Governor, Vice-Chancellor break bread

Jagdeep Dhankar visits Surajan Das and Pro V-C Pradip Kumar Ghosh in hospital
22/09/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,KOLKATA

Jagdeep Dhanka visiting Jadavpur University Pro Vice-Chancellor P.K. Ghosh in a hospital in KolkataPTI

Jadavpur University Vice-Chancellor Surajan Das on Saturday hoped there would not be any unrest at the university similar to the September 19 stand-off between some students and Union Minister Babul Supriyo that ended at the intervention of Governor Jagdeep Dhankar.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Dhanakar and Education Minister Partha Chatterjee visited the Vice-Chancellor in a private hospital.

Both the Vice-Chancellor and Pro Vice-Chancellor Pradip Kumar Ghosh were admitted to hospital after the unrest.

“The Chancellor indicated that as guardian, he will make an all-out effort to interact with the students, the faculty and the management so that the university is put on the growth trajectory, and a wholesome environment for education is available to the students who are the future of the nation,” a statement from the Raj Bhavan said.

Lapses alleged

The Governor’s visit is also significant as the earlier statements from the Raj Bhavan had referred to “the issue of serious lapses on the part of the Vice-Chancellor, including virtual abandonment of his obligations”.

Education Minister Partha Chaterjee said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wanted the situation at the university to become normal. “She has said the government stands with the students, the teachers and the staff of the university,” he said.

The Trinamool Congress and the Governor traded charges over the unrest.

Mr. Partha Chatterjee called the Governor’s visit to the university “most unfortunate and shocking”, without informing the elected government for the “so-called rescue of the BJP leader”.

The Governor responded that the Trinamool Congress’s statement was “unfortunate” and said: “Obviously, he [Mr. Chatterjee] did not know of the developments that took place between the Governor and the DGP/Chief Secretary, as also the conversation with the Chief Minister.”

A.P. nursing college correspondent arrested

22/09/2019,MACHILIPATNAM

The police on Saturday arrested Samayam Ramesh, 46, correspondent of a Machilipatnam-based nursing college for women, on charges of seeking sexual favours from a student.

“In July, the accused allegedly attempted to sexually assault the girl in his chamber, reportedly after she refused to entertain his request for sexual favours. Later, she left the college hostel,” Assistant Superintendent of Police M. Sattibabu told newsmen here.

Impersonation fallout: drive on to verify documents of MBBS students Theni medico case may go to CB-CID
Madurai Medical College scrutinises papers of 210 candidates

22/09/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Following two instances of students submitting fake documents to secure admission to Madurai Medical College and Theni Medical College, Dean of MMC K. Vanitha said that they had stepped up the verification process.

On Friday, the MMC verified a total of 210 documents of students, including admit cards issued by the Directorate of Medical Education (DME), selection cards issued by their National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), Class 10 and 12 marksheets and the physical verification of the candidate.

“Since the college is closed today (Saturday), we will be continuing verification for the other 40 on Monday. A total of four professors and two personnel from the administration are taking charge of the process,” she said.

The Dean said that she had raised an alarm when a student from Andhra Pradesh arrived at the MMC on September 10, a month after admissions ended, with an allotment order.

Dr. Vanitha said she first approached Mathichiyam police station for lodging a complaint, but was redirected to Tallakulam police station.

“We were able to file a complaint about a student,” she said.

She added that the college administration had been vigilant about fake documents and now are stepping up the process of scrutiny.

Officials at the Government Medical College and Hospital, Pudukottai, conducted document verification of all first-year students in the college on Friday.

The Selection Committee of the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) has instructed all medical colleges to verify records of first-year MBBS students.

The impersonation case against a first year student of the Theni Government Medical College may be transferred to the CB-CID police for investigation. Reliable police sources said that the DIG of Police, Dindigul Range, Joshi Nirmal Kumar, is likely to recommend the case to the CB-CID police.

Two days ago, the Theni police had booked a case against Udit Surya K.V., accused of impersonation in the NEET examination. While the student has been absconding for four days, the police have formed special teams. One team visited Chennai, where the parents of the student reside.

‘Centre must bear Anna varsity’s expenses for obtaining IoE status’

22/09/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,CHENNAI

S. Ramadoss

PMK founder S. Ramadoss on Saturday said the Central government must bear the entire cost of obtaining the Institution of Eminence (IoE) status for Anna University.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) announced that Anna University in Chennai and Jadavpur University in Kolkata had been selected by the Empowered Committee for grant of IoE status.

