23 colleges told to pay fee or lose affiliation

23 colleges told to pay fee or lose affiliation

Engg Institutes Failed To Remit Exam Fee To Anna Varsity

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:21.05.2021 

Higher education minister K Ponmudi on Thursday warned 23 engineering colleges that they will lose their affiliation if they do not pay exam fees to Anna University by May 24.

“Anna University has withheld the results of students from 23 engineering colleges due to non-payment of exam fees. If these colleges do not pay exam fees collected from students by Monday, their affiliation to the university will be cancelled,” Ponmudi told reporters after a review meeting.

More than 5,000 students are studying in the 23 colleges.

Following complaints of more failures in the proctored online tests and withholding of results by Anna University, the state government directed the university to conduct unsupervised re-exam for these students as in other universities. The university is planning the re-exam in June.

The state government had also received complaints about regularising guest lecturers in colleges. “The previous government planned to regularise around 5,000 guest lecturers working in government colleges through a committee and not the recruitment agency. We have received complaints that mistakes have happened at minister level. We held discussions with the secretary. We will also discuss it with the chief minister on conducting the recruitment fairly. These appointments will be made as per University Grants Commission (UGC) rules and qualifications. Meanwhile, the guest lecturers should not fall prey to middlemen,” Ponmudi said.

The government would form a committee to review and update all textbooks for distance mode programmes in the state following the complaint of bias in the textbooks.

The minister said, “It was brought to my knowledge that a first year MA textbook of Tamil Nadu Open University terms the DMK and communist parties as “parties against religion” and also accuses them of “preventing people from joining the national stream.”

“The book also says these parties are appeasing minorities and do not condemn “if Muslims indulge in violence”. This is what our distance mode students read in political science and history books. You all know where it will lead to. I was also a political science student and I have never seen such prejudice,” the minister added. The textbook, titled “Indian Government and Politics,” was published by the social science department of the university in 2005. The minister said he had directed university officials to take action against those who were responsible for it and remove such prejudices from textbooks.

ஓய்வூதிய பலன்களில் பங்கு கோரிய 2வது மனைவியின் மனு தள்ளுபடி

ஓய்வூதிய பலன்களில் பங்கு கோரிய 2வது மனைவியின் மனு தள்ளுபடி

Added : மே 18, 2021 23:49

சென்னை:கணவரின் ஓய்வூதிய பலன்களில் பங்கு கோரிய, இரண்டாவது மனைவியின் மனுவை, சென்னை உயர் நீதிமன்றம் தள்ளுபடி செய்தது.

காஞ்சிபுரம் மாவட்டத்தில் உள்ள அரசு பள்ளியில், முருகேசன் என்பவர் ஆசிரியராக பணியாற்றினார்; உடல் நிலை சரியில்லாமல் இறந்தார். ஓய்வூதிய பலன் வழங்கக்கோரி, அவரின் இரண்டாவது மனைவி அம்மு, உயர் நீதிமன்றத்தில் தாக்கல் செய்த மனு:

என் கணவர் ஏற்கனவே திருமணமானவர் என்பது எனக்கு தெரியாது. ஓய்வூதிய பலன்களை பெற, முதல் மனைவி முயற்சி செய்துள்ளார். எனக்கும், ஓய்வூதிய தொகையில், 50 சதவீதம் பெற உரிமை உள்ளது. எங்களுக்குள் உடன்பாடு ஏற்பட்டதால், முன்னர் தொடர்ந்த வழக்கை வாபஸ் பெற்றேன்.அதன்பின், உடன்பாட்டை மீறி, தனக்கு ஓய்வூதிய பலன் வழங்கும்படி, அரசு உயர்நிலைப் பள்ளி தலைமை ஆசிரியரிடம், முதல் மனைவி மனு அளித்தார்.

அதை தொடர்ந்து, முதன்மை கணக்காளருக்கு தலைமை ஆசிரியர் கடிதம் அனுப்பி உள்ளார். ஓய்வூதிய பலன்களை, சமமாக வாரிசுகளுக்கு வழங்கும்படி உத்தரவிட வேண்டும்.இவ்வாறு, மனுவில் கூறியுள்ளார். மனுவை விசாரித்த நீதிபதி எஸ்.வைத்தியநாதன் பிறப்பித்த உத்தரவு:

இந்த வழக்கை தொடர, மனுதாரருக்கு தகுதி இல்லை. சட்டப்பூர்வ வாரிசுகள் சார்பில், அவர்களின் தாய் என்ற முறையில், வழக்கு தொடர்ந்து இருக்க வேண்டும். அதற்கு பதில் அவரே இந்த வழக்கை தொடர்ந்துள்ளார். அதனால், அவர் கோரிய நிவாரணத்தை வழங்க முடியாது. மனு தள்ளுபடி செய்யப்படுகிறது.

சட்டப்பூர்வ வாரிசுகள் சார்பில் அதிகாரிகளிடம் விண்ணப்பிக்க, இந்த உத்தரவு தடையாக இருக்காது.இவ்வாறு நீதிபதி உத்தரவிட்டார்.

N Chennai gets spl focus in vax drive

N Chennai gets spl focus in vax drive

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:20.05.2021 

Greater Chennai Corporation has come up with a new strategy to control spread of Covid-19 in north Chennai. Though the region had a high number of cases during the first wave, infections were once again on the rise during the past few weeks, particularly in areas such as Tondiarpet, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Royapuram, Manali and Madhavaram. Officials noticed that a possible reason could be due to low vaccination figures in the areas.

