Karnataka Government Increases Incentive Funds for SC, ST Candidates Studying in IITs, IIMs, IISc, and NITs

In a significant move aimed at supporting students from Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), the Karnataka state government has announced that incentive funds for SC and ST candidates enrolled in prestigious national educational institutes like IITs, IIMs, IISc, and NITs will be increased.

This decision, revealed by Karnataka’s Social Welfare Minister, H C Mahadevappa, is expected to provide a substantial boost to the educational aspirations of students from these communities.

Increased Incentive Funds

As part of this new initiative, the incentive fund for SC and ST students studying at premier institutions has been raised from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 2 lakh.

This additional financial support is aimed at easing the financial burdens on students pursuing higher education in fields such as engineering, management, and sciences.

By increasing the fund, the Karnataka government hopes to ensure that students from marginalized communities can access quality education without being hindered by financial constraints.

Minister Mahadevappa stated that the increase in the incentive fund will contribute significantly to the academic success of students from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, adding that, “This change will pave the way for higher educational achievements of students from scheduled communities.”

 This move is seen as part of the broader efforts to provide equal opportunities for all students, regardless of their social or economic backgrounds.

One-Time Aid for High-Achieving SC Students

In addition to the increased incentive funds for students in IITs, IIMs, IISc, and NITs, another initiative has been introduced by the Karnataka government for students pursuing medical education.

A one-time aid of Rs. 25 lakh will be provided to SC students who achieve over 95% marks in their Pre-University Course (PUC) examination and secure a management quota seat in the MBBS course through the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

This financial support is intended to encourage academic excellence and provide assistance to high-achieving students aspiring to pursue a career in medicine.

Special Incentives for SC Students in MBBS Courses

In addition to the one-time aid for students securing management quota seats in MBBS, Rs. 25 lakh will be offered to SC students pursuing MBBS who score more than 60% marks in their first year of the program.

 This initiative is designed to motivate students from Scheduled Castes to excel in their studies and pursue careers in the medical field, which has often been inaccessible to many due to financial barriers.

Fostering a Contribution to Nation-Building

The Karnataka government’s initiatives reflect a commitment not only to providing financial support but also to ensuring that SC and ST students actively contribute to the nation’s progress.

SC and ST students in institutions like IIT, IIM, and IISc have been urged by Minister Mahadevappa to leverage the opportunities provided by these top-tier institutes to engage in nation-building activities.

 It has been emphasized that, upon completing their education, these students will have the potential to play a pivotal role in contributing to the development of a prosperous and powerful India.

The prominent Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh has received in-principle approval from the Standing Finance Committee to start the MBBS programme, which is a big development for medical students in India. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has designated PGIMER as a deemed university and given it the designation of Institution of Eminence. The action is anticipated to increase awareness of the institute’s development, which up until now has only been focused on postgraduate programmes.

There are intentions to begin the course with 100 seats, while the precise number of MBBS seats has not yet been determined. The hospital’s governing authority will now receive the agenda for the MBBS course for additional approval. Rajesh Bhushan, the Union Health Secretary, presided over the meeting of the Standing Budget Committee, which also authorized a number of other projects, including multi-level parking, 11 MD seats for the blood transfusion department, and non-teaching positions for the telemedicine institute.

The decision to launch the MBBS programme at PGIMER is anticipated to increase possibilities for aspiring medical professionals and improve local medical education and healthcare infrastructure. Today, 92 general category MBBS seats are available for admission at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Chandigarh’s Sector 32. With the start of the undergraduate program at PGIMER, people’s attention will be drawn to the development of the institute.

Along with paramedical undergraduate degrees like BSC Nursing, PGIMER has been offering postgraduate medical courses like DM, MCH, MD, MS, MSC, and MHA. The institute’s facilities for medical education and research are anticipated to improve much more with the addition of the MBBS course. According to Kumar Gaurav Dhawan, deputy director of administration, the SFC meeting covered roughly 20 issues on the agenda, and the committee gave the MBBS programme its in-principle approval.

The acceptance of the MBBS programme at PGIMER is encouraging for prospective doctors, especially for those who are studying for the NEET (National Eligibility and Common Entrance Exam), which is the national entrance test for admission to Indian medical schools. The action is anticipated to give applicants to medical colleges more options and solve the nation’s medical workforce shortage.

The Permanent Finance Committee of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) has approved the launch of MBBS courses at the institute’s Sanaranpur Center. A committee headed by the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Rajesh Bhushan, also approved the construction of a 150-bed intensive care unit.

Last year, PGIMER proposed to begin enrollment for her MBBS course with a capacity of 100 students at the Institute’s Sarampur Center. The decision was intended to bail out thousands of applicants who were vying for only 92 of his MBBS spots available in the city’s general category.

