STARVING POLAR BEAR STRAYS INTO RUSSIAN CITY

A starving polar bear has strayed hundreds of kilometres from its natural Arctic habitat into the Russian city of Norilsk in Siberia. It is the first polar bear seen in the city in more than 40 years. The bear, visibly weak and ill, lay despondently on the ground for hours in Norilsk’s suburbs on Tuesday, its feet caked in mud, occasionally rising to sniff around for food. Environmentalists say wild animals are suffering from the shrinking hunting environment and receding ice, and some of them have ventured south in search of food

More berths now in Kashi for escape from the cycle of birth and rebirth

Rajeev.Dikshit@timesgroup.com

Varanasi:20.06.2019

It is believed that death in Kashi means liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth. For centuries, the sacred city’s labyrinthine lanes have beckoned devouts in their last days or, in several cases, their last years. But only a few are able to find space in ‘moksha centres’ or hospices where rooms are “reserved for death.” With dozens of applications daily in the handful of moksha bhawans, the wait list can run into several years. But all that’s set to change. A new site for salvation that’s coming up will be both “more sacred” and have enough rooms to make the wait shorter.

As part of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham (corridor) project, a government-funded moksha bhavan is being built, with equal number of rooms for men and women, that will accommodate about 50 people. Chief executive officer of Kashi Vishwanath Temple Vishal Singh told TOI that while one of the existing moksha centres in Kashi only allows couples, the other is for those on their deathbed. The latest moksha bhavan will have no such riders.

But what truly renders the new centre different from existing ones is the fact that it will come up in the most sacred part of Kashi — the Avimukt circle that falls between the Kashi Vishwanath temple and Manikarnika Ghat.

The three-storied building will also house a hospital and accommodation would be provided on first come first serve basis. “To develop the hospice at the most sacred site, the building of an ashram — Vriddha Sant Seva Ashram — has been purchased for ₹2.5 crore,” Singh said. The dilapidated building has already been demolished and the new one will come up by 2021.

M B Shastri, an 80-yearold retired physics professor from Hyderabad, who has been staying with his wife at Mumukshu Bhavan in Assi area for the past 15 years, received the news with joy. “Kashi is the source of eternal light and those who die here attain moksha, according to our shastras. This comes as a boon for salvation seekers.”

But high demand for accommodation at these bhavans means not everyone gets a berth. Vinod Kumar Agrawal, manager at the 40-room Mumukshu Bhavan, which was established in 1920 by Kashi Mumukshu Bhawan Sabha, said at least 50 people have been on the waiting list for the past five years.

Each year hundreds of people stream into Varanasi to breathe their last. An additional “mukti bhavan” will go a long way in helping them, said ashram officials at the other two bhawans.

Spread over four acres, Mumukshu Bhavan has a Sanskrit school, meditation enclaves and a charitable hospital. Four km away is the Kashilabh Mukti Bhavan in Mishirpokhara that was established in 1958 by the Dalmiya Charitable Trust. But here only those in their deathbed get lodging.

A PLACE TO DIE: The 40-room Mumukshu Bhavan has a waiting list of 50 for the past five years

Doc suspended for advertising about remedies for ailments

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Thiruvananthapuram  20.06.2019

: In its first action against doctors who promote unscientific and magical remedies for various diseases, the Travancore Cochin Medical Council has suspended the registration of an Ayurveda doctor for one month.

The suspension has been given to Dr K Siddharthan of Ezhukone, Kollam, who has been advertising about remedies for various ailments, including cancer, through his “thulli marunnu” (oral drops).

Travancore Cochin Medical Council’s registrar Dr A Mohammed Hussain said in his order that the advertisement issued by the doctor is against the Drugs and Magic Remedies (objectionable advertisement) Act. This was informed to the council by the state drugs controller. The council had probed the issue and it has been found that the doctor has violated the code of ethics of a registered medical practitioner.

The registrar said this order will be an eye opener for those who are violating the code of professional ethics of registered medical practitioners. The doctor who had appeared before the council had offered an apology and urged the council not to suspend his registration. However, the council observed that despite the notices issued by the state drugs control department against the doctor’s advertisements, he went ahead with it.

Full report on www.toi.in

MU frames calendar for research programmes

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com  20.06.2019

Chennai: University of Madras has come out with an academic calendar for research programmes, saying admission to MPhil and PhD programmes can no longer be made throughout the year and exams can’t be conducted at department head’s convenience.

A committee constituted to suggest changes in guidelines for preparing MPhil/PhD theses and an academic calendar to be followed at its final meeting earlier this month said deadlines for admission and registration for the programmes were not being followed and made a few recommendations. Based on them, the syndicate decided to strictly follow an academic calendar, said vice-chancellor P Duraisamy.

MPhil and PhD (June session) aspirants can submit online applications from June 1 to 30 and the final admission list approved by August

31. For those willing to pursue PhD in December session, applications will be accepted between December 1 and 31 and admission finalised before January-end.

Exams for MPhil will be held in February, with candidates submitting dissertation in August. Results will be published in December.

A calendar streamlining doctoral committee constitution, methodology exam and continuation of registration has been prepared and changes in MPhil dissertation and PhD thesis formats approved.

Candidates can use both sides of the paper for printing text and diagrams against the practice of using only one side, Duraisamy added. The final version of research papers post-correction can be submitted as soft copies to be uploaded on Shodhganga, the government’s digital repository of theses and dissertations. Local and foreign examiners need no longer return theses. They can destroy them, reducing hardship and save postal charges.

The university has also given a final chance for candidates with long-pending arrears. Undergraduate and Postgraduate students, admitted between 1980 and 2014, get one last chance to reappear for exams to be held in December 2019 and May 2020 by paying ₹5,000-₹7,000 before degrees are awarded without classification.

Taiwan man who entered airport with fake ticket caught, let off

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:20.06.2019

A 29-year-old Taiwanese man was arrested for entering Chennai airport on Tuesday night by showing a forged air ticket. After he was produced before a magistrate court, the man was released on bail.

Tei Kai Thiun told police that he had forged an air ticket to enter the high security zone to drop a woman, who was a manager in the company he works. Thiun is employed in the purchase department of a shoe-manufacturing firm in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh.

The woman retired from the company a few days ago and was leaving for Hong Kong in a Thai Airways flight in the early hours of Wednesday. Thiun accompanied her to Chennai.

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel stopped him as he walked out of the airport after dropping her. Since he gave contradictory replies, the CISF personnel handed him over to the airport police.

Thiun first told police that he didn’t want to travel to Hong Kong and so he was trying to leave the airport. However, during questioning, he admitted to having forged an air ticket to enter the airport. His purpose was to assist his former manager by carrying her baggage.

People accompanying passengers can take visitor passes to enter the airport. However, they can’t accompany the passengers up to the checking counter.

Rain likely in city in 2-3 days: Met dept
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:20.06.2019

After a record-breaking dry spell this year, the weathermen finally have some good news. A system over the Bay of Bengal is likely to lead to a change in wind direction and bring some rain in two to three days in the city.

Regional meteorological centre officials say a low pressure area is likely to develop over north Bay of Bengal in 2-3 days, while conditions are favourable for the southwest monsoon to advance into more parts of central and north Bay of Bengal and remaining parts of south Bay. “Southwesterly winds will gather strength in the next 2-3 days as the low pressure develops. The system won’t intensify into a cyclone,” said N Puviarasan, director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, RMC.

Chennai suffers rainless days since December 5, 2018

Chennai: “It will also bring a change in the moisture levels that may bring rain to some parts of the city,” said N Puviarasan, director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, RMC.

Chennai has been recording temperatures above 40°C due to hot dry winds from the north and northwest. “Once southwesterly winds increase, seabreeze will set in as early as 11.30am and will bring down the temperature by 2 to 3 degrees,” he said. Since December 5, 2018, the city has gone without rainfall for 196 days, apart from the mild drizzle in a few city suburbs last week.

Experts said the rain expected may not be significant enough to recharge the groundwater. “With a 20mm-50mm type of rain, June-July rain may not be so useful for groundwater recharge,” said weather blogger Pradeep John in an online post.

The southwest monsoon is likely to get active along the west coast, with light to moderate rain likely at isolated places including Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Dindigul and Theni district on June 20 and heavy rain over a few isolated places on June 21 and 22. “Chennai and coastal areas of Tamil Nadu do not receive much rain during the southwest monsoon. But the break monsoon period may bring some rain,” an IMD official said.

Enrolling as lawyer becomes easy now as process goes online

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:20.06.2019

From now on, enrolling as an advocate in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will be hassle free as the entire process has been moved online by the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Aspiring candidates can do it from the comfort of their homes.

The online enrolment facility was launched by the former Chief Justice of the Madras high court and present judge of the Supreme Court Justice Indira Banerjee, at a function organised by the Bar council at the New Auditorium on the high court premises.

The event which saw enrolment of 826 advocates was presided over by Chief Justice of the Madras high court Justice Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani.

Apart from enrolment of advocates, even police verification of their antecedents has been made online.

The full house event was conducted in the presence of Justice N Kirubakaran, Justice G K Ilanthiraiyan, A K Viswanathan, Chennai Police Commissioner, and P K Hormis Tharakan, former Chief of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

The enrolment of 826 new advocates was moved by advocate Priscilla Pandian while senior advocate and special committee member of the Bar council N Chandrasekharan, administered the oath. The new advocates were felicitated by S Prabakaran, co-chairman of the Bar Council of India.

The online facility was launched by the former Chief Justice of the Madras HC Justice Indira Banerjee

Govt to re-hire 1,000 retired VAOs

Move Evokes Criticism From Serving Officials

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:

In a first, the state government is set to appoint 1,000 retired village administrative officers in posts lying vacant across the state. The revenue administration has given instructions to the district collectors to appoint the retired officials on a temporary basis for a consolidated pay of ₹15,000 a month in the coming days.

The VAOs, the heads of the revenue administration of one to three villages, are vested with powers to collect tax, certify for government welfare schemes, maintain law and order and extend assistance to farmers from crop insurance to assessment. While the sanctioned strength of the VAOs for the entire state is 12,616, at least 2,896 posts have now fallen vacant. The government decided to fill these posts after a recommendation from the commissionerate of revenue administration that “well experienced hands” preferably retired VAOs who have considerable knowledge of the duties and responsibilities would be appropriate.

