Varsity staff submit petitions

Staff Reporter 

 

VELLORE, January 23, 2018 00:00 IST

The Tiruvalluvar University Employees Union submitted a petition to Governor Banwarilal Purohit seeking action against “rampant corruption” in the university.

I. Elangovan, honorary president of the union, said the university had awarded tenders for examination work to the same company six times since November 2013.

It had again given the work to the company without calling for tenders for the November-December 2017 semester examination works.

“About Rs. 17.5 crore has been spent for the seven semester examinations,” he said.

He alleged that the 65 university employees were not reinstated despite a court direction. Though the university disbursed salaries to the employees, they were not reinstated, he said.
“In their place, nearly 53 persons have been recruited on contract basis. This has led to double expenditure. When the dismissed employees were working in the office of the Controller of Examinations, Rs. 13,00,000 was spent for each semester examination, while by outsourcing the work to a private firm, the university was spending Rs. 2.46 crore for each semester examination,” he said.

In another petition, he said that of the 7,000 teachers working in the 112 affiliated colleges of Tiruvalluvar University, 5,154 teachers did not possess SET, NET, Ph.D qualifications.

“The answer scripts are being evaluated by teachers who are not qualified,” he added. He said that the Governor assured him that the petitions would be forwarded to the Principal Secretary of Higher Education.

A number of farmers submitted petitions to the Governor. A.C. Venkatesan, farmer and Palar activist, urged him to implement the long-pending Thenpennai-Palar river link project.
He appealed to him to make an announcement to implement the project in the coming budget session, allot required funds and execute the project that will serve as a lifeline for the northern districts.

The Thamizhaga Vivasaigal Sangam urged Mr. Purohit to take measures to order sugar mills to pay the arrears for three years to cane growers and waive bank loans to farmers.

Medico found dead on rail track 

Special Correspondent 
 
Tiruchi, January 23, 2018 00:00 IST

A third-year MBBS student of K.A.P. Viswanatham Government Medical College was found dead on the track near Railway Junction on Monday.

The student, Premkumar is from Athikadu Kilapalayam in Namakkal district. According to preliminary enquiries, the boy faced no problems either at college or at home. Police are checking the phone call details.

The body was handed over to his parents after post-mortem.

Newly-wed son takes blessings from dying mother 

Special Correspondent 
 
SALEM, January 23, 2018 00:00 IST

She was admitted to hospital after a road accident

The Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital witnessed some touching moments, when a 50-year-old woman undergoing treatment after meeting with a road accident, passed away hours after blessing his newly wed son and daughter-in-law on Sunday.

Santhi (50) of Rasipuram in Namakkal district and employed as a cook, met with a road accident and suffered serious injuries a few days ago. She was admitted to the medical college hospital here. The marriage of Santhi’s only son Prabakaran (27) was fixed with Nandini (20) of Attayampatti in the recent past.

As Santhi’s condition was deteriorating, she expressed her willingness to solemnise the marriage of her son immediately. She persuaded Prabakaran, following which he and other relatives took up the matter with Nandini’s relatives.

Understanding the situation, Nandini’s parents accepted for the sudden marriage to be performed on Saturday. Meawhile, Santhi went into a coma.

Prabakaran tied the knot with Nandini at the Vinayagar Temple in the medical college hospital on Saturday morning in the presence of handful of close relatives of both the sides.

With tears rolling down the cheek, Prabakaran and Nandini touched the feet of Santhi lying in coma and got her blessings.

Santhi passed off peacefully on Sunday.

Elderly woman dies after losing Rs. 90,000 to online fraud 

Special Correspondent 
 
Chennai, January 23, 2018 00:00 IST



Jayalakshmi 

The 71-year-old victim shared her account details with caller who pretended to be a bank officer offering a new Aadhaar card; call traced to Uttarakhand

A 71-year-old woman died of heart attack on Sunday two days after she lost Rs. 90,000 to an imposter posing as a bank official.

