மஹாளயபட்ச திதியில் தர்ப்பணம் செய்தால் கிடைக்கும் பலன்கள்!

By DIN  |   Published on : 14th September 2019 03:40 PM 

ஆவணி மாதத்தில் வரும் பௌர்ணமிக்கு அடுத்த நாள் மஹாளயபட்சம் ஆரம்பமாகும். இது, 15 நாட்கள் அதாவது புரட்டாசி மாதத்தில் வரும் (17.09.19 - 28.09.19) அமாவாசை வரையிலான காலம் மஹாளயபட்சமாகும்.

பித்ருக்களின் ஆராதனைக்கு உகந்த காலம் என்றும் சொல்லலாம். மஹாளயம் என்றால் பெரிய கூட்டம் என்று பொருள். மறைந்த நம் முன்னோர்கள் அனைவரும் நம் இல்லத்தில் கூடும் நேரமே மஹாளய பட்சமாகும். முன்னோர்கள் பித்ரு லோகத்திலிருந்து இந்தப் பதினைந்து நாட்கள் நம்மோடு தங்கும் காலமாகும். நற்கதி அடைந்த முன்னோர்களுக்குச் செய்ய வேண்டிய தர்ப்பணங்களை சரிவரச் செய்யாததற்கான பிராயச்சித்தமாக மஹாளயபட்ச தர்ப்பண முறை அமைந்துள்ளது.

நமது மூதாதையர்களின் ஆசிர்வாதம் நம்மைக் காக்கும் கவசங்களாகும். ஒருவன் எந்த ஒரு செல்வத்தை இழந்தாலும், வறுமையின் எல்லையில் நின்று வாழ்வை நொந்தாலும், அவனது முன்னோர்களான பித்ருக்களின் ஆசிர்வாதம் மட்டும் இருந்தாலே போதும். அவன் வாழ்க்கையில் எப்பாடுபட்டேனும் முன்னுக்கு வந்துவிடுவான். ஆக, இந்தப் பதினைந்து நாட்களும் வீட்டை சுத்த பத்தமாக வைத்திருந்து நம் முன்னோர்களை வணங்கி வந்தால் நம் வாழ்க்கை விருத்தியடையும்.

மஹாளயபட்சம் தொடங்கி அதாவது பிரதமை முதல் சதுர்த்தசி முடியும் வரை உள்ள ஒவ்வொரு திதியிலும் தர்ப்பணம் செய்தால் கிடைக்கும் பலன்கள் என்னவென்று பார்ப்போம். 

* முதல்நாள் - பிரதமை திதியில் தர்ப்பணம் செய்தால் பணக்கஷ்டம் தீர்ந்து, பணம் வந்து சேரும்.

* இரண்டாம் நாள் - துவிதியை திதியில் தர்ப்பணம் செய்தால் ஒழுக்கமான குழந்தைகள் பிறப்பார்கள்.

* மூன்றாம் நாள் - திரிதியை திதியில் தர்ப்பணம் செய்தால் நாம் நினைத்த காரியங்கள் நிறைவேறும்.

* நான்காம் நாள் - சதுர்த்தி திதியில் தர்ப்பணம் செய்தால் எதிரிகளால் தொல்லை இல்லாமல் வாழலாம்.

* ஐந்தாம் நாள் - பஞ்சமி திதியில் தர்ப்பணம் செய்தால் செல்வம் சேரும், நியாயமான சொத்துகள் கிடைக்கும். வீடு, நிலம் முதலான சொத்துக்கள் வாங்கி செல்வ செழிப்புடன் வாழலாம்.

* ஆறாம் நாள் - சஷ்டி திதியில் தர்ப்பணம் செய்தால் பேரும் புகழும் கிடைக்கும்.

* ஏழாம் நாள் - சப்தமி திதியில் தர்ப்பணம் செய்தால் சிறந்த பதவிகளை அடையலாம். உத்யோகத்தில் தலைமைப் பதவி கிடைக்கும், தடைப்பட்ட பதவி உயர்வு கிடைக்கும்.

* எட்டாம் நாள் - அஷ்டமி திதியில் தர்ப்பணம் செவதால் அறிவாற்றல் பெருகும்.

* ஒன்பதாம் நாள் - நவமியில் தர்ப்பணம் செய்தால் திருமண தடை நீங்கும். சிறந்த வாழ்க்கைத்துணை அமைவார்கள். குடும்பத்திற்கேற்ற மருமகள் அமைந்து புத்திசாலியான பெண் குழந்தைகள்
பிறக்கும். குடும்ப ஒற்றுமை சிறப்பாக இருக்கும்.

* பத்தாம் நாள் - தசமி திதியில் தர்ப்பணம் செய்தால் நீண்ட நாட்களாக இருந்து வந்த ஆசைகள் அனைத்தும் நிறைவேறும்.

* பதினொன்றாம் நாள் - ஏகாதசி திதியில் தர்ப்பணம் செய்வதால் படிப்பு, விளையாட்டு மற்றும் கலையில் வளர்ச்சி அடைவார்கள்.

* பனிரெண்டாம் நாள் - துவாதசி திதியில் தர்ப்பணம் செய்வதால் தங்கநகை சேர்தல், விலை உயர்ந்த ஆடை ஆபரண சேர்க்கை உண்டாகும்.

* பதின்மூன்றாம் நாள் - திரயோதசி திதியில் தர்ப்பணம் செய்வதால் பசுக்கள், விவசாய அபிவிருத்தி, தீர்க்க ஆயுள், ஆரோக்கியம், நல்ல தொழில் போன்றவை சிறப்பாக இருக்கும்.

* பதினான்காம் நாள் - சதுர்த்தசி திதியில் தர்ப்பணம் செய்வதால் ஆயுள் விருத்தியாகும். நாம் செய்த பாவங்கள் அனைத்தும் நீங்கும். மேலும், எதிர்கால தலைமுறையினருக்கு நன்மை உண்டாகும்.

* பதினைந்தாம் நாள் - மஹாளய அமாவாசை நாளாகும்.

இடைவிடாது தொடர்ந்து 15 நாட்களும் தர்ப்பணம் செய்தால் நம் முன்னோர்களின் ஆசியுடன், நமது வாழ்க்கையும் நமது குழந்தைகளின் வாழ்க்கையும் உயர்வு பெறும்.

ஆட்டம் காணும் அஸ்திவாரம்! | உயர் கல்விச் சாலைகளின் கற்பித்தல் தரமும், அதிலிருந்து வெளிவரும் மாணவர்களின் தரமும் குறித்த தலையங்கம்

By ஆசிரியர்  

தமிழகத்தில் திரும்பும் இடத்தில் எல்லாம் தொழில்நுட்பக் கல்லூரிகளும், உயர் கல்விச் சாலைகளும் காணப்படுவது குறித்து ஒரு வகையில் நாம் மகிழ்ச்சி அடைகிறோம். அதே நேரத்தில், இந்த உயர் கல்விச் சாலைகளின் கற்பித்தல் தரமும், அதிலிருந்து வெளிவரும் மாணவர்களின் தரமும் மெச்சும்படியாக இல்லை என்கிற கசப்பான உண்மையை யாருமே உரக்கக் கூறுவதில்லை.

உயர் கல்விச் சாலைகளை அமைப்பது மட்டுமே மாணவர்களுடைய வருங்காலத்துக்கு உத்தரவாதமாகிவிடாது. அவர்கள் பட்டம் முடித்துவிட்டு வேலையில்லாமலும், மிகக் குறைந்த ஊதியத்தில் வேறு தொழில்களிலும் இருக்கும் அவலங்களை எண்ணிப் பார்த்தால், கல்விச் சாலைகள் அமைப்பதாலோ, அனைவருக்கும் கல்வி வழங்குவதாலோ பிரச்னை முடிந்து விடுவதில்லை என்பதைப் புரிந்து கொள்ளலாம்.

உயர் கல்வியின் தரம் குறைந்திருப்பதற்குக் காரணம், நமது பள்ளிக் கல்வியின் தரம் குறைந்து காணப்படுவது. பள்ளிக் கல்வியின் தரம் குறைந்திருப்பதற்குக் காரணம், தொடக்கக் கல்வி அளவிலும், நடுநிலைப் பள்ளி அளவிலும், உயர்நிலைப் பள்ளி அளவிலும் கற்பித்தலின் தரம் மிகவும் மோசமாக இருப்பது. எட்டாம் வகுப்பு படிக்கும் மாணவர்களுக்கு சரியாக எழுத்துக் கூட்டிப் படிக்கவும், பெருக்கல், வகுத்தல் கணக்குத் தெரியாமலும் இருக்கும் அவலநிலை பல ஆய்வுகளில் சுட்டிக்காட்டப்பட்டு விட்டது. தொடக்கக் கல்வி, நடுநிலைக் கல்வி அளவில் முறையாகப் பயிற்சி பெறாததுதான் அதற்குக் காரணம்.
இந்தப் பின்னணியில்தான் நாம் ஆசிரியர் தேர்வு வாரியம் சார்பில் நடத்தப்பட்ட ஆசிரியர் தகுதித் தேர்வு முடிவுகளை அணுக வேண்டும். இப்படி ஒரு தேர்வு தேவைதானா என்று கேட்பவர்கள், கல்வியின் இன்றைய தரத்தையும், உயர் கல்விச் சாலைகளில் பல லட்சம் ரூபாய் செலவழித்துப் படித்துத் தேர்ச்சி பெற்றும், வேலை கிடைக்காமல் திண்டாடும் நிலையையும் சற்று நினைத்துப் பார்க்க வேண்டும்.