It is left to the discretion of the district collectors to make the appointments, keeping in mind recruitments by TNPSC, appointments on compassionate grounds or promotions of village assistants to VAO posts. The retired officials will get salaries for a period of one year or till the necessity ceases. “Vacancies arise due to highly-qualified personnel moving to other jobs or superannuation. As a result, the serving VAOs are burdened with work and are accused of not making their presence felt in a village,” revenue minister R B Udayakumar said, justifying the appointment of retired personnel. While the public service commission is informed about the vacancies periodically, the recruitment agency had delayed holding exams, the minister said.

There was a thinking in the government to have one recruitment board for revenue services on the lines of Teachers Recruitment Board and Medical Services Recruitment Board. But, it was dropped. The move to appoint retired VAOs, however, evoked strong criticism from serving officers with representations being sent to the government opposing it. “Though the government justifies its move to appoint the retired personnel on a temporary basis, it is condemnable,” said TN Village Administrative Officers Munnetra Sangam president G Suresh. In 2008 too, there were more than 5,000 vacancies and the serving officers managed the show, he said.

Tamil Nadu Government Employees Association president A Selvam said it was a known secret that the departments like treasuries, health and rural development temporary appoint retired officers. “But this move to appoint 1,000 retired personnel is unprecedented. This would trigger unrest among the long queue of youth waiting for government jobs,” Selvam said.

அகில இந்திய மருத்துவ 'சீட்' இன்று முதல் பதிவு

Updated : ஜூன் 19, 2019 07:09 | Added : ஜூன் 19, 2019 02:12

சென்னை : மருத்துவ படிப்பில் அகில இந்திய ஒதுக்கீட்டு இடங்களுக்கான விண்ணப்பப் பதிவு இன்று துவங்குகிறது.நாடு முழுவதும் அரசு மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகள் நிகர்நிலை மற்றும் மத்திய பல்கலையில் உள்ள எம்.பி.பி.எஸ். - பி.டி.எஸ். இடங்களில் 15 சதவீதம் அகில இந்திய ஒதுக்கீட்டிற்கு செல்கிறது. இதன்படி தமிழகத்தில் அரசின் 23 மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகளில் உள்ள 3250 எம்.பி.பி.எஸ். - 100 பி.டி.எஸ். இடங்களில் இருந்து 506 இடங்கள் அகில இந்திய ஒதுக்கீட்டுக்கு செல்கின்றன.

இந்த இடங்களில் 2019 - 20ம் கல்வியாண்டுக்கான மாணவர் சேர்க்கையை மத்திய அரசின் சுகாதார சேவைகளுக்கான தலைமை இயக்குனரகம் www.mcc.nic.in என்ற இணையதளத்தில் ஆன்லைன் வாயிலாக நடத்துகிறது. முதற்கட்ட கவுன்சிலிங்குக்கு 'நீட்' தேர்வில் தகுதி பெற்ற மாணவ - மாணவியர் இன்று முதல் வரும் 24ம் தேதி வரை இணையதளத்தில் பதிவு செய்து கல்லுாரிகளை தேர்வு செய்யலாம்.தாங்கள் தேர்வு செய்த கல்லுாரியை 25ம் தேதி உறுதி செய்ய வேண்டும். தரவரிசை பட்டியல் அடிப்படையில் இடஒதுக்கீடு செய்யும் பணி 26ம் தேதி நடைபெறும். இடஒதுக்கீடு செய்யப்பட்ட விவரங்கள் 27ம் தேதி வெளியிடப்படும். கவுன்சிலிங்கில் இடங்களை பெற்றவர்கள் 28ம் தேதி முதல் ஜூலை 3க்குள் கல்லுாரிகளில் சேர வேண்டும்.

இரண்டாம் கட்ட கவுன்சிலிங்கிற்கு ஜூலை 6 முதல் 8ம் தேதி வரை விண்ணப்பிக்கலாம். இட ஒதுக்கீடு செய்யும் பணி ஜூலை 10, 11ல் நடைபெறும்; முடிவுகள் 13ம் தேதி வெளியிடப்படும். கல்லுாரியில் சேராத இடங்கள் மற்றும் நிரம்பாத இடங்கள் ஜூலை 23ல் அந்தந்த மாநில அரசுகளிடம் ஒப்படைக்கப்படும்.மத்திய மற்றும் நிகர்நிலை பல்கலை மத்திய தொழிலாளர் நலத்துறை சார்பில் நடத்தப்படும் இ.எஸ்.ஐ.சி. மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகளில் 'மாப் - அப்' எனப்படும் சிறப்பு கவுன்சிலிங் ஆக. 17ல் நடைபெறும்.

தலைமை செயலகத்தில் குடிநீர் தட்டுப்பாடு

Added : ஜூன் 19, 2019 00:28

சென்னை : தலைமை செயலகத்திற்கு, நேற்று, குடிநீர் லாரி வர தாமதமானதால், ஊழியர்கள் பெரும் சிரமத்திற்கு உள்ளாகினர்.சென்னையில் உள்ள, தலைமை செயலகத்தில், 5,000க்கும் மேற்பட்ட ஊழியர்கள் பணிபுரிந்து வருகின்றனர். அவர்களின் குடிநீர் தேவையை பூர்த்தி செய்ய, குடிநீர் வடிகால் வாரியத்திலிருந்து, லாரிகளில் குடிநீர் எடுத்து வரப்பட்டு, குழாய்கள் வழியே வினியோகம் செய்யப்படுகிறது. மற்ற தேவைகளுக்கு, ஆழ்துளை கிணறுகளிலிருந்து பெறப்படும் தண்ணீர் வழங்கப்படுகிறது.நேற்று காலை, குடிநீர் லாரிகள் வர தாமதமானது. இதனால், குடிநீர் குழாய்களில் தண்ணீர் வரவில்லை.

ஊழியர்கள் பெரும் சிரமத்திற்குள்ளாகினர். அதைத் தொடர்ந்து, உயர் அதிகாரிகள், குடிநீர் வாரிய அதிகாரிகளை தொடர்பு கொண்டனர். விரைவாக தண்ணீர் அனுப்பும்படி தெரிவித்தனர். மதியம் குடிநீர் லாரி வந்தது. அதன்பின், தண்ணீர் பிரச்னை தீர்ந்தது. ஊழியர்கள் நிம்மதி பெருமூச்சு விட்டனர்.

'10:00 மணிக்கு ஆபீஸ் வரணும்!'

Added : ஜூன் 19, 2019 00:23

சென்னை : 'அனைத்து துறை செயலர்களும், அலுவலர்களும், தினமும் காலை, 10:00 மணிக்கு, அலுவலகம் வந்து விட வேண்டும்' என, தமிழக அரசின் தலைமைச் செயலர், கிரிஜா வைத்தியநாதன் உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளார். இது தொடர்பாக, அவர் அனைத்து துறை செயலர்களுக்கும் அனுப்பியுள்ள கடிதம்:அரசு செயலர்கள் மற்றும் அலுவலர்கள், காலை, 10:00 மணிக்கு, அலுவலகம் வர வேண்டும். ஆனால், பெரும்பாலானோர், 10:00 மணிக்கு வருவதில்லை; அரசு செயலர்கள், 11:00 மணி, 12:00 மணி என, தங்கள் விருப்பத்திற்கேற்ப, வந்து செல்கின்றனர்.

இதன் காரணமாக, அவர்களை சந்திக்க, காலையில் வருவோர், நீண்ட நேரம் காத்திருக்க வேண்டியுள்ளது. அரசு செயலர்கள் அனைவரும், காலை, 10:00 மணிக்கு, அலுவலகம் வந்து விட வேண்டும். அலுவலக நேரத்தில், அலுவலகத்தில் இருக்க வேண்டும்.இந்த உத்தரவை, துறைத் தலைவர்கள் மற்றும் அவர்களுக்கு கீழ் பணிபுரியும் ஊழியர்களும் பின்பற்ற வேண்டும். இவ்வாறு, கிரிஜா வைத்தியநாதன் கூறியுள்ளார்.

Chennai: Rs 25,000 fine for pizza with metal nut

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

PublishedJun 19, 2019, 1:51 am IST

A resident underwent treatment after biting the pizza and breaking his teeth five years ago.
The food items were delivered at 10.45 p.m. on the same day and the bill amount of Rs.622 collected from him.Chennai: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Chennai (South) slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 on a famous Pizza restaurant for selling a pizza with a metal nut in it. A resident underwent treatment after biting the pizza and breaking his teeth five years ago.

In the petition, R. Shankar of Mulligoor Village, Nilgiris district submitted that on February 19, 2014 he ordered a medium Pan Vegetarian Pizza along with other food items from M/s. Dominos Pizza, T. Nagar. The food items were delivered at 10.45 p.m. on the same day and the bill amount of Rs.622 collected from him.

While biting and eating the pizza, he felt something hard that felt like there was a foreign object in the pizza. While biting and chewing the pizza his teeth broken into pieces. Immediately he stopped eating and checked the pizza and found a metal nut in it. He was compelled to go and take treatment in a dental hospital.

After taking treatment with the dentist, he contacted M/s. Jubilant Food Works Ltd., General Manager, Corporate office, Noida and M/s. Dominos Pizza, T. Nagar. He also lodged a police complaint and reported the matter to the Tamil Nadu Food, Safety and Drug Administration Department, Chennai on the next day.

Shankar said the act of M/s. Jubilant Food Works Ltd and M/s. Dominos Pizza amounts to deficiency in service and unfair trade practice that caused him mental agony. He sought a compensation of Rs 5 lakh from General Manager, M/s. Jubilant Food Works Ltd and branch manager, M/s. Dominos Pizza, T Nagar.

In his reply, General Manager M/s. Jubilant Food Works Ltd. stated that the complainant was making a false allegation. The GM said the firm is a master franchisee in India of the leading international brand of Domino's Pizza. The brand carries enormous reputation in public for providing wholesome, clean and delectable pizzas prepared and home delivered or served in a very hygienic, time-bound and organised manner. The complaint was filed with malafide intention to make illegal gain. The company not committed deficiency in service and hence, the complaint liable to be dismissed. M/s. Dominos Pizza remained exparte.

