Maritime institute in Cuddalore headed by Alagiri de-recognised
It did not have a principal and operated with one faculty

14/01/2020 , Special Correspondent, CHENNAI

The Directorate General of Shipping, Mumbai, has ordered the withdrawal of approval and recognition to a maritime science and engineering college run by a Trust, of which Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.S. Alagiri is the chairman.

The MTI Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Institute of Maritime Shipping and Engineering, Cuddalore, is run by the Kamalam Sambandan Educational and Charitable Trust. The trustees of the institute are Mr. Alagiri, some of his family members and acquaintances. In its order, the DG Shipping said several complaints were received from students. The institute was given an opportunity to respond to the complaints. The DG found many discrepancies in the replies. It found that the institute did not have a principal and was operating with only one faculty member and two instructors. It also found that “MTI had no faculty members to conduct basic safety courses, clearly showing that the MTI had not conducted any classes and yet issued certificates for completion of course to the candidates. It is a major non-compliance”.

TTDC to organise boating contest on Thursday

14/01/2020 , Special Correspondent, CHENNAI

This Thiruvalluvar Day, the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) has planned to make your visit to its boating houses more exciting with various competitions. TTDC’s facilities at Ooty, Kodaikanal, Pykara, Muttukadu and Mudaliarpet will host competitions on rowing and pedalling boats from 11 a.m. on Thursday.

There won’t be any extra charge for participating in the competitions.

Those willing to take part can register on the spot, said a release.

The TTDC will also organise a hop-on, hop-off tour of Chennai city on Thursday.

The bus will take tourists to Island Grounds exhibition, Vivekananda House, Light House and Guindy Children's Park. Ticket fare will be ₹10 per person.

For details call 25333333, 25333444, 25333857, 25333850-54, 180042531111.

Woman student ends life in univ hostel, college mates seek fair probe

TNN | Jan 13, 2020, 04.32 AM IST

Coimbatore: A 23-year-old woman postgraduate student committed suicide at Periyar University’s students hostel in Salem on Friday. Students who found about the incident on Saturday night stopped police from taking her body to a hospital for postmortem. They demanded a fair investigation into the death.

Police identifed the deceased as T Niveditha, 23, of Gopalapuram near Pappireddipatti in Dharmapuri district. She was studying MSc botany. “Niveditha had been staying in her room alone for the past 10 days as her roommates were away on project work. Other students at the hostel last saw her around 7.30pm on Friday. When she did not come out of her room whole day, they checked on her and found her hanging from a ceiling fan on Saturday night,” a police officer said.

Police are yet to find the reason for the death. They found a letter and collection of poems in her room.

Meanwhile, students in the hostel besieged police personnel and stopped them from taking her body to the Salem government hospital for postmosterm. Students said another woman student in the botany department lodged a complaint with the university authorities against a professor in her department for trying to misbehave to her. But she later withdrawn the complaint. In this background, Niveditha, who was also from the same department, committed suicide. Students sought a fair investigation into the death and urged the university authorities and police to question the professor.

Later, the college authorities and police pacified the students. The body was sent to the hospital for postmortem.

Meanwhile, the state higher education minister K P Anbalagan said proper action would be taken after the police investigation.

BU’s physical education programme derecognised

TNN | Jan 14, 2020, 04.31 AM IST

Coimbatore: The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), a statutory body under the Centre that recognises physical education programmes in higher education institutions, has withdrawn recognition to the Bharathiar University’s department of Physical Education for conducting Bachelor of Physical Education (B.P.Ed) course from the next academic session.

The decision, NCTE said, was taken a meeting held from January 7 to 9 in New Delhi. The minutes of the meeting said the council had sent a show-cause notice in April last year and the final show-cause notice in October. “The institution did not submit its reply/representation in response to the final notice. Hence, NCTE decided to withdraw the recognition granted to Bharathiar University Department of Physical Education, for conducting B.P.Ed. course with effect from the next academic session.”

