The Government of Tamil Nadu removed Dr A Rathinavel, Dean of the Madurai Medical College on Sunday, May 1. This was after the Maharshi Charak Shapath (oath) was administered to first-year students, as opposed to the usual Hippocratic oath, at the induction ceremony where they received their white coats on Saturday, April 30. 

Dr A Rathinavel has been put on a waitlist declared a press note from the Tamil Nadu government. The note also called the switch from the Hippocratic oath, which has been administered in medical colleges for a very long time, condemnable. 

What happened at the induction ceremony?
On April 30 at Madurai Medical College, the first-year students were made to take the modified Maharshi Charak Shapath (oath) after receiving their white coats. 

As per a report by The Times of India, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan and Minister of Commercial Taxes and Registration P Moorthy, who were also on the dais, were left in shock. In fact, the Finance Minister said, "I always thought doctors all over the world only took the Hippocratic oath," as stated in a report by TOI. 

Ma Subramanian, Minister of Medical and Public Welfare has directed Dr Narayana, Director of Medical Education, to conduct an inquiry into this. 

Recently, the National Medical Commission (NMC) recommended that the modified Maharshi Charak Shapath should be administered to those who are being introduced to medical education. In the Parliament, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya clarified that the Maharshi Charak Shapath is optional and cannot be forced on students.