The bench comprising president M. Mony and member R. Baskarkumaravel, said Sankar's teeth in his left upper jaw were broken into pieces and thereby he was compelled to take treatment in a dental clinic. The doctor prescribed a pain killer tablet, which shows while chewing the pizza, the nut found in the pizza had caused some damage to the teeth. The bench directed M/s. Jubilant Food Works Ltd and M/s. Dominos Pizza, T Nagar jointly and severally to refund him Rs 622 being the cost of pizza and to pay a compensation of Rs 25,000 in total for causing him mental agony.

Saveetha launches first-ever fellowship programme on medical clowning

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | YAMUNA R

PublishedJun 19, 2019, 5:38 am IST

he six-month long programme, first of its kind in India, aims to enhance the social and mental well-being of people.

MeDiClown is a social startup by Fif Fernandes and Hamish Boyd founded in 2013.

Chennai: MeDiClown Academy in association with Saveetha Medical College, Chennai is offering a course on medical clowning. The six-month long programme, first of its kind in India, aims to enhance the social and mental well-being of people.

Medical clowning has been practised as a profession in the west for the past 30 years. International scientific research has shown that medical clowning has a significant positive impact in improving mental, emotional and physical health. Stress, anxiety and depression decrease, along with a number of conditions and illnesses including high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and infertility, to name a few.

MeDiClown is a social startup by Fif Fernandes and Hamish Boyd founded in 2013. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle about the inspiration behind the startup, Fif says," In 1979, I had come to India to revisit my roots, where I facilitated programs in the villages, slums, orphanages and leper homes. I witnessed a young girl, just a year younger than me who had attempted and succeeded in committing suicide. It left a lasting impression on me and I knew I wanted to do something to spread more joy and laughter in the world." She says the duo conducted laughter yoga sessions and stress relief classes back in Auroville which subsequently led to the founding of MeDiClown academy. The duo had also attended the Summer Intensive Course at Haifa University, Israel (the only degree program specializing in Medical Clowning).

Fif and Hamish are also planning to expand the social venture further. They also hope to create job opportunities for seniors and youth through this branch of health care.

“The best thing about MeDiClown Academy it speaks about love, speaks about self-love, speaks about connecting with other people through love and that is something amazing about MeDiClown Academy.”, says Maya S Krishnan - Actor, Associate Faculty, MeDiClown Academy, about her experience of working at MeDiClown Academy.

Criteria for application include a Bachelors or Post-graduate degree in any discipline from a duly recognized university; or life experience. Applications for the course will be closed by June.

ஆட்டத்தின் போது கொட்டாவி விட்ட சர்ஃபராஸ்: கடுப்பான பாகிஸ்தான் அமைச்சர்
By எழில் | Published on : 17th June 2019 01:55 PM |

இந்தியாவுக்கு எதிராகத் தோல்வியடைந்த பாகிஸ்தான் அணியினரின் செயல்பாடுகளை பாகிஸ்தான் அமைச்சர் விமரிசனம் செய்துள்ளார்.



உலகக் கோப்பை கிரிக்கெட் போட்டியில் பாகிஸ்தானை 89 ரன்கள் வித்தியாசத்தில் வீழ்த்தி அபார வெற்றி பெற்றது இந்தியா.

2019 ஐசிசி ஒருநாள் உலகக் கோப்பையின் மிக பரபரப்பான ஆட்டம் எனக் கூறப்பட்டுள்ள இந்த ஆட்டம், மான்செஸ்டர் ஓல்ட் டிராஃபோர்ட் மைதானத்தில் நேற்று நடைபெற்றது. டாஸ் வென்ற பாகிஸ்தான் பந்துவீச்சைத் தேர்வு செய்தது. ரோஹித் சர்மா, விராட் கோலியின் அபார ஆட்டத்தால் 5 விக்கெட் இழப்புக்கு 336 ரன்களை குவித்தது இந்திய அணி. ஒரு நாள் ஆட்டத்தில் துரிதமாக 11,000 ரன்களை கடந்து, ஜாம்பவான் சச்சின் டெண்டுல்கர் சாதனையை முறியடித்தார் கேப்டன் விராட் கோலி.

பாகிஸ்தான் ஆடிய போது, மழை குறுக்கிட்டது. இதனால், டிஎல்எஸ் முறைப்படி ஓவர்கள் குறைக்கப்பட்டு 40 ஓவர்களில் 302 ரன்களைக் குவிக்க வேண்டும் என கடின இலக்கு பாக். அணிக்கு நிர்ணயிக்கப்பட்டது. இதில் அந்த அணி 6 விக்கெட் இழப்புக்கு 212 ரன்கள் மட்டுமே எடுத்தது. இந்தியத் தரப்பில் விஜய் சங்கர், குல்தீப் யாதவ், பாண்டியா ஆகியோர் சிறப்பாகப் பந்துவீசி பாக். சரிவுக்கு வித்திட்டனர். இந்த வெற்றி மூலம் உலகக் கோப்பையில் 7-ஆவது முறையாக பாகிஸ்தானை வென்றுள்ளது இந்தியா.

இந்நிலையில் இந்திய அணி பேட்டிங் செய்தபோது பாகிஸ்தான் கேப்டன் சர்ஃபராஸ் கொட்டாவி விட்டபடி கீப்பிங் செய்தார். இதன் காணொளி உடனடியாகச் சமூகவலைத்தளத்தில் பரவியது. இதையடுத்து ரசிகர்களால் விமரிசனத்துக்கு அவர் ஆளாக்கப்பட்டார்.

பாகிஸ்தானின் மனித உரிமைகளுக்கான அமைச்சர் ஷிரீன் மஸாரி, சர்ஃபராஸின் செயலுக்குக் கண்டனம் தெரிவித்துள்ளார். மேலும் ஆட்டம் தொடங்குவதற்குச் சில நேரங்கள் முன்பு பாகிஸ்தான் வீரர் சோயிப் மாலிக் தனது மனைவி சானியா மிர்சாவுடன் ஒரு ஷீஷா பாரில் நண்பர்களுடன் இருந்ததாக விடியோவும் செய்தியும் வெளியாகியுள்ளன. இதற்கு பாகிஸ்தான் அமைச்சர் ஷிரீன் கண்டனம் தெரிவித்துள்ளார். ட்விட்டரில் அவர் கூறியுள்ளதாவது:

மைதானத்தில் கேப்டன் கொட்டாவி விடும்போது அங்கு ஃபீல்டிங் இல்லாமலாகிவிடுகிறது. ஆட்டம் தொடங்குவதற்கு முன்பு ஷீஷா புகைப்பிடித்தலில் ஈடுபடும்போது, அவமானத்தை விட வேறென்ன எதிர்பார்க்க முடியும்? டாஸ் வென்ற கேப்டன் இந்திய அணியை பேட்டிங் செய்ய விட்டது நிலைமையை மோசமாக்கிவிட்டது. இந்திய அணி மிகவும் தொழில்முறையுடன் ஒற்றுமையுடன் விளையாடினார்கள். ஆனால் பாகிஸ்தான் அணியில் அந்த ஒற்றுமையின்றி வீரர்களிடையே பிரிவினை உள்ளது. விளையாட்டில் வெற்றி, தோல்வி சகஜம். ஆனால், கொஞ்சமாவது தொழில்முறையுடன் விளையாடவேண்டும் என்று பாகிஸ்தான் அணியையும் கேப்டன் சர்ஃபராஸ், சோயிப் மாலிக் ஆகியோரையும் விமரிசித்துள்ளார்.

மோசடிக்குள்ளாக்கப்படும் மாணவர்கள்!

By ஐவி. நாகராஜன் | Published on : 17th June 2019 03:06 AM |

dinamani

இது ஒரு மோசடி அல்லது சதி என எப்படி வேண்டுமானாலும் சொல்லலாம். போலியாக ஒரு பல்கலைக்கழகத்துக்கு அமெரிக்காவின் உள்நாட்டு பாதுகாப்புத் துறை அனுமதி அளித்து, அதன் மூலம் 129 இந்திய மாணவர்கள் அமெரிக்காவின் குடியுரிமைத் துறையிடம் சிக்கியுள்ள செய்தி அண்மையில் வெளிவந்தது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது. 

மிக்சிகனில் உள்ள கிரேட்டர் டெட்ராய்ட் நகரில் பாஃர்ம்லேண்ட் யுனிவர்சிட்டி என்ற போலியான ஒரு பல்கலைக்கழகத்தின் பெயரில், "வகுப்புகளுக்குச் செல்ல வேண்டாம். அமெரிக்காவில் தங்குவதற்கு கல்விக் கட்டணம் செலுத்தினால் போதும்' என மோசடி விளம்பரத்தை நம்பி ஏமாந்தவர்கள் அந்த மாணவர்கள். 

இவர்களின் நிலைமை இன்று அமெரிக்காவில் பெரும் கேள்விக்குறியாக மாறியுள்ளது. எப்படியாவது அமெரிக்காவில் வேலை பார்க்க வேண்டும் எனத் துடிக்கும் மாணவர்கள் அவர்கள். இப்படி மோசடி விளம்பரம் மூலம் மாணவர்களை ஏமாற்றுவதே சட்டப்படி குற்றம் என்கிறார்கள் அமெரிக்க சட்ட வல்லுநர்கள். இதனால் ஆலோசகர்கள் இடைத் தரகர்களிடம் பல லட்சம் ரூபாயை மாணவர்கள் இழந்துள்ளனர் என்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது. இப்படி பாதிக்கப்பட்ட மாணவர்களில் சிலர் நாடு திரும்பி விட்டனர். மேலும் சிலர் அமெரிக்க சிறைகளில் அடைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளனர். 

நாடு கடத்தப்படும் இந்த மாணவர்கள் செய்த தவறுக்கு தண்டனையாக இனி அவர்கள் எந்தக் காலத்திலும் அமெரிக்காவுக்கு வர முடியாது என்ற நிலையும், இதுபோன்ற சம்பவங்களால் அமெரிக்காவில் உள்ள உயர் கல்வி நிலையங்களின் மீது பலருக்கும் தேவையற்ற சந்தேகமும் உருவாக வாய்ப்புள்ளது. இதன் விளைவு, அரசின் அங்கீகாரத்தோடு முறையாக நடைபெறும் கல்வி நிறுவனங்களும் விசாரணை என்ற பெயரில் சில சங்கடங்களைச் சந்திக்க நேரிடுகின்றன. அதேபோல் இந்தியாவில் செயல்படும் ஒரு சில மோசடி பேர்வழிகளால் கல்வி ஆலோசனைத் தொழிலில் ஈடுபட்டுள்ள மற்ற நிறுவனங்களின் பெயரும் கெடுகிறது.
இந்தியாவிலிருந்து ஒவ்வொரு ஆண்டும் ஒரு லட்சம் மாணவர்கள் அமெரிக்க பல்கலைக்கழகங்களில் படிக்கச் செல்கிறார்கள். அண்மைக்காலமாக அமெரிக்க பல்கலைக்கழகங்களில் இளங்கலை பட்டப் படிப்புகளைப் படிக்க அனுமதிக்கப்படுவதால் அமெரிக்கா செல்லும் இந்திய மாணவர்களின் எண்ணிக்கை அதிகரித்து வருகிறது. 

