PIO-OCI merger: What aimed to simplify NRIs life has added more to complexity

The merger of Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) schemes announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is turning out to be a confusing exercise at embassies abroad.

A top home ministry official told Economic Times that the ministry has now "advised" the foreign ministry that PIO card holders should get their cards converted to machine friendly OCI cards at a nominal fee as the existing PIO document - which is a paper document - will not be compatible with the card reading machines to be installed soon at Indian airports soon.

"We have advised that PIO cardholders apply and get their cards changed to OCI at the respective embassies so that they do not face any difficulty as authorities in different countries or Indian immigration ports may be confused regarding the PIO-OCI merger," the top ministry official told the financial daily.

As per the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2015, all PIO card holders "are deemed" to be OCI card holders with effect from January 9, 2015.
But it did not point out that the cards will need to be changed.

The officials in the foreign ministry cite lack of homework on part of the home ministry as one of the reasons has led to the issues, and are thereby creating confusion at Indian embassies abroad.

"We may issue FAQs (frequently asked questions) soon to clear the air," the top home ministry official told ET as the embassies have been inundated with complaints due to lack of clarity on the issue.

The official told the financial daily the home ministry has scrapped its earlier order that said all PIOs must convert their cards to OCI within three months and the deadline of April 9 has been extended indefinitely.

ET reported that the Indian embassy in France first issued an order saying that with effect from April 8 it is mandatory to replace PIO cards with OCI cards. But it has now modified this saying, "it has now been decided by the Ministry of Home Affairs that PIO will be valid beyond April 8 till further instructions, but PIO holders should apply for OCI cards in lieu of PIO cards."

(Image: Reuters)

http://www.businessinsider.in/

HC upholds Sports Ministry’s circular

Only Indian citizens can be part of national sports teams’

The Madras High Court on Wednesday upheld a circular of the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports which states that only Indian citizens can be part of national sports teams.

The order was passed by Justice M. Sathya Narayanan on a petition filed by G. Venkatesh, an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) and a Bridge player and his team mates Padmanabhan Sridharan, Sunderram Srinivasan and Subash Gupta – all part of a team called Texan Aces.

In 2010, Mr. Venkatesh wrote to the Bridge Federation of India, seeking permission to take part in international tournaments. But the president of the federation, in a letter, stated that though he would be entitled to play in national tournaments, he will not be able to represent the country in international championships since he was an OCI.

This was due to the circular issued by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports dated December 26,2008 and March 12, 2009 – only players who are Indian citizens will receive support from the government for representing the country in national teams. In the next circular issued in 2009, the government said only sportspersons with Indian citizenship are entitled to walk under the Indian flag.

According to a petition filed by Sunderram Srinivasan, the Federation also stated that the entire team will be disqualified if Mr. Venkatesh was on the team. Subsequently Mr. Venkatesh approached the Madras High Court and got green signal to take part in team selections for international tournaments.

After this the Federation allowed their team to take part in the selection trials for the Bermuda Bowl Bridge Championships, which is slated to be held in Chennai from September 26 to October 10, 2015. The team won the selection trials in August 2014.

The Federation however withdrew its support and instead sent a letter reiterating that the team cannot represent India in the event as only Indian citizens can do so. “This is because, they won trials with a OCI player. So it cannot be accepted,” said N.R. Kirubakaramoorthy, president, Bridge Federation of India.

According to the petitioner, the Federation also issued a publication stating that selection trials will be conducted again in April 2015. “Subsequently, the three team members filed petitions in the Madras High Court seeking to stop the trials and got a stay order,” Mr. Kirubakaramoorthy said.

On Wednesday, the Judge, after referring to the relevant provision of the Constitution, which relate to citizenship of India and provisions of Indian Citizenship Act, finally ruled that the assumption of foreign citizenships amounts to automatic relinquishment of Indian citizenship and upheld the Ministry’s circular.

BDS admissions: HC notices to Punjab, Baba Farid varsity, others

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday issued notices to the Punjab government, Dental Council of India, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot, Adesh University, Bathinda, and Guru Nanak Dev Dental College and Research Institute, Sunam, on an appeal regarding the denial of registration numbers to BDS students.

The petition has challenged the dismissal of a bunch of petitions by 450-odd Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students of private unaided dental colleges of Punjab who had challenged the university’s decision not to issue registration numbers to them.

Admitting the appeal, the high court has issued the notices for June 29.

On June 15, the high court bench of justice RK Jain had held that admissions to the course were to be done on the basis of the All India Pre-Medical Entrance Test (AIPMET) or any other test conducted by the state.

