Context: Confusion over policy for human resource development and economic policy in medical education is a?ecting quality, equity and integrity.
Significant aspects of the New Education Policy
Aim:
To provide universal access to quality education.
Bridge the gap through undertaking major reforms that bring the highest quality, equity and integrity into the system,
Emphasizes quality and holistic learning.
In medical education: It aims to train health care professionals primarily required from working in primary care and secondary hospitals.
Ambitious targets
Outcome Sought in higher education is more than just the creation of greater opportunities for individual employment. It represents the key to a more vibrant, socially engaged, cooperative communities and happier, cohesive, cultured, productive, innovative, progressive, and prosperous nation.
Issues with medical education in India
Presence of Private entities: The failure of government in managing the challenge to expand educational opportunities while simultaneously addressing the issues of quality and equity gave way for private entities.
Neglects equity:
Private education is not available in all parts of the country.
Poor quality of education and high costs generates inequity for poor students.
Rent-seeking, Profiteering, and Commercialisation of Education creates hurdles for poor students
Failure of the organs of State in ensuring quality and equity:
Regulations of fees have been on and off, sometimes by government and sometimes by the courts, but the results have been patchy.
Failure of the erstwhile Medical Council of India (MCI) in regulating private education.
Judicial Randomness: Some judges wished to ensure quality and equity, others gave importance to the law on the rights of private parties and federalism.
The tussle between ensuring Human resource development and economic policies:
On the one hand, the Ministry of Human Resources Development repeatedly says that quality and equity are the cornerstones of a good education.
On the other, the economic policies consider education a consumer good which can be sold to the highest bidder.
National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) has worsened equity:
Low number of students from government schools: Since the higher fees in the private colleges have always been a hurdle for poor students of government schools
Absence of a high-quality school system: creates disability for the poor students.
Way Forward:
Justify NEET: Allowing government medical colleges to admit students based on marks in Standard XII and using NEET scores for admission to private colleges will be more equitable.
Need for a political resolve: Only a resolute government, determined to ensure that economic policy facilitates quality and equity in education, can do it.