தீபாவளி பண்டிகைக்கு சொந்த ஊருக்குச் செல்ல அரசு பேருந்து முன்பதிவு நாளை தொடக்கம்

சென்னை 

தீபாவளி பண்டிகைக்கு சொந்த ஊருக்குச் செல்ல அரசு விரைவுப் பேருந்துகளில் டிக்கெட் முன்பதிவு நாளை தொடங்குகிறது. சிறப்பு பேருந்துகள் இயக்கம் குறித்து அரசு போக்குவரத்து கழகங்களின் நிர்வாக இயக்குநர்கள் 2 வாரங் களில் ஆலோசனை நடத்த வுள்ளனர்.


இந்த ஆண்டின் தீபாவளி பண்டிகை அக்டோபர் 27-ம் தேதி ஞாயிறுக்கிழமை வருகிறது. சனி, ஞாயிறு விடுமுறை என்பதால், வெளியூர்களில் வசிப்பவர்கள் வெள்ளிக்கிழமை அன்றே அதா வது, அக்டோபர் 25-ம் தேதியே சொந்த ஊருக்குச் செல்ல திட்ட மிட்டுள்ளனர். தென் மாவட்டங் களுக்கு வழக்கமாக செல்லும் விரைவு ரயில்களில் முன்பதிவு முடிந்துவிட்டது.

இதற்கிடையே தேவைக்கு ஏற்ப சிறப்பு ரயில்கள் இயக்கப்படும் என தெற்கு ரயில்வே அறிவித்துள்ளது. அதே நேரத்தில் சிறப்பு ரயில்களிலும் முன்பதிவு தொடங்கிய சில நிமிடங்களில் டிக்கெட் விற்று தீர்ந்து விடுவதால், பெரும்பாலான மக்கள் அரசு மற்றும் தனியார் ஆம்னி பேருந்துகளை நம்பி இருக்கின்றனர்.

தமிழகத்தில் 300 கி.மீ.க்கு அதிகமான தொலைவுள்ள இடங் களுக்கு அரசு விரைவு போக்கு வரத்துக் கழகம் சார்பில் சொகுசு, ஏசி பேருந்துகள் இயக்கப்படு கின்றன. குறிப்பாக திருச்சி, மதுரை, நெல்லை, நாகர்கோவில், கோவை, திருப்பூர், சேலம், திருப்பதி, பெங்களூரு, கும்பகோணம், நாகப்பட்டினம் உள்ளிட்ட பல்வேறு இடங்களுக்கு 1,200 பேருந்துகள் இயக்கப்படுகின்றன. இவற்றில் தினமும் ஒரு லட்சத்துக்கும் மேற்பட்டோர் பயணம் செய்கின் றனர். அரசு விரைவுப் பேருந்து களில் 60 நாட்களுக்கு முன்பு டிக் கெட் முன்பதிவு செய்யும் வசதி உள்ளது. அந்த வகையில், அக் டோபர் 25-ம் தேதிக்கான முன்பதிவு நாளை (27-ம் தேதி) தொடங்குகிறது.

இதுதொடர்பாக அரசு போக்குவரத்து துறை உயர் அதிகாரிகள் சிலர் கூறியதாவது:

அரசுப் பேருந்துகளில் பயணம் செய்ய 60 நாட்களுக்கு முன்பே முன்பதிவு செய்யும் வசதி உள்ளது. தற்போது, தீபாவளி பண்டிகை நெருங்கவுள்ள நிலையில், தென்மாவட்டங்களுக்கு செல்லும் ஆயிரக்கணக்கான மக்கள் முன்பதிவு செய்வார்கள் என எதிர்பார்க்கிறோம். விரைவுப் போக்குவரத்து கழகத்தில் படுகை வசதி, ஏசி வசதி மற்றும் சொகுசு விரைவு பேருந்துகள் அதிக அளவில் இணைக்கப்பட் டுள்ளதால், பொதுமக்கள் விரும்பி பயணம் செய்வார்கள் என எதிர்பார்க்கிறோம்.

பொதுமக்கள் www.tnstc.in, www.redbus.in, www.paytm.com ஆகிய இணையதளங்கள் வழியாக டிக்கெட் முன்பதிவு செய்து கொள்ளலாம். இந்த ஆண்டில் தீபாவளி பண்டிகையின்போது எவ்வளவு சிறப்புப் பேருந்துகள் இயக்குவது என்பது குறித்து அரசு போக்குவரத்துக் கழகங்களின் நிர்வாக இயக்குநர்களுடன் ஆலோசனைக் கூட்டம் அடுத்த 2 வாரங்களில் நடக்க உள்ளது. அதன்பின்னரே, சிறப்புப் பேருந்துகள் இயக்கம் தொடர்பாக அரசு அறிவிக்கும்.

பண்டிகை நாட்களில் சென்னை, புறநகர் பகுதிகளில் அதிக போக்குவரத்து நெரிசல் இருக்கும் என்பதால், நெரிசலை குறைக்கும் வகையில் திட்டமிட்டு பேருந்துகளை இயக்குவது குறித்து போலீஸாருடனும் ஆலோசனை நடத்த உள்ளோம். தீபாவளிக்கு போதிய அளவில் சிறப்புப் பேருந்துகள் இயக்கப்படும்.

இவ்வாறு அவர்கள் கூறினர்.

தலையங்கம்

விண்ணைநோக்கி எகிறும் தங்கத்தின் விலை

உலகம் முழுவதிலும் தங்கத்திற்கென தனி மவுசு இருக்கிறது. ஆயிரக்கணக்கான ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பே தங்கம் ஒரு தனி மதிப்புடன் உலவி வந்திருப்பதற்கு சரித்திர சான்றுகள் இருக்கின்றன.

ஆகஸ்ட் 26 2019, 04:00

உலகம் முழுவதிலும் தங்கத்திற்கென தனி மவுசு இருக்கிறது. ஆயிரக்கணக்கான ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பே தங்கம் ஒரு தனி மதிப்புடன் உலவி வந்திருப்பதற்கு சரித்திர சான்றுகள் இருக்கின்றன. பண்டையகால மக்கள் குறிப்பாக மன்னர்கள் தங்க ஆபரணங்கள் அணிவதை மிகப்பெருமையாக கருதி இருக்கிறார்கள். அதனால்தான் மன்னர்கள் இறந்தவுடனும், அவர்கள் குடும்பத்தினர் இறந்தவுடனும் அவர்கள் அணிந்திருந்த தங்க ஆபரணங்களோடு புதைக்கும் வழக்கம் இருந்தது என பல அகழ்வாராய்ச்சியில் தெரியவந்துள்ளது. தங்க ஆபரணங்களுக்கு 7 ஆயிரம் ஆண்டுகளுக்கும் மேல் வரலாறு உண்டு. தொடர்ந்து இன்றையநாள் வரை ஆபரணங்களாக அணிவதற்கும், அதற்கும் மேலாக சேமிப்பாக முதலீடு செய்வதற்கும் தங்கம்தான் உயர்ந்ததாக கருதப்படுகிறது. பல இடங்களில் வசதி படைத்தவர்கள் வீடுகளில் மட்டுமின்றி, ஏழை–எளிய வீடு என்றாலும் திருமண பேச்சு நடக்கும்போது பெண்ணுக்கு எவ்வளவு நகை போடுகிறீர்கள்? என்று கேட்பதும் சமுதாயத்தில் வழக்கத்தில் உள்ளது.

பணத்தின் மதிப்பு குறைந்துகொண்டே இருக்கிறது. ஆனால் தங்கத்தின் மதிப்பு அதிகமாகிக்கொண்டே இருக்கிறது. பொதுவாக குடும்பங்களிலும் தங்கத்தில் முதலீடு செய்யும் வழக்கம் காலம்காலமாக இருக்கிறது. குறிப்பாக விவசாய குடும்பங்களில் ஏதாவது பொருளாதார நெருக்கடி, அதாவது அவசர செலவுகள் வரும்போது உடனடி பணத்தேவைக்காக தங்கத்தை அடகு வைத்து பணம் வாங்கிக்கொள்ளலாம் என்ற நிலை இருக்கிறது. அந்த வகையில், இந்தியாவில் உள்ள வீடுகளில் மட்டும் 20 ஆயிரம் டன்னுக்கும் மேலாக தங்கம் இருக்கிறது. மற்ற சேமிப்புகளைவிட, தங்கத்தில் செய்யப்படும் முதலீடு குறைந்த காலத்தில் அதிக வருவாய் கிடைக்கிறது என்றும் மக்களிடையே கருத்து நிலவுகிறது. இவ்வளவுக்கும் இந்தியாவில் தங்கம் கிடைப்பதில்லை. ஆண்டுதோறும் ஏறத்தாழ ஆயிரம் டன் தங்கம் இறக்குமதி செய்யப்படுகிறது. கச்சா எண்ணெய்க்கு அடுத்தாற்போல, அதிகம் இறக்குமதி செய்யப்படும் பொருள் இந்தியாவில் தங்கம்தான். பல நாட்கள் தொடர்ந்து ஏறுமுகத்தில் இருந்த தங்கத்தின் விலை அதன்பிறகு இடை இடையே சில நாட்கள் மட்டும் சற்று இறங்கியபிறகு, மீண்டும் உயர்ந்து விண்ணை நோக்கி சென்றுகொண்டு இருக்கிறது. நேற்று முன்தினம் தங்கத்தின் விலை ஒரு பவுனுக்கு ரூ.29,440. அடுத்த ஒருசில நாட்களில் ஒரு பவுனின் விலை ரூ.30 ஆயிரத்தை எட்டிவிடும் என்று எதிர்பார்க்கப்படுகிறது.

