Higher edu minister: Exam guidelines of UGC not mandatory

Higher edu minister: Exam guidelines of UGC not mandatory

Yogita.Rao@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:08.07.2020

A day after the University Grants Commission (UGC) issued directives to conduct final-year exams by September-end, state higher education minister Uday Samant wrote to the Centre seeking uniform guidelines for awarding degrees based on an “appropriate evaluation formula” instead.

The UGC approved the recommendation of an expert committee to conduct exams in offline, online or blended (offline+online) mode.

“I am of the opinion that the UGC’s revised guidelines are not mandatory but an advisory like the earlier ones,” Samant said in his letter.

The minister reiterated the state stand on not conducting final-year exams in view of the pandemic and based on the review done by the disaster management authority.

The UGC’s latest directive has put lakhs of students in the state in a quandary. Many who were relieved after the state issued a government resolution making exams optional, are now worried about the outcome of the UGC decision. The Maharashtra Students’ Union, which has been opposing the conduct of exams in the state, is planning to seek legal opinion.

Close to 10 lakh students are in the final year across 11 state universities. A principal said that the issue has been dragging for long creating more confusion for students.

Yuva Sena seeks decision review

The Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Shiv Sena led by cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray, has demanded that the HRD ministry reconsider the UGC decision to conduct final year examinations since Covid-19 cases had been rising. The UGC on Monday announced that it will not recommend cancellation of the final year exam. TNN

Chennai doctors successfully remove tumor from six-month-old's tongue

Chennai doctors successfully remove tumor from six-month-old's tongue

A group of experts led by Dr Moorthy of Rainbow Children’s Hospital, diagnosed the tumor to be a thyroglossal duct cyst which is a mass in the front part of the neck that is filled with fluid.

Published: 06th July 2020 10:17 PM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: In one of the rarest instances, doctors in Chennai successfully treated a six-month-old baby, who was born with a thyroglossal cyst on the tongue. A thyroglossal duct cyst is a mass or lump in the front part of the neck that is filled with fluid.

According to a statement, a group of experts led by Dr Moorthy of Rainbow Children's Hospital, diagnosed the tumor to be a thyroglossal duct cyst which required surgical intervention for its removal. The boy, named Theeran, was brought to the hospital in a stable condition with a swelling in the tongue which was present since birth.

The statement said that the swelling had occupied the whole of the mouth, thereby pushing the tongue to the upper palate making it challenging for the baby to breastfeed and swallow. Upon performing tests and MRI scans, the reports revealed a lymphatic cyst on tongue which was resistant to sclerotherapy (a procedure to shrink the size of blood vessels).

The baby’s condition started to become critical as the cystic tumor which was arising from the tongue had extended up to the floor of the mouth, and thereby hampering the baby’s intake of food and milk. After careful evaluation and study of the cyst, the doctors went for the surgery and removed the cyst.

"The Cyst was intramuscular in nature and was filled with brownish jelly material. During the surgery, we had to decompress the cyst and drain the liquid to safely remove the tumor," Dr Moorthy G, Senior

Consultant – Pediatric Surgery & Urology at the hospital said.

The baby was discharged after three days from the date of surgery and is recovering well, the statement added. He has resumed his normal food intake and is able to drink and eat comfortably.

Swelling crowds and traffic as Chennai enters unlock 2.0

Swelling crowds and traffic as Chennai enters unlock 2.0

Many Chennaiites gave a thumbs down to safety norms as the city unlocked itself from another spell of intense lockdown on Monday.

Published: 07th July 2020 06:55 AM 

An ambulance struggling to find its way out near the Basin Bridge Junction in Chennai on Monday | P JAWAHAR

By Sahaya Novinston Lobo

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Many Chennaiites gave a thumbs down to safety norms as the city unlocked itself from another spell of intense lockdown on Monday. Chaos and crowd ruled the city streets as large number of workers and people came out of their houses since morning. Anticipating heavy traffic, the city police had activated over 400 traffic signals at major junctions. Reminiscent of the pre-Covid days, major locations such as Basin Bridge, Poonamallee High Road, and Gemini Flyover witnessed traffic snarls as long as 30 minutes.

Several two-wheeler riders gave scant regard to social distance by allowing pillion riders while many others jumped signals. Commercial areas like Purasaivakkam, Parry’s Corner, T Nagar, Sowcarpet and Tambaram witnessed huge crowds as shops reopened after a gap of almost three weeks. The Basin Bridge that connects some key market areas and establishments witnessed heavy traffic at 9.30 am. At Anna Salai and Poonamallee High Road, police were deployed to check on people not wearing masks or giving pillion rides. “At each red signal, we counted at least 30 people without helmets, masks or with a pillion rider,” said a traffic personnel.

