The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Sudhakaran for increasing medical education seats

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Sudhakaran for increasing medical education seats

Staff Reporter

Says number of graduates should go up to 10,000
Call for increase in superannuation age of faculty members

KOCHI: Minister for Cooperation G. Sudhakaran said the number of medical professionals graduating in the State should go up to at least 10,000 from the present 2,500. The share of seats for professional education in the higher education sector in the State is only 10 per cent, which is much below the required 25 per cent, according to him.

Speaking to reporters here on Friday after the graduation ceremony of the Cooperative Medical College, the Minister said that with about 40,000 professional education seats, the State was below the neighbouring State of Karnataka that has about 1.75 lakh seats.

The Minister said he would also be asking the Central agency governing medical education in the country — in the wake of the dissolved status of the Medical Council of India— to increase the superannuation age of faculty members from 65 years to 75 years in medical colleges other than those run by the government. Another request would be to publish a list of certified medical educators who could be appointed by various medical colleges in the country.

“We are highly deficient in professionals in the medical education sector and the increasing number of medical colleges has resulted in a dearth of faculty. A list of professionals qualified for the post of principal or senior professors with their expected remuneration would help colleges looking for faculty members. It would also help the sector to be more transparent and efficient,” he said.

In the present scenario, there were professors who were faculty members in two or three colleges and drawing salary from all, said the Minister.

He came down heavily on the so-called professionals who were supposed to take the country forward with their skills. “If making money is the aim, it does not require professional education,” he added.

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