HC stays order of simple imprisonment for IAS officer

STAFF REPORTER

MARCH 14, 2019 00:00 IST

A single bench had sentenced former Madurai Corporation Commissioner

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday stayed a single bench order that sentenced IAS officer S. Aneesh Sekhar, former Madurai Corporation Commissioner, to undergo simple imprisonment for one week for disobeying the court’s orders.

A Division Bench of Justices P. N. Prakash and B. Pugalendhi, which heard the appeal preferred by Mr. Aneesh Sekhar, granted a stay against the single judge order that sentenced him to undergo simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs. 5,000.

In his appeal, Mr. Aneesh Sekhar, now working as Executive Director, Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation, said that his intention was not to disobey the court.

He said that a Division Bench had modified the single bench order and the Corporation ought to have followed this order.

He said that a government order was issued in 2010 to promote Tax Collectors eligible for promotion to the post of Assistant by relaxing the condition that insisted on experience as Junior Assistant for two years.

The government also clarified that a seniority list be prepared to the cadre of Assistant by taking into account those who joined service prior to 1996.

When this clarification was challenged by one Ahamed Ibrahim, the single bench dismissed the petition and ordered the promotion of private respondents, including J. Vijayakumar, who had filed the contempt petition.

However, a Division Bench, hearing the appeal of Ahamed Ibrahim, gave specific orders that though a special benefit was extended to Tax Collectors to be integrated to the post of Assistant, this would not mean that they were entitled to supersede those already appointed to the post.

Taking into account that he was promoted to Junior Assistant in 2009 and Assistant in 2013, the court, in 2018, directed that the seniority list be redrawn and allowed him to be placed above J. Vijayakumar. Following the orders of the court, Ahamed Ibrahim was placed above J. Vijayakumar in the list and a seniority list was prepared.

Moreover, the contempt petitioner J. Vijayakumar had already retired from service, he said.

Thiruvalluvar varsity gets new V-C

STAFF REPORTER

VELLORE, MARCH 14, 2019 00:00 IST

Senior professor from Anna University S. Thamarai Selvi has taken charge as Vice-Chancellor of Thiruvalluvar University, Serkadu near Vellore on Wednesday.

After garlanding the statue of poet Thiruvalluvar, she officially took charge. Ms. Thamarai Selvi was appointed as Vice-Chancellor of Thiruvalluvar Universityby Governor Banwarilal Purohit last Tuesday.

She will will hold the post for three years. Until her appointment by the Governor, she was working as Professor with the Department of Computer Technology, MIT Campus, Anna University.

She assured the students and teaching fraternity to uphold the tradition of the university in the uplift of downtrodden students from rural pockets.

With no one giving surety, Nirmala Devi still in jail

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

MADURAI, MARCH 14, 2019 00:00 IST

High Court granted bail to her on Tuesday

Even after the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court granted bail to audiotape case accused Nirmala Devi on Tuesday, the suspended Assistant Professor of Devanga Arts College in Aruppukottai, continued to remain in jail, as her close relatives did not come forward to provide surety, fulfilling the bail conditions.

Ms. Nirmala Devi was arrested in April 2018 after a telephonic conversation she had with a few college girls in which she was heard inducing them to do certain favours for higher officials of Madurai Kamaraj University in exchange for higher marks and money. As several of her bail pleas were rejected, she was in the Central Prison, Madurai for 11 months.

Only after the High Court came down heavily on the investigating agency, Crime Branch - Criminal Investigation Department, for not allowing her bail even after filing of chargesheet, she got the bail. “In the last 11 months, Nirmala Devi has not been contacted by her close family members. They have been threatened against meeting her in jail and also moving her bail applications. This has forced them to keep away from her,” her advocate S. Pasumpon Pandian claimed.

Even after he attempted to contact two of her close relatives after obtaining bail, they refused to talk. “With the Court laying conditions that two persons - a blood relative and a friend - have to produce surety, I am talking to some of her relatives to help her come out of the jail,” he said.

Bharathiar University Syndicate meeting venue and agenda upsets academics

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

COIMBATORE, MARCH 14, 2019 00:00 IST

Academics are upset over Bharathiar University's decision to hold the latest Syndicate meeting in Chennai and include an agenda to consider lesser punishment for a faculty found guilty of corruption.

The University had planned to hold the March 15 Syndicate meeting in Coimbatore. But on Tuesday night, the University changed the venue for the meeting to Chennai. University sources familiar with the development said the last-minute change of venue was at the behest of Higher Education Secretary.

The Secretary had expressed helplessness due to official engagements and requested that this be a one-time exemption to hold the meeting in Chennai. The University had passed on this information to Syndicate members and hoped they would attend, the sources said.