சாதாரண ஏழை–எளிய வீடுகளில்கூட இப்போது ஆவணி மாதம் பிறந்துவிட்ட நேரத்தில் பிள்ளைகளுக்கு திருமணம் செய்து வைக்கலாமே என்று நினைப்பவர்கள் மனதில் எல்லாம் இந்த விலை உயர்வு பெரிய அதிர்ச்சியை ஏற்படுத்தியுள்ளது. தங்கத்தின் விலை உயர்வதற்கு இந்தியா எந்தவகையிலும் காரணமல்ல. பொதுவாக அமெரிக்க டாலரின் மதிப்பு அதிகம் இருந்தால் தங்கத்தின் விலை குறையும். தற்போது அமெரிக்க டாலரின் மதிப்பு குறையப்போகிறது என்ற அச்சமும், அமெரிக்கா–சீனாவுக்கு இடையே நடக்கும் வர்த்தகப்போர் காரணமாக, இது உறுதியாக நடக்கப்போகிறது என்ற எதிர்பார்ப்பும், சீனாவின் யுவான் நாணய மதிப்பு இறக்கம், டாலருக்கு நிகரான இந்திய ரூபாயின் மதிப்பு இறக்கம் என்று பல்வேறு சர்வதேச பிரச்சினைகளின் காரணமாக தங்கத்தின் விலை உயர்ந்து வருகிறது. தங்கத்தின் விலை ஏற்றத்துக்கான எந்த காரணமும் சீரடைவதுபோல் தெரியாததால், தங்கத்தின் விலை சமீபத்தில் குறைவதற்கான சாத்தியமே இல்லை. மொத்தத்தில், தங்கம் வாங்குபவர்களுக்கும், தங்கத்தில் முதலீடு செய்ய விரும்புகிறவர்களுக்கும் நிச்சயமாக இது ஒரு சுமைதான்.

சிதம்பரத்திற்கு ஜாமின் கிடைக்குமா? இன்று விசாரணை

Updated : ஆக 26, 2019 06:39 | Added : ஆக 26, 2019 06:37

புதுடில்லி: ஐ.என்.எக்ஸ்., மீடியா நிறுவன முறைகேடு வழக்கில் கைது செய்யப்பட்டுள்ள சிதம்பரம், சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டில் தாக்கல் செய்துள்ள, முன்ஜாமின் மனு மீது இன்று(ஆக.,26) விசாரணை நடைபெறுகிறது.

மும்பையைச் சேர்ந்த, ஐ.என்.எக்ஸ்., மீடியா நிறுவனம், அன்னிய முதலீட்டைப் பெற, 2007ல் அதற்கு அனுமதி வழங்கப்பட்டதில் மோசடி நடந்துள்ளதாக, சி.பி.ஐ., மற்றும் அமலாக்கத் துறை வழக்குப் பதிவு செய்து விசாரித்து வருகின்றன. காங்கிரஸ் மூத்த தலைவர், சிதம்பரம், மத்திய நிதி அமைச்சராக இருந்தபோது, அவருடைய மகன் கார்த்தியின் தலையீட்டால் அனுமதி வழங்கப்பட்டதாக, இந்த அமைப்புகள் வழக்கு தொடர்ந்துள்ளன.

இந்த வழக்கில் முன்ஜாமின் கேட்டு, சிதம்பரம் தொடர்ந்திருந்த மனுவை, டில்லி உயர் நீதிமன்றம் சமீபத்தில் தள்ளுபடி செய்தது. அதைத் தொடர்ந்து, அவரை, சி.பி.ஐ., அதிகாரிகள் கைது செய்தனர். இன்று(26ம் தேதி) வரை, நான்கு நாட்கள் காவலில் விசாரிக்க, சி.பி.ஐ., சிறப்பு நீதிமன்றம், அனுமதி அளித்தது.

இந்நிலையில் சிபிஐ.,யின் நான்கு நாள் அவகாசம் இன்றுடன் நிறைவடைகிறது. இதனையடுத்து நீதிமன்றத்தில் அவர் ஆஜர்படுத்தப்படுகிறார். காவல் நீட்டிப்பு கேட்டு சிபிஐ தரப்பில் மனு தாக்கல் செய்யப்படும் என எதிர்பார்க்கப்படுகிறது. இதனிடையே சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டில் சிதம்பரம் தரப்பில் தாக்கல் செய்யப்பட்ட முன் ஜாமின் மனு மீதான விசாரணை இன்று நடைபெற உள்ளது.

மாணவர்கள் இன்று பள்ளிகளில் டிவி பார்க்கலாம்

Added : ஆக 25, 2019 23:41

சென்னை:கல்வி, 'டிவி'யின் ஒளிபரப்பு இன்று துவங்க உள்ளதால், பிற்பகல், 3:00 மணி முதல், ஒரு மணி நேரம், வகுப்புகளை ரத்து செய்து விட்டு, மாணவர்களுக்கு, 'டிவி'யில் படம் காட்டுமாறு, ஆசிரியர்களுக்கு உத்தரவிடப்பட்டுள்ளது.

கல்வி துறைதமிழக பள்ளி கல்வி துறை சார்பில், கல்வி துறை தொடர்பான நிகழ்ச்சிகளை, அனைத்து மாணவர்கள், பெற்றோர் மற்றும் பொதுமக்களுக்கு தெரிவிக்கும் வகையில், 'டிவி' தொடங்கப்படுகிறது.சென்னை, அண்ணா நுாற்றாண்டு நுாலகத்தின் எட்டாவது மாடியில், இதற்கான அலுவலகமும், படப்பிடிப்பு தளமும் அமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.இந்த, 'டிவி'யின் அதிகாரப்பூர்வ ஒளிபரப்பு, இன்று துவங்குகிறது. சென்னை, அண்ணா நுாற்றாண்டு நுாலகத்தில், முதல்வர், இ.பி.எஸ்., 'டிவி' ஒளிபரப்பை, இன்று துவங்கி வைக்கிறார். பள்ளி கல்வி அமைச்சர், செங்கோட்டையன் விழாவில் பங்கேற்கிறார்.கல்வி, 'டிவி' துவக்கம் குறித்து, அனைத்து மாவட்ட முதன்மை கல்வி அதிகாரிகள் வழியே, தலைமை ஆசிரியர்களுக்கு அனுப்பப்பட்டுள்ள சுற்றறிக்கை:கல்வி, 'டிவி' ஒளிபரப்பு இன்று துவங்க உள்ளது. இந்த நிகழ்ச்சிகள் அனைத்தும், கல்வி, 'டிவி'யில், இன்று பிற்பகல், 3:00 மணி முதல், 4:00 மணி வரை, ஒளிபரப்பு செய்யப்படும்.
இந்த நேரத்தில், அனைத்து பள்ளிகளின் மாணவர்களும், இந்த நிகழ்ச்சியை பார்க்க செய்ய வேண்டும்.யூ - டியூப்பள்ளிகளில் உள்ள, 'டிவி'க்களிலும், 'டிவி' இல்லாத பள்ளிகளில், எல்.சி.டி., புராஜக்டர் வழியாக, யூ - டியூப்பை பயன்படுத்தி ஒளிபரப்பு செய்ய வேண்டும்.இவ்வாறு, சுற்றறிக்கையில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.இதனால், இன்று பிற்பகல், 3:00 மணி முதல், 4:00 மணி வரையிலும், பாட வகுப்புகளுக்கு பதில், 'டிவி'யில் படம் காட்டப்பட உள்ளதாக, பள்ளி கல்வித்துறை அதிகாரிகள் தெரிவித்தனர்.

வருமான வரி கணக்கு தாக்கலுக்கு இன்னும் 5 நாள் தான் அவகாசம்

Added : ஆக 25, 2019 23:29

சென்னை:கடந்த, 2018 - 19ம் நிதியாண்டுக்கு, அபராதமின்றி வருமான வரி கணக்கு தாக்கல் செய்ய, இன்னும் ஐந்து நாட்கள் மட்டுமே அவகாசம் உள்ளது.

ஆண்டுக்கு, 2.5 லட்சம் ரூபாய் வருவாய் உச்ச வரம்பை தாண்டும் அனைவரும், வருமான வரி கணக்கு தாக்கல் செய்ய வேண்டும்.கட்டாயம்வரி ஆதாய நடவடிக்கையில் ஈடுபட்டு, வருமான வரி உச்ச வரம்புக்கு கீழ் வந்தாலும், கணக்கு தாக்கல் செய்ய வேண்டும் என்பது, ஓராண்டுக்கு முன் கட்டாயமாக்கப் பட்டுள்ளது.இதன்படி, 2018 - 19க்கான, வருமான வரி கணக்கு தாக்கல் செய்வதற்கான அவகாசம், ஏப்ர லில் துவங்கியது. இந்த அவகாசம், வரும், 31ம் தேதியுடன் முடிவடைகிறது. இதன்படி, அபராதமின்றி வருமான வரி கணக்கு தாக்கல் செய்ய, இன்னும் ஐந்து நாட்களில் அவகாசம் முடிகிறது. அதன் பின், வருமான வரி கணக்கு தாக்கல் செய்வோர், அபராதம் செலுத்த வேண்டும்.

அபராதம்

ஆண்டுக்கு, 5 லட்சம் ரூபாய் வரை வருவாய் ஈட்டுவோர், 1,000 ரூபாய் அபராதத்துடன், 2020 மார்ச் வரை கணக்கு தாக்கல் செய்யலாம்.ஐந்து லட்சம் ரூபாய்க்கு மேல் வருவாய் ஈட்டுவோர், இந்தாண்டு டிசம்பர் வரை, 5,000 ரூபாய்; 2020 மார்ச் வரை, 10 ஆயிரம் ரூபாய் அபராதம் செலுத்தி, கணக்கு தாக்கல் செய்யலாம்.'கணக்கு தாக்கல் செய்யாதோர், வரும்,31ம் தேதிக்குள் தாக்கல் செய்து, அபராதம் செலுத்துவதை தவிர்க்க வேண்டும்' என, வருமான வரி அதிகாரிகள்அறிவுறுத்தி உள்ளனர்.ஜி.எஸ்.டி.,க்கும்31ம் தேதி கடைசிஜி.எஸ்.டி., எனப்படும், சரக்கு மற்றும் சேவை வரி சார்ந்த, ஆண்டு கணக்கு தாக்கல் செய்ய, 'படிவம் - 9' பயன்படுத்தப்படுகிறது. இந்த படிவத்தை, ஆண்டுக்கு, 2 கோடி ரூபாய்க்கு கீழ், வரவு - செலவு உள்ள அனைத்து வணிகர்களும் தாக்கல் செய்ய வேண்டும்.இரண்டு கோடி ரூபாய்க்கு மேல், வரவு - செலவு உள்ள நிறுவனங்கள், 'படிவம் 9ஏ - 9சி'யை பயன்படுத்த வேண்டும். இதற்கான அவகாசமும், வரும், 31ம் தேதியுடன் நிறைவடைகிறது.

Vasool Raja style: Three arrested for impersonation in TNUSRB exam

For a 23-year-old engineering graduate from Kanniyakumari, the dream was to become a police officer.

