Headmistress, husband held for sexual harassment of girl

Headmistress, husband held for sexual harassment of girl

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Coimbatore: 22.10.2020 

Police on Wednesday arrested the headmistress of a government middle school in Pollachi and her husband after registering a case in connection with the sexual harassment of a minor girl on the school premises.

The accused were identified as Ayyammal, 55 and her husband, Thangavelu, 56, a retiredemployeeof theTamilNadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC). “The survivor, a 10-year-old student, has been refusing to attend online classes and demanding her parents to admit her to a new school. When her parents visited the schoolto getthetransfer certificate, Ayyammal advised them to let their daughter continue her education. When her parents asked her the reason for her reluctance to attend classes, the girl told them that she was subjected to sexual harassment,” a police officer said.

“Till the lockdown was imposed, Thangavelu used to pick up and drop Ayyammal at the school. In March, Thangavelu took the girl to an isolated place on the school premises and sexually harassedher.He alsothreatened her and forbade her to disclose the matter to anyone. When the girl told her about the incident, Ayyammal also warned her not to discuss the matter,” the officer said.

Based on the complaint of the girl’s parents, the Pollachi All Women Police Station (AWPS) arrested the accused. Ayyammal was booked under the Pocso Act. They were remanded in judicial custody.

Appoint legal advisors for edu dept: HC

Appoint legal advisors for edu dept: HC

K.Kaushik@timesgroup.com

Madurai:

The Madras high court has suggested the state government to consider appointing legal advisors for the school education department in all districts, to obtain proper legal advice before the authorities pass any orders.

A division bench of justices N Kirubakaran and B Pugalendhi observed that it is an admitted fact that in cases filed before the principal seat as well as the Madurai bench, majority of them are related to the education department. Because of lack of proper legal advice, many times, wrong orders are being passed due to which the interest of the department is affected. Therefore, it is appropriate to have a legal advisor.

The judges also suo motu impleaded the secretary of the school education department as a respondent and directed to take a decision in this regard and file a report before the court on October  28.

The court was hearing a petition filed by the school education department to condone the delay of 543 days in filing a writ appeal with regard to surplus teachers challenging a single judge’s order, which was passed in 2018.

Illegal claimants of Kisan scheme may lose all aid

Kisan Gate

Illegal claimants of Kisan scheme may lose all aid

Bosco.Dominique@timesgroup.com

Cuddalore:

Agriculture department officials in Vridhachalam block in Cuddalore district have told ineligible beneficiaries of the PM Kisan scheme to return the financial assistance they had received before October 22, failing which they would be removed from the list of beneficiaries under all other state and central government schemes.

A CBCID probe had revealed that more than 61,000 ineligible beneficiaries have received financial assistance to the tune of ₹13 crore under the centrally sponsored scheme in Cuddalore district alone. The agriculture department, with the help of the revenue department and CBCID sleuths, has so far recovered ₹11.5 crore and is taking efforts to recover the balance ₹1.5 crore from the remaining 6,000 ineligible beneficiaries.

A senior agriculture department official said the diktat issued by authorities in Cuddalore district was specific to Vridhachalam block and it was not a common directive for the entire state.

“The agriculture department officers in Vridhachalam block wanted to expedite the recovery of money swindled by ineligible beneficiaries. Vridhachalam block accounted for one of the highest instances of PM Kisan scheme scam,” said the official.

Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) is a 100% centrally sponsored scheme implemented in Tamil Nadu from January 2019. Underthe scheme, income support of ₹6,000 a year is provided in three equal instalments to all small and marginal farmer families.

Don’t treat Covid based on CT scan alone: Govt to docs

Don’t treat Covid based on CT scan alone: Govt to docs

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:22.10.2020

The state health department has asked doctors not to treat patients for Covid-19 based on CT scan reports alone.

Patients are being rushed to government hospitals with serious complications including septic shock because diagnosis and treatment is delayed, said health secretary J Radhakrishnan.

Several patients with symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cold and fatigue are treated for Covid-19 without undergoing RT-PCR test based on results of CT scan. Many patients refuse tests because they don’t want to be isolated as they think they could be ostracised by their neighbours. “Chances of missing diagnoses are higher when people are not tested,” he said.

Senior doctors say when tests and treatment delayed, risk of complications and death increase.

“Most deaths at our hospitals happened because tests were delayed. Many people, particularly the elderly, delayed tests as they were scared of being isolated,” said Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital dean Dr Therani Rajan. Complications and death in Covid-19 patients increase with age and among patients with comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension. “We have saved many patients with cancer, kidney and heart diseases as they came in early. We don’t treat patients based on just a scan report. Physical examination, patient history and lab reports all play a key role,” he said.

National Institute of Epidemiology deputy director Dr Prabhdeep Kaur said CT scan exposes patients to radiation. “It is required in patients who need it. But most patients don’t know that needless exposure can increase risk of cancer,” she said.

Many patients refuse RT-PCR test because they don’t want to be isolated as they think they could be ostracised by their neighbours

Admission to government BEd colleges in TN deferred

Admission to government BEd colleges in TN deferred

Chennai: 22.10.2020 

Citing shortage of faculty members in all seven government BEd colleges in Tamil Nadu, the southern region committee of National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has deferred admissions to all colleges for 2020-21.

