Madras varsity students with arrears to get min pass marks

Madras varsity students with arrears to get min pass marks

Decision To Help 1 Lakh Candidates

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:18.10.2020

University of Madras on Saturday decided to award minimum pass marks for candidates with arrears based on a government order. The resolution, passed by the university’s syndicate, is expected to help at least one lakh candidates in affiliated and autonomous colleges of the university.

“Students having arrears who have registered for exam will be given minimum pass by moderation in internal as well external examinations wherever necessary. The sum total of internal and external marks, however, should not exceed the overall passing minimum,” the resolution said.

However, a student with zero internal marks needs to appear for supplementary exams, the syndicate resolution said.

The state government had waived the arrears exams for all students in view of the still raging Covid-19 pandemic. The government exempted the candidates who had paid the fees for the April 2020 exam from appearing except for final semester students. It also asked the universities to award marks based on a 70% weightage for internal exams and 30% weightage for previous semester exams.

When calculated, many students with arrears were found to have more marks than the students without arrears. The university then decided to give a minimum pass for the students.

There is a court case regarding the waiving arrears exams in view of Covid-19. Officials from University of Madras said the case is not binding on the university as it was not added as one of the respondents in the case. The Madras high court adjourned the PIL against cancellation of arrears exams for the students.

Further, the officials said final year students with arrears have not able to finish their degrees and given the present situation it is not clear when the university would be able to conduct the exams. “In case students want to increase their marks, they can write improvement exams when the situation improves,” they said. Of the 57,875 who appeared for the UG and PG exams in the partly online test last month, 99% passed. In the previous semester, around 70% passed.

The govt waived arrears exams, awarding 70% for internal tests and 30% for previous semester exams. But, some with arrears got more than those without arrears

Karur quack on run arrested at city bus terminus

Karur quack on run arrested at city bus terminus

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:18.10.2020

Police on Friday arrested a 41-year-old man at the mofussil bus terminus in Koyambedu for illegally practising medicine at Karur.

The apprehension by a team of the Arumbakkam police was based on a complaint lodged by the Tamil Nadu Medical Council. A court later sent Jayapandi, the accused who had been nabbed while waiting to board a bus for Karur, to the Central Prison at Puzhal. He had come to the city to meet a relative, a police officer said.

Preliminary inquiries by police revealed that Jayapandi had submitted his qualification documents to the state medical council in 2018 and sought a licence to practise as a ‘doctor’. However, during the verification the documents were found out to have been forged and the medical council authorities lodged a formal complaint with the Arumbakkam police.

A case was registered, but Jayapandi, of Vishwanathapuri near Aravakurichi in Karur in central Tamil Nadu, went absconding. Two weeks ago, the Madras high court had sought status report in this particular case, where the man had got forged documents in the name of Annamalai university.

During interrogation, Jeyapandi reportedly told police that he had received fake certificates for ₹25 lakh from three men identified as Selvaraj, Chidambaram Gautam and Martin in Trichy.

The Arumbakkam police registered a case under Section 466 (whoever forges a document or electronic record), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (whoever fraudulently or dishonestly uses as genuine any document or electronic record), 474 (whoever has in his possession any document or electronic record), 484 (whoever counterfeits any property mark used by a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Officers who delayed pension of 99-yr-old must feel ashamed: HC

Officers who delayed pension of 99-yr-old must feel ashamed: HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:18.10.2020

Censuring government authorities for making a 99-year-old freedom fighter run from pillar to post, and then finally to approach the court to get freedom fighter’s pension, the Madras high court has observed that officers concerned must feel ashamed of their act.

“This is a case where, a freedom fighter, at the age of 99, has approached this court, still with the fond hope that, before his last breath, he will get the recognition that he was a freedom fighter,” Justice R Suresh Kumar said.

The issue pertains to a plea moved by S Gafoor, a resident of Vyasarpadi, seeking direction to the central and the state governments to grant him freedom fighter’s pension from 1997 under Central Swatantra Sainik Samman Scheme.

Though belatedly, in 1997, the petitioner made a request to the authorities for the pension, it seems that in 1997 itself, the Centre directed the state authorities to inquire into the matter and forward their recommendation with necessary documents, the court said.

Thereafter, the petitioner appeared before the district collector concerned and completed all the procedures in 2015.

But still the matter rests with state authorities, especially the collector. It seems that no final decision has been taken to make a recommendation to the Centre to grant the pension, the court said.

“If these factors are true, this court feels that it is a case, where the authorities concerned to be ashamed of their inaction, as a freedom fighter, at the age of 99, has approached this court to get recognition and pension,” the judge said.