The PGIMER Standing Academic Committee (SAC) recommended the inclusion of yoga science, Ayurvedic science, and traditional medicine in the MBBS curriculum. The committee also proposed adding new areas to the curriculum, such as aeronautical medicine and organ transplantation.

The SAC had also given its in-principle approval to build a 500-bed hospital, an extension of Nehru Hospital. The proposal was later submitted to the Standing Finance Committee for federal budget approval.

According to the latest media reports, the Permanent Finance Committee has approved his MBBS course at the Institute’s campus in Sanaranpur. The university campus has well-equipped affiliated hospitals with state-of-the-art facilities for quality teaching, research, and patient care.

The committee also approved the construction of a 150-bed intensive care unit at an estimated cost of Rs. 280 crore. This block will be located near the National Institute of Nursing Education (PGI). The central government funded him in total for Rs 120 crore, and he already has Rs 200 crore licensed to his PGI.

In addition, the Finance Committee approved the construction of a boundary wall on the Sarampur site. In 2021, PGI took ownership of his 50.76 acres. With approval from the Finance Committee, the institute begins construction of a boundary wall within the site. With funding from the ministry, he expects the project to be completed in one to two years.

Permission has also been granted to build multi-story car parks at his PGI in Chandigarh. Costing around Rs 630 crore, the project was approved in 2015 and had a total of 7 floors and a basement on an area of ​​26,000 square meters. Approximately 80 parking spaces are available on each floor. The parking lot can accommodate a total of 680 vehicles, easing traffic congestion on the premises.

With these permits, PGIMER will improve its infrastructure and provide better medical facilities for people in Chandigarh and surrounding areas. MBBS courses and critical care blocks help meet the growing demand for healthcare professionals and quality healthcare services. The construction of perimeter walls and multi-story parking garages will help improve patient, visitor, and staff security and facility access.

Chandigarh: The Health, Medical Education, and Research Minister, Dr. Balbir Singh, clarified before the State Assembly that newly graduated specialist doctors will offer their services in the government hospitals after completing the postgraduate medical courses. He was referring to the state’s shortage of specialists.

The state’s health minister further emphasised how the previous administration failed to ensure that PG medical graduates from government medical colleges offered their services to government-run hospitals for a period of time and that the bond penalty amount was not collected from them.

The Health Minister also revealed that from 2020 until the present, a total of 701 MD graduates had worked in government institutions after sharing statistics on medical students who received their MD and MBBS degrees.

The State Health Minister also disclosed that 57 doctors had to pay back Rs 6,47,17140 for failing to provide services to the government.

The Health Minister made these pronouncements at a time when some hospitals in the state are experiencing a speciality doctor shortage. Of the 119 authorised positions, 50 vacancies in Phagwara civil hospitals were previously reported by Medical Dialogues. In the instance of the doctor positions, 14 of the 36 authorised positions remained unfilled.

A lack of specialised physicians was also present at Nakodar Civil Hospital in Punjab, where open positions included those for a surgeon, an ENT specialist, a radiology expert, an anaesthetist, a pathologist, and two medical officer positions.

According to the most recent media report by Amar Ujala, the Health Minister acknowledged that there is a shortage of health providers in various hospitals throughout the province and stated that the government is compiling information on the hospitals in every area during the question period in the House on Monday during the Punjab Legislative Assembly’s budget session. He added that doctors would soon be hired for all government hospitals in accordance with their needs.

The Health Minister also told the House that 380 students finish their post-graduate medical studies each year. These PG medical graduates sign the bond at the time of admission, but they don’t follow the terms of the bond; thus, after receiving their degree, they go to private hospitals. In reference to this, Dinesh Chadha, an AAP MLA from Ropar, highlighted how, in the previous ten years, the government authorities had failed to ensure that the PG medical graduates from the state’s government medical colleges provided their services to government-run hospitals for a short period of time. He further said that the state should take action against the government officials who helped these doctors transfer to private hospitals and receive lucrative salaries.

The Health Minister was quoted by Indian Express as saying, “In reference to the fact that the PG medical graduates must serve the government for two years or pay Rs 15 lakh, the previous administrations failed to ensure that these doctors performed their services in state-run hospitals and failed to collect the money owed to them. Negligence in a criminal matter “From 57 doctors who did not work for the government, we have recovered Rs 6.47 crore, and we will continue to recover money from other doctors as well.”

According to The Times of India, the minister promised that the AAP government will make sure that there is never a shortage of specialists in the state. In order to address the physician shortage, he further guaranteed that these expert doctors would provide their services at government hospitals after completing their postgraduate medical training. He continued by pointing out that not a single medical college had opened in the state in the previous 40 years, but that the state government was now building four such institutions.

The Congress MLA Amarinder Singh Raja Warding, meanwhile, made reference to the lack of a doctor at the government hospital in Gidderbaha and emphasised that the facility had seven approved doctor roles. The Health Minister took note of this and promised that he would demonstrate the situation so that doctors would soon be hired at the hospital.