An entomological study to determine the time since death in cases of decomposed bodies.

Forensic entomology is the application of knowledge of insects during investigation of crimes or other legal matters. For investigation of crime, it is very important to determine time since death, which is easy to determine in the early post-mortem period, but poses a problem in the late stages. In this study an effort has been made to determine post-mortem interval in the late stages (decomposed bodies) by studying insect evidence. Insect evidence in the form of blow flies in their different stage of development was found on fresh and decaying corpses. Beetles were found on skeletonised bodies. Since the arthropods are poikilothermic and their development period gets influenced by ambient temperature therefore a record of prevailing temperature was maintained for the set period. Average temperature and humidity was calculated from the meteorological department at Raja Sansi Airport, Amritsar, from the day of recovery of body to rearing up of insects to adult stage. Identification of insects was carried out in collaboration with Zoology Department of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.

Operational difficulties in M.B.B.S. 2nd professional course due to MCI regulations: Is MCI listening.

Students of 1st professional if failed during final exams are not allowed to attend classes of 2nd professional according to MCI rules. These students appear in supplementary exams of 1st professional and after clearing them, join 2nd professional late by 4-6 months. Here lies the operational difficulty: conducting separate supplementary batch for them in 2nd professional is not feasible; and asking them to attend classes with regular batch is a cruelty to them as they will not gain anything when one-third syllabus and basic concepts in 2nd professional subjects have already been covered. Moreover, these supplementary students often rush to courts to have remedial measures-to allow them to appear with regular batch in 2nd professional exams. Sometimes their plea is allowed, sometimes it is dismissed. This paper discusses all these difficulties faced both by faculty and students and also suggest some remedial measures for kind consideration by MCI.