1.2 lakh Indian pilgrims undertook Haj, 40,000 above age 60: Union health secretary
New Delhi, Jun 21: Around 1,20,000 pilgrims undertook the Haj pilgrimage this year from India and 356 doctors and paramedics were deployed for the medical care.
Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra released a document titled 'Medical Care Arrangements for Haj Pilgrimage' here on Friday in collaboration with the ministry of minority affairs.
Mohammed Shahid Alam, Consulate General of India in Jeddah (who joined virtually), representatives of WHO and other stakeholders were also present.
Haj represents the largest and most enduring annual mass gathering event globally, the health ministry said in a statement.
The responsibility for medical care arrangements lies with the Emergency Medical Relief Division and the International Health Division of the Directorate General of Health Services under ministry of health, it said.
On the occasion, Chandra stated that "this document lays the roadmap of the health services and how those services can be availed of by the pilgrims".
Noting that this is only the second year since the healthcare responsibilities have been assigned to the Union health ministry, he said, "The experience has provided significant learning for improving the healthcare services. Around 1,20,000 pilgrims undertook the Haj pilgrimage this year from India, of which approximately 40,000 were above the age of 60.
"In view of the harsh weather conditions this year, the health challenges have necessitated round the clock services for the pilgrims. Last year, oral health and dental care services have been added learning from the past experience," he said.
The Union health secretary also added that nearly two lakh OPDs have been conducted this year, along with visits by the medical teams to the pilgrims.
Chandra stated that with the help of National Informatics Centre (NIC), a live portal has been developed that provides real time data and analysis on the pilgrims seeking medical care and the services being provided.
"We are continuously monitoring and this will help us to improve our services significantly, such that we become the beacon of excellence to be emulated by other countries," he added.
The Union health secretary said, "It is a matter of pride to be of assistance to our citizens wherever they might be. Be it for evacuating our students from Ukraine or assisting our people who got stuck in the fire incident in Kuwait, India has always been at the forefront in helping its citizens."
He stated that India has even helped citizens from other countries, including the European countries who sought its help during crisis.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) Additional Secretary L S Changsan emphasised on the importance of comprehensive healthcare planning for such a large gathering, especially in the demanding Saudi Arabian climate, the statement said.
She highlighted the strategic placement of medical teams in Mecca and Medina for easy convenience of the pilgrims and the collaboration between MoHFW and NIC on creating a portal for real time access of data on admissions and operations of the health mission.
She also acknowledged the tireless efforts of the medical teams in Saudi Arabia which are still there and working hard for ensuring health and safety of pilgrims. She commended the dedication of all stakeholders involved, which included ministry of minority affairs, consulate general of India, Jeddah; Haj Committee of India, NIC, WHO India, HLL Lifecare Limited, central government hospitals, all AIIMS and all states and institutions from across the country for their support towards this endeavour.
Alam highlighted that the publication of the document is vital for institutionalising the healthcare arrangement system for the Indian pilgrims. He explained the on-field experiences and challenges faced during Haj.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Single higher education regulator bill tabled in LS; Oppn flags ‘centralisation,' JPC likely
New Delhi: A bill to set up a 13-member body to regulate institutions of higher education was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, which seeks to establish an overarching higher education commission along with three councils for regulation, accreditation, and ensuring academic standards for universities and higher education institutions in India.
Meanwhile, the move drew strong opposition, with members warning that it could weaken institutional autonomy and result in excessive centralisation of higher education in India.
The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, earlier known as the Higher Education Council of India (HECI) Bill, has been introduced in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The proposed legislation seeks to merge three existing regulatory bodies, the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), into a single unified body called the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan.
At present, the UGC regulates non-technical higher education institutions, the AICTE oversees technical education, and the NCTE governs teacher education in India.
Under the proposed framework, the new commission will function through three separate councils responsible for regulation, accreditation, and the maintenance of academic standards across universities and higher education institutions in the country.
According to the Bill, the present challenges faced by higher educational institutions due to the multiplicity of regulators having non-harmonised regulatory approval protocols will be done away with.
The higher education commission, which will be headed by a chairperson appointed by the President of India, will cover all central universities and colleges under it, institutes of national importance functioning under the administrative purview of the Ministry of Education, including IITs, NITs, IISc, IISERs, IIMs, and IIITs.
At present, IITs and IIMs are not regulated by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Government to refer bill to JPC; Oppn slams it
The government has expressed its willingness to refer it to a joint committee after several members of the Lok Sabha expressed strong opposition to the Bill, stating that they were not given time to study its provisions.
Responding to the opposition, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government intends to refer the Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed examination.
Congress Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari warned that the Bill could result in “excessive centralisation” of higher education. He argued that the proposed law violates the constitutional division of legislative powers between the Union and the states.
According to him, the Bill goes beyond setting academic standards and intrudes into areas such as administration, affiliation, and the establishment and closure of university campuses. These matters, he said, fall under Entry 25 of the Concurrent List and Entry 32 of the State List, which cover the incorporation and regulation of state universities.
Tewari further stated that the Bill suffers from “excessive delegation of legislative power” to the proposed commission. He pointed out that crucial aspects such as accreditation frameworks, degree-granting powers, penalties, institutional autonomy, and even the supersession of institutions are left to be decided through rules, regulations, and executive directions. He argued that this amounts to a violation of established constitutional principles governing delegated legislation.
Under the Bill, the regulatory council will have the power to impose heavy penalties on higher education institutions for violating provisions of the Act or related rules. Penalties range from ₹10 lakh to ₹75 lakh for repeated violations, while establishing an institution without approval from the commission or the state government could attract a fine of up to ₹2 crore.
Concerns were also raised by members from southern states over the Hindi nomenclature of the Bill. N.K. Premachandran, an MP from the Revolutionary Socialist Party representing Kollam in Kerala, said even the name of the Bill was difficult to pronounce.
He pointed out that under Article 348 of the Constitution, the text of any Bill introduced in Parliament must be in English unless Parliament decides otherwise.
DMK MP T.M. Selvaganapathy also criticised the government for naming laws and schemes only in Hindi. He said the Constitution clearly mandates that the nomenclature of a Bill should be in English so that citizens across the country can understand its intent.
Congress MP S. Jothimani from Tamil Nadu’s Karur constituency described the Bill as another attempt to impose Hindi and termed it “an attack on federalism.”
_vb_22.jpeg)
