SRM Institute of Science and Technology signs MoU with Kansas State University

TNN | Jan 23, 2020, 05.23 PM IST

CHENNAI: SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) in Chennai has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Kansas State University (KSU) in the US.

This MoU will facilitate the exchange of students, professors and scientists to conduct research of mutual interest, short-term visits, participation in conferences, symposia and exchange of academic materials between two universities. This can be at undergraduate/ masters/Ph.D.

Ramasamy Perumal and Krishna Jagadish from KSU visited SRMIST for the purpose.

“With the facilities that SRMIST offers, we are also contemplating bringing our own PhD scholars here for research,” said Perumal.

SRMIST vice-chancellor Dr Sandeep Sancheti said this MoU would not just benefit the genetics department but also the clusters around it like agriculture, biotechnology and others.

Departure of three trains delayed as man climbs railway gantry at Chennai Central

TNN | Jan 23, 2020, 07.45 PM IST

CHENNAI: Tension prevailed at the MGR Chennai Central and at least three trains had a delayed departure on Thursday morning as a 30-year-old man climbed the gantry that holds the high-tension overhead power cables and threatened to jump from there.
However, alert railway staff turned off the power supply and alerted the fire and rescue services.

Fire personnel from Kondithope station rushed to the spot, climbed the gantry and rescued the man around 8am.

Shatabdi Express to Coimbatore, the double-decker to Bengaluru and Shatabdi Express to Vijayawada were delayed due to the incident

The man, identified as L Mynathuni, 30 of Assam, appeared to be mentally disturbed, police said.

"He climbed the gantry at the end of the first platform near the parcel office," said a police officer. It was not clear why he came to Chennai, police said. A few people had seen him loitering around in Choolai, police said.

Police admitted him to a home for people with learning difficulties.

Chennai: Anna University faculty to get 280 per cent pay hike

TNN | Jan 24, 2020, 04.15 AM IST

CHENNAI: The state government has increased the monthly salaries of faculty of Anna University, its constituent colleges, government and aided engineering institutes by up to 280% as recommended by the seventh Central Pay Commission (CPC).

An order issued on January 14 by the state higher education department announcing the hike was made public on Thursday.

As per the order, the revised payscale will take notional effect from January 1, 2016, and monetary benefit from October 1, 2017, making the staff eligible for a lump-sum amount as salary arrears soon.

Designations, mode of appointments and pay structure were also revised as per CPC recommendations for all institutions controlled by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

Accordingly, there will be only three designations in engineering colleges — assistant professor, associate professor and professor. The existing pay structure involving pay band (PB) and average grade pay (AGP) has been replaced with a pay matrix involving levels and cells.

AGP of Rs 6,000, Rs 7,000, Rs 8,000, Rs 9,000, Rs 10,0000 and Rs 12,000 has been replaced with academic levels numbered 10, 11, 12, 13A1, 14 and 15 respectively. Each academic level consists of several cells (numbered 1-40) and salaries increase when teachers move to next cell.

For example, let us consider an assistant professor, who is receiving Rs 8,000 as AGP now. His pay band was Rs 15,600-Rs 39,100. The AGP of Rs 8,000 corresponds to academic level 12 in the new pay matrix, with Rs 79,800 fixed as entry pay (cell number 1). Once he moves to the next cell (number 2) within the same academic level, he becomes eligible for an annual increment of 3%. So he will earn Rs 82,200 (rounded off to nearest 100). As he progresses through the matrix, the pay will increase and once he reaches cell 40 (last) of academic level 12, he will receive Rs 2,11,500 as salary.

A formally constituted selection committee will decide on promotions to the next academic level and designations.

Besides, teachers are eligible to get Rs 75,000 professional development grant (on reimbursement basis), research promotion grant from their institutes/universities and engage in consultancy services to generate revenue.

As far as pension, gratuity, leave encashment, health insurance and other terminal benefits are concerned, the present state government rules will continue to be applied.

Genetic analysis of virus suggest role of bats and snakes: Report

Beijing:24.01,2020

A new strain of coronavirus that emerged in China may have originated in bats or snakes, according to genetic analysis of the virus. The theories are based on examination of the genome sequence of the virus released by authorities in the wake of the outbreak.

