தேர்தல் பணியில் ஆசிரியர்களை ஈடுபடுத்த அ.தி.மு.க., எதிர்ப்பு

Added : பிப் 22, 2019 22:24 |

சென்னை, 'லோக்சபா தேர்தல் அட்டவணையின்படி, முதல் கட்டத்திலேயே, தமிழகத்தில் தேர்தல் நடத்த வேண்டும். ஆசிரியர்களுக்கு பணிச்சுமை அதிகம் இருப்பதால், அவர்களுக்கு பதிலாக, இதர துறை ஊழியர்களை, தேர்தல் பணியில் ஈடுபடுத்த வேண்டும்' என, அ.தி.மு.க., சார்பில், தேர்தல் கமிஷனில் வலியுறுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது.

சென்னை, தலைமை செயலகத்தில், அங்கீகரிக்கப்பட்ட அரசியல் கட்சிகளின் கூட்டம், தேர்தல் கமிஷன் சார்பில், நேற்று நடந்தது. தமிழக தலைமை தேர்தல் அதிகாரி சத்யபிரதா சாகு, தலைமை வகித்தார். கூட்டத்தில் பேசியது குறித்து, அரசியல் கட்சியினர் கூறியதாவது:அ.தி.மு.க., - ஜெயராமன்: லோக்சபா தேர்தல், பல கட்டமாக நடக்கும். அதில், முதல் கட்டத்திலேயே, ஒரே நேரத்தில், தமிழகத்தில் தேர்தலை நடத்த வேண்டும். குடிநீர் உட்பட அத்தியாவசிய பணிகளை, தேர்தலை காரணம் காட்டி தடை செய்யக் கூடாது. தேர்தல் பணியில், அனைத்து தரப்பு ஊழியர்களையும் பயன்படுத்த வேண்டும்.ஆசிரியர்களுக்கு பணிச்சுமை அதிகம் இருப்பதால், அவர்களுக்கு பதிலாக, கூட்டுறவுத் துறை ஊழியர்கள், கிராம நிர்வாக அலுவலர்கள், ஊராட்சி செயலர்கள் போன்றோரை, தேர்தல் பணியில் பயன்படுத்த வேண்டும் என, வலியுறுத்தினோம்.தி.மு.க., - கிரிராஜன்: வாக்காளர் சிறப்பு முகாம் குறித்து விவாதிக்கப்பட்டது. வாக்காளர் பட்டியலில், பல்வேறு குளறுபடிகள் உள்ளன. 

உதாரணமாக, சென்னை - ஆர்.கே.நகரில், 15 பாகங்களில், இரட்டை பதிவு, மூன்று முறை பதிவு உள்ளதை, தேர்தல் அதிகாரியிடம் வழங்கினோம். அவர், உடனடியாக நீக்க ஏற்பாடு செய்வதாக தெரிவித்தார்.சென்னையில், 38 ஆயிரம் பேர், 'ஆன்லைன்' வழியே, வாக்காளர்களாக பதிவு செய்துள்ளனர். அதில், முறையான நடவடிக்கை மேற்கொள்ளப்படவில்லை. ஆர்.கே.நகரில் நீக்கம் செய்யப்பட்ட பெயர்கள், மீண்டும் பட்டியலில் இடம் பெற்றுள்ளன. இந்த தவறுகளை களைந்து, தேர்தல் நடத்த வேண்டும் என, வலியுறுத்தினோம்.இந்திய கம்யூ., - பெரியசாமி: லோக்சபா தேர்தலுடன், சட்டசபை தொகுதி இடைத்தேர்தலை, சேர்த்து நடத்த வேண்டும். அனைத்து ஓட்டுச்சாவடிகளிலும், குடிநீர் வசதி ஏற்படுத்த வேண்டும்; பந்தல் அமைக்க வேண்டும் என கோரினோம்.தே.மு.தி.க., - இளங்கோவன்: வாக்காளர் பட்டியலில், இரட்டை பதிவு, மூன்று பதிவுகள் உள்ளன; அவற்றை நீக்க வேண்டும். வாக்காளர் சேர்ப்பு பணியில், ஆசிரியர்களை ஈடுபடுத்தாமல், தனியார் ஏஜன்சியை ஈடுபடுத்த வேண்டும் என, கூறி உள்ளோம்.இவ்வாறு, அவர்கள் கூறினர்.***

பிப்.25 முதல் வாரம் 3 நாட்கள் சிலம்பு எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் ரயில் இயக்கம்

