TOKENS for appointments at the Outpatients department of the Goa Medical College & Hospital will now be issued one hour later at 8 am instead of 7am. The claim is that this has been done to decrease the waiting time between getting the token and appointment with the doctor. Apparently, the queue for tokens starts as early as 6 am.
The new system does not guarantee a smaller waiting period. This is because after getting the token the patient has to register with the individual OPDS and wait for his turn. The doctors only come to the OPD after 9 am. Since there is a heavy rush at the OPD it can take two to three hours at the very least before patient gets to see a doctor.
The OPD in the new super-specialty hospital is open after 5.30am. Generally, doctors in the super-specialty department see all the patients who have taken tokens. The new GMC OPDs attract an average of 2,500 patients a day. The rush here is because it is the only completely free super-specialty for the patients department. In private hospitals consultancy charges for super-specialty can range from Rs1,500 to Rs3,000
GOA IIT JEE TOPPERS
OVER a dozen students of Mushtifund and Dempo Higher Secondary have secured over 99% in the IIT JEE main entrance exam for admission to the Indian institutes of technology. The topper from Goa is Rohan Keni from Dempo Higher Secondary school who got 99.95%, just five percent short of a hundred percent. There are 14 students who have got 100% marks in the JEE entrance exam. The majority of them are students from coaching classes in Kota in Rajasthan. It may be interesting to note that IIT Kanpur has produced the largest number of Indian start-ups. The founder of Infosys, Narayan Murthy, is an alumina of IIT Kanpur.
YOUNG ACHIEVERS WILL NOT RELOCATE
THE chairman of the engineering giant L&T has more complaints about young talented people. SN Subramanyam now claims that graduates from Chennai are not willing to work in Delhi. In the IT sector many young recruits are not willing to come to office and prefer working from home.
However, the biggest challenge for big companies in infrastructure is to find construction labour. Apparently construction labourers are also unwilling to move out of their home stays and work in remote areas. The L&T which is a leader in infrastructure projects needs four lakh construction workers for their projects.
The problem is that despite being provided with accommodation and food they do not stay long with the company. The attrition rate is very high with the result that L&T looks for 1.6 million people every year to complete projects on time. The new Mandovi bridge was constructed by L&T.
MALE DOMINANCE ENDS
TRADITIONALLY, the male has been the dominant partner in marriages. With increasing education and economic independence among the men they are not willing to accept the male-dominated relationship. Since women are also compelled to work to ensure a decent standard of living, they are demanding an equal share in the management of finances.
Unfortunately, in the absence of a suitable infrastructure, women have to do double duty as home workers as well as earners. The responsibility of looking after children is still primarily the wife’s problem.
INDIANS TAKE TO AI
A SURVEY by Microsoft has found that Indians are the largest group in the world who have started using popular AI apps like ChatGpt. The survey had found that 65% of Indians use AI, which is double the global average. The AI world has been shaken up following the announcement that China had developed new AI model called DeepSeek at much lower cost than Western companies. However, most countries are unwilling to install DeepSeek software. The Indian government had barred senior officials from using AI software. There is pressure in India to create its own AI model.
FEWER SOAPS, MORE SMARTPHONES
A CONSUMER survey has revealed that on an average Indians are buying fewer or cheaper soaps and cosmetics. They are switching to smaller packs to hang on to money. However, they are spending more on smart phones and LED televisions. Every luxury product including the Iphone has become affordable due to the very low EMI. The EMI offers are very attractive, enabling even the middle class to buy luxury products. Unfortunately, there are more EMIs on ordinary consumer products like soaps and shampoos.
CHANGING IMAGE OF ADANI
GAUTAM Adani has stolen a march over his bitter rival Mukesh Ambani. There were rumours that Gautam Adani would be inviting pop singer Taylor Swift to his son’s wedding. Adani surprised everyone by holding a simple wedding ceremony and gifting Rs10,000 crore to the education and health sector. Adani has also announced his entry in healthcare.
Believe it or not. The Adani Foundation has announced the setting up of healthcare and temples in Mumbai and Ahmadabad spread over 50 lakh square feet. The Adani Group plans to set up hospitals, super-specialty and medical colleges all over the country. The facilities are to be set up in collaboration with Mayo Clinic of the United States.
GOA TOURISM AT TOKYO ROADSHOW
THE Department of Tourism, Government of Goa, is hosting an exclusive tourism road show in Tokyo, Japan, on February 17, 2025 to promote the vibrant culture, unique experiences and responsible travel opportunities in Goa. The event aims to strengthen Goa’s presence in the Japanese market and attract discerning travellers seeking authentic and enriching experiences.