R. Jayalakshmi was living with her husband on 11th Main Road, Anna Nagar West. According to her relatives, she received a call on her mobile phone on Friday afternoon. The caller, identifying himself as an officer from SBI, said he had called her give a new Aadhaar card. Jayalakshmi shared all details about her account in Indian Bank. She never suspected the caller to be a fraudster, said a relative.

She had also shared the one-time passwords and the imposter withdrew her money through four fraudulent transactions.

After Rs. 90,000 was withdrawn from her account, the staff of the bank in Thirumangalam, where she had an account, called to check whether they were genuine transactions. Only then did she realise that she was cheated.

Second attempt

Her nephew, R. Mahalingam accompanied her to the Thirumangalam police station and lodged a complaint. Mr. Mahalingam said, “She was upset over the loss of her money. In fact, the fraudster called her the next day and tried to cheat her again.”

When one of her relatives questioned him, the caller claimed that he wanted to return the money and he required the one-time password one last time. “He was trying to swindle even the remaining amount in her account,” Mr. Mahalingam said.

Aggrieved over the loss of money, she developed chest pain on Saturday and was admitted to a private hospital, where she died on Sunday.

According to the police, the call originated from Uttarakhand, and the swindled amount was diverted to a merchant.

The case is under investigation.

AYUSH aspirants may have to take NEET route

Bengaluru, January 23, 2018 00:00 IST

Candidates aspiring for seats in AYUSH courses may have to appear for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).
The State government is likely to take this decision based on the Central Council of Indian Medicine’s letter to State governments to make NEET the qualifying exam for AYUSH courses as well, besides medical and dental.

Salem: Ganja taken out from prisoner’s body

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | ZAKEER HUSSAIN

Published Jan 23, 2018, 6:11 am IST

Salem: In an unusual development, police and doctors at the Mohan Kumara-mangalam government hospital here on Monday struggled to bring out some 50 grams of ganja that got stuck in a body part of a remand prisoner in Salem jail. Doctors administered 'enema' along with some tablets to help flush out the stuff from his body, sources told DC.

The 27-year-old remand prisoner, V. Pandiyarajan of Ilampillai in Salem district, arrested in connection with a theft case, had been lodged in the Central jail here.

The prisoner, on Saturday while being taken to a court in Sankagiri, had on his return allegedly managed to bring into the cell, some quantity of 'ganja' in a polythene pack concealed in his anus, sources said. However, Pandiyarajan on Sunday, developed acute stomach pain as he could not bring out the polythene pack, sources said.

The prison staff admitted him to the hospital in the jail, but his stomach began to bulge and as the pain intensified they removed him to the Salem Government hospital.

A scan at the GH on Monday revealed that the ganja packet had got stuck in his 'anus', sources said, adding, there was no sign of his pain abating. It was then the doctors worked hard for several hours on the remand-patient to ease out the ganja packet through chemotherapy and ‘enema’, sources said, adding, Pandiyarajan continued to be under treatment at the Salem GH.

Couple living abroad can register marriage on video: Kerala HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK
 
Kochi: A couple living abroad can register their marriage through videoconferencing instead of appearing in person before the registrar of marriages, the Kerala high court has held.

The single bench ruling came on a petition filed by Pradeep Kodiveedu Cleetus of Vellapally in Alappuzha and wife Beryl Pradeep of Kollam, questioning the denial of registration of their marriage by the registrar of marriages in Kollam corporation.

The couple had moved to the US after their marriage at a church in Kadavoor, Kollam on January 23, 2000 on Pradeep’s work visa. They needed their marriage certificate for applying for permanent resident status, for which the registrar of marriages asked them to appear before him and sign the register as is mandatedin theKerala Registration of Marriages (Common) Rules, 2008.

They contended that they could face problems in re-entering the US and claiming permanent resident status if they left the country to get their marriage registered. Taking their children out of the US now could also pose problems, they said.

Allowing the plea, the court said, “It is common knowledge that the virtual presence of a person living in a different country can be ensured by videoconferencing.”