At a time when the University faced financial crunch, it would have to spend close to Rs. 2 lakh on travel and miscellaneous expenses to take the members to Chennai, said the sources.

If the Secretary was indisposed, the University could have postponed the meeting, said an academic.

It was precisely for such reasons that the Association of University Teachers had opposed Higher Education Department secretaries holding the post of convenor of the Vice Chancellor Committee. If the Secretary had delegated the convenor post to either of the two members of the Committee, it would help the University take quicker decisions, said N. Pasupathi, the Association's State vice president.

The second issue – the agenda before the Syndicate to decide the quantum of punishment to Bharathiar University Arts and Science College, Valparai, L. Ramesh for his involvement in corruption case – has angered the academic community.

The agenda suggests, “...under Rule 17(b) of the Tamil Nadu Government Servant Conduct Rules, it is opined that a major penalty of reduction to a lower stage of pay or to a lower category of the University service under Statute 14(2) of Bharathiar University Statutes Volume II be imposed on him.”

The agenda also goes on to say that other penalties mentioned under Rule 17(b) are reduction to a lower rank in the seniority list, compulsory retirement, removal from civil service of the State Government and dismissal from the civil service of the State Government.

Academics say that when the person in question Mr. Ramesh has been found guilty by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption and charges proved, the agenda should only be about his dismissal.

Further, the inquiry committee the University had constituted in this regard had also recommended imposition of major penalty, which could only be his dismissal, academics say and add that leniency shown towards corrupt faculty or administrative staff would only further dent University's image. Echoing similar thoughts, Mr. Pasupathi said that the Syndicate should not take a lenient view.

HC comes down hard on doctors

Mohamed Imranullah S.

CHENNAI, MARCH 14, 2019 00:00 IST

In a hard hitting judgement, the Madras High Court on Wednesday came down hard on doctors who enter into government service, secure admission in postgraduate and specialty courses as in-service candidates, get educated at State cost, gain experience by treating poor patients in government hospitals and then leave the job for personal enrichment.

Justice S.M. Subramaniam “deprecated” the conduct of government doctors who learn medical intricacies and diagnosis utilising the “poor man’s body” as well as the infrastructure provided in government hospitals at public cost but do not want to serve in those hospitals for long as per terms and conditions agreed upon while entering into government service.

“The skill acquired from and out of taxpayers’ money must be utilised for the people at large and it is under these circumstances that the government expects them to work in public hospitals at least for specified period,” he said.

The observations were made while dismissing a writ petition filed by anaesthesiologist Silamban this year seeking a direction to the Health Secretary and Dean of Madras Medical College to accept a resignation letter supposedly submitted by him on December 20, 2010 and pass necessary orders relieving him from government service with effect from 2010.

In larger interest, Justice Subramaniam directed the State government to constitute a monitoring committee to keep a check over all activities related to government hospitals and make sure that it keeps a tab on attendance as well as performance of doctors apart from ensuring proper maintenance of the hospitals and medical equipments.

Overstaying foreign students: HC fiat to govt.

BENGALURU, MARCH 14, 2019 00:00 IST

Observing that instances of involvement of students from foreign countries in narcotics and other crimes may pose threat to security in the State, the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday directed the State government to submit details about overstaying foreign students and cases registered against them. The State authorities were asked to get necessary details from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office, Bengaluru, and inform the court about actions taken for deporting the overstaying foreigners as per the procedure.

Parents may unknowingly nurture screen addiction in their children

Times 14.03.2019

Parents are often guilty of handing over a smartphone or tablet to their toddlers to get them to eat, stay quiet or keep them entertained. But beware, as this habit can not only make them sedentary but also push them into severe digital addiction in their formative years. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), only 15-20 minutes of screen exposure is healthy and acceptable for babies under 18 months of age.

However, busy schedules and an overprotective approach towards the physical safety of toddlers have increasingly convinced parents, especially in the metros, to hook their children onto smart screens, say experts.

This can push toddlers to laziness and permanently damage their cognitive abilities such as solving problems, paying attention to other people and falling asleep on time. It can also hinder their holistic development, damage their eyesight and cause childhood obesity.

Since screen exposure is inescapable for toddlers, parents are being advised by experts to engage their children in “open-ended” content on screens. This would help them to be creative in interacting with the app, which could contribute as cognitive development than mere reward or distraction. However, screen exposure for a short period under supervision cannot be harmful.

Once children get used to smart displays, trying to cut down their screen time later could result in problematic withdrawal symptoms like disobedience, repetitive demanding and tantrums.

For digital detox, experts say parents should create and maintain device-free zones at home, especially at dining tables and in bedrooms for kids as well as for themselves. IANS