கட்டாயக் கல்வி உரிமைச் சட்டப்படி, அரசு மற்றும் அரசு நிதியுதவி பெறும் பள்ளிகளில் 1-ஆம் வகுப்பு முதல் 8-ஆம் வகுப்பு வரை பணியாற்ற ஆசிரியர் தகுதித் தேர்வில் (டெட்) தேர்ச்சி பெறுவது கட்டாயமாக்கப்பட்டிருக்கிறது. அதன் அடிப்படையில், தமிழகத்தில் ஆசிரியர் தகுதித் தேர்வு கடந்த 2011-ஆம் ஆண்டு ஜூன் மாதம்  நடத்தப்பட்டது. அதில் பெரும்பாலானோர் தேர்ச்சி அடையவில்லை. போதிய ஆசிரியர்கள் கிடைக்கவில்லை. மீண்டும் ஆகஸ்ட் மாதம் தேர்வு நடத்தப்பட்டது. அதில் ஓரளவுக்குத் தேர்ச்சி விகிதம் காணப்பட்டது.
2014-லும், 2018-லும் நடத்தப்பட்ட ஆசிரியர் தகுதித் தேர்வில் சுமார் 60,000 பேர் தேர்வு பெற்றிருக்கிறார்கள். அவர்கள் ஆசிரியர் பணி நியமனத்துக்குக் காத்திருக்கிறார்கள். 

இதற்கிடையில், 2010-க்குப் பிறகு ஆசிரியர்களாக அரசு உதவி பெறும் பள்ளிகளில் பணி நியமனம் செய்யப்பட்டவர்கள் தகுதித் தேர்வில் வெற்றி பெற்றாக வேண்டும் என்கிற நிலைமை ஏற்பட்டது. அவர்கள் தகுதித் தேர்வில் தேர்ச்சி பெற, தமிழக அரசு ஐந்தாண்டுகள் அவகாசம் வழங்கியது. அதற்குப் பிறகும் ஒவ்வோர் ஆண்டும் இந்த அவகாசம் நீட்டிக்கப்பட்டது. இனியும் அவகாசத்தை நீட்டிக்க முடியாது என்கிற நிலையில் இந்த ஆண்டு அவர்கள் ஆசிரியர் தகுதித் தேர்வு எழுதினார்கள்.
கடந்த ஜூனில் நடந்த தேர்வின் முடிவுகளில், அவர்களில் ஒரு சதவீதம் பேர் மட்டுமே தேர்ச்சி பெற்றிருக்கிறார்கள். அரசு உதவி பெறும் பள்ளிகளில் பணியில் உள்ள 1,500 ஆசிரியர்களில் வெறும் 80 பேர் மட்டுமே தேர்ச்சி பெற்றிருக்கிறார்கள் என்றால், கடந்த ஒன்பது ஆண்டுகளாக எத்தனை மாணவர்கள் இவர்களால் கற்பிக்கப்பட்டிருப்பார்கள் என்பதையும், அவர்களின் தரம் எப்படி இருக்கும் என்பதையும் நாம் சிந்தித்துப் பார்க்க வேண்டும்.

வகுப்பறையில் ஒரே பாடத்தை நடத்திவிட்டு, அனைத்துப் பாடங்களையும் தகுதித் தேர்வில் எழுதும்போது அவர்கள் சிரமங்களைச் சந்திக்க வேண்டியுள்ளது. தேர்வுக்குத் தயாராக அவர்களுக்குப் போதுமான அவகாசம் இல்லை. வினாத்தாள் மிகவும் கடினமாக இருந்தது. அந்த ஆசிரியர்களின் குடும்ப வாழ்வாதாரம் கருதி  கருணை அடிப்படையில் அவர்களுக்குத் தகுதிகாண் தேர்விலிருந்து விலக்களிக்க வேண்டும் என்றெல்லாம் கோரிக்கைகள் எழுப்பப்படுகின்றன.

ஏறத்தாழ ஒன்பது ஆண்டு அவகாசத்துக்குப் பிறகும், தகுதித் தேர்வில் வெற்றி பெற முடியாதவர்களின் கற்பித்தலில் அடுத்த தலைமுறை மாணவர்கள் என்பதே அதிர்ச்சியாக இருக்கிறது. கடினமான வினாக்களுக்கு விடையளிக்கத் தெரிந்தவர்கள்தானே ஆசிரியர்களாக வேண்டும்? இந்த 1,500 ஆசிரியர்களின் குடும்ப வாழ்வாதாரத்துக்காக, ஒரு தலைமுறை மாணவர்களின் எதிர்காலத்தையே பாழாக்க முடியுமா என்ன?

தகுதித் தேர்வில் தேர்ச்சி பெற்றிருக்கும் சுமார் 60 ஆயிரம் பேர் வேலைக்காகக் காத்திருக்கிறார்கள். அவர்களையேகூட, மதிப்பெண் அடிப்படையில் நியமனம் செய்வதுதான், வருங்காலத் தமிழகத்தின் நலனுக்கு உகந்ததாக இருக்கும். சொல்லப்போனால், அரசுப் பள்ளிகளில் ஏற்கெனவே ஆசிரியர்களாக இருப்பவர்களுக்கும் தகுதி மேம்பாட்டுப் பயிற்சி உறுதிப்படுத்தப்பட வேண்டும்.

அரசுப் பள்ளிகளில் கையூட்டு இல்லாமல், நேர்மையான முறையில் திறமையான ஆசிரியர்கள் தகுதித் தேர்வு மதிப்பெண் அடிப்படையில் நியமிக்கப்பட்டு, கல்வித் தரம் மேம்படுத்தப்பட்டால், தனியார் கல்வி நிலையங்கள் புற்றீசல்களாகப் பெருகாது. உயர் கல்விச் சாலைகளில் சேரும் மாணவர்கள், தேர்ச்சியாக முடியாமல் தவிக்க மாட்டார்கள். அஸ்திவாரத்தில் சமரசம் செய்துவிட்டு அழகான வீட்டைக் கட்டுவதில் அர்த்தமில்லை!
 

சித்தா மருத்துவ படிப்புக்கு 2,300 பேர் விண்ணப்பம்

Added : செப் 13, 2019 22:55

சென்னை : சித்தா, ஆயுர்வேதம் மருத்துவ படிப்புகளுக்கு, 2,300 பேர் விண்ணப்பித்துள்ளனர். பாரம்பரிய மருத்துவ படிப்புகளான சித்தா, ஆயுர்வேதம், யுனானி, ஓமியோபதி ஆகிய மருத்துவ படிப்புகளுக்கு, அரசு மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகளில், 280 இடங்கள் உள்ளன.

அதேபோல், தனியார் மருத்துவ கல்லுாரியில், அரசு ஒதுக்கீட்டில், 1,000 இடங்கள்; நிர்வாக ஒதுக்கீட்டில், 500 இடங்கள் உள்ளன.இந்த படிப்புகளுக்கான மாணவர் சேர்க்கை, 'நீட்' நுழைவு தேர்வு வாயிலாக நடத்தப்படுகிறது. இதற்கான, 'ஆன்லைன்' விண்ணப்ப பதிவு, ஆக., 28ல் துவங்கியது. விண்ணப்பங்களை பதிவிறக்கம் செய்து, உரிய ஆவணங்களுடன் சமர்ப்பிப்பது, நேற்று மாலை, 5:00 மணியுடன் நிறைவடைந்தது.இதில், அரசு ஒதுக்கீட்டு இடங்களுக்கு, 1,600 பேர்; நிர்வாக ஒதுக்கீட்டு இடங்களுக்கு, 700 பேர் என, 2,300 பேர் விண்ணப்பித்துள்ளனர்.

விண்ணப்பங்கள் பரிசீலிக்கப்பட்டு, அடுத்த வாரத்தில், தரவரிசை பட்டியல் வெளியிடப்படும் என, இந்திய மருத்துவம் மற்றும் ஓமியோபதித் துறை அதிகாரிகள் தெரிவித்தனர்

‘IVf for women above 45 years is unethical’

Published: 14th September 2019 06:26 AM 

By Sowmya Mani

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The recent case of a 74-year-old woman from Andhra Pradesh delivering twins has sent shock waves across the medical community. Doctors from the Indian Society for Assisted Reproduction (ISAR), Indian Fertility Society, and the Academy of Clinical Embryologists have issued a joint statement, slamming the hospital. They called it a ‘mindless misutilisation of IVF technologies’. CE speaks to Dr P Padma Priya, consultant obstetrician, gynaecologist and fertility specialist at Jeyam multi-speciality & Fertility Hospital, Tiruchy, to understand what IVF means and what are the rules that govern it.

GUIDELINES

“This case from Andhra Pradesh is a total misuse of Assisted Reproductive Treatment (ART). IVF is supposed to be done only for women between the age of 18 years and 45 years, and only three times. If it doesn’t work, the patients have to go in for adoption,” says Dr Priya.

Explaining why it is a risk to perform IVF on an elderly person, she says, “It’s completely unethical. There are so many problems in doing this to a woman aged 74. First problem is raising the child, when the child grows up, how can the parents take care of him/her.

Parental attention will not be there. From a medical perspective, maternal mortality is very high, and mothers have a high chance of getting diabetes and hypertension.”

THE PROCEDURE

IVF is an artificial reproductive technique where sperm and eggs are fertilised outside the body in a dish in the lab. The fertilised eggs, called embryos, are transplanted into the uterus after growing them for three to five days. Alternatively, the embryos can be frozen and transferred to the uterus in the next cycle. “In IVF,

fertilisation happens outside the body instead of inside the fallopian tube,” says Dr Priya.

WHEN TO OPT FOR IVF
There are male and female indicators that make IVF necessary:

MALE INDICATORS
The man can’t perform sexual intercourse
Semen parameters are too low

FEMALE INDICATORS
Blockage or removal of the fallopian tube
Previous sterilisation
Ovulation problems like PCOD
Severe endometriosis

RISK FACTORS
Ovarian hyper stimulation: When the gonadotropin injection is given, sometimes too many follicles develop. Ovaries become swollen and fluid appears in the cavities
Multiple births: IVF increases the risk of multiple births

WHY IVF IS ON THE RISE
Increased cases of PCOD. Many women don’t ovulate
The age when women conceive is delayed. We see many cases of pregnancy after 35
Chance of natural pregnancy lowers with age
Obesity is on the rise. Obesity leads to problems in ovulation

‘DON’T TRY THIS AFTER 45’
The worldwide success rate of IVF is 35%-40% per cycle. “There is a need to counsel patients, especially those who are above 50 years. We must not entertain such patients. They must be strictly told that IVF cannot be administered to them,” she says.

