Tamil Nadu government plans common online counselling for all colleges and universities
The proposal is to replicate the admission system followed for engineering courses to other streams also.

Published: 12th September 2019 12:53 AM

By Binita Jaiswal

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government is contemplating to implement online admission system for all colleges and universities in the state similar to the system already in place for the engineering courses.

The officials in the higher education department said the move is aimed to bring transparency in the admission process and make it more streamlined. The new system may be implemented from the next academic year. However, the modalities of the system are yet to be chalked out.

Mangat Ram Sharma, Higher education secretary, told Express, "There are so many private colleges and universities in the state and it will be difficult to implement the system for all institutions in one go.

Hence, we have plans to implement the online admission process in government and government-aided colleges first.”

“Like engineering courses, the admission in different colleges are also based on the marks obtained in Class XII, so there will be no problem in implementing the online admission process at all,” he
added.

The department is yet to draw a concrete roadmap about implementation of the online admission system. Officials in the higher education department said further meetings will be conducted to discuss about  the best possible ways to implement the admission system in the most effective manner.

The idea for introducing online admission process for colleges, similar to the one in operation for engineering colleges in the state, was proposed recently in a review meeting of the higher education
department which was headed by the chief secretary K Shanmugam. The chief secretary had accepted the proposal and requested concerned authorities to initiate the process.

Sources in the department said the idea was mooted to enhance automation and strengthen the technical capacity in the institutions. “The online admission system will definitely help in better monitoring  of the admission system. The system will serve many purposes. Firstly, the students will not have to apply separately for each college and secondly it will also avoid the alleged corruption in the process,”  said a senior official of the department.

However, some academicians feel implementation of the ambitious project will be quite cumbersome.

“Only few government colleges in the state are in demand among students. In the online process, if all  students will opt for these good colleges and not choose other institutes then what would be their fate. Then we will face a situation like the one we are seeing in the engineering colleges,” said a faculty member of University of Madras.

Power cuts on September 12 in parts of Chennai including Adyar, Thirumangalam
Here's a list of Chennai localities that is to have a power cut on Thursday.

Published: 10th September 2019 11:56 PM |

For representational purposes

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: For carrying out maintenance work, power supply will be suspended by Tangedco on Thursday from 9 am to 5 pm in these following areas. According to a statement from Tangedco, power supply will be resumed before 5 pm if work is completed ahead of schedule. Here is the list.

MANGADU AREA : Mangadu town panchayat, Rangunathapuram, Kollumanivakkam, Sivanthangal, Chikkarayapuram, Pattur, Bathirimedu, Then colony, Srinivasa nagar, Nellithopu, Mahalakshimi nagar, chakra nagar, Sadhik nagar, Sakthi nagar, KK Nagar, Melma Nagar.

THIRUMANGALAM AREA : Sathiya sai nagar, Metrozone, V.R.Shopping Mall, Golden Juble flats, Ambedkar nagar, Balaji nagar.

ADYAR INDIRA NAGAR AREA : Srinivasa moorthy avenue, Krishnamachari avenue, KB Nagar 1 st st, LB road one part, Thiruvenkadam st, Anna avenue.


MANALI SATHANGADU AREA: Kamaraj salai, Padasalai, Chinasekkadu, Parthasarathy st, Rajasekar nagar, Padavettamman st, Baljipalayam.

Fisheries University restrained from publishing results

According to the petitioners, the qualification prescribed in the advertisement and the TNJFU regulations are one and the same in respect of the faculty of Fisheries Sciences.

Published: 11th September 2019 06:12 AM |

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday restrained the Registrar, TN Dr J Jayalalithaa Fisheries University (TNJFU), Nagapattinam, from publishing the results with regard to selection of Assistant Professors in faculty of Fisheries Engineering. Justice M Dhandapani granted the stay when a batch of writ petitions came up before him on Tuesday. The judge, however, allowed the students to attend the interview scheduled for September 12. According to the petitioners, the qualification prescribed in the advertisement and the TNJFU regulations are one and the same in respect of the faculty of Fisheries Sciences. But, there were some discrepancies.