Published: 26th August 2019 05:27 AM

By JAYAKUMAR MADALA

Express News Service

ARIYALUR : For a 23-year-old engineering graduate from Kanniyakumari, the dream was to become a police officer. On Sunday, however, he landed behind bars for impersonation to clear the police selection exam. Udayarpalayam police arrested three persons, all of them engineering graduates, for impersonation in the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board exam. A total of 2,972 candidates appeared for the exam in Ariyalur district.

One applicant, Deva Prashant, a BE graduate from Arakkankottaivilai in Kanniyakumari, sent Raghupathy, a ME graduate and resident of Keezharasur in Cuddalore to impersonate him and take the test. According to police, the incident came to light after they received a tip-off. Speaking to TNIE, V Balakrishnan, DIG, Tiruchy Range said,” When we checked the exam hall at a private college in Udayarpalayam, we became suspicious of a particular candidate.

However, we allowed him to complete the exam as any intervention would have disturbed others in the exam centre. After he came out of the hall, we interrogated him and came to know that he took the exam on behalf of a candidate. Further questioning revealed he did this for a Rs 1.5 lakh ‘fee’ from the candidate - Prashant - for writing the exam.”

Raghupathy received an advance of Rs 1 lakh and the remaining sum was to be paid once he cleared the test. Police said Prashant had approached a relative, S Santhosh, a ME graduate, for this. Santhosh approached Raghupathy, a friend from his college days, who agreed.

The DIG said, “This was a planned move. Even as he applied for the exam, he made sure he gave the name of a centre close to Raghupathy’s native. They avoided Cuddalore and chose Ariyalur as exam centre as they feared they would be caught in their in home town.” Prashant, Raghupathy and Santhosh were charged under Section 419 (Cheating) and Section 353 ( Using criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duties) of the IPC. The three accused are charged with 506 (1) (Punishment for criminal intimidation) along with Section 419 and Section 353 of IPC.

Rs 1 lakh advance

Raghupathy received an advance of Rs 1 lakh and the remaining sum was to be paid once he cleared the test. Prashant had approached a relative, S Santhosh for this. Santhosh approached Raghupathy, a college friends, who agreed

View NEET classes on TV as EPS launches new education channel

The channel will also feature programmes on various government schemes that people can avail themselves of, subject-based training module, board exam preparation and employment-related shows.

Published: 26th August 2019 05:41 AM |

Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi Palaniswami (File Photo| EPS)
By Express News Service

CHENNAI : Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami will launch the State government’s new television channel, ‘Kalvi Tholaikkaatchi’ (Education TV), on August 26.The channel, targeted at school students, will mostly have educative shows for children.Programmes will be telecast from 6am to 9.30pm. The channel will broadcast NEET and other classes, interviews of School Education Minister, shows on schemes provided by School Education Department, segments on Thirukkural and other literary content. 

The shows have been selected to benefit students, parents and teachers in schools, said a senior official from School Education Department.

The channel will also feature programmes on various government schemes that people can avail themselves of, subject-based training module, board exam preparation and employment-related shows.
The government planned the launch early this year, but it was delayed owing to preparatory works. The channel may also soon be made available through mobile applications on Android and iOS platforms, said an official from School Education Department.

Over the past few months, the department has been making cable connections available in all government schools so that children can watch the channel. Schools that do not have cable connection could use the YouTube channel of Kalvi Tholaikkaatchi, where the programmes will be uploaded, said officials.

Power shutdown in parts of Chennai on August 27, check list here

As a part of routine maintenance works, Tangedo will be suspending power supply in areas like Porur, Velachery, Ambattur and Adyar.

Published: 25th August 2019 05:57 PM |


By Express News Service

For carrying out maintenance work, power supply will be suspended by Tangedco on Tuesday (August 27) from 9 am to 5 pm in these following areas. According to a statement from Tangedco, power supply will be resumed before 5 pm if work is completed. Here is the list.

RK NAGAR: SA Koil St, TH Road, VOC Nagar, RK Nagar, Stanley, Vaithiyanathan St, Tondaiyarpet, Jeevarathinam Salai, Kasipuram, Kannan St, Mannappan Mudali St, Kamarajar Salai, Elayamudali St, Cross Road.

CHEPAUK: TV Station, Royapettah, Triplicane, PWD Complex, Presidency College, Big Street, Sydoji Street and Lane, T.H Road, Aiyapillai St, Akbar Sahib St, Ranganathan St, Lal Md St & Lane and Cross St, Canal Road, M.A.C Stadium, D.V Naidu St, Khanabagh St and Lane Butchi Babu St, Lal Bagum St, Bells Road, CNK Road & Lane Md. Abdullah St and Lane, Venkatesan St, Arumugam St, Ezhilagam Complex, Madras University Campus, Wallaja Road, Miyanasahib St, Murugappa St,
Subramani Chetty St and Lane, Arunachala Achari St, Thypoon Ali Khan St, Yusuf Labbai St and Lane, Abdul Karrem St and Lane and Cross St, Abibullah St, Pakkiri Sahib St, Chellapillaiyar Koil St, Kuppumuthu St, Vallaba Agraharam, Mayor Chitti Babu St, Nagappaiyar St and T.H Road (Part).

AMBATTUR: Ambattur Industrial Estate & 3rd Main Road South Phase, China Colony and Periya Colony, PKM Road, Vanagaram Road, Ganesh St, Nageshwara Rao Road, Natesan Nagar, School St, Galaxy Road, Indragandhi St.


SRMC: Karambakkam 1st Street, Mandaveli St, Mahalakshmi Nagar, Rajeshwari Nagar, Thirumurugan Nagar, Kamala Nagar, Part of Arcot Road, Devi Nagar, Buddhar Colony, Jain Koil St, Part of Alapakkam Road.

TARAMANI: Nehru street part, Pillayarkoil street part, Thiruvalluvar st, Kalikundram Pillayarkoil st, Periyar st, Anna st, Kanagam.

ALWARTHIRUNAGAR: Gandhi Nagar, Alwarthiru Nagar Annex, AVM Avenue, Thangal st, Balammal nagar, Reddy st, School st, kamakodi nagar, Kamachi nagar, Krishnamachari nagar, Bhuvaneshwari nagar, MM Estate, Alapakkam main road(part), Kadambadiamman nagar(part), Velan nagar, Solai Gangai Amman koil st, Vijaya nagar, Kamaraj Avenue, Muralikrishna nagar main road, Kanagathara nagar, Thirupathy nagar, Sri Devikuppam main road.

THIRUMUDIVAKKAM: Sirukalathur, Kaavanur, Nandhambakkam, Vasantham nagar, Anjugam nagar, Shanthi nagar, Periyar nagar, Puthupedu, Pari nagar, Nandavanam nagar, Rajiv Gandhi nagar, Ambedkar nagar, Vazhuthalambedu, Siva Vishnu nagar, Padmavathy nagar, Sambandham nagar, Vazhuthalambedu Industrial Area, Natham, Soorya Nagar, Devi Nagar, Devaki Nagar, Thaaisundaram Nagar, Thirumudivakkam Main Road, Micro Industrial Estate, Vazhuthalambedu, Royal Castle Apartment, Palm River Apartment.

KOVOOR: Kovoor, Ambal Nagar, Periyapanicheri, Mada Veethi, SRS Nagar, Venkateshwara Nagar, VGN Nagar, Service Road, Ram Nagar, Radhabai Nagar.

KOTTIVAKKAM and SASTHIRI NAGAR: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 9th Main Road, M-1 to M-26 Street, H-9 to H-40 Street, 15th to 33 Street, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Seaward road, Balakrishnan Road, KK Road, Raja Rangasamy Avenue.

ADYAR and BESANT NAGAR: Jeevarathanam Nagar Main Road, 2nd street Parameshwari Nagar, Padmanaba Nagar (4th and 5th street) Besant Avenue, Bridge Road Adyar, 1st Avenue, Sasthiri Nagar. 1st Main Road, Besant Nagar, Beach Home Avenue (main road, 3rd St), Dhamodharpuram (Main Road, New Street).

VELACHERY: Part of Velachery-Tambaram Main Road, Vijaya Nagar, Ram Nagar, Murugu Nagar, Padmavathy Nagar, Sankaran Nagar, Gomathy Nagar.

PORUR: Part of Mount Poonamallee Road, Shakthi Nagar, Parvathi Avenue, Somasundhara Avenue, Ganesh Avenue, Aathibagavan Nagar, Kaviya Garden, Sterling Avenue, Mangala Nagar one part, Mount Poonamallee Main Road, Kasi Flat, Kuppusamy Naikar St, Arumugam Nagar, Anna Salai, Senthil Nagar, S.V.S Nagar, Chinna Porur.

SC slams govt. for denying pension to freedom fighter
Centre had filed repeated appeals against HC order

26/08/2019, KRISHNADAS RAJAGOPAL,NEW DELHI

The SC ordered the government to deposit ₹10,000 in the Advocates’ Welfare Fund within two weeks.

The Supreme Court has slammed the Centre for harassing a 90-year-old freedom fighter by filing repeated appeals in higher courts, often at the last minute, to deny him a freedom fighter’s pension.

The government had challenged a Delhi High Court order directing the Centre to pay Dev Narayan Mishra his freedom fighter pension. The High Court attempted to make the government realise that the objective of the pension under the Swatantra Sainik Samman Pension Scheme of 1972 is not to “reward” patriotic men and women who threw their lives into the Freedom Movement, but to honour them and mitigate their suffering.

“The scheme was introduced with the object of providing pension to freedom fighters and families of martyrs,” the High Court had explained to the government in its October 2018 order.

Both the single Judge and Division Bench of the Delhi High Court consistently recognised Mr. Mishra's claim for freedom fighter pension from 2015 onwards.

The High Court said the “standard of proof required in such cases (of freedom fighters) is not as required in criminal cases and once on the basis of evidence it is probable that the respondent (Mishra) had suffered imprisonment during freedom struggle, a presumption is required to be drawn in his favour”.

But, instead of granting him pension in compliance of the high court orders, the Supreme Court Bench of Justices S.K. Kaul and K.M. Joseph found the government opted to harass Mr. Mishra, choosing to file an appeal in the apex court after delaying it by 190 days.

Ordering the government to deposit costs of ₹10,000 in the Advocates’ Welfare Fund within two weeks, the apex court dismissed the Centre’s appeal, saying, “We are surprised that such a matter should have been found fit to be filed in this court. It is a sheer waste of judicial time”.

Mr. Mishra's application for pension dates back to March 1982. He had participated in the Freedom Movement and remained underground from August 1942 to 1946. He had produced government records to support his claim for pension.

