No sign of end to West Bengal doctors' strike; support pours in from states

Listing the six conditions, the agitators said Banerjee will have to visit the injured doctors at the hospital and her office should release a statement condemning the attack on them.

Published: 15th June 2019 01:46 AM

A student protests teh assault on their West Bengal counterparts. (Photo |PTI)

By PTI

KOLKATA: Agitating junior doctors in West Bengal Friday were in no mood to relent as they demanded Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's unconditional apology and set six conditions to the administration for withdrawal of their stir, which has disrupted healthcare services in the state and spiralled to other parts of the country.

Over 200 senior doctors of various state-run hospitals across the state tendering resigned from their services to show solidarity with the agitators. Late in the evening, Banerjee met the senior doctors and later invited the agitators for talks on Saturday but they declined the offer.

As the medical fraternity from across the country began to rally behind their Bengal colleagues, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan urged Banerjee not to make this sensitive matter a "prestige issue" but ensure an "amicable end" to the stir, which entered the fourth day Friday.

Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi said he called up Banerjee to discuss the issue but got no response from her. "I have tried to contact the chief minister. I have called her up. Till this moment there is no response from her. If she calls me, we will discuss the matter," he told reporters after visiting injured junior doctor Paribaha Mukhopadhyay at the hospital.


They stressed on their demand for improvement of infrastructure in all health facilities as well as posting of armed police personnel there.

A senior state health department official said over 200 doctors, including heads of departments of medical colleges and hospitals in Kolkata, Burdwan, Darjeeling and North 24 Parganas districts, sent their resignation letters to the state director of medical education.

"We express fullest solidarity to the current movement of NRS Medical College and Hospital and other government hospitals agitating to protest the brutal attack on them while on duty," Dr P Kundu, director of the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine, said in the resignation letter.

"We strongly stand by the demands of security and protection for all healthcare personnel and we have tried our best to continue life-saving services in the interest of our patients till now," Prof (Dr) Dipanjan Bandyopadhyay, Head of Medicine department at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, wrote in the resignation letter which contained the signature of 34 other senior doctors.

"Under the present circumstances, it is not possible for us to continue our services indefinitely without minimum manpower resources. In the absence of any constructive development to end this crisis, we are pained to offer our resignation and request you to relieve us of our responsibilities," the resignation letter read.

The principal and the medical superintendent of the NRS Medical College and Hospital submitted their resignations on Thursday night.

Two junior doctors of the NRS Medical College and Hospital were seriously injured in an attack by family members of a patient who died on Monday night, triggering the stir.

Earlier in the day, several prominent personalities like filmmaker Aparna Sen, rights activist Binayak Sen, actor and theatre personality Kaushik Sen, film director Kamaleshwar Mukherjee and musician Debojyoti Mishra along with senior doctors, visited the agitators at NRS Medical College and Hospital showing solidarity towards the junior doctors.

They later participated in a rally holding placards with a message "No more violence, enough is enough."

While visiting the SSKM Hospital on Thursday, Banerjee had contended that "outsiders" had entered medical colleges to create disturbances and the agitation was a conspiracy by the CPI(M) and the BJP.

Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court refused to pass any interim order on the strike. Many kin of TMC leaders also backed the doctors stir.

Among them were Banerjee's nephew Abesh Banerjee, state Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim's daughter Shabba and son of TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.

In Delhi, scores of doctors at some government and private hospitals held demonstrations by marching and raising slogans to express solidarity with their Kolkata colleagues.

Junior doctors in Odisha staged dharna with bandages on their foreheads, besides staying away from duty. Around 4,500 resident doctors in Maharashtra, including some 2,800 in Mumbai, went on a one-day strike.

Railways withdraws circular

JUNE 15, 2019 00:00 IST

UPDATED: JUNE 15, 2019 06:18 IST

Chennai Central constituency MP Dayanidhi Maran submitting a petition to Southern Railway GM Rahul Jain.

Dr. Ramadoss said the number of Hindi-speaking employees was steadily on the rise in Southern Railway. It had become a routine for officials at the booking counters, most of whom were North Indian staff, to issue tickets to wrong destinations due to the communication gap. Mr. Vaiko condemned the circular saying that the move was nothing but an attempt to impose Hindi on the people of Tamil Nadu.

Maran meets GM

Chennai Central DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran met the Southern Railway General Manager (in-charge) Rahul Jain and expressed concern over the developments.

“The GM told me that the circular was wrongly issued and agreed to withdraw it immediately. The issue relates to overcrowding of a Station Master’s room in the Madurai division that led to a communication gap resulting in two trains coming on a collision course on the same track. Instead of rectifying the issue of overcrowding, this circular on the language of communication was issued...it has now been withdrawn and status quo prevails,” Mr. Maran told The Hindu .

In his memorandum, Mr. Maran urged the General Manager to take steps to use Tamil as well for official communication in the State, as it would in no way hamper communication or affect clarity of instructions.

AIRF working president N. Kanniah wrote to the Principal Chief Operations Manager stating that the circular had caused widespread resentment among employees who felt that it was a backdoor attempt to impose Hindi on them.

When All India Service officers posted to a State cadre had to learn the local language to communicate with the people, it was strange that the railways was trying to force the employees in Tamil Nadu to communicate in English or Hindi.

SASTRA gets more applications

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

THANJAVUR, JUNE 15, 2019 00:00 IST

SASTRA has received 30% more applications this year for its engineering courses.

Over 22,000 students from various States have registered their names for admission to 1800 seats in various engineering courses, a press release said. While students from Jammu and Kashmir, north-eastern and Himalayan State and Andaman will be admitted under Special Category, 10 % of seats are allotted to students from Thanjavur and Tiruchi districts.

The rank list for admission released on Friday can be accessed atwww.sastra.edu. Counselling for admission will be held from June 20-23. The counselling letters could be downloaded from the website.

University suspends Assistant Professor

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

THANJAVUR, JUNE 15, 2019 00:00 IST

The Tamil University has suspended an Assistant Professor for alleged misbehaviour with girl students during an examination at an extension centre and prompting students to bribe him for indulging in malpractices.

Based on a complaint received from the Distant Education Extension Centre, Ramanathapuram, that the Assistant Professor, Muthaiyan, who was deputed by the university as invigilator for the B.Ed. Examination held from May 15 to 26 at a private college at Ramanathapuram, had encouraged the students and officials at the Extension Centre to indulge in malpractices during the examination by bribing him, Vice-Chancellor G. Balasubramanian had constituted a committee to hold an inquiry.

The committee’s report had reportedly determined genuineness in the complaint. Mr. Muthaiyan had demanded Rs. 5,000 each from 200 students at the centre. When his demand was ignored, he allegedly misbehaved with girl students and distracted the concentration of other students while supervising. A detailed inquiry will follow, sources said.

Doctors call for better protection

STAFF REPORTER

MADURAI, JUNE 15, 2019 00:00 IST

Doctors protesting in Madurai on Friday.G. MoorthyG_Moorthy

Protest against the recent incident of violence against a doctor in Kolkata

Doctors and students representing the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Tamil Nadu Government Doctors’ Association (TNGDA) protested against the recent incident of violence against a doctor in Kolkata, here on Friday.

Paribaha Mukherjee was brutally attacked by a violent mob at NRS Medical College. President-elect of IMA (Madurai chapter) V. N. Alagarvenkatesan said that doctors should feel secure in order to properly execute their duty. “The police outpost here functions effectively. If there is better security or police force to weed delinquents out in hospitals, we will feel secure,” he said. R. Rajendran and R. Balaji Nathan of TNGDA said, “Protect Doctors” was key theme of the protest.

Dr. Nathan said, “If a death occurs within the first 30 minutes, it cannot be because of the doctor because they give their heart and soul to ensure that the patient is alive. Doctors should have the confidence to ensure that they can attempt resuscitation. If they fear attack from attenders, it is possible that doctors may retract in fear,” he said.

Doctors stage protest at CMCH

STAFF REPORTER

COIMBATORE, JUNE 15, 2019 00:00 IST

Members of the Coimbatore Branch of Indian Medical Association and Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association staging a protest at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital in the city on Friday.S. Siva Saravanan

Call for a tough law to protect medical professionals

As many as 100 doctors and 50 medicos staged a protest at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) on Friday to condemn the violence against doctors.

The protest, jointly organised by the Coimbatore Branch of Indian Medical Association (IMA), and Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association (TNGDA), was in response to the call for a nationwide protest by IMA to express solidarity with the doctors protesting in West Bengal following the assault on junior doctors at the NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on Monday.

The protest began around 9 a.m. with doctors and medicos sporting black badges and raising slogans demanding a “uniform nationwide law” to protect medical professionals across the country. Speaking to the media after the protests, N. Ravishankar, District President, TNGDA, said laws must be made strict against those indulging in violence against doctors.

M. Mariappan, President of IMA’s Coimbatore Branch, told The Hindu that the medical services at the hospital would not be affected due to the protest. Calling for a tough law to protect doctors, Dr. Mariappan said that students pursuing medicine may look for alternative professions if violence against doctors continues abated. In a press release, IMA's Coimbatore Branch said that the “2,500 local branches” of IMA will send an appeal for a “central law against hospital violence” to the Prime Minister and the Home Minister. “The organisation is ready for an agitation to press for strong legislation and strict action against hospital violence,” the release said.

‘Employees have no right to stage sit-in on employer’s premises’

Mohamed Imranullah S.

CHENNAI, JUNE 15, 2019 00:00 IST

HC says those who stay beyond working hours can be prosecuted for criminal trespass

Disapproving the practice of employees holding sit-in protests, the Madras High Court has held that no employee has a right to occupy the property of an employer beyond the working hours and that they could be prosecuted under Section 441 (criminal trespass) of Indian Penal Code if they indulge in any such activity.

Allowing a case filed by Hindustan Motor Finance Corporation, Justice N. Anand Venkatesh said: “The act of the employees remaining after the working hours inside the factory premises will amount to seizure and holding of the building, preventing the use of the premises by the employer and practically depriving the employer of his property.”

The judge stated that though the entry by an employee into a factory premises during working hours would be perfectly lawful, their stay on the premises after the working hours would certainly be unlawful and amount to trespass. Whatever be the object of a protest, the means adopted to achieve it must necessarily be lawful, he pointed out.

‘Intimidating act’

Recording the submission of the petitioner firm that a section of its employees were residing on its premises since May 2 and refusing to move out, the judge said, such act was clearly intended at annoying, insulting and intimidating the employer and therefore attract the offence under Section 441 of Indian Penal Code.

Explaining the petitioner’s case, senior counsel A.L. Somayaji told the court that the firm had been manufacturing Mitsubishi vehicles, under licence from the Japanese company, at its plant situated in Adhigathur village in Tiruvallur district. It stopped manufacturing the motor vehicles since November 17 due to dip in sales.

From January this year, the petitioner was not even in a position to pay full wages to its employees and hence terminated the services of some staff members. The managerial staff filed a writ petition in the High Court and obtained an interim order restraining the firm from disengaging their services.