They must be strictly told that IVF cannot be administered to them,” she says.

Tragedy strikes Ganesh idol immersion in three States

33, including two minors, drown in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Delhi

14/09/2019, , STAFF REPORTER,BHOPAL/MUMBAI

Tragedy at dawn: Rescue workers retrieving a boat that capsized during the idol immersion in Bhopal.A.M. Faruqui

Thirty-three people, most of them in their 20s, drowned during the immersion of Ganesh idols in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Delhi, officials said on Friday. Some of the dead were minors, they said.

In Madhya Pradesh’s capital Bhopal, 11 people died when two overcrowded country boats carrying a 20-ft. tall idol for immersion in Lower Lake in Khatlapura capsized. Eight were rescued. Seventeen people were on the boats when the incident took place around 4.30 a.m., Bhopal Collector Tharun Kumar Pithode said.

Six of the dead in Madhya Pradesh were in their 20s, while two were minors.

In Maharashtra, at least 18 people drowned during the immersion of Ganesh idols. The immersion of idols, which began on Anant Chaturdashi on Thursday, continued till Friday morning. Drowning incidents were reported in 11 districts — Amravati, Nashik, Thane, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Dhule, Bhandara, Nanded, Ahmednagar, Akola and Satara, an official said.

Four people drowned in Amravati, three in Ratnagiri, two each in Nashik, Sindhudurg and Satara, one each in Thane, Dhule, Buldhana, Akola and Bhandara.

Two men and two women drowned in the Yamuna in Delhi during Ganesh idol immersion, officials said.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath ordered a magisterial inquiry and announced a compensation of ₹11 lakh each for the families of the victims.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “The capsizing of a boat at Khatlapura Ghat in Bhopal is saddening. In this hour of grief, our thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives.”

Meanwhile seven people, who were carrying a tall Ganesh idol from Seawoods in Navi Mumbai, suffered injuries from electric shock at 12.25 a.m. on Friday, while exiting a flyover.

The idol came into contact with an overhead high tension wire.

Two of the injured are in a critical condition.

The four who drowned in Delhi, in their 20s, were residents of Nihal Vihar, Nangloi, officials said.

(With PTI inputs)

AIADMK asks cadre not to erect flex boards

Stalin says he will not participate in functions if partymen put up banners

14/09/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

A banner erected on Peters Road in Chennai on Friday by the AIADMK cadre welcoming the Chief Minister and Dy. Chief Minister on the occasion of food festival . B. Jothi Ramalingam

The ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which was being blamed by its political adversaries for being “responsible” for the death of a young woman in a road accident in Pallikaranai on Thursday, asked its members to avoid “fully” putting up cut-outs and flex boards.

“Under no circumstance and for any reason,” should the cadre violate this stipulation, Deputy Chief Minister and the party co-ordinator O. Panneerselvam and Chief Minister and the AIADMK’s co-coordinator, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, said.

In a statement, the two leaders pointed out that they were “saddened” when they came to know that people were put to hardship due to “acts” committed by some persons “out of over-enthusasim, unmindful of consequences and ignorance of rules.”

They added that at the time of events of the party and the party workers’ private functions, the party cadre should not erect the banners that would create hurdles to the public.

Meanwhile, DMK president M.K. Stalin on Friday called upon his partymen not to put up vinyl posters, banners, cutouts, warning that he would not participate in functions if the organizers failed to heed to his advice.

Recalling his earlier message to partymen against the banner culture, Mr. Stalin said he was pained by the death of Subasri, who was killed in a road accident after posters put up by the AIADMK men fell on her.

“You may erect a couple of banners after obtaining permission from the authorities. Displaying them all over the place causing inconvenience to the public and motorists is unacceptable. It should be stopped,” he said in a statement.

Mr. Stalin also urged the party functionaries to strictly follow his direction to prove that the “DMK is a disciplined organisation.”

Compensation to kin

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.S. Alagiri demanded that a compensation of ₹10 lakh be given to the family of Subasri while slamming the AIADMK for her death. “It is because the AIADMK cadre illegally put up banners that Subasri lost her life,” he said.

CPI (M) State secretary K. Balakrishnan condemned the ruling AIADMK slamming it for the death of Subasri, ‘due to misuse of their powers and atrocities of the ruling party’.

In a statement, Mr. Balakrishnan said when opposition parties want to paste posters, police officials do not give permission. “But when it comes to the ruling party, they turn a blind eye when banners, posters, cutouts are put up even for birthdays, weddings, party events. ”, he said.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi president Thol. Thirumavalavan demanded that the family of the girl be given a compensation of ₹1 crore and a government job should be provided to one of her family members. Slamming the inaction of the police over banners of the ruling AIADMK, he said the police gave total freedom to the AIADMK cadre to erect banners and cutouts, despite strict orders of the courts against these.

“The government and the police are solely responsible for this death,” Mr. Thirumavalavan said.

Tamil Maanila Congress president G.K. Vasan issued a directive to his party cadre to not put up banners, posters, boards on road sides, pavements and public places. “If there is a need to put up such banners, it should be done only with permission, as per rules and regulations,” he said.

Ethiopian Airlines to start direct flight to Addis Ababa

14/09/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,BENGALURU

Ethiopian Airlines will launch a non-stop flight between and Addis Ababa from October 29. The airline will operate the flight four days a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. A one-way ticket will cost ₹38,525 and return fare will be ₹61,432.

HC again denies bail to paper leak accused

14/09/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,BENGALURU

The Karnataka High Court has declined to grant bail to prime accused in the 2016 second-year pre-university question paper leak case saying it would send a wrong signal to society as allegations, if proved, would result in jeopardising the credibility of the educational system of the State.

Justice B.A. Patil passed the order while rejecting, for the second time, a petition filed by Kumaraswamy seeking bail.

It was contended on behalf of the petitioner that the court had granted bail to all other accused persons, and he had spent more than three years, which is almost half of the maximum sentence that could be imposed for the alleged offences, in prison and the trial of the case is yet to begin.

However, prosecution contended that Kumaraswamy has been booked under Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act that prescribe life imprisonment for the offences alleged against him. It was alleged in the chargesheet that Kumaraswamy gained entry into the sub-treasury with the help of Santhosh Agasimani (accused number-4), a second division assistant in charge of the sub-treasury in Hanagal, and opened a bundle of question papers, and had taken photographs of the same.

Meanwhile, the court has directed the trial court to expedite the trial and complete it within a year.

Rajasthan launches information portal

Citizens can access 13 departments

14/09/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,JAIPUR

In a pioneering step, the first-ever public information portal was launched in Rajasthan on Friday promising to provide information about government authorities and departments suo motu to the public in the true spirit of the Right To Information Act. The portal has brought yet another distinction to Rajasthan, where the RTI movement had started in 1990s.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot inaugurated the portal at B.M. Birla Auditorium here in the presence of former Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, former Law Commission chairman Justice A.P. Shah and a galaxy of RTI activists, including Magsaysay Award winner Aruna Roy.

The State government collaborated with the civil society groups to develop the portal, the first of its kind in the country, initially giving information pertaining to 13 departments on a single platform.

In his inaugural address, Mr. Gehlot said the new web portal, named the Jan Soochna Portal-2019, would ensure compliance with Section 4(2) of the RTI Act mandating the public authorities to disclose information in the public domain, so that the people need not file applications under the law to obtain information. “I have a sentimental attachment with the RTI Act... I attended the first dharna seeking this right 20 years ago,” he said.

In a veiled reference to the RTI Amendment Bill passed by the Parliament recently, Mr. Gehlot said attempts to weaken the statute would only erode the resolve to bring transparency and accountability in administration. “We will not let this happen and will never allow this path-breaking law to lose its teeth. This portal displays our government's resolve for strict enforcement of RTI Act.”

Ms. Roy said the portal would eventually turn out to be an effective medium for “digital dialogue” with the people as well as a strong instrument for ensuring transparency in governance. She applauded the State government's action to combine technology, justice and information and said the civil society would take the RTI movement to the masses.

The State government will set up information kiosks in village panchayats and self-service e-mitra centres in the towns to enable the people to access the information useful for them. A message of Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi praising the initiative and expressing the hope that it would strengthen the spirit of the RTI Act, was also telecast.

Celebrating the return of Athi Varadar at Kanchi

The Hindu’svolume honours the iconic idol and temple

14/09/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,CHENNAI

The cover of the book brought out by The Hindu Group. The book traces the history of the Sri Varadaraja Swamy temple.

The celebrations of the once-in-40 years Athi Varadar festival held at the Sri Varadaraja Swamy temple in Kancheepuram have been chronicled in book form by The Hindu Group for devotees to cherish for a lifetime.

The comprehensive book traces the 1,300-year history of the Sri Varadaraja Swamy temple and the devotees’ tryst with the Athi Varadar idol, which is made of fig wood, during the 48-day celebrations held from July 1 to August 17 this year. More than a crore of devotees from various parts of Tamil Nadu and the rest of the country are said to have attended.

Embellished with details

The book, The Awakening: Athi Varadar 2019 is a rich cornucopia of historical details embellished by several colour photos of the Athi Varadar idol, in both lying and standing postures. For devotees, this will be a collector's item. The book not only has details of Athi Varadar but also valuable historical information, including the temple's origin during the Pallava period, its development in the Chola era and its pinnacle during the Vijayanagara period.

Comprising a compilation of articles by several writers, the book takes the reader on a tour of the various shrines, mantapas, sculptures, inscriptions, murals, and carvings in the famous temple.

While the book is priced at ₹250, it is available at a launch offer of 20% discount till September 15. The copies of the book are available at the offices of The Hindu and can be ordered online at the The Hindu publications website: https://publications.thehindugroup.com/bookstore.

Boy tries to sexually assault teacher in Pachamalai

14/09/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,TIRUCHI

A 16-year-old boy allegedly attempted to sexually assault a teacher, aged around 30 years and working in a residential school run by Tribal Welfare department at Marudhai, when she was walking towards a bus stop on Pachamalai hills a few days ago.

The boy, who was drunk and armed with a knife, snatched some money from her, and tried to assault her sexually, said the police. She screamed and the boy fled from the spot. He was picked up and the District Tribal Welfare Officer conducted an inquiry. On Thursday, the teacher lodged a police complaint.