Warm meals with warm smiles

After her stint as an air hostess, and in public relations, Shilpam Rathore found her calling in providing daily food for the needy

Published: 12th September 2019 06:11 AM 

By KV Navya

Express News Service

CHENNAI: For the last four years, Shilpam Rathore has been distributing meals to hospital patients and their attendants through her NGO, the Aranya Foundation. The NGO distributes 300 meals a day at the Outpatient Departments (OPD) in two hospitals in Chennai and one in New Delhi. Thus far, she has distributed 1,75,000 meals to the needy. She talks to CE about Aranya, and her views on charity.

What led to the formation of the Aranya Foundation?

It was a foggy night in December 2015, and I was returning from a wedding in New Delhi. I saw a woman cooking for her sick child on a footpath outside the All India Institute of Medial Sciences (AIIMS). My house was just 200 yards away, so I quickly cooked khichdi for her and when I spoke to her, I found out that there are hundreds like her who come from other cities.
I was moved listening to their stories, and decided to help them out in any way I could — if not through shelter, then at least by giving them food.

How has the foundation grown over the years?

Initially, I used to buy rotis and make a curry at home. My husband funded the entire thing. So, both my kids had to give up on their outings and adjust till things settled. Slowly, word spread and more funding came in. We started giving 100 meals a day for OPD patients at AIIMS. By March 2016, we were registered as the Aranya Foundation.


What’s the meaning behind the name ‘Aranya Foundation’?

The foundation is named after my children. When I started the NGO, my son was 12 years old and my daughter was 16 at that time. They had agreed to go without outside food for a month as we needed funds to prepare the food. Like any mother, I love my children very much, and so I decided to club their names — Arnav and Enya — to form the word Aranya. It also means respite.

When did you bring Aranya to Chennai?

In 2016, we moved to Chennai, and I decided to implement something similar here. It took me about six months to zero in on which demographic needed our help. In April 2017, we started distributing 100 meals daily at the Government Ophthalmic Hospital in Egmore. We give them different meals everyday — idlis, dosas and pongal to pulao. I am particular about the food being warm, just like how it is at home. Although we have shifted sights to Chennai, we are continuing operations at AIIMS side-by-side. Three weeks back, we began distributing 100-120 meals daily at the Adyar Cancer Institute. They already have a kitchen, so we are sponsoring the meals.

Does the Foundation hold any fundraisers?

We host an annual fundraiser. In 2017, we roped in Nizami Bandhu, a renowned Indian musical group, who flew down to the city for the first time. This year, we held our fundraiser on August 28, featuring the Warsi Brothers from Hyderabad.

What were you doing before you began Aranya?

I worked as an air hostess with Cathay Pacific from 1994 to 1998. As my husband works in the police department, I was constantly shifting homes. We were posted in places like Europe, Salem, Madurai, and Tuticorin. I was running a public relations company for charity for some time. As Paulo Coelho says in The Alchemist, ‘You need to go all around the world to find home is only here.’

How do you unwind?

I love listening to music and reading books. I love spending time with my children and try to be free to spend time with them. They are my number one priority. Also, I like to travel and explore different cultures — I am fascinated with Japanese and Korean cultures.

How are you at work vs at home?

At work, I am an extension of the person I am at home. My work is driven by what a person should be. Working for people depends on your value system. Therefore, I truly believe in charity begins at home.

Power shutdown in parts of Chennai on Sept 13

As a part of routine maintenance works, Tangedo will be suspending power supply in areas of Anna Salai, Puzhal and Velachery.

Published: 11th September 2019 06:27 PM

Power shutdown in Chennai owing to maintenance

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: For carrying out maintenance work, power supply will be suspended by Tangedco on Friday (Sept 13) from 9 am to 5 pm in these following areas. According to a statement from Tangedco, power supply will be resumed before 5 pm if work is completed. Here is the list.

ANNASALAI: Wallaja road, Kalaivanar Arangam, T.H. road (one part), Appavo Gramani st, Pachiappan st, Chinnathambi swami, Sivanatha salai, MLA Hostel, Marina, VSNL, Balamuthu, Thayar Sahib, Ellis Mukthurnisa Beuam all st, Unish ali st, Thipu sahib st, Gulam mukthurunisa st, State House Guest, Press club.

VELACHERY: Old Taramani, Mahathma Gandhi nagar, Anbazhagan nagar, Thiruvallur salai, Natarajan street, Seethapathy nagar, Jayanthi street, Gandhi salai, Thiruveethi amman koil st, Vellalar street.