Parallelly conciliation proceedings were also taking place before a Joint Commission of Labour. Meanwhile about 20 managerial staff entered into the plant forcibly on May 2 and continued to stay over there. The petitioner sought police protection for the plant. Accepting the request, the judge granted time till Monday for the protesting staff to leave the petitioner’s premises. Else, the Kadampathur police was directed to evict them forcibly besides providing protection to the plant.

Accused can’t recall witnesses as they wish, says HC

Legal Correspondent

CHENNAI, JUNE 15, 2019 00:00 IST

‘Such appeals will only delay the disposal of long-pending cases’

Unless courts are going to get strict while dealing with petitions filed by the accused to recall witnesses for cross examination, no solution can be found for the disposal of the long-pending cases and the docket explosion is going to continue to haunt the courts forever, the Madras High Court warned on Friday.

Justice N. Anand Venkatesh said, “On one hand, this court is insisting upon trial courts to dispose of long-pending cases and therefore the trial courts are getting strict while dealing with recall petitions. If such orders are interfered with in a casual manner by this court, in a way this court will also be responsible for delay in disposal.”

The observations were made while dismissing a petition filed by two accused in a cheating case booked by Central Crime Branch police in Chennai in 2007. After lying dormant for about five years, the trial in the case had begun only in 2012 and it took six years thereafter to examine just three prosecution witnesses.

While the first witness was examined in 2012, the second adduced evidence in 2013 and the third in 2018. Though the counsel for the accused, M. Vellaisay and K. R. Mayalagu, was present in the trial court during the examination of all three witnesses, he did not choose to cross examine any of them immediately after their examination in chief.

However, on October 3, 2018 the accused filed a petition before the trial court for recalling all three witnesses so that they could be cross examined but the trial judge rejected the plea after dubbing the entire exercise to be an attempt to drag the case for years together.

Transgenders entitled to reservations under MBC quota, govt. tells HC

Legal Correspondent

CHENNAI, JUNE 15, 2019 00:00 IST

Activist seeks horizontal reservation for third gender in education, jobs

The Commissioner of Social Welfare on Friday told the Madras High Court that transgenders were entitled to reservations in jobs and education as per the community to which they belong and that those who did not possess community certificates could be considered as Most Backward Class (MBC) candidates as per a Government Order issued in 2015.

The submission was made in a status report filed before a Division Bench of Justices S. Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad who were seized of a public interest litigation petition filed by transgender rights activist Grace Banu Ganesan, 29, of Chennai seeking horizontal reservations in education and employment for transgender and intersex persons.

After taking the commissioner’s status report on file, the judges adjourned the PIL petition to July 17 for further hearing. The report stated that the transgenders who preferred to identify themselves as females were eligible to compete under the 30% special quota for women candidates and also under the rest of the 70% meant for both men and women.

It, however, did not elaborate as to whether it would be possible to provide horizontal reservation for the transgenders as sought by the petitioner.

Welfare board

Listing out various measures taken by the State for the welfare of the transgenders, it said a welfare board for third gender had been constituted with 12 transgenders as its non official members. The government had constituted district level screening committees to identify the transgenders and a survey estimated the population of the transgender in the State to be 6,962 though so far identity cards had been issued only to 5,073 of them. Over 2,000 transgenders had been provided with ration cards and 1,303 with house site patta (ownership documents).

All 260 transgenders who reside in Chennai city and had registered themselves with the welfare board had been provided accommodation at Tamil Nadu Housing Board tenements and the financial grant given to the transngenders for pursuing self employment opportunities had been increased from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 50,000 in September last, the commissioner said.

It was also brought to the notice of the court that every year, the government allocated Rs. 1.2 crore for disbursing a monthly pension of Rs. 1,000 each to the transgenders who had crossed the age of 40 and that more than 1,000 people benefitted from the scheme.

HC takes serious note of ‘discrepancies’ in exam

Legal Correspondent

CHENNAI, JUNE 15, 2019 00:00 IST

‘Key answers to 24 questions in Group I exam not correct’

The Madras High Court on Thursday decided to examine in detail a case filed by a Group I service aspirant, alleging arbitrariness and a lack of transparency in the three-stage selection process being conducted by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC), involving a preliminary examination followed by a main examination and a viva voce.

Justice V. Parthiban told counsel for TNPSC that he had decided to deal with the matter seriously since the petitioner, S. Vignesh, of Chennai, appeared to be a meritorious candidate and had made out a prima facie case of discrepancies in the questions asked in the preliminary examination held on March 3 and the answer key released on March 4.

Stating that he had gone through the question paper, the judge noted that there were some questions, which would not have a definitive answer. “One question is ‘what is judicial activism?’ How do you expect the candidates to answer this,” the judge asked the counsel and granted him time till Monday to file a detailed counter-affidavit on behalf of TNPSC.

When it was brought to the notice of the judge that the key answers with respect to as many as 24 questions were not correct, he said awarding marks to all the candidates who attempted those questions would make a sea of a difference in the selection process. “It will completely unsettle your provisional selection list,” he told TNPSC.

In his affidavit, the petitioner stated that he was a B.Tech graduate from Sastra University and a master’s degree-holder in Human Resource Management from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. He was now drawing a salary of Rs. 38 lakh per annum at a multinational company, but had decided to take the Group I exam to render public service.

The preliminary exam contained 200 multiple-choice questions carrying 1.5 marks each. He had scored 175.5 out of 300. However, on going through the answer key, he found that it contained incorrect answers for at least 10 questions. Similarly, other candidates had pointed to wrong answers for seven more questions.

If marks were awarded to him for those 17 questions, his total score will increase to 195, the petitioner said, and claimed that the TNPSC had refused to respond to requests made by candidates who had challenged the contents of the answer key along with supporting materials to prove that they contained incorrect answers.

“Hence, non-publication of the revised key answers and consequent publication of the marks of the candidates and the cut-off marks for the selection is arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable, violating Article 14 (right to equality before the law and equal protection of the laws) of the Constitution,” he contended.

Medical services hit as doctors’ stir spreads

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

NEW DELHI, JUNE 15, 2019 00:00 IST

Up in arms:A protest at Nair Hospital in Mumbai against the attack on doctors at a hospital in West Bengal.Emmanual YoginiThe Hindu

IMA calls nationwide strike for June 17 against assault in Kolkata hospital

Hospital services were affected in different parts of the country on Friday as a doctors’ agitation that began in West Bengal following an assault on medical professionals spread to the national capital, Kerala, Telangana, Chandigarh and even Jammu and Kashmir.

While 300 doctors in West Bengal quit on Friday evening, demanding additional security and assurance of a safe work environment, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) sought to intensify a nationwide protest over the next two days and called for the withdrawal of all non-essential health services on June 17. “The gruesome incident in NRS Medical College, Kolkata, is of barbaric nature,” the IMA said in a statement on Friday.

“The IMA condemns the violence perpetrated on a young doctor,” it added.

White meat or red, both equally bad for you

New Study Contradicts Earlier Wisdom That Eating Poultry Helps In Cutting Cholesterol

Washington:15.06.2019

A recent study debunked all previous theories that red meat is the only food which has a great impact on cholesterol. The researchers found out that even white meat has an identical effect on cholesterol levels in the body.

The study was published in ‘American Journal of Clinical Nutrition’. According to the researchers from the University of California, the study breaks the prolonged mentality of people that eating white meat will be less harmful to the heart as compared to red meat. Though there may be other effects of eating red meat which can trigger cardiovascular diseases.

Several non-meat protein products such as vegetables, dairy, and legumes, including beans, are the ones which show the best cholesterol benefit.

It is known that saturated fats which are obtained from animal sources like butter, beef fat, poultry skin increases the concentration of Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL) in blood or “bad” cholesterol which is usually a waxy substance that can block up your arteries. This could result in a cardiac arrest or a heart attack.

For the test, over 100 healthy men and women of the age bracket 21 and 65 were asked to either consume food with highsaturated fat, provided primarily butter and full-fat foods, or low saturated fat groups.

All the participants cycled through three test diets: red meat diet, white meat diet and then a no meat diet.

Each diet lasted for about four weeks and was later halted by a “washout period” where the participants were asked to eat their usual food. The main source of red meat listed by the researchers was beef, while chicken served as the main white meat protein. Blood samples of all the participants were collected before and after the start of each diest test.

The results revealed that plant proteins had a healthier impact on blood cholesterol. Participants who consumed a diet rich in saturated fats had higher total LDL cholesterol than those who consumed a diet low in saturated fats.

The study also divulged the size of cholesterol particles where small particles contribute more to artery hardening risk than the large ones. ANI

MEATY AFFAIR: White meat has an identical effect on cholesterol levels

Govt relied on HC ire to ‘retire’ I-T officer

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:15.06.2019

The government relied on seven charges dealing with court displeasure regarding cases filed by income tax commissioner S K Srivastava before deciding to compulsorily retire him from service.

In a memorandum on him on May 23, the revenue department relied on the multiple cases which were dismissed by the courts and tribunals, in which Srivastava was pulled up. The department held him to have not acted in a manner befitting an officer and having repeatedly run afoul of rules.

In at least one case, the Delhi high court ordered his imprisonment for 15 days for “wilfully and consciously” violating the court’s orders. There were at least two cases, where a court and tribunal have imposed monetary penalty with the Central Administrative Tribunal observing that Srivastava was in the habit of filing “fanciful and celebrated litigation, levelling unsubstantiated allegations against the minister concerned and other higher officials in order to settle his personal scores”.

Srivastava did not respond to a text message from TOI seeking his email ID to send a questionnaire.

The documents also cited a February 2010 order by the Delhi high court where the court had pulled him up for making reckless and scandalous allegations against various income tax department officers and held that it was “an abuse of the process of” the court and intended to embarrass his colleagues.

SC students of Madurai school allege discrimination

Balajee.CR@timesgroup.com

Madurai:15.06.2019

Alleging discriminatory practices against students belonging to scheduled caste (SC) community at the panchayat union middle school in S Valayapatti village – about 40 kms from Madurai city – activists have called for an inquiry by the district school education department into the issue. Some members of the community claimed that their children have not been attending school for about a week due to the caste tension in the village.

Tension prevailed in the village on June 8 after a caste clash with members of a dominant backward class community attacking those from the SC community causing injuries to some people. Subsequently, two women, M Annalakshmi and M Jyothilakshmi from the SC community who were appointed as helper and organizer respectively at the anganwadi centre at S Valayapatti, were transferred allegedly following the protest by the backward class members. With the state human rights commission intervening, the district administration clarified that it was not a transfer but they were given additional charge.

Activists of Social Awareness Society for Youths (SASY) stated that they came to know about the discrimination in the school from a fact finding mission on the caste violence which has been simmering there for some time. R Lalithaa from SASY claimed that discriminatory practices were being carried out against the students of SC community at the school. She told TOI that the students of the community were “being made to go to school early in the morning to clean and sweep the school. They are even made to sit only in the back rows in the class”. She added that such incidents increased especially after the recent violence. About 40 students from the SC community were studying in the school, she said.

Ramesh, a villager from the SC community whose younger brother studies in the school, claimed that students from the community avoided going to the school due to caste tensions. “Our people are not allowed to walk in the same pathway as the other caste,” he alleged.