High Court slams officials for not cracking down on flex boards

‘How much more human blood do bureaucrats expect roads to be painted with’

14/09/2019, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Appalled over the menace of illegal flex boards having claimed many lives and caused injuries to several others over the years, the Madras High Court on Friday asked how many more litres of human blood do the bureaucrats expect the roads to be painted with before they pull up their socks and begin taking stringent action against the ubiquitous illegality.

Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and N. Seshasayee came down heavily on the local body as well as police officials for having failed to implement in letter and spirit multiple orders passed by the court directing them to prevent erection of flex boards put up in public places without authorisation from officials concerned, including the traffic police.

Taking serious note of the death of 22-year-old R. Subasri at Pallikaranai here on Thursday, Justice Seshasayee asked: “Is this the value that the life of a citizen has in this country? Why are bureaucrats so insensitive?”

‘Bureaucratic apathy’

Impressing upon the need to think of the significant contribution that the youngster could have made in the development of the country had she not died due to the freak accident, the judge said: “There is zero respect for lives in this country. It’s sheer bureaucratic apathy. Sorry to say that we, or at least I, have lost faith in the government.”

The judges also questioned as to how anyone could console the victim’s parents who had lost their only child. Pointing out that a youngster was killed in a similar accident in Coimbatore in December 2017, Justice Sathyanarayanan questioned why the officials did not implement orders passed by the then Chief Justice Indira Banerjee against illegal flex boards.

“You allow the crime to be committed and then run after the criminals. Where were the officials doing when huge number of flex boards were erected (on the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam radial road in Pallikaranai) without permission? A precious life has been lost merely because of sheer irresponsibility of the bureaucrats,” Justice Seshasayee added.

Blaming the politicians for erecting a majority of the illegal flex boards across the State, the judge said, the party leaders should instruct their cadres not to indulge in such practices. “It must be the State’s resolve to prevent illegal flex boards. Will the Chief Minister issue a statement against flex boards?” the judge asked and passed over the hearing.

Later, in the post lunch session, they were informed that Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M.K. Stalin as well as the AIADMK coordinator O. Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Edappadi K. Palaniswami had issued statements asking their party cadres not to erect flex boards in the future.

After recording the submission made in the court, the judges insisted that parties should also file affidavits to that effect. In the meantime, A.K. Viswanathan, Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai Police and Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G. Prakash rushed to the court to give instructions to Advocate General (A-G) Vijay Narayan.

Making his submissions on instructions, the A-G told the court that the Chennai city police as well as the corporation have decided to collaborate to keep a check on illegal flex boards and that traffic policemen in the city would be given the responsibility of preventing and reporting erection of flex boards without any authorisation.

Justice Seshasayee asked the government to also ascertain ways and means to sensitise the general public and make them give up such practices.

Medico found dead

His room-mate spotted him lying unconscious

14/09/2019, STAFF REPORTER,MADURAI

A postgraduate student pursuing first year in the Department of Anaesthesiology at Government Rajaji Hospital here was found dead in his room late on Thursday night.

Police identified the student as U. Udhayaraj, 29, of Virudhachalam.

He was staying in Mathichiyam. A senior police officer monitoring the case said the student’s room-mate spotted Udhayaraj lying unconscious.

The body was handed over to the relatives after postmortem.

A case under Section 174 of Cr.Pc has been registered.

Those who require assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts may contact State’s health helpline 104 or Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.

Thoothukudi flight diverted to Madurai
14/09/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,TIRUNELVELI

Sharp showers in Thoothukudi airport for about 30 minutes forced officials to divert Chennai–Thoothukudi flight to Madurai on Friday afternoon.

When Chennai–Thoothukudi Spicejet flight that left Chennai at 1.15 p.m. was about to land at Thoothukudi at 2.30 p.m. with 57 passengers, showers lashed the area. Hence, it was diverted to Madurai owing to poor visibility.

As rain stopped shortly after 3.15 p.m., the flight took off from Madurai and landed at Thoothukudi at 4.20 p.m. The flight which used to leave Thoothukudi at 3.10 p.m. on its return journey, left for Chennai at 4.40 p.m. with 66 passengers.

I lost my daughter to the banner culture: father

14/09/2019, R. SIVARAMAN,CHENNAI

Caught on camera: A video grab showing the speeding water tanker that ran over Subasri after the banner fell on her.

“She was my only daughter and we have lost her now. She was like a tree to us. The tree is uprooted now. This should not happen to any family,” said Ravi, father of Subasri, who died in a tragic road accident on Thursday.

“I lost my daughter due to the banner culture. The banner collapsed on her and she fell. The tanker lorry ran over her and she died on the spot,” he added.

Subasri was riding her two-wheeler on the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Radial Road in Pallikaranai, on her way back home on Thursday afternoon, when the banner erected by C. Jayagopal, an AIADMK functionary, for his son’s wedding, fell on her.

On Friday, the Pallikaranai police booked a case against Mr. Jayagopal, a former AIADMK councillor, under the Tamil Nadu Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act of 1959.

Rash driving

The city traffic police produced the driver of the private tanker before a court, and remanded him in judicial custody.

He was booked for rash and negligent driving causing death.

“Lorry drivers drive very fast. The traffic police should control them. People are saying that if the lorry driver had slowed his vehicle, my daughter would have escaped,” said Mr. Ravi.

Saranya, Subasri’s classmate, said: “I was travelling in a share auto on the same road. The lorry was being driven very fast. When I passed by the road seconds after the accident, I did not realise that Subasri was killed. Only after reaching home, I learnt from the TV about her death. I was shocked.” A pall of gloom descended upon Bhavani Nagar, Nemilicheri, where Subasri’s house is located. Her colleagues, her father’s colleagues, relatives and neighbours were seen visiting the house.

CCTV camera footage that showed the banner falling on the 22-year-old went viral on social media platforms on Friday. After the banner fell on her, the tanker is seen moving forward in full speed.

Another video shows a few youth taking her body in a minivan to a hospital.

Soon after the accident, AIADMK cadre removed hoardings from the median. Based on a complaint from Corporation authorities, the Pallikaranai police registered a case against persons who put up the banners.

Traffic investigation personnel booked a case against Mr. Jayagopal under Sections 304 A, 336 and 279 of the IPC.

Court asks State govt. to pay ₹5 lakh to Subasri’s family

‘Recover it from officials who didn’t act against flex boards’

14/09/2019, MOHAMED IMRANULLAH S.,CHENNAI

A day after 22-year-old R. Subasri was run over by a water tanker at Pallikaranai in Chennai after an illegal flex board fell on her while she was riding her two-wheeler, the Madras High Court on Friday directed the State government to pay interim compensation of ₹5 lakh to her family. Subasri was the only child of her parents.

Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and N. Seshasayee ordered that the money be recovered from the government officials who failed to prevent AIADMK functionary C. Jayagopal from erecting flex boards on the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam radial road for his son’s marriage.

Action against officials

The judges ordered that appropriate action be initiated against Corporation as well as police officials who turned a blind eye to the erection of the flex boards by the ruling party functionary without obtaining permission from the local body and the traffic police.

The judges took cognisance of the woman’s death while hearing a contempt of court plea filed by activist ‘Traffic’ K.R. Ramaswamy earlier this year.

GoAir launches bookings for Kuwait-Kannur-Kuwait

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

PublishedSep 12, 2019, 6:11 am IST

GoAir will be deploying its brand new Airbus A320neo aircraft on this important sector in the Gulf.

GoAir also announced the appointment of its General Sales Agent (GSA), Kuwait's Resource Management International (RMI). RMI is part of Kuwait's Al-Waseet Travel Tourism Services (WTTS).

Chennai: GoAir has opened bookings for the Kuwait-Kannur-Kuwait sector. Close on the heels of launching Abu Dhabi, Muscat and Dubai, GoAir has launched its 4th destination — Kuwait — as part of its GCC strategy.

With an inaugural fare of KD 56 (Rs. 13,160) for a return ticket, GoAir will be operating daily flights G8 62 from Kuwait to Kannur and G8 61 from Kannur to Kuwait starting Sept. 19, 2019.

GoAir will be deploying its brand new Airbus A320neo aircraft on this important sector in the Gulf. The inaugural flight will take-off from Kannur International Airport at 07:00 hours (local time) and reach Kuwait at 09:30 hours (local time).

GoAir also announced the appointment of its General Sales Agent (GSA), Kuwait's Resource Management International (RMI). RMI is part of Kuwait's Al-Waseet Travel Tourism Services (WTTS). WTTS is a full-service travel management company that is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Association of American Travel Agents (ASTA), and it has International Standards Organisation certification (ISO 9001:2008).

Says Jeh Wadia, Managing Director, GoAir: “I am very pleased to announce the launch of GoAir flights to and from Kuwait. This is our 7th international destination - 4th in the Gulf and sequentially it is our 31st destination. There is a huge pent-up demand on the Kuwait - Kannur - Kuwait sector and we intend to cater to this segment with our basic three-tier business principle: punctuality, affordability and convenience. India and Kuwait have traditionally enjoyed friendly relations, rooted in history and have stood the test of time. GoAir's Kuwait flight is one more step in that direction.”

It must be noted that geographic proximity, historical trade links, cultural affinities and presence of large number of Indian nationals in Kuwait continue to sustain and nurture this long standing relationship between the two countries.

India has been a natural trading partner of Kuwait and until 1961 Indian Rupee was the legal tender in Kuwait. Nearly 20 % of the population in Kuwait are Indians; mostly hailing from South India.

Saleem Murad, Managing Director, RMI, said, “we are delighted to associate with GoAir and we are glad to be a part of GoAir's online operations with Kuwait in the capacity of Passenger General Sales Agency for the State of Kuwait. We are thankful to the Government of Kuwait, Government of India and Mr. Jeh Wadia and his team for making our long cherished dream come true. We will extend our wholehearted support to ensure GoAir commence operations to more and more destinations in India in the near future.”