Added : பிப் 23, 2019 04:13


ஸ்ரீவில்லிபுத்துார்: தற்போது வாரம் இருநாட்கள் இயங்கும் சிலம்பு எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் ரயில், பிப்.25 முதல் வாரம் 3 நாட்கள் இயக்கபடவுள்ளதாக தெற்கு ரயில்வே அறிவித்துள்ளது.தற்போது சென்னை எழும்பூரிலிருந்து புதன் மற்றும் சனிக்கிழமைகளில் இரவு 8:40 மணிக்கு புறபட்டு விழுப்புரம், திருச்சி, புதுகோட்டை,காரைக்குடி, தேவகோட்டை, சிவகங்கை, மானாமதுரை, அருப்புகோட்டை, விருதுநகர், சிவகாசி, ஸ்ரீவில்லிபுத்துார், ராஜபாளையம், சங்கரன்கோயில், தென்காசி வழியாக செங்கோட்டைக்கு மறுநாள் காலை 9:50 மணிக்கு வந்தடையுமாறு வாரம் இருநாட்கள் மட்டும் சிலம்பு எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் ரயில் இயங்கி வருகிறது. மறுமார்க்கத்தில் செங்கோட்டையில் இருந்து வியாழன் மற்றும் ஞாயிற்றுகிழமைகளில் மாலை 4:15 மணிக்கு புறப்பட்டு, மறுநாள் காலை 5:45 மணிக்கு சென்னை எழும்பூரை சென்றடைகிறது.அதிகரித்து வரும் தென்மாவட்ட பயணிகளின் வசதிக்கேற்ப தினசரி ரயிலாக சிலம்பு எக்ஸ்பிரஸை இயக்கவேண்டுமென மக்கள்பிரதிநிதிகள், பொதுநல அமைப்புகள், ரயில் பயணிகள் சங்கத்தினர் கோரிக்கை எழுப்பி வந்தனர்.வாரத்தில் மூன்று நாட்கள் இயங்கும்இந்நிலையில் பிப்.25 முதல் வாரத்தில் 3 நாட்கள் சிலம்பு எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் இயங்கும் என தெற்கு ரயில்வே நேற்று அறிவித்துள்ளது. அதன்படி, திங்கள், புதன், சனிக்கிழமைகளில் சென்னை எழும்பூரிலிருந்தும், செவ்வாய், வியாழன், ஞாயிற்றுகிழமைகளில் செங்கோட்டையிலிருந்தும், தற்போது வழக்கத்திலுள்ள நேரத்தில் புறபட்டு, வழக்கமான வழித்தடத்தில் இயங்கும் என அறிவித்துள்ளது.

Chennai: Plea to extend exemption to linguistic minority students for Class 10

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

PublishedFeb 23, 2019, 2:30 am IST

Minority students are not sure if they could continue studying in their respective mother tongue or not.

The linguistic minority students appearing for tenth standard examinations next month (around 20,000) are a confused lot now as the judgment has not been delivered by the special bench so far.

Chennai: The Linguistic Minority Forum of Tamil Nadu (LIMFOT) has appealed to the Madras high court to expedite the case pertaining to the language issue and deliver a fair judgment directing the State government to allow the linguistic minority students to write their tenth standard examinations in their respective mother tongues.

Contending that the linguistic minority students in Tamil Nadu schools, numbering over one lakh, were denied an opportunity to learn their mother tongue under the Tamil Learning act, 2006, which came into force from 2016, LIMFOT Chairman Dr. C. M. K. Reddy, said the students obtained exemption and continued to study and write tenth standard examinations in their mother tongue in 2016, 2017 and 2018 as per the orders of the Madras High Court.

Last year, then Chief Justice Justice Indira Banerjee issued orders to form a three-member judicial bench to suggest a lasting solution to the issue of minority languages in the State. Accordingly, the present CJ had formed a special bench comprising Justices: S. Manikumar, Abdul Qudhose and Subramania Prasad. The arguments from the minority students represented by the LIMFOT and the government lawyers as well were heard and the judgment was reserved on Nov. 12, 2018.

The linguistic minority students appearing for tenth standard examinations next month (around 20,000) are a confused lot now as the judgment has not been delivered by the special bench so far. They are not sure if they could continue studying in their respective mother tongue or not. Hence, the parents of linguistic minority students appeal to the Madras High Court to pronounce the judgment without further delay, he said and urged the State government to grant the minority students interim relief as given in the previous three years, pending final verdict of the court.

Dr. Reddy and LIMFOT general secretary M. Nanda Govind, said in a joint statement here that the main contention of the linguistic minority students is that they had no objection to studying Tamil as a compulsory language but wanted their mother tongue also to be included in the syllabus with minimum marks prescribed for a pass in 10th standard public examination.

UGC tightens regulations on deemed universities

The University Grants Commission’s has fixed stringent norms for an institution to be declared as ‘deemed to be university’.