Interfering too much in trial court orders won’t help, says HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:15.06.2019

The Madras high court has observed that unreasonable interference by it in the orders passed by the trial courts would only result in piling up of pending cases in the subordinate courts. Though accused have the right to a fair trial, it cannot be conducted as per their whims and fancies, Justice N Anand Venkatesh has said.

He made the observation while hearing a plea moved by M Vellaisamy and Justice K R Mayalagu, seeking to set aside an order passed by metropolitan magistrate for CB-CID cases in Egmore dated November 29, 2018, denying them permission to cross-examine certain witnesses. On earlier occasions, the petitioners had chosen not to cross examine the same witnesses.

Both the petitioners are facing trial for offences under sections 420 (cheating), and 384 (extortion) read with 34 of IPC.

After waiting for almost five years, the petitioner moved an application to crossexamine the witnesses, which was rejected by the magistrate. Aggrieved, the petitioners have approached the high court.

“On one hand, this court is insisting that trial courts dispose of long-pending criminal cases and therefore, the trial courts are getting strict while dealing with recall petitions. If such orders are interfered in a casual manner by this court (HC), in a way, this court will also be responsible for the pendency of cases before the subordinate courts,” the judge said.

Therefore, this practice of treating petitions filed under Section 311 of CrPC in a casual manner and calling witnesses to the court for cross-examination repeatedly should be stopped, he said. As witnesses are generally hesitant, if they are repeatedly called before the court, at one stage, no one will be ready to appear as witnesses, Justice Venkatesh said.

Unless the courts are going to get strict while dealing with such applications for recalling witnesses, no solution can be found for the disposal of long pending cases and the docket explosion is going to continue to haunt the courts, the judge added.

Staff can’t stay in factory after working hours or protest: HC
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:15.06.2019

The Madras high court has made it clear that employees do not have the right to remain in a factory premises after working hours and doing so will amount to trespassing.

The judge made the observations on the plea moved by Hindustan Motor Finance Corporation Limited located in Tiruvallur, seeking direction to the district superintendent of police to provide adequate police protection to prevent a group of protesting employees from illegally trespassing into the factory premises.

“An employee does not have the right to occupy the property of the employer. The act of employees remaining inside the factory premises after working hours will amount to seizure and holding of the building, preventing the use of the premises by the employer and depriving the employer of his property,” Justice N Anand Venkatesh said.

“The conduct of the protesting employees is unjustified. Even if they are trying to impress upon the petitioner to continue their employment and yield to their request, the method adopted by them is unlawful,” the court said. It directed the employees to leave the premises of the petitioner on their own on or before June 17.

‘A family spends ₹4k a month on average to look after elderly’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:15.06.2019

A family in the country spends, on an average, ₹4,125 a month to look after its elderly members, says a report released by HelpAge India. Volunteers interviewed 2,090 people in the 30-50 age group for the survey. Half of them seemed to express their anger and frustration by writing down their feelings.

The report on the ‘role of family in caregiving’ was released on Friday, the eve of UN-recognized ‘World Elder Abuse Awareness Day’. The 20-city report focuses on the sandwich generation which had been shown to be the primary abuser in past surveys by HelpAge, an organization working with and for the elderly for the past 38 years.

An encouraging sign though is that grandchildren are increasingly sharing the burden of taking care of the elderly – 41% in various day-today activities of the elderly. Around 80% of caregivers felt that no policy or measures were adopted by their employers to help ease the burden of caregiving, regarding elderly at home. While 35% of caregivers ‘never’ felt happy looking after the elderly, around 50% of the elderly had no monthly income and were therefore dependent on their carers.

“It is imperative to understand the challenges of elder care. We believe ‘My Parent is My Responsibility’, and that the best care for elders should be at home,” says Mathew Cherian, CEO, HelpAge India.

The percentage of women (primarily daughters-in-law and daughters) looking after the daily activities of elders at home is far more than that of their male counterparts — around 70% of daughters-inlaw provided help to elders with shopping, preparing meals, housekeeping, washing clothes, transport, reminding them to take their medication against 51% for sons.

The elders though looked towards their sons more for monetary help (57%). The report was released at the India International Centre. Help-Age also launched its nationwide Emergency Elder Helpline App ‘HelpAge SOS’ with the aim to provide help at a click of a button. The ‘Save Our Seniors’ app seeks to provide emergency services and information critical for the Indian elders. The app serves as a one-stop security measure for elders nationally, connecting them to the HelpAge Local Helplines across India. The SOS call made through the App will be directly answered by the HelpAge helpline staff/ counsellor. In case of emergencies, it connects them with the local police, hospital or old age homes.

The 20-city report focuses on the sandwich generation which had been shown to be the primary abuser in past surveys by HelpAge

Life convicts now fill fuel for you

22 Inmates Roped In To Run 24 X 7 Petrol Pump

Shanmughasundaram.J@timesgroup.com

Chennai:15.06.2019

Clad in a poly cotton Indian Oil uniform, Ramesh (name changed) welcomes motorists with a smile to the newly-opened fuel outlet next to Puzhal Central Prison I. Working there is more than a job for the 33-year-old.

He was among the 22 inmates, all life convicts, of the central prison roped in by the prisons department to run the 24 x7 outlet as part of the prison industry.

After spending six years of his life behind the walls of the prison in connection with a murder case over a land dispute, the father of a girl was longing to be part of the “Freedom Fuel Filling Station” to vent his emotion and overcome the ill effects of imprisonment.

“My mind is free and I love to meet new people (customers) coming on their motorbikes or cars. It gives a new experience,” said Ramesh, a native of Chennai, amid attending to customers on the second day of his new job.

The prisons department along with the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd has established the outlet as part of the rehabilitation and reformation programme. Already, four such outlets were established outside the central prisons in Palayamkottai, Coimbatore, Vellore and Pudukottai on February 22 this year.

The IOC has also created facilities for an ATM kiosk, Aavin parlour, and a stall to sell freedom bazaar products in each of the petrol bunk, besides creating a lush green cover, chief general manager (retail sales) of TN and Puducherry V Gopalakrishnan told TOI. “Six more such facilities will soon come up in other prisons,” he said.

“We have selected 18 to 22 prisoners, all life convicts who completed a minimum six years of imprisonment, from each prison based on their conduct during the imprisonment period. They have been trained in every aspect to run the outlet on their own,” said a senior prison officer, who preferred anonymity. The authorities have also deputed personnel in the rank of assistant jailor or chief head warden to supervise the inmates in the out gang duty, besides installing CCTVs to keep a look on the inmates. “If anyone tries to escape, it would be the end of their freedom. But it will not happen as each one of them know what this work means to them,” said another officer.

The prisoners, who try to escape, would jeopardize their chance for premature release and also denied other benefits such as interviews (meeting with family members), ordinary and emergency leaves that they are entitled for under the Prisons Rules.

The outlets have received an overwhelming response from the public for the initiative of the prison department. “Within a few months, the outlet earned 4,000 regular customers, who are pleased with the service,” Superintendent of Palayankottai prison C Krishna kumar.


WELCOME INITIATIVE: Puzhal prison inmate works at a fuel station in Chennai as part of an initiative by the prison department and IOC

Petition seeks to quash Group-IV job notification

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:15.06.2019

The Madras high court on Friday ordered notice to the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) on a plea seeking to quash notification issued by the commission for recruitment for 6,491 posts in Group-IV services.

Admitting the plea moved by R Balamurugan, of Madurai, Justice V Parthiban directed the commission to respond to the plea by June 26. According to the petitioner, the TNPSC conducted recruitment for vacancies in Group-IV in June 2013 in which he participated. Though he was not a successful candidate, he was kept in the waiting list.

Though candidates were selected to fill all the existing vacancies through the 2013 recruitment, about 800 could not be filled due to non-joining of duty or leaving shortly after joining the posts by the selected candidates.

Instead of filling the vacancies with candidates from the waitlist, the commission issued another notification on April 14, 2014 for filling up 5,566 posts in Group-IV services. The petitioner challenged the notification and the high court on April 30, 2015 passed an order directing TNPSC fill up the backlog vacancies before publishing the selection list of 2014 recruitment.

Since the TNPSC filled only 107 backlog vacancies from the waitlist even after the court’s direction and proceeded to issue notification for fresh recruitment on June 7 clubbing the old vacancies with new, the petitioner has once again moved the court challenging the commission’s actions. As an interim relief, the petitioner wanted the court to stay the operation of the notification pending disposal of the plea.

#PLASTIC GOTTA GO

Violators of plastic ban will be penalised from Monday

Komal.Gautham@timesgroup.com

Chennai:15.06.2019

After the Market Management Committee (MMC) seized 1.5 tonnes of banned plastic material from the Koyambedu wholesale market complex on Thursday, Greater Chennai Corporation has decided to levy a penalty on the violator.

Corporation officials said the shop will be locked until evaluation of the seized material.

“We will impose a fine of ₹25,000 on him for storing and supplying banned material. From Monday, we will levy fines on everyone including users,” said a corporation official adding that the fines have been drafted as per a government order.

The chief administrative officer of MMC, S Govindarajan, told TOI that a special team has been seizing plastic bags and other items from the Koyambedu market complex. However, since the supply of plastic carry bags was regular, they wanted to find the source.

“We got information that shop number GA 31 was supplying these bags to the vendors. So we searched the shop on Thursday and have locked it. We have informed corporation officials who will inspect the seized material and take action,” said Govindarajan.

“We have been creating awareness among shop owners and have taken measures to implement the ban,” said an official.

Since January 1, the corporation has seized about 250 tonnes of banned plastic items. The highest seizure was from Kodambakkam zone where about 55.5 tonnes of banned material was confiscated followed by Royapuram where 25.7 tonnes were seized. About four tonnes were seized in the past fortnight.

Corporation commissioner G Prakash told TOI that the civic body has been regularly holding awareness campaigns at corporation schools and holding meetings with residential welfare associations. “We will host a workshop on alternate products available in the market for the banned plastic items in July,” he said.

TN plans to cut Class XII subjects from six to five

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:15.06.2019

Tamil Nadu is planning to reduce the number of subjects for Class XII state board students from six to five.

While those aspiring to pursue engineering may not have to study biology, MBBS aspirants may skip mathematics at the higher secondary level, said Tamil Nadu Directorate of Government Examinations (TNDGE) sources.

The government is also planning to merge language papers for Class X, said the sources, adding that the proposals were still in a discussion stage and the cabinet would take a final call. The state board syllabus was revised last year after nearly a gap of 10 years, and the total marks for Class 12 was reduced from 1,200 to 600.

Though the updated content and exam pattern received overall appreciation, questions were also raised over the quantity of syllabus.

Against this backdrop, the state school education department and TNDGE officials had recently held discussions to reduce the burden on children by making some changes in the exam pattern.

Accordingly, separate streams will be created for science students willing to pursue medicine and engineering.

Move may address vacant seat issue

“In addition to language and English, medical aspirants can study physics, chemistry and biology, while biology could be replaced with mathematics for engineering aspirants,” said a TNDGE official, requesting anonymity.

