Regularisation of External MD NCH issues show cause to KUHS
Dr Mansoor Ali
In a shocking and retrogressive move, National Commission for Homoeopathy (NCH) is intimidating the Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS) by issuing a Show Cause notice to approve External MD of Homoeopathy.
As a regulatory decision, KUHS is not ready to accept any correspondence course from any discipline including Allopathy, Ayurveda, Nursing or Ayush systems. External MD is an off-campus course of 2 years duration, regular MD is a 3-year institutional course. Equalization of external MD course with regular MD was a retrograde step in the history of homoeopathic medical education.
President of NCH Homoeopathy education board issued a Show cause notice to KUHS on 30th Sept 2021 stating that NCH will take disciplinary action against the university including the withdrawal of recognition of the existing courses and awarded degree.
“Postal” Graduates with backdoor entry to NCH
All the officials of NCH – The Chairman, President of The Medical Assessment and Rating Board, President of the Board of Ethics and Registration are External MD holders!!
One of the above President with external PG was thrown out from the principal post from a recently started Homoeopathy college in Kerala – now he is playing dirty revengeful politics by degrading the standards.
Why no interview for NCH?
As per notification for NCH office bearers dt 16.1.2021 “Screening and shortlisting of applications will be done by the Search and Selection Committee or a suitable sub-committee appointed by it. Candidates shortlisted for the interview will have to produce all relevant original documents in proof of details furnished in their application at the time of the interview.”
Few eligible and competent persons applied. So these people will not get positions. So to bypass the eligible candidates – No interview was conducted, but nominated through political influences.
These ‘postal’ graduates or Homoeopathic bureaucrats with backdoor entry now controlling the graduate and postgraduate education in Homoeopathy. This may be the first ‘historic’ decision immediately after taking the charge as office bearers!! Old CCH wine in a new bottle. Never expect standardisation of Homoeopathic education from these tainted officials.
Kerala is the only state in India where External MD is not considered as par with Regular MD. This is the third notice to KUHS from the apex body. Earlier CCH issued a show-cause notice to the University of Calicut and University of Kerala. All these universities and Kerala HC (Single and Division bench) rejected the plea.
KUHS rejected the plea to equalise Regular MD with External MD in Homoeopathy in 2016 itself. The committee appointed by the University examined the facts and CCH regulations and submitted a detailed comparative report on both courses. The committee stated that there are major differences between these two courses and Homeo Regular and External MD courses cannot be equated.
Govt. of Kerala had appointed a commission in 2003 chaired by Honorable Pro Vice-Chancellor of Kerala University Prof.S.Kevin on the matter of External PG course in homoeopathy. That commission also rejected the proposal by CCH
The academic council of the University of Calicut categorically rejected the External MD in 2012 itself.
In these 9 page notice, NCH repeatedly talks about regulation 11 of pg regulation 1989/2001 prescribing minimum qualification etc. to teaching posts – but it actually specifies only additional teachers required, not qualification. Commission has no proper explanation but repeatedly says one thing only – non-compliance of PG regulation 1989!
History
The postgraduate course of three years duration in homoeopathy in India started in the year 1989. The 2 year external MD courses also started in the same year under the pretext that there were not adequate qualified hands to teach regular postgraduate students. In the beginning, the external PG course was restricted for the next 8 years starting from 1989. But somehow, it got extended to 8 more years in the year 2000 and again to one more year in 2008. This course was open to all, not limited to teachers!
MD without a Single Leave from Clinic/Institution?
There were many instances of educated patients wondering and questioning their physician on getting his ‘MD” qualification in one fine morning without taking leave from the clinic even for one week?!
Why Kerala Govt and KUHS not equalising External MD
The reason for our concern lies in the very nature of external PG degree, which are as follows:
- The external PG degree is an off-campus course that does not require formal institutionalized training. Candidates of external PG are not required to attend outpatient and inpatient duties, conduct seminars, discussions and classes by qualified teachers etc as is the case of regular PG students. The relevance of such a course in the field of medical education is highly suspect, to say the least.
- External PG is being offered in clinical (Homoeopathic) subjects without supervised clinical training or patient exposure!
- The basic eligibility criteria for an external PG degree is a diploma in homoeopathy
- The Honorable Supreme Court judgment on February 25, 2009, (Civil Appeal No. 4173 of 2008, Annamalai University versus Secretary to Govt., Information & Tourism Dept & Others) has observed that a Masters degree awarded to a candidate who has not undergone a degree (Bachelor’s) course cannot be valid.
- Government Kerala had appointed a commission in 2001 chaired by Honorable Pro Vice-Chancellor of Kerala University, Prof. S. Kevin, on the matter of External PG course in homoeopathy. This commission submitted the report in 2002 which clearly stated that “the University of Kerala need not sanction the External PG Degree in Homoeopathy as it cannot maintain the academic standards expected of a PG degree in medicine”.
- The Health & Family welfare department, Govt. of Kerala has also made it amply clear in 2010 that the two courses cannot be considered equal as external PG is a course of “distance education” (Order No.20535/J2/2010/H&FWD dt 08/12/2010)
- As per the Homoeopathy Medical Colleges Teaching Service Special rule 2001 and 2019 by Govt of Kerala for recruitment and promotion in various departments – PG means postgraduate course with three-year regular attendance. This special rule controls the appointments and promotions in Homoeopathy Medical Colleges of Kerala.
- Kerala Govt. now gives ample opportunity to all homeopathy teachers of Government and Aided sector to take Regular MD in Homoeopathy irrespective of the department they belong, on the seniority basis – by giving full-service benefits. So enough regular MD teachers are available as Examiners/Guides
- Honourable High Court of Kerala in a judgement in 2014 categorically stated that the two courses cannot be equated.