‘Children in mica mining areas abandoning education’
They work as labourers to supplement their family income, says survey; over 5,000 of them have given up education

26/08/2019, PRESS TRUST OF INDIA,NEW DELHI

Lost childhood: Objective of the survey was to find out the educational status of children in the region.Kamal NarangKamal Narang


Over 5,000 children in the age group of six to 14 years have abandoned education in the mica mining districts of Jharkhand and Bihar, and a section of them have started working as labourers to supplement their family income, according to a government survey.

The survey was conducted by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) after a report by Terre Des Hommes, an international development agency working in India, revealed last year that more than 22,000 children were employed as child labourers in the mica mining areas of Jharkhand and Bihar.

In a report based on the survey conducted in the districts of Koderma and Giridih in Jharkhand and Nawada district in Bihar, the NCPCR said it had observed that a section of children were deprived of opportunities.

“As per the survey, there are 4,545 children, in the age group of six to 14 years in the area of Jharkhand, reported as not attending school,” the NCPCR said.

The survey, done on the education and well-being of children in the mica mining areas of Jharkhand and Bihar, found that 649 children in the same age group were reported as not attending school in Nawada district, Bihar.

Collection of mica scraps

The reasons included a lack of interest and also cases where the collection of mica scraps were preferred activities, said the survey. It was found that children in the age group of six to 14 years in Koderma, Giridih and Nawada collect mica scraps.

Officials say selling mica scraps is the main means of livelihood for many families in these areas.

“Several families do not see the benefit of sending their children to schools and instead prefer them collecting and selling the scraps,” an official said.

Largest producer

India is one of the world’s largest producers of mica, with Jharkhand and Bihar being the main producing States. Mica is used in various sectors including buildings and electronics. It is also used in the production of cosmetics and paint.

The objectives of the survey were to find out the educational status of children, the number of children not attending school, whether they are involved in collecting scraps, if vocational training is provided to the adolescents and the presence of NGOs.

The commission gave out a set of recommendations based on its findings. It said the supply chain of the mining and industry should be made free of child labour.

“No child to be engaged in any part of the mica mining process and collecting scraps. NGOs/development agencies should work with the local and district administration as well as with industries to chalk out a strategy to make the supply chain free of child labour,” the NCPCR said.

It said strict action should be taken against buyers of mica scraps from children.

Final chargesheet in gutkha scam soon
CBI might implicate senior police officials

26/08/2019, S. VIJAY KUMAR,CHENNAI

The Central Bureau of Investigation is expected to file the second and final chargesheet in the gutkha scam soon.

Sources in the agency say senior police officers, a former Minister and two politically well-connected people among others were likely to be implicated based on prosecution witness statements, documentary and technical evidence.

The Anti-Corruption-III Unit of the CBI, New Delhi, that is investigating the scam, had earlier arrested six persons, including three officials and filed the first chargesheet against them.

Investigators recorded statements of several dozen witnesses and suspects in the case and also perused technical evidence to corroborate crucial points.

Going by the Book of Accounts seized from the premises of the gutkha manufacturing company, ₹39.91 crore was paid to suspects by two or three agents on different dates.

Police were verifying these claims with the help of certain technical inputs, a senior police official said on Sunday.

The agency is probing allegations that a State Minister, a former Minister, senior IPS officers and others took bribes to facilitate the storage, transportation and sale of the contraband in Chennai city. “With almost all witnesses and suspects examined in the case, the CBI is expected to conclude the investigation and file the second and final chargesheet in a couple of months,” the official said.

In a related development, the Enforcement Directorate which has registered a Prevention of Money Laundering Act case against the accused people had recently attached 174 immovable properties located in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh, having a market value of ₹243.80 crore.

Three partners

The assets belonged to three partners of the gutkha firm. Some more assets in the form of shares and vehicles worth ₹2.29 crore were also provisionally attached.

The gutkha scam was exposed by The Hindu in June 2017.

Makkal Auto rolls out electric auto service in city
Vehicles can run up to a maximum of 100 km at full charge

26/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,CHENNAI

The new e-auto being flagged off by Trade Commissioner Munish Sharma on Sunday.M. Karunakaran

Makkal Auto, a private auto rickshaw service provider, has taken the lead in operating an electric auto in the city. The fully converted electric auto was flagged off by Munish Sharma, Trade Commissioner and Consul (Commercial), Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), on Sunday. A number of delegates from the office of the Australian Trade Commissioner also participated.

Mansoor Ali Khan, chairman, Makkal Auto, said the auto, a first-of-its-kind in the city, was retro-fitted with electric motor by converting the old conventional petrol auto, for which approval was obtained from the Transport Department.

Quick charging

Mr. Khan said the newly converted electric auto would be able to run a maximum of 100 km at full charge, that can be done in one to three hours. Depending on the success of the electric auto, Makkal Auto plans to hit city roads with 100 e-autos by the end of this year.

Australian officials were later taken to the Kapaleeswarar temple in Mylapore in the vehicle.

Jaitley cremated amid emotional scenes

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:26.08.2019

Around 3.10 pm, the skies above the cremation ground at Nigambodh Ghat opened up, first slowly and then in a drenching downpour, just as hundreds of emotional mourners watched the flames leap up from the pyre bearing the mortal remains of former finance minister and BJP stalwart Arun Jaitley who passed away on Saturday.

The dark clouds and the rain seemed a fitting farewell for a well loved leader who touched the lives of thousands in his various roles as lawyer, an influential minister, experienced sports administrator and political communicator. The pyre was lit by son Rohan as notables and BJP workers paid their last respects.

The draft sweeping the cremation grounds on the banks of a Yamuna swollen with monsoon waters fanned the flames that consumed Jaitley’s mortal remains as a Delhi Police guard fired a ceremonial farewell. Earlier, the leader’s body arrived draped in a national flag from the BJP headquarters at DDU Marg. A large crowd of mourners, which included dozens of family members, political colleagues and friends, bid Jaitley a tearful farewell.

His long-time associates like India TV head Rajat Sharma, former law officers Mukul Rohatgi and Maninder Singh were next to the pyre. The bier was brought to the pyre by son Rohan and others including BJP leaders Ravi Shankar Prasad and Anurag Thakur. Members of Jaitley’s staff, who have worked with him for years, were also present.

The narrow passage to the pyre and the covered seating was inadequate to accommodate the people who turned up on Sunday afternoon. Among those present to offer their tributes were Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, BJP veteran L K Advani, party president and home Minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, BJP working president J P Nadda, Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Dharmendra Pradhan, Smriti Irani, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Anurag Thakur, BJP MPs Vijay Goel and Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kapil Sibal and NCP leader Praful Patel.

GONE TOO SOON: BJP leaders pay homage to Arun Jaitley

‘Pvt’ train passengers may get payout if train is late

Dipak Dash & Sidhartha TNN

New Delhi:26.08.2019

Those travelling by India’s first ‘private’ train may be eligible for compensation if it is delayed by over an hour.

State-run IRCTC, which has bagged the rights to run two Tejas trains, is finalizing plans to start the first from Delhi to Lucknow from October. While seeking to ensure that the base fare compares with the Shatabdi running on the same route, the public sector player is looking to bundle in more facilities, including a second meal and putting up vending machines to serve free tea and coffee to wean away customers who have shifted from railways to airlines.

“While railways serves breakfast, people are hungry by the time they reach Lucknow at lunch time. So, we want to offer some snacks, which can sustain them till they finish their meeting and go for lunch,” explained an IRCTC executive.

Besides, with the add-on services, the company is hoping to target even senior citizens, who are entitled to a 40% discount on their on rail fares. The model is expected to be replicated on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route too where the other ‘private’ train is to run and this train may be rolled out in mid-November.

Free travel insurance of ₹50 lakh may be thrown in with the Tejas tickets apart from a burglary cover for your home while you are on the train. “There are multiple offers from insurance companies. We are looking at them and the suggestions that are coming,” the PSU executive said. On the flip side, each train coach will come with only two toilets instead of the four that travellers are used to. The idea is to free space for service and better management of food, for which a new type of pantry is being planned.

IRCTC officials suggested that there were too many toilets in train coaches. After all, airplanes came with three toilets for 190 passengers, while one coach typically has 72 seats, if operating at full capacity.

Although railways has allowed free pricing, the staterun railway ticketing outfit wants to keep fares in line with those offered on Shatabdi. At the same time, it will use the dynamic pricing model to cash in on the rush during festivals such as Eid, Diwali or Dussehra. During the lean season, tickets may be offered at a discount to the base price.

Currently, a one-way chair car ticket from Delhi to Lucknow costs ₹970, while a first class ticket costs ₹1,935, including food. Executives suggested that the base fare for a chair car seat on a Tejas could be around ₹1,000.

“We are looking at several options to generate revenue as well. The railways has given us the right to use the coaches for advertisement. We can even allow product launches inside the train as you see in airlines. After all, you have a captive audience for nearly six hours,” said an official.

Each train coach will come with only two toilets instead of the four that travellers are used to. The idea is to free space for service and better management of food

Annamalai univ excess staff rehab denies opportunity for qualified

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:26.08.2019

While the state universities are gearing up for recruitment after a gap of two years, the circular from higher education department asking the universities to fill vacancies “only by redeploying excess teaching staff from Annamalai University” has not gone down well with the universities and qualified candidates.

The letter further wanted the universities ‘to furnish the reason to the government if a vacancy is not filled up with Annamalai University’s surplus staff.’ “It is completely unjustified and unfair. The letter denies autonomy to the universities,” a vice-chancellor of state university said.

Around 1,000 posts are lying vacant in state universities as there was recruitment ban for last two years. Some universities have not conducted recruitment for the last five years.

“Universities are governed by statutes and they all have their syndicates to decide on the recruitment. This decision asking universities to fill vacancies with excess staff is amounting to infringing the autonomy and powers of the universities,” a senior professor said.

Madras University which is currently facing financial crisis is unlikely to redeploy any of the excess staff from Annamalai University. “We are not in a position to redeploy any of the staff,” an official from the university said.

“Universities should be allowed to conduct their own recruitment,” said professor SS Sundaram, general secretary, Professors Forum of Madras University.

Anna University which is likely to be awarded with Institute of Eminence status is also unlikely to recruit any teaching faculty members from Annamalai University.

“The state government should stop redeploying Annamalai University faculty members who were recruited in excess bypassing all rules to government colleges. It would deny opportunities to the qualified and deserving candidates who were waiting for their opportunity,” said A R Nagarajan, the adviser to the NET SLET Association.