Once the new system comes into place, the total marks will be reduced further from 600 to 500 on the lines of Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE). Besides reducing the stress on students, the move might address the issue of vacant seats in top technical institutions, the official added.

In Tamil Nadu, science toppers apply for both engineering and medicine, and mostly skip their engineering seats once they get seats for MBBS. Despite the efforts of the government to streamline admission, the problem still persists.

As far as Class 10 is concerned, discussions were held to merge both language papers, make changes in question pattern and allow open-book exam at school-level tests, said TNDGE sources.

மாவட்ட செய்திகள்

வெப்பச்சலனம் காரணமாகசென்னையில் 2 நாட்கள் மழைக்கு வாய்ப்புவானிலை ஆய்வு மையம் அறிவிப்பு
வெப்பச்சலனம் காரணமாக சென்னையில் 2 நாட்கள் மழைக்கு வாய்ப்பு இருப்பதாக வானிலை ஆய்வு மையம் தெரிவித்து இருக்கிறது.

பதிவு: ஜூன் 14, 2019 04:00 AM

சென்னை,

தென்மேற்கு பருவமழை கேரளாவில் தொடங்கி உள்ளது. இதையொட்டி தமிழகத்தின் மேற்கு தொடர்ச்சி மலையை ஒட்டியுள்ள மாவட்டங்களிலும் ஆங்காங்கே சில இடங்களில் மழை பெய்து வருகிறது. ஆனால் இதர மாவட்டங்களில் வறட்சியே நீடிக்கிறது.

இந்த பகுதிகளை சேர்ந்த மக்கள், மழையை எதிர்பார்த்து காத்து இருக்கின்றனர். அதிலும் தலைநகர் சென்னை, தண்ணீர் தட்டுப்பாட்டால் தவிக்கிறது. நிலத்தடி நீர் மட்டமும் குறைந்துவிட்டதால், மழையை நம்பியே சென்னைவாசிகள் இருக்கின்றனர்.

இந்த நிலையில் சென்னையில் 2 நாட்கள் மழைக்கு வாய்ப்பு இருப்பதாக, வானிலை ஆய்வு மையம் ஆறுதலான வார்த்தையை வெகுநாட்களுக்கு பிறகு கூறி இருக்கிறது.

இதுகுறித்து சென்னை வானிலை ஆய்வு மைய இயக்குனர் புவியரசன் கூறியதாவது:-

தமிழகத்தில் 15-ந்தேதிக்கு (நாளை) பிறகு வெயிலின் தாக்கம் குறையும். தமிழ்நாட்டை பொறுத்தவரையில் தென்மேற்கு பருவமழை காரணமாக மேற்கு தொடர்ச்சி மலையை ஒட்டியுள்ள கன்னியாகுமரி, நெல்லை, தேனி, கோவை, நீலகிரி ஆகிய மாவட்டங்களில் ஒரு சில இடங்களில் லேசான முதல் மிதமான மழை பெய்யக்கூடும். உள்மாவட்டங்களில் வறண்ட வானிலை தான் நிலவும்.

திருவள்ளூர், காஞ்சீபுரம், சென்னை, வேலூர், திருவண்ணாமலை, விழுப்புரம், கடலூர், பெரம்பலூர் மற்றும் அரியலூரில் நாளை (இன்று) அனல் காற்று வீசும். சென்னையை பொறுத்தவரை, வெப்பச்சலனம் காரணமாக 15-ந்தேதி (நாளை) மற்றும் 16-ந்தேதி (நாளை மறுதினம்) ஆகிய 2 நாட்கள் மழைக்கு வாய்ப்பு இருக்கிறது.

இவ்வாறு அவர் கூறினார்.

நேற்று காலை 8.30 மணியுடன் முடிவடைந்த 24 மணி நேரத்தில் தமிழகத்தில், வால்பாறை, குளச்சலில் தலா 2 செ.மீ., பேச்சிப்பாறை, குழித்துறை, பெரியாறு, செங்கோட்டையில் தலா 1 செ.மீ மழை பெய்துள்ளது.

நீட் தேர்வு தொடர்பாக சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டில் வழக்கு: இன்று விசாரணை

பாடத்திட்டத்துக்கு வெளியில் இருந்து வினாக்கள் கேட்கப்பட்டதாக கூறி மாணவர்கள் தொடர்ந்த வழக்கை இன்று சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட் விசாரிக்கிறது.

பதிவு: ஜூன் 14, 2019 06:44 AM

புதுடெல்லி,

இந்த ஆண்டு மருத்துவ படிப்புக்கான நீட் தேர்வு முடிவுகள் வெளியாகி, மாணவர்கள் சேர்க்கைக்கான நடவடிக்கைகள் தொடங்கி உள்ளன. இதற்கிடையே நீட் தேர்வில் பங்கேற்ற சில மாணவர்கள் தரப்பில் சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டில் மனு ஒன்று தாக்கல் செய்யப்பட்டு உள்ளது.

அந்த மனுவில், நீட் தேர்வுக்கான வினாத்தாளில் 4 கேள்விகள் தேசிய கல்வி ஆய்வு மற்றும் பயிற்சி கவுன்சில் பாடத்திட்டத்தின் அடிப்படையில் அமையாமல், பாடத்திட்டத்துக்கு வெளியில் இருந்து கேட்கப்பட்டு இருந்ததாகவும், இதனால் பல மாணவர்கள் கடுமையாக பாதிக்கப்பட்டதாகவும், எனவே மறுமதிப்பீடு செய்து கூடுதல் மதிப்பெண்கள் வழங்க உத்தரவிட வேண்டும் என்றும் கூறப்பட்டு உள்ளது.

மாணவர்கள் தரப்பில், நேற்று சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டில் நீதிபதிகள் இந்திரா பானர்ஜி, அஜய் ரஸ்தோகி ஆகியோர் அடங்கிய விடுமுறை அமர்வில், இந்த மனுவை அவசர வழக்காக கருதி விசாரிக்குமாறு முறையீடு செய்யப்பட்டது. அதை ஏற்றுக்கொண்ட நீதிபதிகள், மனுவை இன்று (வெள்ளிக்கிழமை) விசாரணைக்கு எடுத்துக்கொள்வதாக தெரிவித்தனர்.

12 ஆயிரம் லிட்டர் லோடுக்கு ரூ.3,000

Added : ஜூன் 14, 2019 03:59 |

சென்னை:நீர்நிலைகள் அழிப்பு, பருவமழை பொய்த்தது போன்ற காரணங்களால், சென்னை மற்றும் புறநகர் பகுதிகளில், கடுமையான தண்ணீர் பஞ்சம் ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது. அதை சமாளிக்க, அதிகபட்ச ஆழத்துக்கு, பல இடங்களில், ஆழ்துளை கிணறுகள் அமைக்கப்பட்டன.அதிலிருந்தும் போதிய தண்ணீர் கிடைக்காததால், தனியார் லாரிகள் வாயிலாக, தண்ணீர் வாங்கும் நிலை ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது. 

சென்னையில், தனி வீடுகளில் இருப்பவர்களை காட்டிலும், அடுக்குமாடி குடியிருப்பு களில் அதிகம் பேர் வசிக்கின்றனர். அவர்களின் நிலைமை பரிதாபமாகி உள்ளது.பெரும்பாலான அடுக்குமாடி குடியிருப்புகளில், லாரி தண்ணீர் வாங்க ஏற்படும் கூடுதல் செலவை, பலரால் சமாளிக்க முடிவதில்லை. மூன்று மாதத்திற்கு முன், தனியார் தண்ணீர் நிறுவனங்கள், 12 ஆயிரம் லிட்டர் லோடுக்கு, 1,200 ரூபாய் வாங்கின. இப்போது, 3,000 ரூபாய் கேட்கின்றனர்.

இது குறித்து, அடுக்குமாடி குடியிருப்பு நிர்வாகிகள் கூறியதாவது:தண்ணீர் தட்டுப்பாடு காரணமாக, அடுக்குமாடி குடியிருப்புகளை பராமரிப்பது சிக்கலாகியுள்ளது. கூடுதல் தொகையை வசூலிப்பதிலும், தண்ணீர் வாங்குவதிலும், தினமும் பிரச்னைகளை சந்திக்கிறோம். வாடகைக்கு இருப்பவர்கள், கூடுதல் செலவை சமாளிக்க முடியாமல், வீட்டை காலி செய்ய வேண்டிய நிலை ஏற்படுகிறது.

அடுத்து வரும் மாதங்களில், நிலைமை மேலும் மோசமடையும் என்பதால், எப்படி சமாளிப்பது என, தெரியாமல் தவிக்கிறோம்.அரசு, போர்க்கால அடிப்படையில்,ஏதாவது நடவடிக்கை எடுத்து, அனைத்து குடியிருப்புகளுக்கும் தண்ணீர் கிடைக்க செய்ய வேண்டும்.இவ்வாறு, அவர்கள் கூறினர்.

9 மாவட்டங்களில் இன்று, அனல் காற்று வீசும் :வானிலை மையம் கணிப்பு

Added : ஜூன் 14, 2019 02:57

சென்னை:சென்னை உட்பட, ஒன்பது மாவட்டங்களில், இன்று, அனல் காற்று வீசும் என, வானிலை மையம் கணித்துள்ளது.

கோடையின் உச்சம், வட மாவட்டங்களை வாட்டி எடுக்கிறது. வடக்கு மற்றும் கிழக்கு மாவட்டங்களில், அனல் காற்றும் அதிகரித்துள்ளது. நேற்று, மாநிலம் முழுவதும், வெயிலின் அளவு அதிகரித்தது. நேற்று மாலை, 5:30 மணி நிலவரப்படி, மதுரை, திருத்தணி, கடலுாரில், மாநிலத்தின் அதிகபட்ச வெப்ப நிலையாக, 41 டிகிரி செல்ஷியஸ் பதிவானது.இன்று, வெயிலின் தாக்கமும், அனல் காற்றும் அதிகமாக இருக்கும் என, கணிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

சென்னை, திருவள்ளூர், காஞ்சிபுரம், வேலுார், திருவண்ணாமலை, விழுப்புரம், கடலுார், பெரம்பலுார் மற்றும் அரியலுார் மாவட்டங்களில், அனல் காற்றின் தாக்கம் கூடுதலாக இருக்கும்.இதனால், காலை, 11:00 முதல், மாலை, 4:00 மணி வரை, வெளியே நடமாடுவதை, மக்கள் தவிர்க்க கேட்டு கொள்ளப்பட்டுள்ளது.சென்னையில் அதிகபட்சம், 41 டிகிரி செல்ஷியஸ் வரை வெயில் பதிவாகும். சில இடங்களில், லேசான மேக மூட்டம் காணப்படும் என, வானிலை ஆய்வு மையம் தெரிவித்துள்ளது.***

மருத்துவ கவுன்சிலிங் சான்றிதழ்களில் குழப்பம்: தெளிவுபடுத்த பெற்றோர் வலியுறுத்தல்

Added : ஜூன் 14, 2019 02:56

சென்னை:'மருத்துவ கவுன்சிலிங்கிற்கு விண்ணப்பித்த மாணவர்கள் மற்றும்அவர்களின் பெற்றோர், சமர்ப்பிக்க வேண்டிய சான்றிதழ்கள் குறித்து, மருத்துவ கல்வி இயக்குனரகம் தெளிவுபடுத்த வேண்டும்' என்ற, கோரிக்கை எழுந்துள்ளது

.பிளஸ் 2 முடித்து, 'நீட்' தேர்வில் தேர்ச்சி பெற்ற மாணவர்கள், எம்.பி.பி.எஸ்., மற்றும் பி.டி.எஸ்., படிப்பில் சேர, தமிழக அரசின், மருத்துவ கல்வி இயக்குனரகத்தில் விண்ணப்பித்துள்ளனர். ஆன்லைனில் பதிவு செய்யப்பட்ட விண்ணப்பத்துடன், பல வகை சான்றிதழ்களையும் பதிவு செய்ய, மருத்துவ கல்வி இயக்குனரகம் உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது.

