If Vijay jumps into politics now, it is up to him to escape without any injuries: Tamil Nadu Revenue Minister Udayakumar

Refuting rumours that he plays a chief minister in the film, the actor, however, said that if given an opportunity to head the state, he would try to eliminate corruption first.

Published: 04th October 2018 03:27 AM


By Express News Service

CHENNAI/MADURAI: The audio launch of AR Murugadoss and Vijay’s Sarkar was launched amid much fanfare on Tuesday in Chennai. During the event, as anticipated, it was actor Vijay’s fiery speech that got the maximum cheers from the audience and has since gone viral.

“Usually, a party is formed, then they win the elections and finally, form sarkar (government). But we have first made Sarkar and will now contest in the elections,” said the actor, who paused for a beat and then asked the audience to vote for the film if they liked it. Though said in jest, this statement sent the audience into raptures and opened a Pandora’s box of questions about his political entry.

Refuting rumours that he plays a chief minister in the film, the actor, however, said that if given an opportunity to head the state, he would try to eliminate corruption first.

CM’s job in real a far cry from that on reel: Minister

Taking a dig at actor Vijay for his alleged statement against the government, Revenue minister R B Udayakumar, on Wednesday, said the actors should do their job of acting in movies as there were several experienced people like him to take care of the country.

Responding to the actor’s statement, Udayakumar said that Vijay had been saying for long that he would take the political plunge. The minister said that though the actor’s father was there to safeguard him, he (Vijay) was not entering politics as he was afraid. “If Vijay jumps into politics now, it is up to him to escape without any injuries,” said Udayakumar.

IRCTC may let outside entities access your data now

Your travel and identity details may no longer remain just with IRCTC, the rail ticket booking portal.

Published: 04th October 2018 04:40 AM

IRCTC web portal.

By B Anbuselvan

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Your travel and identity details may no longer remain just with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the rail ticket booking portal. The Railway Board has told IRCTC to grant access to its data to other railway establishments, including RITES, a public limited company which has private and foreign companies as its clients.

An order issued by the board on September 28, accessed by Express, said access to the data is necessary for the development of various IT applications and mobile apps “to enhance passenger experience”. Since the apps are being developed by various wings of the railways, the order said access to data must be granted to “other Railway Establishments like RITES and Zonal Railways”.

IRCTC has one of the largest passenger databases in the world with three crore registered users. It contains passenger information such as mobile number, Aadhaar number and frequently travelled routes. Besides, identity proofs of crores of passengers are also stored on the portal. The order did not explain which of these details could be accessed by other entities or restrictions placed on use of the data. A source privy to the development said it is yet to be made clear how and how much of the data IRCTC will share. IRCTC’s privacy policy says it will not share individually identifiable information without first receiving passenger permission.

Former professor of Anna University found dead at home

A 59-year-old former professor of Anna University was found dead at her house in Thiruvanmiyur on Wednesday morning.

Published: 04th October 2018 03:55 AM

Image used for representational purpose only.

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: A 59-year-old former professor of Anna University was found dead at her house in Thiruvanmiyur on Wednesday morning. Police identified her as Meera Asha Menon (59), a native of Kerala, who quit her job in Anna University four years ago.

“The victim was divorced and living alone. She had mental depression and none of her relatives visited her and the house remained locked always, the neighbours told us,” said the police officer. On Wednesday morning, some of the neighbours sensed a foul smell and alerted the police control room.

The Thiruvanmiyur police reached the spot and found her dead on the bed and also in a decomposed condition. The police have registered a case and sent the body for postmortem to Royapettah hospital.“She is suspected to have died two days ago, as it was decomposed.

“There is no suspicion in her death as it was due to natural causes,” said an investigating officer. Police said she could have suffered a heart attack and died. Further investigations are on.

UGC tells KSOU to continue with admissions till Oct. 20

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

MYSURU, OCTOBER 04, 2018 00:00 IST

Oct. 1 was the last date for admissions to 17 in-house programmes

Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), Mysuru, has extended the last date for admission to 17 courses to October 20 with the University Grants Commission asking the varsity to continue with the admissions. October 1 was the last date. However, KSOU Vice-Chancellor Shivalingaiah had urged the UGC to extend the date in the interest of students.

The UGC, after a meeting on September 27, took a decision to extend the date of admissions in all higher educational institutions (HEIs), including KSOU, for the year 2018-19. The UGC has asked the universities to complete admissions by that date and not make any admissions thereafter.

Prof. Shivalingaiah said over 8,000 people have taken admissions so far and thanked the UGC for its gesture.

However, the UGC’s decision on KSOU’s plea for granting recognition to 15 more courses was awaited.

The UGC has told the HEIs that they can submit an appeal in case their representation for granting recognition to the courses was not considered within 30 days from the date of its letter.

