Safety protocol finalised for JEE & NEET aspirants

Safety protocol finalised for JEE & NEET aspirants

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:20.08.2020

No frisking, staggered time-slots for reporting and contact-less verification of documents like admit cards will be part of the safety protocol for engineering and medical admission tests — JEE (Main) and NEET — to be held by the National Testing Agency between September 1-13 for nearly 25 lakh aspirants.

Candidates will be required to carry a self-declaration regarding their Covid-free health status on the day of the test and those with body temperature higher than the recommended will be allowed to take the test in isolated rooms.

As per the standard operating procedures finalised by NTA and a copy of which has been accessed by TOI, threetier measures are being put in place — pre-examination, conduct of exam and post exam phases. As part of pre-exam measures, all centres would keep gloves, masks, hand sanitisers, sponges/ cloth, disinfectant liquid with 1% sodium hypochlorite, disinfectant backpack spray machines for sanitising floors and walls, thermo guns and individual water bottles for staff and candidates.

All floors, walls and gates of the exam centre will be sanitised with disinfectants before the exam starts and those on exam duty will wear masks and gloves after staff verification. At the entry, body temperature of the candidates will be recorded and if it is found to be more than 99.4°Fahrenheit, the candidate will be taken to an isolation room. The process of frisking and document verification for such candidates will be done after 15 to 20 minutes. Candidates will be allowed in batches of 15 girls and 15 boys in two different registration rooms. Inside the exam hall, candidates will be allowed to carry face mask, gloves, a personal transparent water bottle, a small hand sanitiser and documents like admit card and identity card.

Full report on www.toi.in

Only 1/3rd of kids adjusting well to e-classes: Survey

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:

Nearly onethird of the students from CBSE-affiliated schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya are adjusting well to online education but an equal number are struggling, while overall 80% are using mobile phones as a learning tool, a survey has revealed.

With the Covid-19 outbreak and subsequent disruption of classroom education since March 16, 2020, around 16% are using laptops and computers besides phones, data collected from students, teachers, school principals and parents on the present teaching-learning scenario by the National Council of Educational Research and Training has revealed.

Overall, the survey revealed about 60-70% of all stake holder participants reported being “very satisfied or satisfied”. About 20-30% stakeholders shared they had a difficult experience and about 10-20% said it was burdensome. Less number of teachers (16%) are finding online teaching difficult as compared to 32.6% of students.

The two major contributors for students who found the online learning “joyful” or very satisfactory is convenience (46.8%) and teachers having planned interesting activities (46.4%) in response to separate queries. As per NCERT’s report, the major hindrance has been poor internet connectivity and difficulty in sharing and use of contents for online classes through mobile phones. The survey was conducted among 34,598 students, parents, teachers and school principals across the country.

Full report on www.toi.in

SC reserves verdict on states’ power to cancel final exams

SC reserves verdict on states’ power to cancel final exams

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:19.08.2020

The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its verdict on the question whether state governments had power under the Disaster Management Act to cancel final examinations for award of degrees to college students even though the University Grants Commission has asked universities to conduct final examinations by September 30.

Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha and Delhi said the UGC could not have taken a unilateral decision to hold final examinations, turning a blind eye to the Covid-19 pandemic which is accounting for over 50,000 new infections daily.

Though there had been a push to empower students with laptops for years, the common refrain of these four states was that most students were from rural areas and did not have access to laptops. Giving examinations with mobile phones would be extremely difficult and connectivity and internet speed were perennial issues that could raise the level of anxiety among students and deprive them of doing well in the examinations, the states said.

Senior advocates and advocates general of these states argued that when no public transport was available and when state governments had been empowered under the Disaster Management Act to take strict containment action during the pandemic, holding final examinations would be endangering the lives of many. They said past examination performance sheets of each student, along with internal assessments, were available with colleges and it would be easy to evaluate them on that basis and promote them without final examinations.

