IIT-Madras convocation held, technology gives event a touch of reality

IIT-Madras convocation held, technology gives event a touch of reality

The highlight of the 57th IIT-Madras convocation was the use of 'mixed reality' technology which provided the event a touch of reality.

Published: 26th October 2020 12:48 AM 

By PTI

CHENNAI: For the first time in its history, the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras conducted its convocation online on Sunday and over 2,300 degrees were awarded.

The highlight of the 57th convocation was the use of 'mixed reality' technology which provided the event a touch of reality.

Prof David J Gross, Nobel laureate and Chancellor's Chair of Theoretical Physics, University of California, who was the chief guest, said that for graduating students it was the beginning of application of knowledge that they acquired during their study.

Pawan Goenka, Chairman, Board of Governors, IIT Madras and Managing Director, Mahindra and Mahindra, presided.

"COVID-19 has accelerated the rate of tech adoption across streams of life. Changes which would have taken 5-6 years have happened in just about 3-4 months," Goenka said.

Director of IIT Madras, Bhaskar Ramamurthi, who awarded degrees to the graduating students said classes were completed on time due to the "heroic efforts" of the faculty and students.

As many as 191 patents were filed during the year, of which 62 were international, and the institute was granted 58, he said.

A total of 2,346 degrees were awarded to 1,909 students in absentia.

Mixed reality creates visualisations by combining real and virtual worlds.

For instance, a student, Rajat Vadiraj Dwaraknath, who bagged three prizes including the President of India gold medal appeared to have personally received the medal though it was only a projection that seemed real.

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Uttrakhand: 42 foreign MBBS passouts working at government hospitals without clearing FMGE, reveals RTI: Dehradun: A serious violation of medical regulatory norms has surfaced from the state of Uttrakhand. According to a recent RTI revelation, as many as 42 doctors who acquired MBBS equivalent

Suspended for growing beard, cop returns clean shaven

Suspended for growing beard, cop returns clean shaven

Sandeep.Rai@timesgroup.com

Meerut:  25.10.2020 

Two days after a sub-inspector was suspended in Uttar Pradesh for growing a beard without permission, Intizar Ali, 46, was reinstated by the Baghpat SP. Ali returned, on Saturday, clean shaven with an “application admitting his mistake”.

The sub-inspector was posted at Ramala police station and had been repeatedly warned in the past.

Police uniform rules in the country do not allow beards, though moustaches are allowed. Last year, UP had revised the allowance for maintaining moustaches and sideburns of the Provincial Armed Constabulary from ₹50 to ₹250. In 2013, the Supreme Court had said that a Maharashtra cop wishing to maintain a beard during “religious period” should seek prior permission.

While Ali had earlier claimed he had sought permission in November last year, Baghpat SP refuted the claim. The suspension had kicked up a political storm. It drew criticism from Deoband ulemas as well.

Ali refused to comment on the revocation of his suspension.

“Intizar Ali came with an application stating that he had made a mistake and now he has followed the orders as desired. He was clean shaven and I immediately reinstated him,” Baghpat SP Abhishek Singh said.

AIADMK, DMK APPEAL AGAINST CENTRE

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SC verdict on 50% OBC quota in med intake tomorrow

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  25.10.2020 

The Supreme Court will pass the final verdict on Monday in a case moved by political parties from Tamil Nadu, including the ruling AIADMK and the DMK, challenging the Centre’s decision not to grant 50% reservation to OBCs in medical seats surrendered by the state in the All India Quota (AIQ) for undergraduate, postgraduate and dental courses in 2020-21.

The Madras high court, on July 27, directed the Centre to constitute a committee to decide on providing reservation to other backward class students in AIQ medical admission. The court, however, had said any decision of the committee would be applicable only for future academic years and not this one, after which the state government appealed in SC.

The Centre last week informed SC that it is not possible to extend reservation benefits to OBCs in medical and dental seats under AIQ in Tamil Nadu this year.

The DMK too filed an intervening petition and its counsel stated that the Centre was intruding in the states’ commitments on medical seats to students. The DMK had also sought for filing of a report by the committee as directed by the Madras high court by October 27.

NEET state ranks not out, candidates in dark

NEET state ranks not out, candidates in dark

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:25.10.2020  

More than a week after NEET 2020 results were released, medical aspirants said they are yet to get information on their state ranks — vital statistics that will help them make smart choices when locking seats during the centralised online counselling by the Directorate General of Health Sciences (DGHS). As per schedule, students will have to start locking their choice of colleges from Tuesday.

The National Testing Agency, which conducted the entrance test, had released students’ scores along with their all-India rank. “Students will be able to use this information for admission in central universities in the counselling conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee, but they will be shooting in the dark when they opt for seats in government colleges or deemed universities,” said Manickavel Arumugam, who counsels students on medical and dental admissions. Some meritorious students may not get admission in colleges of their choice and many may lose the chance of admission, he said, demanding transparency from the central agency.

For instance, the state surrenders about 37 of the 250 seats in Madras Medical College to the DGHS. While top 37 students will get admission, the student ranking 38 may have to wait for state counselling for admission at the same college or they will be allotted their next choice. “When allotted their next choice, students don’t know if they should accept it or wait,” said R Saranya, a parent. In 2018, Saranya’s niece had to join Omandurar Medical College Hospital though she was among the top 70 students in the state.

While NTA officials said the data will be sent to all state governments, the state selection committee in TN said it is yet to receive any information from the agency. “Students here usually know their status once we put out the state merit list based on applications we receive,” said committee secretary Dr G Selvarajan. By then, the two rounds of counselling for the all-India quota is likely to be completed.

On Saturday, parents’ groups were putting out data they received from different tutorials on social media with a disclaimer that it would be risky to rely on it. Guessing the percentage based on the previous year’s cut-offs is often misleading. “Last year, the cut-offs went up by nearly 100 marks,” said S Vishwanthan, whose son is awaiting MBBS admission this year. “My son has scored above 550 marks this year, but I don’t know if he is eligible for a seat in a government college or self-financing college. I don’t want to make a wrong choice in the first round, but his counsellors say many students with similar scores will wait. That will push up the cut-off for the second round,” he said.

Ranks help them make smart choices when locking seats during the centralised online counselling by the Directorate General of Health Sciences