இந்த நிலையில், "அமெரிக்கா செல்ல விசா வாங்கித் தருவதாக ஏமாற்றும் புரோக்கர்களிடம் ஏமாற வேண்டாம்' என இந்தியாவில் உள்ள அமெரிக்க தூதரக அலுவலகங்கள் தொடந்து எச்சரித்து வருகின்றன. எனினும், இவற்றையும் தாண்டி படிக்கும் ஆர்வத்தோடு ஏராளமான நடுத்தர மற்றும் பின்தங்கிய கிராமப்புற மாணவர்கள் தெரிந்தோ தெரியாமலோ ஏமாறுகின்றனர். 

 
அதோடு சில மோசடி நிறுவனங்கள் அப்பாவி இந்திய மாணவர்களை ஏமாற்றி பணம் பறித்து வருகின்றனர். இந்தப் போலி பல்கலையில் சேர விரும்பிய இந்திய மாணவர்களுக்கு அமெரிக்க உள்நாட்டு பாதுகாப்புத் துறை அங்கீகரித்துள்ள "ஐ-20' விண்ணப்பங்கள் வழங்கப்பட்டு, அதன் அடிப்படையில் விசா அளிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. அமெரிக்காவில் திருட்டுத்தனமாக தங்க விரும்பும் மாணவர்களைப் பிடிக்க நடத்திய இந்த நாடகத்தை உண்மைபோல் காட்டுவதற்காக இதுபோன்று செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது என்று பொது வெளியில் பேசப்படுகிறது.
இனியாவது இதுபோன்ற கசாப்பான நிகழ்வுகள் நடைபெறாமல் இருப்பதற்கு அரசு முன்னெச்சரிக்கை நடவடிக்கைகளை எடுக்க வேண்டும். மாணவர்களும் கூடுதல் விழிப்போடு இருந்து ஹசெயல்பட வேண்டும்.

 அமெரிக்காவில் உள்ள தனது தூதரகங்கள் மூலம் இந்திய மாணவர்களுக்கு சட்ட உதவியும், தூதரக உதவியும் கிடைப்பதற்கான முயற்சிகளை மத்திய அரசு எடுக்க வேண்டும். இந்தியாவில் போலியான விளம்பரங்களின் மூலம் மாணவர்களை கவர நினைக்கும் இடைத் தரகர்கள் மீது மத்திய அரசு உறுதியான நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும். 

அமெரிக்கா மட்டுமல்ல சீனா, பிலிப்பின்ஸ் உள்ளிட்ட வெளிநாடுகளில் படிக்க விரும்பும் மாணவர்கள் மற்றும் அவர்களின் பெற்றோர் புரோக்கர்களையும், விளம்பரங்களையும் நம்பி ஏமாந்துவிட வேண்டாம். ஒரு முறைக்கு இரு முறை ஆழ்ந்து பரிசீலித்து உரியவாறு முடிவெடுக்கவேண்டும். அங்கீகரிக்கப்பட்ட அதிகாரப்பூர்வமான வெளிநாட்டு கல்வி நிறுவனங்களைக் கண்டறிந்து அது குறித்த விவரங்களை விரிவாகக் கேட்டறிந்து, எச்சரிக்கையோடு செயல்படவேண்டும்.
உண்மையில், விசா மோசடி செய்யும் இடைத்தரகர்கள் மீது கடுமையான நடவடிக்கை எடுத்தால், அதுவே அமெரிக்காவுக்கும் இந்தியாவுக்கும் நல்லது. இது மாணவர்களுக்கும் பாதுகாப்பாக இருக்கும். இதில் அமெரிக்காவும் இந்தியாவும் உரிய முறையில் தீவிர கவனம் செலுத்துவது நல்லது.
தேசிய வெளிநாட்டு மாணவர்கள் ஆலோசனை அமைப்பின் புள்ளிவிவரப்படி 2017-18-ஆம் கல்வியாண்டில் அமெரிக்கப் பல்கலைக்கழகங்களில் ஒரு கோடியே 10 லட்சம் வெளிநாட்டு மாணவர்கள் படிக்கிறார்கள். இவர்கள் மூலம் 3,900 கோடி அமெரிக்க டாலர்கள் வருமானம் வருகிறது. மொத்தம் 4 லட்சத்து 55 ஆயிரம் வேலைவாய்ப்புகள் இவர்கள் மூலம் உருவாகின்றன. சீனா 3 லட்சத்து 63 ஆயிரம் மாணவர்களோடு முதலிடத்தில் இருக்கிறது. இந்தியா 96 ஆயிரம் மாணவர்களோடு இரண்டாவது இடத்திலும் தென்கொரியா, சவூதி அரேபியா, கனடா, வியத்நாம் நாடுகள் அடுத்தடுத்த இடங்களிலும் உள்ளன.
அமெரிக்கா மட்டுமின்றி ஐரோப்பிய நாடுகளிலும் ஆசிய பசிபிக் நாடுகளிலும் உயர் கல்வி படிக்க இந்திய மாணவர்கள் செல்கிறார்கள். 2017-ஆம் ஆண்டு ஜனவரியில் அமெரிக்க அதிபராக ட்ரம்ப்
பதவியேற்ற பிறகு கடுமையான குடியுரிமைச் சட்டங்கள் மற்றும் ஹெச்-1பி விசா கட்டுப்பாடுகள் மூலம் அமெரிக்காவின் கல்வித் துறை கலையிழந்து நிற்கிறது. இந்த நிலையில் விசா மோசடியைக் கண்டுபிடிக்க நடத்தப்படும் நாடகங்கள் மூலம் அப்பாவி மாணவர்களை ஏமாற்றுவது எந்த விதத்திலும் பலன் தராது; இது நியாயமும்
இல்லை.

தெரிஞ்சுக்கோங்க வேலுமணி... பள்ளிக்கு விடுமுறை

Added : ஜூன் 17, 2019 23:45

சென்னை:குடிநீர் தட்டுப்பாடால், கிழக்கு தாம்பரத்தில் உள்ள, தனியார் மகளிர் பள்ளிக்கு, சமாளிப்பு நடவடிக்கையாக, இரண்டு நாட்களுக்கு விடுமுறை அளிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

தமிழகம் முழுவதும் தண்ணீர் தட்டுப்பாடு தலைவிரித்தாடுகிறது. குடிப்பதற்கு கூட தண்ணீர் கிடைக்காமல், பொதுமக்கள் தவித்து வருகின்றனர்.மருத்துவமனை, ஓட்டல், தங்கும் விடுதிகளில் தண்ணீர் இன்றி பொதுமக்கள் தவிக்கின்றனர். கிழக்கு தாம்பரம் -- வேளச்சேரி பிரதான சாலையில் உள்ள, கிரைஸ்ட் கிங் தனியார் மகளிர் பள்ளியில், 6 முதல் பிளஸ் 2 வரை, 4,000 மாணவியர் பயின்று வருகின்றனர்.இப்பள்ளியில், குடிநீருக்காக அமைக்கப்பட்டிருந்த, ஆழ்துளை கிணறு, நீரின்றி வறண்டது. இதனால், அடிப்படை தேவைக்கு கூட நீர் இன்றி, பள்ளி நிர்வாகம் தவித்து வருகிறது.குடிநீர் தட்டுப்பாட்டை சமாளிக்க முடியாத நிலையில், பள்ளி நிர்வாகம், சமாளிப்பு நடவடிக்கையாக, 5 முதல், 8ம் வகுப்பு வரை பயிலும் மாணவியருக்கு, இரண்டு நாட்கள் விடுமுறை அளித்துள்ளது. சென்னையில் குடிநீர் தட்டுப்பாடு இல்லை என, அமைச்சர் வேலுமணி பேட்டி அளித்த நாளில், தண்ணீர் இன்றி, பள்ளிக்கு விடுமுறை விடப்பட்ட சம்பவம் நடந்துள்ளது.

தமிழகத்தில் தண்ணீர் பிரச்னை இல்லையாம்!

Added : ஜூன் 17, 2019 23:35

சென்னை:''தமிழகத்தில் குடிநீர் பிரச்னை இல்லை. குடிநீர் தட்டுப்பாடு இருப்பதாக, வீண் வதந்திகளை பரப்புகின்றனர்,'' என, உள்ளாட்சி துறை அமைச்சர், வேலுமணி கூறினார். 

தமிழகம், குறிப்பாக தலைநகர் சென்னையில், 'நெ.௨' உந்துதல் முடித்த பிறகு, கழுவக் கூட தண்ணீர் இல்லாத நிலையில், அமைச்சரின், 'தமாஷ்' பேச்சைக் கேட்ட மக்கள், கொந்தளித்துப் போயுள்ளனர்.குடிநீர் வினியோக பணிகள் குறித்து, ஆய்வு கூட்டம், உள்ளாட்சி துறை அமைச்சர், வேலுமணி தலைமையில், சென்னை மாநகராட்சியில், நேற்று நடந்தது.இதில், அமைச்சர் வேலுமணி பேசியதாவது:தமிழகத்தில், சென்னை மாநகராட்சி நீங்கலாக, கோடை கால குடிநீர் தேவையை சமாளிக்க, 675 கோடி ரூபாய் மதிப்பில், ஆழ்துளை கிணறுகள் அமைத்தல், பழைய ஆழ்துளை கிணறுகளை புதுப்பித்தல், லாரிகள் வாயிலாக, குடிநீர் வழங்குதல் உள்ளிட்ட பணிகள் நடைபெறுகின்றன.