These students were admitted by private dental colleges on the basis of their marks in Class 12 (qualifying examination) for the academic session 2014-15. However, in February, the BFUHS had returned their registration numbers to respective colleges directing them to strike off their names.

The university’s decision was challenged by these students before the high court in April.

The high court held that these colleges not only violated the terms of the prospectus issued before the admissions but also the regulations of the Dental Council of India (DCI) and the Medical Council of India (MCI).

The court said Clause 4 of the notification (which talks about filling seats on the basis of the qualifying examination) ran contrary to the revised BDS regulations, 2007, and Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 1997.

The petitioners had pleaded that their admissions be allowed against the large number of vacant seats lying vacant after the counselling conducted by the university for the academic session 2014-15.

They had also argued that in most neighbouring states and in the past in Punjab as well, admissions were done on the basis of the qualifying examination. However, the high court did not accept the argument.

PIOs Advised to Apply for OCI Cards

http://www.indiawest.com/

New Delhi: The Indian government has asked Persons of Indian Origin to apply for registration as Overseas Citizen of India before Sept. 30.

The Home Ministry advisory came after the government announced plans to merge the PIO and OCI schemes.

The OCI, which comes in the form of a “smart card,” grants life-long Indian visas and other benefits not available to PIO card-holders. It is expected to facilitate quicker clearance at immigration check posts, and also help in obtaining consular services from Indian missions. In India, the card-holders will be exempt from police reporting.

The government has created a new online application form to apply for registration as OCI even though PIO card-holders can also apply through Indian missions.

The government said it was informing all immigration check posts and airlines to allow travelers using either of the cards.

Beating the cheating

Many students are using covert high-tech equipment to cheat and secure top marks in that all-important exam. Sridhar Vivan takes us through the new measures that authorities have introduced to check unabated cheating, and the problems these measures pose to students

Tech vs Tech

Jammers

The Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), which saw a number of high-tech copying cases, has introduced jammers this year. The university believes that jammers can effectively put an end to electronically transmitted messages during exams.

Metal detector

RGUHS registrar (evaluation) Dr S Sachidanand said that the universities are now considering all possible ways to detect cheating. He said universities are also planning to install metal detectors at exam halls. However, it may be an expensive affair given the high number of exam centres

Surveillance cameras

Some universities like Bangalore University and RGUHS are planning to install surveillance cameras in exam halls to monitor the movement of students. However, the biggest challenge for the varsities are the logistical issues in managing the cameras during exam hall and the expenses involved

Manual frisking

Some of the universities are planning to manually frisk students. The universities want to have separate rooms for frisking students and deploying additional women staff. The only problem with this is whether students will be okay with frisking during exams

Earrings, watches banned

The Puducherry-based Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research has gone a step ahead by asking students not to wear wrist watches. Exam centres that conducted the test recently were checking students' earrings to see if they were hiding any bluetooth device. Universities want a ban on cellphones

Many entrance/university exams have been cancelled across the country in the last 45 days following allegations of copying

AIPMT

Exam held on: May 3

Cancelled on: June 15

CBSE conducted AIPMT for 15 per cent of merit positions in the medical/dental colleges on May 3. It is believed that questions were leaked and the answers were electronically transmitted to aid high-tech copying. The SC ordered the cancellation of the exam.

Jamia Millia Islamia

Exam held on: June 13

Cancelled on: June 15

It is alleged that hours before the BTech and BDS exams, question papers were available through WhatsApp messaging. Hence, the New Delhi-based central university announced new dates for the exams — BTech on June 27 and BDS on June 25.

Aligarh Muslim Univ

Entrance Test on: April 26

Cancelled on: May 28

The Uttar Pradesh-based university conducted its entrance test for medical and dental courses on April 26. There were a number of complaints of irregularities. The matter came to the fore after it was found that many students were selected from Kozhikode due to incidents of mass copying .

Bangalore University

Exam held on: May 4

Cancelled on: May 4

The university was forced to postpone BCom exams after the vice-chancellor and other officials received question papers through WhatsApp. The issue was brought before the vice-chancellor and in his presence the three sets of question papers were opened. They found that two questions had been leaked from all three sets. Hence, they decided to postpone the exams.

School of Learning, DU

Exam held on: From May 28

Action yet to be taken

A couple of hours before the exam, final year BCom (economics) paper was allegedly leaked through WhatsApp. On June 2, the question paper on Corporate Laws was also allegedly leaked on WhatsApp for the fifth consecutive day and three people were arrested.