“We have now asked zonal teams to hold more camps in the areas. On Wednesday, 66 vaccination camps were held in the city north. Tondiarpet alone had 30 camps and 486 people were vaccinated,” said Alby John, GCC deputy commissioner, health.

Active cases in the zones saw a dip on Wednesday. Zones such as Thiruvotiyur and Manali that had 1,846 and 982 active cases on May 17 saw a slight drop of infections on Wednesday and had 1,821 and 938 infections. Cases fell in Royapuram from 2,411 on Tuesday to 2,376 on Wednesday, and by 88 to 3,854 in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar.

Population density, more slum settlements and lack of awareness were seen as major challenges in dealing with infections in the north. “Vaccination is the only way to break the transmission chain here,” said an official.

“Unlike in other zones, residential welfare associations in northern region were not very active. We roped in “Strengthening fever surveillance, adding more focus volunteers to ensure those in home quarantine do not step out, ensuring proper assistance and follow up on tests, distribution of medicine kits to symptomatic patients and tele counselling at zonal level, along with vaccination camps, have helped reduce the rate of transmission,” said the corporation commissioner, Gagandeep Singh Bedi, adding that efforts will be scaled up in the coming days.

GCC holds vax drives at residential hubs

GCC holds vax drives at residential hubs

40,000 People Vaccinated In Over 450 Camps Held In Two days

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:20.05.2021 

Greater Chennai Corporation conducted 208 special vaccination camps on Tuesday and 250 on Wednesday and has vaccinated about 40,000 people through them. The civic body plans to expand vaccination drives further and vaccinate more than 35,000 people a day.

GCC wants to ensure that before Thursday, when vaccination for 18 years and above will open in the state, at least 80% of those above 45 years are vaccinated. The city has vaccinated about 60% of the 22 lakh people above the age of 45 years.

“I want to ensure that we are vaccinating more people every day and I have asked all the field support teams (FST) to ensure that more camps are held,” GCC commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said.

Fever surveillance workers have been asked to collect data on vaccinations extensively, including names of people above 45 from all residential welfare associations. “The civic body is getting ready to vaccinate all starting Thursday. Before that, we want to meet the target of vaccinating more people in the other age groups and the only way to do that is to hold massive vaccination camps,” said a zonal official.

Residential associations such as FOMRRA (Federation of OMR Resident Associations) have been working with the civic body in this regard. On Wednesday, vaccination camps were organised at gated communities along OMR and those 45+, looking for either first dose or second dose of CoviShield, were vaccinated. “Senior citizens, people who are wheelchair-bound and those with complications that prevented them from visiting hospitals/PHCs greatly benefited from the drive. With the vaccination for those under 45 opening up in the next few days, FOMRRA hopes to organize more camps,” said Harsha Koda, the association’s cofounder.

Apart from this, the civic body has instructed officials from the zonal enforcement teams to ensure that no shop is open after 10am. Bedi is holding a review with all the zonal field support teams via video conferencing every day to ensure that they stay motivated. A total of 382 shops have been sealed from April 9 till May 18 and a fine of ₹1.6 crore has been collected.

“We also want to increase testing. This is a war to be won and we all need to work to ensure the rate of transmission is cut,” Bedi said on Wednesday.

A total of 15,137 fever camps have been held in the city from April 1 to May 17 this year and about 8.4 lakh people had attended them, a press release from GCC said.

MULTIPRONGED APPROACH: Greater Chennai Corporation held vaccination camps at various residential spots along OMR on Wednesday

Now, a temple for ‘Corona devi’ near Coimbatore

1.5-FOOT-TALL IDOL

Now, a temple for ‘Corona devi’ near Coimbatore

Nivedha.Selvam1@timesgroup.com

Coimbatore:20.05.2021 

A temple to ‘Goddess Corona Devi’ has come up on the outskirts of Coimbatore, which already has a Plague Mariamman temple that came up when the scourge struck a century ago.

The Kamatchipuri Adhinam consecrated the one-and-a-half-foot-tall, black stone idol on its premises near Irugur on Tuesday and the poojas continued on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the adhinam said special poojas would continue for 48 days but would not be open to the public in view of the pandemic protocols.

In a video released by the adhinam, Sri Sivalingeswara Swamigal said, “following the footsteps of our ancestors, we have installed an idol for ‘Corona Devi’ because we believe God will help the hapless. We will be conducting special prayers for 48 days and only adhinam staff will be allowed to participate in the prayers.

Devotees would be allowed to enter only after the special prayers are completed.” He asked them to pray from their homes.

He urged the public to follow all government guidelines, stay at home, consume healthy foods and cooperate with the government to contain the spread.

In early 1900s, hundreds of people died of the plague pandemic and many others fled the city. Seeking divine succour, people visited Plague Mariamman temple, which is located between Big Bazaar and Raja streets in Coimbatore and performed special poojas for the deity.

In June last year, a temple priest in Kadakkal in Kollam district ha installed a ‘Corona Devi’ idol in a makeshift shrine attached to his house.

SEEKING DIVINE HELP: The temple near Irugur on Tuesday

Unabated surge: 365 deaths, 34,875 fresh cases in TN

Unabated surge: 365 deaths, 34,875 fresh cases in TN

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:20.05.2021 

After recording a dip for three days, fresh Covid-19 cases in Tamil Nadu rose to 34,875 compared to 33,059 on Tuesday. This included 6,267 fresh cases in Chennai.

The city has seen an increase of 281 cases from the 6,297 cases it reported on Tuesday. Of the 365 Covid deaths across the state, 91 were from Chennai.

