Chennai: Clinic for transgenders in RGGGH

The clinic, situated in the tower 1 block at the RGGGH, is open on Fridays from 9 am to 1 pm.

Published: 04th June 2019 06:06 AM |

The clinic will be open on Fridays

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the state, health minister C Vijaya Baskar inaugurated an exclusive multi-speciality clinic for transgenders at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), on Monday. Last year, the government had announced that an exclusive multi-speciality clinic for transgenders would be set up at the cost of Rs 15 lakh at RGGGH and Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai.

The clinic, situated in the tower 1 block at the RGGGH, is open on Fridays from 9 am to 1 pm. Plastic surgeons, endocrinologists, venereologists and psychiatrists will be available. Medical services from sex reassignment surgery to follow-up treatment will be provided here.

Dr R Jayanthi, dean, RGGGH told Express, “The clinic will cater to the needs of transgenders. It is a composite care centre under one roof. All specialists will be available. More sophisticated equipment for clinical and surgical care will be added to the facility in the coming days. There is a proposal worth `1.34 crore for procurement of the equipment.”

Meanwhile, Neaya Joseph, a transgender and Grade-II laboratory technician, RGGGH said, “Many transgenders don’t know where to go and whom to approach in the initial stages of feeling like a woman trapped in a male’s body. So, a psychiatrist is the first specialist they go to confirm it. After thorough counselling, the psychiatrist will give an opinion certificate to the endocrinologist saying that the person is mentally a male, so they can be physically converted to female.


Then the endocrinologist will put the person on hormones therapy to suppress male hormones for at least one year. Then they are referred to a plastic surgeon, who does the reassignment surgery. So, the entire process is expensive and many transgenders from poor background cannot afford it. So, this clinic will be a great help for them.”

Air India introduces direct flight between Chennai and Varanasi

National Carrier Air India will be introducing a direct flight from Chennai to Varanasi from Thursday.

Published: 04th June 2019 06:26 AM

Image for representational purpose only (File Photo)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: National Carrier Air India will be introducing a direct flight from Chennai to Varanasi from Thursday.The flights AI-595/596 on Chennai/Varanasi/Chennai sector will be operated four days a week. AI-595 will leave Chennai at 4.50 pm and reach Varanasi at 7.05 pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Similarly, the flight will depart at 10.20 am on Sunday and reach Varanasi at 12.35 pm.

In the return direction, AI-596 will leave Varanasi at 7.35 pm and will arrive at Chennai at 9.35 pm on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. On Sunday, it will leave Varanasi at 1.10pm and arrive at Chennai at 3.30pm. The fares are available from `3,565.

Similarly, additional flights on Chennai-Bengaluru, Chennai-Ahmedabad and Chennai-Kolkata sectors will be launched from Wednesday. New flights AI 591/592 will operate daily on Chennai-Bengaluru-Chennai sector. AI- 591 will leave Chennai at 7 am and reach Bengaluru at 8 am. In the return direction, AI-592 will leave Bengaluru at 8.35 am and arrive at Chennai at 9.35 am.

The starting fares are available from `1,228. The Chennai-Ahmedabad flights will operate on all days of the week except Sundays. AI-593 will leave Chennai at 10.20 am and reach Ahmedabad at 12.50 pm. In the return direction, AI-594 will leave Ahmedabad at 1.40 pm and arrive at Chennai at 4.05pm. The starting fares are available from `3,880. The Chennai-Kolkata sector flights will operate four days a week – Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. AI-597 will leave Chennai at 4.50pm and reach Kolkata at 7.25pm.

Madras University to revamp courses on start-ups

At a time when startups are ruling the roost, the University of Madras is also inclined to promote startups in its campus.

Published: 04th June 2019 06:24 AM |

Madras University - (P Jawahar|EPS)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The University of Madras plans to revamp the syllabus of the entrepreneurship courses offered by it and strengthen its incubation centre, to create a perfect ambience to promote startups, said vice-chancellor, Dr P Duraisamy.The university offers undergraduate courses in entrepreneurship and the authorities have plans to revise its curriculum, to make it more industry-friendly. Officials said that in the last few years, there has been a vast change in the entrepreneurship scenario in the country but the curriculum of the course has not been updated accordingly.

At a time when startups are ruling the roost, the University of Madras is also inclined to promote startups in its campus. Varsity officials said that along with creating employment opportunities for students, the move will also help in generating revenue for the institution. Officials said if successful startups emerge out from the university then they will pay a royalty to it.

“To meet the demands of today’s entrepreneurship market needs and to prepare our students to become good entrepreneurs, we need to revise and update our syllabus. The move will also make the entrepreneurship course more attractive among students,” said an official of the varsity.

The vice-chancellor said that he is in talks with Madras Chamber of Commerce experts to get an insight about the market needs and what needs to be included in the syllabus.“We will reframe the entrepreneurship syllabus and train our teachers to promote entrepreneurship skills among the students. We have received Rs 7.5 crore from the Ministry of Human Resource Development, which will be utilized in the project,” said Duraisamy.A Technology Business Incubator cell functions at the university along with an Innovation centre. The university aims to strengthen the centres.

Rajinikanth sticker on autorickshaw helps cops crack murder case

Superintendent of Police, Nellore, Aishwarya Rastogi told mediapersons that Bondili Nirmala Bhai, 45, living at 1st street in Ramalingapuram in Nellore had been murdered on May 28.