Noting that the matter must be decided as soon as possible considering the age of the petitioner, the court directed the state authorities to file a status report by November 6.

The issue pertains to a plea moved by S Gafoor seeking direction to grant him freedom fighter’s pension from 1997 under Central Swatantra Sainik Samman Scheme

Chain-snatching lands him in too many troubles

Chain-snatching lands him in too many troubles

18/10/2020

S. SundarMadurai

Nothing went right for the cargo autorickshaw driver S. Raja Mohammed (29) on his reported maiden attempt to snatch gold chain near Melur on Friday.

First, he chose a head constable to snatch the gold chain. Secondly, the anxious bike rider lost his mobile phone in his attempt to pull the chain. To add to his misery, he lost control of the two-wheeler and dashed against another vehicle only to be caught by the public.

Raja Mohammed of Kidaripatti followed T. Vidhya, 42, head constable, attached to District Crime Branch in Sivaganga district while she was returning home at N. Perumalpatti near Melur.

When she came near Ganapathipuram, the man managed to yank her six sovereign gold chain. The man did not know that he had targeted a police personnel as she was in her civvies. She raised an alarm. It made the thief anxious. His mobile phone fell down. He hardly crossed some 100 metres, his motorbike dashed against a vehicle. He fell down and fractured his left hand. He tried to run away but he was caught by the people.

“The alarm raised by the victim drew the attention of the people and that helped us to nab him,” Inspector of Police (Melur), S. Charles, said.

Even if he managed to flee from the scene, he would have been apprehended as his mobile phone and number plate of his vehicle had fallen down at the scene of crime.

The Melur police recovered the gold chain and seized the two-wheeler. Interrogation revealed that Raja Mohammed had resorted to make quick money as he had fallen in debts. After being provided first-aid at the Government Hospital in Melur, he was sent to remand on Saturday.

Use student funds to pay salaries, DU colleges told

Use student funds to pay salaries, DU colleges told

Principals, Teachers Say Order Illegal, Ask Govt To Reconsider

Mohammad.Ibrar@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:17.10.2020

The directorate of higher education has asked Delhi University colleges that are fully funded by the state government to use Student Society Fund (SSF) within two weeks if they can’t pay salaries to teaching and non-teaching staff due to a special audit and non-release of grants-in-aid. However, teachers’ and principals’ associations have again called the suggestion “illegal”.

In the order dated October 16, the colleges have been asked to use SSF till the audit is complete. This “has been done in the past”, it claims. The colleges had objected to a similar suggestion made by education minister Manish Sisodia last month.

Six of the 12 colleges fully funded by Delhi government are facing the audit for “financial irregularities” and haven’t paid salaries for over six months.

Hem Chand Jain, principal of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College that is undergoing the audit, said he would forward the order to DU to know if the order was binding.

“If this order is implemented, students will be deprived of funds for various activities. I request Delhi government to not ask us to do this as it would amount to cheating students,” Jain said. “We have only Rs 9.28 crore in our SSF, which would be enough to pay only three months’ salary.”

Jaswinder Singh, SGTB Khalsa College principal and president of DU Principals’ Association, said a principal was earlier removed for transferring funds. “CM Arvind Kejriwal should intervene and not force colleges to do something illegal.”

DU Teachers’ Association said using SSF was unacceptable. “Delhi government is pushing the burden of salaries on parents and students. Even in the past, if colleges were forced to use SSF for such purposes, the money was always returned to it.”

Balram Pani, dean of colleges at DU, said, “Colleges cannot use SSF. The order is not binding and the matter is already in court.”

Delhi government claimed the DDU College lawyer had told court they had paid salaries from SSF in the past. “When the judge asked him if they are allowed to do so, they said they need an official permission from the directorate of higher education,” it said.

However, Jain claimed “our lawyer said college can take loan for not more than a month from the fund”.

0 6  COLLEGES OF DU ARE FACING AUDIT

In a first, TN student among top 10 NEET rankers

In a first, TN student among top 10 NEET rankers

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:17.10.2020

For the first time since the introduction of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for MBBS admissions seven years ago, a student from Tamil Nadu has broken into the top 10. Srijan R got the 8th rank nationally scoring 710 out of 720 marks. Two other candidates from the state, Mohanaprabha Ravichandran and G Swetha, scored 705 and 702 respectively and secured the 52nd and 62nd ranks. Last year, the state topper was Shruthi K, who scored 685 out of 720 marks and secured the 57th rank.