Total case tally touched16.9 lakh and cumulative death toll touched18,734. Meanwhile, the state recorded a steady drop in vaccination to 45,755 on Wednesday compared to 50091 on Tuesday and 63,101 on Monday. So far, the state has given more than 70.5 lakh doses of the vaccine.

Highest cases

The state continued to record the highest number of fresh cases in the country for the second consecutive day on Wednesday.

While Maharashtra reported 34,031 new Covid-19 cases, Karnataka reported 34,281 new cases and Kerala had 32,762 fresh cases. Active cases in Tamil Nadu are however fewer in Tamil Nadu compared to Maharashtra (4.2 lakh), Kerala (3.2lkh) and Karnataka (5.5 lakh).

All districts in red

All 37 districts in the state reported more than 200 new cases on Wednesday. Sivaganga, which reported184 cases on Tuesday, registered 210 cases – the lowest in the state followed by Perambalur (218). After Chennai, Coimbatore (3250) reported the highest number of cases. While Chengalpet reported 2,275 cases, five other districts – Tiruvallur (1778) , Tiruppur (1573), Trichy (1459), Erode(1362)andMadurai(1156) -- crossed the four digit mark.

Deaths spiral up

Barring Kallakurichi, Perambalur and Sivaganga, all other districts reported deaths on Wednesday. After Chennai, Chengalpet reported 46 deaths and Kanyakumari logged 23. Together with 18 deaths in Tiruvallur and eight deaths in Kancheepuram, the Chennai region had 163 deaths -- 45% of deaths in Tamil Nadu. With 17 deaths Coimbatore reported the highest number of deaths in the region, while Madurai reported14 and Trichy 13.

New Dean takes charge

New Dean takes charge

20/05/2021

R .Suganthy Rajakumari

Special Correspondent Virudhunagar

R. Suganthy Rajakumari has assumed office as new Dean of Government Medical College here on Wednesday. She was hitherto Dean of Kanniyakumari Medical College, Asaripallam.

Earlier, she had served as Professor of Dermatology in Tirunelveli MCH, Kilpauk MCH, Sivaganga Medical College, Madurai Medical College and Thanjavur Medical College.

She had completed her MBBS from Tirunelveli Medical College and was gold medalist and best out-going student during her post-graduation in Madras Medical College.

She said that she was able to increase the number of beds in KMCH from 850 to 1,206 during her tenure as Dean and got a dedicated electricity feeder to the hospital that saved huge money on fuel for generators.

Besides renovating dilapidated buildings, she got furniture and equipment for the hospital through sponsors.

She began her duty by planting neem saplings on the medical college hospital premises.

“Virudhunagar has got a dry climate and the hospital and college premises need lot of shade. I have brought 1,000 neem saplings to be planted here,” she said.

She said that she would approach the Department of Forest to plant at least 2,000 saplings in the college and hostel premises. She has invited to philanthropists to donate furniture like drip stands, stretchers, wheelchairs, disposable bedsheets, sterile gloves and N95 masks.

Foreign medicos to join fight against virus

Foreign medicos to join fight against virus

State eases restriction on internship

20/05/2021

S. Vijay KumarCHENNAI

In a significant order, Tamil Nadu has lifted the restriction on the intake of students for internship at government medical colleges as a one-time measure to handle COVID-19.

“We have decided to rope in the foreign medical graduates [under the Compulsory Rotatory Residential Internship or CRRI] as part of the measures to strengthen the health workforce to manage the situation,” Minister for Medical and Family Welfare Ma. Subramanian told The Hindu.

The decision will pave the way for about 500 foreign medical graduates to join the health workforce. They have been waiting for internship, having completed their degree at foreign universities and cleared the qualifying examination conducted by the National Medical Commission.

The decision followed a proposal sent by the Director of Medical Education (DME), who underscored the urgent need for measures to contain COVID-19 cases that had reached “alarming proportions” with increased mortality.

NOC sought

The DME requested the government for permission to issue no-objection certificate (NOC) for the CRRI to students of other States, private colleges and other universities and foreign medical graduates without any ceiling.

The proposal was to relax the Tamil Nadu Medical Council’s stipulation that medical colleges issue the NOC to foreign medical graduates and students of other States after ensuring that the admission under the CRRI did not exceed 10% of the MBBS seats allotted by the National Medical Commission.

COVID-19 affected should defer shots by 3 months

COVID-19 affected should defer shots by 3 months

Ministry recommends vaccination for nursing mothers

20/05/2021

Battle continues: A health worker administering vaccine to a youth in Bhopal on Wednesday.A.M. FARUQUI

Special Correspondent NEW DELHI

Vaccination should be deferred by three months after recovery in individuals having lab test proven SARS-2 COVID-19 illness, said the Health Ministry in a statement issued on Wednesday.

COVID-19 patients who have been given anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma should also defer vaccination by three months from the date of discharge from the hospital. The Ministry also recommended COVID-19 vaccination for all nursing mothers.

The Ministry said it had accepted the recommendations of the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC). “These recommendations have been based on the evolving situation of the COVID-19 pandemic and emerging global scientific evidence and experience,” it stated.

It recommended that individuals who have received at least the first dose of the vaccine and got the infection before the completion of the dosing schedule should also defer by three months the second dose after clinical recovery from COVID-19.

Blood donation

“Persons with any other serious general illness requiring hospitalisation or ICU care should also wait for 4-8 weeks before getting the COVID-19 vaccine,’’ it noted. Also an individual could donate blood after 14 days of either receipt of COVID-19 vaccine or testing RT-PCR negative, if suffering from COVID-19.

There was no requirement for screening of the vaccine recipients by Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) prior to vaccination. The matter of vaccination of pregnant women was under discussion and further deliberation by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI).

