HC to hear plea to extend 7.5% med seats quota

HC to hear plea to extend 7.5% med seats quota

Madurai:6.11.2020 

The Madras high courton Thursday agreedtohear a plea which sought to extend the benefit of the GO passed by the state government providing 7.5% horizontal reservation for government school students who had cleared NEET for admission in medical courses, to the students of government aided schools as well.

On Thursday morning, an advocate I Pinaygash made the mention before the court to hear a petition filed in this regard. A division bench of justices N Kirubakaran andBPugalendhisaid that they would take up the petition for hearing on November 9, Monday.

The petitioner V Preethi, a resident of Tirunelveli district, stated that she had passed Class XII from a government aided school and had appeared for NEET exam.

She stated that most students studying in government aidedschools are alsofrom humble backgrounds aspiring to get into medical education. Hence, the petitioner sought to quash the GO for excluding aided students and sought to extend the benefit to them as well. TNN

Ensuring social distancing will be difficult, say colleges

Ensuring social distancing will be difficult, say colleges

UGC Releases Detailed Set Of Guidelines

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:6.11.2020 

The government has said colleges can reopen on November 16, but institutions are worried about ensuring social distancing on crowded campuses. Some plan to accommodate only science students in hostel, while others mull allowing only final year students on campuses.

The higher education department is yet to release any standard operating procedures, but the University Grants Commission (UGC) on Thursday released a detailed set of guidelines for universities and colleges.

As per the guidelines, institution have been urged to reopen in a phased manner, not to allow more than 50% of the students on campus at any given point of time and to give preference to research scholars, postgraduates and final year students.

But, many colleges have more than 5,000 students in two shifts. Thomas Amirtham, principal of Loyola College which has around 10,000 students coming in the mornings and evenings, said it would be tough. “We conducted a survey among students and more than 60% of them are not willing to come back. Students from north-eastern states and outside the country may not be able to return in the absence of regular flight and train services,” he said, adding that the ideal time to reopen would be in January after the festival season.

The management of the college, which was a Covid care centre, is the process of being handed back the buildings from the corporation. “They [corporation officials] are in the process of removing the mattresses. After that, we will disinfect buildings,” he said.

Madras Christian College plans to allow only science students who need lab classes in hostels and in classrooms. “We have more than 8,000 students in both shifts and will finalise the plan after getting SOPs from the government,” said principal Paul Wilson.

He said the college also needs to set up a mini hospital or clinic to isolate the students with fever and other symptoms.

Ethiraj College for Women, with 8,200 students, wants only 50% of students on the campus at any given time. “The rest will attend classes online,” said principal S Kothai. The college is converting four-bed rooms to two-bed rooms in hostels and plans a fever ward.

Women’s Christian College principal Lilian Jasper said it would be difficult to accommodate all 70 students in a class at the same time. “We are thinking of getting third year students first.”

Guru Nanak College, with 8,400 students, plans only practical classes after reopening as theory classes were completed online. “It would be difficult to maintain social distancing during breaks,” said principal M G Ragunathan. He further said teachers would find it difficult to teach for five hours wearing masks.

Engineering colleges, which almost completed classes for students online except freshers, have a bigger challenge as many of their students are hostellers.

“Parents are not willing to send their wards to colleges in this situation. If a student gets infected, it could spread fast,” said RM Kishore, vicechairman, RMK Engineering College. Most colleges situated are in far-off places and canteens are necessary. “Canteens or hostels could become Covid hotspots. We cannot have full strength,” said B Chidambararajan, principal of SRM Valliammai Engineering College.

EWS applications keep officials on their toes

EWS applications keep officials on their toes

Huge challenge in ascertaining assets and caste of beneficiaries

Published: 02nd November 2020 03:07 AM 

For representational purposes

By B Anbuselvan 

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The issuance of income and asset certificates to the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) of forward communities has been keeping the revenue officials on their toes. About 33 per cent of applications received for EWS certificates have been rejected by revenue authorities across the State since May 2019. 

Ground reality

A visit to the taluk offices in Chennai revealed that the issuance of EWS certificate poses a huge challenge to authorities as both assets and caste of beneficiaries are ascertained. Applications of other State people settled in the city have been returned, said revenue officials. During securitisation, verification of assets owned by parents of applicants remains a laborious task for officers. Undivided assets owned by grandparents of applicants were excluded while calculating the income. Thus, a person who is legal heir for several crores of assets still qualifies to get EWS. 

Who are deemed eligible?

The government norms mandate that annual income of EWS applicant’s family should be less than `8 lakh per annum. In addition, the beneficiary should not own five acres of agricultural land, residential flat of 1,000 sq feet, residential plot of 100 sq yards in municipalities and residential plot of 200 sq yards in areas other than notified municipalities. The earnings of applicant, parents and siblings aged above 18 are accounted for while assessing the gross annual income. 