One study, published on Tuesday in the journal Science China Life Sciences, which is sponsored by Beijing’s Chinese Academy of Sciences, looked at the relations between the new strain and other viruses. It found the virus was closely related to a strain that exists in bats. “Bats being the native host of the Wuhan CoV (coronavirus) would be the logical and convenient reasoning, though it remains likely there was intermediate host(s) in the transmission cascade from bats to humans,” the researchers wrote in the paper.

That study did not speculate about which animal could have been an “intermediate host”, but a second study published on Wednesday in the Journal of Medical Virology identifies snakes as the possible culprit. “Results from our analysis suggest that snake is the most probable wildlife animal reservoir,” the paper says.

Neither study explained how the virus may have been transmitted from animals to humans. But they could offer clues for the source of the outbreak. The food market where the virus surfaced offered a range of exotic wildlife for sale, including live foxes, crocodiles, wolf puppies, giant salamanders, snakes, rats, peacocks, porcupines, camel meat and other game. AFP

They’re asleep, don’t wake them up, kid told about dead parents

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kozhikode:24.01.2020

They all have inhaled a gas which made them go to a deep sleep. They will not wake up again and have gone to be with God. You should not try to wake them up when you see them tomorrow and should give them a parting kiss — two days after the death of his parents and younger brother in the Nepal resort tragedy, seven-year-old Madhav, the lone surviving member of his family, was told about his grievous loss by the teachers and a counsellor from his school on Thursday.

Young Madhav stared at them listless for some time and broke down in tears later.

The four-member team from Silver Hills School, including the principal and the class teacher of Madhav, broke the news to the child at his relative’s house next to Madhav’s maternal house at Mukavoor in the afternoon. Madhav had arrived at his home in the early hours of Thursday and was expecting his parents and brother to arrive on Friday.

“It was a heart-wrenching moment for all of us and we were all moved to tears. Madhav stood silent for some time and later he cried. He seemed to have somewhat understood that he has lost his parents for ever. We all consoled him and made him feel that we are all with him and later brought him a new bicycle to cheer him up,” Nikhil M C, cousin of Madhav’s mother Indu Lakshmi said.

Full report on www.toi.in

TRAGIC: Seven-year-old Madhav, who doesn’t yet understand the concept of death, was upbeat after receiving a bicycle. His parents died in the Nepal gas-leak tragedy

Nirbhaya convicts refuse to prepare will, hope hanging date will be put off
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:24.01.2020

While the second date of hanging is just a week’s away, all the four convicts in Nirbhaya gang-rape case have refused to transfer their assets and prepare a will for their family members. They are hoping that the date of hanging would be deferred further from February 1, said jail officials.

On January 22, the death warrant could not be executed as some of the accused used their remaining legal options. Pawan, Vinay and Akshay, however, still have the option to seek mercy from the President before February 1.

Jail sources told TOI that even though the four men have been placed in solitary cells, they are being allowed to meet their family members twice a week as per the norms. The convicts have not even informed the jail authorities about the date of their last meeting with their family members.

The officials have calculated the amount of wage that each of them has earned from the work done during his stay at the jail. The wages would be handed over to their respective family members after they prepare a will and agree to it.

Sources said that ever since the notice to prepare the will and mention the date of their last meeting was issued to the convicts, Vinay had started behaving aggressively with the jail staffers, while Pawan and Akshay’s behaviour were normal. Mukesh is anxious that he has exhausted all his legal options.

Meanwhile, special care is being taken to maintain the health parameters of the four convicts. Vinay had recently fell unconscious inside his cell. He has been behaving restlessly ever since his curative petition was dismissed by the court. He had even refused to eat food served at his cell and grew aggressive with the jail staffers when they tried to convince him to have food. He was immediately taken to the jail hospital where he recuperated.

Jail officers, however, rubbished the rumour about a suicide attempt by Vinay, that was doing the rounds on social media.

DVAC submits inquiry report against minister

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:24.01.2020

The directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption (DVAC) of Tamil Nadu on Thursday submitted in the Madras high court a preliminary inquiry report against state municipal administration minister S P Velumani, as directed by a division bench earlier.

It was submitted to the bench of Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice R Hemalatha in a sealed cover. It was done in compliance with an interim order on the petitions filed by Arappor Iyakkam, an NGO, and R S Bharathi, organising secretary of DMK, on January 7.

The petitions were filed alleging corruption in awarding contracts for various corporations by Velumani and showing favoritism to his relatives and people very close to him.