.'அம்ரூத்'

மேலும், சென்னை குடிநீர் வாரியத்தில், 2,638 கோடி ரூபாய் செலவில், 4,098 பணிகளும், தமிழ்நாடு குடிநீர் வாரியம் மற்றும் மாநகராட்சிகள், ஊராட்சிகள், பேரூராட்சி சார்பில், 16 ஆயிரத்து, 109 கோடி ரூபாய் செலவில், 11 ஆயிரத்து, 519 குடிநீர் பணிகளும் நடைபெறுகின்றன.மத்திய அரசின், 'அம்ரூத்' திட்டத்தில், மாநகராட்சிகள், நகராட்சிகள் ஆகியவற்றில், 18 பெரிய குடிநீர் திட்டப் பணிகள், 6,496 கோடி ரூபாய் செலவில் நடைபெறுகின்றன.தமிழகம் முழுவதும், 730 கோடி லிட்டர் குடிநீர் வழங்கப்பட்டு வருகிறது. சென்னை மாநகராட்சியில், தினமும், மீஞ்சூர், கடல்நீரை குடிநீராக்கும் திட்டம் வாயிலாக, 18 கோடி லிட்டர்; வீராணம் ஏரியிலிருந்து, ஒன்பது கோடி லிட்டர்; நெய்வேலி சுரங்கத்திலிருந்து, ஆறு கோடி லிட்டர்; நெய்வேலி ஆழ்துளை கிணறுகளில் இருந்து, மூன்று கோடி லிட்டர் கொடுக்கப்படுகிறது. திருவள்ளூர் மாவட்டத்தில் உள்ள, ஆழ்துளை கிணறுகளில் இருந்து, 16.5 கோடி லிட்டர் என, 52.5 கோடி லிட்டர் தண்ணீர் வழங்கப்பட்டு வருகிறது.நகர்ப்புறம் மற்றும் ஊரக உள்ளாட்சி அமைப்புகளால், குடிநீர் வினியோகம் தொய்வின்றி நடக்கிறது. பொது மக்கள், வீண் வதந்திகளை நம்பி, செயற்கையான, குடிநீர் தட்டுப்பாட்டை உருவாக்க வேண்டாம்.

கண்காணிப்பாளர்

எதிர்க்கட்சிகள், இந்த சூழ்நிலையை பயன்படுத்தி, வீண் வதந்திகளை பரப்பக் கூடாது. சென்னையில், மழை இல்லாவிட்டாலும், தண்ணீரை வழங்கி வருகிறோம். தண்ணீர் பிரச்னையால், ஓட்டல்கள், தகவல் தொழில்நுட்ப துறையை சேர்ந்த, ஐ.டி., நிறுவனங்கள் மூடப்படவில்லை. தண்ணீர் பிரச்னையால், ஓட்டல்களில், வாழை இலை, பாக்கு மட்டை பயன்படுத்த அறிவுறுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது. ஐ.டி., நிறுவன பணியாளர்கள், வீட்டில் இருந்து பணிபுரிவது வழக்கமானது.கோடை கால குடிநீர் பற்றாக்குறையை சமாளிக்க, பொதுமக்கள் அனைவரும், குடிநீரை வீணாக்காமல், சிக்கனமாக பயன்படுத்த வேண்டும்.இவ்வாறு, அவர் பேசினார்.

இக்கூட்டத்தில், நகராட்சி நிர்வாகம் மற்றும் குடிநீர் வழங்கல் துறை செயலர் ஹர்மந்தர் சிங், நகராட்சி நிர்வாக கமிஷனர் கார்த்திகேயன், சென்னை மாநகராட்சி கமிஷனர் பிரகாஷ் உள்ளிட்டோர் பங்கேற்றனர்.அமைச்சர் வேலுமணியின் பேட்டியைக் கேட்ட பொதுமக்கள், கொந்தளித்துப் போயுள்ளனர். 'நெ.௨க்கு கழுவக் கூட இங்கே தண்ணி இல்லே... இவரு, 'தமாஷ்' பண்றதா நினைச்சு, இப்படி பேசுகிறாரே...' என, சென்னை மக்கள் ஆத்திரம் கொள்ளத் துவங்கி உள்ளனர்.

'சென்னை பக்கம் வந்துடாதீங்க...' 'சென்னை பக்கம் வந்துவிடாதீங்க...' உறவுகளிடம் கெஞ்சும் மக்கள்!

Added : ஜூன் 17, 2019 23:04 |

'தயவு செய்து சென்னை பக்கம் வந்துடாதீங்க...' என, வெளியூர்களில் வசிக்கும் உறவுகளுக்கு, சென்னைவாசிகள் வேண்டுகோள் விடுத்துள்ளனர்.
'வந்தாரை வாழ வைக்கும் சென்னை' என்று அழைக்கப்பட்ட, சென்னை மாநகரம், 'யாரும் வராதீர்கள்' எனக் கூறும் நிலைக்கு தள்ளப்பட்டுள்ளது. ஏனெனில், பருவ மழை பொய்த்ததன் காரணமாக, சென்னை மாநகரில், இதுவரை இல்லாத அளவிற்கு, குடிநீர் தட்டுப்பாடு ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது.சென்னை மற்றும் சுற்றியுள்ள மாவட்டங்களில், நீர் நிலைகள் அனைத்தும், வறண்டு கிடக்கின்றன. வெயிலின் வேகம், நாளுக்கு நாள் அதிகரித்தபடி உள்ளது. நிலத்தடி நீர் மட்டம், அதல பாதாளத்திற்கு சென்று விட்டது. குறிப்பிட்ட ஆழத்திற்கு மேல், ஆழ்துளை கிணறு அமைத்தால், உப்பு நீர் உட்புகுந்து விடுகிறது. இதனால், ஆழ்துளை கிணறு அமைக்க முடியாத நிலை ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது.நிலத்தடி நீரை நம்பியிருந்தோரும், மாநகராட்சி மற்றும் குடிநீர் வாரியத்தை நம்ப வேண்டிய நிலைக்கு தள்ளப்பட்டுள்ளனர்.ஏற்கனவே, மக்களுக்கு வழங்கி வந்த குடிநீரை வழங்க முடியாமல், குடிநீர் வாரியம் தடுமாறி வருகிறது. லாரிகளில் மக்களுக்கு குடிநீர் வழங்கி வந்த, தனியார் நிறுவனங்களும், குடிநீர் கிடைக்காமல் திண்டாடுகின்றன. இதனால், பணம் கொடுத்தாலும், தண்ணீர் கிடைக்காத நிலை உள்ளது. இதனால், பல்வேறு வாழ்வியல் சிக்கல்கள் ஏற்பட்டுள்ளன.சென்னையில், பெரும்பாலானோர் வாடகைக்கு வசித்து வருகின்றனர். தண்ணீர் தட்டுப்பாடு காரணமாக, வீட்டின் உரிமையாளர், தண்ணீருக்கு தனியே பணம் வசூலிக்க துவங்கி உள்ளதால், வாடகையுடன் கூடுதல் தொகை வழங்க வேண்டிய கட்டாயம் ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது.அத்துடன், விருந்தினர்களை அழைத்து வராதீர்கள் என, வீட்டின் உரிமையாளர்கள் உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளனர். 

இதனால், பெரும்பாலானோர், வெளியூர்களில் வசிக்கும் உறவினர்களிடம், 'தயவு செய்து, கொஞ்ச நாளைக்கு, சென்னை பக்கம் வர வேண்டாம்' எனக்கூறி உள்ளனர். 'விருந்தினர் உபசரிப்பு'க்கு பெயர் பெற்ற தமிழர்கள், விருந்தினர்களை வர வேண்டாம் எனக்கூறும் அவல நிலைக்கு, அரசு தள்ளி உள்ளது.பெரும்பாலான பகுதிகளில், தண்ணீர் இல்லாததால், வாடகைக்கு குடியிருப்போர், வீடுகளை காலி செய்து வருகின்றனர்.தற்போது வாடகைக்கு வீடு பார்த்து சென்றால், அங்கு தண்ணீர் இருக்காதோ என்ற அச்சத்தில், வாடகைக்கு வீடு பார்ப்போரும், இப்போதைக்கு இடம் மாற வேண்டாம் என்ற முடிவுக்கு வந்துள்ளனர்.இதனால், வீட்டின் உரிமையாளர்களுக்கு, வாடகை வருவாய் இல்லாத நிலை ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது. இதே நிலை நீடித்தால், மக்களின் இயல்பு வாழ்க்கை முற்றிலும் ஸ்தம்பிக்கும் சூழல் உருவாகும். இதைத் தடுக்க, அரசு உரிய நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும்.
-நமது நிருபர் -

சென்னையின் நிலை இது தான்!

Updated : ஜூன் 18, 2019 06:57 | Added : ஜூன் 18, 2019 06:54 |

சென்னை: 'தண்ணீர் பஞ்சம் இல்லை; வேண்டுமென்றே மிகைப்படுத்துகின்றனர்' என, அமைச்சர், வேலுமணி கூறியுள்ளது, சர்ச்சையை ஏற்படுத்தி உள்ளது.



தவிப்பு:

* சென்னையில், குடிநீர் வாரியம், 83 கோடி லிட்டர் தண்ணீரை வினியோகம் செய்து வந்தது. நிலத்தடி நீர் இயல்பாக கிடைத்தவரை, இது போதுமானதாக இருந்தது. தற்போது, நிலத்தடி நீரும், அதலபாதாளத்திற்கு சென்று விட்டது. நீர்நிலைகளும் வறண்டதால், குடிநீர் வாரியம், வினியோகத்தை, 52 கோடி லிட்டராக குறைத்துள்ளது. வாரிய கணக்குப்படி, 32 சதவீதம் குறைந்துள்ளது. அத்துடன் நிலத்தடிநீரும் இல்லாத நிலையில், 50 சதவீதத்திற்கு மேல் தண்ணீர் பற்றாக்குறையால், மக்கள் தவித்து வருகின்றனர்




* சென்னையில் உள்ள ஓட்டல்களில், தண்ணீர் தட்டுப்பாடால், மதிய உணவை நிறுத்தும் நிலை ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது. 'தண்ணீர் தட்டுப்பாடால் மதிய உணவை நிறுத்தும் நிலை ஏற்படலாம்; அதற்காக மன்னிக்க வேண்டுகிறோம்' என, ஓட்டல் நிர்வாகங்கள் விளம்பர பலகை வைத்துள்ளன. பல இடங்களிலும், சிறு ஓட்டல்கள் தண்ணீரின்றி மூடப்பட்டுள்ளன.