Sources pointed out to a NCTE communication in 2015 that said the department consented to come under NCTE’s new regulations and sought to intake 100 students in the programme. For this, it had sought the list of additional staff appointed and approved staff list. It had also directed the university to display all details of the department. Lapses in these could have led to the NCTE action.

Hosp opens network of advanced labs

TNN | Jan 14, 2020, 04.49 AM IST

Madurai: The Madurai-based Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre (MMHRC) has unveiled a network of advanced diagnostic labs in various parts of the state, especially in tier II and III towns and villages, to help more people get timely and accurate diagnosis.

Music director Yuvan Shankar Raja, chairman of Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre, Madurai, Dr S Gurushankar, and film director Ike Rathe unveiled the logo for the labs at a function held on January 8. The event also marked the inauguration of Meenakshi Labs in Karaikudi, Kumbakonam, Madurai, Mayiladuthurai, Rajapalayam, and Thanjavur.

HC: Sculpture grads must get priority for sthapathi posts

TNN | Jan 14, 2020, 04.26 AM IST

Chennai: Right to employment is a fundamental right and when a special institution is created for a specific purpose, it is the duty of the state to make way for adequate employment opportunities for graduates of such institutions, the Madras high court observed on Monday and directed the government to give ‘first priority’ to graduates from Government College of Architecture and Sculpture while filling the posts of engineers, draftsman and sthapathis.
The posts are for the newly constituted renovation and conservation wing under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department.

Justice R Mahadevan passed the order on a plea moved by D V Murugan seeking direction to the authorities to appoint the sthapathi degree holders from Government College of Architecture and Sculpture, Mamallapuram, in the post meant for assistant engineer in every zonal office or alternately make provisions for appointment of such graduates as sthapathis as done in Andhra Pradesh in each division taking into consideration the number of temples in a particular division under the HR&CE department.

Allowing the plea, the judge said: “The knowledge in civil engineering alone is not sufficient to cater to the needs of renovation of temples including sculpting. Whereas, the students from the sculpting college or any other institution covering the field, who are also taught architecture and design with thorough knowledge in sculpting, would be eligible to be appointed in the HR&CE department.”

The appointment of such successful candidates as sthapathis would lessen the financial burden on the exchequer as they would be in a position to carry out minor repair work on their own with less role from third parties and they could perform twin functions of an engineer and that of sthapathi, Justice Mahadevan added. The court also directed the state to finalise and bring to life the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments engineering and subordinate service rules in three months.

NCW notice to TN college for expelling four girl students who consumed liquor

TNN | Jan 14, 2020, 04.32 AM IST

Chennai: In the wake of a complaint against expelling four girl students of a college for consuming beer during a house party in Nagapattinam district, National Commission for Women (NCW) has issued a notice to the college asking it “to look into the matter and take appropriate action as per law”.

In a letter to the principal of Dharmapuram Adhinam Arts College in Mayiladuthurai, Shyamala S Kundar, member of the commission, citing the complaint by All India Private Colleges Employees Union (AIPCEU) which alleged harassment/indecent representation of women, said, “The action taken in the matter may please be communicated within 30 days from the date of receipt of the letter.”

The students in college uniform were seen celebrating the birthday of one of the girls at her house in Sitharkadu village. The incident came to light when a clip of the celebration was circulated on social media. After disciplinary enquiry, the college administration expelled all four students.

“The punishment is severe and it could end their education. Instead of reforming the students with lighter punishment, the college has taken an extreme step which has jeopardised their future. It amounts to harassment of women,” said K M Karthik, founder of AIPCEU and the complainant. He said the commission is considerate of the fate of the girls and sought a reply within 30 days.

“The entire matter was blown out of proportion. If boys drink and socialise it wouldn’t be an issue at all. It only became an issue as girl students consumed drinks. It was not done on the premises of college for it to take action,” said Sudha Ramalingam, senior advocate and social activist. “This is not the way to treat the students. The college could have reformed and educated them on the evils of drinking. But, to expel them is too harsh a punishment and it’s not for any educational institution to handle students like this. Students should be handled with compassion, caution and care. The intervention of national commission for women is good enough,” she said.