“The committee deliberated upon the issue of the existing continuation of recognition to all government colleges in Tamil Nadu. It is observed that the government institutions are running for the past two years without sufficient faculty members. In order to make a quality in teacher education human resource plays a vital role,” the committee said in its meeting minutes.

It said the committee has given ample time to the authorities with a requt to provide all the required number of faculty members. TNN

Only 8 TN govt, aided school students may get med seats

DID WELL IN NEET

Only 8 TN govt, aided school students may get med seats

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:22.10.2020

Going by the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) cut-off in 2019-20, only eight students from government and government-aided schools in Tamil Nadu are in with a chance for MBBS admissions this year. This is despite 89 students scoring above 300 marks. In 2019-20, 32 students from government and government-aided schools got above 300 and two students got MBBS seats.

This year, four students from government-aided schools who trained in the state-sponsored coaching programme scored above 500 marks. Two BC category students, with 497 and 495 marks, and two differently-abled candidates are likely to get MBB seats. The remaining 82 students, including the topper among government school students with 423 marks, do not seem to have a chance.

In 2019, cut-off in government medical colleges went up by nearly 100 marks in most categories due to the surge in top scorers in NEET after the first phase of counselling. 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 SC category it was 360 marks. For SCA it was 301 and ST 267 marks.

“The state government has revamped the syllabus. But, the teachers were not trained and they may need 3-4 years. We have to give government school students a separate quota for at least three or four years,” said Dr Prasad Mane, secretary, Kilpauk Medical College Alumni Association.

“Giving a separate quota to govt school students also will strengthen the primary healthcare centres in rural areas,” he added.

“In 2017, a student with 470 or 480 marks got all India rank 2000. In 2020, students with the same mark get all India rank 20,000. That's why fewer students are getting MBBS seats despite the better performance,” Mane said.

Dr G R Ravindranath, general secretary of Doctors’ Association for Social Equality, said the government needs to increase the standard of its NEET coaching. “Despite the pandemic and only online coaching, students performed better than last year. Of 6,692 students 1615 have qualified. If the state government implements the 7.5% quota this year, around 370 students from government schools would get MBBS seats. All political parties should meet and urge the governor to implement this 7.5% reservation," he said.

Is Medical University Liable For Compensation On Unrecognised MBBS Degree: Supreme Court To Decide

Is Medical University Liable For Compensation On Unrecognised MBBS Degree: Supreme Court To Decide

By Garima

Published On 23 Oct 2020 12:41 PM 

New Delhi: A matter which can significantly change the outset of medical education in the country has reached the doors of the Supreme Court of India and soon we will have the decision of the top court on whether an educational institution or university can be sued under the consumer protection law for deficiency in services. Saying there have been "divergent views" of the top court on the issue, the SC has decided to examine the matter itself. 

A bench of honourable Justices D.Y. Chandrachud, Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee have admitted an appeal filed by concerned 9 medical students against Vinayaka Mission University at Salem in Tamil Nadu, alleging deficiency in services. The case pertains to the 9 students of a medical course of the university who had sought a compensation of ₹ 1.4 crore each alleging deficiency in service and on account of "loss of social standing, academic years, career opportunities, mental and physical agony."

They alleged the university induced them to take admission in the course on a false assurance that it had all the requisite approvals from the authorities. The students were admitted in the offshore programme in 2005-2006 comprising of two-year study in Thailand and two-and-a half-year study in the university here, the plea said. The students were assured that they would be getting their MBBS final degree conferred by the university and recognized by the Indian Government and Medical Council of India.

However, after two years of study in Thailand, the students were informed that they should continue their course at Thailand and would be conferred a Foreign Medical Degree and should subsequently appear for screening test in India, the plea alleged. The students said they suffered loss of career opportunities as the National Board of Examination said that their qualification was "not a primary medical qualification since the Degree is not recognized by the Medical Council of India or the Council of Thailand.

In their petition, the medicos cited other judgments in which it has been held that educational institutions would come within the purview of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The university had objected to the maintainability of this plea contending that petitioners are not consumers and education is not a commodity, adds IANS The NCDRC, in its judgement of January 20, had said, "We are of the considered opinion that the institutions rendering education including vocational courses and activities undertaken during the process of pre-admission as well as post-admission and also imparting excursion tours, picnics, extra co-curricular activities, swimming, sport, etc. except Coaching Institutions, will, therefore, not be covered under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986." 

The university has relied upon apex court judgments in the Maharshi Dayanand University and in the PT Koshy cases to say that these verdicts have held that the education is not a commodity and educational institutions are not providing any kind of service. Hence, in matter of admission and fees, there cannot be a kind of service and therefore, there cannot be a question of deficiency of service to be adjudicated upon in consumer forum or commissions. Aggrieved by this, the students filed an appeal in the apex court. Hearing the plea, the top court while admitting the appeal, noted that there are divergent views of the Supreme Court on this issue. "Since there are divergent views of this Court bearing on the subject as to whether an educational institution or University would be subject to the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act 1986, the appeal would require admission. Admit," the top court said in its order of October 15. It asked lawyer Soumyajit, appearing on behalf of caveator university, to file the response within six weeks to the appeal filed against a decision of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), reports PTI.

https://medicaldialogues.in/news/education/is-medical-university-liable-for-compensation-on-unrecognised-mbbs-degree-supreme-court-to-decide-70751#.X5OHXGYjYwQ.whatsapp