Aspirants explain the other side of EWS quota

For example, a woman owns an undivided property worth `15 crore in Pallavaram. If her only son’s annual income is less than `8 lakh and meets the conditions laid by the government, then his children are eligible for the EWS quota. “Though her son is the only legal heir for her property, his children are eligible for quota since the ‘undivided’ property has not been included while calculating the family’s income,” said a UPSC aspirant in Chennai. 

When asked, Additional Chief Secretary and Commissioner of Revenue Administration K Phanindra Reddy said, “The asset earned by an individual need not necessarily be transferred to his/her legal heirs. The property owner can donate it to some ‘charity’ or give it to another individual. Hence, such properties are not accounted for, while assessing the applicant’s asset.”

According to official data, of the 4,688 applications seeking EWS certificates received till the third week of October, 2,203 (46 per cent) were given income and asset certificates. “As many as 1,391 applications were rejected and 173 returned back to applicants. About 921 applications are in different stages of scrutiny, said Phanindra Reddy. He added that inter-State and intra-State migrants can apply for EWS in respective native places only. “This is to ensure that OBC or other caste members are not given EWS.” 

‘Can be easily misused’

Arun Kumar, faculty, Shankar IAS Academy, Chennai, said economic condition is a dynamic factor which can change any time, unlike caste. “Except those employed in State and Central governments and its undertakings and a few private companies, all others can claim EWS quota by forging documents. Given that earnings through agriculture not brought under ambit of income tax and assets documents largely remaining on papers, EWS quota can easily be misused.”

Cut-off marks

UPSC job aspirants and those preparing for NEET, JEE can apply for EWS certificates. With cut-off marks for EWS lower than other categories in competitive exams, revenue officials said applicants must ascertain their caste by providing school transfer certificates.

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Accused was ‘fed up’ with lockdown

GOTA MURDER CASE

Accused was ‘fed up’ with lockdown

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:  03.11.2020  

Nearly a week after she killed her mother-inlaw in a Gota flat, the woman revealed various facets of the case. She told police that she was ‘fed up’ with the lockdown and the victim’s diktats of taking bath every time she went out and also to remain indoors.

A Sola police station official said that the accused, Nikita Agrawal (30), who is onemonth-pregnant, stated that she was frustrated with her mother-in-law and deceased Rekha Agarwal’s instructions of not crossing the boundary walls of her house.

“She told us that she had barely gone outside from their house around five to six times as her mother-in-law ordered her to stay indoors. Besides, whenever she went out or met anyone, her mother-in-law would force her to take bath,” said an official from Sola police station. The official said that the elderly woman was suffering with obsessive compulsive disorder for which she was taking treatment from a city-based psychiatrist. Due to her mental illness, she could not mix up with her daughter-in-law. Nikita, who is originally from Beawar in Rajasthan, killed Rekha as the latter suspected that Nikita’s pregnancy was the result of her illicit relationship with her father-inlaw Ramniwas Agrawal.

She said that her mother-in-law tried to hit her with an iron rod which she snatched from her hand and hit on her head, resulting in her death.

Nikita was sent to judicial custody after her remand was over on Saturday.

The woman killed her mother-inlaw in a flat near Gota

Fed up with traditional methods, youth puts up flex board seeking bride

Fed up with traditional methods, youth puts up flex board seeking bride

Jaikrishnan.Nair@timesgroup.com

Kottayam: 03.11.2020

A youth from the district has put up a flex board seeking a woman’s hand in marriage. Aneesh Sebastian erected a huge flex hoarding in front of a sawmill he owns in Kanakkary near Ettumanur. The 35-year-old has also posted the picture of the board on his Facebook page. The board says that the man has no demands and gives importance to good values in life. The flex board carries a huge photograph of the youth, along with his mobile/ WhatsApp number and email ID.

According to Sebastian, such an idea struck him as he was already late to marry, and was fed up of searching for a match with conventional methods of arranged marriages. “We face hundreds of issues while trying to find a match through arranged marriage. Now, most marriages happen over other means like internet,” he said. He said that people even in his locality have realized that he was still a bachelor. “In the beginning people thought that it was just a joke. But they now know that I am serious about it,” he added. Sebastian found it a good alternative for finding a bride since travelling and visiting houses is difficult during the Covid-19 situation.

Ever since the flex was put up, Sebastian has been receiving several inquiries, even from parents of women working abroad.

WHAT AN IDEA SIRJI: Aneesh Sebastian erected a huge hoarding at Kanakkary in Kerala