Senior bank executive held in Srijan scam

02/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

The CBI has arrested the Chief Manager, Indian Bank, Zonal office, in connection with the multi-crore Srijan scam in Bihar.

Armed with a non-bailable warrant issued by the Special Judge, CBI Court II, Patna, a CBI team, led by Devesh Kumar, Sub Inspector of Police, CBI, New Delhi, arrived here and arrested Chief Manager D. Deo Shankar Mishra on Wednesday.

Magistrate V.S. Balamurugan issued a transit warrant to produce him before the CBI Court II in Patna.

The accused was allegedly involved in the scam when he was posted as the Branch Manager in Bhagalpur in Bihar.

The CBI has been investigating the over ‘₹1,000-crore scam’ after registering a case in August 2017.

UGC panel urges review of process to appoint V-Cs

It says quality of research is linked to academic leadership

02/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

A panel set up by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to promote and improve the quality of research in Indian universities, has called for a review of the way Vice-Chancellors (V-Cs) are appointed. The panel emphasised that the quality of research culture depended on good academic leadership.

In the last three years, several appointments have come under fire, with some V-Cs being removed because of financial irregularities and lack of qualifications.

“The UGC /MHRD as well as State governments must seriously review the mechanism by which Vice-Chancellors are appointed. Good academic leadership is essential for improving the research culture, including the quality of Ph.D./M.Phil. Degrees,” says the report of the committee headed by former Indian Institute of Science director P. Balaram. The report was made public on Wednesday.

The report underlines that “It is also extremely important to ensure that Governing Bodies of the universities [syndicate/executive council etc.] have eminent academics as members.”

court orders

Amid doctors’ protest, RS clears NMC bill in Parliament

Sushmi.Dey@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:02.09.2019

Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill with an aim to reform medical education sector inflicted with corruption and malpractices. The proposed legislations seeks to regulate the cost of private medical education, ease the burden of entrance exams on students, increase the number of medical colleges and create a mid-level health cadre with limited rights to prescribe drugs.

Though Lok Sabha had passed the bill on July 29, it will have to reapprove the legislation because the government introduced some minor changes, which have been passed by the Upper House. It was passed on a day when doctors are on a countrywide strike against the proposed legislation.

The bill that seeks to repeal the Indian Medical Council Act 1956 was approved by a voice vote in the Upper House, amid a walkout by AIADMK. The key provisions of the bill include setting up of a new medical education regulator - National Medical Commission (NMC) – which will replace the Medical Council of India (MCI), introduction of final year MBBS exam as National Exit Test which will also serve as a licentiate exam for MBBS students, entrance exam for post graduate medical courses as well as a screening test for foreign medical graduates.

Full report on www.toi.in

Rahul calls FM ‘incompetent’

New Delhi:Congress leader Rahul Gandhi termed finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman “incompetent” as he warned that the economy was hurtling towards recession.

Tagging a news report painting a bleak picture of Indian economy, Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “Mr PM, the economy has derailed and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. If your incompetent finance minister is telling you there is light, trust me it’s the train of recession coming at full throttle.”

A day earlier, Rahul had tweeted, “Demonetization and GST rollout are perfect examples of ineptitude and lack of depth in the Modi government.” TNN

Zomato, Uber Eats face online backlash

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:02.09.2019

A day after Zomato won over the internet for refusing to give in to a customer’s demand of changing a delivery executive because he was Muslim, some users on Twitter said they would boycott the company for "hurting religious sentiments". #ZomatoUnistalled and #BoycottUberEats were two of the top trends in India on Thursday afternoon.

The anger directed at Uber Eats, another food aggregator, was a result of the support it lent to Zomato. The company had tweeted on Tuesday that it stood by Zomato.

A number of users also downgraded Zomato on the Google Play Store and iOS by giving the company the lowest rating possible. They claimed that Zomato had double standards because it served halal meat even though the company had clarified on Tuesday that the halal category is a result of restaurants seeking that distinction --not us as an aggregator... "We provide this information, so that you, as a customer can make an informed choice about whether you want to eat halal meat, or not,” it had said.

Despite the brickbat, several Zomato customers stood firmly behind the company and left reviews thanking the company for defending the values of a plural India.

A review on iOS by a user who goes by the name Humane Foodie, wrote, "Wish all humans were treated as equal, just as Zomato proved! Please keep promoting humane values along with the wonderful business model and awesome service you already provide."

Zomato customer gets notice for ‘non-Hindu rider’ tweet
Bhopal/Jabalpur:

The Jabalpur administration has issued a notice to Amit Shukla, who triggered a storm by refusing to accept a “non-Hindu delivery boy” for a Zomato order, prompting the aggregator to say “food has no religion”.