இதில், மாணவர்களுக்கான, 'நேட்டிவிட்டி' எனப்படும், பூர்வீகத்துக்கான சான்றிதழ், ஜாதி சான்றிதழ், ஆறாம் வகுப்பு முதல், பிளஸ் 2 வரையில் படித்ததற்கான ஆதார சான்றிதழ்கள், ரேஷன் அட்டை, பெற்றோரின் படிப்பு சான்றிதழ்கள் என, பல சான்றிதழ்கள் கேட்கப்பட்டுள்ளன.
அதேபோல, பெற்றோரின் ஜாதி சான்றிதழ், பூர்வீக சான்றிதழும் கேட்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதில், மாணவர் மற்றும் பெற்றோரின் எந்தெந்த சான்றிதழ்களை வழங்க வேண்டும்.அனைத்து மாணவர்களுக்கும், அனைத்து வகை சான்றிதழ்களும் சமர்ப்பிக்க வேண்டுமா என்பதில், குழப்பம் ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது.அதேபோல், ஆறாம் வகுப்பு முதல், பிளஸ் 2 வரை, பல பள்ளிகளில் படித்திருந்தால், ஒவ்வொரு பள்ளிக்கும் சென்று, தனியாக உறுதி சான்றிதழான, 'போனபைட்' சான்றிதழ் வாங்க வேண்டுமா என, பெற்றோரும், மாணவர்களும் குழப்பம் அடைந்து உள்ளனர்.
மருத்துவ கல்வி இயக்குனரகம் வெளியிட்ட கையேட்டில், இதுகுறித்து தெளிவான தகவல்கள் இல்லை என, பெற்றோர் கூறுகின்றனர்.எனவே, இதுகுறித்து தெளிவான விளக்கங்களை, தமிழ் மற்றும் ஆங்கிலத்தில், வழிகாட்டு விதிகளாக வழங்க வேண்டும் என, பெற்றோர் கோரிக்கை விடுத்துள்ளனர்.

water scarcity

சென்னை: கடும் தண்ணீர் பஞ்சம் காரணமாக, சென்னை ஓட்டல்களில், இனி, மதிய சாப்பாடு கிடைக்காது. தண்ணீர் இன்றி தவிக்கும், தகவல் தொழில்நுட்ப நிறுவனங்கள், தங்கள் ஊழியர்களை, அலுவலகம் வர வேண்டாம் என்றும், வீட்டில் இருந்தே வேலை பார்க்கும்படியும், அறிவுறுத்தி உள்ளன. அடுக்குமாடி குடியிருப்புகளில் வசிப்போர், லாரி தண்ணீருக்கு செலவு செய்ய முடியாமல், வீட்டை காலி செய்யும் நிலைக்கு தள்ளப்பட்டு உள்ளனர்.

மழை பெய்யாததால் சென்னைக்கு குடிநீர் வழங்கும் அனைத்து ஏரிகளும் வறண்டு கிடக்கின்றன; நிலத்தடி நீரும் கிடைப்பதில்லை. இதனால் சென்னைவாசிகள் குடிக்க குளிக்க சமைக்க என அத்தியாவசிய தேவைகளுக்கு தண்ணீர் இன்றி மிகவும் சிரமப்பட்டு வருகின்றனர். இதேபோல பல மாவட்டங்களிலும் தண்ணீருக்கு தட்டுப்பாடு நிலவுகிறது.

சென்னையில் பல பகுதிகளில் வசிப்போர் 'கேன் வாட்டர்' வாங்கி குளிக்கவும் குடிக்கவும் பயன்படுத்துகின்றனர். அடுக்குமாடி குடியிருப்புகளில் வசிக்கும் மக்கள் லாரி தண்ணீருக்கு செலவு செய்ய முடியாமல் வீட்டை காலி செய்து சொந்த ஊருக்கு செல்ல தயாராகி வருகின்றனர். சென்னை ஓட்டல்களில் உணவு சமைக்கவும் குடிக்கவும் 'கேன்' தண்ணீர் பயன்படுத்தப்படுகிறது. பாத்திரங்கள் கழுவ நிலத்தடி நீர் பயன்படுத்தப்பட்டது. தற்போது தண்ணீருக்கு தட்டுப்பாடு ஏற்பட்டுள்ளதுடன் அதற்கான செலவும் அதிகரித்திருப்பதால் மதிய சாப்பாட்டை நிறுத்த முடிவு செய்துள்ளனர்.





இதுகுறித்து சென்னை ஓட்டல் உரிமையாளர்கள் சங்க தலைவர் எம்.ரவி கூறியதாவது: இட்லி தோசை போன்ற டிபன் வகைகளுக்கு குறைந்த தண்ணீர் போதும். மதிய சாப்பாட்டிற்கு மட்டும் சாம்பார் ரசம் காரக்குழம்பு மோர் கூட்டு பொரியல் போன்றவை தனித்தனி பாத்திரங்களில் வழங்கப்படுகின்றன. இதனால் மற்ற உணவு வகைகளை விட சாப்பாடு தயாரிக்கவும் அவற்றை வழங்க பயன்படுத்தும் பாத்திரங்களை கழுவவும் அதிக தண்ணீர் செலவாகிறது. தற்போது தண்ணீர் தட்டுப்பாடு அதிகம் உள்ளது. ஆரம்பத்தில் 12 ஆயிரம் லிட்டர் தண்ணீரை தனியாரிடம் 1 800 ரூபாய்க்கு வாங்கினோம். சமீபத்தில் 2 500 ரூபாய்க்கு வாங்கினோம். இப்போது தட்டுப்பாடு அதிகமானதால் 5 000 ரூபாய் வரை கேட்கின்றனர்.

இவ்வளவு விலை கொடுத்து வாங்குவதில் சிரமம் உள்ளது. எனவே பிரச்னையை சமாளிக்க சாப்பாடு விற்பனையை நிறுத்த முடிவு செய்யப்பட்டு உள்ளது. மேலும் ஓட்டல்கள் திறக்கப்படும் நேரங்களிலும் மாற்றம்

செய்யப்பட உள்ளது. தண்ணீர் தட்டுப்பாடு தொடர்ந்தால் ஓட்டல்களுக்கு யாரும் வரமாட்டார்கள். இந்த பிரச்னைக்கு தீர்வு காண கோரி முதல்வர் பழனிசாமியை சந்திக்க உள்ளோம். அப்போது ஓட்டல்களின் தண்ணீர் தேவைக்காக ஒரு நீர்நிலையை ஒதுக்குமாறு வலியுறுத்தப்படும். அந்த நீர்நிலை பகுதியை நாங்களே பராமரித்து தண்ணீர் தேவையை பூர்த்தி செய்து கொள்கிறோம். குடிநீர் பிரச்னையை தீர்க்க கடல் நீரை குடிநீராக்கும் திட்டங்களை அதிக இடங்களில் செயல்படுத்த வேண்டும். இவ்வாறு அவர் கூறினார்.

வீட்டில் இருந்து வேலை:

இந்நிலையில் சென்னையில் கிண்டி அடையாறு திருவான்மியூர் தரமணி பெருங்குடி சோழிங்கநல்லுார் போன்ற பகுதிகளில் தகவல் தொழில்நுட்ப நிறுவனங்கள் குவிந்து உள்ளன. அந்நிறுவனங்கள் செயல்படும் சர்வதேச தரத்திலான கட்டடங்களில் உள்ள கழிவறை பயன்பாட்டுக்கு அதிக தண்ணீர் தேவைப்படும்.

தற்போது ஏற்பட்டுள்ள தண்ணீர் தட்டுப்பாடு ஐ.டி. நிறுவனங்களையும் விட்டு வைக்கவில்லை. இதனால் பல நிறுவனங்கள் தங்கள் ஊழியர்களை வீட்டில் இருந்தபடியே அலுவலக பணிகளை இணையதளம் வாயிலாக மேற்கொள்ளுமாறு அறிவுறுத்தி உள்ளன.

விடுதிகள் மூடல்:

சென்னையில் சேப்பாக்கம் திருவல்லிக்கேணி எழும்பூர் சென்ட்ரல் தரமணி வேளச்சேரி போன்ற பகுதிகளில் ஆண்கள் பெண்கள் தங்கும் தனித்தனி விடுதிகள் உள்ளன. இவற்றில் பிற மாவட்டங்களில் இருந்து சென்னையில் உள்ள நிறுவனங்களில் வேலை செய்வோர் தங்கியுள்ளனர். தங்கும் விடுதிகளில் குளிக்க நிலத்தடி நீர் மட்டும் வழங்கப்படுகிறது. தற்போது நிலத்தடி நீரும் கிடைக்காததால் விடுதிகளின் சார்பில் அதிகம் செலவழித்து லாரிகளில் தண்ணீர் வாங்கி வினியோகிக்க ஆர்வம் காட்டவில்லை. இதனால் குளிக்க தண்ணீர் இல்லாததால் வெளிமாவட்டங்களை சேர்ந்த பெண்கள் தங்கள் ஊர்களுக்கு சென்றபடி உள்ளனர். ஆண்கள் கடலோர பகுதிகளுக்கு சென்று அங்குள்ள குட்டைகளிலும் கடல் நீரிலும் காலை கடன்களை முடித்து திரும்புகின்றனர்.

தமிழகத்தில் உள்ள, ஓட்டல்களில், தண்ணீருக்கான செலவு மட்டும், வழக்கத்தை விட, 25 சதவீதம் அதிகரித்துள்ளது. எனவே, தண்ணீரை சிக்கனமாக பயன்படுத்துமாறு, அனைத்து ஓட்டல்களுக்கும் அறிவுறுத்தப்பட்டு உள்ளது. மழை பெய்தால் தான், தண்ணீர் பிரச்னை தீரும். மழை நீர் வீணாகாமல் இருக்க, அனைத்து ஓட்டல்களிலும், மழை நீர் சேகரிக்கும் வசதியை விரைவாக ஏற்படுத்துமாறு, விழிப்புணர்வு ஏற்படுத்தப்பட்டு வருகிறது.

- வெங்கடசுப்பு, தலைவர், தமிழக ஓட்டல்கள் சங்க தலைவர்.

