Tamil Nadu government doctors challenge PG admission rule

By Express News Service | Published: 03rd April 2018 03:27 AM |

CHENNAI : A group of doctors serving in government hospitals moved the Madras High Court on Monday to quash clause 9 (a) (i) of the prospectus for admission to postgraduate degree/diploma courses under the government quota in government medical colleges as well as self-financing medical colleges affiliated to the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University and in the Rajah Muthiah Medical College affiliated to Annamalai University in Chidambaram for 2018-19. The clause excluded the period of maternity and earned leave from the period of ‘continuous service’.

Justice S Vaidyanathan, before whom the petitions filed by Dr Aruna and six others came up for hearing, adjourned the case by a day. Till then, the issue should not be precipitated, the judge orally said.

According to senior counsel P Wilson, his clients are all in-service candidates working in government hospitals. They want to study PG courses and have successfully completed the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test. While so, the State Health Secretary issued the prospectus on March 15 last, based on the recommendations of the selection committee.

Shockingly, clause 9 (a) (i) of the prospectus completely excluded the services of female doctors, who had availed of maternity leave in the previous two years, from being eligible to apply for admission. This rule is illegal as this court in a connected case arising out of similar facts has already recognised the right of female doctors to maternity leave. Hence, clause 9 (a) (i) cannot be countenanced in law. Availing of maternity leave was a constitutional right of the women, falling under the right to health enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution. Availing of the same was also recognised as a statutory right under the Maternity Benefits Act. Hence, the authorities, through the impugned proceedings, cannot overrule the benefits conferred under a statute, Wilson contended.

Similarly, the government has also excluded the doctors, who have taken ‘earned leave’ from the purview of continuous service. Earned leave is a right bestowed on doctors, who have worked for a particular number of days in a year. The government, while giving the option to the petitioners of taking earned leave, has not put them on notice that the same would be excluded from the period of continuous service, he added.

Chennai likely to be cloudy for next 48 hrs

By Express News Service | Published: 03rd April 2018 03:16 AM |

CHENNAI: A few parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are likely to receive light rain or thundershower for the next four days. In Chennai, the sky is likely to be partly cloudy, according to the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) weather bulletin on Monday.According to the bulletin, light rain or thundershower is likely at isolated places between Tuesday and Friday. In Chennai and its neighbourhood, the sky is likely to be partly cloudy for the next 48 hours. Maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be around 34 and 27 degree Celsius, respectively. Meanwhile, weatherman Pradeep John said, “As far as Chennai is concerned, small spells are expected on Tuesday, not in the entire city. Sky will remain cloudy.”

Chennai: Two more weekly trains to link Rameswaram with key cities

By Express News Service  |   Published: 03rd April 2018 03:57 AM  |   

CHENNAI: Pilgrim town of Rameswaram is set to get connected to major cities in the north and western states of the country, with the Indian Railways proposal to introduce two more weekly superfast trains.

According to official sources, the North-Western Railway has proposed to introduce weekly trains to Rameswaram from Ajmer and Hisar. “A proposal has been sent to the Railway Board and we are awaiting official orders,” said a Southern Railway officer.

Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram attracts thousands of tourists and devotees.  Official sources said Hisar-Rameswaram train proposed by the Bikaner division of the North-Western Railway will pass through Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana, AP, Karnataka and TN.

“The train will start from Hisar on Thursdays and reach Rameswaram on Sunday. It will leave Rameswaram on Mondays,” said official sources. The weekly express train will also provide link between Madurai and Bengaluru on Mondays. The route for Rameswaram-Ajmer Weekly will be slightly changed due to non-availability of tracks. The train will be introduced either via Chennai Egmore or Renigunta and Katpadi section.

Sex with wife without her consent not rape: Guj HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK   03.04.2018

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat high court ruled on Monday that a wife cannot charge her husband with marital rape even if the man has sex with her without her consent if she is above 18 years of age.

Justice J B Pardiwala observed that the offence of rape by a husband is not an offence punishable under IPC Section 375, which defines rape. While making this observation, Justice Pardiwala lamented the position of a law which does not enable a woman to prosecute her husband for rape and called for legal provisions so that a woman can protect her body the way she has been enabled to protect her other rights.

The HC quoted, in great detail, legal provisions existing in countries across the world on marital rape and observed that the legislature must criminalise the offence. He said the mere apprehension of its misuse by “unscrupulous” women should not be a deterrent to enacting legislation to protect women battered by marital rape, which is rampant in India.

The high court made these observations while dealing with a case involving a Sabarkantha-based doctor couple. The wife had accused her husband in August last year of forcing her to have sex, including oral sex, without her consent. The husband had approached the HC for the quashing of his wife’s criminal complaint, lodged with Idar police station.

