Power shut down on Aug. 16

COIMBATORE, AUGUST 14, 2018 00:00 IST

UPDATED: AUGUST 14, 2018 04:01 IST

Due to monthly maintenance work to be taken at Kavundampalayam sub-station on August 16 between 9 a.m and 4 p.m. there will be no power supply in the following areas: Nallampalayam: Housing Board, AR Nagar, Thamami Nagar, Driver Colony, Samundeswari Nagar, Suguna Nagar, Union Road, Ashok Nagar, Murugan Nagar, Bharathi Nagar, Dhayal Street, Fireservice Area, Nallampalayam Road, TVS Nagar Road, Gen Nagar, Ohm Nagar, Amirtha Nagar, Ganesh Layout, Ganesh Layout, Sabari Garden, Ranga Layuout and Part of Maniakarampalayam area.

Pump House: 24-hour water supply Athikadavu scheme, Kavundampalayam.

Lenin Nagar: Subbhathal Lay out, Sastri Street, Maruthakutty Layout, Sampath Street, Periyar Street, VOC Street, CG Lay out, Nedunchezhian Street and Dheivanagi Nagar.

Sanganoor: Pudhu Thottam, Kannappa Nagar, Periyar Nagar, Karupparayan Koil Street, Thair Etteri Road and Balusamy Nagar.

Saibaba Colony: Indira Nagar, Kaveri Nagar, Jeeva Nagar, Kamaraj Street, K.K. Pudur 6-th Street, State Bank Colony, Krishna Nagar, Ganapathy Lay-out, KG Lay out, Giri Nagar, Sri Nagar and Thatehanthottam.

Cheran Nagar: Cheran Nagar, ITI Nagar, Thendral Nagar, Lakshmi Nagar, Balan Nagar, Saravana Nagar, Railway Mens Colony and Ranga Majestic.

Award for ophthalmologist

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI, AUGUST 14, 2018 00:00 IST

Vice-chairman and Director of Paediatric Ophthalmology Sankara Netralaya T.S. Surendran recently received the Life Time Achievement award at the annual conference of the Tamil Nadu Ophthalmic Association.

The award was presented by Puducherry Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi for his 40-year-long contribution to paediatric ophthalmology.

Linking Aadhaar with e-mail is dangerous: HC

Legal Correspondent

CHENNAI, AUGUST 14, 2018 00:00 IST

Says it will make private details public

Two judges of the Madras High Court on Monday termed as “a very dangerous relief” a plea by a public interest litigant to link either Aadhaar card details or any other government identity proof with the e-mail as well as social media accounts of individuals to keep a tab on fake accounts used to abuse others and indulge in cyber crimes.

Justices S. Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad doubted whether such a relief could be granted since it would amount to making public personal details such as Aadhaar number. They said crimes committed using fake accounts could be detected by the cyber crime cell. Therefore, it could not be a reason to order mandatory linking of Aadhaar with social media accounts.

However, they adjourned the hearing on the PIL petition filed by Antony Clement Rubin, an activist-based in Chennai, to August 20 in order to enable the cyber crime officials to throw light on procedures followed by them to track down individuals using fake accounts to indulge in criminal activities. The judges wanted the officials to be present during the next hearing.

During the course of hearing on Monday, a police officer informed the court that Facebook had an employee in Hyderabad to assist the police in tracking down criminals.

However, he provides immediate assistance only in serious cases related to child pornography and so on and does not cooperate in solving complaints of abuse through fake accounts.

The prime reason cited by Facebook for not disclosing certain details to the police was its obligation to maintain the privacy of its users, the judges were told. Finding some justification in the stand taken by Facebook too, the judges said that they would examine the issue in detail during the next hearing and find out how best the court could help in such issues.

They added that, ex-facie, the PIL petitioner had no constitutional or statutory right to seek a direction to the Centre as well as State government to make linking of Aadhaar with e-mail and social media accounts mandatory and that the petition could be dismissed straight away on this ground alone.