* தண்ணீர் பிரச்னை காரணமாக, ஐ.டி., எனப்படும் தகவல் தொழில்நுட்ப நிறுவனங்கள், ஒரு பகுதி ஊழியர்களை வீடுகளில் இருந்து பணியாற்ற அறிவுறுத்தி உள்ளது. அலுவலகம் வருவோர், தண்ணீரை சிக்கனமாக பயன்படுத்தும் வகையில், ஒருமுறை பயன்படுத்தும் சாப்பாட்டு தட்டுகளை பயன்படுத்த அறிவுறுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது.



இப்படி, தண்ணீரால், சென்னை மக்கள் தவித்து வருவதோடு, அன்றாட செயல்பாடுகளும் பாதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ள நிலையில், 'தண்ணீர் பஞ்சம் இல்லை; வேண்டுமென்றே மிகைப்படுத்துகின்றனர்' என, அமைச்சர், வேலுமணி கூறியுள்ளது, சர்ச்சையை ஏற்படுத்தி உள்ளது.

Medical, dental students can now edit their option

STAFF REPORTER

BENGALURU, JUNE 18, 2019 00:00 IST

Medical and dental seat aspirants, who wrote Common Entrance Test (CET) and are getting their documents verified, can now make changes in their application and get reservation under various categories for medical and dental counselling.

The decision was taken at a meeting on Monday. Several candidates had approached Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) saying they were unable to avail reservation as they could not not edit their applications. Once document verification is complete for a candidate under CET, the application is considered for the NEET ranking.

A medical seat aspirant said: “I wrote CET for practice and was not serious about getting a seat. I had not paid attention to my reservation column then. But now, through my NEET ranking, I want to get a caste-based reservation as it will help me get a government-quota seat in a private college.” A KEA official pointed out that the move is likely to benefit close to hundred candidates.

Seat matrix

The KEA has published seat matrix for UG engineering courses for admissions to 2019-20. Total seats available are 45,956, while 6,407 seats are under Hyderabad-Karnataka reservation in government quota.

Convict on parole ends life along with wife

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

TIRUVARUR, JUNE 18, 2019 00:00 IST

A convict on parole and his wife on Monday reportedly ended their lives leaving behind their children.

Swaminathan, 38, of Vadachery, near Nannilam, was undergoing life sentence in connection with a molestation case in 2005 and was lodged in Central Prison, Tiruchi.

Swaminathan came out on parole for three days on June 14 and was expected to return to the prison on Monday. However, he and his wife, Saraswathi, were found hanging from the ceiling fans in their house by their children on Monday morning. Nannilam police seized the bodies and sent them for postmortem.

Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.

Girl dies of kidney failure, kin accuse Siddha practitioner of wrong treatment

STAFF REPORTER

COIMBATORE, JUNE 18, 2019 00:00 IST

Relatives of the girl staging a road blockade in front of Coimbatore Medical College Hospital on Monday.M. Periasamy

The kin of a 20-year-old college student from Coimbatore alleged that she died due to wrong treatment by a Siddha practitioner.

G. Sathyapriya of Kulathupalayam in Coimbatore died at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) in the early hours of Monday due to renal failure and other complications after she underwent treatment provided by the Siddha practitioner, they alleged.

R. Ganesan, father of Sathyapriya, said that he had taken her to Siddha practitioner Gurunathan of Manonmani Siddha Vaidya Salai at Selvapuram on January 24 as she had irregular menstrual cycle.

“My daughter underwent treatment under the Siddha practitioner till April 19. She was given various drugs in powder form during the period. She was admitted to CMCH on April 22 after she complained of pain in renal area. Doctors at CMCH said both her kidneys were not functioning. We strongly believe that her kidneys failed due to wrong treatment given by the Siddha practitioner,” alleged Mr. Ganesan, a daily wage worker.

Mr. Ganesan also alleged that the Selvapuram Police did not register a case or investigate the matter though a petition was submitted on May 1.

Another petition was given to the City Police Commissioner on May 31. “A case was registered only on Monday after we staged a road blockade in front of the CMCH,” he said

Tamil Kumaran of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi said that the deceased girl, who was doing her third year BA at Government Arts College in Coimbatore, belonged to a Dalit community. “A petition will be submitted to the SC/ST Commission seeking an inquiry into the death,” he said.

When contacted, District Siddha Medical Officer C. Dhanam said that Gurunathan was a registered practitioner of Siddha.

“He was one of the traditional practitioners of Siddha who were categorised under Class “B”. We have lifted samples of drugs from his facility and sent these to a laboratory in Chennai for examination,” she said.

City temperature likely to remain above 40 degrees Celsius for a few more days

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI, JUNE 18, 2019 00:00 IST

Safety first:Residents are advised not to expose themselves to direct sunlight from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.B. Jothi Ramalingam

Respite from heat only after Thursday, says Meteorological Department

Chennai may have a respite from heat after Thursday as the peaking day temperature may begin to decrease.

On Monday, the weather stations in Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam recorded 40.6 degrees Celsius and 41.1 degrees Celsius respectively.

The mercury level has remained above the 40-degree mark in city and suburbs for nearly 10 days now, worsening the daily life of residents who are reeling under acute water crisis.

Officials of the Meteorological Department said that some parts of north Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, Vellore, Tiruvallur and Tiruvannamalai, would continue to experience heatwave conditions till Wednesday.

Residents are advised not to expose themselves to direct sunlight between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to avoid sunstroke.

N. Puviarasan, Director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, Chennai, said wind pattern has changed and westerly and northwesterly wind was dominating in the region after Cyclone Vayu.

Once the cyclone crosses the Gujarat coast, there may be a change in wind pattern and the temperature over north Tamil Nadu is expected to dip in two days.

The cyclone landfall was delayed by nearly a week and it has prolonged the dry weather.

Strong westerly winds delayed the onset of sea breeze, leading to a rise in the mercury level by noon in coastal stations. Days are more uncomfortable in interior areas.

On the cloud cover on Monday afternoon, he said easterly winds in the higher level of atmosphere pushed the semi-transparent clouds towards the coast.

But, this would not bring rain. This was influenced by the weather system over the Bay of Bengal, he said.

Internal probe into ‘sexual harassment’ at Thoothukudi Medical College over

A.R. Hariprasad

UPDATED: JUNE 18, 2019 06:24 IST

Two student bodies distance themselves from complaint

The internal inquiry on a sexual harassment complaint against an assistant professor at Government Thoothukudi Medical College had been completed and the report sent to the Directorate of Medical Education, said Dean S. Balasubramanian.

Speaking to The Hindu , Dr. Balasubramanian said that the inquiry was conducted by a three-member committee of women doctors with the entire batch of students and the assistant professor concerned. Specific inquiry with the victims could not be conducted as the complaint was anonymous. “The response from the DME is awaited,” he said.

After the anonymous complaint was dropped in the complaint box, the inquiry was started against N. Kandasamy, assistant professor in Orthopaedics department.

In the complaint, the students said that they had suffered sexual abuse and threats from him. They had chosen to remain anonymous fearing repercussions, the complaint said. Over the last few days, members of two student bodies – Compulsory Rotatory Residential Internship (CRRI) Council and Students Council of GTKMC – have distanced themselves from the complaint.

In two separate but near-identical letters addressed to the Dean, the student bodies said that they came to know that an anonymous ‘false complaint’ was dropped in the complaint box and that they were in no way connected to it.

Meanwhile, People’s Empowerment Organisation, run by advocate E. Athisaya Kumar, in a petition sent to the Dean, demanded expansion of the internal complaints committee to have nine members, including the Medical Superintendent, Resident Medical Officer, two more women faculty members, a social worker and a lawyer, in accordance with the Visaka guidelines.

Further, the assistant professor should be transferred until the investigation was over to prevent any possible influencing of complainants, the petition said.

Forum orders two doctors to pay Rs. 6 lakh to patient

STAFF REPORTER

SHIVAMOGGA, JUNE 18, 2019 00:00 IST

Woman developed complications after hysterectomy

The Shivamogga District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has ordered two doctors to pay Rs. 6 lakh as compensation to a person for the alleged negligence they displayed during a hysterectomy procedure.

Dr. M. Muralidhara Rao and Dr. Vijayalakshmi Raveesh, with Raghavendra Nursing Home in Shivamogga city, performed hysterectomy on K.A. Geetha on October 5, 2012. Following this, the patient developed hydronephrosis and urinary retention problems. During the medical tests conducted at another hospital, it emerged that the damage done to the ureter portion while performing hysterectomy had resulted in these complications.

The victim had to undergo another surgery in Bengaluru later to get the post-hysterectomy complications resolved. Ms. Geetha approached the Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, alleging that she had to suffer physical as well as mental agony owing to the medical negligence during hysterectomy. After examining the documents related to the medical treatment that Ms. Geetha had taken, the forum held the doctors guilty of medical negligence.

In a press release, the Assistant Administrative Officer of the forum said it had ordered payment of Rs. 6 lakh as compensation to the victim towards medical expenses she had incurred for the treatment of the complications that emerged after the ureter was damaged during hysterectomy and to compensate the mental agony she had undergone. The forum also ordered payment of Rs. 30,000 to the victim towards litigation expenses. The payment should be made by six weeks failing which 10 per cent annual interest would be charged on the compensation amount, the forum said.

Tampering of answer sheets crime against society, says Madras high court

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | J STALIN

Published  Jun 17, 2019, 1:21 am IST

Updated Jun 17, 2019, 1:21 am IST

The judge directed the authorities to proceed with the departmental disciplinary enquiry proceedings as expeditiously as possible.

Madras high court

Chennai: The Madras high court has held that any tampering of the answer sheets or erroneous award of marks amounts to crime against the society at large. At the same time, it would result in frustration in the minds of the young students, who are all the future of our great nation.

Justice S. M. Subramaniam gave the ruling while disposing of the petitions from P.Nirmala Devi and 9 others, who are working as lecturers and senior lecturers in the District Institute of Education and Training, Dindigul district, challenging the charge memo issued against them for the alleged irregularities and illegalities in evaluation of answer scripts and award of marks.

The judge directed the authorities to proceed with the departmental disciplinary enquiry proceedings as expeditiously as possible. The judge also directed the petitioners to submit their explanations/objections in respect of the charges within two weeks and defend their case in the manner known to law.