- The division bench of Kerala HC in a judgement in 2021 stated that the two courses cannot be equated.
A concise comparison between the two courses:
|
Item |
Regular MD |
External MD |
|
Format |
Regular Institutionalized Training |
Distance Education |
|
Duration |
3 years |
2 years |
|
Minimum Eligibility |
BHMS Degree |
Diploma in Homoeopathy |
|
Training |
Clinical exposure through OPD & IPD postings |
No Clinical Exposure |
|
Training |
Regular & systemic training including Seminars, clinical discussion, journal clubs etc |
Nothing |
|
House Job |
One year |
No house job |
|
Attendance required |
3 year regular, as per university norms |
No attendance. Only for exam |
|
Examinations |
Part. I &II |
1 exam |
|
University approval |
Approved by all universities in Kerala |
Not approved by any universities in Kerala. |
|
Kerala Homeopathic Service rule 2001,2019 |
Approved |
Not included due to lack of 3 year regular attendance |
|
Govt. of Kerala Approval |
Yes |
No |
Adverse Impact of equalization
It is a matter of much concern to us that if an off-campus course of 2 years duration is equalized with a regular residential institutionalized course of 3 years duration, it would have an adverse impact on the standard of Homoeopathic medical education in the state.
Equalization of external MD course with regular MD will be a retrograde step in the progress of homoeopathic medical education. The morale of regular PG students will be dented on the realization that their hard-earned postgraduate degree is seen as equal to what is only a little more than a correspondence course!
Dear NCH,
Please put a full stop to this hooliganism. Work for the uplifting the Homoeopathy education in our country.
Download NCH show-cause notice to KUHS Sept 2021
Kerala Govt enquiry report on External MD in Homoeopathy
http://www.homeobook.com/kerala-govt-enquiry-report-on-external-md-in-homoeopathy
External MD in Homeopathy could not be considered for Job
http://www.homeobook.com/external-md-in-homeopathy-could-not-be-considered-for-job
University of Calicut quashed External MD in Homoeopathy
Kerala HC judgment on External MD 2014
Kerala HC division bench judgement on External MD 2021
Report by the Controlling Officer of Homoeopathy on Equalisation of External MD
Kerala Govt. Order on status of External MD in Kerala 2014
External MD RTI reply to IHMA by Govt of Kerala 2017
IHMA letter to Prime Minister on External MD in Homoeopathy
KUHS Reply to CCH in 2016
I am of the Opinion of abolishing this entrance exam and MD degree itself. In future those who are good BHMS Homoeopaths will be shown down by a donkey MD homoeopats. This is a dangerous trend because then only MD’s will lobby or try to bully and despise BHMS homoeopaths. In Homoeopathy anybody can be a good homoeopath degree does not matter.
But those who do MD, they do just for show off, narcissism. This all will spoil the waters of Homoeopathy for all times to come. Let BHMS be the only qualification. We must have such college level propoganda so that no student take up this MD course which is no different than BHMS. Instead they must focus on practicing Homoeopathy.
Boycott MD education in Homoeopathy.
In the first instance MD Homoeopathy course should not have been reciprocated by Homoeopathic fraternity. Whipping Homoeopathy on the lines of Allopathy education model is the first step of taking control of Homoeopathy. MD Hom will never be considered equal to MD Allopathy, thats the lobby. MD Homoeopathy has no special edge over BHMS in terms of professional grooming, because the level of education, hospital exposure and training remains the same even for next 3 years as it is for first 5.5 years of BHMS. These are just gimmicks to increase the customer lifecycle of a candidate taking admission to the Homoeopathy course. So passing entrance exam and doing MD too is just a showbiz and business of ‘Degree Sale’. Weighing a Homoeopath on the scale of No or Years of education or Graduation and PG scale is like asking Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Mohd Rafi, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Jasraj etc about their academic education in Music (Sangeet Visharad degree etc). One must know that Homoeopathy is a science but it is equally an art…and an artists cannot measured on the scale of level of format education. Practice of Homoeopathy is itself a weightage. And Homoeopathy has far more Continual Education than Allopathy side.
Many of the senior and reputed Homoeopaths ran behind this ‘MD’ degree which talks about their ignorance to understand the trap of the government. Finally got this 3 year MD promoted by giving the taste of it to next generation. It was a kind of promotional tactic played by Homoeopathy colleges and Managements. Senior Homoeopaths were respectable, had large patient volume, and did great academic contributions even with their LCEH/DHMS qualifications. They had the chance to show that formal degrees we do not care and is not so required. But they defeated themselves and rated their own degrees and achievements below the two lettered degree ‘MD’. So crazy and foolish is’nt it. Secondly this MD has not even had any great effect on their career or practice. They had achieved reputation on LCEH, but their inferiority complex and slave mentality showed off.
When will this profession understand the gimmicks and traps of politics.
University should follow the rules and regulations of central body….of. Homoeopathy
MD external is need unless and until the quality of regular MD is improved.Today many colleges don’t have good quality clinical exposure.
Utter nonsense
Take this to national media
They deserve to be stripped naked if they pursue on this.
Across the country at least KUHS has that balls of steel to call a spade a spade!
Kerala isn’t just a state of the indian union, we have our own stakes in waking up against demeaning academic reforms of utopian origin.
Thank you Dr Mansoor Ali for bringing this incidence to the Nation’s notice.
But it is not clear why on earth KUHS supports and names a correspondence course as “MD” course! It could have been any PG Diploma course. By naming a course as external MD itself demeans the status of regular MD course.