Tahsildar of Gorakhpur (an area in Jabalpur) Pramod Chaturvedi served Shukla a notice on Thursday under Sections 107 and 116 CrPC — a preventive measure to preempt breach of peace — and asked him to appear in person to explain his actions.

Police have initiated a parallel probe. Jabalpur SP Amit Singh said, “The additional SP-crime has been asked to look into the matter. Once our investigations are complete, we will initiate necessary action.” Shukla’s followers on Twitter have more than doubled — from 900 to 2,010 — since the controversy broke. He told TOI on Thursday that his tweet “was being pursued in the wrong direction”. “Zomato should have replied in my personal messaging box. They should be held accountable for all this chaos,” said Shukla, adding he is not “actively associated with any group”. TNN

Medical aspirant kills self

Trichy:02.09.2019

A 19-year-old girl from Perambalur committed suicide by hanging on Thursday. Police said Keerthana, daughter of retired TNSTC employee Selvarasu, aspired to become a doctor.

She had passed Class XII with 1,053 marks from a private school in Salem district in 2018. Police said she could not get an MBBS seat since her NEET 2018 score was only

202. She spent a year in Chennai attending a private NEET coaching academy and scored 384 marks in NEET 2019, but wasn’t called for MBBS counselling. Police said Keerthana, who was dejected for a few weeks, was further saddened as her friend managed to secure a medical seat. On Thursday, Keerthana hanged herself when her parents were away. Perambalur police have registered a case and are investigating. TNN

TN parties protest NEET, NEXT in Parl, AIADMK walks out

Dravidian Majors Register Strong Opposition To Both Exams

Julie.Mariappan @timesgroup.com

Chennai:02.09.2019

Accusing the Centre of depriving poor and rural students of a chance to study medicine by insisting on national-level competitive examinations, National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and National Exit Test (NEXT), the two principal Dravidian parties opposed The National Medical Commission Bill, 2019, in Rajya Sabha on Thursday. The ruling AIADMK MPs walked out as a sign of protest when the motion was put to vote, after failing to get ‘any assurance’ from the Centre.

The bill envisaged a National Medical Commission to conduct NEET in English and other languages, besides specifying the regulations for the common counselling for admission to UG and PG super-specialty seats in all medical institutions. The commission will also conduct NEXT for granting licence to practice medicine and for enrolment in the state or national register. DMK MP Trichy Siva asked for ‘division of votes’ on his amendment challenging the conduct of NEET. The result was 61 – yes, and 106 – no, while four abstained. Another amendment sought against NEXT too was rejected by majority of the House.

Earlier, AIADMK MP Vijila Satyananth said the state was ‘frustrated and agitated’ over the conduct of entrance tests that lacked common syllabus. “The standardized medical exam faces unprecedented opposition in every corner in our state… Our children are forced to appear for NEET in CBSE syllabus. So, bring a common syllabus for the whole of India and then have a common entrance test,” the MP said. The competitive tests only resulted in private coaching centres thriving and the proprietors becoming multi-millionaires, she said. The commission’s mandate to determine fees in respect of 50% seats in private medical institutions would only result in the rich grabbing the rest of the seats, she added.

Siva alleged the admission of students belonging to backward classes and scheduled castes had drastically come down with the advent of entrance tests. “We had seven students committing suicide in our state because of NEET. Despite scoring high, they could not get through NEET,” he said, seeking exemption. The DMK MP hit out at the Centre for forcing the UG students to appear for NEXT and thereafter for NEET for post graduate courses. “Through this bill, everything is being centralized…Tamil Nadu is agitated,” the MP said, accusing the Union government of snatching away the powers of the state, despite health coming under the state list.

AIADMK skipped triple talaq vote in Rajya Sabha deliberately, says Stalin

Chennai:DMK president M K Stalin on Thursday accused the AIADMK of staging a drama over the Triple Talaq Bill, which was passed by the Parliament. It received the President’s assent on Thursday. Stalin was in Ambur campaigning for the party candidate ahead of the August 5 Lok Sabha election in Vellore Lok Sabha constituency. Speaking to Muslim party leaders in Ambur, Stalin said though AIADMK Lok Sabha member and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam’s son, P Ravindranath Kumar, spoke in support of the bill, AIADMK leaders called it ‘a slip of the tongue’. “How can it be a slip of the tongue when the MP spoke in detail in support of the bill and the BJP? I was happy that the AIADMK opposed the bill in Rajya Sabha. But when the voting was taken up, AIADMK MPs walked out of the House. They walked out deliberately to help the government,” said Stalin. TNN