நடிகர் வடிவேலுக்கு ரூ.61 லட்சம் அபராதம்

Added : ஜூன் 12, 2019 01:10

சென்னை : வருமான வரித்துறை விதித்த, 61 லட்சம் ரூபாய் அபராதத்தை ரத்து செய்யக் கோரி, நடிகர் வடிவேலு தாக்கல் செய்த மனுவை, வருமான வரி மேல்முறையீட்டு தீர்ப்பாயம் தள்ளுபடி செய்துள்ளது.கடந்த, 2008 - 09ம் ஆண்டில், வடிவேலு தாக்கல் செய்த வருமான வரி கணக்கில், வரி ஏய்ப்பு செய்ததாக, புகார் எழுந்தது. இதையடுத்து, வடிவேலுவுக்கு சொந்தமான சென்னை, மதுரை வீடுகளில், வருமான வரி துறையினர் சோதனை நடத்தினர்.இதில், கணக்கில் வராத, 1 லட்சம் ரூபாய் பணமும், 60 லட்சம் ரூபாய்க்கான ஆவணங்களும் கைப்பற்றப்பட்டன.

மேலும், 4 லட்சம் ரூபாய் சம்பளம் வாங்கியதற்கான கணக்கை, அவர் தாக்கல் செய்யாததும் கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டது.இது தொடர்பாக நடந்த விசாரணையில், வடிவேலு வரி ஏய்ப்பு செய்தது உறுதி செய்யப்பட்டது. இதற்காக, 61 லட்சம் ரூபாய் அபராதம் செலுத்துமாறு, வடிவேலுக்கு வருமான வரித்துறை, 'நோட்டீஸ்' அனுப்பியது.இதை எதிர்த்து, வருமான வரி மேல்முறையீட்டு ஆணையரிடம், வடிவேலு முறையீடு செய்தார். அதை விசாரித்த ஆணையர், அபாரத தொகையை உறுதி செய்தார்.

ஆணையர் உத்தரவை எதிர்த்து, வருமான வரி மேல்முறையீட்டு தீர்ப்பாயத்தில், வடிவேலு மனு தாக்கல் செய்தார்.இந்த மனுவை, தீர்ப்பாய உறுப்பினர்கள், ஆர்.எல்.ரெட்டி, ஏ.மோகன் ஆகியோர் விசாரித்தனர்.தீர்ப்பாயம் பிறப்பித்த உத்தரவு:மனுதாரர், தன் உண்மையான வருமானத்தை, தானாக முன்வந்து தெரிவிக்கவில்லை என்பது உறுதியாகிறது.இதுதொடர்பான விபரங்களை, வருமான வரி கணக்கு தாக்கலிலும் தெரிவிக்கவில்லை. சோதனை நடத்தி, 'நோட்டீஸ்' அளித்த பின், முழு கணக்கை தாக்கல் செய்ய, அவர் முன்வந்துள்ளார்.எனவே, இந்த மனுவை ஏற்பதற்கு, எந்த முகாந்திரமும் இல்லை; மனு தள்ளுபடி செய்யப்படுகிறது.இவ்வாறு, அதில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

கருவூலங்களில் பாதுகாப்புக்கு உத்தரவு

Added : ஜூன் 11, 2019 22:43

'அரசு ஊழியர்கள் போராட்டத்தின் போது, மாவட்ட கருவூல அலுவலகங்களில், தக்க பாதுகாப்பு நடவடிக்கைகள் மேற்கொள்ள வேண்டும்' என, உத்தரவிடப்பட்டுள்ளது. மின்னணு முறையில், அரசு ஊழியர்களின் மாத சம்பளபட்டியலை தயாரிக்க, 'விப்ரோ' நிறுவனத்துடன் தமிழக அரசு ஒப்பந்தம் செய்துள்ளது. இதை ரத்து செய்து, அப்பணியை அரசே ஏற்று நடத்தக் கோரி, தமிழ்நாடு அரசு ஊழியர் சங்கத்தினர், தொடர் போராட்டம் நடத்தி வருகின்றனர்.ஜூன், 25, ஜூலை, 2ல், சென்னையில் கருவூலம் மற்றும் கணக்குத்துறை ஆணையம் அலுவலகம் முன், ஆர்ப்பாட்டம் நடத்த திட்டமிட்டுள்ளனர்.

இதையடுத்து, கருவூலஅதிகாரிகளுக்கு, துறையின் கூடுதல் இயக்குனர் அனுப்பியுள்ள கடிதம்:அரசு ஊழியர்களின் தொடர் போராட்டங்களால், பாதிப்பு ஏற்படாமல் இருக்க, மாவட்ட கருவூல அலுவலகங்கள், சார் கருவூலங்களில், தகுந்த முன்னெச்சரிக்கை பாதுகாப்பு ஏற்பாடுகளை மேற்கொள்ள வேண்டும்.கலெக்டர்கள், எஸ்.பி.,க் களை தொடர்பு கொண்டு, போராட்ட தருணங்களில், சட்டம் - ஒழுங்கு பிரச்னைகள் ஏற்படாமல் பார்த்துக் கொள்ள வேண்டும். இவ்வாறு அதில் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

மருத்துவ கல்வி இயக்குனரகம் முற்றுகையிட்ட டாக்டர்கள்

Added : ஜூன் 13, 2019 00:31

சென்னை: முதுநிலை மருத்துவ படிப்பை நிறைவு செய்த டாக்டர்களுக்கு, கவுன்சிலிங் நடத்தாமல், தன்னிச்சையாக பணியிடங்கள் ஒதுக்கப்படுவதாக கூறி, மருத்துவ கல்வி இயக்குனரகத்தை, டாக்டர்கள் முற்றுகையிட்டு வருகின்றனர்.

அரசு மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகளில், எம்.பி.பி.எஸ்., படித்த டாக்டர்கள், கிராமப்புறங்கள், மலைவாழ் பகுதிகளில் பணியாற்றுகின்றனர். அவர்கள் பணியாற்றும் ஆண்டுகள் அடிப்படையில், முதுநிலை மருத்துவ படிப்புகளில் சேரும் போது, சலுகை மதிப்பெண் வழங்கப்படுகிறது.அவர்கள், முதுநிலை படிப்பை நிறைவு செய்ததும், கவுன்சிலிங் நடத்தி, பணி மூப்பு அடிப்படையில், பணியிடங்கள் ஒதுக்கப்படும்.

இவை, மருத்துவ கல்லுாரி மருத்துவமனைகள், தாலுகா மருத்துவமனைகள், ஊரக பகுதி மருத்துவ சேவைகள் என, வகைப்படுத்தப்பட்டு, பணியிடங்கள் ஒதுக்கப்படும்.இந்தாண்டுக்கான கவுன்சிலிங், இதுவரை நடத்தவில்லை. அதற்கு மாறாக, ஊரக பகுதிகளுக்கு, தன்னிச்சையாக பணியாணை வழங்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதற்கு எதிர்ப்பு தெரிவித்து, டாக்டர்கள், தினமும் மருத்துவ கல்வி இயக்குனரகத்தை முற்றுகையிட்டு வருகின்றனர். நேற்றும் முற்றுகை போராட்டம் நடந்தது.இது குறித்து, டாக்டர்கள் கூறியதாவது:கிராமப்புறங்களில் சேவையாற்றிய எங்களுக்கு, மருத்துவ கல்லுாரி மருத்துவமனைகளில் பணியாற்ற, ஆணை வழங்கப்படவில்லை.

அதற்கு மாறாக, பணம் பெற்று, தனியார் மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகளில் பணியாற்றியவர்களுக்கு, பணி ஒதுக்கீட்டு ஆணை வழங்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதனால், அரசு மருத்துவமனைகளில் பணியாற்றிய டாக்டர்கள் பாதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளனர்.இவ்வாறு அவர்கள் கூறினர்.மருத்துவ கல்வி இயக்கக அதிகாரிகள் கூறுகையில், 'மருத்துவ கல்வி இயக்கக மருத்துவமனைகளில், ஏற்கனவே, 850 டாக்டர் பணியிடங்கள் கூடுதலாக உள்ளன. 'அதனால், அவர்களுக்கு, ஊரக மருத்துவமனைகளில் பணியாற்ற, ஒதுக்கீட்டு ஆணைகள் வழங்கப்பட்டுள்ளன' என்றனர்.

'ஏசி'க்குள் மூன்று மாசம் வாசம்; பக்குவமாக மீட்கப்பட்ட பாம்பு

Updated : ஜூன் 13, 2019 02:00 | Added : ஜூன் 13, 2019 00:45



புதுச்சேரி: புதுச்சேரியில், வீடு ஒன்றின், 'ஏசி' இயந்திரத்தில், மூன்று மாதங்களுக்கு மேலாக முகாமிட்டிருந்த பாம்பை, வனத் துறையினர் பிடித்தனர்.

புதுச்சேரி, தேங்காய்த்திட்டு, சாய் ஜீவா சரோஜினி நகரைச் சேர்ந்தவர் ஏழுமலை; சமூக நலத்துறை அலுவலர். இவர், நேற்று முன்தினம் இரவு, தன் வீட்டின் படுக்கை அறையில், 'ஸ்பிளிட் ஏசி'யை போட்டுள்ளார். அதில், வழக்கத்திற்கு மாறாக சத்தம் வந்தது. பழுதாகி விட்டது எனக் கருதி, 'ஏசி'யை நிறுத்தி விட்டார். நேற்று காலை, 'ஏசி' இயந்திரத்தை பழுது நீக்க, மெக்கானிக் கழற்றியபோது, உள்ளே, இரண்டு பாம்பு தோல்கள் இருந்தன. மெக்கானிக், 'ஏசி'யின் கீழ் பகுதியில் லைட் அடித்து பார்த்தபோது, பாம்பு மறைந்திருந்ததை கண்டு, அதிர்ச்சி அடைந்தார்.

தகவல் கிடைத்து, வனத் துறை ஊழியர்கள் இருவர் வந்து, ஒரு மணி நேரம் போராடி, 'ஏசி' இயந்திரத்திற்குள் மறைந்திருந்த, 2 அடி நீளமுள்ள சாரைப் பாம்பை லாவகமாக பிடித்து, காட்டுப் பகுதியில் விட்டனர். 'ஏசி'யின் வெளிப்புற அவுட்டோர் யூனிட்டில் இருந்து வரும் பைப் லைன் துளையை, சரியாக அடைக்காததால், அதன் வழியாக பாம்பு, 'ஏசி' இயந்திரத்திற்குள் புகுந்துள்ளது தெரிந்தது. அந்த துளைக்கு அருகிலேயே மரம் இருந்தது, பாம்புக்கு வசதியாக போய் விட்டது. அடிக்கடி வெளியில் சென்று, இரை எடுத்து, மீண்டும், 'ஏசி' இயந்திரத்திற்குள் வந்து தங்கியுள்ளது.

'குறைந்தது மூன்று மாதங்கள், ஏழுமலை வீட்டில், விருந்தாளியாக பாம்பு தங்கியிருக்கலாம். 'ஏசி' இயந்திரத்திற்குள் இரண்டு முறை தோல் உரித்துள்ளது, இதை உறுதி செய்யும் வகையில் உள்ளது' என, வனத் துறையினர் தெரிவித்தனர்.

