10% quota case for statute Bench?

Three-judge SC Bench reserves orders

01/08/2019,

KRISHNADAS RAJAGOPAL,NEW DELHI

A three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court led by Justice S.A. Bobde on Wednesday reserved its orders on the question of referring a batch of petitions challenging the validity of a constitutional amendment providing 10% economic quota in government jobs and educational institutions to a Constitution Bench.

The Bench, however, refrained from staying the 103rd Constitutional Amendment of 2019 providing 10% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for the “economically backward” in the unreserved category.

At the end of a day-long hearing, Justice Bobde clarified that the Bench would first pass orders on whether or not to refer the challenge to a Constitution Bench. Once that order is pronounced, the court would specifically hear arguments on the question of stay of the quota law. Earlier, senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan made a strong pitch for referring the issue to a Constitution Bench. Mr. Dhavan argued that economic reservation violates the 50% reservation ceiling limit fixed by a nine-judge Bench in the Indra Sawhney case. Further, the 1992 judgment had barred reservation solely on economic criterion.

Responding for the government, Attorney-General K.K. Venugopal submitted that the amendments were in tune with past decisions of the Supreme Court.

Accused in student’s murder sent to juvenile home

The boy allegedly confessed to having committed the crime

01/08/2019, STAFF REPORTER,KODAIKANAL

After a 16-year-old boy was killed by his classmate on the campus of a residential school here on Monday night, the police on Wednesday arrested the suspect, who allegedly confessed to having committed the crime.

The police registered a case under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC and sent the accused to a juvenile home in Salem. The school announced that it will remain closed till Monday in the light of the incident which created panic among teachers, students and parents. Inquiries revealed that there were some simmering petty issues between the two boys. In the recent past, the school had taken disciplinary action against the accused.

A post-mortem was conducted on the body of the victim at the Kodaikanal Government Hospital. “On Monday night, the accused allegedly attacked the victim on the head with a wooden stump, due to which the victim suffered a fracture in the skull. He also stabbed the victim on the neck with a pair of scissors, but that injury does not seem fatal. Though the post-mortem report is awaited, the cause of death seems to be internal bleeding caused by the skull fracture,” said a senior police officer monitoring the probe.

‘Counselling is key’

“Such events in a boarding school can be averted by providing psychological counselling to students who have problems. The school had identified that the (accused) boy had certain behavioural problems and had taken disciplinary steps, but had the school also recommended psychological counselling for him, he would not have committed a murder,” said Dheep, founder of TOPKIDS, Holistic Personality Development & Counselling Centre, Madurai.

“Counselling is important for adolescents, especially if they are found to have anger-related issues, which could be a result of emotional distress. The boy who has been remanded in a juvenile home should be given counselling. An inquiry by psychologists should be conducted before the commencement of a judicial inquiry. Though theoretically it is a norm for juvenile homes, how effectively it is followed remains a question. Most people come out as hardened persons rather than reformed individuals from juvenile homes,” he added.

Engineering Admission

Call for more rail services on Tiruvarur-Karaikudi section

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

TIRUVARUR, AUGUST 01, 2019 00:00 IST

Under-utilised:Rail users want resumption of long distance trains that were withdrawn when the gauge conversion work was taken up 15 years ago.File Photo

People in Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts disappointed over rejection of regular and additional services on the new broad gauge line

The reported rejection of the plea for regular and additional passenger services on Tiruvarur-Karaikudi section at the Southern Railway’s Divisional level officials has dampened the spirit of people in Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts.

Rail users in Pattukottai, Adhiramapattinam, Muthupettai, Peravurani, Aranthangi and Tiruvarur have been demanding early introduction of passenger services on the Tiruvarur-Karaikudi section apart from resumption of long distance services that were withdrawn when the gauge conversion work was taken up 15 years ago.

The railway officials, at the Divisional Rail Users Consultative Committee meeting held at Tiruchi on July 30, while responding to the demand for launching new train services on the Tiruvarur-Karaikudi section, had reportedly said that a pair of DEMU passenger special was being operated now and there was no proposal to introduce new trains.

“Rail users in Tiruvarur-Karaikudi section are eagerly awaiting early resumption of passenger services on the newly-laid broad gauge line,” said president of Pattukottai Taluk Rail Passengers’ Welfare Association N. Jayaraman. In the absence of train services, people were forced to use the very few bus services to far-off places such as Chennai or take multiple short-distance buses, much to their discomfort.

So the rejection of the plea to operate more train services on this section was most disappointing and unacceptable.

The divisional railway authorities have to convince the headquarters to resume the regular services that were in operation before gauge conversion.

New forum floated

A new forum - Karaikudi-Pattukottai-Tiruvarur BG Line Federation of Rail Users Association - had been formed to put forth the demands of rail users, Mr. Jayaraman said. Gatekeepers must be posted at level crossings to ensure smooth operation of the Tiruvarur-Karaikudi DEMU service with running time of three hours instead of the present seven hours. If the railways adopted a step-motherly attitude with respect to this section, the federation would resort to a legal route, he said.