Kerala consumes more alcohol this Onam

People spent nearly ₹500 crore

13/09/2019, SPECIAL 

CORRESPONDENT,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Kerala capped a season of indulgence by consuming nearly ₹500 crore worth of alcohol this Onam.

According to the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco), the State-owned liquor retail monopoly, the proceeds from the sale of liquor through its outlets in the past week alone has exceeded the 2018 figures by an estimated ₹30 crore.

The amount of liquor sold in bars and hotels remained unquantified. Bootleg liquor, hooch and moonshine also appropriated a sizeable segment of the market for cheap and hard spirits on holidays.

Kerala has the highest per capita consumption of alcohol in the country. The sale of liquor here has continued on an upward spiral despite the prohibitive tax on legal alcohol and the many dry days.

Officials said that consumers showed an increasing preference for popular brands of cheap Indian made brandy and rum. Premium counters retailing costlier brands and foreign-made foreign liquor also registered good sales.

Bevco officials said the increase in sales was despite outlets remaining shut on Thiruvonam day. An Excise official said the closure of outlets on Thiruvonam had spawned hoarding of liquor, and illegal and covert sales. It also prompted bars to up their rates. Many violated their licence conditions by selling liquor as parcels.

Fishkill along seashore sparks panic

Scientists blame Noctiluca marine microalgae for the incident

13/09/2019, D.J. WALTER SCOTT,RAMANATHAPURAM

A team of scientists from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute collecting samples of dead fish from the seashore in Ramanathapuram on Thursday. L. Balachandran

Panic gripped the fishing community in as the water along a 10-km stretch of the shoreline between Kunthukal in Pamban and Vedalai in the Gulf of Mannar turned green and witnessed mass fish deaths on Thursday.

As fishermen grew anxious, a team of scientists from the Mandapam Regional Centre of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), led by Scientist in-charge R. Jayakumar, conducted tests and concluded that the sudden blooming of ‘Noctiluca marine microalgae’ was to blame for the incident.

The good organic conditions in the seawater and the high temperatures in the region over the last three days had provided a conducive environment for the ‘green algae’ to breed and release spores, Mr. Jayakumar said.

“The breeding had been taking place over the last two days and the blooming happened on Thursday, resulting in the mass fish deaths,” he told The Hindu.

Around 3,000 fish would have died, he said, adding that they had suffered ‘gill choking’ and had died of oxygen depletion and breathlessness. The tests proved that the dead fish contained no bio-toxins, he noted. Mostly juvenile and near-shore fish, which could not migrate to the deep sea, fell victim to the algae. “Fishermen need not panic as the algae will dissipate in one or two days, once there is a fall in temperature, a good downpour and the currents grow stronger,” Mr. Jayakumar said.

Needle in child’s thigh: inquiry held at GH

Parents lodge complaint with police

13/09/2019, STAFF REPORTER ,COIMBATORE

Health department officials and paediatric experts visited the government hospital at Mettupalayam in on Thursday to investigate the incident of the broken edge of a needle getting lodged in a newborn’s thigh during vaccination.

The inquiry team was led by P. Krishna, Joint Director of Health Services, Coimbatore. The other members included a paediatric surgeon from Coimbatore Medical College Hospital and a paediatrician from the Government Head Quarters Hospital in Pollachi. “We can arrive at a conclusion only after the investigation is over,” Dr. Krishna told The Hindu from Mettupalayam. All the doctors from the hospital who attended to the infant, including the nurse who gave the injection, were questioned, she said.

The male baby was born in the government hospital on August 20 and was vaccinated the next day. On September 8, the family members found a broken piece of needle protruding from a swelling in the baby's thigh, following which they rushed to the hospital and got it extracted. Meanwhile, the parents of the child lodged a complaint at the Mettupalayam police station.

Meenakshi temple to offer free laddus to devotees

13/09/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,MADURAI

The Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple will soon begin distributing free laddus to devotees. The temple authorities have proposed to start the practice from Deepavali.

“We are planning to distribute small laddus to all devotees after their darshan,” said the temple Thakkar, Karumuttu T. Kannan.

The temple has already procured a machine at a cost of ₹5 lakh to make laddus, its joint commissioner Natarajan said.

500 an hour

The machine can make at least 500 laddus an hour, Mr. Kannan said.

“The Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple is the first temple in the State to make prasadam on its own, without any outsourcing,” he said.

“We started it more than a decade ago and the price of the prasadam has not been revised since then,” he added.

One-way traffic on RBI subway from tomorrow

13/09/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,CHENNAI

The traffic police are set to implement one-way traffic flow on the subway near the Reserve Bank of India from Saturday.

The existing steel girders on the railway tracks over the RBI subway have to be replaced due to safety concerns. The work is proposed to be done in two phases by the Southern Railway. During the execution of the work, there is a need for maintenance of one-way traffic under the RBI subway, said a press release from the Additional Commissioner of Police, Traffic.

Hence, the following traffic arrangements will come into operation from Saturday, till the completion of work. There is no change in the route of vehicles coming from Kamarajar Salai towards Parrys Corner via Rajaji Salai-Secretariat-RBI subway.

Diversions

Vehicles coming from the Royapuram Bridge, Rajaji Salai towards Kamarajar Salai will not be allowed towards the RBI subway (towards War Memorial). Instead, they will be diverted at the Rajaji Salai and Parrys Corner to RBI subway service road- NFS road- R.A Mandram- Muthuswamy Salai- Muthuswamy Point- Muthuswamy Bridge- Wallajah Point- Flagstaff Road- War Memorial- Kamarajar Salai, to reach their destinations.

Uber adds safety features to app for women commuters

The taxi aggregator earns positive reviews after conducting gender sensitisation workshops

13/09/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,CHENNAI

To give a push to commuter safety in the city, Uber has brought in several features in the application software in recent times. It has also been organising awareness workshops for its drivers.

A team from Uber, during an interaction with mediapersons in the city on Thursday, highlighted the measures the taxi aggregator has developed in the application software to help commuters have a safe ride.

Uber, which has a stringent driver verification programme, has been earning a lot of positive reviews from women commuters through gender sensitisation workshops conducted for drivers in several cities, including Chennai. The workshops are organised by Manas, a non-governmental organisation.

Pavan Vaish, head of operations, India and South Asia, Uber, said, “Uber is committed to providing safer transport, particularly for women, and to train drivers to handle women passengers gently.”

More than 6,900 drivers have participated in the workshops across the country. As a result, the drivers have pasted the sticker ‘We respect women’ in their cars, he added.

A representative of Uber said as drivers come from diverse backgrounds and different regions, gender sensitisation helps in making them treat women passengers with more respect. She said the technical team has been adding several new safety buttons to applications to enable women passengers have a safe journey.

Any passenger wanting to make an emergency call can tap the safety shield icon on the map for immediate contact with the Uber representative and also the law enforcement official.

Centralised number

To keep the passenger contact information secret to prevent drivers from making abusive calls for any reason including rating-related issues, Uber has started routing calls and messages of drivers and passengers through a centralised phone number.

The representative said this two-way call anonymisation does not reveal the contact numbers of the drivers as well as passengers until they themselves share the contact details.

For snakes, city is not an alien habitat

The reptiles are found in commodes, two-wheelers and septic tanks

13/09/2019, VIVEK NARAYANAN,CHENNAI

The notion that snakes, especially cobras and vipers, are mostly found in villages and forests far away from the city has been shattered by the number of rescues the Chennai Wildlife Division has carried out recently. They have been rescuing reptiles from different places, including commodes, bikes and septic tanks.

While close to 6,300 reptiles, animals and birds have been rescued from the city in the financial year 2018-2019, a large number of them, close to 2,700, are snakes.

“Apart from the non-poisonous rat snakes that are found commonly, we were surprised to find cobras, saw-scaled vipers, Russell vipers and kraits inside the city,” said C.H. Padma, Chennai Wildlife Warden.

100 calls a day

The wildlife helpline number (044-22200335) receives around 100 calls per day, and the majority of them concern snakes. Most often, reptiles are rescued from areas such as Adyar, Mylapore, Mandaveli, Sholinganallur, Muttukadu, Ambattur, Anna Nagar, Koyambedu, Valasaravakkam, Vadapalani, Moolakadai, Manali, Ennore and Tiruvottiyur.

Snakes crawl out of holes mostly during peak summer, or are washed out during the monsoon, officials said.

“In the last one month, when the city experienced some rain, we rescued close to 100 snakes. Some of the reptiles were hiding in bathrooms,” said a wildlife personnel.

Wildlife officials have been preparing themselves for the monsoon from October. As they only have a 15-member rescue team for the entire city, they are planning to rope in members from the Irula tribe to rescue snakes. “Considering the number of animals rescued from the city, we need more volunteers and manpower for the Department,” said a staff member.

Shravan Krishnan, an animal activist, said snakes have always been living in the city. “The city is expanding and, as more construction is taking place in the outskirts, snakes are coming in conflict with human beings,” he said.

He added that after rat snakes, cobras were rescued the most. Russel vipers, kraits and green vine snakes are also saved, but not very commonly. “Cobras have a habitat similar to rat snakes. They are found inside the city. Vipers are most often found in the fringes of the city, like Ambattur and Madhavaram,” he added.

Hospital needed

Staff from the Wildlife Department, and animal activists, said there was a need to set up an exclusive hospital for the rescued animals.

“The animals, birds and reptiles rescued from the city are taken to the rehabilitation centre attached to the Aringnar Anna Zoological Park. But most often, they die, as it is located far away. Hence, there is an urgent need to set up such a facility for animals inside the city,” added an official.

IRCTC plans a slew of goodies for Tejas Express

It will pay Railways lease, haulage fees

13/09/2019, YUTHIKA BHARGAVA,NEW DELHI

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Tejas Expess is likely to start operations this December.

The Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express will be the first train that will not be operated by the Railways, perhaps as early as the first week of October.

The Ministry of Railways plans to allow private players to operate certain trains, and as part of its 100-day agenda, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has been asked to run two trains. The second, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Tejas Expess, is likely to start operations this December.

To make the travel attractive, on offer are: free travel insurance worth ₹25 lakh, on-board infotainment services, doorstep baggage collection, local food and no tatkal quota. IRCTC, a public sector undertaking, will pay the Railways lease and haulage charges for running these trains. However, the loco-pilots, guards and station masters will be from the Railways.