“The Health Ministry has written to States and UTs to direct the officials concerned to take note of these recommendations and undertake necessary action for their effective implementation. States have also been advised to undertake training of the vaccination staff at all levels,’’ said the release.

Harrowing tales from TN’s hinterland

Harrowing tales from TN’s hinterland

V Mayilvaganan@timesgroup.com

20.05.2021 

May 15 turned out to be a nightmare for G Mithun, 41, of Krishnagiri town. It was only two days ago that his 37-year-old younger brother’s oxygen levels dropped to 65 and he managed to get a bed in Krishnagiri government hospital after much struggle. But, much to his shock, the oxygen mask provided in the hospital was damaged and the gas was leaking.

Mithun says neither did the hospital staff provide an alternative mask nor was his offer to buy an oxygen mask was entertained. It was only after the issue was taken to the district collector V Jaya Chandra Bhanu Reddy when he came to the hospital for inspection, the hospital staff replaced the damaged one with a new oxygen mask.

Government hospitals in smaller towns and semi urban areas overflow with such tales of sufferings when the state’s rural hinterland is witnessing a surge in Covid cases.

There are barely any beds left in government hospitals in tier 3 cities and small towns. The number of doctors and nurses are highly disproportionate to the number of Covid patients in these hospitals. Mithun said one nurse served at least 10 patients in the covid ward of Krishnagiri GH.

The conditions prevailing in government hospitals are panicking Covid patients, said a relative of an elderly Covid patient in Ramanathapuram government hospital. He alleged attendants of the patients are forced to be in close proximity due to space shortage.

In Trichy, a total of 154 doctors and 150 regular staff nurses and 72 staff nurses on contractual basis have been overstretched to manage ten government hospitals in the district. “Three doctors at Thuvakudi GH turned positive for Covid-19 today. Remaining staff are on multiple shifts,’’ said a doctor.

This at a time when rural and semi urban areas are reporting a spike in cases. Tirupur, for instance, has reported a sharp spike in cases as the spinning mills and garment units in the district have turned into micro clusters. The district jumped from 800 cases a day to more than 1500 cases daily for the past two days.

In Coimbatore district, the number of cases in rural areas has increased from 30 % a week ago, to 41 % now as scores of people from remote villages and tribal hamlets have been reporting positive cases. ``The trend shows that cases first spread from core city to peripheries and then to suburban areas and then to villages,’’ said a health officer.

Test positivity rate (TPR) is among the highest in the state in few rural and semi – urban districts. While Kanyakumari and Theni reported a TPR of 26 %, higher than Chennai (23), Tuticorin and Ramnathapuram followed with 24% TPR as of May 15. Except for Tuticorin these districts had been reporting lesser TPR. But steadily cases shot up like a village in Ariyalur, where 21 people on a street tested positive the same day.

(With inputs from Padmini Sivarajah and R Gokul)

Some attendants in ICU forcefully evicted

Some attendants in ICU forcefully evicted

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:20.05.2021 

From transferring deans of government medical college hospitals to using police force for clearing unauthorised attendants from Covid-19 wards, the government has taken stringent measures to prevent the spread.

Health minister M Subramanian said that during a visit to Salem’s Government Kumaramangalam Medical College he was upset about the isolation area not being sterile. “Deans of some medical colleges were transferred last week as they failed to follow Covid protocols. Most doctors and nurses work hard. Such violation can lead to super-spreader events and cause lot of problems. We know the present strain is highly infectious,” he told TOI.

Many relatives of patients, however, refused to leave the hospital wards. At Chennai’s Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and Coimbatore’s ESI Hospital, some of who were removed from treatment wards and corridors, protested on Wednesday. Some of claimed there were not enough nurses and staff inside wards to take care of patients. At Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital in Chennai, attendants complained that there were only four nurses for every 100 patients in Covid wards.

While authorities denied the charges, nurses at these hospitals admitted they were under-staffed. “The entire workforce on roll is unavailable because some are infected, some are in quarantine and few others are posted in Covid care centres outside the hospital premises,” said a senior RGGGH nurse, requesting anonymity.

The protest by relatives lasted nearly two hours until police arrived to disperse the crowd. Only one attender was allowed for each patient in oxygen-supported beds or critical care units to take care of the food and other essential needs. Slips were provided to authorised attenders.

The same rule was followed at Stanley and Omandurar medical college hospitals, said doctors.

Protests by attendants of Covid patients, who were evicted, were common in hospitals in Chennai and Coimbatore on Wednesday

Vax hesitancy a major challenge for TN govt, says health minister

Vax hesitancy a major challenge for TN govt, says health minister

Jayaraj Sivan & Pushpa Narayan TNN

Chennai:20.05.2021 

The biggest challenge for Tamil Nadu government in its fight against the Covid-19 pandemic is the hesitancy of the people in rural areas and the poor in urban centres to get vaccinated, said state health minister M Subramanian in an interview to TOI. “We create awareness among people to get themselves vaccinated. We tell them that if adults get vaccinated, it would encourage children to get inoculated when their turn comes. Another major challenge is delay by people in seeking medical care in Tamil Nadu,” he said.

Indifference of political executives and bureaucratic slackness since February, when the assembly elections were set in motion, resulted in abnormal increase in Covid infection and Tamil Nadu’s medical infrastructure getting overstretched, he said. “However, this is not the time to play the blame game. Our job is to set things right and we are at it,” he said.

