AIIMS Madurai will be opened by Sept. 2022, says MoS

06/03/2020, STAFF REPORTER,MADURAI

The loan agreement between the Union government and the Government of Japan for the construction of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Madurai will be signed in September. The hospital will be inaugurated in September 2022, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey said here on Thursday.

Addressing mediapersons, Mr. Choubey said the government was also planning to commission the medical college by 2021.

Mr. Choubey said three government hospitals in Tamil Nadu were upgraded to multi-speciality hospitals under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY). Also, the Centre had granted permission for establishing 11 new medical colleges in the State, the MoS added.

Increase in seats

He said that under the BJP government at the Centre, the number of medical seats in the country had increased by 28,000, and that it currently stood at 80,000. The government aimed to increase it to 1,00,000 by 2022-2023, Mr. Choubey said.

The Minister of State was in Madurai to inaugurate the Ramayan Express. He also addressed BJP cadre on various issues.

BJP State secretary R. Srinivasan and other functionaries of the party were present on the occasion.

At site of Shanti theatre, a complex to house offices

06/03/2020, STAFF REPORTER, CHENNAI

The family members of veteran actor Sivaji Ganesan and real estate developer Akshaya Private Limited came together to announce the launch of ‘Akshaya Shanti’— office suites for businesses and enterprises at the Shanti theatre complex on Anna Salai.

Nearly four years ago, the family members of the late actor had announced that they were going to shut down the theatre, a landmark building on Anna Salai, and redevelop the property.

Shanti theatre, built by G. Umapathy and D. Shanmuga Raja, was originally inaugurated in 1961 and later bought by actor Sivaji Ganesan.

“While there were initially several options as to how to redevelop the property, we worked with Akshaya and ultimately decided to go with state-of-the-art office suites which will be unique to this area. We had our initial apprehensions about the redevelopment since this is a building that my father bought, but the builders have ensured that they will retain something to remember him by, here,” said actor Prabhu.

The gate to the building as well as the walls leading up to the entrance have the names of Sivaji Ganesan’s most memorable films.

The grade A project can either house a single big corporate office or multiple mid-sized corporate offices spread across six floor plates. There is also a gymnasium, landscaped terrace gardens, and car park with a capacity of 134 vehicles and a cafeteria planned.

T. Chitty Babu, Chairman and CEO of Akshaya Pvt Limited said that the facility was gold-certified by the Indian Green Building Council.

Many international flights cancelled following scare

FRROs told to liaise with airport authorities and screen flyers

06/03/2020, S. VIJAY KUMAR,CHENNAI

The flow of passengers in the international terminal has come down in the last few days, says an official.

Amid escalating threat of COVID-19, at least three international flights to Chennai scheduled to land late on Wednesday night were cancelled, sources in the intelligence agencies said on Thursday.

With few passengers, mostly Indian nationals returning home and foreigners on compelling trips landing at Chennai International Airport since Tuesday after the COVID-19 scare spread across South Asian countries, the Frankfurt-Chennai-Frankfurt Lufthansa flights LH-758/759, Bangkok-Chennai-Bangkok Thai Airways flights TG 337/338 and Hong Kong-Chennai-Hong Kong Cathay Pacific flights CX 631/632 were cancelled.

While airline officials refused to comment on the reasons for the cancellations, airport sources said these flights had announced operations as per schedule on Thursday.

“The flow of passengers in the international terminal has drastically come down in the last few days. There have been many cancellations after the spread of COVID-19. Adequate immigration and health officials have been deployed for conducting medical screening of all passengers irrespective of their nationalities,” a police official told The Hindu.

While the medical screening was made compulsory for passengers arriving from 12 countries on Monday, the Government of India extended it to cover all passengers irrespective of their nationalities and country of origin.

All Foreigners Regional Registration Officers (FRROs) were told to liaise with airport authorities and carry out medical screening of passengers. While foreigners refusing to cooperate with the authorities in the screening or sharing details of their stay would be denied entry, Indians shall be compulsorily quarantined, police sources said.

“It may be ensured that the phone number, address of all passengers (Indians and foreigners) coming from these destinations may be compulsorily collected. Those Indians who do not divulge the information may be cautioned of compulsory quarantine and those foreigners who do not provide information may not be given entry,” the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a note to FRROs.