RAJIV KILLING CASE

HC refuses to extend Nalini’s parole further

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:13.09.2019

The Madras high court on Thursday refused to further extend the parole granted to Nalini Sriharan, a life convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

She has been out of prison on ordinary leave since July 25 to make arrangements for her daughter’s marriage. Nalini was initially granted leave only for a month which was later extended to one more month on her request. Since her leave was going to expire on September 19, she had moved the present plea seeking further extension.

Refusing to accept her application, a division bench of Justice M M Sundresh and Justice R M T Teekaa Raman said, “We have already granted enough leave. It cannot be extended any further. We cannot go beyond the rule and keep extending the leave. We have already used our discretion and granted leave twice. But this time we cannot consider the request.”

The state government had also opposed the plea contending that Nalini is coming up with some reason or the other for extension every time the parole expires.

Recording the same, the court said everyone has some problem, but we cannot help anymore and suggested the petitioner’s counsel M Radhakrishnan withdraw the plea. Accepting the suggestion, the advocate agreed to take back the petition.

In the plea, Nalini stated that her mother-in-law was arriving from Sri Lanka since her presence was essential to complete the marriage arrangements and requested the court to extend the parole till then so that she can handover her responsibilities.

Bizwoman, 50, hangs self at her Nungambakkam house

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:13.09.2019

Reeta Lankalingam, joint chairman of Lanson Toyota, a car dealership firm, committed suicide at her residence in Nungambakkam on Thursday, police said. She was 50.

Reeta’s husband Lankalingam Murugesu is the chairman of the firm. He was not at home when she ended her life. There were four maids and a security guard at the residence. Reeta was in a bedroom on the first floor. Since she didn’t turn up for breakfast at 7am, her usual time, the maids knocked on her door.

Reeta’s childhood friend Mekala, who lives on Sterling Road, tried to reach her mobile. As she didn’t answer, Mekala became suspicious and visited the house. The maids informed her that Reeta didn’t turn up for breakfast. Mekala, accompanied by the maids and a security guard, went to Reeta’s bedroom. They found her hanging from the ceiling.

Later, they informed her husband and police. A team from the Nungambakkam police station rushed to the house. Meanwhile, residents took Reeta to a hospital on Greams Road where she was declared dead on arrival. She used a sari to commit suicide, police said. Police registered a case of unnatural death under Section 174 of CrPC.

Nungambakkam assistant commissioner of police Muthuvel Pandi, who visited Reeta’s residence, said, “We didn’t find any suicide note. We will inquire with the family members to identify the reason for the suicide.”

Preliminary inquiries revealed that the couple attended a board meeting at their firm’s corporate office in Teynampet on Wednesday.

Some of those who attended the meeting told the investigation officers that the couple had a spat during the meeting when Reeta demanded that an employee in the administration section be sacked, though it was rejected by Lankalingam.

The couple apparently continued their fight after they returned home and in a fit of anger Lankalingam stormed out of the house on Wednesday evening and never returned. During questioning, he told police that he stayed at a hotel and added that he tried to contact his wife on Wednesday night and on Thursday morning.

Police said they seized Reeta’s cellphone, which will be examined to check her activity before she took the extreme step.

The couple’s son Sivanka and his family reside elsewhere in the city, while their daughter Malavika lives abroad with her family. Apart from the car dealership, the family is into other businesses, as well as into exports.

TRAGIC END: Residence of Reeta Lankalingam (below), joint chairman of Lanson Group, in Nungambakkam

FAILING SYSTEM

NO ONE KILLED SUBASHREE

No Permission Given In Past One Year To Erect Hoardings, Say Corpn & Cops. But How Did One Crop Up And Kill Techie?

Komal.Gautham@timesgroup.com  13.09.2019

There has been public anger, petitions from social activists and a Madras high court order banning them, but hoardings continue to be everywhere. Hailing politicians, announcing a wedding, celebrating a first birthday or mourning a death, they are ubiquitous. No enforcement agency takes them off the road, nor are officials pulled up for their chronic inaction.

At times the government sends out press releases and threatens to slap fines and take action, but matters do not proceed further. In reports filed by corporation officials, violators are seldom named.

On Thursday, 24-year-old techie R Subashree died after an illegal hoarding erected on the median along the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Radial Road by AIADMK functionary S Jayagopal fell on her. The woman was on her way home from work. Almost two years ago, a software engineer died in Coimbatore after his bike rammed a wooden structure set up by the ruling party.

While Jayagopal refused to take multiple calls from TOI, officials from Greater Chennai Corporation said no permission had been issued for erection of banners since December 2018 when a blanket ban was imposed by the Madras high court. The police too said they had not issued NOCs in the past one year. Yet the authorities were not able to say how these hoarding crop up. All eyes now will be on the high court that will hear on Friday a pending contempt petition moved before it by activist ‘Traffic’ K R Ramaswamy against the TN chief secretary for failing to implement the court direction on unauthorised digital banners.

K Kathirmathiyon, an activist who has filed several public interest litigations with the Madras high court regarding illegal hoardings, said while the civic body might conduct random drives and remove these banners, it should be held accountable.

“Unless cases are filed against officials for not enforcing rules, there will be no change. Pulling up the public for non-compliance won’t solve the problem, both are responsible. Not a single bureaucrat is ever punished whenever such an incident takes place. We have suggested to the government to slap 304(A) on bureaucrats and officials when such accidents take place and illegal hoardings are set up,” he said.

R Lalitha, joint commissioner, revenue, corporation, said since December last year, the civic body has booked 471 cases online against people who have erected illegal banners. “We had held a meeting in March where we told political parties not to set up hoardings,” she said.

But corporation officials at the zonal level said such exercises were futile as whenever they try to remove banners and hoardings, they face departmental action. “One officer was transferred last year because he wanted to implement the high court order and remove illegal political banners in T Nagar,” said an engineer. He said police also refuse to file FIRs.

The drive against hoardings is not new. “In 2012, the Supreme Court and Madras high court had said that hoardings should not be set up on medians. Earlier, the medians were constructed by private parties and they placed advertisements for revenue generation. But due to this order, it was stopped immediately. A government order was issued to remove all advertisement boards and hoardings,” said Kathirmathiyon. But the government is yet to do that.

UP IN ARMS: Motorists protest against illegal hoardings erected by an AIADMK functionary in Pallikaranai. One of the hoardings fell on a techie and led to her death

WHAT BAN?

Hoardings and banners are a common sight in Chennai despite a blanket ban. Most of the offenders are from political parties against whom authorities don’t act

Techie dies after illegal banner crashes on her

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:13.09.2019

Illegal hoardings claimed their first victim in Chennai on Thursday. A software engineer riding home after work was knocked off her bike and came under the wheels of a water tanker when a flex banner erected for the marriage of an AIADMK functionary’s son crashed on her near Pallikaranai on Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Radial Road.

R Subashree, 24, who worked with a software firm at Kanthanchavadi, was on her way home to Nemilichery, Chromepet, after finishing her 6am to 2pm shift, when the banner that had been put up illegally fell on her. In the impact, the woman fell from her bike and the water tanker which was behind her ran over Subashree.



LURKING DANGER: The flex was erected on Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Road for the marriage of an AIADMK functionary’s son

In few months, she was to go to Canada

Subashree, who was to go to Canada in a few months, was rushed to a nearby private hospital where she died of injuries. Witnesses said that a few men carried her nearly 100 meters before they got an autorickshaw to take her to hospital.

The banner was one of several erected by a former AIADMK councillor Jayagopal for his son’s wedding. Soon after the incident, people tore up the hoardings that lined the stretch — there were not less than 50 banners and hoardings. AIADMK workers were also seen hurriedly taking down some of the banners.

Police first slapped a case of negligent driving on lorry driver Manoj Yadav, 28, of Kilpauk. A second case was later filed against Jayagopal based on the complaint of Amalraj, assistant engineer of division 188 of Chennai corporation. Police have registered the case under the Section 4 of The Tamil Nadu Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1959.

Meanwhile, the Chennai corporation has also registered a separate case against the AIADMK functionary for installing a illegal banner on the road without permission. They slapped a case under Section 326 of the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act, 1919. Activist ‘Traffic’ S Ramasamy too has lodged a formal complaint demanding police file cases against AIADMK workers, corporation officials and police personnel for allowing illegal banners on the road.

‘Caring child’ can get parents’ property: SC

AmitAnand.Choudhary@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:13.09.2019

If parents transfer property to an offspring who took care of them in old age, it cannot be assumed that the individual exerted undue influence on them to corner a bigger share of property and dispossessed his or her siblings, the Supreme Court has ruled in a dispute dating to 1970.

Adjudicating a property dispute among brothers, a bench of Justices Navin Sinha and Indira Banerjee said drawing such a conclusion without requisite evidence would have undesirable consequences as people who take care of aged parents would be at the receiving end from siblings who chose to be less dutiful. The court said the offspring who receives a larger inheritance cannot be subjected to a “reverse burden of proof” to establish that they looked after their parents only with the objective of extracting a large share of property.

‘There is bound to be more affinity between elder members & those who look after them’

The SC said there is bound to be more affinity between elder members of the family and those who look after them day-today and if property is transferred to a caring person then inference of undue influence cannot be drawn. Such an implication could deter people from caring for their elders.

“In every caste, creed, religion and civilised society, looking after elders of the family is considered a sacred and pious duty. Nonetheless, today it has become a matter of serious concern. Parliament taking note of the same enacted the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007. We are of the considered opinion, in the changing times and social mores, that to straightaway infer undue influence merely because a sibling was looking after the family elder, is an extreme proposition which cannot be countenanced in the absence of sufficient and adequate evidence,” the court said.

“Any other interpretation by inferring a reverse burden of proof straightaway on those who were taking care of the elders, as having exercised undue influence, can lead to very undesirable consequences. It may not necessarily lead to neglect, but can certainly create doubts and apprehensions leading to lack of full and proper care under the fear of allegations with regard to exercise of undue influence,” it said.

