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The Union Cabinet this week approved six out of the dozens of changes to the contentious National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill that were suggested by a Parliamentary Standing Committee earlier this month. These changes address some of the loudest(सशक्त/दिखावा) criticisms(आलोचनाओं) of the Bill. Among them, the final year MBBS exam is now merged with an exit exam for doctors, and a contentious(विवादास्पद) bridge course for AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy) practitioners(चिकित्सकों) has been axed(निकाल दिया गया।/संक्षिप्त करना). Health-care experts had recommended other modifications, which the Cabinet ignored. For example, despite(के बावजूद/विरोध )the Cabinet’s amendments(संशोधन/सुधार), the NMC, the regulatory body that will replace the Medical Council of India, will be heavily controlled by the government. Its members are to be picked by a search committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary, while the Central government is to be the appellate body for those aggrieved(पीड़ित/असंतुष्ट) by the NMC’s decisions. The parliamentary committee had batted for an independent(आत्मनिर्भर/स्वतंत्र) appellate body. The amendments cleared by the Cabinet also increase State representation in the NMC from three part-time members to six, in what seems like a gesture(संकेत/नाटक करना)to please the States. Contrast this with the parliamentary committee’s recommendation to include 10 State representatives, given India’s vastness(विशालता/विस्तार). Another amendment that doesn’t go far enough is the decision to raise the proportion of private college seats for which fees will be regulated from 40% to 50%. The fees for unregulated seats could then skyrocket, pushing poorer medical aspirants out of the system.
Despite these deficiencies(अभाव/कमियों) if passed by Parliament, the legislation will mark a new era for medical education in India. The next step will be to design rules and regulations that capture the intent(प्रयोजन/आशय) of this law. This itself will be a massive(व्यापक/विशाल) challenge. How, for one, will the logistical difficulty of conducting a common final year MBBS examination across the country be overcome? Multiple-choice questions are easy to administer, but testing the range of theoretical(सैद्धांतिक ) knowledge and practical skills expected of medical graduates is more difficult. Throw in the enormous(असाधारण/विशाल) inter-State variations(विविधताओं/तबदीली) in medical education across India, and the challenge is obvious(स्पष्ट/प्रत्यक्ष). Lawmakers will have to tackle this gigantic(विशाल/बड़ा भारी) task in a slow and phased manner. Another concern is that under the new amendments States now have the freedom to implement(लागू/कार्यान्वित करना) an AYUSH bridge course, even if no longer mandatory(अनिवार्य/अधिदेशात्मक). How will the Centre ensure the quality of such courses toprevent(प्रतिबंध करना/निवारण करना) a new set of poorly trained doctors from emerging? The coming days may see many more protests against the NMC Bill, perhaps delaying its passage and prompting further discussion. For a Bill that marks the first major reform in medical education since 1956, such an extended debate is not a bad thing.
Important Vocabulary
1.Criticisms(आलोचनाओं)
Synonyms: assessment, comment, critique, judgment, opinion
Antonyms: heedlessness, neglect, approval, compliment, estimation
2.Contentious(विवादास्पद)
Synonyms: antagonistic, combative, testy, argumentative, belligerent
Antonyms: agreeable
3.Deficiencies(अभाव/कमियों)
Synonyms: dearth, defect, failing, failure, fault
Antonyms: abundance, advantage, enough, excess, perfection
4.Gesture(संकेत/नाटक करना)
Synonyms: action, body language, expression, indication, nod
Antonyms: speech
5.Vastness(विशालता/विस्तार).
Synonyms: expanse, enormousness, greatness, immenseness, hugeness
6.Theoretical(सैद्धांतिक )
Synonyms: abstract, academic, analytical, imaginative, intellectual
Antonyms: concrete, ignorantil, logical, material, objective
7.Gigantic(विशाल/बड़ा भारी)
Synonyms: colossal, enormous, gargantuan, giant, huge
Antonyms: dwarfinsign, ificant, little, miniature, miniscule
8.Aggrieved(पीड़ित/असंतुष्ट)
Synonyms: disturbed, grieving, oppressed, persecuted, wronged
Antonyms: comforted, happy, pleased
9.Obvious(स्पष्ट/प्रत्यक्ष).
Synonyms: accessible, clear, conspicuous, discernible, distinct
Antonyms: ambiguous, concealed, dark, disputable, doubtful
Credits To The Hindu News Paper