The judge said in the era of transparency, identification of irregularities and illegalities were possible and the evaluations can be tested by all concerned with reference to the answer sheets. For example, if the award of marks were not in consonance with the key answers and the materials provided to the examiners, there was a possibility of doubt regarding the award of marks on various reasons. There was a possibility of extraneous consideration, malpractices, corrupt activities etc.

The principles of reasonableness and the accuracy adopted by the examiners with reference to the guidelines issued by the competent authorities as well as the key answers can be verified. Once, the competent authority or the persons concerned identified the discrepancy or illegalities in award of marks then suitable actions were bound to be initiated against all concerned. However, all these aspects cannot be gone into by the high court in the present batch of petitions as the notice of pending action on hand was nothing but challenge made against the charge memo. Thus, appreciation of merits at this stage was inappropriate and impermissible. Factual findings cannot be arrived in a petition, more specifically when the charge memo itself was under challenge, the judge added.

The judge said undoubtedly, the allegations against the petitioners were serious in nature and affecting the institutional integrity and honesty. The institutional integrity can be maintained only by developing the transparent procedure in the matter of evaluation of answer sheets. Confidence and trust in the minds of the students as well as the public were unfettered elements and the authorities competent must ensure the correctness of evaluations. The high court cannot interfere with these intricacies with regard to the allegations as well as the truthfulness at this stage. Such interference would hamper the enquiry proceedings to be conducted by the competent authorities in respect of the allegations set out in the charge memorandum issued to the petitioners, the judge added.

The judge said lakhs and lakhs of young students of this great nation were participating in the process of examination with the fond hope that their answer sheets were being evaluated properly and promptly and the award of marks were given in accordance with the key answers, reference books. Procedural transparency and the trustworthiness in the educational system lies on various aspects including the correct evaluation of answer sheets.

No student should feel that their answer sheets were improperly evaluated and marks were not awarded in accordance with the key answers as well as the reference books. “This court is of an undoubted opinion that the allegations are in the public domain and the students are also awaiting for complete enquiry in respect of these examiners. In these circumstances, a full-fledged enquiry to cull out the truth behind the allegations is imminent and warranted”, the judge added.

The judge said such allegations were nowadays common in various universities and investigations were also going on in respect of such allegations which were all in the public domain. The state must take action in respect of all these allegations and ensure a full proof system so as to avoid such allegations and ensure proper evaluation of answer sheets by the examiners for the purpose of awarding of marks etc.

The offence as well as the misconduct of all these nature would affect very foundation of the educational system across the nation and thus, the state as well as the education department must be double-cautious in maintaining the system of preparation of question papers, evaluation of answer sheets, publication of results etc, If any loopholes were identified, the authorities must immediately review the entire system and correct the same for the purpose of developing the transparency and to curtail the possibility of discrepancy, corrupt activities, errors etc.

It was the constitutional mandate on the part of the state to provide the best educational system by formulating the guidelines and rules. In the era of right to education Act, development in the field of education was of paramount importance. Under these circumstances, the state must ensure transparency and efficiency in the system enabling the students to develop confidence in their minds for the purpose of nation building. “Undoubtedly, the students are the 'Nation Builders' and in the event of untrustworthiness in the system of education the same will hamper the very idea of achieving the Constitutional philosophy and ethos”, the judge added.

'Don't compare air strikes and cricket match': Pakistan on Shah's congratulatory message to Team India
Shah was referring to the February 26 strikes carried out by India on terrorist training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Published: 17th June 2019 10:35 PM 

Pakistan's army spokesman Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor .

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's military spokesperson on Monday asked Home Minister Amit Shahnot to compare Pakistan cricket team's defeat to India in the World Cup game to the air strikes, warning him to "stay surprised", according to media reports.

Remarks by Major Gen Asif Ghafoor, who is the director general of the Army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), came after Shah congratulated the Indian cricket team after their win over Pakistan in the World Cup clash and tweeted: "Another strike on Pakistan by Team India and the result is same."

"Congratulations to the entire team for this superb performance. Every Indian is feeling proud and celebrating this impressive win," Shah tweeted.

Shah was referring to the February 26 strikes carried out by India on terrorist training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.


Pakistan has denied that there was any damage or casualties in the IAF air strikes.

Ghafoor, through his personal account, on Monday responded to Shah, saying: "Dear Amit Shah, yes your team won a match. Well played."

Ghafoor pointed out that "two things with different denominators can't be compared, so are strikes and match".

"If in doubt please see results of our Nowshera counter strikes and response to IAF [Indian Air Force] violation on 27 Feb 19 downing two Indian jets," he said, ending his tweet with: "Stay Surprised."

India has maintained that it had lost only one of its fighter jets in the air combat on February 27.

UGC asks academics to avoid predatory journals & conferences

The UGC also said that academics should not get associated as editors, advisors or in any other capacity, with journals, conferences involved in fraudulent practices.

Published: 17th June 2019 05:36 AM

By Express News Service

COIMBATORE: Taking strong note on ensuring academic integrity, University Grants Commission (UGC) has said that any publication in predatory or dubious journals or presentations in such conferences should not be considered for giving academic degrees.

Research publication only from journals indexed in UGC-CARE (Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics) list should be used for all academic purposes, with immediate effect, the UGC said.
The commission said that such publication or presentation should not be considered for academic credit for selection, confirmation, promotion, performance appraisal, the award of scholarship or academic degrees.

In a public notice, UGC Secretary Rajnish Jain on Friday advised Vice-Chancellors, selection committees, research supervisors and other experts involved in the academic evaluation to ensure that their decisions were primarily based on the quality of research work and not merely on the number of publications.
Rajnish said that increased incidence of compromised publication ethics and deteriorating academic integrity was a growing problem contaminating all domains of research. It has been observed that unethical/deceptive practices in publishing were leading to an increased number of dubious journals worldwide, he said.

It has been reported that in India, the percentage of research articles published in predatory journals was high. Unethical practices leading to pay and publish trash culture needs to be thwarted immediately, he added.


The UGC also said that academics should not get associated as editors, advisors or in any other capacity, with journals, conferences involved in fraudulent practices.

Constitute panel to find if NEET fulfilled objectives: PMK

Chennai: While reiterating its demand to scrap NEET, the PMK has said the Centre should constitute a committee comprising experts who are interested in social justice, to find whether the objectives of holding the test had been fulfilled in the last three years. In a statement, Anbumani Ramadoss, said data have once again proved that the claim that NEET will enhance quality and prevent commercialisation of medical education, is fallacious. Enrolment of candidates who were not able to score the required marks in NEET in medical colleges has exposed failure of NEET implementation. A media report has said 50 students who have scored only single-digit marks and minus marks in NEET have been enrolled in private deemed universities in Punjab, he said.

Chennai engineering college teachers turn enrolment agents to save jobs

With the threat of losing jobs or facing a huge pay-cut hovering over their head, faculty are asked by managements to use all means to get students enrolled

Published: 17th June 2019 06:32 AM

By Sushmitha Ramakrishnan

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Ranjith stares at a spreadsheet on his computer which has names of school students, their addresses, mobile numbers and their subject stream in Class 12, among other details. He pulls out his phone, judging which of the hundred contacts assigned to him for the morning session, would potentially join the private engineering college in Namakkal, where he works as a faculty.

He is among thousands of faculty from private engineering colleges, who are being forced by their respective managements, to double as marketing agents, enrolling more students into their institutions.
With the threat of losing their jobs or facing a huge pay-cut hovering over their head, the faculty are deprived of their annual vacation and instead, coerced into canvassing door-to-door for admissions, calling hundreds of students from common databases, sent bulk SMSs, distribute pamphlets and even personally accompany students for certificate verification process for engineering counselling. Some managements have asked faculty members to commonly pay an agent, to whom they can outsource the admission duty.

The management Ranjith works for, has asked all faculty from his college to enroll at least five students, failing which he or she will receive only half the salary for three months. Even as Ranjith, along with his colleagues, have been asked to do “admission duty” since May, he has been able to only enroll 2 students.



“The management has given me only half the salary for the last two months. They will hold back June’s salary as well, if I do not meet the target,” he rued.

He added that his management has already asked nearly 40 faculty members to leave their jobs after they refused to engage in admission duty. Ranjith said that the remaining faculty members who were grappling to enroll more students, were asked to write a letter explaining the reason for not meeting their target.

“When we are on admission duty, we are given the contact details of 100 students in the morning and 100 in the noon. We have to call them and find out if they are interested in joining engineering programme and convince them to join our college,” he said.
Kumaran, a faculty from a private engineering college, that runs both, engineering and arts and science courses, said that he has been asked to enroll five students. This target, however, comes with a catch: each enrollment into the engineering courses will be counted as one point, and each into the arts or sciences, will be counted as half point. This means that, if he only finds students interested in arts and science courses, he must make 10 admissions.

A private engineering college in the outskirts of Chennai, has asked faculty members to provide proof of personally visiting homes of potential students. “It gets very awkward most times. Especially when a male faculty calls a female candidate and asks if he can visit her at her home to talk about admissions, or when a female faculty has to speak to a male parent to ask if she can visit their home,” said Sudha, a faculty member from that college.

The “business” of finding admissions has gone too far in some institutions, said Raman, a faculty from a private engineering college in Madurai. His college, even as it threatens a pay-cut if a faculty does not meet the enrollment target, offers incentives for each student they enroll. This has complicated things lot more in their college.

His college pays him Rs 14,000 as incentive for one enrollment, he claimed, adding that the management pays an outside agent Rs 20,000.

The private institutions have take the gambit so far, that they have instructed faculty to accompany students to the certificate verification process for counselling. “As soon as we convince a student to join our college, the management takes in their class 10 and 12 academic records and certificates, along with a fee of `5,000 of advance fees. On the day of certificate verification, we have to accompany the student with the certificates,” said a faculty member, who did not want to be identified.

Thousands of teachers lost their jobs after AICTE revised the student-teacher ratio from 1:15 to 1:20. Many more had to take a pay cut to remain employed.

MK Surappa, Vice Chancellor of Anna University, said he has received a few complaints about this rampant problem. “I have passed on these letters to the affiliations director of the varsity. If it is proven that colleges harass teachers, we may even cancel their affiliation,” he said.

