Gujarat MBBS aspirant pulled up for hiding facts

Student claimed she applied in TN only, but had applied in Gujarat too.
 
Published: 08th July 2018 05:57 AM | Last Updated: 08th July 2018 05:57 AM
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has pulled up an MBBS aspirant for producing a bogus nativity certificate for selection and admission to a college in Tamil Nadu as well as for suppressing facts. “If any allotment has been granted to the student, it shall stand automatically cancelled without an order being passed by the authorities. If, for any reason, the candidate is allowed to continue the course in this State, then the degree that may be obtained, is not a valid one, as students like the petitioner herein, may, fraudulently obtain an interim order and complete the course,” Justice S Vaidyanathan, hearing the case, said.

The judge was dismissing a writ petition from Aparna Rajendra Kumar, a resident of Gujarat, for a directive to the Tamil Nadu selection committee for admission to MBBS/BDS courses for 2018-19 to consider her claim for admission to the course on the basis of her nativity certificate of Chennai. Aparna claimed that she had applied for the course only in Tamil Nadu and not in any other State.

When the petition came up for hearing, Additional Advocate-General C Manishankar told the judge that she had already applied for the same course in Gujarat. Noting that it is unfortunate that the petitioner has come before the court with a false statement, Justice Vaidyanathan said though strictures could be passed against the petitioner for approaching this court with unclean hands, the court deferred from doing so, taking note of the tender age and that she being a girl, her future should not be ruined. Hence, the petitioner’s candidature in Tamil Nadu need not be considered.

Educationists urge caution in replacing UGC with HECI 
 
Staff Reporter 
 
CHENNAI, July 09, 2018 00:00 IST



G. Viswanathan
Ask Centre to wait for the submission of Kasturirangan committee’s report

Educationists and activists want more time for discussion and consultation on the Higher Education Commission of India (Repeal of University Grants Commission Act) Bill 2018. They also want public hearings to be conducted so that educational institutions can give their views.

“If the government decides to introduce it, we request that it should be referred to the Select Committee of Parliament so that public hearings could be held to get the views of educational institutions.

The State government will have time to put forward its views on the Bill,” G. Viswanathan, president of Education Promotion Society for India (EPSI), and Chancellor, Vellore Institute of Technology, told reporters on Friday.

The Centre should defer the implementation of the Bill till the committee headed by K. Kasturirangan submitted its report, he said.

“The State government will lose its powers and universities will lose their autonomy if the Act is enforced. There would be more centralisation, and this will lead to more power with the Central government,” he said.

EPSI would represent the matter to the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development and also take the issue to the notice of the Prime Minister, Mr. Viswanathan said.

Holistic approach

“We want reforms in education, particularly higher education. But we need a holistic approach instead of a piecemeal [approach],” he said.

The society raised concerns such as authorisation from the Higher Education Commission for universities after three years; pattern of funding for research and imprisonment of three years if provisions are violated.

“We want the Commission to be an independent body without political and official interference,” he said, adding that there were 12 members in the commission but no representation from the State.

The Tamil Nadu branch of State Platform for Common School System said the draft Act was against Article 246 of the Constitution. It wanted withdrawal of the Bill and sought measures to strengthen UGC. “SPCSS-TN had requested the Government of India to withdraw the Draft Bill and take effective measures to strengthen the UGC to realise the vision as stated in the Preamble of the Constitution of India,” said P.B. Prince Gajendra Babu, the organisation’s general secretary.

The proposal to replace UGC may even destroy all public-funded institutions, built over years, through hard labour of eminent educationists and with tax payers money.

The Indian working class has contributed to the State-funded higher education institutions through their savings in LIC and provident fund.

If the standards are set in accordance with the market needs without taking into account the societal needs, human development and social progress could not be achieved, he said.

‘Intention to commit suicide not punishable’

Vasanth.Kumar@timesgroup.com  09.07.2018

Expressing intent to commit suicide is not a crime but attempting it is, the Karnataka high court has observed. The observation comes in the backdrop of instances of cops booking cases under Section 309 of IPC against those who have reportedly spoken about ending their life or made preparations for it.