Anna varsity admission process raises suspicion

R. Sujatha

CHENNAI, AUGUST 14, 2018 00:00 IST




The Anna University conducts counselling for engineering courses after the Directorate of Medical Education completes the admission process. 

But university officials say procedure is fair and deny allegations of malpractice

Information sought under the RTI has raised doubts on the admission process in the Anna University.

An University employee sought information on students admitted to its various departments in the academic year 2017-2018. He later compared the list with the attendance details of students who had gone to the third semester in July 2018.

“I found that the students’ names in the third semester attendance register did not tally with the list of students admitted in 2017-18,” said the employee who had filed the RTI.

“In the ECE department, of the 180 seats in three batches in College of Engineering, Guindy, there are 39 candidates who did not figure in the 2017-18 admission list given under the RTI. The number is in excess of the permitted NRI quota of 20% of the total seats,” he added.

Usually, the Anna University conducts counselling for engineering courses after the Directorate of Medical Education completes the admission process. Last year, MBBS admission was delayed owing to prolonged court cases and Anna University completed the counselling ahead of the DME.

As a result, when counselling for medical seats was held as many as 500 students vacated their seats in Anna University and its top-rung affiliated colleges in favour of MBBS.

“Anna University’s counselling pattern does not allow for filling up of vacated seats. The university departments do not permit lateral entry in to second year BE. But I found that all seats were filled in the third semester and the attendance register included names of candidates that did not exist in the 2017-18 admission list in some of the most-sought departments like ECE, EEE, Manufacturing and Mining,” the professor said.

An official in-charge of admissions, however, said the new names on the list could be students who opted for ‘break year’.

“Students who join the Anna University generally are toppers and aim for medicine too. In 2016-17, many students took a break to write NEET. It is possible that many of them who did not get a medical seat have come back in the third semester,” he explained.

A professor in industrial engineering in CEG explained that the University is permitted to admit 20% students (12 seats) in addition to the 60 allotted seats in each branch.

“For 60 seats reservations for various communities and sports quota is followed. Students from other States are admitted under Open Category. Within the 20% additional seats 5% seats each are allocated for industrial consortium; wards of NRI parents; wards of those employed in Gulf countries; and foreign nationals. In certain branches like ECE all seats are filled but in some others filling even the permitted intake of 60 is difficult,” he said.

A theatre chain that’s a huge hit

STAFF REPORTER

CHENNAI, AUGUST 14, 2018 00:00 IST

Fans tweet emotionally as the brand has been close to everyone’s heart

We are losing another pride of Chennai, this is really heartbreaking, will miss the popcorn and cold coffee – this is what patrons of SPI Cinemas posted on social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook after news of PVR taking over the multiplex went viral.

Some even flooded their walls and pages with memes on the multiplexes famous popcorn and cold coffee and said — “Don’t change the popcorn” and “Will miss the popcorn.”

The iconic theatre has been close to everyone’s heart including actors, directors and producers who saw their audio and teaser launches happen here.

Ashwin, a college student said, “For me group outing means going to Sathyam cinemas with friends. Their technology and ambience is outstanding,” he said.

Kanchana Krishnan, Director, Chennai, Knight Frank, on her Facebook page said, “The city of Chennai is a hit for movie buffs and when we think of movies, we are unwaveringly faithful to Sathyam cinemas.”

Dharaneetharan G. D., Director, Social Eagle, a city-based startup firm, who frequents SPI Cinemas, said, “According to me SPI Cinemas is a symbol of innovation and a brand that stands for customer satisfaction. I will definitely miss SPI. May be PVR can treat SPI as Zappos so that the culture is unaffected.”

“SPI Cinemas is a word (rather, two words). Sathyam theatre is an emotion,” said actor Vinodhini Vaidynathan, on her Facebook page. On a chat message she said that she loved the theatre from the time in the 80s when it was “just” Sathyam Theatre.

“I've always loved their popcorn (with butter and without flavouring),” she added.

Director P.S. Mithran of Irumbu Thirai fame, said, “I still remember telling my friends that this is how theatres would be abroad.”