அகில இந்திய ஒதுக்கீட்டில் மருத்துவம் படிக்க வாய்ப்பு

Added : ஜூன் 12, 2019 22:20

சென்னை: மருத்துவப் படிப்பில், அகில இந்திய ஒதுக்கீட்டு இடங்களுக்கு, வரும், 19ம் தேதி முதல் விண்ணப்பிக்கலாம்.

நாடு முழுவதும், அரசு மருத்துவக் கல்லுாரிகள், நிகர்நிலை மற்றும் மத்திய மருத்துவப் பல்கலைகளில், எம்.பி.பி.எஸ்., - பி.டி.எஸ்., படிப்புகளில், 15 சதவீதம் இடங்கள், அகில இந்திய ஒதுக்கீட்டிற்கு செல்கின்றன.தமிழகத்தில், 23 அரசு மருத்துவக் கல்லுாரிகளில் உள்ள, எம்.பி.பி.எஸ்., 3,250 - பி.டி.எஸ்., 100 இடங்களில் இருந்து, 506 இடங்கள் அகில இந்திய ஒதுக்கீட்டுக்கு செல்கின்றன.நடப்பு கல்வியாண்டுக் கான, மாணவர் சேர்க்கை, மத்திய அரசின் சுகாதார சேவைகளுக்கான தலைமை இயக்குனரகம், www.mcc.nic.in என்ற இணையதளத்தில், 'ஆன்லைன்' வாயிலாக நடத்தப்பட உள்ளது.

முதற்கட்ட கவுன்சிலிங்கிற்கு, 'நீட்' தேர்வில் தகுதி பெற்றவர்கள், இணையதளத்தில், 19 முதல், 24ம் தேதி வரை பதிவு செய்து, கல்லுாரிகளை தேர்வு செய்யலாம்.தாங்கள் தேர்வு செய்த கல்லுாரியை, 25ம் தேதி உறுதி செய்ய வேண்டும். தர வரிசை பட்டியல் அடிப்படையில், இட ஒதுக்கீடு செய்யும் பணி, 26ம் தேதி நடைபெறும். இட ஒதுக்கீடு செய்யப்பட்ட விபரங்கள், 27ம் தேதி வெளியிடப்படும். கவுன்சிலிங்கில் இடங்களை பெற்றவர்கள், 28ம் தேதி முதல், ஜூலை, 3ம் தேதிக்குள் கல்லுாரிகளில் சேர வேண்டும்.இரண்டாம் கட்ட கவுன்சிலிங்கிற்கு, ஜூலை, 6 முதல், 8ம் தேதி வரை விண்ணப்பிக்கலாம்.

No relief to lecturers in answer sheet tampering case
Therefore, a full-fledged enquiry to cull out the truth is imminent, the Judge opined.

Published: 13th June 2019 04:39 AM

Madras High Court 

By Express News Service

MADURAI: Observing that tampering with answer sheets or erroneous award of marks amounted to crime against society, which may create frustration and doubt about educational system, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court refused to quash charge memos issued to some lecturers for allegedly awarding excess marks to certain students during paper evaluation for Diploma in Teacher Training course.

Justice S M Subramaniam passed the order while disposing of the petitions filed by nearly 10 lecturers working in District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), challenging the charge memos issued to them by the institute in view of the above allegations.

The judge observed, “Procedural transparency and trustworthiness in the educational system depend on various aspects, including the correct evaluation of answer sheets. No student should feel that their answer sheets were improperly evaluated.”

Therefore, a full-fledged enquiry to cull out the truth is imminent, the Judge opined.

Sub-categorisation of OBCs: Cabinet accords ex-post facto approval for extension of panel

The extension of the tenure of the commission would enable it to evaluate the issue of sub-categorisation of OBC's in the central list based on wider consultations with various stakeholders.

Published: 13th June 2019 12:49 AM

PM Narendra Modi with Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and Sadananda Gowda during the first cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister s Office in South Block on 31 May 2019. (Photo | PTI)

By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet Wednesday accorded ex-post facto approval for the extension of the term of the five-member panel examining sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) by two more months.

This is the sixth extension of the term given to the commission, formed in October 2017, an official statement said.

The extension of the tenure of the commission would enable it to evaluate the issue of sub-categorisation of OBC's in the central list based on wider consultations with various stakeholders.

It will enable the commission to submit a comprehensive report on the issue, the statement said. The cabinet in November had extended the term of the panel headed by Justice G Rohini (retd), which is examining the crucial issue of creating quota within quota, till May 31.



The tenure of the commission was to end on May 31, but has now been extended till July 31, according to a recent order of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

The commission has held extensive meetings with all the stakeholders, including state governments, state backward classes commissions, community associations and general public, since its formation.

It has also obtained records, caste-wise data of OBCs admitted in higher educational institution as well as similar caste-wise data of recruits in central government departments, central public sector undertakings, public sector banks and financial institutions.

The panel was mandated to examine the extent of inequitable distribution of benefits of reservation among the castes or communities in the central list of OBCs.

It was also tasked with working out a mechanism, criteria, norms and parameters for sub-categorisation within such OBCs and taking up the exercise of identifying castes, sub-castes and communities and classifying them into respective sub-categories.

The commission, which was stipulated to submit its report within 10 weeks from assumption of charge by the chairperson, has been granted several extensions since its formation citing voluminous data obtained from all quarters and the time required for its scientific analysis to prepare a comprehensive report.

Incentives for doctors, staff

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

BENGALURU, JUNE 13, 2019 00:00 IST

In a bid to encourage doctors and staff of government hospitals to effectively implement the Ayushman Bharat - Arogya Karnataka scheme, the Health Department has decided to give 30% of the reimbursed cost as incentives over and above their salaries.

Terming this as a reward for those who work towards strengthening the State’s public health system, Health Minister Shivanand S. Patil told presspersons that the government approved this proposal recently.

“From the inception of Ayushman Bharat scheme in the State in October last year, Rs. 147 crore has been mobilised. While 50% of this amount will go towards infrastructure development in hospitals, 30% will be used to reward the staff and the remaining will go the department’s kitty,” he said.

IRCTC tour package

STAFF REPORTER

BENGALURU, JUNE 13, 2019 00:00 IST

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC) will arrange Maa Vaishnodevi Darshan, a special 12-day tour package starting from Madurai from June 23.

According to an IRCTC release, the tour will cover Delhi, Amritsar, Vaishnodevi, Haridwar, Mathura, and Agra.

Contact details

The total cost per person is Rs. 12,390. For details, contact IRCTC regional office at No. 2/2, C.B. Royale Building, Dr. Raj Kumar Road, Rajajinagar, Bengaluru - 560001, or call 080-22960014.

Train suffers detention for 10 minutes

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

TIRUCHI, JUNE 13, 2019 00:00 IST

The Chennai-bound Vaigai Express from Madurai suffered detention for about 10 minutes while on its way to Tiruchi after passengers and the guard heard some unusual sound on Wednesday. The incident occurred between Manapparai and Kolathur railway station in the Dindigul - Tiruchi section.

Snag

Sources said the brake pipe of the unreserved general seating coach and the seating luggage rake compartment apparently got disconnected and touched the ballast and sleepers causing unusual sound.

The train was stopped en route and the problem was rectified near Kolathur railway station.

Thereafter, the train left for Tiruchi.

Alagappa University to establish virtual reality facilities: VC

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

KARAIKUDI, JUNE 13, 2019 00:00 IST

Alagappa University Vice-Chancellor N. Rajendran addressing a workshop in Karaikudi on Wednesday.handout_e_mail

‘They are relevant for high-end computing’

N. Rajendran, Vice-Chancellor, Alagappa University, has said the university was committed to bringing foreign experts from globally ranked universities to frame world class curriculum and set to establish virtual reality facilities.

Addressing workshop on “Virtual reality for pedagogy”, organised by the Institute of skill development here on Wednesday under RUSA Phase 2.0 scheme, he said virtual reality applications in this current era of high-end computing were relevant and important.

“Virtual reality and augmented reality applications will bring huge impact on the learning experiences of the current and future generations of students, as they are very much used to simulate the complex concepts,” he said.

Under the Ministry of Human Resource Development Ministry’s RUSA 2.0 scheme, Alagappa University has envisaged for establishing virtual reality facilities to carry our teaching-learning and research practices.

Addressing the workshop, Mr. Anand Bhojan of the National University of Singapore (NUS) demonstrated some Virtual Reality applications developed at NUS and explained several Virtual Reality applications that were helpful for teaching-learning and as well as in research. About 100 students, faculty members and research scholars participated in the workshop.

Earlier, addressing a five-day workshop on “Research methodology and data analysis”, organised by the Research Scholars Forum of the Faculty of Management, Prof. Rajendran said the objective of the comprehensive workshop was to infuse confidence among the research scholars and help them learn about the current research trends and hone their skills.

Research scholars should develop a distinct theory which could support the overall societal development, he said and advised the researchers to read Scopus-Indexed articles and indexed books. “An in-depth knowledge of the specific field of research chosen by the scholar is must for turning out a good thesis,” he said.

Doctors served notices over advt. violations

Serena Josephine M.

CHENNAI, JUNE 13, 2019 00:00 IST

Official sources said advertisers charged Rs. 200 to Rs. 250 for every call a doctor gets through their site.

‘Online advertisements not permitted’

The Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC) has served notices to 100 doctors — majority of them from Chennai — for advertising online. The council has initiated disciplinary action against all 100 of them, and has charged them with misconduct.

Last month, the council had issued a circular to deans of all medical colleges, and medical associations advising doctors to refrain from advertising online. It noted that it was misconduct as per the Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics Regulations of Medical Council of India for a Registered Medical Practitioner to advertise about themselves and their practice to solicit patients.

However, the violations continued.

“We have served notices to 100 doctors in the State. Majority of them are from Chennai, followed by Madurai, Coimbatore and Salem. We have sought explanation from them and they should reply to us within 15 days. We will conduct an inquiry based on their explanation,” said K. Senthil, president of TNMC.

The idea behind curbing online advertisements is to ensure doctors comply with the code of conduct and provide a level field for all doctors, he said, adding:

“Only five per cent of doctors promote themselves on online platforms, and we wanted to keep in mind the welfare of the other doctors,” he said.

Some of the doctors have informed the council that they have removed the online advertisements.

“But some have removed their photographs alone, and their names still figure online,” he added.

About eight of the doctors were repeat offenders, he said, adding: “We had taken up a similar measure two years ago. Some of them apologised and we let them off with a warning. But they have violated again, and this will be viewed seriously.”

Official sources said advertising agencies charge Rs. 200 to Rs. 250 for every call that a doctor receives from a patient through their site or app.

“The doctors in turn charge the patients. This is a vicious cycle,” he said.

Dr. Senthil said that there are plans to launch a facility on TNMC website by the end of this year, to enable public to look up for doctors.

Counselling for all India quota MBBS, BDS seats

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI, JUNE 13, 2019 00:00 IST

The allotment will begin on 19 June

The first round of online allotment of MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) and BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) seats by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) for the current academic year will begin on June 19.

