Centre sets August 15 deadline for free Wi-Fi on campus 

Prakash Kumar, DH News Service, New Delhi, Jan 23 2018, 23:29 IST 



The Wi-Fi services will be made available at the hotspots selected by the institutions concerned. PTI file photo

The Centre has asked all public-funded universities and colleges to provide free-of-cost high-speed internet access and Wi-Fi facilities to students and faculties on campus by August 15.

The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry in a communication to all higher educational institutions said that "some telecom and internet service providers" have evinced interest in providing universities and colleges with high-speed internet access and Wi-Fi facilities.

"It is expected that the facility will be provided by the TSP/ISP (telecom service provider/internet service provider) at their own cost. There shall be no financial implications to the institutions on account of implementation of this project," a ministry official wrote to the heads of all higher educational institutions on January 15.

The ministry suggested that the institutions approach any of the licensed telecom and internet service providers for installation of high-speed internet and Wi-Fi facility on their campus.

The ministry, however, refrained from listing the names of service providers that have "evinced" interest. According to sources, Reliance Jio is one.

"The TSP should offer free data, which shall not be less that 1 GB per month per user (students and faculties) in the university/institution/college for the entire period of agreement," read the terms and conditions specified by the ministry.

The Wi-Fi services will be made available at the hotspots selected by the institutions concerned.

"Each user shall be allowed a minimum of two devices (laptop/smart phone) concurrently," the ministry said.

Chennai: Student jumps to death from college 

DECCAN CHRONICLE.
 
Published Jan 24, 2018, 1:24 am IST

The student was allegedly depressed after the college management informed his family about his poor performance in examinations.

Police sources said that the boy was caught cheating during examinations on Monday after which the management informed his parents.

Chennai: A 21-year-old final year mechanical engineering student of a private university in Kattankulathur committed suicide by jumping off the third floor of his college building on Monday.

S. Sai Nithin was allegedly depressed after the college management informed his family about his poor performance in examinations.

Police sources said that the boy was caught cheating during examinations on Monday after which the management informed his parents. A native of Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh, Sai Nithin was staying in the hostel here.

On Monday, after semester results were announced, Nithin went to the third floor of his college building and jumped around 4 pm.

He was moved to the hospital within the university premises where he died around 10 pm on Monday.

Maraimalar Nagar police secured his body and moved it to Chengelpet medical college hospital for autopsy. Police registered a case under the CrPC Section 174 (unnatural death) and said the boy didn’t leave any suicide note on his person. Further investigations are on. Family members reached the city on Tuesday to collect the body after autopsy.

Tamil Nadu govt to remain silent on Neet this year 

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | C.S. KOTTESWARAN AND SHWETA TRIPATHI
 
Published Jan 24, 2018, 5:49 am IST

‘No recent communication between Centre, TN’.

Chennai: Tamil Nadu government is likely to remain silent on the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (Neet) issue and has decided not to send any communication to the Centre seeking extension from the national-level entrance exam after burning its finger last year.

A highly placed official, who is aware of the exchange of files between the health department and the Centre confirmed that there is no recent communication between the centre and the state on the crucial students’ issue, which created uproar last year following the suicide of anti Neet campaigner Anitha.

Both the Centre and the judiciary had let down the state affecting the students last year. Further, it is a politically sensitive issue, where bureaucracy has very little to do, quipped the official source evading queries by DC.

“The state is not in a position to comment, if there are any proposal sent to Centre seeking Neet exemption. However, 14,231 students from Tamil Nadu had appeared for PG Neet early this year and are awaiting results. The special classes for Neet aspirants are already in progress indicating that the students will appear for Neet and there will not be any exemption this year”, said another official.

Says a professor of medicine attached to a government medical college, “Any decision can be made now only after the review of the Supreme Court order.

They have asked us not to create further confusions in the NEET and as per a recent direction of the Madras High Court, doctors cannot comment. It has taken more than a year for the judiciary and the policy makers to understand the issue and the matter is still pending”. “Whatever be the outcome of verdict, justice delayed is justice denied”, the professor rued.

“The state is not in a position to comment, if there are any proposal sent to Centre seeking Neet exemption. However, 14,231 students from Tamil Nadu had appeared for PG Neet early this year and are awaiting results. The special classes for Neet aspirants are already in progress indicating that the students will appear for Neet and there will not be any exemption this year”

Coaching centres not adequate for Neet: PMK

PMK MP Anbumani Ramadoss on Tuesday accused the Tamil Nadu of not opening adequate coaching centres to prepare for the Neet scheduled in the first week of May.

Accusing the state government of not doing enough to get exemption from Neet for students from Tamil Nadu, he faulted the administration for not opening enough coaching centres to help the students.

“The state government has failed to implement its promise of opening enough number of coaching centres for students studying in the government-run schools to prepare for Neet,” he said, adding of the 412 centres promised, only 100 have begun functioning.

