Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — Ignorance, illiteracy and poverty are the main reasons behind the backwardness of Muslims in India, according to an educationist and a community service worker. Indian Muslims are ignorant about things around them and about their rights as well as their duties, said Dr. Mohammed Haseebullah in an interview with Saudi Gazette here recently. Ignorance can only be overcome if illiteracy is tackled, he says, adding that if ignorance and illiteracy are addressed then poverty will automatically be eradicated. Haseebullah, who was here to conduct corporate training, which includes emotional intelligence, leadership and motivation, told Saudi Gazette that educated Muslim youths lack packaging. “Muslims lack employable and communication skills, leadership quality, personality as well as positive mental attitude,” he says, blaming a lack of proper leadership for these ills. “We don't have proper Muslim leadership. I am yet to see a political or apolitical leader urging Muslim youngsters to take up education,” says Haseebullah, who runs a management and educational consultancy firm in India, which sends students for medical education to China and higher education to Western countries. One of the objectives of Haseebullah's visit to Jeddah was to promote a quality but budget Ignorance, illiteracy and poverty are the main reasons behind the backwardness of Muslims in India, according to an educationist and a community service worker. medical education in China, something which many are not aware of. Medical education in India is very expensive. There are not enough seats available and competition is tough for admission. An English medium MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) program in China has become popular since 2004. Many medical schools with English medium MBBS are recognized by the Medical Council of China, Medical Council of India and the World Health Organization (WHO) in the “Directory of World Medical Schools”. Every year, more than 10,000 overseas students come to China to study medicine, according to surveys. “The cost of education is a fraction of what it costs in India and the standard of education is on par with the best,” says Haseebullah, whose consultancy has sent more than 600 Indian students to China since 2004. According to him, an MMBS course in a private medical college in India costs anywhere between Rs5 million to Rs6 million per year which includes capitation fees, donation etc. But the same course in China costs only Rs300,000 per year. Haseebullah says that education is subsidized in China, which is a communist country, where there is no capitation fees or donation. But what about the “Made in China” tag? “Till 2009, this was a huge issue,” says Haseebullah. “But once the first batch came back, we started an awareness program among doctors and in hospitals in India. Now since 2010 hospitals like Apollo group have now started taking students with MBBS degree from China. The World Health Organization (WHO) lists China on number 4 in medicine in the world. Since 2007 the Indian Human Resources Development Ministry started a dialogue with China to start recognizing each others degrees. Since 2013, the Medical Council of India (MCI) eligibility certificate criterion has been abolished for students planning to pursue MBBS in China,” he says. Earlier, students returning with MBBS degrees earned abroad had to write Foreign Medical Graduate Examination equivalent to the United States Medical Licensing Examination (UCMLE). But now MCI has made all MMBS degree holders – whether from India or abroad – to write this qualification exam, which is now called the Medical Graduate Examination (MGE). But Haseebullah admits that opening of medical colleges India has become a big money spinning business. Such colleges, often opened in the name of minority institutions, lack basic infrastructure and facilities. “The government should do a background check before giving license to such institutes,” he says.