Published: 23rd February 2019 05:02 AM |

Image of UGC head office used for representational purpose (File photo | PTI)

By S Mannar Mannan

Express News Service

COIMBATORE: The University Grants Commission’s has fixed stringent norms for an institution to be declared as ‘deemed to be university’. The new regulation was published in the central government gazette on Wednesday and it will replace the old norms of 2016. According to the new regulation, only institutions which are more than 20 years old, and have a NAAC CGPA score of at least 3.26 or have two-thirds of their technical programmes accredited by the National Board of Accreditation are eligible to become a Deemed to be University.

In addition, the institutions must also figure in the top-50 ranks in the ‘specific category’ or in top-100 ranks in the ‘overall category’ in the National Institute Ranking Framework’s (NIRF) list.
Institutions will also have to maintain a teacher-student ratio of 1:20. Their faculty strength must not be less than 100 and students’ strength (in regular mode) must not be less than 2,000.

The new regulation has tasked UGC with the responsibility of monitoring the performance of these Deemed Universities annually. The regulatory body will have to check the academic performance, placement record and higher educational opportunities for students passing out of these varsities.



Sponsoring body to apply online

The sponsoring body has to apply online to the UGC with a DPR containing its 15-year detailed strategic vision plan and a five year rolling implementation plan viz. academic, faculty recruitment, admission, research, networking, infrastructure development, finance, administrative, governance, with clear annual milestones and action plans on how the new institution Deemed to be University is to be set up, with identifiable outputs and outcomes.

Deemed to be Universities in category-I and category-II or ranked from 1-50 in the universities category of current NIRF ranking will be permitted to start new off-campus centres. The new regulation has also fixed the responsibility on UGC to annually monitor performance and academic outcome of all Deemed to be Universities.

Some of the parameters are- Minimum of 50 per cent of graduating students secure access to employment or self-employment or pursue higher education. Train students on team-work, communication skills, leadership skills, time-management skills, soft skills, etc; and inculcate a spirit of innovation/entrepreneurship and critical thinking among the students and promote avenues for display of these talents. Commenting on the new regulation, SASTRA Vice Chancellor S Vaidhyasubramaniam said, while the new regulations is progressive and also monitors quality through benchmarks, the UGC Act needs to be amended to allow Deemed Universities to use the word ‘university’.

‘Progressive rules’

While SASTRA VC said the new regulation is progressive, he wanted the UGC Act to be amended to let deemed varsities be called just ‘University’

How come a retired officer is DGP of State, asks MHA

S. Vijay Kumar

CHENNAI, FEBRUARY 23, 2019 00:00 IST




T. K. Rajendran

Puts promotion of four batches of IPS officers on hold

In a strange query, the Ministry of Home Affairs has sought a clarification from the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary on how T. K. Rajendran, a 1984-batch IPS officer, is the Director-General of Police/Head of Police Force in the State since he should have retired from service two years ago.

Replying to a proposal of the State government to promote four batches of IPS officers in the ranks of Superintendent of Police, Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Inspector-General of Police and Additional Director-General of Police, the Home Ministry raised certain queries and called for an explanation.

Pointing out that the date of birth of Mr. Rajendran is June 15, 1957, the letter received on Friday said, “It is clear that the said officer would have been retired from service on attaining the age of his superannuation on June 30, 2017, whereas the State government is indicating him as DGP and Head of Police Force and date of his retirement June 30, 2019.”

“It is surprising that the Ministry of Home Affairs is ignorant of the fact that Mr. Rajendran was appointed Director-General of Police/Head of Police Force on the date of his retirement from service. He got the benefit of a fixed two-year tenure as per the Supreme Court ruling in the Prakash Singh case. The Union Public Service Commission was also part of the process...moreover he has been communicating with the Centre on various issues in the last two years,” a senior police officer told The Hindu on Friday.

Vacant posts

Seeking to know why cadre posts exclusively meant for IPS officers were lying vacant for more than six months, the Home Ministry asked how police officers were kept in ex-cadre posts for more than two years without the approval of the Centre. These two issues were in violation of Rule 4(2) and Rule 10 of IPS (Cadre) Rules, 1954, respectively.

The proposal of the State recommending promotions to IPS officers had referred to two officers — B. Balanagadevi and D. Abhinav Kumar — as officers on Central deputation. However, it was pointed out that these officers were on inter-cadre deputation to Telangana and Bihar respectively and could not be brought under the head of Central deputation.

There are 229 IPS officers in Tamil Nadu, including those on Central deputation and inter-state cadre deputation, but the list submitted by the State in the proposal for promotions mentioned that there were 230 officers. The Home Minister has sought a response to the “observations” in order to process the proposal.