“The university was taken over in 2013. Six years have passed. But, still no enquiry has been conducted on the illegal recruitment of faculty members,” he said.

The state government should stop this. It would deny opportunities to the qualified and deserving candidates who were waiting for their opportunity

A R Nagarajan | ADVISER TO THE NET SLET ASSOCIATION

Sindhu’s victory puts India on top of world

First Indian To Win World Championship

Manne.Ratnakar@timesgroup.com 26.08.2019

Even as it was sinking in, PV Sindhu was waking up to a dream. “Finally, I have become a national champion!” she exclaimed. Then suddenly, she and with her, the rest of India was wide wake. “Sorry, sorry, world champion!” she laughed, as she repeated the words, slowly and deliberately, lest it slip away. “World champion...”

All of India should repeat it too. Slowly and deliberately. It won’t slip away. It’s here to stay. Try it. “World champion…” Then do it again, this time with feeling. “Sindhu! World champion!”

In Basel, home of Roger Federer, the master of all the unhurriedness possible in sport, Sindhu was in a tearing hurry on Sunday. Discarding all the nonchalance of Federer’s game, the ethos of a whole town even, Sindhu went for the jugular from the start — her devastating smashes leaving Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara all but broken in a blitzkrieg that lasted no longer than 37 minutes.

Many of us back home hadn’t even settled into our couches, and even before the “Where were you at that moment?” online threads could take shape, a Hyderabad girl – with all her majestic impatience — was giving India our first world champion in badminton. Thirty-seven minutes and just 36 points later, she had rampaged to a 21-7, 21-7 victory – a form of complete dominance and control seldom seen in Indian sport. It was a new Sindhu the world was witnessing. “I kept waiting for this. I lost last year (to Carolina Marin) and the year before last. Finally, I made it,” Sindhu said, flicking away the beads of sweat that had barely begun to form.

Aggressive, precise and attacking the lines, she was the enforcer, an aspect that was hitherto missing from her game. Factor this: Sunday was Sindhu’s third consecutive world final. In 2017, when she let the moment slip against the same opponent, they had engaged in a famous 73-shot rally. This time, eschewing all the tentativeness of her past finals, perhaps the longest exchange she entertained was a 22-shot affair, for the opening point of the opening game. That was it.

So what had changed for the lanky Indian? Perhaps, it was her much-improved fitness. Perhaps, it was her strength-giving come-from-behind victory against Tai Tzu Ying in the quarters that worked wonders to her confidence and enabled Sindhu to switch from a more sedate rallying pattern to a gofor-the-kill approach that worked so well.



Win over Tai was a confidence boost

Never once did Sindhu trail in the blink-and-miss contest as the pain of losing the last two finals almost burst forth in the energy she expressed in her jump smashes and hard pushes, leaving a higher-ranked Okuhara puzzled, looking lost and literally floored on several occasions.

The opening game rally was the only moment which gave some hope to Okuhara. Thereafter, Sindhu stamped her class and authority all the way. An eight-point burst saw her move into an 8-1 lead.

A stunned Okhura could only earn her second point then, the 8-point surge changed the complexion of the game and set the tone for the final.

Sindhu stuck to a strategy of pushing the shuttle to the back of the court and smashing hard whenever she got an opportunity.

Okuhara tried to drag her to the net but Sindhu was up to it as she retrieved quite well at the net. At 16-4, Sindhu produced a delightful crosscourt drop which kissed and moved down the net.

Okuhara tried to get as many points as possible to reduce the gap. But that did not work as Sindhu was bent upon closing the contest as fast as possible. The first game ended with a power-packed smash that almost hit Okuhara. The second game played along the same lines. Though Okuhara tried hard to stay in the contest, Sindhu had raised her game to another level as she took her opponent by the scruff of the neck. A scream of ecstasy and the customary handshake with the shell-shocked Okuhara followed to tell us it was all over.

MOMOTA SHOWS HIS CLASS

Japan’s Kento Momota retained the men’s title by outclassing 22-year-old Dane Anders Antonsen, who had stunned Olympic champion Chen Long in the quarter-finals, 21-9 21-3 in another one-sided match.

The world no.1 needed only 37 minutes to dispatch his opponent as he became the fourth man to win successive world titles.

Woman doctor found dead in hostel room in Tiruchy

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | R VALAYAPATHY

Published  Aug 25, 2019, 3:07 am IST

The hostel mates who noticed the room occupied by the woman doctor did not open for a long time, broke open the doors and found her hanging.

Mrs. Kayalvizhi

TIRUCHY: A 32-year-old woman doctor attached to the Mahatma Gandhi memorial Government hospital allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself at her room inside the medical college hostel here on Friday night.

Police said, the deceased Mrs. Kayalvizhi hailing from Ambujavallipettai in Cuddalore district got married only 35 days back to Dr. Saklthi Ganesh of Government hospital Salem.

The hostel mates who noticed the room occupied by the woman doctor did not open for a long time, broke open the doors and found her hanging. On information, police rushed to the spot and removed the deceased person's body for post-mortem.

Meanwhile, parents and relatives of the deceased staged a demonstration at the hospital and also near the police station alleging foul play in her death.

What the parents find very disturbing about this tragedy is that the doctor was married only recently and has sent shock waves across the town.

State honour for Kovai gastroenterologist

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | LAKSHMI L LUND

Published   Aug 25, 2019, 3:17 am IST

Dr Mohan Prasad was one of the four private doctors who received the award, along with 16 government doctors.

Dr VG Mohan Prasad

COIMBATORE: In appreciation for their respective contributions and services to the medical field, every year the government of Tamil Nadu identifies and recognizes doctors to commemorate ‘Doctors Day.’ A leading gastroenterologist of the textile city, Dr VG Mohan Prasad, was presented with 'Best Performing Doctor Award' by the State Government for 2018.

Chairman of VGM Hospital, Dr Mohan Prasad received the award from Tamil Nadu Health Minister Vijayabhaskar at a function held in recently organised in the state capital. The award carries a medallion, a citation and Rs 50,000 in cash.

Dr Mohan Prasad was one of the four private doctors who received the award, along with 16 government doctors. The award was given to him for his outstanding services rendered to the society over 32 years while in service through the free medical camps that he conducted, awareness programmes which he initiated, marathons he organised to spread awareness about various medical subjects, delivering talks by participating in television shows, hosting social media lectures, publications in print media and the books for the benefit of the public.

Barring Anna varsity, no other institute has online info on guides, scholars

It’s a violation of UGC norms; compliance on uploading theses to portal also poor

25/08/2019, PON VASANTH B.A,CHENNAI

Barring Anna University, not a single State-run university in Tamil Nadu has made available on its website up-to-date information on research supervisors and scholars enrolled with it.

This is in violation of the University Grants Commission’s (Minimum Standards and Procedures for Award of M.Phil and Ph.D Degrees) regulations, which mandate that such details be made available year-wise, with information on guides, scholars, title of research and date of enrolment. Apart from improving transparency, this is intended to discourage research supervisors from guiding more than the permissible number of scholars.

Regulatory compliance is also poor when it comes to uploading all research theses to the Shodhganga website, managed by INFLIBNET, which helps in detecting plagiarism apart from making the research work openly available.

Of the 19 State-run universities in Tamil Nadu, only Anna University has made available the latest list of approved research scholars and enrolled research guides. Among the remaining 18 universities, 13 did not have details on enrolled scholars, while four had outdated details.

Similarly, details on approved supervisors were not available on the websites of 11 universities, while another six had details with no information on whether they were the latest or outdated.

The University of Madras had incomplete, and possibly outdated details on scholars and guides, with no information on the research topic and date of enrolment.

A senior faculty member of the University of Madras, requesting anonymity, said the non-availability of this information was taken advantage of by many supervisors to guide a greater number of scholars. For instance, the latest UGC regulations allow a Professor to guide eight Ph.D scholars, an Associate Professor to guide six, and an Assistant Professor to guide four. “However, a number of faculty members violate this [norm], since there is no centralised system to track the allocation. Some supervisors guide scholars from different universities, which makes it more difficult to track,” he said.

A Professor at Madurai Kamaraj University said, “Unfortunately, many guides take money from scholars. Therefore, more number of scholars means more money.”

S.P. Thyagarajan, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Madras, who served in UGC committees that drafted regulations related to research, said enforcement must happen from both sides. “The UGC is taking a multi-faceted approach, including the formulation of regulations, the provision plagiarism-detection software and the creation of the Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (to identify predatory journals),” he said.

He, however, added that integrity and originality in research will not considerably improve unless individual institutions realised that their credibility was at stake and began implementing these regulations in a stringent manner.

Physiotherapists seek Health Ministry's help

25/08/2019,NEW DELHI

The Association of Physiotherapy has recently written to the Union Health Ministry about their apprehensions about the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010. They noted that the “regulatory body has also regulated physiotherapy, which will not allow them to practice independently.”

Consumer panel asks courier, cargo firm to pay ₹15 lakh to govt. body

It had failed to deliver campaign material to various States in 2010

25/08/2019, STAFF REPORTER,NEW DELHI

The State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission here has directed a private courier and cargo company to compensate The National Trust, which is under the Union Ministry of Social Justice, by paying ₹15 lakh for failing to deliver campaign material to various States in 2010.

The National Trust

The directions came when The National Trust approached the consumer panel stating that despite paying ₹25,000 for the material to be delivered to various States, the company failed to do so.

“The company was handed over the entire material to be sent with the instruction to ensure safe delivery without any delay... However, later the complainant was informed that the material was still lying with the company. The complainant was asked to make the immediate payment of ₹1.35 lakh,” read the complaint.

Additional amount

Further, it was contended that despite paying the additional amount, the company failed to deliver the material to 11 destinations and “thereby rendered the entire efforts at those 11 destinations to be meaningless for want of the awareness material”.

Holding the company deficient in services for failing to deliver the material, the consumer panel observed, “It is an undisputed fact that the complainant and opposite parties did enter into contract for the delivery of items required for the occasion. It is also undisputed that the items were not delivered causing agony and harassment to the complainant.”

While the Trust asked for a compensation of over ₹25 lakh for the deficiency, the State commission observed, “Keeping in view of the facts and circumstances of the case and the legal position, the Bench is of the considered view that the ends of justice would be met if compensation of ₹15 lakh is awarded in favour of the complainant.”

