One more ticket booking office opened at Avadi station

Dec 6, 2018, 07.45 PM IST

CHENNAI: Member of Parliament P Venugopal on Thursday inaugurated the second entry passenger ticketing centre (booking office) at Avadi railway station here.

Built at a cost of Rs 20 lakh, the second entry passenger ticketing centre will have three counters to cater to the increasing passenger footfalls at the station.

Avadi station is being developed as an Adarsh Station now. Apart from serving more than 20 villages around, the station also serves the Armed Vehicle and Ammunition Depot of India, Tube Products of India, Avadi Railway Car Shed and other industrial establishments.

Tamil Nadu minister K Pandiarajan, Chennai divisional railway manager Naveen Gulati and others were present during the inauguration.

Panel on more marks for government doctors in interiors meets

TNN | Dec 7, 2018, 06.19 AM IST

CHENNAI: The seven-member state committee headed by retired judge Justice A Selvam formed to decide on the remote, difficult and rural areas of Tamil Nadu for which in-service candidates would be given incentive marks for PG medical admissions met for the first time on Thursday.

The committee, framed as per court directive, will seek information from all districts collectors before their second meeting which is likely to be scheduled within a week. The committee members include Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation chairman P Umanath, directors of medical services, public health and medical education, selection committee secretary and a demographer from the University of Madras. “We are planning to come out with a comprehensive report before the prospectus is issued,” said a senior official.

In 2018, a six-member committee under Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation chairman P Umanath used “hybrid” methods to work out difficult and remote areas based on terrain, doctor-patient ratio and vacancies in the government hospitals. Postings were divided into three categories of which two groups received benefits. Category A will receive 100% of the maximum permissible incentive marks – 10% of marks over and above their NEET score for every year, not exceeding 30%. The second group, category B, will receive 40% of the maximum permissible incentive marks – 4% of marks over and above their NEET score for every year, not exceeding 30%.

However, several in-service doctors and government doctors’ associations moved court against the implementation of the recommendation. The court later directed the state to set up a committee under a retired judge and release the recommendations before 2018 admissions.

This year, students will appear for PG 2019, NEET examination on January 6 and results are expected on January 31. Counselling for admission under the state quota will begin after at least one round of counselling by the directorate general of health services under the all-India quota. “We have adequate time to publish recommendations before the prospectus is published,” said one of the members.

Death probe panel to soon quiz OPS, minister , health secretary

TNN | Dec 8, 2018, 08.49 AM IST

CHENNAI: Inquiry by the Justice (retd) A Arumughaswamy commission may have reached the final stage as it is prepared to examine state health secretary J Radhakrishnan, deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam, health minister C Vijayabaskar, deputy speaker of Lok Sabha M Thambidurai and senior AIADMK leader C Ponnaiyan, pertaining to the circumstances surrounding former CM J Jayalalithaa’s death.

Sources said the commission has initiated the process to summon the five important personalities and check their availability. Tentative dates have been sought from V K Sasikala’s legal team, which would be cross-examining the witnesses. The commission plans to submit the final report on Jayalalithaa’s 71st birthday on February 24, 2019, sources said.

Radhakrishnan has been asked to appear next week, but since he is busy with the rehabilitation work of Cyclone Gaja-ravaged Nagapattinam district, he is unlikely to appear, sources said. “I’ll be appearing before the commission as and when I’m called,” Radhakrishnan told TOI, adding that it was an eventuality as he played a key role in co-ordinating Jayalalithaa’s treatment from the government side.

Among the politicians OPS, Vijayabaskar and Ponnaiyan are likely to be summoned in the third week of December, sources said. Thambidurai would also be called around the same time, but sources said permission from the Lok Sabha would be needed. The commission is also likely to examine Dr Richard Beale, the expert from UK who attended to Jayalalithaa, via video-conferencing, sources said.

The commission also plans to visit the Parappana Agrahara jail in Bengaluru to question V K Sasikala, which is likely to occur around January 15, sources said.

On Friday, senior doctor and cardiologist Dr Girinath was quizzed for around three hours. The deposition of two other senior cardiologists Y V C Reddy and Sridhar could not take place. Sources said Dr Girinath was asked questions about the fee paid for his consultation made on September 27, 2016 when he saw Jayalalithaa’s health records. He also said the vegetation on her heart valve did not need surgery.