The HC maintained that only those who attempt suicide but are unsuccessful can be booked.

“Any preparation or mere intention to commit suicide is not punishable under IPC section 309 ,” Justice K N Phaneendra observed. He quashed proceedings pertaining to S Kaviraj, from Chitradurga. Kaviraj left his house on the night of October 24, 2016 with an intention to commit suicide after being reportedly harassed by police. He confided in a friend about it.

The next day, his father Shankar took the death note, allegedly written by his son, to the police station, levelling charges against DSP Arun Ranga Rajan and warned of dire consequences if something happened to his son. Kaviraj was later traced to a lodge in Tumakuru. Subsequently, Kaviraj was booked for attempting suicide and his father for threatening officials.

Ex-headmaster, 99, held for sex abuse of girl, 10

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  09.07.2018

A 99-year-old retired headmaster in the city has been arrested and charged with the sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl.


The Avadi all-women police took K Parasuraman into custody from his house in Senneerkuppam on Saturday after a complaint by the girl’s parents, who live in a house he had rented out next door, investigators said on Sunday.

“Parasuraman admitted to the crime,” the officer said. “We arrested him under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and a magistrate has remanded him in judicial custody.”

99-year-old had sexually abused minor girl several times before

The former headmaster at a government school on had rented out one of five houses he constructed in Senneerkuppam to the girl’s parents two years ago, an investigating officer said.

“The girl complained of nausea and stomachache on Friday,” he said. “Her parents thought she may have had something to eat at school or some snacks from shops nearby that made her ill.”

“But the girl told them that their landlord had taken her to the bathroom in his house where he sexually abused her,” the officer said. “Parasuraman disrobed in front of her, forced her to touch him inappropriately, and forced oral sex on her.” The girl’s father went to Parasuraman’s house and confronted the elderly man.

Neighbours alerted the Avadi all-woman police, who picked up Parasuraman for questioning. Parasuraman, who lived alone, has seven adult children. He had hired a servant to take care of the day-to-day chores, the officer said.

“Parasuraman had invited the girl to his house on several occasions,” the officer said. “He would use the pretext of asking her to read the newspaper to him to sexually abuse her.”

‘State will oppose move to hold NEET twice a year’

D.Govardan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:  09.07.2018

The state government would press the Centre to conduct NEET once a year, said school education minister K A Sengottaiyan in Coimbatore on Sunday. His statement comes a day after Union human resource development minister Prakash Javadekar announced that NEET and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) would be held twice a year.

Speaking to reporters in the city, Sengottaiyan said an official communication in this regard was yet to reach the state and “as and when it reaches us, we will oppose the move”. “If NEET is held twice a year, students will not have time to prepare for it,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Centre’s proposal to conduct NEET exams online through the National Testing Agency (NTA) from next year has drawn flak in Tamil Nadu, with both the AIADMK and the DMK opposing the move. In a hardhitting statement against the BJP government at the Centre, DMK working president M K Stalin said the CBSE had allotted NEET centres for Tamil Nadu students in other states. In addition, students were subjected to hardships with intense frisking.

“The latest announcement is sure to affect students from poor households in urban areas, as well as those from rural areas. The Centre’s moves on NEET are an attempt to prevent students from TN from pursuing their medical education dreams. The Centre should immediately drop its move to conduct NEET online,” Stalin said.

Stalin’s stand found a favourable echo from the ruling AIADMK. Minister for Tamil official language and Tamil culture K Pandiarajan said conducting NEET online was not an easy task. “When even the IIMs and XLRIs have tried online option and reverted to offline, why rush into online mode for NEET. More than a politician, my concern arises from my experience as HR professional with IT exposure,” Pandiarajan told TOI.

“Even if it is NTA, and not CBSE, which conducts the exams, I am not sure if we are giving it the time needed to gear up,” Pandiarajan said. Meanwhile, AIADMK leader and Lok Sabha deputy speaker M Thambithurai told reporters in Karur that the state will continue to oppose NEET in any form.

