Course on hearing aid dispensing opposed

March 15, 2012
Mangalore, March 15: The Dakshina Kannada Speech and Hearing Students Union protest against proposed course on hearing aid dispensing by Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) in front of Deputy Commissioner's office in Mangalore on Wednesday.The Dakshina Kannada Speech and Hearing Students Union organised a protest against proposed course on hearing aid dispensing by Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), in front of Deputy Commissioner's office in Mangalore on Wednesday.

Dispensing of hearing aids is a crucial issue for addressing the needs of people with hearing impairment. Therefore, hearing aid dispensing should be done by trained professionals. However, the RCI is all set to start a three month course which would include Audiological assessment and dispensing any kind of device assisting in hearing.

In the field of audiology and speech pathology a professional gets qualification after four years of Bachelor's course. The decision of RCI to promote the short term course will only bring adverse effect to the field as well as the professionals. This will create a way for a lot of non-professionals and quacks to dispense the hearing aids legally. This is not only the downfall to the field but also the quality of the health care provided, alleged the students union at the protest.

They further alleged that Speech and hearing colleges have mushroomed in India and the RCI has not been successful in monitoring the quality of education. Till date there has been no document to show the RCI has taken steps to provide employment to the audiologists and speech therapists in India. As per the RCI Act passed in the Parliament, RCI has to take legal action against malpractice and maintain the quality of rehabilitation services. In spite of receiving numerous complaints, RCI has failed to take such action, said the students.

The students demanded that the minimum eligibility criterion for any new course in the field of speech and hearing should be BASLP (Bachelor's in Audiology and Speech Pathology). RCI should take strict action against the malpractice in the field of speech and hearing immediately.

Only those professionals who have minimum Bachelors degree in speech and hearing should be called for any RCI meeting related to speech and hearing.

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment should initiate a thorough judicial inquiry on all activities of RCI secretary and chairman for promoting quackery and impending millions of Indians to receive quality health care.

The protest will be carried out in the future, till these demands are met by the RCI and the ministry, they said.

Prior to the protest, the students took out a protest march from Light House Hill to the Deputy Commissioner's office. Students carried placards that read “Three months give quantity, four years give quality.”

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News Network
September 20,2024

Starting in the 2025-26 academic year, private universities in Karnataka offering professional courses will no longer conduct separate entrance exams. This decision follows a directive from the state’s Higher Education Department, prompting private universities to form an association and agree to this significant change.

In a recent meeting with Higher Education Minister Dr. M. C. Sudhakar, representatives from 17 private universities confirmed their decision to discontinue individual entrance tests. Of the 27 private universities in the state, 17 offer professional courses, and they have collectively agreed to accept scores from existing national or state-level entrance exams.

“Some universities will consider JEE scores, others will rely on KCET, and a few are inclined towards COMEDK,” Dr. Sudhakar stated, leaving the choice of examination to the universities themselves. However, the department has also suggested that the universities consider a unified entrance test for admissions.

Looking ahead, Dr. Sudhakar hinted that the government may introduce a common entrance test for general degree courses at private universities as well. "As government colleges and universities currently don’t require entrance exams for general degree courses, we haven’t made any decisions on this yet," he explained.

The meeting also addressed concerns over the high fees charged by private universities. To regulate this, the universities were instructed to establish fee fixation committees, headed by retired judges, as required by law. These committees will be responsible for determining tuition fees. Additionally, the government will continue to regulate fees for 40% of seats in professional courses that are filled through KCET.

In an effort to bring greater uniformity among private institutions, the government is considering enacting a common law for all private universities, which would replace the individual acts currently governing each university. This would place all private universities under a single regulatory framework.

This move is expected to streamline the admissions process and create a more standardized system for both professional and general degree programs across Karnataka's private universities.

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News Network
September 13,2024

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NRI professionals hailing from the coastal and Malnad regions of Karnataka, now based in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Australia, have been urging the Indian government and airlines to introduce a direct flight between Mangalore International Airport (MIA) and Singapore’s Changi Airport.

These professionals argue that Singapore’s strategic location as a hub connecting India with East Asia makes this flight essential. They highlight that this route would serve over 12 million people from the coastal and hill regions of southern India, fostering stronger ties with East Asian economies.

The group, consisting of individuals from Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, Shivamogga, and Hassan, is spearheaded by Rajesh H Acharya, director of HQ Connections Pte Ltd, Singapore, and coordinator of the Singapore Tuluver community. Acharya emphasized the significance of the Indian government’s Act East policy, which aims to strengthen relationships between India and ASEAN, East Asia, and the Asia-Pacific region.

“This flight will open new doors for cultural, trade, tourism, and technological exchanges between these regions,” Acharya said.

The Mangalore Chapter of IndUS Entrepreneurs (TiE) has also proposed positioning the region as the 'Silicon Beach of India.' A direct flight would provide greater opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors from both Singapore and Mangaluru, boosting business exchanges.

Moreover, Singapore’s Changi Airport could see increased tourism from the Karnataka coast, while Coastal Karnataka would benefit from a surge in visitors from ASEAN countries, the Far East, Australia, New Zealand, and the US West Coast.

While a similar attempt in 2017 did not succeed, Acharya and his team are hopeful that this time their appeal will be taken seriously, tapping into the immense growth potential of the eastern half of the globe.

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News Network
September 20,2024

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New Delhi: The Supreme Court today sought a report from the Karnataka High Court over controversial remarks made by Justice Vedavyasachar Srishananda during a recent court hearing.

Justice Srishananda, while addressing a landlord-tenant dispute, referred to a Muslim-majority area in Bengaluru as "Pakistan" and made a misogynistic comment involving a woman lawyer. 

A five-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices S Khanna, B R Gavai, S Kant, and H Roy, expressed the need for establishing clear guidelines for constitutional court judges regarding their remarks in court. 

The Supreme Court bench said that when social media plays an active role in monitoring and amplifying courtroom proceedings, there is an urgency to ensure judicial commentary aligns with the decorum expected from courts of law.

"Our attention has been drawn to some comments made by Karnataka High Court judge Justice V Srishananda during the conduct of judicial proceedings. We have asked the AG and SG to assist us. We ask the registrar general of the High Court to submit a report to this court after seeking administrative directions from the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court. This exercise may be carried out in 2 weeks," the top court directed.

Videos of Justice Srishanananda have gone viral on social media.

In one video, he refers to a Muslim-dominated locality in Bengaluru as "Pakistan" and on another video he was seen making objectionable comments against a woman lawyer. In the second incident, Justice Srishanananda can be heard telling the woman lawyer that she seemed to know a lot about the "opposition party", so much so that she might be able to reveal the colour of their undergarments.

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