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Workers protest at Pulianthope, Kasimedu

Hundreds of workers protested at Pulianthope slaughter house, demanding that the government allow them resume work after a gap of three months. “Poultry farmers and retailers are all dependent on this slaughter house. It has been more than 100 days since the place was shut down. We are jobless and in debts,” said D Appanraj, who was protesting since 7 am. Similarly, fishermen at Kasimedu fishing harbour staged a protest demanding that the State government allow them to go for deep-sea fishing and provide them the pending subsidy.

Mobile phone showrooms across the city saw large crowds as many of them reopened after a gap of three months. “We have been busy since morning as people are reaching us for repairs and to buy new phones,” said H Saravanan, who runs a shop in Ayanavaram. Some of the shops asked customers to follow norms. Thermal scanners too were deployed. Large assembly of people were seen in front of tea stalls since as early as 6 am. Even though teasellers were advised to give out only parcels, most shops didn’t follow it. A few popular coffee shops along the Anna Salai near GP Road were so crowded that the police had to chase the customers away as the road was partially blocked by two-wheelers. As of Monday evening, the sleuths booked several people under the Motor Vehicles Act and the Epidemic Disease Act.

Airlines selling tickets for ghost flights?

Airlines selling tickets for ghost flights?

Manju.V@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:  07.07.2020

Sachin Shettybought three tickets in the second week of June for a Mumbai-Mangalore nonstop flight for July 5. Four days before departure, the low cost carrier told him the flight was cancelled and his money had been moved to a credit shell. He later learnt that Mangalore is not connected to Mumbai by direct flights now, so why did the airline sell him the ticket?

Businessman Brijesh Sutaria on May 30 booked a Mumbai-Delhi flight ticket for June 7. The next day, the airline told him his flight was cancelled and his Rs 4,200 had gone into a credit shell for later use.

Flight cancellations due to new restrictions by a state, like one recently by West Bengal government, are understandable. But in the past few weeks, passengers like Shetty and Sutaria found they were sold tickets for flights not scheduled at all or were likely to be cancelled later due to low demand.

“The day after I booked the ticket, I got a message from the airline that the flight had been cancelled due to operational reasons,’’ said Sutaria. “Are airlines offering tickets on non-existent flights? They could be collecting public money, putting it in a credit shell for 730 days with no interest,’’ Sutaria alleged. He believes he was sold the ticket for a Mumbai-Delhi flight that was not scheduled at all.

Shetty was sold a ticket on a non-existent Mumbai-Mangalore flight. “The airline message did not mention why the flight was cancelled. It gave an option to reschedule, but I could not find a flight on any other day, so the money went into credit shell.”

An aviation source said, “There are no non-stop flights now from Mumbai to cities like Chennai, Trivandrum, Mangalore and Panjim, so it is surprising tickets were sold on non-existent routes.”

Full report on www.toi.in

In the past few weeks, passengers have found that they were sold tickets for flights not scheduled at all or were likely to be cancelled later due to low demand

UGC gives window till Sept-end to universities to hold final year exams

UGC gives window till Sept-end to universities to hold final year exams

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: 07.07.2020

After a nod from the home ministry for higher education institutes to hold final year exams, the UGC on Monday decided to give them a window till September-end to conduct them while reiterating the earlier guidelines to assess the final semester (graduating) students through an examination conducted in either online, offline or blended mode.

The UGC said there will be no changes to the guidelines issued on April 29. The calendar has been tweaked and institutions have been given time till September-end to hold the final year exams, it said.

But the guidelines, issued on Monday said that in case a student of terminal semester/ final year is unable to appear in the examination for whatsoever reasons, he or she may be given an opportunity to appear in a special examination to be conducted as and when feasible.

“The final term examinations are to be compulsorily conducted as per the UGC guidelines on examinations and academic calendar for the universities; and as per the standard operating procedure (SOP) approved by the ministry of health & family welfare,” a home ministry statement said.

In view of the surge in Covid-19 infections, UGC’s panel of experts, headed by Haryana University vice-chancellor R C Kuhad, was on June 25 asked to review the final year examination guidelines issued on April 29.

HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal had said: “I have advised UGC to revisit the guidelines issued earlier... The foundation for revisited guidelines shall be health and safety (of) students, teachers and staff.”

In case a student of terminal semester/ final year is unable to appear in the examination for whatsoever reasons, he or she may be given an opportunity to appear in a special examination to be conducted as and when feasible

50% govt staff to rotate shifts, union wants 33% strength

50% govt staff to rotate shifts, union wants 33% strength

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

07.07.2020

State government employees on Monday reverted to a six-day week schedule with 50% working alternatively on two consecutive days. The differently-abled and pregnant staff are exempted from work.