The consumer forum added that the complainant has to be compensated within three months.

Father-son duo dupe couple of ₹2 lakh at AIIMS

They approached victims at a bank on hospital premises; son caught with ₹82,000

25/08/2019, STAFF REPORTER,NEW DELHI

An AIIMS staffer and his wife were allegedly duped by a man and his son at a bank on the hospital premises on Friday morning, the police said on Saturday. The couple managed to catch the son and handed him over to the police.

A senior police officer said that victim Vijay Kumar (44), an attendant at AIIMS and a resident of Ansari Nagar staff quarters, had come to the bank with his wife Kusum on Friday morning where they withdrew nearly ₹2lakh.

“The two accused, who were already present in the bank, approached the couple. They told the victims that a certain series of ₹2000 and ₹500 notes are counterfeit and showed them a note of the said series. The couple initially believed them and handed over the money to the accused to let them search for counterfeit currency,” the officer said.

However, after Mr. Kumar asked them to return the money to him, the accused started to run instead.

The couple raised an alarm and shouted for help and started chasing the accused. The son was caught outside the hospital with the help of the people present there and an amount of ₹82,000 was recovered from him. The police said that the arrested accused has been identified as Sadik Zafar. His father Zafar Shah is absconding. “The father has fled with over ₹1 lakh and teams are looking for him,” the officer added.

Hong Kong police fire tear gas to break up anti-govt. protests
4 subway stations closed down around the densely populated area of Kwun Tong

25/08/2019, REUTERS,HONG KONG

I resist: Protesters confronting riot police at the Kowloon Bay area in Hong Kong on Saturday.AFPLILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA

police fired volleys of tear gas to break up anti-government protests in a gritty industrial suburb on Saturday after activists threw petrol bombs and bricks, as China freed a British consulate worker whose detention had fuelled tensions.

Four MTR subway stations were closed around Kwun Tong, a densely populated area of the Chinese-ruled city on the east of the Kowloon peninsula, but thousands packed the streets anyway, most carrying umbrellas against the sun.

Police used tear gas after some protesters threw Molotov cocktails and bricks and others tore up “smart” lamp posts equipped with surveillance cameras. Others had set up roadblocks with bamboo scaffolding. It was the first use of tear gas in 10 days after a series of mostly peaceful demonstrations in the former British colony.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

‘Give me democracy’

“Give me democracy or give me death,” was spray-painted on a wall, an illustration how the demands of the protesters have expanded beyond the withdrawal of a Bill that would have allowed extraditions to China. The government said in a statement the protesters “posed a serious threat to the safety of everyone” at the scene. “After repeated warnings to the protesters... police officers deployed tear gas and minimum force to disperse protesters,” it said.

There were sporadic, smaller protests elsewhere in the territory which continued after nightfall. Police fired tear gas in a running battle with protesters blocking a highway in the Wong Tai Sin district, to the northwest of Kwun Tong.

The airport and the roads and railways leading to it operated normally despite plans by protesters to implement a ”stress test” of transport links after weeks of unrest. The airport was forced to close last week after protesters thronged the main terminal for several days, grounding around 1,000 flights and occasionally clashing with police. The wider calls for democracy have plunged the city into an unprecedented crisis posing a direct challenge for Communist Party leaders in Beijing.

Demonstrators say they are fighting the erosion of the “one country, two systems” arrangement that enshrines a high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong since it was handed back from British to Chinese rule in 1997.

Hundreds took part in an “anti-fake news” protest, with people waving the Hong Kong and China flags and targeting government-funded broadcaster RTHK.

A station spokeswoman, Amen Ng, rejected claims that RTHK was engaged in fake news.

British staffer freed

British consulate staffer Simon Cheng was detained for 15 days for violating public security management regulations, police in Shenzhen, across the border from Hong Kong, said on their Twitter-like Weibo account.

Police said Mr. Cheng was released as scheduled on Saturday and that his legal rights and interests had been observed. They also said Mr. Cheng had confessed to accusations against him, a commonly used comment by Chinese police, even though Cheng was not given a chance to defend himself in court. Mr. Cheng had now returned to Hong Kong, his family said on his Facebook page. Cathay Pacific Airways, which has become the biggest corporate casualty of the protests after China demanded it suspend staff involved in the demonstrations, protested against a planned rally by the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions around the airport’s “Cathay City” HQ on Monday.

Delhi’s quintessential insider who reached across the aisle
He wore many hats and was the BJP leader who had friends in all parties
25/08/2019, NISTULA HEBBAR,NEW DELHI


Former Union Minister Arun Jaitley wore many hats in public life — politician, lawyer, cricket administrator, raconteur and the quintessential Delhi insider who loved to hold court with his legion of friends and acquaintances in banter and good humour. For the BJP, he was an affable public face who articulated the party line best, in Hindi and English.

As a member of the Ministries of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi, he emerged as a dependable colleague of the Prime Minister.

For many who knew him personally, his warm interpersonal interactions across party lines and his many, now legendary stories on the who’s who of Lutyens’ Delhi marked him out as a social force quite apart from his political heft.

Mr. Jaitley, 66, shot to fame during the struggle against the Emergency in 1975, after being elected president of the Delhi University Students’ Union in 1974 as a member of the RSS- affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. One of the first to have been arrested in the crackdown on political activists, he stayed in jail for 19 months. He joined the BJP in 1980.

His early career in the BJP saw a steady rise, including an amalgamation of his legal career with his political one. In 1989, he was appointed Additional Solicitor-General by the V.P. Singh government and did much of the paper work for the legal case on the Bofors scame. He held many important portfolios in the Vajpayee government from 1999, including those of Law and Justice, Shipping, Information and Broadcasting and Commerce and Industry. In the Modi government too, he held many portfolios, including Finance, Defence, Corporate Affairs and Information and Broadcasting, though he lost the only Lok Sabha election he ever contested, from Amristar, in 2014.

GST regime

As Finance Minister, his achievements include the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime. He was at the helm when the controversial decision to demonetise high-value currency notes was taken in November 2016. While Mr. Jaitley did his best to steer the ship, the event did not pass as well as he could have wished.

His popularity, however, was never as high as when he was the BJP spokesperson from 2002 (along with being a general secretary), and his briefings to the media and setting down of the party line for every major issue continued till the 2019 Lok Sabha election. His skills as a raconteur made his briefings an interesting affair always.

Among the most repeated stories by him was the advice given to him by Delhi’s then Chief Executive Councillor Jag Pravesh Chandra in the 1980s. He told a young Jaitley to never set down any difference of opinion with his own party in writing, no angry letters or written sulks — something Mr. Jaitley said he followed. He said it only proved that one’s opinion was not taken seriously in one’s own party.

The years Mr. Jaitley spent as Leader of the Opposition between 2009 and 2014 were important not only for his emergence as an orator and important mover behind the women’s reservation and Lokpal Bills but also for his championing of the cause of now Prime Minister Modi. As much as Mr. Modi was the Delhi outsider, Mr. Jaitley was the man with the inside view, having done his schooling (St. Xavier’s) and higher education (Sriram College of Commerce and Law Faculty, Delhi University) in the city. He leaves behind his wife, Sangita, son, Rohan, and daughter, Sonali, and legions of friends.

UAE honours Modi with its highest civilian award

25/08/2019, PRESS TRUST OF INDIA,ABU DHABI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was honoured with the ‘Order of Zayed’, the UAE’s highest civilian award, on Saturday in recognition of his pivotal role in building bilateral ties between the two nations.

The award was conferred on Mr. Modi by the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi.

“Humbled to be conferred the ‘Order of Zayed’ a short while ago. More than an individual, this award is for India’s cultural ethos and is dedicated to 130 crore Indians. I thank the UAE Government for this honour,” Mr. Modi tweeted later.

The award has earlier been bestowed upon several world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit, the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement said the award, named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE, “acquires special significance as it was awarded to Prime Minister in the year of the birth centenary of Sheikh Zayed”.

Poor quality colleges on NCTE radar

B.Ed. has become a degree for marriage, not teaching, says council

25/08/2019

The NCTE is undergoing a frank re-evaluation of its mission and functioning in its silver jubilee year. M.A. Sriram M.A. Sriram

To weed out and shut down poor quality teacher education institutions — which have six times more capacity than needed — the National Council for Teacher Education is conducting the first-ever performance appraisals of the 19,000 institutions it oversees.

“The B.Ed. has become a degree for marriage, not teaching. That must change...Our agenda is to close down the bad colleges,” NCTE chairperson Satbir Bedi told The Hindu this week.

With about 100 seats each, the teacher education institutions potentially produce 19 lakh graduates per year. At the recommended teacher-student ratio of 1:27, the country’s 26 crore students need only 90 lakh teachers overall. If each teacher serves about 30 years, the annual turnover — and need for new teaching candidates — is only about three lakh, said Dr. Bedi. Even leaving aside the spurious, fly-by-night institutions and graduates who obtain B.Ed. degrees without attending any class and with no intention of ever becoming a teacher, there are simply too many graduates seeking too few jobs.

“Even if we close down 10,000 institutions, we would still be oversubscribed by three times,” noted Dr. Bedi. “This oversupply is the main reason for derogation of the teaching profession. That’s why they get away with paying ₹2,000-3,000 per month for a teacher who is supposed to be a leader, a motivator, a counsellor to a generation of children.”

The NCTE hopes to complete its performance appraisal process and weed out the worst institutions before the next academic year brings in a fresh set of candidates. More than just repairing a broken system, however, the Council wants to start aspirational new initiatives, including 700 model institutions (at least one per district), a new leadership training programme for principals and head teachers and an experimental international teaching qualification. This would cater to the mushrooming international school market, and also potentially prepare teachers who want to take their skills abroad.

“If we can export nurses, why not teachers?” asked Dr. Bedi. “Instead of running the random B.Ed. for the marriage market, if we want to do something meaningful for society, to attract good people to the sector, can’t we design a course for those who really want to teach? This is the profession on which the future depends.”

The NCTE is undergoing a brutal re-evaluation of its mission and functioning in its silver jubilee year.

It’s original objectives were to craft the syllabus and curriculum of teacher training and regulate institutions under its jurisdiction. But it has been elbowed aside by other stakeholders.

“We have had negligible input into curriculum over the years, because we simply did not have capacity to question NCERT. There has been a widening gap in intellectual resources between the two institutions,” said Dr. Bedi.