Delay in filing chargesheet will be a big setback for graft case involving former BU vice-chancellor, PMK leader says

TNN | Dec 8, 2018, 03.59 PM IST

COIMBATORE: Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S Ramadoss on Saturday slammed the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) for not filing chargesheet against the suspended vice-chancellor of Bharathiar University, A Ganapathi, even 10 months after his arrest in a bribery case.

In a statement on Saturday, Ramadoss said it did not seem a natural happening that a chargesheet had not yet been filed in the case.

Ganapathi was arrested on February 3 this year for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 30 lakh from an assistant professor aspirant. He was suspended from his vice-chancellor post on February 7.

Observing that it had been 310 days since Ganapathi was arrested, Ramadoss said it was shocking because just like in criminal cases, in graft cases too chargesheet should be filed within 90 days.

“Usually, when DVAC sleuths nab someone in a graft case, there would be a government witness. DVAC has only to gather evidences which they would complete in a few days. So in such cases chargesheet can be filed very soon,” he said in his statement and added that if in such cases chargesheet was not filed in time, they could face a setback.

Citing news reports which said the DVAC had stated that the procedures had been delayed as it was waiting for documents from the governor’s office, Ramadoss said, “The governor has been saying university administrations have been cleaned up due to the measures he had taken. If it is true that he has not given the documents needed to file chargesheet in this case, it will be a big misdeed.”

He also said there was also a chance for Ganapathi to seek the VC post again as there has been no chargesheet against him so far.

Meanwhile, academicians said there were several roster violations in appointments done in the university during the 11th and 12th plan periods and it called for an independent inquiry.

The appointments made in violation of the roster during the 11th plan period were also regularised later, which was another violation, said C Pichandy, former general secretary of Association of University Teachers (AUT).

“Appointments made during both the plan periods need to be investigated. The state should appoint a retired judge to do it,” he said.

Court orders Karnataka to produce V K Sasikala on December 13

TNN | Dec 8, 2018, 06.27 AM IST

CHENNAI: A special Enforcement Directorate cases court in the city on Friday directed the Karnataka prison authorities to produce ousted AIADMK leader V K Sasikala on December 13 in connection with Foreign Exchange Regulation Act violation cases.

The issue pertains to payments in US and Singapore dollars to foreign firms for hiring transponders and uplink facilities for Jaya TV in 1995-96.

In July 2017, the court allowed Sasikala to appear through video conferencing from Parappana Agrahara prison in Bengaluru. With her personal appearance required to sign documents and complete framing of charges, the authorities were asked to produce her on November 30. Since the prison authorities failed to produce her due to health reasons, the court issued the order on Friday.

Court orders Karnataka to produce V K Sasikala on December 13
TNN | Dec 8, 2018, 06.27 AM IST

CHENNAI: A special Enforcement Directorate cases court in the city on Friday directed the Karnataka prison authorities to produce ousted AIADMK leader V K Sasikala on December 13 in connection with Foreign Exchange Regulation Act violation cases.

The issue pertains to payments in US and Singapore dollars to foreign firms for hiring transponders and uplink facilities for Jaya TV in 1995-96.

In July 2017, the court allowed Sasikala to appear through video conferencing from Parappana Agrahara prison in Bengaluru. With her personal appearance required to sign documents and complete framing of charges, the authorities were asked to produce her on November 30. Since the prison authorities failed to produce her due to health reasons, the court issued the order on Friday.

Why are men more hurt by breakups than women?

times of India  09.12.2018

The end of a relationship is never easy. Both men and women hurt when the familiar feeling of happiness is suddenly snatched away due to a breakup. Now, a British study has claimed that men suffer more long-lasting pain from breakups than women. The question is: why is this so? How and why are men hurting more when it is they who usually seem to move on from breakups faster and more painlessly? According to a previous study, men struggle more after a breakup than women because emotionally, men often react badly to major life upheavals. Moreover, men’s methods for dealing with changed circumstances are not always helpful. Researchers found out that going to the pub was named the best way to ‘get over’ a split while one third of those polled said the jilted party would be better off if he acts unbothered. Right there, is one of the reasons why men suffer — the unwillingness to face what happened and come to terms with reality. On the other hand, women are more comfortable finding a shoulder to cry on and letting it all out. Women also have a wider circle of friends and will confide to family in a way most men wouldn’t countenance. That explains why they come to grips with reality and find the strength to close a chapter and move on.

Another reason why women don’t suffer as much as men after a breakup is because they do the breaking up more times than men. What this means is that, women have more time to start processing the pain ahead. By the time they are done with that phase, the man may just be beginning his.

— Agencies