Of 1,21,617 students who had registered for the test from the state, 99,610 took it. Of them, 57,215 students (57.4%) qualified. Last year 48.5% qualified.

In 2019, the cut-off for MBBS admissions in government medical colleges went up by nearly 100 marks in most categories because of a surge in scores. Last year, the cut-off for OC category was 520 marks and for BC it was 470 marks. The cut-off for BCM and MBC was 458 marks and for SC category 360 marks. For SCA it was 301 and ST 267 marks.

Going by the high scores in NEET this year, the cut-off for medical admissions will likely increase.

This year’s state topper R Srijan, a native Vellakoil in Tirupur district, attended a coaching centre in Namakkal. Talking to reporters in Namakkal, Srijan said he has been passionate about medicine and wants to specialise in cardiology. Srijan had attempted NEET last year and appeared again this year to better his scores.

Mohanaprabha Ravichandran, who is also from the same coaching centre, emerged second in the state. Mohanaprabha said she wants to specialise in neurology.

N Jeevithkumar, a student of Tamil medium Government Model Higher Secondary School, Siluvarpatti, Theni district, has scored 664/720. He is the second student pursuing medicine from the school and has scored just over 99% in physics, chemistry and biology. He has secured the 1,823rd rank at the national level. His father K Narayanamoorthi rears goats for a living and his mother N Parameswari takes up work under the MNREGA. He had undergone NEET coaching in Namakkal district and this is his second attempt at NEET.

“Last year, the all-India topper scored 691 marks. This year, one of our students scored 700 out of 720 marks and he was ranked 105. So, it means that 105 students have scored above 700 and we expect more high scorers in NEET,” said Chandan Chand, regional director, Aakash Institute.

With inputs from Madurai and Coimbatore

N Jeevithkumar, government school student, scored 664/720

University of Madras facing an acute resource crunch

University of Madras facing an acute resource crunch

Without the sanctioned strength, many departments are on the verge of losing additional funding from the University Grants Commission

11/10/2020

Pon Vasanth B.A. CHENNAI

With 56% of faculty positions lying vacant, University of Madras (UoM) is facing an acute shortage in terms of human resources and potential decline in academic and research activities.

Data available with The Hindu showed that at least seven departments did not have a single full-time faculty member and 14 departments had more than 70% of their sanctioned posts vacant.

The shortage is acutely felt in the three Centres of Advanced Study (CAS) in Mathematics, Botany, Crystallography and Biophysics, which receive additional grants from the University Grants Commission (UGC), and are at risk of losing them without the minimum required faculty strength and research output.

Moreover, an analysis of National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) data for the university showed that 50% of the roughly 80 professors are in the age group of 56 and above.

“If the vacancies are not filled in the near future, majority of the departments will not have a single Professor with retirements expected in the coming years,” a senior faculty member said. The last recruitment happened six years ago, but faced some allegations of irregularities.

G. Shanmugam, former Head of CAS in Crystallography and Biophysics and former university syndicate member, said the risk of losing CAS recognition by UGC was real. “We already lost it for the Department of Philosophy in the past,” he said.

The Ramanujan Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics, one of the CAS, has a sanctioned strength of five professors, five associate professors, and 11 assistant professors. However, it presently has only seven assistant professors and not a single professor or associate professor.

The CAS in Botany with a sanctioned strength of 22 faculty members now has one professor and five assistant professors. Stating the department needed a minimum strength of six to maintain the CAS status, Mr. Shanmugam pointed out that N. Mathivanan, the professor and head of the department, is now holding the post of Registrar (in-charge) as well.

Similarly, the CAS in Crystallography and Biophysics had eight faculty members, which included a professor and seven assistant professors, against the sanctioned strength of 18. “The three CAS in the university had many stalwarts in the yesteryears. Now, many departments are not even able to fully utilise their research grants,” Mr. Shanmugam pointed out.

The head of one of the departments, said many departments with research potential were not able to apply for CAS status due to lack of minimum number of faculty. “When a university does not have adequate faculty members, it is not doing justice to its students,” he said.

In a competitive environment with rankings and accreditations, the university would not be able to maintain its status if it did not have competent faculty, who formed the core of the university system, he added.

Pointing out that over 50% of the non-teaching staff positions were also vacant, a Syndicate member said the financial crisis faced by the university had to be tackled with a long-term, sustainable solution.

“A key reason for not recruiting is the deep financial crisis with the university not in a position to even honour its commitments to pensioners. However, without enough faculty we are also losing out on grants from the UGC and the State,” he said.

Vice-Chancellor S. Gowri, who took charge in August, said he was studying the issue to explore possible options to address it.