Meanwhile, the Adirampattinam Rural Development Association has approached the Chief Operating Manager of Southern Railway in Chennai, seeking resumption of Chennai-Karaikudi/Rameswaram service. It has also suggested change in timings for the DEMU service so that passengers got a link to Mannai Express, Karaikal Express and Chennai Express at Tiruvarur.

Revising the departure timing from Tiruvarur to 5 a.m. and the return service from Karaikudi to 2.30 p.m. would benefit school and college students and office-goers, it said.

Thanjavur District Railway Users’ Association has raised its voice for additional services between Thanjavur and Tiruchi citing the fact that electrification of the 50 km track had almost been completed.

Leading a demonstration near Thanjavur Junction recently, Association secretary V. Jeevakumar demanded rail link to Thanjavur from Pattukottai and Ariyalur and also provisioning of basic facilities at Budalur and Alakudi railway stations on the Thanjavur-Tiruchi section apart from the demand for increase in number of daytime services between Thanjavur and Tiruchi.

Temporary stoppage at Melmaruvathur

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

TIRUCHI, AUGUST 01, 2019 00:00 IST

In view of Aadi Pooram festival, the following trains will stop for a minute at Melmaruvathur from August 2 to 5:

Chennai Egmore – Tiruchi – Chennai Egmore Rockfort Expresses; Chennai Egmore-Madurai – Chennai Egmore Vaigai Expresses; Chennai Egmore – Madurai – Chennai Egmore Pandian Expresses; Chennai Egmore – Shencottah– Chennai Egmore Pothigai Expresses; Chennai Egmore – Mannargudi – Chennai Egmore Mannai Expresses;and Tambaram – Nagercoil – Tambaram Antyodaya Expresses.

No helmet, no petrol’ from today

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

MAYILADUTHURAI, AUGUST 01, 2019 00:00 IST

All fuel stations in Mayiladuthurai in Nagapattinam district have been instructed by the police department not to supply fuel to two-wheeler riders who come without wearing helmets with effect from Thursday.

A meeting of petrol pump owners was convened by the police department at the office of the Deputy Superintendent of Police to discuss the implementation of the measure.

For the last few days, hoardings informing the public that no petrol will be sold to two-wheeler riders who do not wear helmets have been put up at vantage points at the filling stations. The police department has reportedly provided assurance to the petrol pump owners that motorists who create trouble will be identified through CCTV footage and subjected to legal action.

The initiative for road safety will be carried out in the town limits to begin with, Mayiladuthurai DSP K. Velladurai said. Section 129 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, states that riding two-wheeler without wearing a helmet is a violation of law and can draw imprisonment up to six months under the Indian Penal Code’s Section 188.

“Of course, there is likely to be a slump in our transactions. Nevertheless, we will follow the instructions of the police with the safety of motorists in mind,” Sivaprakasam, a proprietor of a filling station, said.

“It cannot be said that the information has reached every motorist in the town. Arguments between motorists with workers at the filling stations cannot be ruled out. We have to wait and see,” Ganesh, a Mayiladuthurai-based photographer said.

Chief Minister inaugurates Karur Govt. Medical College

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

KARUR, AUGUST 01, 2019 00:00 IST

It is the 23rd such institution in Tamil Nadu

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami inaugurated the Karur Government Medical College — the 23rd government medical college in the State — on Wednesday.

Through video conference, the CM declared open classrooms and buildings for the new college, constructed at a cost of Rs. 115.71 crore. He also inaugurated the first-year classes.

The opening of the college triggered celebrations on the campus, where Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar distributed sweets to students and the public, in the presence of Collector T. Anbazhagan, Dean Rosy Vennila and others.

‘Dream fulfilled’

The new college has an intake of 150 students in the M.B.B.S. programme. “A long-felt need and dream of the people of Karur has been fulfilled with the medical college coming into existence today,” a visibly elated Mr. Vijayabhaskar told reporters after the inaugural ceremony.

The opening of the college at Sanapiratti also marks a personal triumph for the Minister as there was much political wrangling over the site for establishing the college. The former Transport Minister, V. Senthil Balaji, while in office, had favoured the establishment of the college at Kuppichipalayam. The decision was reversed after Mr. Balaji — now with the DMK — was dropped from the State Cabinet and stripped of the post of Karur district secretary of the AIADMK.

It was argued back then that the Kuppuchipalayam site was too far from Karur, and subsequently, the State government selected the Sanapiratti site, which is located within the town limits, and issued an order for establishing the college at a total cost of Rs. 269.58 crore.

Mr. Vijayabhaskar said the new college had been provided with all necessary infrastructure as per the Medical Council of India’s norms. It has a 1,000-bedded hospital, including emergency and other departments.

As many as 985 permanent posts have been created to meet the MCI requirement. The Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation is in the process of purchasing necessary equipment for the college at a cost of Rs. 25.64 crore. Besides, Rs. 6 crore has been allotted in the current year’s Budget for the purchase of an advanced MRI scanner for the college hospital.

A long-felt need and dream of the people of Karur has been fulfilledM.R. VijayabhaskarTransport Minister