The HC said a wife can initiate criminal proceedings against her husband for unnatural sex under IPC Section 377. Consent is not a determining criterion in such a case. Any offence which is against the order of nature and can be described as carnal penetration would constitute an offence under IPC Sec 377. However, in a marital relationship, “except the sexual perversions of sodomy, buggery and bestiality, all other sexual perversions would not fall within the sweep of Sec 377 of the IPC”, the HC said and observed that the charge of forced oral sex levelled by the woman in this case would not attract the charge of sodomy.

The HC added that forcing a wife to have sex would attract the charge of outraging the modesty of woman under IPC Sec 354 and ordered the police to investigate the case in this direction.

NEWS DIGEST 03.04.2018

Now, have your fav dish at Egmore rly stn

IRCTC inaugurated a fast food unit housing popular eateries at the Chennai Egmore Station recently. Commuters heading to the station from Poonamallee High Road would be able to grab a quick bite before boarding trains. The stalls were opened as part of IRCTC’s Food Track initiative.

Min nod for welfare board for film industry issues: Following a plea by Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC), information and publicity minister Kadambur Raju has agreed to form a welfare board to address issues plaguing the Tamil film industry. TFPC president Vishal thanked the state government in a press statement on Monday. Film unions, in a petition, had also sought the state government's intervention to bring down the online movie ticket booking charge and introduce flexible pricing of tickets to attract all classes of people to theatres.

Certificate verification for secretariat posts: Certificate verification of candidates for the appointment to the post of assistant in the departments of secretariat (other than law and finance) will be held at the office of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission on April 5 at 10am. Candidates, who have been chosen on the basis of merit and as per their claims made in the online applications, have been informed through SMS/ e-mail. Memo can be downloaded from www.tnpsc.gov.in. 



COMMUTERS DELIGHT:

The food court opened at the Egmore railway station

  Chennai-Madurai train time may come down: S Rly

TIMES NEWS NETWORK   03.04.2018

Chennai: Southern Railways has announced that trains between Chennai and Madurai will run faster from April 1 after the last 25km of doubling of Kalpattichatram – Tamaraipadi railway stations in the Villupuram-Dindigul section was completed and opened for traffic.

“The electrified double line between Chennai and Madurai would ease congestion in the chord line section and pave the way for operation of more services. There would be substantial reduction in travel time also,” said a statement issued by P A Dhananjeyan, chief public relations officer of SR.

The project was completed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) at a cost of ₹1,600 crore, covering 270.15km.

However, senior railway officials have differed on whether trains on the route will actually be speeded up. “Before this 25km doubling was finished, majority of the crossings were eliminated and trains have already been speeded up in November 2017 time-table. I doubt if any more trains will be speeded up,” said a senior railway official.

When asked, Dhananjeyan did not specify the trains that would benefit or the date from which the running time would change. “Taking advantage of the double line, the announcement will be shared as and when it is planned,” he said.

The railway release stated that there are a total of 43 stations in Villupuram – Dindigul project, including four junction stations.

Another project that was commissioned recently was the 73km gauge conversion between Pattukottai and Karaikudi.

“The line traverses through the districts of Thanjavur, Pudukkottai & Sivaganga. Paddy is grown in abundance here. Commissioning the newly converted broad gauge section will increase the movement of food grains from delta regions to other parts of the state and will provide a shorter route for movement of fertilisers from Milavittan,” the zone said in a statement. 

Do not sell medicines without prescriptions, pharmacies told

TIMES NEWS NETWORK   03.04.2018

Chennai: A week after three pharmacists in Chintadripet were held for selling cough syrup without prescription, the police have come out with an ‘alert’ to stakeholders, warning against selling drugs without proper prescription.

This advice comes after many involved in chainsnatching cases told the police that they often consumed such cough syrup before committing an offence. Owners of gymnasiums have also been asked not to ‘prescribe’ weight loss or weight gain supplements.

At meeting in Vadapalani on Monday, organised by assistant commissioner G Shankar and inspector Chandru, the 75 pharmacists and 25 gym owners who attended were told that pharmacists should collect a copy of the prescription and make proper entry of people who come to buy medicine.

They should also keep an eye on those who buy medicines of a particular brand in bulk. In caseof any suspicion, they should seek the help of the police.

Information about the Chintadripet incident, where three medical shop owners were booked for allegedly selling a particular brand of cough syrup without doctors’ prescription, came to the police from a habitual offender. He said he was addicted to a particular cough syrup and consumed it before committing a crime. Many such offenders said this syrup seemed to help them stay “focused,” a police officer said.

The police cited the death of a man in Thirumullaivoyal after consuming a herbal concoction, to help lose weight, to advise gym owners not to prescribe supplements on their own.

“They sometimes go by what the manufacturer say about the product to register good sales. We asked them not to suggest any such supplements without knowing the side effects,” said a senior officer.