Doctors withdraw protest against Goa health minister after CM intervenes
Panaji (PTI): Doctors at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) withdrew their agitation against state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane following intervention by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday, officials said.
The CM went to the state-run GMCH, located near here, in the morning and assured the protesting doctors that their demands will be met.
Rane had been facing a backlash from the medical fraternity after he lashed out at GMCH's chief medical officer (CMO) Dr Rudresh Kuttikar for allegedly misbehaving with patients during his surprise visit to the premier facility and ordered his suspension.
CM Sawant on Sunday tried to control the damage by overruling the controversial decision.
On Monday, Rane tendered an apology through social media to the doctor. The protestors, however, were not happy with the gesture and had demanded that Dr Kuttikar receive a personal apology from the minister.
The minister said while he may have erred in his communication, his intent was always to ensure no patient is denied timely care and the public health system remains responsive and compassionate.
The opposition Congress had voiced support for the protesting doctors, demanding Rane's ouster.
On Tuesday, CM Sawant met representatives of the Goa Association of Resident Doctors (GARD), GMCH Dean Dr Shivanand Bandekar and other officials at the state-run hospital.
Emerging from the meeting, GARD president Dr Ayush Sharma told reporters that they were withdrawing their agitation with immediate effect.
He also said the GARD has withdrawn the 24-hour deadline given on Monday to minister Rane to apologise to Dr Kuttikar.
The chief minister on Monday evening held a meeting with the GARD representatives, GMCH dean and other representatives of the medical fraternity at his official residence to discuss the issue.
On Tuesday morning, Sawant went to the GMCH and assured the protesting doctors to fulfil their demands.
"All seven demands were discussed in the meeting today. All the demands are passed," the CM said.
"Such an incident should not happen in the future," he said.
About the meeting, Sawant said the doctors have "respected my words" and called off their protest.
"GMCH is an apex medical college. Such a strike was not fair in the interest of the people, the patients would have suffered. That is why I intervened and their demands were passed," he said.
The CM also said security at the GMCH would be beefed up by posting a sub-inspector level officer at the police outpost in the medical facility.
Fifty additional police personnel would be deployed at the hospital, the chief minister said.
Senior GMCH doctor Madhu Godhikrikar said, "One of the demands was for the health minister to come personally and apologise. But it was decided that such a demand cannot be made. A government officer cannot ask a minister to come to his office and apologise," he said.
The issue was not about Dr Kuttikar, but about insult of the chair (of CMO), he said.
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SC to hear on May 4 PIL seeking stringent guidelines for issuing Aadhaar to adolescents, adults
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea seeking a direction to the Unique Identification Authority of India to issue new Aadhaar cards only to citizens up to the age of six years, and frame stringent guidelines for its issuance to adolescents and adults to stop infiltrators from masquerading as Indian citizens.
As per the apex court's causelist of May 4, the plea would come up for hearing before a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi.
The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay has also sought a direction to the authorities to install display boards at common service centres stating that the 12-digit unique identification number is only a "proof of identity" and not a proof of citizenship, address or date of birth.
Besides all the states and Union Territories, the plea has made the UIDAI -- which is the authority that issues Aadhaar -- and the Union ministries of home, law and justice, and electronics and information technology as parties.
The plea, filed through advocate Ashwani Dubey, said Aadhaar, originally intended as a proof of identity, has increasingly become a "foundational document" enabling individuals to obtain other identification documents, such as ration cards, domicile certificates and voter identity cards.
"The UIDAI has issued 144 crore Aadhaar and 99 percent Indians have been enrolled. Therefore, the petitioner is filing this writ petition as a PIL under Article 32, seeking a direction to UIDAI to issue new Aadhaar to children only and frame new stringent guidelines for adolescents and adults, so as to stop infiltrators from getting it and masquerading as Indian citizens," the plea said.
It said the need to file the plea arose when the petitioner came to know the manner in which infiltrators are able to procure Aadhaar through a verification process that is weak and can be easily manipulated.
"Foreigners apply for Aadhaar under the 'foreign' category. But infiltrators apply for Aadhaar under the 'Indian citizen' category and get it easily made. Thereafter, they obtain a ration card, birth and domicile certificate, driving licence, et cetera, essentially becoming indistinguishable from Indian citizens…," it said.
Besides seeking other directions, the plea has raised legal questions, including whether the Aadhaar Act 2016 has become "temporally unreasonable" for failing to keep up with the legislative intent of distinguishing foreigners from Indian citizens.
It said the alleged misuse of Aadhaar undermines targeted welfare delivery and leads to diversion of public resources.