These measures will be in addition to passengers giving an undertaking that they don’t have symptoms of COVID-19. Sources in the Chennai Port Trust said that the Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, reviewed through video conferencing the measures taken to prevent COVID-19 with port officials across the country. “Instructions have been issued to start 100% screening of all the crew and passengers of foreign vessels irrespective of the country on arrival,” a port official said.

Southern Railway issued an alert to all major stations on the preventive steps to be taken and announcements were made informing passengers that they could contact the respective Train Captains or Station Managers in case of any COVID-19 symptoms. Travelling Ticket Inspectors were told to keep a watch on sick passengers.

‘Yoga therapy can help deal with effects of space travel’

Former ISRO chief speaks at medical university convocation

06/03/2020, STAFF REPORTER,CHENNAI

Governor Banwarilal Purohit at the convocation on Thursday. From left, Sudha Seshayyan, K. Kasturirangan and R. Chidambaram are seen. S.R. RaghunathanS.R. Raghunathan

With India aiming for human space missions, a new dimension needs to be created in medical education to handle the physiological and psychological challenges the country’s astronauts have to face, K. Kasturirangan, former chairman, ISRO, said on Thursday.

Delivering the convocation address at the 32nd convocation of the Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, he said that yoga therapy could help deal with the physiological and psychological effects on human beings surviving in space.

He added that even Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian to travel to space, had spoken about performing yoga while in space.

He said that a number of changes happen in the human body under microgravity conditions in space.

While counter measures in dealing with some of these effects include exercises, he said that India’s very own valuable heritage in this connection was yoga therapy. He said that yoga therapy helped maintain core and neck strength, besides helping overcome the problems of space motion sickness and the psychological impact.

“We need to create specialised courses as well as institutions to impart education with necessary simulation and training infrastructure in this connection,” he said.

Arguing that the quality of medical education and the aspects of governance in India leave much to be desired, Mr. Kasturirangan, who headed the committee that drafted the National Education Policy (NEP), said that the NEP and the newly-formed National Medical Commission had tried to address many of these issues.

R. Chidambaram, former Chairman, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, said that artificial intelligence and machine learning were expected to be more useful in diagnosis and drug development.

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit presided over the convocation. Sudha Seshayyan, vice-chancellor of the university, presented the annual report.

A total of 17,590 graduates from medical, dental, AYUSH, and allied health sciences received their degree.

For the first time since the inception of the university, the convocation was conducted on the university premises, the V-C said.

SC to step in if Nirbhaya convicts are not hanged on March 20

It will decide govt. appeal for nod to hang them separately

06/03/2020, KRISHNADAS RAJAGOPAL,NEW DELHI

Nearing justice: Asha Devi, mother of the victim, coming out after the hearing on Thursday. Bibek ChettriBibek Chettri

The Supreme Court on Thursday made it clear that any delay in the execution of the death sentence of the four Nirbhaya gang-rape case convicts on March 20 will see the court itself step in on March 23 to decide the government’s appeal for permission to separately hang them.

The assurance from a three-judge Bench, led by Justice R. Banumathi, came while it was addressing the government’s apprehension that chances were high that one or other of the convicts might turn up in court before March 20 with a new plea and further delay the execution.

‘No astrologer’

“I am no astrologer... but they [the convicts] will find something to delay the March 20 execution... I am not in a hurry to execute them, but the system is suffering when the punishment keeps getting postponed. The convicts have been taking the system for a ride... Even now, it has been over two years since their review petitions were dismissed by the Supreme Court,” Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta submitted.

At this juncture, Justice Banumathi turned to the convicts’ lawyers to come prepared on March 23 as the court would not entertain any request for adjournment.