The PMK leader noted that the Centre would bear the entire cost for the eight Central educational institutions selected for the IoE status, including IIT Madras. However the two State-run universities would get only 50% or ₹1,000 crore, whichever is lower, of the entire expenditure needed for developing infrastructure and other facilities. “The Centre will provide ₹1,000 crore. Considering that Anna University needs ₹2,750 crore, it has to arrange for ₹1,750 crore in the next five years, which is impossible,” he said. He added that if the Tamil Nadu government and Anna University failed to commit their share of contribution for the next five years, the IoE status will be transferred to the Savitribai Phule or Aligarh Muslim Universities. “This sort of pressure by the Centre is unacceptable,” Mr. Ramadoss said.

Teacher gives away 1,200 umbrellas to rein in student absenteeism during rains

Vasantha Chithravelu spent ₹1 lakh from her own pocket for the initiative

22/09/2019, KATHELENE ANTONY ,NAGAPATTINAM

It’s raining umbrellas: Vasantha Chithravelu personally visited the students to give them the umbrellas.

A teacher at a government-aided school in Andarkadu village in Vedaranyam has distributed 1,200 umbrellas worth ₹1 lakh to students after noticing continued absenteeism during the monsoon.

Vasantha Chithravelu, a 50-year-old teacher at Sundaresa Vilas Aided Primary School, noticed that student attendance at the institution, where she had been teaching for the past 28 years, dropped significantly during the monsoon season.

“After Cyclone Gaja wreaked havoc in our town, the numbers dwindled further,” says Ms. Chithravelu. “I realised that small problems like access to umbrellas should not hinder education, and decided to buy them for these children myself,” she adds.

Ms. Chithravelu used her own savings to order 1,200 colourful umbrellas worth ₹1 lakh, and had them shipped from a showroom in Madurai. “I initially distributed 200 umbrellas in my school and the neighbouring ones. Later, I personally visited students to give them the umbrellas,” she says. Her umbrellas have been handed out to students of 16 schools in and around Andarkadu and Vedaranyam. To her, whom students lovingly call ‘Asathal Aasiriyai', giving to students is second nature. “I have been doing such things for years, but this is the first time I have been recognised for it,” she says.

Gaja relief

Ms. Chithravelu claims that she, along with her husband — a headmaster at a local government school — and two daughters, had raised ₹50 lakh after Cyclone Gaja and provided mats, clothes, 5 kg rice, lights, candles, matchboxes, baby food and even cooked dinner for her students’ parents, who are predominantly construction labourers. She has received around 30 awards, including the Dr. Radhakrishnan Award, bestowed on her by the government for her contributions to education. “The smiles on my students’ faces is the biggest of all awards. I will continue to strive for [meeting] their needs. I look at them as my family, as my children, and so, their needs are mine too,” she says.

Qatar flight turns back
22/09/2019,CHENNAI

An IndiGo flight heading to Qatar returned to the Chennai airport almost an hour after take off after a smoke warning in the cargo hold, early on Saturday. No technical glitches were detected during later inspection.

Six locations shortlisted for city’s second airport
State govt. likely to hold talks with AAI officials in a few days

22/09/2019, SANGEETHA KANDAVEL , SUNITHA SEKAR ,CHENNAI

After dilly-dallying for years on a second airport for the city, the State government has now shortlisted six locations.

Highly-placed sources told The Hindu that Thiruporur, Vallathur, Thodur, Cheyyar, Maduramangalam and Mappedu are on the shortlist.

In a few days, the State government is likely to hold talks with officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to see which site would be feasible to build the new airport. A field visit will also be conducted.

“There are several locations on the radar. We have shortlisted six from them. In fact, one of the locations was identified two months back. But AAI officials felt it was not suitable, in view of technical factors,” said a senior government official. The land requirement for the second airport will be around 2,000-2,500 acres, said AAI officials.

‘In dire need’

“There is a dire need for a second airport as the existing facility is already getting saturated,” said an AAI official.

After the phase II modernisation project gets completed in two years, the airport’s passenger-handling capacity will go up from the existing 18 million to 35 million.

“This won’t be enough. With the rate at which air traffic is going up, we need one more airport at the earliest. If we begin identifying the location, it will take some time to get approvals from authorities, begin land acquisition and then build the terminals at the new airport,” an official said.