State Higher Education Minister KP Anbalagan, speaking to Express recently claimed that he was unaware of this problem.”However, if such complaints come to our notice...If I get to know that a certain private college is forcing teachers to get admission, I will strongly consider closing the institution down,” he asserted. (All names have been changed on request)

‘Admission duty’

Even faculty, who have years of experience, are forced to actively participate in the ‘admission duty’. A private engineering college in the outskirts of Chennai, has asked faculty members to provide proof of personally visiting homes of potential students

Anna University refuses to disclose 92 colleges told to reduce intake
Karthik had also sought the university to disclose the names of members who were part of the inspection team.

Published: 18th June 2019 05:52 AM

Anna University 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI : The Anna University has refused to disclose names of the 92 private engineering colleges which have been asked to reduce their seats after the university inspection team found lacunae in faculty and infrastructure.Replying to an RTI query filed by KM Karthik, president of Private Educational Institutions Employees Association, who wanted names of the colleges be made public, the university has said that they cannot disclose the names as some of them have approached the High Court.

Karthik had also sought the university to disclose the names of members who were part of the inspection team. The university said that disclosure of the names would endanger their lives or physical safety and also cause an unwarranted invasion on the privacy of the individuals.

Notably, Karthik filed a complaint with the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on June 7 alleging that the university officials had intentionally concealed names of 92 colleges to ensure that they get students. He also alleged the university-college nexus will affect students.

The High Court should take suo moto cognizance of the issue, said Karthik.

After 9-month wait, special teachers seek appointment
Chennai: Special teachers, who teach courses like arts and tailoring, staged a protest on Monday, asking the Teachers’ Recruitment Board (TRB) to appoint candidates who qualified in the board’s eligibility exam conducted in 2017. Even though it has been two years since the candidates wrote the exam, no appointment has been made yet, the teachers charged.



The special teachers test was conducted by the board in September 2017 and the final list of selected candidates was released nine months ago. In a letter to the board, the selected candidates appealed that the appointments should be made immediately. “We did no fault except clearing the exam. We are hesitant to find other opportunities as we are awaiting government appointment,” said an arts teacher, who was selected in the final list. He did not want to be identified fearing that it may affect his appointment. Express could not reach TRB officials for comments

Engg counselling for spl category students from June 25
Chennai: Counselling for Tamil Nadu Engineering Admission (TNEA) for special category students will be held from June 25, and not June 20 (as previously declared), said a statement issued by the State government on Monday. Counselling for differently-abled candidates will be held on June 25, for ex-servicemen on June 26 and for sports quota beneficiaries on June 27. Counselling for the vocational group will take place from June 26 to June 28. The counselling will take place in the auditorium of Central Polytechnic College Taramani.

Students invited to apply for enrolment in hostels
Chennai: Inviting eligible students to apply for enrolment in hostels, A Shanmuga Sundaram, district collector of Chennai, said in a release, “A total of 14 hostels function across Chennai city for students belonging to Backward Classes (BC), Most Backward Classes (MBC) and minorities. Of them, nine hostels are for boys while five others for girls. Students of ITIs and colleges are eligible to get enrolled in the hostels. The eligible students can get free accommodation and food. Interested students should submit their applications with respective hostel wardens or office of the district BC and minorities welfare department within July 15.”

Parents demand option to buy train seats for children below 5

...say they often fudge age during reservations to be eligible for a separate seat as railways still does not provide the option, despite rule revision in 2016

Published: 18th June 2019 05:57 AM

For representational purposes (File | EPS)

By B Anbuselvan

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Indian Railways not allowing customers to book a separate seat or berth for children below the age of five is causing hardship for a section of travellers. The railway rules, which are over a hundred years old, say children under five can travel free of cost without seats.

In March 2016, the rules were revised and commuters were allowed to book separate berths and seats for children between 5 and 12 upon payment of the full fare. Even then, it did not provide an option of booking tickets for children below five. Airlines and buses, on the other hand, allow booking of separate seats for children of any age.

Many parents who travel frequently with children are demanding a revision of this policy. “Though my daughter is just two years old, I book tickets stating her age as five, so that I can get her a separate seat,” says S Brinda, a software professional who shuttles often between Chennai and Bengaluru.



“Giving incorrect age for availing a service can be considered illegal. In case of untoward incidents, I am worried of the consequences of fudging my child’s age,” says Brinda, adding that railways must consider providing separate seats to children, at least for those customers who are willing to pay.

“The last few times, when travelling by second sitting and chair car of Kovai Express, I am standing in the aisle for the most part of the journey so that my two-year-old daughter can take my seat,” says S Karthikeyan of Vadapalani. “These days, I have switched to second AC sleeper because berths are much wider than in other classes.”

“Railway policies are changed periodically based on patronage. If more passengers are found opting for separate berths for children between 5 and 12, the policy may get extended for kids below five as well,” says a senior railway official. “If there is a change in policy, it’s likely to be introduced first in premier trains.”

Decide on compassionate appointments soon: Madras HC

The judge also said that as a matter of right the applicant cannot demand appointment based on his higher qualifications.

Published: 18th June 2019 03:17 AM |

Madras High Court 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Appointment on compassionate grounds is substantial litigation in this court and the government should ensure that it takes an unbiased decision within six months so that the applicant will know where he stands. Justice S Vaidyanathan made the observation on June 10 while rejecting a plea from K Selvakumar praying for a direction to the Villupuram Collector to provide him the appointment following his father’s death in harness.

The judge also said that as a matter of right the applicant cannot demand appointment based on his higher qualifications. He shall be appointed in Class-IV posts as the Class-III posts are meant either for promotion or for direct recruitment and shall not be taken on compassionate appointment. In addition, the court expects the State to take into account the following suggestions and issue a GO immediately so that it can be given effect to from January 1 this year, the judge said.

The compassionate appointment shall be made within one year from the date of death of the government employee. The qualification for Class-IV staff can be completely relaxed for giving compassionate appointment. As held by the Supreme Court in 2011, the purpose of compassionate appointment is to meet the sudden crisis and there is no need to keep a post to claim after 18 years.

Therefore, it is clear that the request for appointment on compassionate ground for the child in the womb by seeking reservation of one post till it attains majority cannot be entertained. Whenever an application is made, it should be decided within three months. The officer concerned, who fails to keep up the schedule, should be removed and transferred to a non-sensitive post, the judge said.



The documents sought by the authorities should be uploaded by the application so that there would be no quarrel over non-consideration of vital documents while scrutinising. The applicant shall also furnish his/her cell number, email address, etc. to enable the authorities to communicate the order. In case compassionate appointment is considered other than for the spouse, then 25 per cent of the gross monthly income shall be directly paid to the spouse by way of NEFT or RTGS and the said gross income is subject to IT deductions.

Compassionate appointment shall not be considered as a back-door entry and it is based on rules, regulations, guidelines and Government Orders. However, it should be remembered that compassionate appointment is not an usual recruitment process and the candidates seeking such appointment will have to satisfy all requirements contemplated under the rules. However, it is subject to relaxation depending upon the circumstances of each case, the judge added.

Parents beware: Chennai dist has 331 unrecognized schools
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:18.06.2019

The Chennai district collectorate on Monday released the list of 331 schools functioning without government recognition. Collector A Shanmuga Sundaram advised parents not to admit their children in any of these unrecognized schools.

The list includes Kidzee Play School in Ashok Nagar, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Vidya Mandir in West Mambalam and American Kidz International Montessori Education in Velachery.

Many other schools admitted students claiming they were affiliated to the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) or were recognised by the state directorate for elementary education.

Earlier, a list of 25 unrecognised schools in Tiruvallur district was released.

These 350 schools are among the 760 schools across the state that are facing closure for not obtaining recognition.

A school must obtain building stability certificate from the local bodies, fire safety certificate and no objection certificate (NOC) from the health department to be eligible for recognition. Along with this, it should meet the minimum land requirements — 33 cents in Greater Chennai Corporation limit — set by the government to apply for recognition.

Recently, students from a private school that claimed to have CBSE affiliation were not able to take up their annual exams. Authorities came to know about violations only in the last minute. No school is allowed to operate without obtaining recognition from the respective state governments. It should be renewed every three years, according to the RTE Act, 2009.

To avoid this, the state school education department had in April formed district-level committees to inspect schools and update the recognition process. During the process, the committee based in Chennai found that these 331 schools didn’t meet the eligibility criteria and recommended that they be shut before the start of the academic year.

Will give marks for faulty questions, TNPSC tells court

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:18.06.2019

The Tamil Nadu Public Services Commission (TNPSC) on Monday informed the Madras high court that the allegations of wrong answer keys released for the preliminary examination conducted for recruitment to Group-I services had been resolved and appropriate additional marks were allotted to the deserving candidates.

In view of receipt of 4,390 representations from the candidates on 96 such wrong answers and incorrect questions, the commission constituted an expert committee, which thoroughly analysed the representations and due marks have been allotted to candidates who attended such questions, R Thara Bai, deputy secretary, TNPSC, said in an affidavit.

“The committee in its analysis found that for 12 questions all options were either wrong or ambiguous. For five questions, two or more options were correct and for seven other questions tentative answer keys alone were wrong,” the report said.

As a matter of fact, pursuant to the above exercise, candidates including the petitioner have been allotted marks for 6 of 10 questions pointed out by him in his representation, the deputy secretary added.

The submissions were made on the plea moved by S Vignesh of West Mambalam, an unsuccessful candidate of the preliminary exam conducted on March 3. The petitioner alleged that 18 of 200 answers released by TNPSC for the preliminary examinations for Group-I services were wrong.

Recording the submissions made by the TNPSC, Justice V Parthiban adjourned the plea to June 19 for further hearing.

According to the petitioner, the commission released the answer key on March 4 on its website with a note that if any of the answers in the key is incorrect, candidates were invited to challenge the respective questions with correct answers by uploading proper source of reference material to the website within seven days.

Though the petitioner and others found 17 answers and one question wrong and challenged them with appropriate reference materials, the commission, without considering the same, released the list of selected candidates and main examination was conducted on April 3.

Claiming that the entire recruitment process is not transparent, the petitioner submitted that if appropriate marks were given for the wrong answer keys, he would get 195 marks instead of the current 175.5.

The petitioner wanted the court to quash the final answer key published on March 4 and the list of selected candidates provisionally admitted for main written examination in respect of posts included in the combined civil service and public exam (Group-I services). He wanted the court to direct the commission to revise the answer key and the list of selected candidates.

The committee in its analysis found all choices wrong or ambiguous for 12 questions, two or more options correct for five questions, and tentative answer keys wrong for seven other questions