Lok Sabha Question No. 3938 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-09
Subject: Medical Research at Graduate and Post Graduate Level
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3938 TO BE ANSWERED ON 9 TH DECEMBER, 2016

## MEDICAL RESEARCH AT GR ADUATE AND POST GRAD UATE LEVEL

## 3938. SHRI KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps being taken by the Government to ameliorate the education standard and me research work at graduate and post graduate level in various medical teaching institutions
- (b) the details of the number of research papers published by various medical institutions and new researchers carried out during the last three years;
- (c) whether the cases of irregularity in various medical entrance examinations have come during the last three years and whether the quality of these institutions has suffered on account thereof; and
- (d) if so, the details of the action taken by the Government and the effective measures the Government for transparency in regard to these examinations?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE ( ANUPRIYA PATEL )

- (a)  &  (b): The  Medical  Council  of  India  (MCI)  is  the  statutory  body  responsible  f establishing and maintaining high standards in medical education. For this purpose MCI causes the assessment of every medical college on a year to year basis.

As per MCI's Postgraduate Medical Education Regulation s, 2000, a postgraduate student in broad specialities/super specialities isrequired to present one poster presentation, to read one paper  at  a  national/state  conference  and  to  present  one  research  paper  which  shou published/accepted  for  publication/sent  for  publication  during  the  period  of  his  post studies so as to make him eligible to appear at the postgraduate degree examination.

Contd……

As informed by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the following programmes are running to support medical research work:

## (i) Short Term Studentship

ICMR  supports  the Short  Term  Studentship  (STS)  program me for  undergraduate  medical students studying in different medical colleges of the country with a view to inculcate spirit at the formative years of their career. A stipend of Rs 10,000/ -is given to undertake a short term study to around 1000 students every year. Students are selected through online re proposals submission from various medical and dental colleges from various States and UTs screening  &  review  by  subject  experts.  During  the  last  three years,  a  total  of  3369  MBBS stud ents were sanctioned ICMR's STS .

## (ii) Financial support for thesis to MD/MS/MCh/MDS students :

ICMR  provides  financial  support  of  Rs  25,000 for  thesis of 50  slots  annually  to  medical graduates  who  are  admitted  to  MD/MS/MCh /MDS  courses  in  any  of  the  MCI  recognized institute/medical college with assurance of at least one research paper in some scholarly During the last three years, ICMR has supported 150 medical graduates.

## (iii) MD -Ph.D Course conducted by ICMR

ICMR sponsored integrated course on MD - PhD is being conducted at three medical universities of the country viz., King Gerog e's Medical University, Lucknow, SriRamachandra University, Chennai, and National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS ), Bengaluru since 2006, with an aim to attract medical students to purs ue health research. At the end of this integrated course each student is able to publish 3 - 4 research papers in SCI indexed journals with reasonably good impact factor. A total of 40 s tudents have been supported under this Scheme in the last three years.

(c) & (d) : The medical entrance examination conducted by private medical colleges or the associations were not perceived to be very transparent. With the amendment to IMC Act, 19 in 2016, a common entrance exam has been prescribed. The NEET - 2016 was conducted by CBSE wherein more than 8 lakh candidates appeared.

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