In the case under consideration, the siblings fought for close to five decades after the father transferred property to one of them in 1970. The father died a year after and the sale deed was challenged by other members of the family, alleging it was done fraudulently by deceit and under undue influence because of old age and infirmity of the deceased who was living with him.

CANDID TALK

Sivaganga man announces his time of death
Devanathan.Veerappan@timesgroup.com

Sivaganga:13.09.2019

Hundreds of people have gathered for an allnight vigil at Pasangarai village, 4km from Sivaganga town, after a 71-year-old man announced he would die in the early hours of Friday and sat down next to a pit dug for his ‘samadhi’. Police said they would not allow him to be buried alive.

The man, Irulappasamy, claims to be a ‘Shiva bhakta’, and has told his family (son and daughter) and friends that he will die between midnight and 4am and wants them to bury him in a seated position in the pit and build a temple over it. As the news spread, people started turning up to seek his blessings. Rohit Nathan Rajagopal, Sivaganga district SP, told TOI they are watching the developments and monitoring the crowd. There is nothing to worry about law and order, he said. Past midnight Irulappasamy, sat clad in a green lungi while people fanned him and sang bhajans. The crowd, meanwhile, was growing.

Irulappasamy said he would die between 12am and 4am on Friday

Help pours in for Coimbatore paati who sells idli for ₹1
‘Happy To Get Gas Stove After Using Firewood For 30 Years’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Coimbatore:13.09.2019

Not many entrepreneurs may want to emulate the business model that sustained her for 30 years. But 82-year-old M Kamalathal, who had been selling idlis for ₹1 each at Vadivelampalayam in Coimbatore district, felt she lacked nothing. After videos and news reports about the “idli paati” preparing the dish on a firewood stove went viral, she was flooded with offers of help from across the country.

Sharing a video clip of Kamalathal cooking at her homecum-shop, chairman of Mahindra Group Anand Mahindra said he was willing to “invest in her business and buy her an LPG-fuelled stove.”

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Coimbatore, told him that it had already issued Kamalathal an LPG connection. Retweeting this, Dharmendra Pradhan, Union minister of petroleum and natural gas, said, “Salute the spirit and commitment of Kamalathal. Glad to having helped her through local OMC officers in getting an LPG connection. Society must empower such hardworking people who defy all odds.” In addition, a private firm from Mumbai gave her a commercial wet grinder to prepare idli batter.

After all this unfurled on Wednesday, Mahindra on Thursday tweeted that he would be happy to support her LPG costs.

On Tuesday, Coimbatore collector K Rajamani received her at his office and offered to fulfil whatever needs she had. “She had no demands. However, her well-wishers said it would be helpful if the district administration built her a home. She said she has a patta. If she or her children bring the patta, the district administration is ready to build her a home for around ₹2.5 lakh,” he said. “Now everyone who comes to know about her wants to help her in some way. This is a positive thing,” he added.

When contacted, Kamalathal said she was happy that people were helping her. “For the 30 years that I have been running this idli shop, I have been using a firewood stove. Now they have given me a gas stove. I am happy,” she said.

Asked how she managed to sell an idli for ₹1, she said her input costs were low, so she could sell it for a low price. “There is no loss in this. I sell idlis for around ₹600 a day. I get to keep ₹200,” she said.

CROWD FAVOURITE: Seeing videos of Kamalathal, 82, running her business using firewood stove, people have got her an LPG connection

Tanuvas asked to allot seat to Class XII ST topper

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:13.09.2019

The National Human Rights Commission has directed Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Tanuvas) to allot a BVSc seat to a scheduled tribe student who had topped the community in the vocational stream.

U Chandran, from Kongkadi in Erode district, studied vocational stream (agriculture) in Class XII. He scored 444 out of 600 in board exams and got 147 out of the 200 cutoff marks. Due to the quirks in the quota system and fewer seats available for vocational stream, Chandran could not join BVSc course despite being the topper among vocational stream students.

Tanuvas reserves 95% of seats available under state quota for academic stream students and only 5% seats for vocational stream students. Of 360 seats available, 18 were available for such students. Under reservation, only 0.18% goesto STcommunities–the reason why Chandran did not get the seat.

During the camp sitting of the NHRC at Chennai, the complaint was taken up by D M Mulay, member of the commission, on Thursday. Tanuvas registrar P.Tensingh Gnanaraj appeared before the commission. Mulay directed Tanuvas to consider 0.18% seat available for ST category under vocational stream as one seat and recommended allotting a BVSc seat to Chandran within 15 days. Earlier, Tanuvas authoritiessaidthey could allot a seat only if the community had 0.5% and above seats as per the norms.

“With the direction of NHRC, there is fresh hope to join the college in this academic year itself. I hope the university will accept the order and allot a seat,” Chandran told TOI after the hearing. The nearest school from his village was 40 km from his home while he was studying. “As the deadline to apply tocolleges wasover,Icould not join any college this year,” he said.

“If he joins the BVSc course, that will motivate tribal families and children in and around his village,” said S C Nataraj, director, Sudar, an NGO working to provide education to children residing in hilly areas.Tanuvas officials were not available for comment. Chandran has also filed a petition at the Madras high court seeking a direction toTanuvas to allot a seat.

Med waste at Egmore hosp raises a stench
Hospital Pins Blame On Visitors For Littering

Aditi.R@timesgroup.com

Chennai:13.09.2019

Medical waste generated at the Government Hospital for Women and Children in Egmore is piling up in a corner of the campus and is proving to be a health hazard.

On Thursday, the waste pile largely comprised food waste, soiled diapers, clothes, slippers, blood-soaked bandages, syringes and empty medicine bottles. A worker was seen handling the pile without any protective gear.

“I have been experiencing severe breathing problems since the last couple of days due to the stench from this,” said the worker who packs waste from the hospital into garbage bags before placing it in colour-coded dustbins.

The hospital records 80 to 90 deliveries a day, the highest in a government facility in Tamil Nadu. Though it has separate bins to segregate wet and solid waste from biomedical waste, officials at the hospital blamed visitors for not following instructions.

“All biomedical waste is collected in red, white and yellow bags and sent outside, only the general waste is collected here. But if syringes and bottles were found in this pile we shall immediately look into it. Only visitors could have thrown it there,” said Dr S Shobha, director-in-charge of the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the hospital. The hospital has outsourced services for waste management to a private firm.

Patients complained that often crows and dogs flock around thegarbage pile. “Crows pick up waste from the pile and drop it everywhere,” said P Thilothama, a visitor. The hospital staff blamed the corporation staff and claimed that they do not turn up regularly to clear the pile. “The corporation van used to come twice a day to clear the waste, but since the last two months they only come once in the evening and sometimes do not even turn up,” the staff said.

“We collect the waste only if it is handed over to us, not when it is strewn all over. Our workers cannot enter the hospital campus and clean it for them,” said an official from the corporation.

HAZARDOUS PILE: Patients complained that crows and dogs flock around the garbage mound and enter the campus

2K VIT students get placed in campus recruitment

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:13.09.2019

More than 2,000 students of Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) have been placed in the ongoing campus recruitment.

A press release said 245 companies have participated in the campus recruitment and 2,026 students have been recruited by these companies. While the placement schedule will continue till October, the release said the process began in July. Companies offering a pay package of more than ₹10 lakh were invited for the first phase of campus recruitment. Amazon, Pay Pal, Cisco and De Shaw were some of the recruiters.

Core engineering placements also have been happening along with the IT placements. MBA and nonengineering placements will start in September, the release added.

SRM students to intern at Harvard

Chennai:13.09.2019

As many as 21 BTech bio-engineering students from SRM Institute of Science and Technology will travel to the prestigious Harvard Medical School in the US on a six-month internship in January.

They received the invitation from Harvard Medical School after expressing their project interests and profiles.

Meghma Mukherjee, one of the students, said, “I will observe the behaviour of cancer cells in response to different treatments and how they interact with our immune system during the internship.”

The university said though some students had benefited from Harvard internships previously, this was the first time a large number of students had received the internship. They will be mentored by Shiladitya Sengupta, head, Laboratory of Cancer Nano Medicine at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The hospital is a teaching facility of the Harvard Medical School. TNN

Pongal train tickets hit waitlist in a jiffy

Air Fares Too Skyrocket As Travellers Target Nine-Day Break In Jan 3rd Week

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:13.09.2019

Sleeper class tickets for Pongal holidays were sold out and reservation status touched waitlist on six trains to southern destinations in less than three hours after bookings opened on Thursday for travel on January 10.

Sleeper class tickets touched waitlist on six trains – Nellai Express, Kanyakumari Express, Rockfort Express, Pearl City Express, Ananthapuri Express and Cheran Express by 11am on Thursday. Reservation for travel on January 11, 12 and 13 will start in the following days.

The Railways is expected to witness maximum bookings for travel on Monday, January 13.

Pongal festival starts on Tuesday, January 14. As January 13 will be the only working day ahead of Pongal in the third week of January 2020, several people have booked tickets on trains and flights to travel on Friday, January 10.

Those who can avail of a leave on January 13 get to enjoy a nine-day break.

There is a suggestion from different quarters that the state government should declare January 13 too a holiday so that people can travel during the festival. An official said that traffic to the southern towns is usually high for festivals like Diwali and Pongal.

Due to the heavy rush in trains, air fares have skyrocketed.

One-way fare for travel on January 10 and 11 on the Chennai-Madurai route is in the range of ₹4,300 to ₹4,800, on the Chennai-Tuticorin route it’s ₹3,200 to ₹4,100, Chennai-Trichy ₹4,300 to ₹4,800, and Chennai-Coimbatore it’s in the range of ₹3,100 to ₹4,000. The fares are likely to rise further, sources said.

Anand Menon of FCM Travel Solutions said, “This time around, Pongal is coinciding with a long weekend. The large workforce and young professionals typically head out for a refreshing weekend break – be it for adventure, spending some family time or a spiritual retreat. Most travellers book in advance as such festive holidays are largely driven by availability of an array of weekend getaways and curated experiences.”

