Not disclosing pendency of criminal case will cause rejection of application: HC

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

PublishedMar 15, 2019, 2:09 am IST

A person having criminal antecedents will not fit in this category.

Madras high court

Chennai: The Madras high court has held that the failure of a person to disclose in the application form, either his involvement in a criminal case or the pendency of a criminal case against him, would entitle the appointing authority to reject his application on the ground of concealment of a material fact, irrespective of the ultimate outcome of the criminal case.

Justice R.Mahadevan gave the ruling while dismissing a batch of petitions from M. Malaiselvam, which sought to quash the orders of the authorities, denying appointment to the post of grade II police constable and police band party on the ground of suppression of involvement in criminal case or pendency of the same in the application form.

The judge said when the failure of a person to disclose his involvement in a criminal case when the application form is filled up, is fatal, his subsequent disclosure will not cure the defect and the same would give right  to the appointing authority to reject his candidature on the ground of   suppression and antecedents.

"The police force is a disciplined force. It shoulders the great responsibility of maintaining law and order and public order in society. People repose great faith and confidence in it. It must be worthy of that confidence. A candidate wishing to join the police force must be a person of utmost rectitude. He must have impeccable character and integrity. A person having criminal antecedents will not fit in this category. Even if he is acquitted or discharged in the criminal case, that acquittal or discharge order will have to be examined to see whether he has been completely exonerated in the case because even a possibility of his taking to the life of crimes poses a threat to the discipline of the police force", the judge added.

The judge said if the facts of the present cases were analyzed, this court has no hesitation to hold that the decision taken by the authorities concerned in rejecting the candidature of the petitioners was in any way actuated by mala fides or suffered on any other ground.

"The decision on the question of suitability of the candidates, in my considered view, was absolutely correct and did not call for any interference", the judge added.

Villupuram division of Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation reverts deluxe buses to ordinary services

Nearly after four months, the ticket fares in select rural services have been reduced as the buses converted back into Express/Ordinary services.

Published: 15th March 2019 04:34 AM

For representational purposes (File Photo | EPS)

By B Anbuselvan

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Followed by stiff opposition by a section of bus commuters, Villupuram division of Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) has converted some deluxe services into express/ordinary bus services, recently.

The ticket fare between Chennai and Arani has now come down to Rs 116 in Express buses as against Rs 135 in Deluxe services. Similarly, some of the deluxe services operated in Chennai - Kancheepuram section have also been converted into ‘Express’ category. The per kilometer price of ordinary mofussil buses is 58 paise while the Express and Super Deluxe buses charge at the rate of 75 and 85 paise, a kilometer, respectively.

The move that has been taken up in a phased manner since January, has brought down the ticket fares by `25 to `45 up to 300 km-travel. Citing escalated operational costs and higher fuel prices in October last year, the Villupuram, Salem and Coimbatore divisions of TNSTC had converted majority of the ordinary bus services into Express and Deluxe bus categories. The move to convert the buses into higher fare categories, did not go well among the regular commuters as majority of buses were in poor condition. Ticket fare increased by Rs 35 to Rs 55 per ticket upto 75 to 200 km distances.


Nearly after four months, the ticket fares in select rural services have been reduced as the buses converted back into Express/Ordinary services.

With over 50 depots, the Villupuram division of TNSTC caters to commuters in Vellore, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore and Villupuram districts.

It is learnt that select services of deluxe buses operated by Chidambaram, Vellore, Sholingur, Konavattam, Kattumannarkoil, Arani and Sankarapuram depots have been converted into ordinary services. These services mostly operate in rural pockets.

Official sources attributed the move to reduction in fuel prices and not for any other reason. Diesel prices touched an all-time high of Rs 79.5 a litre in October 2018 against Rs 62.94 in January the same year. As a result, the seven transport corporations incurred additional expenses of Rs 3 crore a day.

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Madurai Kamaraj University delays salary of guest lecturers in constituent colleges

More than 300 guest lecturers are working on an hourly basis and they are getting Rs.125 per hour. Hardly, they will earn Rs.7000 per month.

Published: 14th March 2019 03:42 PM |

Main building of Madurai Kamaraj University (File Photo | EPS)

By Express News Service

Madurai Kamaraj University is delaying to pay the salary to the guest lecturers working in constituent colleges and MKU college. Under Madurai Kamaraj University as many as 45 self-financing colleges, 11 aided non-autonomous colleges, six constituent colleges, one MKU college and four MKU evening colleges are functioning in the districts of Madurai, Virudhunagar, Theni, Dindigul.

More than 300 guest lecturers are working on an hourly basis and they are getting Rs.125 per hour. Hardly, they will earn Rs.7000 per month. This month, MKU did not make payment for their salary for the month of February.

A guest lecturer requesting anonymity, said, "More than five years we are getting Rs.125 per hour. It was a very low amount, in due course cost of living and at present bus fare also increased. In this condition, we did not receive the February salary until now. In this situation, we forced to get debt from others to run our family expenses and meet out our to and fro charges. MKU authorities need to take steps to pay on time-" he added. The higher officials at MKU were not available to comment.

