Private engineering colleges want old counselling system back

The dip in minimum cut-off was drastic this year, several reputed colleges could not fill their seats

Published: 07th August 2019 06:24 AM 

By S Mannar Mannan

Express News Service

COIMBATORE: Private engineering colleges in the State are shocked by the drastic fall in minimum cut-off marks, even for top institutions. This comes amid concerns about government quota seats in these colleges not getting filled through the single-window counselling conducted by DoTE.

Now, fearing this would affect semester results, the colleges have decided to approach the government, and request reintroduction of the old system of counselling in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Tiruchy.
At the end of the Tamil Nadu Engineering Admission counselling this academic year, only 49.7 per cent seats were filled. A whopping 84,256 seats had no takers.

Top-ranking colleges, where government quota seats get filled within a few days, had seat availability the fourth round of online counselling this time. Sources say some elite colleges had vacant seats even after the counselling ended.


Speaking on this issue, All India Federation of Self Financing Technical Institutions secretary TD Eswaramoorthy said the trend was not a good sign for the engineering courses, as 150-200 seats went vacant in a few reputed colleges that used to produce good results. 

Consortium of Self Financing Professional, Arts and Science Colleges in Tamil Nadu secretary P Selvaraj blamed online system of counselling.

“Our association is planning to appeal to the State government to implement the old system of counselling and conduct the process at four places in the State.” He attributed the fall in minimum cut off marks to the tough evaluation.

“Previously, students used to opt top colleges irrespective of subjects. However, now they have been more aware of choosing the branch they want to pursue and choose colleges accordingly,” he opined. 

Chairman of a private engineering college in Coimbatore, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the fall in minimum cut-off marks might have an impact on the results of these colleges in the coming years.

“It was easy to get the cream of students and deliver good results. Now, these colleges will have to work hard. The actual teaching quality of these colleges will now be visible,” he said.

Anna University seeks govt help for IoE tag

Chennai: Anna University Vice-Chancellor MK Surappa on Tuesday wrote a letter to the state government seeking support in getting the Institution of Eminence (IoE) tag. The move comes after UGC announced that varsity can be considered only after the state govt issues an official communication allocating its share of funds (which is up to 50 per cent). The UGC recently recommended 20 institutions for grant of IoE status. “I have written to the Higher Education dept seeking all kinds of support for the IoE tag. The department will have to issue a letter of intent with clarity on quantum of funds to be allocated to the university and then only we will be able to get the IoE tag,” said Surappa on the matter.

Chennai, not wearing helmet can cost your life, or Rs 1,000 fine

In the recent days, traffic police across Chennai and other cities in the State have adopted innovative measures to encourage motorists to use helmet.
Published: 08th August 2019 06:16 AM 

Police have been using a carrot and stick approach in dealing with violators of the helmet rule in the city | Ashwin Prasath
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Soon, you will be charged not Rs 100, but a whopping Rs 1,000 as fine for riding without helmet. The city traffic police have sent a warning to motorists, saying that the recently amended Motor Vehicles Act will be implemented within a few weeks. The amended Act, passed by Parliament, has raised the penalty for riding without helmet to Rs 1,000.

In the recent days, traffic police across Chennai and other cities in the State have adopted innovative measures to encourage motorists to use helmet. They were seen thanking riders wearing helmets at some spots, while distributing sweets and chocolates to those riding without it, along with a message about the upcoming rule.

A press statement issued by the department said most victims of road accidents were young, and that 90 per cent fatalities were due to head injuries. “Earlier, when the helmet rule was being implemented in full force, there were many incidents of scuffles and arguments with police personnel,” said A Arun, additional commissioner, traffic.

“Though the High Court was repeatedly requesting public to wear helmets, when we enforced it, people were annoyed. They said we had not informed them of the rule beforehand. So now, we are notifying the public in advance about the revised penalty.” He said the traffic cops had already started to penalise pillion riders travelling without helmet.


“Nobody can anticipate when and where an accident will take place. Accidents happen and people lose life even at a short distance of 10 feet. ...accidents can be prevented only if motorists realise their responsibility and follow the rules with self discipline,” the press statement read.

Common butterflies of the region spread wings at Coimbatore airport

It is an effort to create awareness on the need to conserve butterflies

08/08/2019, WILSON THOMAS ,COIMBATORE

A sticker of a common butterfly at the terminal of the Coimbatore International Airport.

Insects have little business in an airport. However, the Coimbatore International Airport is an exception where vivid hues and striking patterns of butterflies welcome passengers from Monday.

An initiative by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) and ‘Act for Butterflies’, the airport terminal sports stickers of 100 butterflies commonly seen in Coimbatore and nearby districts such as the Nilgiris.

“Besides beautifying the airport terminal with colourful stickers, this is an effort to increase awareness of butterflies and the need to conserve them. We chose stickers of 100 butterflies that are widely seen in the region, including Common banded peacock, Tamil yeoman, Tamil lacewing, Indian sunbeam and Crimson rose, to adorn the walls of the airport,” says Mohan Prasath of ‘Act for Butterflies’.

Tamil Yeoman or Tamil Maravan (Cirrochroa thais) was recently declared the State butterfly of Tamil Nadu. Common banded peacock (Papilio crino) was in the race for State butterfly.

According to Mr. Prasath, airport director R. Mahalingam proposed the idea of adorning the glass walls, cabin spaces, check-in counters and other free spaces in the terminal with stickers of butterflies.

“While pasting the stickers, several passengers asked us the reason. Some were not aware that these 100 butterflies can be spotted in Tamil Nadu. Awareness on the role of insects like butterflies and moths in the ecology is very low among the common public. The stickers are also meant to remind passengers that the butterflies are very much part of our ecosystem and they need attention in terms of conservation,” he said.