Subramanian is cracking the whip to rein in erring medicos who throw the government guidelines and Covid protocols to the wind. He has transferred deans of a few medical colleges for permitting attendants of Covid patients inside Covid wards and ICUs, despite government orders prohibiting it. Many others have been put on notice for flouting norms. The pandemic may have hit the peak in Tamil Nadu and going by the present trend, it could subside within a month, he said. Daily fresh cases in Chennai has remained below 7,000 for four days in a row. The numbers have plateaued in several other districts, he said. FULL Q&A: P2

Fight Covid with CSR funds: CM

Chief minister M K Stalin on Wednesday urged representatives of industries to give priority to Covid-19 related requirements like oxygen concentrators and cryogenic tanks in their corporate social responsibility initiatives in TN. P 7

Perarivalan gets 30-day parole

Perarivalan gets 30-day parole

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:20.05.2021 

A G Perarivalan, a life convict in the former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, was given 30-day parole (ordinary leave) by Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday.

Chief Minister M K Stalin issued the order, considering the plea of Perarivalan’s mother Arputhammal, to allow him to go on ordinary leave for 30 days as per the provision of the Tamil Nadu Prisoners Manual. A couple of days ago, Arputhammal appealed to the CM requesting him to grant her son parole. In her petition, she stated that the ravaging pandemic and the spread of covid cases in prison would put her son in danger as he has health issues. After completing formalities, he will be allowed to go on parole from Central Prison at Puzhal, where he has been undergoing imprisonment in the last few years.

‘Do not hand over vaccine facility to private parties’

‘Do not hand over vaccine facility to private parties’

Chennai:20.07.2021 

Expressing shocking over reports that the Union government has decided to hand over its integrated vaccine complex at Chengalpet to private parties, PMK’s Anbumani Ramadoss urged the Centre to drop its move or hand over the facility to the Tamil Nadu government. “The state could take over the complex and manufacture more vaccines than proposed to be procured from private players,” he said. TNN

38-yr-old man gets trapped inside burning car, charred to death

38-yr-old man gets trapped inside burning car, charred to death

Was Driving At High Speed To Avoid Police Checkpoints

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:

A 38-year-old man was charred to death after his car caught fire as it crashed into an electric transformer near Pallakaranai on Tuesday morning. Unable to come out of the vehicle, the man died.

The deceased was Khaja Mohideen of VGP Shanthi Nagar in Pallikaranai. He was an assistant manager at a showroom in Nungambakkam. The showroom was closed due to lockdown but on Tuesday morning Mohideen went out for some personal work and was returning home after 10am. He was driving fast as he did not want to be stopped at police checkpoints as surveillance has been intensified for eregistration.

Around 11am, on VGP Shanthi Nagar Main Road, Mohideen lost control of the vehicle and crashed into electric transformer. Police said that within a few seconds the transformer caught fire which soon spread to the car.

Hearing the noise, residents came out only to see the car ablaze. The doors of the vehicle got stuck and Mohideen could not release the seat belt and come out. Onlookers could see him struggling inside but stood helpless as the entire car was ablaze.

They were even scared to go near as the transformer too caught fire. They informed the fire and rescue team and the police. The Medavakam rescue team rushed to the spot and doused the fire. By the time they broke open the door, Mohideen was already dead. The Pallikaranai police retrieved the body and sent it for postmortem to the Chromepet Government Hospital. St Thomas Mount traffic investigation police registered a case and are investigating.

Automobile engineers said tension adjustment system in seat belt operating mechanism is designed to get locked when it senses a sudden deceleration so that passengers are not thrown forward.

UP IN FLAMES: The car caught fire after it crashed into a transformer on VGP Shanthi Nagar Main Road

Power of an accused should not influence judge: Cunha

Power of an accused should not influence judge: Cunha

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:20.05.2021 

“Judges should not be influenced by powerful personalities accused of corruption. They should go only by the cause and evidence,” said former judge of Karnataka high court Justice John Michael Cunha. It was Justice Cunha’s judgment delivered on September 27, 2014, that sent the then Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa and her three associates to jail in a corruption case.

Addressing a webinar organised by Chennai-based advocate J Ravindran on Wednesday, Cunha slammed attempts to dilute the Prevention of Corruption Act through amendments introduced in 2013. “We are fortunate that the Prevention of Corruption Act is not repealed, as all the substantive provisions of the Act had been modified through amendments brought in 2013,” Cunha said. The judge was delivering a lecture on amendments to the Act.

Such amendments have given double protection to public servants against probe and prosecution, and have made prior sanction from the state mandatory for investigations, he said, adding, “this goes against the findings of the Supreme Court.” Through the amendments, an effort has been made to protect, rather overprotect public servants or hijack the investigation itself, to dilute the entire investigation, Justice Cunha said.

Answering a question as to how judges maintain balance while deciding cases under the Act, as most of the accused would be people with political power and influence, Justice Cunha said the moment the judges are influenced, the judgment will be biased and perverse.

TN begins selling remdesivir directly to private hospitals

TN begins selling remdesivir directly to private hospitals

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:20.05.2021 

The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday started selling antiviral drug remdesivir directly to private hospitals.

Chief minister M K Stalin distributed the first batch, containing 960 vials, to 25 hospitals at a sales counter set up at Nehru Stadium in Chennai.

Thestatehealthdepartment has launched an online portal (tnmsc.tn.gov.in) for selling the drug to hospitals. As many as 343 hospitals in the state have registered themselves on the portal, and 151 have requested remdesivir by submitting requisite documents (patients’ medical records and ID proofs), according to official data.

After verification, a representative of these hospitals can collect the drug from Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC) counters set up at Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Salem,Trichy andTirunelveli. Earlier private hospitals asked Covid-9 patients' relatives to buy drugs directly. This led to black marketsaleof thedrug for up to ₹40,000 per vial and excess crowd at TNMSC counters. Now private hospitals are barred from asking patients’ relatives to buy the drug.

