Perceptions of Medical Students on Research Curriculum: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Medical colleges promote research by incorporating it into the curriculum, which enables students to acknowledge it as a career prospect. The aim of the study was to assess the perceptions of medical students on research curriculum. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 544 medical students (interns and post-graduates) at AIIMS Rishikesh in 2020. Data was collected thorough online self-administered questionnaire. A comparison between groups was made using the Mann-Whitney test or chi-square test p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of 544 participants, 218 (40.1%) responded with complete data. The total median score for the self-perceived ability of study participants regarding performing the research tasks differed significantly between interns and post-graduates [29.5 (24.0–34.2) vs 33 (25.2–39.7), p = 0.03]. They suggested that mandatory research projects, workshops, and training should be included in the curriculum. Conclusion: Feedback from medical students regarding the need for guided research projects, hands-on training, and inclusion of research methodology as a course in UG curriculum and provision of support in the form of incentives, academic credits, and motivation are well noted and guide the resource faculties to modify their teaching and student support programs

Lush Fields and Parched Throats The Political Economy of Groundwater in Gujarat

Groundwater resources in Gujarat (India) have been depleting at an darning rate in recent years. The most visible symptom of this phenomenon is the decline of water tables in large pats of the state. The scarcity of groundwater is most severe during drought years, when even drinking water is often hard to obtain, but is not confined to those years. The depletion of groundwater resources in Gujarat cannot be explained by declining rainfall levels. Rather, it is the rapid spread of energised water extraction mechanisms (one aspect of recent transformations in agricultural technology) that has led to enormous increases in draft. Overexploitation and inequity are two closely related features of current groundwater utilisation patterns. While a variety of measures can be taken to reduce groundwater depletion, most of them have severe limitations due to the current structure of property rights, the unequal distribution of political power and the ineffectiveness of the state bureaucracy. Four types of measures can be distinguished: state regulation of the private sector, positive involvement of the public sector, community management and redefinition of property rights. One particular form of intervention, based on a combination of these different approaches, is suggested in this paper as a useful short-term measure. Ultimately, however, radical changes in property rights are needed to deal adequately with this aspect of the current environmental crisis in Gujarat