The road show will bring together key stakeholders from Goa’s tourism sector, including hoteliers, travel operators, and destination management companies, to interact with the Japanese travel trade and media. It will highlight Goa’s rich cultural heritage, pristine beaches, culinary delights, eco-tourism initiatives, and its growing prominence in regenerative tourism.
The road show will focus on promoting key aspects of Goa’s tourism, including Regenerative Tourism, which emphasizes sustainable practices and community-based experiences that preserve the state’s natural and cultural heritage. It will also showcase Goa’s unique blend festivals, traditional crafts, and historical sites. The growing demand for Wellness Tourism will be highlighted through Goa’s wellness retreats, Ayurveda, yoga centres, and holistic healing experiences.
The road show will present Goa’s diverse adventure and nature offerings, inviting travellers to explore treks, waterfalls, spice plantations, bird watching and ecotourism hotspots beyond the beaches. According to Minister of Tourism Rohan A Khaunte, “Goa has always been a sought-after destination for global travellers. This road show in Tokyo is an excellent opportunity to connect with the Japanese travel trade industry and showcase Goa’s diverse offerings while highlighting our commitment to sustainability and cultural preservation.”
GOVERNOR AT “PARIKSHA PE CHARCHA”
GOVERNORPS Sreedharan Pillai watched the live telecast at Raj Bhavan of the exciting edition of “Pariksha Pe Charcha 2025” on Doordarshan, February 10, wherein Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with students across the country.
Pariksha Pe Charcha is an initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to transform exam-related stress into a festival of learning, this has witnessed unprecedented growth in its 8th edition, crossing a historic milestone with over 5.0 crore participation, including about 3.56 crore registrations with 1.55 crore engaged in nationwide “’Jan Andolan” activities.
This massive increase from students, teachers and parents clearly indicates the growing popularity of this unique initiative of the Prime Minister. The interaction session was available on several platforms including Doordarshan. Governor Pillai participated in the “utsav” of examinations — “Pariksha Pe Charcha 2025” — in order to bring joy in learning for our future nation-builders at Raj Bhavan.
The program is designed to address students’ concerns about exams, stress management and personal growth and is all set to be broadcast on multiple platforms, including the PMO’s YouTube channel, as well as social media channels of the Education & Information and Broadcasting ministries.
CM FOR CLEAN, GREEN LOCALITIES
CHIEF MINISTER Dr Pramod Sawant urged the members of Panchayat to take a more active approach in resolving Goa’s garbage crisis by leaving their offices and interacting with local communities. The CM was addressing the public at Mayem, Vaiginim Panchayat, at a foundation stone laying ceremony of five major projects in Mayem constituency. Speaking on the occasion the CM said to keep your locality green and clean the public must actively participate in efforts to maintain a healthy environment in the rural areas, by disposing garbage in planned manner.
He also stressed that on the agriculture policy and reiterated the government’s support for farmers. He appealed to farmers to revive agriculture in the state. He highlighted the government’s schemes to assist farmers in exploring new avenues and focusing on natural farming.
The five major works includes conversion of existing 11KV overhead line to underground cable in Mayem area, work of conversion of existing 11KV overhead line to underground cable in Ona-Maulinguem-Kudchirem and interlinking of 11KV Kudchirem feeder to 11KV Karapur feeder by underground cable in order to maintain reliable power supply to Kudchirem village, work of Improvement and strengthening of MI Tank at Mayem in Bicholim Taluka regarding providing RCC lining cut off and MS Railing and improvement to the Katcha Canal, work of reconstruction of sluice gate and strengthening of the bund Vainguinim Khazan’ at Vainguinim-Mayem in Bicholim Taluka and work of upgradation/ beautification of Shree Vithal Temple in Bicholim taluka.
Other speakers included Premendra Shet (MLA, chairperson of Horticulture Corporation) who said the government is making all efforts to bring smile on farmers.; Shankar Chodankar (chairperson, North Goa Zilla Parishad; Mahesh Sawant (ZP Member, sarpanch and panchayat members of various panchayats in Mayem constituency).
LEGAL AWARENESS PROGRAM
DISTRICT Legal Services Authority, North Goa in association with Legal Aid Society of V M Salgaonkar College of Law, Mala Free Legal Aid Cell under the ages of NALSA/GSLSA organized a legal awareness program in the Panjim on February 12, 2025. These awareness programs are held to people to understand how to access the legal system procedures.
The inaugural session was attended by Principal District Judge Irshad Agha. Advocate Mendes spoke on mediation & he cited out the benefits of mediation. Secretary of DLSA Shantashri Kudchadker, Aarti Kumari, President of Advocate Association-Panaji Santosh Bharne were present on the occasion. The legal awareness programs aim to educate people about their legal rights and responsibilities and these are attended by many people in and around the city.