State students are the losers

It's a catch-22 situation for students from Karnataka. Usually, toppers prefer to wait for the AIPMT as it gives them a chance to study in some of the country's best colleges. With another round of the test (likely to happen in a month's time), the students hardly have any time as the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has begun its counselling. Now, the students have no option but to select seats in state medical colleges and then appear for AIPMT. "Now, we don't know whether we will get a seat in all-India quota or not. The only option before us is to get admitted in a state medical college. Even if we attempt the AIPMT a second time and secure a seat, the state medical colleges won't refund the fee. So, we are the losers," said a student.

No facility provided to students

Though the increased security features in the exam hall is aimed at curbing malpractice, many students allege that the universities were not taking the same interest in providing facilities to the students. "During a recent exam, we were asked not to carry anything other than an admission ticket and a pen. Now, the question is how a student can arrive at the exam hall without a wallet or mobile phone. On an average, a student travels at least 10 to 15 kilometres to write an exam in Bengaluru. We need to be in touch with parents and hence mobile phone is essential. Currently, the universities display a board saying no gadgets and wallets are allowed. However, there will be one more board saying the university will not be responsible for the loss of any item. Those carrying them are asked to dump them in a corner. Universities should provide cloak rooms or lockers so that we can safeguard our personal belongings. Unless the university provides facilities for students to safeguard their personal items at exam halls, efforts to curb copying will be met with limited success as students will find newer ways to carry their expensive gadgets," said a student.

Distinctions Land Nursing College In Trouble

BENGALURU: Krishna Rukhmini Nursing College in HRBR Layout, Kalyan Nagar, whose students scored abnormally high marks, is under the scanner.

When its BSc (Nursing) results were out, the university authorities were astonished to find that all students had secured distinction. The issue came up at the Syndicate and Senate meetings of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), which then decided to conduct an inquiry.



A committee comprising Dr Madhumati, Dean of Nursing, and Dr Kasturi, both of RGUHS, was formed, and has submitted its report to the university. According to information available with Express, the inquiry has brought to light many exam irregularities at the college.

The committee has now recommended withdrawal of results. Its report says the students were handed a 32-page answer booklet instead of the regular 52-page one, but still managed to secure distinction. “This is a major finding in the report,” a university source said.

The committee has recommended a detailed inquiry after it found evidence of cheating. “During the convocation, all students were awarded distinction. We raised the issue at a Senate meeting, and the university looked into it,” a member said.

About 70 students had appeared for BSc in nursing from the college. Dr Sachidanand, Registrar (Evaluation), RGUHS, said, “We have received the report, but to take action we will place it before the Syndicate.”

Syndicate Meeting on June 26 S Sumati, principal of the college, said, “We have not received any communication from the university so far. But, when the committee visited we provided all the information they asked. the students have secured distinction because they studied well. While admitting itself, we choose students based on the high percentage.”

RGUHS seems to have taken a cue from Tamil Nadu-based Dr MGR University.

Move in place after students were caught cheating using state-of-the-art technology

For the first time ever, mobile phone jammers will be set up at venues of the MBBS and BDS exams being held by the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS). Sources said as the students were outsmarting every single move by the university in conducting foolproof exams, they had no option but to go in for the jammers, making RGUHS the first university to do so.

Confirming this to Bangalore Mirror, RGUHS registrar (evaluation) Dr S Sachidanand said, "The MBBS and BDS exams are scheduled to begin from June 30. We will be procuring the jammers on a rental basis. Each exam centre may have one to three jammers based on the number of students taking the exam." The jammers will be helpful in controlling high-tech cheating that has plagued the university for the last few years. As this will be the first major undergraduate exam to use jammers, academic circles are keeping a close eye on the move. Around 12,000 medical students and 7,000 dental students will be writing the exam this month-end.

In June-July 2013 exams, two medical students (a second-year student from Kalburgi and a third-year from Vijayapura) spent Rs 25,000 each on a vest that helped them cheat. They also invested in pens that scanned the text in the question papers.

These were converted into MMSes that was sent to a person outside, who in turn responded with answers over phone. In January 2013, a student was caught for wearing a custom-made shirt fitted with lapel mike that helped exchange information with a respondent in Hyderabad. Sachidanand said that the only way to curb such practices was by installing jammers. He also added that the university was going for 10 to 12 digital evaluation centres across the state for the sake of speedy marking.

RGUHS seems to have taken a cue from Tamil Nadu-based Dr MGR University. A note from the MGR University in its website said that during the February 2012 (final MBBS Part-II theory) examinations held at the one of the medical colleges in Chennai, some students were caught cheating by using Bluetooth earphones and microphones stitched inside their collars connected to the cellphones concealed inside their clothes. Hence, the university had directed its affiliated colleges to have mobile phone jammers fixed at both ends of the examination halls. In fact, the university had gone a step ahead by asking students to be scanned with metal detectors before entering the examination hall.