Black market sales have been controlled to an extent after police intervention. Even on Wednesday, three men from Thanjavur were arrested for selling the drug in black at ₹23,000 per vial.

Meanwhile,relatives of Covid patients from southern districts staged a protest outside Madurai District Collectorate on Wednesday demanding remdesivir.Tokensweredistributed to these people at TNMSC counter in Madurai on Saturday i.e., a day before the announcement on new sales arrangement was made. They dispersed after police convinced them about the new procedure.

Govt puts WhatsApp on notice as firm imposes curbs on users

Govt puts WhatsApp on notice as firm imposes curbs on users

Pankaj.Doval@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:20.05.2021 

WhatsApp started limiting functionalities and shutting down chat room and app access for many who refused to agree to its controversial privacy update, even as the ministry of electronics and information technology, which has made repeated requests for the withdrawal of the policy, warned the company of action if it did not respond favourably to a fresh notice within seven days.

“The government has given seven days to WhatsApp to respond to its notice. If no satisfactory response is received, necessary steps in consonance with law will be taken,” sources said, emphasising that the government is “concerned and serious” over what it called WhatsApp’s “bulldozing its way through to force users” to agree to the update.

In a fresh letter sent to the company, the IT ministry said that WhatsApp’s new privacy policy — which permits sharing business communication of users with Facebook although personal chats remain encrypted — is a “violation of several provisions” of Indian laws and rules.

“In fulfilment of its sovereign responsibility to protect the rights and interests of Indian citizens, the Indian government will consider various options available to it under laws in India.”

The government said that WhatsApp’s policy “undermines the sacrosanct values of informational privacy, data security and user choice for Indian users, and harms the rights and interests of Indian citizens”.

Shreya: WhatsApp taking advantage of a loophole since India does not have a law

The company, which has received opposition to its latest update from the IT ministry, Competition Commission of India, and even the courts, remains defiant in its decision to move ahead with the proposal, which though had been deferred across the European Union as the latter found the move against the tenets of user and data privacy of its citizens.

When contacted, a spokesperson for WhatsApp in India said that the company continues to engage with the government on the matter. “… we reaffirm what we said before that this update does not impact the privacy of personal messages for anyone. Our goal is to provide information about new options we are building that people will have, to message a business on WhatsApp, in the future.”

Shreya Suri, who tracks IT regulatory policies at law firm IndusLaw, said unlike the EU, lack of a data protection law in India is making it easier for WhatsApp to push the new update in India. “It’s taking advantage of a loophole since we don’t have a law.”

Full report on www.toi.in

Can take vax 3 mths after Covid recovery, says govt

Can take vax 3 mths after Covid recovery, says govt

Those With Serious Illnesses Should Wait 4-8 Weeks

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:20.05.2021 

Those infected with Covid-19, including people who contracted the infection after receiving the first dose of the vaccine, should take the jab three months after recovering from the disease, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

People with other serious illnesses requiring hospitalisation or ICU care should wait for 4-8 weeks before receiving the Covid vaccine after being discharged from hospital, according to the ministry.

All lactating women can take the vaccine, though a technical advisory group on immunisation is studying data to evaluate if it can be allowed for pregnant women, the ministry said. Blood can be donated after 14 days of either receiving an anti-Covid shot or testing RT-PCR negative, if having suffered from the disease. The decisions were based on recommendations made by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC).

“The suggestions were made keeping in mind the evolving situation of the pandemic, emerging scientific evidence and experience from across the globe,” health secretary Rajesh Bhushan, who also co-chairs NEGVAC, said in a letter to states and UTs.

So far, the government’s advisory was to wait for 4-8 weeks after recovery from Covid-19 symptoms in case of infection before receiving the vaccine. The NEGVAC suggested that those who have received anti-SARS-2 monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma should defer Covid-vaccination by three months from the date of discharge from the hospital.

The health ministry clarified there is no requirement for screening of vaccine recipients by Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) prior to Covid-19 vaccination.

Not aware of vax ramp up plan: Gadkari

A day after his comment that ‘more pharma companies should be allowed to make the Covid-19 vaccine in the country to scale up production’ evoked reactions from opposition parties, Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday clarified that he was not aware that the Centre had spelt out the vaccination ramp-up plan in which different vaccine makers are being invited to boost manufacturing. “Yesterday (Tuesday)... I had made a suggestion to ramp up vaccine production. I was unaware that before my speech, Minister for Chemical and Fertilisers Shri @mansukhmandiya had explained government’s efforts to ramp up,” Gadkari said in a series of tweets.

Make vax plan till June, states told

The Centre advised states to plan for vaccine administration till mid-June and publicise it on CoWin to ensure efficient utilisation of available jabs and avoid overcrowding at centres. The Centre shared information about supply and availability of doses. Between May 1and June15, 5.86 crore doses will be provided to states under the central quota. P14

Jab count falls for sixth day in a row

India administered less than 20 lakh doses of vaccine for the sixth successive day on Wednesday with the CoWin portal showing that as of 9pm barely11.5 lakh had been given a shot on the day. About13 lakh doses were given on Tuesday. Meanwhile, former NSG chief J K Dutt, 72, who had led the fight against the 26/11 terror siege at Mumbai, succumbed to Covid-19. P14

‘Both doses will help in strong immune response’

This is significant as many vaccination centres are insisting that an on-the spot RAT test be conducted prior to vaccination, primarily to ensure the recipient is not Covid positive.