However, a bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R S Reddy and M R Shah said when UGC guidelines, as shown by solicitor general Tushar Mehta, were binding on universities, the commission’s decision not to recognise degrees without passing final examinations would also be binding. Before reserving its order, the SC said the only question was whether state governments, in a pandemic situation, had power under the DM Act to decide when to hold final examinations, especially when they pleaded that many colleges had been converted into Covid-19 testing centres.

The bench refused to interfere in the ongoing final examinations in Delhi University colleges. Mehta said the UGC guidelines had given three options — online, offline or hybrid system of examinations for final year students. He said around 300 universities had already conducted final examinations and another 400 were in the process of doing so. Mehta said the UGC had made a provision that if any student, for a genuine reason, could not appear in the final examination held before September 30, then she would be given one more chance.

Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha and Delhi said the UGC could not have taken a unilateral decision to hold final examinations, turning a blind eye to the Covid pandemic

GU exams in 2 phases in Sep

GU exams in 2 phases in Sep

Ahmedabad:19.08.2020

Gujarat University (GU) will hold exams for arts, commerce, science and law students in two phases from September 3 and September 12. About 70,000 students in various GU-affiliated colleges are expected to take this offline (pen and paper) format exams that are to end on September 20.

Students who have applied for online exams, the university will hold exams for them separately, the dates of which are yet to be announced. As many as 12,000 students have so far registered for online exams that will be held after September 30, said sources in GU.

On Tuesday, GU announced the dates for holding exams as per which postgraduate courses including MA fourth semester, LLB (2,4,6 semester), LLM (1, 3 semester) and MCom fourth semester students, will have to take the exams in the first phase starting September 3. Candidates pursuing their undergraduate studies like BCom, BA, BSc, BBA, BCA, will participate in the second round of offline exams starting September 12. TNN

Maid uses dead man’s ATM card to siphon ₹35 lakh during lockdown Got PIN From Deceased’s Mobile Phone

Maid uses dead man’s ATM card to siphon ₹35 lakh during lockdown

Got PIN From Deceased’s Mobile Phone

Dwaipayan.Ghosh@timesgroup.com

Kolkata:19.08.2020

The detective department has arrested a maid servant — employed at a house on Anwar Shah Road for last seven years — and her two accomplices for allegedly stealing the ATM card of her employer, who had passed away during the initial lockdown days, and withdrawing Rs 35 lakh from his account over the next two months.

The cops have arrested main accused Rita Roy (45), a resident of Nakashipara in Nadia, her son-in-law Ranjit Mullick (31), a resident of Karimpur in Nadia, and Mullick’s brother-in-law Soumitra Sarkar (45) of Guptipara in Hooghly. Police have recovered Rs 27 lakh from the accused so far.

According to joint CP (crime) Murlidhar Sharma, Anurag Agarwal, a resident of City High on Prince Anwar Shah Road, had alleged that someone had stolen the ATM card of his father Satyanarayan Agarwal, who had died during the first week of lockdown. Using the card, the accused had withdrawn Rs 34,90,000 from different ATM counters between March 30 and May 30. A case was registered at Jadavpur police station.

“Since it was a full lockdown phase and no one was going to banks, no one had an inkling that money was being withdrawn. The son stayed in another flat. The mobile phone that belonged to Satyanarayan was switched off, so the SMS alerts never reached his family members. The deceased’s son had SMSed the PIN of the card to his father since Satyanarayan used to forget it often. The maid got the PIN from the mobile,” said an investigating officer. It was when Anurag went to the bank to take stock of his father’s accounts on June 1 that he realized about the theft.

During investigation, cops collected the transaction details and CCTV footage of the ATM counters from where money was withdrawn. It was found that two persons had withdrawn the cash wearing masks and caps. They also chose ATM counters of different banks at Karimpur, Krishnagore and Ranaghat in Nadia and Guptipara in Hooghly. “With no other lead, CCTV footage were shown to local sources and a ground survey was carried out around the ATMs. Finally, we identified both Mullick and Sarkar and they were arrested on August 13 from their respective residences,” said Sharma.

