NEW DELHI: Over 60 cases of ragging have been reported in medical colleges in the country in the last four years, government said today.
"As per the information submitted by the Medical Council of India (MCI), some cases of alleged ragging and death of students have been reported to MCI.
"Some of the cases reported to MCI in the last three years including this year are 7 in 2011-12, 12 in 2012-13, 23 in 2013-14 and 22 in 2014-15," Union Health Minister J P Nadda said in Lok Sabha. In order to curb ragging in medical colleges, the Centre in consultation with MCI has framed MCI (Prevention and Prohibition of Ragging in Medical Colleges/Institutions) Regulations 2009.
As per the regulations, all medical colleges are required to constitute anti-ragging committees which are "mandated to prevent ragging and take suitable action under regulations in the event of any incidence of ragging", Nadda said.
Replying to another question, the Health Minister said that his Ministry has received 91 proposals for setting up of medical colleges in 2015-16 while seven proposals have been received for dental colleges.
So far in 2015-16, permission has been granted for 15 medical colleges and two dental colleges. Out of the 15, ten are government colleges while both the dental colleges are private, Nadda said.
On another query, Nadda said that according to a ICMR's National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau survey in ten states, the prevalence of overweight among rural men and women (2011-12) was approximately 12 per cent and 16 per cent respectively while among tribal population, it was 3 per cent for men and women.
He said that the prevalence of overweight and obesity among rural children was 1-2 per cent.