Crowd funding

Some patrons also put out messages requesting SPI Cinemas not to sell the theatre and withdraw its plans.

A few even said that they would crowd fund and get the theatre back to the original promoters.

One of the tweets by@Kbaasubramani, said, “Though u see this as a next milestone!! As a huge fan of#SathyamCinemaswe don't really like this collaboration!! To be frank we have experienced both screens. Service and nothing can be matched with your standard!!”

Another tweet by@jayykrishh, said, “The name@sathyam_cinemasitself gives us a pride moments to watch movies. And getting tickets from the same is our greatest task on FDFS. Such a feel we get from@SPICinemasExpecting thesame from the new venture.”

As a huge fan of#SathyamCinemaswe don't really like this collaboration!! Service and nothing can be matched with your standard

Metro Rail Phase II to be extended till Poonamallee

Sunitha Sekar

CHENNAI, AUGUST 14, 2018 00:00 IST



The 13-km stretch will benefit thousands in western part of the city

The Chennai Metro Rail plans to extend one of its corridors in the phase II project — from Valasarawakkam to Poonamallee — that will cover a distance of nearly 13 km with 10 stations. This extension from Valasarawakkam to Poonamallee will benefit thousands of people living in the western part of the city.

The areas which will get stations (in this extension) include Karambakkam, Porur Junction, Sri Ramachandra Hospital, Iyyapanthangal Bus Depot, Kaatupakkam, Kumananchavadi, Karayanchavadi, Mullai Thottam, Poonamallee Bus Terminus and Poonamalle Bypass, officials said. This extension will cost nearly Rs. 3,850 crore.

Chennai Metro Rail’s phase II project covers 108 km of the city touching upon 116 stations and it will comprise three corridors — Madhavaram to Shollinganallur, Light House to CMBT and Madhavaram to Siruseri. Of these three, the corridor from Light House, instead of touching its original destination of CMBT, will take a detour and go all the way up to Poonamallee via Valasarawakkam.

This extension till Poonamallee was originally not part of the phase II project and was added only recently for the benefit of commuters living in the western city of the city.

DPR being prepared

According to Chennai Metro Rail Limited officials, the detailed project report (DPR) is currently being prepared and once it is ready, more information regarding this stretch such as the expected number of people who will travel, the exact route through which the train will travel and various other technical information for construction will be available.

Whether this stretch from Valasarawakkam to Poonamallee will be underground or elevated will also be known only after the DPR is ready.

“Then, we will subsequently see how much land is required and the other issues involved. But work on this project can begin only after we know from where to get the funding from. We are looking at a lot of options such as approaching a few banks for funding this stretch,” an official said.

The Chennai Metro Rail Limited has approached Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for funding a part of the other two stretches — Madhavaram to CMBT and Madhavaram to Shollinganallur alone.

CMRL has begun acquiring land for these two stretches and also conducting soil tests in various locations across the city.

Once the DPR is ready, more information such as the expected number of people who will travel and the exact route will be available

CMRL official

Probe against college for sexual assault

STAFF REPORTER

BENGALURU, AUGUST 14, 2018 00:00 IST


Doctor accused of sexual assault; college says no complaint lodged

The Indian Nursing Council (INC) is conducting an inquiry into a case of an alleged sexual assault of a nursing student of a city-based college.

Members of the INC spoke to several students as part of the inquiry on Monday.

While students of the School of Nursing, CSI Hospital, have alleged that a doctor of the hospital sexually assaulted a student, the management says that no formal complaint has been lodged by the students with the Internal Complaints Committee of the college.

The students also alleged that there have been other types of harassment by the college where a female student was suspended for speaking to a male hospital staff.

The students, however, stated that they had brought up the issue with the principal as well as the college management who did not look at their request.

A student of the college said that the students were asked to pay Rs. 10,000 for books and uniforms and were not given any receipts. She also said the condition of the hostel was deplorable.

The services of a senior nursing tutor who helped students voice out their concern was terminated on Monday, they said.

The Karnataka Nursing Council too visited the college last week to submit a fact finding report.