(This article was originally published on EdexLive)

Pollachi sex assault case: Medicos protest in Chennai

Medicos held aloft banners that read ‘don’t rape’, ‘stop sexual harassment,’ and ‘You can’t see height if you sit, so get up and come, girl’.

Published: 15th March 2019 05:42 AM 

Students of Stanley Medical College staging a protest inside the hospital premises in Chennai on Thursday. (Photo | Ashwin Prasath, EPS)

By Express News Service

With the Pollachi sex assault scandal getting bigger and murkier with every passing day, over 800 medical students including postgraduates and undergraduates at Government Stanley Medical College Hospital staged a demonstration at the college campus on Thursday, condemning the sexual abuse and blackmail.

They held aloft banners that read ‘don’t rape’, ‘stop sexual harassment,’ and ‘You can’t see height if you sit, so get up and come, girl’.

Speaking to Express, V Lakshmana Moorthy, a PG student, said, “If one girl would have come forward boldly and filed the complaint, more girls could have been saved from the accused. So, we wanted to raise awareness that girls should come forward boldly to take legal action against their tormentors. If they fail to do that, the culprits continue to victimise more girls.”

“It is always the mistake of the accused and not the victim. People should realise this and stop pointing fingers at girls always,” said Lakshmana Moorthy who organised the protest.

Karnataka government medical college fee up five-fold

With the hike, the fee for clinical courses will go up from Rs 20,000 to Rs 1 lakh from the 2019-20 academic year.

Published: 15th March 2019 06:28 AM |

For representational purposes (File | Reuters)

By Express News Service

BENGALURU: The state government, which had recently hiked the fee for postgraduate medical courses at private colleges, has now also increased the fee at government medical colleges by five times. The fee hike was under discussion over the past two weeks. On Thursday, the state medical education department decided to increase the fee by five times. With the hike, the fee for clinical courses will go up from Rs 20,000 to Rs 1 lakh from the 2019-20 academic year.

The fee for para-clinical PG medical fee has been fixed at Rs 50,000, up from the previous `10,000. The PG medical fee for pre-clinical courses will now be Rs 25,000. It was only Rs 5,000 in the 2018-2019 academic year. Students will have to pay the hostel and university fees separately. Medical Education Department director Dr Girish said that the state government had taken a decision on the hike even before the code of conduct came into force. “The official notification has been issued for the same. The fee was hiked last time six years ago,” he said.

According to the officials concerned, increasing maintenance cost of the government medical colleges triggered the proposal to increase the fee. “The state government has to spend at least `500 crore to set up a medical college. To maintain infrastructure and salaries, it has to spend few more crores every year,” said an official.

For MBBS, the state had increased the fee at government medical colleges by 200%. During 2018-19 admissions, students were asked to pay Rs 50,000 fee plus Rs 9,000 university fee.

The fee for postgraduate degree courses at government dental colleges was also discussed. It is likely to be finalised on Friday.

NABH accreditation for eye hospital in Tiruchi

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

TIRUCHI, MARCH 15, 2019 00:00 IST

Joseph Eye Hospital in Tiruchi has been accredited by National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers, a constituent board of Quality Council of India.

The eye hospital complied with 305 measurable elements during the rigorous process of accreditation stretching over six months.

The hospital has modernised the operation theatre, established firefighting systems, and trained staff in emerging techniques in management of medical emergencies such as heart attack, response to fire, and child safety.

‘International Patient Safety Goals’ figure among the best practices adopted by the hospital, Akilan Arunkumar, Quality Coordinator, JEH, told media persons on Thursday.

Benefits of NABH accreditation to patients will reflect in high quality care and safety, services by qualified and trained staff, protection of rights, regular evaluation of their satisfaction, transparent communication, and reduced post-surgical infections /complications.

The hospital has maintained zero infection rate for the past four years. Access to the hospital, assessment and continuity of patient care, management of medication, and continuous quality improvement, he added.

Medicos condemn Pollachi incident

STAFF REPORTER

MADURAI, MARCH 15, 2019 00:00 IST

More than 200 students of Madurai Medical College formed a human chain on the college premises on Thursday, condemning the Pollachi sexual abuse incident and demanding stringent action against the perpetrators.

The students said that the incident had shaken the conscience of the people of Tamil Nadu. T. Sethupathi, a postgraduate student, said the investigation and trial must be conducted in a speedy and fully transparent manner. “No one involved in committing this heinous crime must be allowed to escape from the law,” he said.

Another student said the punishment to the perpetrators must be exemplary. “We are not demanding capital punishment. However, the punishment must be stringent enough that it acts as a deterrent,” she said. Stating that the incident also indicated the deep-rooted flaws in the society, Mr. Sethupathi said children should be taught through the school curriculum itself to treat the opposite gender equally.