In case of individuals who have received the first dose and contracted the Covid-19 infection before completion of the dosing schedule, the second dose should be deferred by three months after clinical recovery from Covid-19 illness.

According to the ministry, it is advisable to receive both the doses irrespective of past history of Covid-19 infection as this will help in developing a strong immune response against the disease.

The Centre has advised states to ensure effective dissemination of the information to service providers as well as the general public, through use of all channels of information and communication in local languages.

Family of ailing doctor seeks govt. aid for treatment

Family of ailing doctor seeks govt. aid for treatment

19/05/2021

Staff Reporter New Delhi

Friends of Amit Gupta — a doctor at a Delhi government hospital — who has been under treatment for COVID-19, said they were yet to receive any assistance from the government.

On ventilation for 9 days

Dr. Gupta’s friends and colleagues have been trying to get assistance from the government since he has been on ventilator support at a private hospital for the past nine days. His wife Shristi Mittal, who is also a doctor at the same Delhi government-run hospital — Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra Hospital — said they have spent over ₹13 lakh in the last two weeks on his treatment. Dr. Gupta was on COVID-19 duty at the hospital before he tested positive on April 22, his wife said.

“We are spending about ₹1.25-₹1.5 lakh/day on treatment, which is more than our monthly salary. We have started a fundraiser on social media and friends, relatives, and even strangers are helping us,” Dr. Mittal said.

Kulsaurabh, who knows Mr. Gupta, said they have been trying to meet the Chief Minister to present his case and other similar cases.

Joyutpal Biswas, General Secretary of Federation of Resident Doctor’s Association, said they have written to the Chief Minister and Health Minister to provide assistance for all doctors who test positive and are undergoing treatment, but yet to get any response.

“Currently, the government gives compensation if a healthcare worker dies and not for COVID-19 treatment,” Dr. Biswas said.

Junior doctors, senior resident doctors threaten boycott

Junior doctors, senior resident doctors threaten boycott

19/05/2021

Staff Reporter HYDERABAD

Members of the Telangana Junior Doctors Association (TJUDA), and Telangana Senior Residents Doctors Association (TSRDA) have that they will boycott duties from May 25 if their demands, including ex-gratia for healthcare workers (HCWs) as announced by the State government, were not fulfilled.

The State government on Tuesday announced 15% hike in stipends for House Surgeons (MBBS Interns), medical students pursuing Post Graduation (PG), superspecialty courses, PG Diploma, and MDS. It would come into effect in retrospect, from January this year.

Stipend arrears

However, the TJUDA members wanted the hike in stipend to be implemented from January 2020. On the other hand, the TSRDA said that the 15% hike in their honorarium is pending for approval and that they have been hoping it will be approved for the past six months.

Both associations have also made a demand for the free treatment for HCWs and their family members since they are not able to find beds in hospitals.

Telangana extends lockdown till May 30

Telangana extends lockdown till May 30

CM takes decision to this effect after interacting with his Council of Ministers over telephone

19/05/2021

Special Correspondent HYDERABAD

The State government has decided to extend the lockdown in the State till May 30.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao took a decision to this effect after interacting with his Council of Ministers over telephone for taking their views on extending the lockdown. Lockdown in the State with relaxation of four hours – from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. – had been imposed since May 12 as part of measures to check the spread of COVID-19 which has shown a steep surge in the second wave.

The State Cabinet in its meeting on May 11 had decided to impose lockdown for 10 days till May 22 and it was decided that a Cabinet meeting would be held on May 20 to take stock of the situation and finalise further course of action. The Chief Minister, however, interacted with the Cabinet Ministers on Tuesday and decided to extend the restrictions after eliciting their views.

The proposed meeting of the State Cabinet has been cancelled as the Ministers were busy monitoring the COVID containment measures and extension of relief to victims and their families. The Chief Minister has directed Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to issue orders extending the lockdown.

Virus hit every family but Central govt. officials living in ivory towers, says HC

Virus hit every family but Central govt. officials living in ivory towers, says HC

It was hearing a plea about Sputnik V

19/05/2021

Staff Reporter New Delhi

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday remarked that COVID-19 has not spared even a single family while the Central government’s officers are living in “ivory towers” oblivious of ground realities.

“It is like a raging fire and nobody is bothered...No one is applying their mind. The virus has not spared any single family. Your (the Centre) officers are living in ivory towers,” a Bench of Justice Manmohan and Justice Navin Chawla remarked.

The court was of the view that the manufacture of Sputnik V vaccine in India with the collaboration of Panacea Biotec with Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) should be seen as an opportunity to ensure there is no vaccine shortage.

“Every day you [Centre] are castigated by each and every court and still you are not awake...God bless this country,” the court said.

The observations came while hearing Panacea Biotec’s plea to modify a July 2020 order of the court, in which it had undertaken not to prosecute further the execution proceedings instituted by it in relation to an arbitral award, passed in its favour.

In its fresh application, Panacea Biotec sought release of the arbitral award on the ground that it needs funds in the larger interest of humanity as it has already manufactured trial batches of Sputnik V vaccine in collaboration with RDIF and the process of manufacturing scale-up batches is on.

Next hearing

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Balbir Singh, representing the Centre, argued that Sputnik V’s manufacture by the company will not benefit the India as it will be for global supply by RDIF.

It posted the case for further hearing on May 31.

3 policemen suspended for torture of doctor

3 policemen suspended for torture of doctor

He claims he was released after giving ₹5.5 lakh to inspector, head constables

19/05/2021

Special Correspondent Bengaluru

An inspector attached to Sanjay Nagar police station and two head constables were suspended for allegedly detaining a doctor for two days as part of a probe into the illegal sale of Remdesivir and inflicting third degree torture on him. The doctor claimed he was released only after he paid them ₹5.5 lakh in cash.