Mr. Mahalingam said that AAI chose to use stickers of butterflies in the terminal to promote the theme “Nature and Culture” of the region.

“Though these are butterflies found in the Western Ghats, many of us are not aware of their presence. The colourful stickers also give a good feeling to the passengers who come to the airport,” he said.

Form tribunals to hear appeals of pvt. educational institutions: HC

They are to be set up under T.N. Private Colleges(Regulation) Act

08/08/2019, B. TILAK CHANDAR,MADURAI

The Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the State government to constitute tribunals to hear statutory appeals of private educational institutions and their employees, under the Tamil Nadu Private Colleges (Regulation) Act, 1976.

The court was hearing a batch of petitions filed by Tamilavel Umamaheswaranar Karanthai Arts College in Thanjavur and two professors of the college facing serious allegations, S. Senthilkumar and Durai Paneerselvam, who challenged the charges levelled against them.

An inquiry was conducted against the two professors and they were later dismissed. However, they challenged their removal from service on a technical ground that the dismissal was not approved by the competent authority.

Following a series of litigations, the Regional Joint Director of Collegiate Education directed the College Committee to reconsider its decision. Even as the college management stood firm on its decision, the Regional Joint Director of Collegiate Education refused to approve it.

The college management preferred an appeal against the order before the Principal District Judge/Tribunal, Thanjavur. However, the appeal was returned on the ground that there was no government notification empowering the District Judge to entertain such appeals.

Delivering the verdict on the batch of cases, Justice S.M. Subramaniam directed the Higher Education Secretary to issue appropriate notification by implementing Section 38 of the Tamil Nadu Private Colleges (Regulation) Act, 1976, within 12 weeks.

Section 38 of the Act notes that the government shall constitute as many tribunals as may be necessary for the purpose of the Act, which shall consist of a judicial officer not below the rank of a District Judge to hear the statutory appeals.

The tribunal shall hear the appeals filed under Section 21 of the Act, which states that the second appeal in case of dismissal, removal or reduction in rank or termination of appointment of teachers or other persons employed in private colleges may be preferred to the tribunal.

After the notification was issued, the college management was at liberty to re-present the returned appeal papers to the jurisdictional tribunal within a period of four weeks. The tribunal shall then hear the matter on its merits as expeditiously as possible.

Two medical aspirants allotted seats in govt. institutions in their native places

HC enables them to secure MBBS seats in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi colleges

08/08/2019, STAFF REPORTER ,MADURAI

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court came to the help of a student with visual impairment and another, whose parents were Tamil from Sri Lanka.G_Moorthy

Visually impaired medical aspirant J. Vibin of Tirunelveli, who undertook a series of litigations to join the course of his choice, has been allotted a seat at Tirunelveli Medical College.

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court was informed of this by the State on Wednesday.

Taking note of the submission, a Division Bench of Justices K. Ravichandrabaabu and Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy closed the contempt petition. The State had earlier informed the court that Vibin would be allotted a medical seat this academic year.

The contempt petition was filed by Vibin’s father M. Jabakar, who sought a direction to the Selection Committee to allot a seat to his son.

Though Vibin was allotted a seat at Pudukkottai Medical College after online counselling last year, he was denied admission following a variation in the visual impairment assessment. His disability was assessed at 90% by Madras Medical College, contrary to the 75% disability mentioned in the certificate issued by the State government.

A single judge bench had allowed the petition filed by Mr. Jabakar, and the subsequent appeal preferred by the State was dismissed by a Division Bench. The Supreme Court also dismissed the Special Leave Petition preferred by the State, following which it agreed to allot a medical seat to the candidate under special category.

Meanwhile, following the orders of Justice R. Suresh Kumar, another candidate, P. Karuppasamy from Thoothukudi, who was denied a seat on the basis of nativity, was allotted a medical seat at Government Thoothukudi Medical College. Though Karuppasamy had completed his school education in Thoothukudi, he was denied a seat since his parents were Tamils from Sri Lanka.

Community certificate

The court, taking into account that the candidate was born and brought up in Thoothukudi and had obtained a community certificate under Scheduled Caste category issued by a Tahsildar, observed, “Law is well settled that as far as communal status was concerned, if a certificate was issued by a competent authority, until and unless the certificate is withdrawn or cancelled in matter known to law, the law shall presume that the candidate belongs to that community”.

The court had directed the Selection Committee to consider the candidature of the writ petitioner for admission to MBBS as per his community ranking based on his NEET score.

Transfer funds 24x7 via NEFT from Dec.
08/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, MUMBAI

Come December, you can transfer funds round-the-clock using the National Electronic Funds Transfer or NEFT facility. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das announced on Wednesday that the central bank would make available the NEFT system 24x7 from December.

Currently the system is available from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on all working days except second and fourth Saturdays of the month.

In another citizen-friendly measure, the Reserve Bank has thrown open the Bharat Bill Payment System to all categories of billers, except prepaid recharges.

HC refuses extension of service for retired judge

08/08/2019, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

The Madras High Court has dismissed a writ petition filed by a retired district judge to permit him to continue in service for two more years on the basis of a decision taken by the administrative committee (top seven judges) of the court in May last year to grant him an extension of service.

Justices R. Subbiah and C. Saravanan rejected the plea of the retired judge S. Natarajan after pointing out that the administrative committee had granted extension of service subject to approval of its decision by the Full Court (all judges). However, the latter had, in December last, decided not to grant such extension. In the meantime, the petitioner had continued to be in service for about eight months despite having attained superannuation.