Grant NOC to college: HC

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

KOCHI, SEPTEMBER 12, 2018 00:00 IST

The Kerala High Court has directed the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to consider an application of Fathima Memorial Educational Trust, Kollam, for conversion of its engineering college into a polytechnic expeditiously.

The application shall be considered by “adverting to the perspective plan of the State government without insisting on NOC from the State government”, an order passed by Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque said.

Earlier, the application of the trust for an NOC for converting its engineering college into a polytechnic was rejected by the government, AICTE, and the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, Thiruvananthapuram.

The State refused the NOC stating that a polytechnic in the self-financing sector was not needed as there were sufficient number of such institutions in the State. It was also stated that 822 polytechnic seats were vacant during 2017-18.

The court set aside the order of the State government rejecting the NOC as it found that no students were currently studying in engineering courses at the college. The university shall issue an NOC to the petitioner in ten days as the college had already shifted students to other colleges, the court said.

Paramedical courses

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

PUDUKOTTAI, SEPTEMBER 12, 2018 00:00 IST

The Government Medical College, Pudukottai, will offer three-year B.Sc.courses in various disciplines and applications will be issued at the college till September 19. The college will offer the courses in operation theatre and anaesthesia technology, accident and emergency care technology, radiology and imaging technology, critical care technology, physician assistant and medical laboratory technology.

The applications for the job-oriented courses can be had on submission of a demand draft for Rs. 400, S. Saradha, dean of the college, said in a press release.

Silambu Express to be tri-weekly

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

MADURAI, SEPTEMBER 12, 2018 00:00 IST



A meeting of MPs from Madurai and Tiruchi railway division areas and officials in progress in Madurai on Tuesday.
Members of Parliament seek more stoppages and train services

Southern Railway has proposed to increase the frequency of Chennai-Shencottah Silambu bi-weekly express into tri-weekly.

Its General Manager R.K. Kulshrestha gave this assurance at a meeting of Members of Parliament from the jurisdiction of Madurai and Tiruchi railway divisions here on Tuesday.

Responding to a demand made by Sivaganga MP PR. Senthilnathan to make the express a daily express, Mr. Kulshrestha said the proposal to increase the frequency to tri-weekly had been sent to the Railway Board. “The GM said increasing the frequency of Silambu Express to daily express was not feasible due to lack of infrastructure for maintenance of rakes at Chennai Egmore,” Mr. Senthilnathan said.

The GM also told the MPs that Tambaram-Shencottah Antyodaya daily express would be introduced soon on getting permission from the Board.

He cited lack of rakes as reason for not making Rameswaram-Coimbatore weekly express as a daily express. Mr. Senthilnathan sought coach indication boards and platform shelters at Devakottai, Sivaganga and Manamadurai stations. Besides, he sought six rail overbridges in his district.

Madurai MP R. Gopalakrishnan sought upgradation of Tirupparankundram railway station with all passenger amenities for stoppages of more trains. “I pointed out that AIIMS had been planned at Thoppur and Tirupparankundram station would be most-sought after by patients who come by train to the speciality hospital from various parts of the State,” he said.

Stating that Antyodaya Express – a rake with all unreserved coaches – would serve only the middle class and the poor passengers, Mr. Gopalakrishnan sought more stoppages between Tirunelveli and Madurai and beyond so that more passengers could use the train.

“With fewer passengers using the train, the railways could, at a later stage, cite poor patronage and stop this train in this section. With more stoppages, the trains will get more patronage,” he said. He also sought halt for Madurai-bound Pandian Superfast Express at Koodal Nagar railway station for the benefit of passengers who need to go to northern parts of the city now.

Twelve MPs from Tamil Nadu, one MP from Kerala, the Principal Heads of Departments and the Divisional Railway Managers (Madurai and Tiruchi) participated in the meeting. Mr. Kulshrestha highlighted works that had been targeted for completion and which had been proposed for improving passenger amenities.

35 seats left vacant in BDS govt. quota

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI, SEPTEMBER 12, 2018 00:00 IST

Thirty-five dental seats under the government quota in self-financing colleges in the State have found no takers at the end of two mop-up counselling rounds.

Though the Directorate of Medical Education had planned on a two-day round, lack of response resulted in the round lasting just a day.

Only 318 candidates attended the counselling for the 564 vacancies in management quota and 264 vacancies under government quota. Seats were allotted to 237 aspirants under the government quota and of the 65 candidates who attended counselling, 64 were allotted.