The KSOU recently made another attempt to persuade the UGC to accord permission for 15 courses that did not get its nod in the previous attempt. Out of 32 courses for which recognition was sought, the UGC granted its nod for only 17 courses. It turned down permission for B.Ed., MBA and LL.M. as it was said that these courses required consent from the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), the AICTE and the Bar Council of India (BCI) respectively.

Panel to check working of some pvt. varsities

STAFF REPORTER

BENGALURU, OCTOBER 04, 2018 00:00 IST

UGC had received complaints of poor teaching standards, inadequate infrastructure facilities

Some private universities in the State are in the dock as the University Grants Commission (UGC), on receiving complaints from students regarding inadequate infrastructure, constituted a fact-finding committee to conduct an inquiry.

The UGC had received complaints stating that teaching standards were not up to the mark, student intake was disproportionally more than laboratories and qualified faculty members at the institutes.

Quality check

The committee has been asked to examine the infrastructural facilities of private universities, and see whether they have adequate research, examination, and extension services, and good service conditions of the faculty. They will also conduct inquiries into the procedure followed for admissions, teaching and conducting examinations.

The UGC has also directed the committee to see if the authorities, including the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar and Finance Officer of the varsities, are qualified in accordance with UGC norms.

Several students from these universities have also complained about the fee refund policy. This will also be examined by the committee.

Move welcomed

The move has been welcomed not just by students but also by faculty members of these universities. A faculty member who works in one of the private universities said the UGC has received complaints that though the number of private educational institutions was on the rise in the State, there is the absence of a regulator. “There is blatant violation of several UGC norms and regulations a result of which students suffer. Although they approach the State Higher Education Department to get their grievances addressed, the department officials say they have very little control over private universities,” he said.

A student who is pursuing an engineering degree from another private university in the city also expressed discontent with the way it was being run. “Every few months, our faculty members quit and the entire academic calender gets disrupted. Moreover, there are more than a hundred students in my class and it is difficult to study in such a large class.”

Alliance university

After the family feud between two brothers affected the functioning of Alliance University, the State government had decided to amend the acts of these private universities to ensure that they had greater control on the varsity.

There is blatant violation of many UGC regulations, a result of which students suffer.faculty member of a private varsity

Every few months, our faculty members quit and the entire academic calender gets disruptedstudent of a private university

Sastra seeks time to vacate buildings

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

THANJAVUR, OCTOBER 04, 2018 00:00 IST


‘Relocating hostel students difficult’

The Sastra Deemed University on Wednesday is learnt to have sought more time from the Revenue authorities to vacate the buildings that had been constructed on encroached land.

As a follow-up to an eviction notice served last week to vacate the buildings by October 3, the Thanjavur Tahsildar visited the institution along with a posse of police personnel on Wednesday to take possession of the buildings constructed on land belonging to the Prison Department. The institution is understood to have cited difficulties in relocating hostel students in some of these buildings at short notice.

Following a direction of the Madras High Court, the Thanjavur Collector had passed orders on September 22 instructing the Revenue Divisional Officer and the Tahsildhar to remove the encroachments immediately.

Protective fence

In its order, the Madras High Court directed the Deputy-Inspector General of Prisons, Tiruchi, to raise a fence and protect the land by providing round-the-clock security.

A comprehensive survey would be undertaken before taking possession of the land once the institution vacated the buildings, a senior Revenue Department official said.

A comprehensive survey would be undertaken before taking possession of the landRevenue Department

Probe panel incurred Rs. 2.17 cr. expenditure’

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

MADURAI, OCTOBER 04, 2018 00:00 IST


RTI reply shows Singaravelu Commission spent Rs. 1.98 crore on salaries of eight staff

The Justice S. R. Singaravelu Commission that was constituted in 2013 to probe the death of Dalit youth Illavarasan in Dharmapuri had incurred an expenditure of Rs. 2.17 crore towards salaries and other expenses, according to a response obtained under the Right To Information (RTI) Act.

In August 2018, the Justice Singaravelu Commission submitted its findings to the State government.

The Commission had conducted several sittings, from November 2013, received petitions and counter petitions from different sections of the community. Many activists, police and lawyers too submitted their reports based on fact-finding teams.

A Kathir, executive director of the Madurai-based civil rights organisation ‘Evidence’, contended that when Illavarasan’s family continued to live in poverty and looked for assistance from the government, it was a mockery of sorts that the Commission had incurred an expenditure of Rs. 2.17 crore.

He said since 1991, the State government had appointed as many as 45 Commissions, but nothing tangible had come out in favour of the victims. As the governments formed judicial commissions, the issue could not be taken to the courts, he noted.

The RTI reply showed that about eight staff, who assisted the Commission, including a secretary, two office assistants and two drivers had incurred Rs. 1.98 crore by way of salaries and other expenses accounted for Rs. 17 lakh.

The High Court had pointed out the wasteful expenditure, the role and functioning of such judicial Commissions over a recent case related to the construction of Secretariat complex in Chennai, Mr. Kathir said.