The accused were interrogated and it was found that they were brothers-in-law and that they had got the ATM card from Mullick’s motherin-law, the maid servant of the complainant’s father. Roy, the maid servant, was arrested from Kolkata where she continued to work.

“Searches were carried out at their respective residences. While Rs 16 lakh was recovered from Mullick, Rs 2 lakh and the ATM card was seized from Sarkar and another Rs 9 lakh was recovered from Roy,” said Sharma. The cops have taken custody of the accused till August 25.

வந்தே பாரத் திட்டத்துக்கு 2 வாரங்கள் தடை விதித்தது ஹாங்காங்

வந்தே பாரத் திட்டத்துக்கு 2 வாரங்கள் தடை விதித்தது ஹாங்காங்

புதுடில்லி: கொரோனா பரவல் காரணமாக, இந்திய அரசின் 'வந்தே பாரத்' திட்டத்துக்கு, ஹாங்காங் அரசு இரண்டு வாரங்கள் தடை விதித்துள்ளது.இந்தியாவில் பரவியுள்ள கொரோனா வைரஸ் தடுப்பு நடவடிக்கை காரணமாக கடந்த மார்ச் மாதம் முதல் நாடு தழுவிய ஊரங்கு பல கட்டங்களாக நீட்டிக்கப்பட்டது. உலகில் பெரும்பாலான நாடுகளில் பரவியுள்ள கொரோனாவால் அங்கு ஊரடங்கு அமல்படுத்தப் பட்டது. இதனால் அந்த நாடுகளில் சிக்கியுள்ள இந்தியர்களை மீட்க மத்திய அரசு கடந்த மே 7-ம் தேதி வந்தே பாரத் திட்டத்தை துவக்கியது. இத்திட்டத்தின் கீழ், இதுவரை 10 லட்சத்துக்கும் அதிகமான இந்தியர்கள் இந்தியா திரும்பி உள்ளனர். ஹாங்காங்கிலிருந்து டில்லிக்கு ஆக., 18 மற்றும் 21 தேதியில், இரண்டு வந்தே பாரத் திட்டங்களை இயக்க மத்திய அரசு திட்டமிட்டிருந்த நிலையில், கொரோனா பரவல் காரணமாக 'வந்தே பாரத்' திட்டத்துக்கு 2 வாரங்களுக்கு ஹாங்காங் அரசு தடை விதித்துள்ளது. விமான பயணங்களுக்கு முன்பாக, பயணிகளுக்கு முறையான கொரோனா பரிசோதனை செய்யவில்லை என தெரிவித்துள்ள ஹாங்காங் அரசு, இன்று (ஆக.,18) முதல் ஆக.,31ம் தேதி வரை தடை விதித்துள்ளது.

Dailyhunt

ஆர்டர் செய்தது ஒன்று.., வந்தது வேறு !! இளைஞரின் நேர்மையை கௌரவித்த அமேசான் நிறுவனம்

ஆர்டர் செய்தது ஒன்று.., வந்தது வேறு !! இளைஞரின் நேர்மையை கௌரவித்த அமேசான் நிறுவனம்

Wednesday, 19 Aug, 7.34 amTamil Express News
இந்த காலத்தில் சிறுவர்கள் முதல் முதியவர்கள் வரை பலர் ஆன்லைன் ஷாப்பிங்கிங்கு மாறிவிட்டனர். சாப்பாடு உடை என அனைத்தும் ஆன்லைனில் வந்துவிடுகிறது. பலருக்கு பொருட்கள் பொருள் டெலிவரியில் பிரச்சனை அவ்வப்போது வருகின்றன. இந்நிலையில் கேரளாவின் மலப்புரத்தை சேர்ந்தவர் நபில் நஷீத். இவர் ஆகஸ்ட் 10-ஆம் தேதியன்று அமேசான் மூலம் ரூ.1400 மதிப்புள்ள பவர் பேங்க்கை ஆர்டர் செய்துள்ளார்.