Published: 03rd June 2019 07:24 PM |

The auto with Superstar Rajinikanth's poster on it. (CCTV footage)
By Express News Service

NELLORE: The flexi sticker of actor Rajinikanth on an autorickshaw has helped the Nellore sub-division police crack a murder case.

The sticker assisted the cops in nabbing the autorickshaw driver for the murder of a 45-year-old woman. The accused was identified as Ramaswamy alias Vemasani Srikanth alias Rajinikanth, 22.

The deceased, Bondili Nirmala Bhai (45) was residing in Ramalingapuram of Nellore and working as a clerk in a private school nearby.

After the death of her husband Ramesh Singh three years ago and with her son working in Bengaluru and daughter studying in Tirupati, she was residing alone in a rented house in the city.


"She was killed after being stabbed in the neck more than 10 times with a button knife. After this, her body had been set on fire. Local residents saw flames coming out from her house and tried to douse it. They informed the Balaji Nagar police, who later began an investigation after forming three teams,' Superintendent of Police, Nellore, Aishwarya Rastogi said. 

Nellore district superintendent of police Aishwarya Rastogi and other officers with the accused Ramaswamy alias Vemasani Srikanth. (Photo | EPS)

CCTV camera footage from near the house of Nirmala Bhai showed an autorickshaw that had actor Rajinikanth's sticker on it arriving before the murder and leaving after it. This led to the cops running checks on 10000 autorickshaws in the city and also in rural area limits.

On June 3, they finally found the autorickshaw they were looking for at the Apollo hospital junction at Muthukur road in Nellore city. The auto driver, Ramaswamy, on interrogation admitted that he had carried out the murder to steal valuables from the victim.

He said he had picked up a gold chain, bangles, earrings and Rs 2000 from her wallet.

Ramaswamy said he had collected old newspapers from the house and used that to burn Nirmala Bhai's body to divert attention. He had also left the gas valve open to make it seem like an accidental death.

SP Aishwarya Rastogi rewarded Nellore city DSP NBM Murali Krishna, the Balaji Nagar Circle Inspector and Sub-Inspectors for their efforts in cracking the case.

Submit status report on probe against two former KSOU V-Cs: High Court

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

BENGALURU, JUNE 04, 2019 00:00 IST

The Karnataka High Court on Monday directed the State government to submit a status report by June 24 on the investigation based on the FIR registered against two former vice-chancellors of the Mysuru-based Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) on alleged illegalities in recruitments and financial transactions.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice P.S. Dinesh Kumar passed the interim order on a PIL petition filed by the Karnataka State Universities and Colleges Backward Classes and Minority Teachers’ Association, Mysuru.

The petitioner sought a direction to the State government to initiate a proper and decisive criminal prosecution of K.S. Rangappa and M.G. Krishna, former KSOU vice-chancellors, and four professors based on an inquiry report in 2015 by a retired High Court judge, which was accepted by the Chancellor with the remark that criminal prosecution is required to be initiated under provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC.

Also, the association questioned the act of the Additional Chief Secretary of the Higher Education Department, who had given an endorsement to the association’s representation in June 2017 stating that no further action is required against the persons as a complaint was already lodged with Jayalakshmipuram police in Mysuru in August 2016.

It was claimed in the petition that the Chancellor and the State government failed to initiate action against the former vice-chancellors despite the inquiry report clearly stating the illegalities. The association said the pleas filed by Mr. Rangappa and six others, questioning the criminal case against them in August 2016, was dismissed by the High Court in November 2016.

UGC pay: AUT appreciates ‘swift’ action

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

TIRUCHI, JUNE 04, 2019 00:00 IST

The Association of University Teachers (AUT) on Monday thanked the Principal Secretary for Higher Education for ‘swift’ intervention on the issue of new UGC pay for 31 regular teachers of the erstwhile constituent colleges of Bharathidasan University (BDU).

According to a communication from AUT, the Principal Secretary has agreed to initially award the benefits under Career Advancement Scheme and subsequently implement the new UGC pay scales. Blaming the BDU for the delay in providing the benefits to the 31 teachers, S. Gandhi, AUT, Tiruchi, Zonal Secretary, said the organisation was constrained to send SMS en masse to the Principal Secretary of Higher Education in pursuit of swift action on the issue, and regretted for the inconvenience caused. According to BDU sources, the government had, while deciding to convert the constituent units into Government Arts and Science Colleges, instructed the university to treat the status of these teachers as staff under deputation.

MMC to admit 250 students

STAFF REPORTER

MADURAI, JUNE 04, 2019 00:00 IST

The increase in student intake at Madurai Medical College comes after several inspections by the MCI in the last four years.File photo

Approval for 100 additional seats to be renewed next year

Madurai Medical College (MMC) will admit 250 students from academic year 2019-20 upon receiving approval from the Medical Council of India (MCI).

The approval would be renewed for the next academic year with the enhancement of infrastructure and expansion of hospital facilities, said a Letter of Permission from the Board of Governors of the MCI.

The medical college had been admitting 150 students till this academic year. The increase of 100 seats comes after several inspections by the MCI in the last four years. A source at the MMC said doctors and students actively began seeking more seats in 2014 and the demand gained momentum in 2015. MMC Dean K. Vanitha said the State government, Health Secretary, doctors and some other bodies worked towards effecting the increase in number of seats. However, permission from the MCI comes with several undertakings.

A senior doctor, seeking anonymity, said the MMC had only one large lecture hall to accommodate 250 students. “Several classrooms and at least one additional lecture hall must be built to accommodate all students by 2020,” he said.

The Dean said they were in the process of constructing classrooms, libraries, laboratories and more lecture halls.