Apex court nod for common MBBS entrance test

The Supreme Court on Monday paved the way for implementing the Medical Council of India's (MCI) notification providing for a common entrance test for undergraduate medical courses leading to the award of MBBS degrees.

An apex court bench of Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice A.K. Patnaik, while giving the go ahead to the MCI, said that anyone aggrieved by thenotification can challenge it in court.

"If you (MCI) think you are independent and don't require any approval from the centre, then you can go ahead with its implementation and if you think you need approval from the government, then go to it (government)," the bench said.

The court further told the MCI that if it has already obtained the approval of the health ministry for issuing the notification providing for commonentrance test for undergraduate medical courses, then it could go ahead with its implementation.

The MCI on October 21, 2010 issued a notificationproviding for common entrance test for undergraduate medical courses all over the country. However, this notification was kept in abeyance in the face of stiff opposition by the Tamil Nadu government. 

The state government subsequently obtained a stay against the notification from the Madras High Court.

The apex court said that it could not continue hearing the matter. It said it will not say anything in the matter and if the apex body regulating medical education in the country thinks that it can implement its notification, then it can go ahead and do so.

source:http://indiaedunews.net/Medical/Apex_court_nod_for_common_MBBS_entrance_test_13651/

Environment ministry rejects proposal for IIT in Indore

New Delhi: A proposal for the setting up of anIndian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Indore has been put on hold by the Ministry of Environment and Forests for the time being.

Indore currently is also home to an Indian Institute of Management (IIM).

The government of Madhya Pradesh had sought permission from the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the environment ministry for acquiring 80 hectares of forestland for the establishment of the proposed IIT. 

The proposed IIT had been sanctioned to the state of Madhya Pradesh by the Human Resource Development ministry in the eleventh five year plan.

The approval of the government under the Forest Conservation Act is required for the diversion of forestland for any purpose, except for one hectare of forestland for the construction of building that are of public importance such as schools, hospitals, community halls and dispensaries.

The proposal for acquiring the land for the IIT in Indore was rejected by the FAC as it said that the diversion of too much of forestland will damage the ecological balance in and around the area of Indore. 

Had the proposal been accepted by the environment ministry, Indore would have acquired the distinction of being the only city in India to have both an IIM as well as an IIT.

The FAC stated in its report that the proposal for diverting the forestland situated in the vicinity of an important city for the establishment of a non-specific project such as an IIT without taking up a detailed exercise for examining all feasible alternatives would be rejected.

The proposal would have meant the cutting down of around 7,164 trees in the forestland that has a density of 89.55 trees per hectare. An official informed that the area where the proposed IIT would have been set up is a reserved forest land of good quality and there is not much good forestland around Indore.

Another reason for the proposal being rejected was that the committee found that the land in Hasalpur village that was indicated in the proposal for compensatory afforestation was found to be not suitable for raise plantation and no alternative land for afforestation had been mentioned in the proposal.

source:http://indiaedunews.net/IIT/Environment_ministry_rejects_proposal_for_IIT_in_Indore_13575/

Georgia: Unions demand consultation on teacher qualification

Georgia’s EI affiliate, the Educators and Scientists Free Trade Union (ESFTUG), has responded to proposals for a new teachers’ certification process by calling on the Georgian Ministry of Education to engage with consultation.

After the ESFTUG’s tireless advocacy for national authorities to promote access to quality education in Georgian public schools, the government had decided to train teachers for the general certification and a teachers’ voucher system had been introduced in 2010.

The national authorities have selected the teacher training institutes entitled to deliver examination programs for government-accredited teachers. Unfortunately this system failed. The majority of teachers were disappointed and felt insulted as their professionalism was threatened by the results of the teachers’ general examination.

Following amendments to the certification law, which was issued on 4 December 2009, the latest round of registration of teachers for certification has begun. National authorities have taken responsibility for training 4,000 teachers in mathematics, physics and general skills, as well as the examination certification in professional development. However, Georgian teachers will not be provided with voucher funds from the government.

In a recent press conference, the ESFTUG’s President, Maia Kobakhidze, has called on the Minister of Education and Science to cooperate, underlining the point that cooperation between social partners would help to promote on-going education reform and enhance access to quality education.

Kobakhidze insisted that public schools should be informed before the registration deadline about the criteria for teachers; fees should be cancelled; the right for all teachers to take exams is respected, and more than 4,000 teachers get governmental benefits. She also said that only social dialogue and negotiations would be able to ensure teachers’ interests were adequately taken into consideration and their dignity defended.

EI supports ESFTUG’s request for better quality teachers’ training and urges the Georgian government to respect national and international norms concerning negotiation and collective bargaining.

source:http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/show.php?id=1527&theme=rights&country=georgia