Tributes to Jaitley pour in from Tamil Nadu leaders
Ex-Minister hailed as legal luminary, stellar Parliamentarian

25/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,CHENNAI

Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Opposition leaders have conveyed their condolences to the family members of former Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who passed away on Saturday.

In his condolence message, the Governor said he was aggrieved over the sad demise of Jaitley.

“He handled the Finance and Defence portfolios wisely. A lawyer by profession, he was a legal luminary and an experienced political leader, known for his governance skills. He will be missed by the country. He was an asset to the people of India. He was appreciated as an outstanding Parliamentarian across parties; his contribution to the nation and the needy will be remembered,” Mr. Purohit said.

Mr. Palaniswami said Jaitley had worked as president of the Delhi University Students’ Union and a senior lawyer in the Supreme Court. During his stint as the Union Finance Minister, he introduced the Goods and Services Tax for the welfare of the people and economic growth.

He was an erudite speaker and an outstanding Parliamentarian. Despite ideological differences, he remained friendly with Opposition leaders, the CM said.

Condoling Jaitley’s death, DMK president M.K. Stalin said the late BJP leader had worked with Jayaprakash Narayan, was arrested during the Emergency and spent 19 months in jail.

He was a democrat and an excellent Parliamentarian, who won accolades for his stints in the Vajpayee and Modi governments. Jaitley had great respect for Kalaignar (former CM Karunanidhi), Mr. Stalin added.

MDMK general secretary Vaiko, DMDK president Vijayakant, TMC president G.K. Vasan and AISMK leader Sarathkumar paid tributes to Jaitley, praising him for his legal, linguistic and analytical skills.

DMK, DK oppose quota for upper castes

25/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Political leaders on Saturday came out strongly against the 10% reservation for economically weaker sections among the upper castes.

Dravidar Kazhagam president K. Veeramani said the upper caste poor had been provided a higher annual income ceiling than for other castes when it came to reservation. “This is based on economic conditions, which is against the very idea of reservation in the Constitution,” he said. He was speaking at a function organised by the All India Federation of Other Backward Classes Employees’ Welfare Associations to felicitate MPs nominated to the Parliamentary Committee for the welfare of OBCs.

DMK leader T.K.S. Elangovan said the reservation was an attempt to deny rights to the OBCs.

State govt. set to launch education TV

25/08/2019, STAFF REPORTER,CHENNAI

Kalvi tholaikkaatchi (Education TV), a television channel of the State government, will be launched by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Monday.

Programmes will be telecast on the channel from 6 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. While a majority of them will be targeted at school children on a variety of subjects, the TV station will also feature programmes on employment opportunities and learning the craft of self-employment, and a daily telecast of employment-related news.

Though the authorities had planned a January launch, it was delayed owing to the preparatory work involved in designing the programmes and setting up the required infrastructure, sources in the School Education Department said.

Officials had earlier said the television channel would be made available through mobile applications on Android and iOS platforms.

Over the past few months, the School Education Department has been taking steps to make cable connections available in all government schools so that children can watch the channel.

A circular issued by the Director of School Education to the Chief Educational Officers of all districts said the launch would be telecast on the channel from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday. The CEOs have to ensure that children in all schools watch the launch on the school premises by arranging projectors. Schools that don’t have a cable connection could use the YouTube channel of Kalvi tholaikkaatchi, where the programme will be uploaded.

Athi Varadar festival: STCs rake in ₹9.8 crore as revenue

25/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

The Athi Varadar festival, which was held at the Deverajaswamy temple in Kancheepuram between July 1 and August 17, fetched four State Transport Corporations (STC) a revenue of around ₹9.8 crore.

Of the total amount, the STC, headquartered at Villupuram, netted ₹6.08 crore. It ran 689 special buses, 70 town buses and 80 mini buses, totalling 839 buses during the festival.

The other three STCs, whose headquarters are in Salem, Kumbakonam and Madurai, operated vehicles, earning ₹3.71 crore, a senior official of the Transport Department said.

The festival, which drew around 1.17 crore devotees, made the temple richer by ₹11.5 crore.

Crowd-funding, the traditional way

In parts of central and southern districts, the traditional moi virundhu is a source of crowd-funding during hard times. A family feeds the community and is bestowed with cash gifts by invitees, a favour that is appreciated, recorded in ledgers, and returned, when there is an opportunity in the future. Today, with the help of technology, the event seems to have scaled past its modest origins

25/08/2019, KATHELENE ANTONY,S. SUNDAR

A moveable feast: With each passing year, moi virundhu events appear to be getting larger. Families now engage banks to collect and transport the cash from the venue and special software is used to record details regarding the guests’ contributions.M. Moorthy

Symbiosis at work: Nowadays, people organise feasts in groups to split expenditure, often erecting separate flex boards for each organiser; relatives of the organisers sit with registers and make meticulous records that are preserved and the return gifts are expected to be commensurate during any future events. M.Moorthy

A narrow road cuts through verdant paddy fields and coconut groves at Vadakadu village, located some 30 km from Pudukottai district in central Tamil Nadu. Just months ago, the place had faced the wrath of Cyclone Gaja, and some of the trees felled remain untouched, to tell a sorry tale.

But the mood in the village is far from gloomy, as it is ready for festivities. Large, flashy flex boards on either side of the road announce a moi virundhu, a sort of crowd-funded gathering over a feast, spread over the entire Tamil month of Aadi.

Moi virundhu, in its traditional form, used to be a poor person’s call for help, where one would organise a feast for friends and family in times of distress in return for monetary help. But over the past decade or so, the custom has evolved into an annual feature when families take turns to organise the feast, and raise money. And after natural calamities such as Cyclone Gaja, their numbers too seem to increase.

Despite the penetration of banks, the tradition continues to remain popular in parts of Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Madurai districts. In Madurai district, it goes by different names — illa vizha (family function) or vasantha vizha (spring function). Both these functions have no ritual or ceremony, but are organised with the sole objective of collecting moi — cash gifts.

“Such functions were unheard of in earlier days. Tamil literature has no such mention. These are modern day inventions like Father’s Day and Mother’s Day,” says retired Tamil Professor and film personality Ku. Gnanasambandan.

But with each passing year, the feasts appear to become bigger. So much so that families now rope in banks to collect and transport the cash from the venue. Special software is also being used to enter details about the contribution of each guest.

At Vadakadu, the gathering happens under a makeshift shed with metal sheets and in the midst of festive music, where 17 people — the organisers of the feast, all clad in white — welcome guests with folded hands.

But, there’s one more step before getting to taste the virundhu. In what seems like an elaborate arrangement, relatives of the organisers sit under rows of banners with registers to receive the moi. The banners carry the pictures of each of the organisers — some of whom have multiple flex boards for each of the villages from where he expects his guests.

“It has come a long way from the actual tradition — something you find depicted in the movie Chinna Gounder,” says Karthik, a relative of R. Pushparaj, one of the 17 organisers. “People now organise moi virundhu in groups to reduce the cost and everything is done in a systematic manner here.” One would expect nothing less, given the fact that the feasts often rake in money to the tune of crores of rupees.

After making their contribution, the guests head off to the feast. Ten workers have slaved overnight to cook about 400 kg of mutton and 800 kg of rice. By 3 a.m., a large feast of rice and mutton curry is ready to cater to nearly a thousand people. More uncooked rice and meat is kept in store, in case the turnout surpasses expectations. Before the pots start boiling, a ritual is performed the previous night at the organisers’ in-laws’ houses to announce the feast. “The register, cash box, and even the pen used have to come from the parents-in-law as a gift,” says Mr. Pushparaj.

After parting with their money, the guests go home content with the food, while the organisers, who have their coffers full, turn debtors — unlike in the traditional version of the custom. The records of moi given will be safely preserved, for generations with the family, and the return gifts will have to be commensurate, or more.

R. Karuppiah, a village elder, has seen the custom change over the years. “When I was a child, moi was given during a celebration like an ear-piercing ceremony, child-naming, weddings and such. Earlier, it was about people helping others, now it is like a chit fund, where the occasion itself is the virundhu organised to raise the money paid and some more,” he says.

There are unwritten, yet rigid, social norms which dictate the payment of moi. It has to be paid when the donor organises a virundhu, or within five years before it is their turn to organise the feast again. The practice has become popular as it is seen as a loan without interest. When one pays the moi back, they can choose the extra amount, to maintain goodwill. “It is all based on honour and pride. You keep giving money until it is your turn to take a lump sum. It has become a vicious cycle,” says Mr. Karuppiah.

“Earlier, people used to offer small sums like ₹10 or ₹50, depending upon how much cash they felt comfortable parting with, but now the lowest one receives is ₹500,” says Mr. Karuppiah. Individual contributions go as high as ₹10,000-20,000.

In late July, a moi virundhu organised by R. Krishnamoorthy, who runs a flex printing shop in Vadakadu, made headlines after he reportedly raked in as much as ₹4 crore from a feast that served about 1,000 people. “He made so much money because in the last five years, he invested a significant amount in others’ moi virundhu,” explains Mr. Karthik.

Unofficial estimates say that moi virundhu season collection is around ₹250 crore a year in the district, which also brings its share of problems. “At least one incident of assault and break-in is reported every year. This happens when an individual is not able to pay back the money,” says a police officer in the Vadakadu police station. Sometimes, the organiser also names and shames those who were unable to return the money, he adds.

Some have come to view the moi virundhu as a business, says K. Adaikalam, president, Agamudayar Charitable and Education Trust. “Sometimes, businessmen organising the event turn loan sharks.” After keeping the money that they require, the rest is loaned out at high interest. This practice is unique to this region, insists Mr. Adaikalam, who claims that this form of moi virundhu was born in his birthplace, Peravurani in Thanjavur district, and spread to neighbouring places. A vasantha vizha would be a like a traditional crowd-funding practice without an obligation to pay the money back, he says.

Interest-free loan

In earlier days, every family had five to six children and there was no dearth of domestic functions when friends and well-wishers would contribute cash gifts. “But, now many families have one or two children and hence, the illa vizha concept helps us conduct a function without any solid reason,” says S. Santhanam of Usilampatti.

He adds that illa vizha and vasantha vizha are popular with the Piraimalai Kallar community. “It is a practice wherein the community comes forward to help an economically poor or a needy person with money. For practical purposes, it is an interest-free loan,” he explains.

He claims that he had conducted two events through which he collected ₹55 lakh and ₹45 lakh in the past. “My economic status has gone up since then. I was able to do something good for the family such as buying a house or jewellery for the family,” he says.

