Karnataka doctor who allegedly performed around 900 illegal abortions arrested
Bengaluru (PTI): The Bengaluru Police have arrested a doctor and his lab technician who have allegedly performed around 900 illegal abortions in the last three years, officials said on Monday.
Dr Chandan Ballal and his lab technician Nisar allegedly charged around Rs 30,000 for each abortion which they carried out at a hospital in the district headquarters town of Mysuru. Both of them were taken into custody last week, they said.
The hospital's manager Meena and receptionist Rizma Khan were arrested earlier this month, police said.
Police busted the sex-determination and female foeticide racket last month with the arrest of two accused -- Shivalinge Gowda and Nayan Kumar -- in the district headquarters town of Mandya, near Mysuru, when they were taking a pregnant woman for abortion in a car.
During interrogation, the accused-duo revealed a jaggery unit in Mandya, used as an ultrasound scan centre, from where a police team later seized the scan machine, which did not have valid authorisation or other official documents, a senior police officer said.
"Preliminary enquiry has revealed that in the last three years, the accused doctor along with his accomplices have managed to perform around 900 illegal abortions at the Mysuru Hospital and charged about Rs 30,000 for each abortion," he said.
Further investigation is underway to nab other suspects who have been attached to the racket, he added.
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.
Bill to set up single higher education regulator likely to be tabled in Parliament next week
New Delhi (PTI): A Bill which seeks to set up a single regulator for institutions of higher education is required to facilitate universities and other higher educational institutes become independent and self-governing, officials said.
The Bill is likely to be introduced in Parliament next week after it got the Union Cabinet's nod on Friday.
The proposed legislation, which was earlier christened the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, has now been named Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill.
A single higher education regulator, which was proposed in the new National Education Policy (NEP), looks to replace the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
"The Bill proposes to set up a Higher Education Commission of India to facilitate universities and other higher educational institutes become independent and self-governing institutions and to promote excellence through a robust and transparent system of accreditation and autonomy. It is likely to be introduced (in Parliament) in the coming week," an official said.
While the UGC presently oversees non-technical higher education in the country, the AICTE oversees technical education, while the NCTE is the regulatory body for teachers' education.
The Commission is proposed to be set up as a single higher education regulator, but medical and law colleges will not be brought under its ambit.
It is proposed to have three major roles -- regulation, accreditation and setting professional standards, officials said.
Funding, which is seen as the fourth vertical, is not proposed to be under the regulator so far. The autonomy for funding is proposed to be with the administrative ministry, they said.
