Hubby candidate, but wife allowed to set questions?

Academicians demand inquiry by government into conduct of SET; university denies charges.

Published: 01st August 2018 04:38 AM 

By S Mannar Mannan

Express News Service

COIMBATORE: How fair the outcome of a test would be when the question paper set by a woman professor has her husband appearing as an examinee?

This is the poser academicians are seeking an answer to from the Mother Teresa Women’s University, which conducted the State Eligibility Test (SET) on March 4 last. What has set the cat among the pigeons is the fact that the question paper setting panel for the SET had on board the head of Commerce Department at Bharathiar University, M Sumathy, whose husband G Venkatesan was one of the candidates.

While the university has scotched all allegations of nepotism, saying that no single professor would be aware of the final question paper, irate academicians and candidates have sought an inquiry by State government and the UGC.

Mother Teresa Women’s University in Kodaikanal conducted the Tamil Nadu State Eligibility Test for assistant professorship on March 4. For the commerce question paper, M Sumathy was on the panel of five professors roped in by the university to set the question paper.

While it was not clear whether Venkatesan had cleared the paper, it emerged that he opted Coimbatore as center despite mentioning Lakshipuram South in Karur and his permanent address. Both Venkatesan and Sumathy were not available for comments.

When contacted, Mother Teresa Women’s University Vice-Chancellor G Valli said that they had looked into the issue. The question paper was set by a panel of five professors from different universities.

“We got 100 questions each from each professor and pooled it to form a question bank consisting of 500 questions. After removing previous year questions, the university selected questions for this year’s SET. There is no chance that any professor who was part of the panel would know about the SET question paper,” she said.

However, not buying the university’s explanation was advisor of The NET SLET Association S Swaminathan, who said, “We have already moved a court for reexamination as paper-I questions were repetition of previous year’s NET. Now, we will bring this issue to the knowledge of the court.”

“During semester question paper setting, universities will ask an undertaking saying no blood relation will be writing the particular examination. Even if it was a few questions, it gave an edge to a particular candidate.

“The Mother Teresa Women’s University should conduct a reexamination. Apart from this, the departmental enquiry should be conducted and appropriate penal action taken,” he demanded.

UGC puts distance education out of reach

Distance education programmes helped State universities generate a sizable amount of revenue; this played a vital role in managing the expenditure of the institution.

Published: 02nd August 2018 06:42 AM | 

By S Mannar Mannan

Express News Service

COIMBATORE : Distance education programmes helped State universities generate a sizable amount of revenue; this played a vital role in managing the expenditure of the institution. However, with the UGC bringing in stringent norms in an intent to regulate the programmes offered under distance education mode could very well push the universities into financial crisis, predict academics.

One of the criteria set by the UGC in its Open and Distance Learning Regulation is that only those universities that have a NAAC score of 3.26 and above can offer distance education programmes. Many of the State universities do not meet this criterion; subsequently, Annamalai and Periyar universities have obtained a stay against the UGC regulation. At the recent meeting of Vice Chancellors and Registrars, the Higher Education department has advised other universities to file a case and get stay orders too.

The UGC regulation also stipulates that State universities can only operate within the territorial jurisdiction and in no case beyond the territory of the State. This rule forced many State universities to close down private centre through which they had been offering distance education programmes under franchise mode. For instance, Bharathiar University in Coimbatore had to close down more than 450 franchises, including 200 located outside Tamil Nadu.

It had been offering various degree and diploma courses under distance mode through these centres. In May, the University called upon arts and science colleges across the State to act as learning resource centres to offer distance education programmes. At the end of the deadline, it received applications only from 42 colleges, informed a former syndicate member of the University. “Loss in revenue through distance education centres following the UGC’s new regulation will have a serious impact on university’s finance,” he says.

Commenting on this, Association of University Teachers former general secretary C Pichandy says, “It should help people and industries and others who cannot afford regular education. If the university looks at it as a commercial revenue generating venture again, universities are opening up a channel for corruption. Hence, government should regulate properly, fix geographical areas and domain.”

Court questions HR&CE official’s arrest in haste

The Special Bench of Justices R Mahadevan and P D Audikesavalu, constituted to deal with the idol theft cases, before which the bail application of Kavitha came up for hearing on Wednesday.

Published: 02nd August 2018 06:48 AM 

Madras High Court (File|PTI)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI : The High Court on Wednesday asked the police what was the urgency of arresting M Kavitha (52), Additional Commissioner of HR&CE, in the case of misappropriation of gold in the two idols of the Kancheepuram temple. The court said Kavitha was not at all an accused in the FIR filed in 2017. The subsequent FIRs filed in 2018 were already stayed by the High Court on July 23 last. Moreover, the main accused in the case had already been granted bail, the bench noted.

The Special Bench of Justices R Mahadevan and P D Audikesavalu, constituted to deal with the idol theft cases, before which the bail application of Kavitha came up for hearing on Wednesday, said the official was arrested on July 31 and sent to judicial custody.The petitioner was arrested by the Inspector of Police, Sivakanchi, Kancheepuram on a complaint lodged by one Annamalai with regard to making of two new panchaloha idols for Sri Ekambaranathat temple in Kancheepuram. The court posted the matter to Friday.