The process will include 15% seats allocated to the Central pool by State government institutions besides deemed universities, Central government-run institutions, ESIC colleges and Armed Forces Medical College.

In the first phase from 19 to 25 June, the candidates can registerand make the payment.

Results will be released on June 27 and candidates can report to the allotted colleges between 28 June and 3 July.

The second phase will be held July 6 onwards and last till 5 p.m. on 8 July.

The results will be declared on 12 July and candidates will have nine days’ time from till 22 July to report to the allotted colleges.

On 23 July, the MCC will transfer unreported but allotted seats to the respective State quotas.

The mop-up round for central/deemed universities and the 15% seats allocated to ESIC-run medical colleges will be held between 13 and 15 August.

The results will be announced on 18 August and students will be allowed to join the colleges from 20 to 26 August.

The mop up for seats that fall vacant in deemed and central universities and ESIC will be held on August 27.

‘Very severe’ Cyclone Vayu to hit today; 2.5L evacuated
AAI To Suspend Services At 5 Guj Airports For 24 Hrs
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad/Rajkot13.06.2019

: Gujarat mounted a herculean rescue effort, shifting nearly 2.5 lakh people in 500 coastal villages to safer locations, as the “very severe” cyclonic storm, Vayu, headed for landfall over Saurashtra coast on Thursday afternoon.

Vayu is the deadliest storm to hit the state since 1998, when a cyclone had ravaged the port town of Kandla, killing 1,241 people.

The cyclone is expected to pack wind speeds of 155-165kmph, gusting up to 180 kmph, and is moving at a speed of 16 kmph. It is projected to hit the coast between Dwarka and Porbandar, west of Veraval, by 3pm.

“After making landfall, it will move parallel to the Saurashtra-Kutch coast and affect Amreli, Gir Somnath, Diu, Junagadh, Porbandar, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Kutch and Dwarka,” Jayanta Sarkar, director, IMD-Gujarat, told TOI.

Meanwhile, five people died of lightning strikes in Dang, Tapi and Narmada districts late on Tuesday evening, as gushing winds and rain hit the region with the approach of the cyclone.

The cyclone could potentially cause damage in districts of Amreli, Porbandar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Junagadh, Gir-Somnath, Jamnagar and Kutch.

Vayu will barrel through the state for four days beginning today and remain a severe cyclonic storm on June 15 when it moves northwards.

State and central agencies raced against time to shift villagers to safety and step up efforts to minimize damage to life and property. Around 10,000 tourists and pilgrims in Dwarka, Porbandar and Somnath were also shifted out of the towns in specially arranged buses.

The Airports Authority of India will suspend operations at five airports — Porbandar, Diu, Bhavnagar, Keshod and Kandla — for 24 hours from Wednesday-Thursday midnight due to the approaching storm.

Full report on www.toi.in

ON TOES: Authorities evacuated tens of thousands of people on Wednesday as the cyclonic storm approached Gujarat

Med admission: Register for Round 1 all-India quota counselling by June 24
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:13.06.2019

The Directorate General of Health Services will open its website (www.mcc.nic.in) for registration for counselling under all-India quota seats at government colleges, deemed universities and central government institutions by June 19.

The New Delhi-based authority has been appointed by the Centre to conduct online counselling for students for 15% seats surrendered by government medical colleges and for all seats in deemed universities. A schedule released on Thursday says the registration deadline for the first round of counselling will end on June 24, and payment facility will be available till 2pm the next day.

At the time of registration, students have to pay two kinds of fee — for deemed universities, a non-refundable registration fee of ₹5,000 and refundable security amount of ₹2 lakh. The refundable amount will be adjusted against the first-year tuition fee by the respective college if he/ she joins it. Else, it will be refunded to the bank account provided by the students at the time of registration.

For the all-India quota/ central universities/Armed Force Medical Services (AFMS) and ESI colleges, the non-refundable registration fee is ₹1,000 for unreserved candidates and ₹500 for SC/ ST/OBC/ students with disabilities. Unreserved candidates must pay a refundable security amount of ₹10,000, those in the reserved category have to pay ₹5,000.

Students will have to fill choices and lock it between 10am and 5pm on June 25. The directorate will release results of the allotment on June 27. Students interested in taking the allotted seats have to join the colleges by July 3 or opt for upgradation in Round 2. There will be no additional fee or fines at this stage.

Registration for the second round will begin on July 6. All students have to lock choices on July 9. The agency will release results of allotment in July 12 and candidates who join colleges will not be allowed to leave the seat. No upgradation will be allowed. If the student does not join the allotted institution, the security fee will be forfeited. The candidate has to register again for mop up rounds (expect for 15% seats in government colleges) with fresh payment. “This will prevent students from blocking the seats. As a result, lesser number of vacant seats will be returned to the colleges,” said Radha R, mother of a medical aspirant.

Vacant seats at government colleges will be returned to states on July 23, and locking of choices for mop up can be done on August 16. Results will be available on August 18. Vacant seats will be returned to other institutes on August 27.

23,000 fewer students in engg counselling this year
Certificate Verification To End Today

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:13.06.2019

More than 20% of the candidates who applied for engineering counselling this year did not attend the certificate verification held from June 7 to 12 at 46 centres across the state.

“As on Tuesday, we called 1,14,735 candidates for certificate verification, with 90,996 participating and 23,739 skipping it,” a Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions (TNEA) committee official said.

The state government has extended the certificate verification until Thursday. However, the number of absentees is less than half compared to last year’s figure.

Online counselling is likely to be conducted in four rounds against the five rounds thet were held last year.

“The dates for online counselling will be announced while releasing the engineering rank list. But, the process would be similar to last year,” the official said.

In the first round, the candidates will get five days to make payment. “They will get three days to fill their choices and will get the tentative allotment order on the fourth day. They have to confirm within two days to get the provisional allotment order,” the official added.

The admission booklet contains information about 494 engineering colleges that are participating in the counselling process this year. It has also published the cut-off marks for the last three years of all the engineering colleges and branches.

For online counselling, the order of choice plays a crucial role. “Students can give any number of choices. However, they must prioritize the courses based on their interest. The branch they are less interested in should be listed only at the bottom,” a professor from an engineering college said.

Man who slashed genitals after gay sex encounter arrested for murder

Would Roam Streets At Night To Lure Lonely Men

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:13.06.2019

Police on Wednesday arrested a 35-year-old man for the murder of a drunk man at Retteri in May by cutting his genitals after a gay sex encounter and for attempting to murder another drunk man in Madhavaram on June 1.

While the arrested K Muniyasamy has been sent to jail, the deceased was identified as Aslam Basha and the injured as Narayana Perumal.

Additional commissioner of police (north) R Dhinakaran said they got the breakthrough on Tuesday after CCTV camera footage of a man at the site of the two incidents was flashed on television channels. Soon, a trader at the Villivakkam fish market called inspector P Jawahar and said a man resembling the suspect was his employee and a police team nabbed him. Muniyasamy admitted to the crimes, saying he committed them under the influence of alcohol, an officer said.

Police quoting the trader said Muniyasamy, a resident of Manamadurai, began working for him on May 19 and stayed in the vicinity. The trader told police that Muniyasamy hadn’t stayed back at the fish market on the nights when the two crimes occurred and that he had sacked him as he rarely worked and roamed the city at night.

On May 25, Basha was found lying unconscious at Retteri with his genitals slashed and was admitted to the Government Stanley Medical College and Hospital. He told police he was drunk and depressed and so was not sure if someone had slashed his injuries or he if injured them himself. After his death last week, police registered a case under CrPC Section 174 (suspicious death).

On June 1, after Narayana Perumal suffered a similar injury to his private parts, police suspected there might be a link and asked him if he had been involved in gay sex with anyone. Perumal said it was true. Madhavaram inspector P Jawahar scanning CCTV camera footage found Muniyasamy had attacked Perumal and confirmed he was also at the spot near Retteri when Basha was attacked on the night of May 25.

Muniyasamy told police he often cruised the streets at night, particularly near Tasmac outlets and the banks of the Retteri lake looking for lonely men he could lure for gay sex. The school dropout told police he took to gay sex with some of his friends while still in school. Investigators are now checking to see if he had attacked others the way he attacked Basha and Perumal.



K Muniyasamy

Thiruvalluvar Univ approves 5 new PG courses sans guv nod

Shanmughasundaram.J@timesgroup.com

Chennai:13.06.2019

The academic council of the Thiruvalluvar University in Vellore has passed a resolution to start five new post-graduate (PG) courses without the assent of the governor, who is the chancellor of all universities in the state.

The proposal to offer new courses — M.Sc Computer Science, M.Sc Physics, M.Sc Statics, M.Sc Material Science and M.Com — was placed before the 26th academic council on Wednesday.

“It is against the procedure. Despite raising objection, the vice-chancellor (S Thamarai Selvi) approved the proposal to start the courses for the new academic year,” Prof K Anthony Baskaran, a member of the academic council and meber of the association of university teachers, told TOI.

The syndicate, at its 84th meeting on May 2, had approved the constitution of five new boards to frame regulations and syllabus for the additional departments to be started in the university from the 2019-20 academic year. However, it did not follow the procedure and placed the proposal in the academic council meeting for approval.

According to the university’s practice in starting new courses, the governor should give its assent for the syndicate’s proposal (resolution) to start courses. Following this, the board of studies would be formed to frame the syllabi for the respective courses, which in turn, would be placed before the academic council for its approval.

The syndicate and academic council have acted against the protocol.

“When we raised the issue, the VC responded saying that we will write to the Chancellor and soon get his assent,” said the professor. Repeated phone calls and text messages to the VC seeking her response ended in vain, while registrar (incharge) V Peruvalluthi is also not available for comment.

Narrow escape for Vaigai Express from derailment
Part Of Check Rail Broke Off

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Trichy:13.06.2019

The Chennai-bound superfast Vaigai Express escaped a possible derailment on Wednesday after a piece of the check rail fixed on the tracks across a level crossing (LC) came off and the train dragged it along for about 50 metres on Madurai-Chennai section. Railway sources admitted that had the broken piece fallen on the tracks, a derailment would have occurred.

The train which started at 7am from Madurai was crossing a level crossing at Kannudaiyampatti near Manapparai in Trichy around 8.35am when the loco pilot heard some sound from the tracks. When he brought the train to a halt and checked, he saw that the check rail fixed along the LC gate had come off and was stuck with the chain hanging low from between two carriages.

The check rail had apparently come off after one end of the hanging chain got stuck at its edge and the train hauled it along. Check rail is usually fixed along the tracks where road surface and the tracks meet, particularly at level crossings. The sources said that broken rings or loose bolts or nuts may be the reason why the chain hung so low, the sources said. The loco pilot cleared the tracks himself and set the hanging chain in the right position. The train reached Trichy junction at 9.40 am, half an hour late because of this, sources said. The mechanical department which executed coach maintenance was likely to be held responsible for the incident, they said.


CLOSE SHAVE: A piece of the check rail fixed on the tracks across a level crossing (LC) came off and the train dragged it along for about 50 metres on Madurai-Chennai section

National Institute of Fashion Technology