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RSS icon, Ambedkar to be part of MBBS course in Madhya Pradesh
The additional lectures are likely to be clubbed in the topic of medical ethics in the foundation course.
Medical students in Madhya Pradesh will now be taught about RSS founder KB Hedgewar, Bharatiya Jana Sangh leader Deendayal Upadhyaya, Swami Vivekananda and BR Ambedkar as part of the first-year foundation course, state education minister Vishwas Sarang said on Sunday. The next academic session for MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) students is likely to start from 2021-22.
“I have asked to add this in the foundation course as we don’t want to just teach the students expert knowledge about a subject. We want to make them responsible citizens. We will educate them about the Indian tradition and ideology through the life and deeds of famous personalities,” Sarang said.
“The National Medical Council (NMC) has said that ethical values should be part of the foundation course in the first year (of MBBS). So we thought of incorporating these great personalities for building the character of students,” he added.
An official familiar with the matter said the addition was made on the basis of the recommendations made by a five-member committee of the medical education department. “We have not made any changes in the topics of medical education programme 2019 of National Medical Commission. The life and deeds of famous personalities have been added as a lecture on the topic of Medical Ethics. We have included it to inspire the future doctors and motivate them to work hard,” said the official, who asked not to be named.
The additional lectures are likely to be clubbed in the topic of medical ethics in the foundation course, added the official.
Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, a surgeon, founded the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh in Nagpur in 1925. Deendayal Upadhyaya was one of the prominent leaders of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh and the forerunner of the BJP.
Hailing the leaders, the education minister said: “RSS first chief Hedgewarji, Upadhyayaji, Vivekanandji and BR Ambedkarji were great visionaries and human beings. Their lives were based on values. Their thoughts, conduct, and very personalities are inspiring.”
“Deendayalji’s thought of ‘Antyodaya’ for helping the last man (the poorest of the poor) was exemplary. Swami Vivekanandji travelled far off lands to showcase the Indian vision. B R Ambedkar was born in a poor family but he went on to frame our Constitution. We have decided to teach (MBBS) students about the inspiring lives of these great personalities from the coming academic session (2021),” Sarang added.
The medical fraternity, however, expressed concerns over the additions.
“If they want the students to motivate by teaching life and deeds of famous personalities, they should teach about good doctors and scientists. They shouldn’t force students to teach about heroes of one particular ideology. By doing this, they are spoiling the future of medical students by putting a tag of being rightist,” said Dr Anurag Gupta, state unit chief of the Indian Medical Association (medical students’ network).
The Opposition, too, attacked the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state for “imposing” its ideology on the students.
“BJP keeps working to impose its ideology and its particular agenda on the people, whether it is in the field of education or other areas. Now MBBS students in Madhya Pradesh will be taught the thoughts of the founders of Jan Sangh and RSS. BJP leaders are deliberately working to distort the history, glorify their leaders and impose their ideology,” said Kamal Nath, the Congress’s state unit chief and former chief minister.
BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said: “It is a very good decision of the state government and before accusing BJP of imposing an ideology, they should at least see the history of Congress of promoting and glorifying only one family.”
(With agency inputs)