“With just a week left in January and with Class XII students set to be preoccupied with board exams during entire March, there is hardly any time left for the students to prepare for Neet,” he said.

Madras High Court grants interim stay on Medical Council of India order discharging students

By PTI | Published: 24th January 2018 12:29 AM |



CHENNAI: The Madras High Court today granted interim stay on the orders passed by the Medical Council of India (MCI) "discharging" some students pursuing PG courses in the Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences.

Considering the facts and circumstances of the case and having regard to the rival submissions in the interest of justice, there shall be an order of interim stay till February 6, Justice R Mahadevan said.

The judge also directed the Medical Council of India, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry and Puducherry Health and Family Services department to file their counters by then.

According to the students, the MCI passed an order in December last year directing Sri Venkateswara Medical College, Puducherry, to discharge the students who were admitted to the PG Medical courses for academic year 2017-2018 without issuing any notice and without providing the opportunity of personal hearing.

Counsel for MCI, VP Raman, submitted that the students, who have been ordered to be discharged, had not fulfilled the minimum eligibility criteria as fixed by authorities.

Besides, the Venkateshara Medical College had not sent the correct list of eligible candidates, he said.

The students claimed that there was absolutely no illegality in their admissions.

Chennai: Private firm managing director held for Rs 7.38 crore service tax evasion

By Express News Service | Published: 24th January 2018 02:20 AM |
 
CHENNAI: A Chennai-based firm’s managing director has been arrested by the Central Excise Commissionerate for alleged evasion of Rs 7.38 crore service tax after collecting the same from service receivers.

D Mathew of Tech Sharp Engineers, a provider of erection, commissioning and installation services, was arrested after he failed to deposit Rs 7.38 crore service tax from one of the main service receivers into the government account.

The sum was for the period from April 2016 to June 2017, an official release said. The Headquarters Preventive Unit of Chennai North GST and Central Excise Commissionerate officers arrested Mathew for violation of various provisions of the Finance Act and CGST Act. Mathew was produced before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Economic Offences-II, Egmore (Allikulam), who remanded him to judicial custody till February 2.

GST, central excise teams

Headquarters Preventive Unit of Chennai North GST and Central Excise commissi-onerate officers arrested Mathew

Don’t pressure health varsity, settle matter in court: Guv tells govt

By Rashmi Belur | Express News Service | Published: 24th January 2018 02:54 AM |

BENGALURU: In a show of solidarity with Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), Governor and Chancellor of state universities Vajubhai Vala on Tuesday put an end to the state government’s pressure on the varsity to transfer its funds to the Public Works Department (PWD) for construction works. In a letter penned to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Vala asked the government to settle the matter in the court instead of putting pressure on RGUHS.

He also brought this to the notice of RGUHS vice chancellor in an official communication dated January 17 along with the copy of the communication to the CM. As per the documents available with The New Indian Express, on January 4, the Governor sent an official communication to the CM asking to get necessary clarification from the HC before taking further steps.

Vala wrote, “It is brought to my notice by in-charge vice chancellor of RGUHS that government orders have been issued to transfer an amount of `580 crore from the university, in exercise of powers under Section 40 of the act. It is also brought to my notice that the university had taken a decision not to transfer the said amount of the university. Contrary to the same, the aforesaid government order has been issued.”

The letter goes on to tell the CM that the Governor was aware of writ petitions before the High Court in which an interim order had been passed and that the issue with regard to shifting of campus was also pending.

However, according to the sources in Raj Bhavan, the Governor’s letter was only a reply to the Chief Minister’s letter. “Recently, we received a letter from the Chief Minister where he tried to clarify the need to transfer funds from the university for construction of a new campus proposed at Ramanagara. We had already received a communication from the university about the decision taken in the varsity syndicate. Considering that, the Governor replied to the CM,” a source from Raj Bhavan explained. The state government has been sending repeated communications to RGUHS insisting on funds to be transferred. Following which, the university authorities submitted a representation to Governor.

Panic in Vellore hospital as woman unplugs oxygen port while trying to recharge cellphone

Shanmughasundaram J | TNN | Jan 23, 2018, 21:40 IST




When the woman unplugged the port, oxygen started coming out with a huge sound. 

VELLORE: Tension gripped the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital on Tuesday evening after an elderly woman unknowingly unplugged an oxygen port in a women's surgical ward while trying to recharge her cellphone. 

When the woman unplugged the port, oxygen started coming out with a huge sound. The inmates and their attendants ran out of the second floor ward. The patients on the ground floor too came out of their respective wards. All of them waited outside the building anxiously. The incident took place around 6.15pm.

Dean of the institution Dr R Shanthi Malar and a team of doctors rushed to the ward and inspected. On inquiry, the patients informed the doctors that an elderly woman, mistaking the port on the oxygen supply line for an electric sachet, removed it in a bid to recharge her cellphone.

"We disconnected the line that was damaged by the elderly woman. We brought the patients back to the wards after an hour, after explaining to them what had happened," said Dr Malar.