PUZHAL: Gandhi st, Mariammal nagar, VOC st, Gurushanthi nagar, Polytechnic area, Meenakshi nagar, Kavankarai, Thandalkazhani, Jeeva st, Sakthivel nagar, Suraper, Puthagaram, JP Nagar, Ezhil nagar,  Shanmugapuram, Madanakuppam, Brindavan nagar, Indira nagar,Bharathidasan nagar, Sivaprakasam nagar.

Chennai to get a new biweekly train to Hubbali from September 17

The biweekly express will be operated via Arakkonam, Renigunta, Cuddapah, Guntakal, Ballari, Hosepet and Gadag.

Published: 12th September 2019 12:49 AM |

For representational purposes (Photo| EPS)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Train connectivity between Chennai and northern parts of Karnataka is set to get better with railways introducing a biweekly express between Chennai and Hubbali.

The regular service of new bi-weekly express will commence from Hubbali on September 17 and from Chennai on September 18.

An inaugural service will be flagged off on Saturday (September 14) in Hubbali, according to official documents.

The train has been introduced by South Western Railway based on the request by Union Minister Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi, who is a Member of Parliament from Dharwad constituency in Karnataka.


The biweekly train will leave Chennai at 3 pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays and reach Hubbali at 5.15 am on the next day. Similarly, on return direction, the train will leave Hubbali at Tuesdays and Fridays  at 9.05 pm and reach Chennai at 10.50 am on the next day.

The biweekly express will be operated via Arakkonam, Renigunta, Cuddapah, Guntakal, Ballari, Hosepet and Gadag.

The new train is expected to fulfill one of the long-pending demands of rail passengers from northern districts of Karnataka to have direct night train to Chennai. Besides providing connectivity to Ballari,
Gadag and Hosepet from Chennai, the train is also expected to benefit the passengers heading to Guntakal as well.

Presently, the Chennai - Hubbali section is being catered by two weekly trains. The Chennai - Hubbali weekly express is being operated on Sundays, while Chennai - Vasco Da Gama express run on Fridays.

Both trains run via Katpadi, Jolarpettai, Krishnarajapuram, Yesvantpur, Tumakuru, Tiptur and Davangere.

Official railway sources said in-spite of huge demand for train frequency of Chennai - Hubbali weekly express could not be increased owing to track constraints. “The advance reservation for new trains  has been thrown open in IRCTC,” said sources.

After seven years, MTC buses ply on original routes in Chennai's Anna Salai
A total of 52 routes operated by MTC has started running as per its original routes after two-way traffic system restored in the road on completion of Metro rail work.

Published: 12th September 2019 01:04 AM |

Anna Salai

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: In a relief to MTC bus passengers, MTC buses from Wednesday started plying on both directions in Chennai's famed arterial road, Anna Salai. This is after a seven years gap since the traffic flow in the portion of the road between LIC and Anand theatre bus stops was made one-way in 2012 for Metrorail construction.

This means a total of 2,963 trips the MTC buses will make every day on the Anna Salai as per their original routes.

“About 256 buses (in 52 routes) are operated via Anna Salai. All the buses being restored to the older routes,” said a senior official from MTC.

In March 2012, to facilitate Metrorail construction the traffic on the six-lane road was made as one way between LIC and Anand theatre bus stops. To divert the traffic, West Cott road - White road up to Anna Salai portion was also converted as one way traffic. Since then the MTC buses were diverted via General Patters road and White roads. Similarly, buses from Royapettah tower clock also diverted via Whites
road.


With the restoration of the MTC buses to their original routes, this Anna Salai stretch, one of the top business hubs in the city, will get bus connectivity to different parts of the city. With the Metrorail
too now operating services between AG-DMS and Washermenpet along this road, it is expected to make public transport much easier for people commuting to work.

D Raman, a regular commuter from Broadway said the restoration will enable the bus services to Anand theatre bus stop from where can easily access British Council and Devaneya Pavanar libraries. “So far  I got down at whites road and take a long walk to enter the library," he said.

The move expected to provide huge relief for bus commuters from the usual trafffic pile up at GP road junction during peak hours.