He added, “With travel becoming more frequent than just taking one or two annual leaves, travellers prefer to explore domestic destinations like the Andamans, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Goa. International destinations with easy visa facilities have seen a rise in demand.Popular destinations include Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Malaysia, Bali, Thailand, Mauritius and Vietnam. Given these shorthaul trips are planned in advance, the fluctuation of the US currency has minimal impact.”

New UK Visa

New UK visa to benefit thousands of Indian students, extend stay for 2 yrs

12/09/2019 

Prasun Sonwalkar

prasun.sonwalkar@hindustantimes.com

London/New Delhi : The UK on Wednesday announced the return of the two-year post-study work visa that was popular with self-financing Indian students, reversing a 2012 decision which led to a sharp drop in Indian students coming to Britain.

Indian and other international students at approved UK educational institutes who complete an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in any subject in 2021 will be able to stay for two years and take up a job or look for work, with no restrictions on the type or level of employment.

Those who get jobs in the two-year period will be able to switch to skilled work, which is a route to settlement in the UK.

“This is great news for Indian students who are likely to benefit disproportionately from this,” Britain’s deputy high commissioner Jan Thompson said in New Delhi. She said there had been a 42% increase in visas issued to Indian students last year, while the overall number of student visas had doubled in the past three years.

The UK, Thompson said, hopes to attract 600,000 international students by 2030 and sees “India playing a strong part in that”. Britain is creating an immigration system that is open to the “best and brightest”, she said.

This visa route was scrapped by Theresa May when she was home secretary in April 2012 on the ground it was too generous, along with other measures such as closing bogus colleges.

Before its closure, Indian students with loans used the two-year period to find work and recover the expenses of studying in the UK. Scrapping the visa led to a perception the UK was less welcoming, prompting a fall in Indian students from the high of 39,090 in 2010-2011 to 16,550 in 2016-17. Tom Birtwistle, head of the British Council in north India, said the new visa had been welcomed by the UK’s higher education sector, which realised the benefits of having Indian students. It was hailed by student organisations and the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament. Thompson said changes to the Tier 2 skilled worker visa means there is no limit on PhD-level candidates and more of these visas are issued to India than the rest of the world combined. The announcement takes account of the realities of Brexit, including EU citizens not being able to freely take up jobs in the UK after it leaves the EU.

Universities UK chief executive Alistair Jarvis said international students bring £26 billion in economic contributions but the lack of post-study work opportunities had put the UK at a competitive disadvantage.

UGC to announce mentor institutes under ''Paramarsh'' scheme''

New Delhi, Sep 11 The University Grants Commission (UGC) will soon announce the first batch of mentor institutions under its ''Paramarsh'' scheme, an official said on Wednesday.

As part of the scheme that aims to improve the quality standards in higher education system, top institutions will mentor five non-accredited institutes to secure the National Assessment and Accreditation (NAAC) grade certification.

"The UGC has received 167 proposals from the higher educational institutions that have expressed their interest to mentor non-accredited ones to secure the NAAC grade. Apart from these, we have received applications from over 700 higher educational institutions that want to be mentored," an UGC official here told .

The proposals will now be assessed by a committee formed by the UGC and the first batch of mentors will be announced in a week.

"Once the proposals are accepted by the UGC, the institutes can start the mentoring programme," the official added.

The scheme mandates that the mentor institutions should have secured a NAAC score of 3.26 out of 4.

Under the ''Paramarsh'' scheme, leading institutions will provide regular mentoring to help colleges to get accredited by the NAAC.

The official said the UGC will also assess the performance of the institutions that have been mentored to gauge the success of the scheme.

"Assessment will be beneficial to know the extent to which the mentorship would be beneficial for the non-accredited institutes to get accredited," he said.

The official noted that since securing NAAC accreditation has been made mandatory for the open universities too, the top institutions can also mentor such universities applying for NAAC grade for the first time.

The mentor institutions can be provided financial assistance of up to Rs 30 lakh. There is also an option of appointing an expert, who can be paid a fellowship amount of Rs 31,000 per month.

The scheme aims to improve the global rankings of Indian higher educational institutions.

"The scheme will lead to enhancement of the mentee institutions'' quality and its profile as a result of improved quality of research, teaching and learning methodologies. The mentee institution will also have increased exposure and speedier adaptation to best practices," the official added.

The NAAC is an autonomous body that assesses and accredits higher education institutions in the country.

(Pragya Singh can be contacted at pragya.s@ians.in)

pgs/bc

டைம்ஸ் தரவரிசை பட்டியல்: 200 ரேங்குக்குள் இடம்பிடிக்காத இந்திய கல்வி நிறுவனங்கள்

By எம். மார்க் நெல்சன் | Published on : 12th September 2019 05:25 AM

டைம்ஸ் உலக பல்கலைக்கழகங்கள் தரவரிசைப் பட்டியலில் வழக்கம்போல இந்த ஆண்டும் முதல் 200 ரேங்குகளுக்குள் இந்திய கல்வி நிறுவனங்கள் எதுவும் இடம்பெறவில்லை.

அத்துடன், பெங்களூரு இந்திய அறிவியல் கழகம் (ஐஐஎஸ்சி) உள்பட பெரும்பாலான இந்திய கல்வி நிறுவனங்களும் கடந்த ஆண்டைக் காட்டிலும் பின்னடைவைச் சந்தித்துள்ளன.


சென்னை ஐஐடி தொடர்ந்து அதே இடத்தில் நீடிக்கிறது.
ஆராய்ச்சிக்கான முக்கியத்துவம், ஆராய்ச்சி கட்டுரைகள் வெளியீடு, அறிவுசார் சொத்துரிமை ஆகியவற்றின் அடிப்படையில் உலக அளவில் தலைசிறந்த உயர்கல்வி நிறுவனங்களின் பட்டியலை மாணவர்களின் நலன் கருதி பல்வேறு அமைப்புகள் வெளியிட்டு வருகின்றன. அதுபோல, 2020-ஆம் ஆண்டுக்கான டைம்ஸ் உலக தலைசிறந்த கல்வி நிறுவனங்கள் பட்டியல் புதன்கிழமை இரவு 11.30 மணியளவில் வெளியிடப்பட்டது.

இதில் பிரிட்டனின் ஆக்ஸ்போர்டு பல்கலைக்கழகம் முதல் இடத்தைப் பிடித்துள்ளது. அதனைத் தொடர்ந்து அமெரிக்காவின் கலிபோர்னியா பல்கலைக்கழகம் இரண்டாம் இடத்தையும், பிரிட்டனின் கேம்ப்ரிட்ஜ் பல்கலைக்கழகம் மூன்றாமிடத்தையும் பிடித்துள்ளன.
முதல் 10 இடங்களில் 7 அமெரிக்க உயர் கல்வி நிறுவனங்களும், மூன்று பிரிட்டன் பல்கலைக்கழகங்களும் இடம்பிடித்து அசத்தியுள்ளன.

பின்னடைவைச் சந்தித்திருக்கும் இந்திய கல்வி நிறுவனங்கள்: இந்திய கல்வி நிறுவனங்களைப் பொருத்தவரை, முன்னணி இந்திய கல்வி நிறுவனங்கள் உள்பட பெரும்பாலானவை பின்னடைவைச் சந்தித்துள்ளன.

கடந்த முறை 251-300 க்கு இடைப்பட்ட ரேங்கில் இடம்பெற்று பெங்களூரு இந்திய அறிவியல் கழகம் (ஐ.ஐ.எஸ்சி.) இந்த ஆண்டு 301-350 இடைப்பட்ட தரவரிசைக்கு தள்ளப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதனுடன் ரோபர் ஐஐடி-யும் 301-350 இடைப்பட்ட தரவரிசையில் இடம்பெற்றிருக்கிறது. கடந்த முறை 351-400 க்கு இடைப்பட்ட ரேங்கில் இடம்பெற்றிருந்து இந்தூர் ஐஐடி, இம்முறையும் அதே இடத்தில் நீடிக்கிறது.

மும்பை ஐஐடி, தில்லி ஐஐடி, காரக்பூர் ஐஐடி ஆகியவை 401-500 க்கு இடைப்பட்ட தரவரிசையில் இடம்பெற்றுள்ளன.
பட்டியலில் 501-600 க்கு இடைப்பட்ட தரவரிசையில் மும்பை கெமிக்கல் தொழில்நுட்ப நிறுவனம், காந்திநகர் ஐஐடி, ரூர்கி ஐஐடி ஆகியவை இடம்பெற்றுள்ளன.

சென்னை ஐஐடி: சென்னை ஐஐடி-யைப் பொருத்தவரை கடந்த ஆண்டைப் போலவே 601-800 க்கு இடைப்பட்ட ரேங்கில் இடம்பெற்றுள்ளது. அமிர்தா விஷ்வ வித்யபீடம், கான்பூர் ஐஐடி, ஐஐடி குவாஹாட்டி, ஐஐடி புவனேஸ்வர், ஐஐடி ஹைதராபாத், புணே இந்திய அறிவியல் கல்வி ஆராய்ச்சி நிறுவனம், பனாரஸ் ஹிந்து பல்கலைக்கழகம் ஆகியவையும் 601-800 க்கு இடைப்பட்ட ரேங்கில் இடம்பிடித்துள்ளன.

பட்டியலில் இடம்பிடித்த அண்ணா பல்கலைக்கழகம்: கடந்த ஆண்டு இந்த தரவரிசைப் பட்டியலில் இடம்பிடிக்காத சென்னை அண்ணா பல்கலைக்கழகம், இம்முறை இடம்பிடித்துள்ளது. பட்டியலில் 1000-ஆவது தரவரிசையில் அண்ணா பல்கலைக்கழகம் இடம்பிடித்திருக்கிறது.
மேலும் திருச்சி என்ஐடி, வேலூர் விஐடி, கோவை வேளாண் பல்கலைக்கழகம், பிஎஸ்ஜி, சாஸ்த்ரா பல்கலைக்கழகம், எஸ்ஆர்எம் உள்பட இந்தியாவைச் சேர்ந்த 54 கல்வி நிறுவனங்கள் இந்த ஆண்டு டைம்ஸ் தரவரிசைப் பட்டியலில் இடம்பிடித்து அசத்தியிருக்கின்றன.