Plea to quash prospectus for PG medical courses in Tamil Nadu 

DECCAN CHRONICLE.
Published Apr 3, 2018, 3:40 am IST

They have all qualified Neet examination and have obtained various ranks.

The Health and Family Welfare secretary issued a prospectus dated March 15, 2018 based on the recommendations of the selection committee.

Chennai: A group of government doctors has approached Madras high court to quash a clause of the prospectus for admission to postgraduate degree and diploma courses in Tamil Nadu government medical colleges and government seats in medical colleges affiliated to the TN Dr MGR Medical University and Rajah Muthiah Medical college affiliated to Annamalai University for the 2018-19 session that excludes maternity and earned leave from the period of 'continuous service'.

Justice S. Vaidyanathan, before whom the petitions filed by Dr Aruna and six other doctors came up for hearing, adjourned it to April 3. Senior counsel P. Wilson, appearing for the petitioners, submitted that petitioners were all “in service” candidates working as government doctors. They aspire to undertake further studies in various PG courses.

They have all qualified Neet examination and have obtained various ranks. While so, the Health and Family Welfare secretary issued a prospectus dated March 15, 2018 based on the recommendations of the selection committee. Shockingly, in the said prospectus, “service candidates” for the purpose of allotment of seats in Clause 9 (a) (i) have been defined. It has completely excluded the services of female doctors who have taken maternity leave in the previous two years from being eligible to apply for seats.

The said action of the government was illegal and unconstitutional, Wilson added. He said the government also excluded those doctors who have taken 'earned leave' from the purview of continuous service. Earned leave was 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 the petitioners on notice that the same would be excluded from the period of continuous service. If the government had given prior notice at the beginning of the year that the option of ‘earned leave’ will be considered as break in service, and equated to unauthorized absence, then the petitioners would not have taken earned leave.

He said availing of maternity leave was a constitutional right of women, falling under the right to health enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Availing of maternity leave was also recognized as a statutory right under the Maternity Benefits Act. Similarly earned leave was a benefit being conferred on in-service candidates in recognition of the work being done by them, he added.

Higher educational institutions in Tamil Nadu await NIRF rankings today 

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | A RAGU RAMAN
Published Apr 3, 2018, 3:47 am IST

Over 4,000 institutions have applied with the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2018 in nine different categories this year. 


Enrolment of students also improved this year by 25 per cent in many our university departments.

CHENNAI: Higher educational institutions in the state are eagerly awaiting the third edition of the national rankings which is scheduled to be released by Union Ministry of Human Resource Development on Tuesday. Over 4,000 institutions have applied with the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2018 in nine different categories this year.

Apart from overall ranking of the institutions, the ranking will be awarded in eight different categories including universities, engineering colleges, medical, pharmacy, and architecture and law colleges. Using the same broad parameters, NIRF has added several new criteria such as total budget and its utilization, combined metric for quality of publications, university examinations and how many graduating students admitted into top institutions.

“We expect an improved ranking this year as our university performed better in three parameters including teaching and learning and research. Enrolment of students also improved this year by 25 per cent in many our university departments,” said P. Duraisamy, Vice-Chancellor, University of Madras. The university has got 41st rank in the universities category last year.

“With more number of institutions joining the ranking process we are expecting tough competition this year,” he added.

Officials from Anna University are hopeful they could secure a top rank in one of the categories. “We have applied in five categories - overall category, universities, engineering, architecture and management. The research output is better compared to last year,” they said. Last year Anna University was ranked as the 6th best university and 8th best engineering institution in the country.

In the engineering category, IIT Madras got the top rank in two consecutive years. It is likely to continue this year as well. Totally, 37 colleges from the state were ranked among the top 100 colleges. Loyola college secured 2nd rank in the colleges’ category.

All for chicken curry: Man kills his cousin at marriage function in Hyderabad
By Express News Service | Published: 03rd April 2018 05:09 AM |

  HYDERABAD: A man, along with his friends, murdered his cousin after he was not served chicken curry at a marriage function in Hussaini Alam in the city on Sunday night. The deceased was identified as Anwar, a resident of Jamia Nizamia. The accused are Ashafq Ali Khan and two others. The police took custody of the three and questioned them in connection with the offence.

Inspector G Syamsunder said that an engagement function was held at Tariqat Manzil function hall Sunday night. Minutes before the function got over at around 1 am, Ashafq and his friends came to the function hall and demanded to be served chicken curry with food. “Anwar, Ashafq’s cousin, informed that chicken curry was over and requested them to have the meal with some other curry. Enraged over not getting what he wanted, Ashafq entered into a heated argument with Anwar,’ police said. During the argument, Anwar warned Ashafq to mend his ways asking him not to be a spoilsport at the function. Ashafq retaliated by saying that he and his friends were humiliated because they were not served chicken curry. He then came out of the function hall and called his friends over phone. Around five persons came from Kalapathar with lethal weapons.

They chased Anwar and then murdered him by stabbing, police said. When police arrived, they found Anwar in a pool of blood and shifted him to nearby hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead. Another person was hospitalised with injuries. Police registered a murder case.

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.