The doctor recorded a video of the injuries he sustained and uploaded it on social media.

Taking cognisance, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North division) Dharmendra Kumar Meena, on Monday, ordered an inquiry into the actions of Inspector Kathyayini Alva. He removed the inspector and the head constables from their posts at Sanjay Nagar station and posted them at the DCP office until further notice. Based on the findings of an inquiry conducted by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, J.C. Nagar sub-division, City Police Commissioner Kamal Pant suspended the inspector and two head constables till further orders.

The complainant, Dr. Nagaraj from Sri Sai Hospital, was detained by Sanjay Nagar police on May 15 after they arrested a housekeeping employee and Dr. Sagar, from another private hospital, for selling Remdesivir for ₹40,000.

Based on Dr. Sagar’s claims, the police summoned Dr. Nagaraj, but did not arrest him. “I was tortured and beaten up so badly that I can’t even sit or sleep,” he alleged in the video. “The inspector not only took money to release me, but threatened to kill me if I spoke about this to anyone,” he alleged

11 T.N. doctors lost lives to COVID-19 in second wave, states IMA data

11 T.N. doctors lost lives to COVID-19 in second wave, states IMA data

Associations reiterate need to ensure safety of healthcare staff

19/05/2021

Serena Josephine M. CHENNAI

According to data in the Indian Medical Association (IMA) COVID-19 Registry, a total of 11 doctors — both in the government and private sectors — have died of COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu during the second wave of the pandemic.

This has reiterated the need to reduce exposure levels, improve testing and treatment for healthcare providers (HCP).

According to the data, a total of 269 doctors had died across the country during the second wave. Of this, 11 died in Tamil Nadu. As per IMA data released in February, 89 doctors from Tamil Nadu had succumbed to the infection till then.

J.A. Jayalal, national president, Indian Medical Association (Headquarters), said many HCPs were getting infected on a daily basis across the country.

“Majority of patients coming to hospitals are infected. This results in increased exposure and high viral load that poses a risk for HCPs. They should be protected. Testing and treatment for HCPs should be a priority,” he said.

There is an urgent need to augment manpower, he said, adding, “The Centre has postponed the conduct of NEET-PG. The only option for increasing the manpower is to conduct NEET-PG as quickly as possible so that nearly 45,000 doctors can join various institutions. The Tamil Nadu government should take this up with the Centre,” he said.

G.R. Ravindranath, general secretary of the Doctors’ Association for Social Equality, said each government hospital should earmark a separate facility to treat its doctors and staff nurses, who test positive for COVID-19. Compensation for families of doctors who have succumbed to COVID-19 should be increased to ₹50 lakh.

“One of the family members should be given a government job,” he said.

He said those who had tested negative in RT-PCR in COVID-19-suspected and -related deaths should also be compensated.

“RT-PCR test positivity alone should not be taken as the condition for COVID-19 deaths as in many cases the reports have returned negative,” he said.

Dr. Ravindranath called for an audit of deaths of doctors and nurses in the State.

A government doctor said financial assistance was yet to reach families of many who died in the first wave. “We have been repeatedly seeking compensation for Dr. Jayamohan, a doctor attached to a primary health centre in the Nilgiris, who died while on COVID-19 duty. There are no signs of any help till now,” he said.

Google rolls out News Showcase in India

Google rolls out News Showcase in India

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI, MAY 18, 2021 23:06 IST

Partners 30 publishers for content

Google on Tuesday announced the roll-out of News Showcase in India with 30 news publishers, including national, regional and local news organisations.

The News Showcase allows partnering publishers to curate content which is displayed as story panels on Google’s News and Discover platforms.

The technology firm also pays the publishers to license their content, providing limited access to pay-walled content for readers.

In India, Google has partnered with news organisations, including The Hindu Group, HT Digital Streams Ltd., The Indian Express Group, ABP LIVE, India TV, NDTV, Zee News, Amar Ujala, Deccan Herald, Punjab Kesari, The Telegraph India, IANS and ANI.

Globally, more than 700 news publications have signed agreements for Google News Showcase in countries including Germany, Brazil, Canada, France, Japan, the U.K., Australia, Czechia, Italy and Argentina.

“Today’s announcement comes at a particularly challenging moment in India, with Indians seeking out authoritative news and information as the COVID-19 crisis deepens,” said Brad Bender, VP, Product, News, Google. “To support news organisations and readers, we’re introducing Google News Showcase, our new online experience and licensing programme,” he added.

He added that this programme incentivised and supported news publishers to curate high quality content on Google News and Discover platforms, connecting readers with the news they needed.

The content from Indian publisher partners in English and Hindi will begin to appear in dedicated News Showcase panels in Google News and on Discover, with support for more Indian languages to be added in the future.

“As part of the licensing agreements with publishers, Google will pay participating news organisations to give readers access to a limited amount of pay-walled content. This feature means readers will have the opportunity to read more of a publisher’s articles than they would otherwise be able to, while deepening readers’ relationships with publishers and encouraging them to subscribe,” he said.

The technology giant also announced plans to expand its work to strengthen digital skills in newsrooms and journalism schools across India to train 50,000 journalists and journalism students to aid reporting and combat misinformation online.

Sanjay Gupta, V-P, Google India, said, “Today, we’re also announcing the expansion of our Google News Initiative efforts to bolster journalist training efforts, and new programmes to support over 800 small and mid-sized publications achieve financial sustainability with trainings in audience development and product innovation to support.”