Just as in the Nadar community wherein the community elders extend financial help to the poor in setting up a business or a grocery shop to lift them up economically, the Mukkulathors have adopted this practice of conducting a feast for collecting moi, says M. Murugan of Sellur. This concept of pooling money by the community for some family’s well-being emerged in the late 1990s.

Every household in the community maintains accounts of the moi received or given. People flip through the notebooks to verify how much moi someone gave them during a family function so that they can repay accordingly.

“If I had paid ₹5,000 moi to someone, he is expected to repay ₹6,000 or ₹10,000, depending upon our relationship and his economic status. And the amount multiplies significantly with every transaction between us. But, if the same person does not want to continue the practice with me, he will return ₹5,100, signifying that the account is closed. We need not pay moi to each other thereafter,” Mr. Murugan explains.

Mr. Santhanam says that many families belonging to the Piramali Kallar community have come up in life with moi collection alone. “Which bank will give loans without any collateral? And where will these people go for collateral,” he asks. But, the community will generously give moi even to those whose credibility is not great. “The collection has been as high as ₹1.5 crore in Sellur alone,” recalls Mr. Murugan.

“While more than 80% of the people invest the collection well, some fail to make good use of the money and go bankrupt. Some even flee the village,” Mr. Santhanam says.

As the practice of moi virundhu caught on, there was need for someone to keep record. In Vadakadu village, a man running a photocopying shop has become the book-keeper and almost has a monopoly over the business. His shop sells a cheque book of sorts with details such as names of the donor, their father, and address. Each of the leaves has blank space to enter the moi figure. The filled-in leaves are handed over to the people at the desk by the guests.

The shop also sells a register with a list of all moi virundhu events taking place. “When I started, I went door-to-door to collect details. Now, the organisers make sure they come and register here, otherwise, guests may not know about the event at all if it does not get on the register,” says V. Subramaniam, who owns the store. He prints at least 250 of the ‘cheque books’ that sells for ₹100, while 1,000 copies of the register fly off the shelves every year at a price of ₹50.

As the years passed, and the money in circulation increased, technology found its way into the tradition. Moi Tecch, an Android app and software service developed by M. Prabhu, has been making waves in these parts. Those who organise the virundhu hire Mr. Prabhu’s team to keep a record of the moi received. “We replace the men with registers, make entries on a computer and print out a register for the organiser to keep, reducing the use of paper, manpower and improving accuracy,” Mr. Prabhu says. Those who have Android phones also download the app to keep an easily accessible e-register. Each of the persons equipped with a computer comes at a price of ₹3,000. “Those keeping record in books charge more than this and often make terrible errors,” he says.

Mr. Prabhu, a graduate in business administration, has a dedicated team that uses laptops, printers, currency-counting machines and mobile apps to collect moi at the venue. “We give thermal paper receipts to those who pay moi. An app given to the customer will help him know the update of collection on a real-time basis. Since receipts are given to those giving moi, the accounts are clean,” he says.

For every 400 entries, one laptop and two persons are employed for which the company charges ₹3,500. While one person will make entries in the laptop, another person will collect the money. “I have sent as many as 25 teams to a single feast,” he says.

Besides transparency in collection, the computerised moi collection is also user-friendly. “The names those who paid are given in alphabetical order and also village-wise/town-wise entries are made so that people can easily find out how much was given by any individual,” Mr. Prabhu says.

Gentle reminders

Since moi is seen as more than just a gift, the community also has a practice of reminding people about how much they need to repay. “For instance, an invitation could read: Happy to meet you again after 2010. This means the person invited will have to verify accounts of moi he received (from the person inviting) at all the functions he organised since 2010 and repay accordingly,” Mr. Santhanam says.

When someone makes an underpayment, he is openly reminded of that after verifying the moi account once the function gets over. “It is only an exaggeration in movies that people fight over the amount. The reminder could go through a common friend or a relative or through a phone call,” says Mr. Murugan. The moi collection is also announced on a public address system in some villages.

BJP veteran Jaitley passes away
President, PM, political leaders condole stalwart’s demise

25/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

Former Union Finance Minister and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley passed away on Saturday at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at 12.07 p.m. He was 66 and is survived by wife and two children.

Mr. Jaitley had been admitted on August 9 with complaints of uneasiness and breathlessness and was under the care of a multi-disciplinary team of senior doctors. He was put on prolonged cardiac and respiratory support after his condition deteriorated days after he was admitted.

In a statement, AIIMS said: “It is with profound grief that we inform about the sad demise of Arun Jaitley, former Finance Minister of Government of India, at 12.07 p.m. on August 24.”

The former Minister had been unwell for a larger part of the past two years. In 2014, he underwent a bariatric surgery to correct the weight he had gained because of a long-standing diabetic condition. In 2018, he underwent a kidney transplant surgery at AIIMS. Earlier this year, in January, he was diagnosed with a rare form of soft tissue sarcoma, a form of cancer.

Later in the afternoon, Mr. Jaitley’s mortal remains were shifted to his Kailash Colony residence where several leaders, including BJP president Amit Shah, Union Ministers Harsh Vardhan and Jitendra Singh and party working president J.P. Nadda, offered floral tributes.

Mr. Jaitley will be cremated on Sunday afternoon at the Nigambodh Ghat, BJP leader Sudhanshu Mittal said.

‘Valuable friend’

In a tribute to Mr. Jaitley, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described him as a “valued friend” whose insights and nuanced understanding of matters had “very few parallels”. Mr. Modi, who is in the UAE on an official tour, said the former Finance Minister was full of life, blessed with wit, a great sense of humour and charisma.

In a series of tweets, Mr. Modi said Mr. Jaitley was admired by people across all sections of society, adding that he was multi-faceted, and had impeccable knowledge of India’s Constitution, history, public policy, governance and administration. “With the demise of Arun Jaitley Ji, I have lost a valued friend, whom I have had the honour of knowing for decades,” Mr. Modi said.

The BJP lost several of its leaders, including former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Union Minister Ananth Kumar, in the past one year. Mr. Jaitley died 18 days after Sushma Swaraj.

Arun Jaitley 1952-2019

A man of unique wisdom, knowledge & intelligence

RBI Guv Shaktikanta Das Recalls His Days At FinMin Working Closely With Jaitley

25.08.2019

For those of us who were in the Delhi University in the 1970s, Arun Jaitley was already a tall person. A tall person in all senses of the term. When he was released after spending 19 months in jail following his arrest during Emergency, large groups of students wanted to meet him, just to shake hands with him. He commanded a lot of respect even during that time.

I got to know and work with him when the government under Narendra Modi was formed in 2014 and I was posted as revenue secretary. I joined on June 16 and the Budget was to be presented within three weeks. Usually, ahead of Budget presentation, there is a lot of anxiety for a new minister in a new government. But Jaitley went about the process as if he had been doing it for years.

Jaitley was extremely knowledgeable on multiple and diverse subjects. He had a quick grasp over the most complex of issues. Once, when we were discussing a tax proposal, the CBDT chairperson was explaining things on a spreadsheet even as he was glancing through it. He agreed to an issue which I thought was quite complex. So, I suggested that he could read further down the sheet, since there were court judgments on it. He immediately told me that he had read it and went on to explain the judgments in detail.

India will remember him for several major structural reforms, the first being GST. In early December 2014, when the Constitution amendments were discussed in the empowered committee meeting, I saw on TV that several state finance ministers were highly critical of the Centre and suggested that at this rate, GST could not be introduced. In the afternoon, when the state finance ministers met Jaitley, he suggested that a small group of state FMs could meet him and discuss all issues in detail.

In the evening, the way Jaitley handled the meeting was an experience. He heard them out and suggested that he could sit with them through the night to discuss their concerns. But he insisted that the matter needed to be resolved. He showed that kind of determination.

The state FMs came back around 8-8.30 that evening and the meeting went on till late in the night. We met the next day and again a few days later. He negotiated with great skill — being very firm, where it was required, and yet being accommodating. For instance, he did not yield on petroleum being kept out of GST but agreed that the date of levy could be decided later. These meetings led to the introduction of the Constitution Amendment Bill later that month.

Similarly, on the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code, he recognised its criticality as soon as we made the first presentation. He took it upon himself and decided it had to be done without delay. The entire process, from the introduction of the Bill to its enactment and implementation, was done within a year, a record of sorts. Be it the monetary policy framework under the RBI Act, or the foreign black money law, the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill or FDI liberalization in several sectors, Jaitley pushed several landmark decisions.

He always maintained his composure and was totally unruffled. Even during very challenging times like demonetisation, when we were dealing with supply of notes and trying to resolve difficulties that were being reported, he always remained calm. This enabled me and my team to go about our task without any pressure. He was always very supportive and would point out if we needed to make some corrections. But he would do it in a manner where you didn’t feel it. He treated you as an equal.

There are three qualities, which are important to become great — knowledge, intelligence and wisdom. He was a unique combination of all three — As told to Sidhartha

Jaitley with Das, then economic affairs secretary

IndiGo to cancel 2 services from Trichy
Vincent.Arockiaraj@timesgroup.com

Trichy:25.08.2019

IndiGo Air has planned to withdraw two domestic services to Kochi and Bengaluru from the last week of October. According to IndiGo Air, the termination would only last three months owing to operational issues with Kochi airport.

The move comes at a time when air passengers are demanding more domestic service from Trichy airport. With this, the number of domestic services from Trichy airport will come down to one. Currently, only IndiGo Air operates domestic flights to Chennai, Cochin and Bengaluru. According to sources, the two services are being operated with a patronage of 65% to Kochi and around 90% to Bengaluru.

“As there is no proper day train service to Bengaluru from Trichy, regular passengers would largely be affected following the withdrawal of these two services,” said L Raja, a resident of Trichy working in Bengaluru.

The domestic services to Chennai, Bengaluru and Kochi by IndiGo Air was launched during 2018-19. The domestic traffic handled has more than doubled from 1.38 lakh during 2017-18 to 3.28 lakh in 2018-19.

“The introduction of new services to Chennai (weekly 29 services) and Kochi and Bengaluru (seven services per week) was the main reason for the increase in domestic passenger traffic. While Trichy airport connects five overseas destinations such as Singapore, Dubai, Sharjah, Kuala Lumpur and Sri Lanka, it is pathetic that the airport would be going to connect only one domestic destination,” travel agents said.

“If the issue pertains only with Kochi, authorities should do the needful to continue the service to Bengaluru,” said H Ubaidullah from Trichy Intra-City Development Endeavours.