No rang barse this year?: Coronavirus scare results in cancelled Holi events

TNN | Mar 6, 2020, 01.00 AM IST

No rang barse this year?: Coronavirus scare results in cancelled Holi events

On Wednesday, the Prime Minister’s official handle tweeted that “experts across the world have advised to reduce mass gatherings to avoid the spread of COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus. Hence, this year I have decided not to participate in any Holi Milan programme.” Soon, several other political leaders also said that they are skipping Holi gatherings. Later, President Ram Nath Kovind’s office informed that the Rashtrapati Bhavan will not hold the traditional Holi gatherings as a precautionary measure. However, even before these announcements came, many people were already cancelling Holi parties and gatherings as a precaution against coronavirus. From large-scale events to smaller society gathering – the virus has impacted all Holi celebrations. Dilli Haat calls off Holi event, Holi Moo to refund tickets

Delhi Tourism’s annual Holi events, which were supposed to take place at Dilli Haat, INA, and Dilli Haat, Janakpuri, have been cancelled. A Delhi Tourism official tells us, “Our annual Holi event has been cancelled due to measures taken by the Delhi Government to contain the coronavirus outbreak.”

Several large-scale parties across NCR are organised for Holi, but this year, the coronavirus threat looms large over them. Holi Moo, which is organised in Asiad village in Hauz Khas, has been cancelled due to the same reason. Anshuman Gulati, Festival Director at Holi Moo, issued a statement that they’ve cancelled Holi celebrations due to coronavirus scare. He said in a statement, “We have decided not to go ahead with the festival this year. The safety and security of all our patrons is always a matter of paramount importance to us. For all those who have already purchased tickets to the festival, be rest assured, your transaction amount will be refunded within 10 working days.”

NCR RWAs cancel Holi Milan as residents fret over coronavirus

Following the sudden rise in coronavirus cases in NCR, many residential societies are cancelling their Holi events. In Delhi, URJA – United Residents Joint Action, the apex body of RWAs, has issued an advisory to all residents’ associations to not hold “public engagements” or Holi programmes.

Raja Puri, Secretary, N Block RWA GK-1, says, “We had organised Holi Milan in our society on March 10, but after the news of the party hosted by a coronavirus patient came out, we started getting calls from our society members asking to cancel the event. They don’t want to take a risk by participating in any public event, so we had to cancel it. People are not sending kids to schools if they don’t have exams, so celebrating Holi in a big event seems out of question.”

After Defence Colony residents wrote to the Defence Colony Club, asking to cancel their Holi celebrations, a meeting was organised and the Holi function was called off. Several other societies, including Malviya Nagar, GK-1, South Ex-II, Geetanjali Enclave also cancelled their Holi celebrations.

Ruby Makhija, RWA president, Navjiwan Vihar, says, “On Wednesday, we informed our society members with regret about our decision to cancel our annual Holi lunch. We’re aware that this year no gathering could be organised because of coronavirus. Safety comes first, and that’s why we’ve cancelled the celebrations. I have also written to all the RWAs to cancel their events as well. Rajiva Singh, president, Noida Federation of Apartment Owners Association, says, “A couple of societies in Noida and Gr Noida have informed us that they have cancelled Holi celebrations in their societies. In other societies, the celebrations are going to very different this year. For instance, there won’t be rain dances. While we have issued a health advisory to all societies, we have not issued an advisory to cancel Holi events yet. We’re monitoring the situation and we will take a decision within the next two-three days.”

SC defers hearing on plea over separate hangings

TNN | Mar 6, 2020, 04.59 AM IST

New Delhi: In view of the fresh warrant issued by a trial court to execute the death sentence of Nirbhaya case convicts on March 20, the Supreme Court on Thursday deferred hearing on the Centre’s plea to allow separate execution where there are more than one death row convict. The court posted the matter for March 23.

A bench of Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan and A S Bopanna said it would examine whether separate execution could be allowed in cases where more than one person was convicted and awarded death sentence. It rejected the plea of Nirbhaya case convicts to grant them a hearing before March 20.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the Delhi government, said the Nirbhaya case convicts had taken the judicial system for a ride and separate execution of sentence should be allowed.

“There is no anxiety on our part to hang somebody. Nobody likes this. Our anxiety is that credibility of the system is at stake,” Mehta said. He added that there may be a case tomorrow in which 10 or 20 people are convicted and they may again delay execution by moving separate forums at different times.

Mehta said there was no statutory provision, which said convicts had to be executed simultaneously. He urged the court to direct the Nirbhaya case convicts to file whatsoever they wanted in court before March 20. The bench did not pass any order on the issue and adjourned the case.