(With inputs from Vishnu Swaroop)

Times View

Political parties in Tamil Nadu seem to find that rare meeting ground while resisting change. The points DMK leader M K Stalin cited to counter the proposed online NEET – arduous journeys students have to undertake, frisking at exam centres – are, in fact, reasons to go ahead with the proposal.

The minister, who says it is difficult to implement the proposal, should be pushing for better digital infrastructure that will help students take the exam at online exam centres in their hometown or a nearby city. If the students are not ready to switch over from pen and paper, train them on online mode. The Centre and the state should do a reality check without prejudices before taking a decision. During this period, neither the state should resist nor the Centre should bulldoze.

Headmaster issues Class XI boy TC for footboard travel
Reinstated After Getting Counselling
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Trichy: 09.07.2018

A Class XI student of a government school in Pudukkottai was issued transfer certificate (TC) by the headmaster for regularly travelling on the footboard of buses while coming to school ignoring warnings. Though he has been reinstated after an inquiry by the Pudukkottai chief educational officer (CEO), the boy, along with his mother, will be attending counselling before joining the school.

The boy, who hails from a village near Avudaiyarkoil, takes TNSTC bus to reach the government higher secondary school at Athani.

According to the school authorities, he was regularly found travelling on the footboard of buses and had been warned many times. However, on Wednesday, when fellow classmates informed the headmaster about his footboard travel again, he summoned the boy and issued him a transfer certificate.

Following the incident, the boy and his mother petitioned the Pudukkottai district collector seeking his reinstatement. The complaint reached Pudukkottai chief educational officer R Vanaja who spoke to the boy and his mother and assured his reinstatement.

“Rustication was the last option that the HM had to take in this case,” said the CEO speaking to TOI. “The boy was not only found travelling on footboard but also indulging in mischievous activities troubling other students, especially girls in the class,” she said. “However, we have decided to reinstate him after giving counselling to him and his mother and to ensure that he joins classes,” she said.

IAS officers, upset at not being posted as collectors, meet chief secretary
Komal.Gautham@timesgroup.com

Chennai:  09.08.2018

Discontentment is growing among recruited IAS officers of the 2009-2011 batch who say they have been denied the post of collector. Some 20 officers have met chief secretary Girija Vaidhyanathan and represented this to her.

In Tamil Nadu, out of the 32 districts, only seven collectors posted are direct recruits. The remaining are promoted officials. Since 2009 up to 2011, 21 regular recruits have come to TN. Of them only three have been posted as collectors. In the same period, 21Group 1officers have been promoted as IAS officers with the biggest batch in 2009 where 13 officers were promoted.

“We do not have any problem with the promotees being posted as collectors. But we are not given that posting. Bypassing us, the government is posting these officers. Most of us are being posted as joint commissioners and additional directors. Collectorship is the only post where an IAS officer gets field experience and learns about government policy,” said an IAS officer.

Stating examples of T N Hariharan, the collector of Coimbatore who has served as collector in various districts for the past 11 years, and also that of K S Palanisamy in Tirupur, officials requested the government to consider them as well.

“Generally, the ratio of regular recruits and promotees should be 2:1. But this number is getting skewed because the state prefers them to regular recruits,” said an officer. He added that since the promoted officers often toe the line of the government, they are being preferred.

But M G Devasahayam, a retired IAS officer, said the difference between a promoted officer and a regular recruit doesn’t exist anymore. “Several young IAS officers are not questioning the government and are blindly following orders. Politicians penetrate and dominate the scene and the collectors do not resist wrong political decisions,” he said. He added that the post of a collector is very critical in the life of an IAS officer as that is the only place apart from being a subcollector where they get field experience.

Officials alleged that batches are being bypassed and queues are jumped in the postings of IAS officials as collectors. “In the general life cycle of an IAS officer, the first two years are spent in training. Within the next3to10 years,the officer serves as sub-collector, additional collector, commissioner and then collector. Later, from 11to15 years,they are posted as head of departments and after 15 years experience, they are posted as secretaries. And then principal secretary and chief secretary. “This cycle is being broken,” said an officer.

The senior officials in the government did not respond to these allegations when TOI contacted them.