Doctors stage protest demanding pay parity

STAFF REPORTER

CHENNAI, SEPTEMBER 12, 2018 00:00 IST

About 200 government doctors took part in a human chain to highlight their demand for pay parity with Central government doctors on Tuesday.

P. Balakrishnan, State president of Democratic Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association, said doctors in Tamil Nadu faced pay disparity ranging from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 80,000 with doctors in the Central government.

“The disparity in pay exists at all levels starting from an assistant surgeon/assistant professor to professor/chief civil surgeon. We are facing this disparity for the last 10 years.

“The State government was supposed to issue a review of a government order issued in 2012 in October 2017. This review is pending. If this review is issued and the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission are implemented, then this disparity will be solved,” he explained.

He added that the pay band-4 (Rs. 37,400-Rs. 67,000) with a grade pay of Rs. 8,700 should be given after completion of 13 years in service.

“However, we are getting this pay band only after 20 years. Except those in medical colleges, faculty members of government arts and science colleges, veterinary colleges and engineering colleges in the State are getting this pay band after 13 years in service,” he said.

They also wanted a new payscale to be provided for doctors on completion of 20 years and then at 25 years.

The demonstration was also held in Kanniyakumari, Cuddalore, Salem and Vellore.

HC puts rider for issuing passport

Legal Correspondent

CHENNAI, SEPTEMBER 12, 2018 00:00 IST

Asks him to get trial courts’ permission to travel abroad

The Madras High Court on Monday directed Regional Passport Officer, Coimbatore, to issue a passport to former lottery baron S. Martin on condition that he disclose details of all criminal cases pending against him across the country besides obtaining permission from trial courts concerned for going abroad.

Justice R. Mahadevan issued the direction on a writ petition challenging the RPO’s February 10, 2017 order refusing to issue a passport. Senior counsel P.S. Raman, representing the petitioner, contended that his client owned properties worth thousands of crores. So, there need not be any fear of absconding.

However, on his part, Central government senior standing counsel N. Ramesh brought it to the notice of the court that the petitioner had not disclosed details of all criminal cases pending against him even in the affidavit sworn in support of the present writ petition which was pending since last year.

During the last hearing of the case, the petitioner provided a list of cases pending against him and it contained details of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case pending against him in Kochi. It was brought to the notice of the court that Section 6(2) (f) read with Section 5(2) (c) of the Passports Act of 1967 empowers the RPOs to refuse issuance of passports to those who were facing criminal cases before courts of law and the constitutional validity of those provisions had been upheld by a Division Bench of the Delhi High Court in 2016.

Billionaire hires 12 servants for daughter headed to UK univ

Naomi Canton TNN

London:12.09.2018  TOI

An Indian billionaire has put out an advert for 12 servants to look after his daughter when she starts her four-year course at St Andrews University in Scotland this month.

The advert posted by Silver Swan Recruitment, which specialises in finding staff for British private estates, states that a wealthy Indian family is looking for a butler, gardener, three housekeepers, house manager, lady’s maid, chauffeur, chef and three footmen to look after their daughter, who will reside in a nearby mansion.

The job description for a “cheerful and energetic” lady’s maid said they would be responsible for “waking principal up, liaising with other staff regarding routine and schedule, assisting with grooming, wardrobe management and personal shopping”.

The footmen will be responsible for serving meals, laying the table and keeping the house clean. They will also be required to open doors for the student “wherever possible”, the ad said. The roles are said to pay about £30k (₹28 lakh) a year. The ad states that the “the family are very formal so are looking for experienced staff ” and that the “rest of the family will be staying intermittently”.

Students in the UK normally stay in a hall of residence during their first year and move out into houseshares in later years and most live frugal lives on limited budgets.

A spokeswoman for St Andrews University, which is where Prince William met Kate, said they did not object to such a lifestyle and had no concerns about the student fitting in. “It is the student’s private life. They can live how they want. We have students coming here from all over the world and they do not have to stay in halls of residence,” the spokeswoman said. She added: “We don’t have confirmation of any of this. It was just put on a job advert by Silver Swan. It is not related to us at all. This is a matter for the student and her family. They have posted the ad privately.”

A spokesman for Silver Swan Recruitment said: “We have pretty much filled all the positions now so the advert is closed, and we have taken it down. We cannot comment on this further as it is extremely confidential.”

St Andrews University