நபில் நஷீத்திற்கு ஆர்டர் செய்த பொருள் கடந்த ஆகஸ்ட் 15-ஆம் தேதி சுகந்திர தினம் அன்று அமேசான் டெலிவரி செய்த பார்சலை பார்த்து அதிர்ச்சி அடைந்துள்ளார். ரூ.1400 மதிப்புள்ள பவர் பேங்க்கிற்கு பதில் நபில் நஷீத்திற்கு ரூ.8000 மதிப்புள்ள ரெட்மி டியோ மொபைல் தவறுதலாக டெலிவரி செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது.

ஆன்லைனில் வந்தவரை லாபம் என்று நினைக்காத அந்த இளைஞர் தனது ட்விட்டரில் அமேசான் நிறுவனத்தை டேக் செய்து, 'சுகந்திர தினத்தன்று எனக்கு சந்தோஷத்தை ஏற்படுத்தியதற்கு நன்றி, நான் பவர் பேங்க் தான் ஆர்டர் செய்தேன், எனக்கு ரெட்மி மொபைல் வந்துள்ளது, இதை நான் என்ன செய்யவேண்டும் என்று சொல்லுங்கள்?' என பதிவிட்டுள்ளார். இதை பார்த்த அமேசான் நிறுவனம் அவருக்கு அதிர்ச்சியளிக்கும் ரிப்ளை ஒன்றை செய்துள்ளது.

அதில் 'வந்த போனை நீங்களே அதை உபயோகப்படுத்துங்கள் அல்லாது சுதந்திர தினத்திற்கு யாருக்காவது தானம் செய்யுங்கள்' என அவரது நேர்மையை பாராட்டி இப்படி பதில் கொடுத்துள்ளனர்.
Dailyhunt

In Tamil Nadu, if you fly back from abroad, you go to quarantine hotel. Period.

In Tamil Nadu, if you fly back from abroad, you go to quarantine hotel. Period.

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | SUDHEESH T

PublishedAug 15, 2020, 7:16 pm IST

Under the state's quarantine SOP, it doesn't matter that you recently tested COVID-19 negative

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's (MoHFW)'s new guidelines issued on August 3, people flying into India can seek exemption from institutional quarantine. AFP Photo

Chennai: Thirty passengers who flew in on an Air-India flight from the UK on Saturday morning were bused off to mandatory institutional quarantine, where they will remain for seven days at their own cost.

It didn't matter that they all produced COVID-19 negative test results.

In Tamil Nadu, if you come in from abroad, you can wave your negative test result all you like but off you go to quarantine.

That's the standard operating procedure (SOP) here although the central government exempts COVID-negatives from institutionalised quarantine and allows them home quarantine.

The 30 negatives from the UK were picked up from the airport by a government vehicle and driven to Hotel Fairfield by Marriott at OMR Chennai. Room rent: Rs 2500 per day.

"I don't know what is happening," said 63-year-old Rajam Nallamuthu, a retired LIC employee from Adambakkam who arrived back in Chennai after a visit to her son’s house in London. She produced a COVID19 negative certificate issued by the London Medical Laboratory on August 12 but she was waved on to quarantine hotel. 

There she had to pay Rs 5,000 as entry fee. "I am a diabetic patient. We were brought in early in the morning. They gave us two chapatis and vegetable curry as breakfast and lunch was served at 3 pm. If I want a coffee, I have to pay for it." she complained.

All the rooms in the hotel are filled with passengers like her, people coming home from abroad who thought their negative test report was a passport back home.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's (MoHFW)'s new guidelines issued on August 3, people flying into India can seek exemption from institutional quarantine if they produce a corona-negative report of a test conducted not more than 96 hours before undertaking the journey.

Officials of Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) said they have the mandate to tweak the central government's guidelines. Meghanath Reddy, deputy commissioner (revenue) of GCC, who deals with quarantine-related matters, said the state government 's guidelines over rides the central government norms.

"It’s the prerogative of the state government to tweak the central government’s guidelines. We have adopted an eight-day mandatory quarantine. Those who produce a negative certificate will be released after the first test result," he said.

And who pays for the unwanted hotel room?