While there was no comprehensive order from the government for the staff to revert to the previous strength, department heads issued orders detailing the roster for every two days. The finance department directed its officials, personal staff, shroff, record assistants, dispatch assistants, record clerks and office assistants to be present on all working days. Those skipping duty as per the 50% roster drawn with effect from July 6 even for a single day will have to submit a leave application.

There is a sense of fear among the staff following a spike in cases after 50% employees were told to turn up on May 18. Seventyseven positive cases were recorded until Monday in the Secretariat, with staff being home-quarantined or hospitalised.

“It is best to revert to the 33% strength to contain the spread of the virus as there are difficulties in seating arrangements in departments like finance where the staff have to work in cramped spaces. The government should consider granting leave on Saturday to sanitise the offices for two days,” Tamil Nadu Secretariat Association president Peter Anthonysamy said. The association has approached higher-ups for distribution of kabasura kudineer and homeopathic medicine to 6,000 staff members in Fort St George from this week. With the air-conditioning switched off, the corridors and offices are dotted with pedestal fans now and automatic sanitiser dispensers have been made available.

The agriculture department has instructed its officers and staff members to remain accessible through electronic modes of communication. Notwithstanding the above alternate working system, the staff off duty should attend to calls at any given point of time. “The safety of staff is very important. Even with 33% strength, people were getting infected. So the foremost need is orientation of the staff on how to keep themselves safe. When no one is around, they keep the masks below their nose,” said a secretary of the department.

Though MTC operates 250 buses in the city for the government staff, Jacto-Geo coordinator G Vasudevan said there were plenty of vehicles in each department which could be diverted for staff who are otherwise at the mercy of autorickshaws.

Health Ministry, DCI Lower NEET MDS 2020 Percentile Cutoff To Fill Vacant Seats;

Health Ministry, DCI Lower NEET MDS 2020 Percentile Cutoff To Fill Vacant Seats;

Details By GarimaPublished On 5 July 2020 10:00 AM | Updated On 5 July 2020 10:01 AM 

New Delhi: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Dental Council of India (DCI) has decided to lower the qualifying cut-off percentile for NEET MDS 2020. The information to this effect comes with a recent notice issued by the Health Ministry on its official website wherein it has clearly stated that the Ministry, in consultation with Dental Council of India (DCI) has decided to lower the qualifying cut-off percentile for NEET-MDS, 2020 by 18.935 percentile for each category (General, SC/ST/OBC and UR-PWD). 

This has been done in pursuance of the 2nd proviso in clause 7(1) of DCI's Master of Dental Surgery Course (1 st Amendment) Regulations, 2018, states, the notice signed by D.V.K. Rao, Deputy Secretary to the Government of India. The qualifying percentiles for NEET¬MDS, 2020 for the academic session 2020-21 now stand lowered as under: 

Category Revised cut-off percentile General Category (UR/EWS) 31.065 

SC/ST/OBC (Including PWD of SC/ST/OBC) 21.065 

UR-PWD 26.065 

National Board of Examinations has been directed to bring out the revised result in accordance with the above-lowered qualifying percentiles. 

NEET MDS is an eligibility-cum-ranking examination prescribed as the single entrance examination for admission to various PG MDS Courses under Dentists Act, 1948 (amended from time to time). No other entrance examination, either at state or institution level, shall be valid for entry to MDS Courses. 

PERCENTILE Vs PERCENTAGE A percentile rank tells how well a candidate did in comparison to other candidates, while a percentage rank explains how well a candidate did in the test itself. Percentile never gives the detail of the marks that you have scored instead it just tell you about your merit position among the number of candidates who have appeared in the test with you. For example, a candidate might answer 85 percent of questions correctly and rank in the 99th percentile which means that percentile is not related to the percent of correct answers a student gets on a test. Percentile ranks are commonly used to clarify the interpretation of marks on standardized tests. 

For example, a test marks that is greater than or equal to 80% of the marks of candidates taking the test is said to be at the 80th percentile, where 80 is the percentile rank. Whereas the percentage of marks is simply calculated based on the marks obtained out of the maximum marks in the test. For example, a test marks of 75% in a test with maximum marks of 1000 indicates a mark of 750. The percentage of marks is not affected by the candidate's merit position in comparison to other candidates who took the test.

https://medicaldialogues.in/dentistry/news/health-ministry-dci-lower-neet-mds-2020-percentile-cutoff-to-fill-vacant-seats-details-67316