
               the country, that were barred from admitting students since the intake of the first batch).
        (iii) If that happens, the student can go to court and the state government may be ordered to
               accommodate the student in the very same colleges that the student couldn't enter!

       You might ask as to how this ridiculous situation is possible. The loophole is that "The
       MCI allows any trust, society or company to start a medical college even if it doesn't have 
       the requisite infrastructure and faculty. All it needs to show is that it has enough 
       infrastructure for the first year MBBS students and an undertaking that the rest will be
       put in place."

       Is any more discussion required regarding the quality of the doctors that come out of these
       institutions?

   (b) The Bloody Drought!

         Consider the following:-

            (i) The IPL Cricket matches are scheduled to begin on 09 Apr.
           (ii) About 60 lakh litres of water is required for wetting and maintaining the pitches
                 on a daily basis. Insensitive suggestions like fetching water from neighbouring states
                 with the help of the railways, the water that's being used is not potable etc are being
                 bandied about by the 'well healed' whose sole requirement is to witness the glitz of the
                 matches!
          (iii) And mind you, all this when the situation is grim:-

                 * 23 districts of Maharashtra are reeling under severe drought conditions.
                 * It's not a rural phenomenon only, in that, in places like Thane, people get restricted water
                    through bowsers once in three to four days! There are places that do not have water
                    even for sanitation and hygiene purposes!

           The Bombay High Court has come into the picture thanks to a public interest litigation.
           My question is, "What's the government of Maharashtra doing? Why can't it ask the
           organisers of the IPL to shift it out of the state because of the drought conditions? Or
           is it that it's scared that it would run afoul of the moneybags and the powerful if takes 
           such a decision?"

           Sad!

    (c) The Unrest in the NIT, Srinagar.

          The unrest had erupted when a batch of students had celebrated the Indian T20 Cricket
          team's loss to West Indies in the semi finals while the rest had taken umbrage to such
          'anti-national activities'. This is not the first time that similar news have emanated from the
          state but this time it has got highlighted because BJP is in power with the PDP.

          See the timing, just after a day on Ms. Mehbooba Mufti becoming the chief minister!

          The matter needs to be sorted out at the earliest with a clear warning that anti-India
          activities will not be tolerated.


Tailpiece.

1. We, as a nation, while being sensitive to every aspect that obstructs our living together as one should also be willing to correct inflexible attitudes.
2. Rules, that have loopholes, must be corrected. Let's have only merit as the criterion!

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