Employees to stage token strike against Idol Wing head

Chennai: HR and CE department officials across the State, including Joint Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners, Grade III and IV executive officers have decided to stage a token strike on Thursday protesting against the attitude of AG Pon Manickavel, who is heading the Idol Wing. Sources said the officers have sought a day’s leave on Thursday for this purpose. The protest move comes a day after the arrest of M Kavitha, Additional Commissioner on Tuesday.

The complaint of officials is that Manickavel has been interfering in the affairs of HR and CE department unnecessarily. “His job is to find out the missing idols and draw plans for protecting existing idols. But complaints regarding irregularities need to be investigated by top officials of HR and CE department and Manickavel has no business in this connection,” an official said. Though officials will be on strike on Thursday, routine work in temples will not be affected, he said.

Committee reduces NEET marks to fill management seats

The selection committee of the Directorate of Medical Education has announced that candidates who secured marks even below 365 in NEET can attend medical counselling.

Published: 02nd August 2018 06:02 AM | 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI : The selection committee of the Directorate of Medical Education has announced that candidates who secured marks even below 365 in NEET can attend medical counselling. The panel has extended the first phase of medical counselling to fill MBBS seats under management quota in self-financing colleges as many seats were not filled even at the end of counselling.Speaking to Express, G Selvarajan, committee secretary, said, “128 MBBS seats under management quota in self-financing colleges were not filled even after the end of the first phase of counselling. So, we have extended the first phase.

Earlier, for the first phase, only candidates who secured above 365 marks in NEET were eligible to attend counselling. But, since we have vacant seats now, we have reduced the marks. Candidates who have secured even below 365 can attend,” he said.

According to a notification on Selection Committee website, counselling will be conducted on August 3 and 4. Candidates who secured NEET marks from 364 to 305 can attend counselling on August 3 and candidates who secured marks from 304 to 268 can attend on August 4. No individual call letters will be sent. Candidates can download the call letters from www.tnhealth.org and www.tnmedicalselection.org websites. The notification said more number of candidates are being called for counselling. Meanwhile, all seats in Christian Medical College were filled during the first phase of counselling.

Local holiday on Aug. 3

STAFF REPORTER

SALEM, AUGUST 02, 2018 00:00 IST

The district administration has announced a local holiday on August 3 to observe the death anniversary of freedom fighter Dheeran Chinnamalai and Adi Perukku festival.

District Collector Rohini R. Bhajibhakare in a press release said that government offices and educational institutions will not function on August 3.

The release said that August 18 will be a working day for compensating the local holiday.

Since the holiday is not announced as per Negotiable Instrument Act 1881 (Central Act XXVI of 1881), district treasury will function with limited employees on that day.

Doctors begin strike

STAFF REPORTER

MADURAI, AUGUST 02, 2018 00:00 IST

Members of the Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association (TNGDA) began the first phase of their protest seeking pay on par with Central government doctors here on Wednesday.

Other associations such as the Senior Civil Surgeon Association and the Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association joined the doctors.

A total of 18,000 doctors across the State — 1,000 from Madurai — said they had a single-point agenda.

M. Ramesh, secretary of TNGDA, said all doctors sported a badge to raise awareness about the strike among the public. “We will raise the intensity of the protest with each phase. For the first three days, the badge will display our displeasure. Eventually, we will stop classes and association meetings. On September 21, we have planned a token strike,” he said.

The strike was in protest against the steep disparity in pay. “We begin with the same pay, but their (Central) promotions are quicker and their pay jumps higher.”

DVAC uncovers revaluation scam at Anna University

S. Vijay Kumar

CHENNAI, AUGUST 02, 2018 00:00 IST

Thousands of students allegedly paid bribes to boost scores

The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption on Wednesday exposed a major scam in the award of marks during revaluation of answer scripts in Anna University.

Ten academicians, including the former Controller of Examinations Prof. G.V. Uma, were named accused in the scandal involving a large number of students who allegedly paid bribes to boost their scores during revaluation of answer scripts.

The agency conducted a surprise check on the premises of the suspects and seized incriminating documents, including copies of answer scripts and property documents.

This is the second time a scandal of this nature has occurred in the reputable university. In June 2012, two faculty members had given in writing that they were pressured by some top university officials to award higher marks to certain students during revaluation. However, the accused in that case, who were initially suspended from service, had subsequently gone scot-free due to lack of conclusive evidence. In the latest instance, the First Information Report said in April/May 2017, Dr. Uma, presently Professor, Department of Information Science and Technology, Anna University, conspired with Dr. P. Vijayakumar, Assistant Professor/Dean (in-charge), University College of Engineering, Tindivanam, and Dr. R. Sivakumar, Assistant Professor, University College of Engineering, Tindivanam, and demanded Rs. 10,000 from each student to boost marks during the revaluation process.

The suspects allegedly forged answer scripts by altering the marks to benefit the students who paid bribes. The accused persons “destroyed a maximum number of the answer scripts of the students for whom they awarded enhanced marks/pass marks in the revaluation done during August 2017 at Tindivanam and thereby caused disappearance of evidence relating to the criminal offence committed by them.”