“It is true that many officers are serving in ex-cadre posts for more than two years without the approval of the Centre. But this is not unique in Tamil Nadu...many States have the practice of posting IPS officers to ex-cadre posts that were created based on court orders or observations, Government orders etc,” the officer said, adding that a reply would be sent to the Home Ministry on Monday making it clear how Mr. Rajendran was very much in service as the DGP of the State.

Cured but alone, mental patients find family in old age homes

Priyangi.Agarwal@timesgroup.com

Bareilly: 23.02.2019  TOI

Thousands in the country cured of their mental illness but forced to stay at institutes for such patients as they have been abandoned by their families and have nowhere to go might just have a home now.

In a novel experiment started in Bareilly, which has one of India’s biggest mental hospitals, five such men have now been housed at an old age home. A separate rehabilitation centre has been set up at the old age home for these persons. Authorities at the hospital told TOI that depending on how this goes -- the way these men adjust -- the system could be replicated across UP and perhaps beyond.

At the Bareilly Old Age Home, sitting on the lawn and basking in the winter sun, 50-year-old Umesh, a former patient from Badaun admitted to the mental hospital in 2014, tells a group of fellow residents that he has been worried about the wedding of his oldest daughter, an engineering graduate. What he doesn’t say is that his family left him a long time ago, and it is likely that his “little girl”, with who he last spoke in 2016, is already married. But he is happy. “I like it here,” he said, smiling. “I have friends and we laugh and play together.”

After TOI in 2016 highlighted the plight of nearly 60 cured inmates of Bareilly mental hospital who were forced to live in the institute as their kin didn’t want them back, Delhi-based advocate Gaurav Bansal filed a PIL in the Supreme Court for the rehabilitation of such patients in 43 such hospitals across the country. In 2018, the apex court directed states and UTs to submit a status report on steps taken by them towards that end.

“Our medical board had repeatedly termed these five males fit for discharge. We wrote several letters to their families and tried to contact them but there was no response. We might send more cured patients to the old age home, depending on the response we get from these five expatients,” said Dr Pramila Gaur, director of the mental hospital.

Chandan, 62, from a small village in Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, had spent 18 years at the mental hospital. “This new place is much better. At least I get respect and can walk around. At the mental hospital, we were locked up in our ward and let out only to eat,” he said. Chandan has even made a “sister”, 71-year-old Savitri from Haridwar who lives at the old age home. The two Garhwal natives sing folk songs together and play board games.

“I try to make Chandan and the others realize that they should accept circumstances and reality. The old age home has many facilities, and they should start considering it their home,” said Savitri.

Then there is Ramesh, 50, who is generally quiet and keeps to himself. “I spent 14 years at the mental hospital. I earlier used to miss my family but not anymore. I am a bachelor and I know my siblings do not want me back. People here are my family now,” he said.

Kishan Lal, 63, a farmer who has been living in the old age home for three years, is liking it too. He has become good friends with the five cured patients. “When they came here, I was scared of them as I thought that they may become aggressive or violent. After about 10 days, we started talking and I realized they are just like us,” he said.

(Names of cured patients have been changed)



This new place is much better. At least I get respect and can walk around.

At the mental hospital, we were locked up in our ward and let out only to eat

—Chandan A cured patient

SENTENCE COMMUTED

Fresh lease of life for man on death row

AmitAnand.Choudhary@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:23.02.2019

Almost a decade after losing the legal battle in the Supreme Court which upheld his death sentence, a condemned prisoner got a fresh lease of life on Friday with the apex court commuting his sentence to imprisonment till death on grounds of delay in deciding on his mercy plea.

The accused was convicted for the murder of his wife and five children and was

awarded the death penalty by the trial court in 2006 and the sentence was upheld by the Madhya Pradesh high court in 2006. The SC confirmed his death sentence in 2009. Immediately after the apex court order, he had filed mercy petition but his plea was decided after five years when the President rejected it in 2014.

Armed with the Supreme Court’s 2014 verdict which had held that death sentence could be commuted to life imprisonment on the grounds of delay in deciding on mercy petition of death row prisoners, he again started the legal battle to save his life and filed a fresh petition saying his sentence be commuted because of inordinate delay in his case.

A bench of Justices N V Ramana, Deepak Gupta and Indira Banerjee agreed with his plea and commuted the sentence. The court noted that there was no delay on the part of the Centre or the secretariat of the President in dealing with the mercy petition and it was dealt with expeditiously but delay was on part of the Madhya Pradesh government which kept sitting on the mercy petition for four years before forwarding it to the President. The state government, which was issued notice way back in 2014 by the court to give explanation for the delay, failed to turn up in the court and the SC passed the order.

For full report, www.toi.in