Chitlapakkam residents upset with TNPCB over incinerator use

Chitlapakkam residents upset with TNPCB over incinerator use

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:23.11.2020

Chitlapakkam residents expressed disappointment over the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) officials not taking action against the local body after an inspection of the incinerator set up by the Chitlapakkam town panchayat two months ago. Residents had expressed reservation about the incinerator, operating without NOC from the relevant authorities.

When appeals to the local body evoked no response, some of the residents wrote to the TNPCB and to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

According to official sources, the inspection by TNPCB officials in the first week of November was following a direction from CPCB after a resident had appealed to the central body through social media.

Residents complain that no public hearing has been conducted about the legalities or the possible environmental impact of setting up a waste incinerator in a residential neighbourhood. Chitlapakkam Town Panchayat officials said that the incinerator near the lake was set up at a cost of over Rs 40 lakh.

“They are burning plastic, medicine and all sorts of waste. At the least, they could have ordered a stop until approvals are given after proper testing,” said a resident.

Woman stays by husband’s body for 4 days after death

Woman stays by husband’s body for 4 days after death

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:23,11,2020

A 55-year-old woman remained at the side of her husband’s body for four days after his death at their Chengalpet home before police arrived on Saturday. They had been alerted by the couple’s neighbours who were disturbed by the foul smell emanating from the house.

When the Chengalpet taluk police arrived at the house of the deceased, identified as Damodaran, a 65-year old soothsayer, his wife Rajeshwari stopped the team members from approaching his bed, saying he was asleep. Police found she had even prepared food and kept it ready for Damodaran to eat when he wakes up.

A case of suspicious death was registered and the body was shifted to the Chengalpet Government Hospital. Police are now investigating to see if Damodaran died of ill health or if there was any other cause. While the couple’s neighbours told police Rajeshwari was fine till last week, investigators are trying to find out if she is mentally stable or if her odd behaviour was a ploy to evade police inquiries.

Damodaran, police inquiries found, had lost his wife to an illness a few years ago. He then married Rajeswari, who had been given a job in the prisons department on compassionate grounds after her husband’s death.

On Saturday, the couple’s neighbours sensed a foul smell emanating from the house but found the door locked from inside. After they knocked on the door and she let them in, they found Damodaran lying motionless on the bed. Rajeswari told them he was asleep and that the foul smell could be due to the death of rodents and even went out to check the premises. But since the odour was overpowering, the neighbours became suspicious and alerted the Chengalpet Taluk police.

Rajeshwari, 55, told neighbours, cops that her husband, a 65-year-old soothsayer, was just sleeping and had even prepared food for him to eat once he woke up. Neighbours alerted police sensing foul smell

Five govt school students from one TN village make the cut for MBBS

Five govt school students from one TN village make the cut for MBBS

Sambath.Kumar@timesgroup.com

Trichy:23.11.2020 

Keeramangalam in Pudukottai district is in a festive mood as five students from the village will soon join government medical colleges, thanks to the 7.5% horizontal quota for government school students. This is the first time these many students — four girls and a boy — have managed to bag MBBS seats from the village.

Failing in their first attempt last year, all five decided to repeat the national eligibility-cum-entrance test (NEET) this year with the help of their teachers who didn’t stop with motivating them, but extended monetary help to three students to get private residential coaching in Chennai. Two others went to Trichy for coaching. All the five studied in Tamil medium which made it even more difficult for them to study NCERT syllabus in English. It took a toll on the NEET score of C Jeevika who had to satisfy with 241 marks. While she was mentally prepared to repeat the test, she said she was overjoyed as the government’s quota helped her bag the seat this year itself.

‘Want to pay back parents’ debt for my NEET classes’

M Dharanika, another student, said: “I want to pay back the debt that my parents owed by way of borrowing for my NEET coaching, soon after becoming doctor.” People have been visiting the students in the last few days and praising their efforts.

Saying that he didn’t expect such a reception from the village, R Hariharan of government boys higher secondary school, said,” Village heads have been asking all five of us to guide upcoming medical aspirants from the village saying we have now become role models.” Son of daily wagers, he is all set to join Pudukottai government medical college.

A Divya, who top scored among the five with 384 in NEET, said she owed her success to her teachers who were available to clear their doubt even during the lockdown. M Prasanna, another student who got a seat, said NEET was more of a mental game, and keeping calm during the exam and managing time were keys to success.

Saying that the students have made the government GHSS, Keeramangalam, proud, postgraduate teacher S Kodiarasan said that the girls were meritorious and they knew that they will somehow manage to clear NEET.

SRMIST signs MoU to enhance research writing

SRMIST signs MoU to enhance research writing

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:23.11.2020

SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur has signed an MoU with AuthorCafé to enhance productivity of research writing.

This MoU will benefit SRMIST with the enhanced productivity of research writing through automated and streamlined workflow; making theses content searchable, discoverable, citable and showcase their institutional research output and enable SRMIST to launch their own journal.

CITYLIGHTS

CITYLIGHTS

23.11.2020

Bribe’s the word

A few days before Diwali, when I accompanied my friend to a sub-registrar office (SRO), we were taken aback to see two women exchanging abuses. About a dozen of the staff at the SRO, and almost 40 other people who had come for the registration, were witness to the ugly fight. I tried asking one of the staff to stop the verbal duel and lodge a complaint, but his reply shocked me. “The two women are the SRO (main) and joint SRO of the office,” he said. Shocked, I stood back and watched the fight along with the rest of the onlookers. I realised that the two SROs were fighting over their share of the bribe collected from people visiting the office to register their properties. And that too, in front of the applicants themselves! Later, even my friend got his property registered through a tout, who exacted a “fee” to complete the process. A Selvaraj

Virtual woes

Jackie Chan can break any monotony, as he is such an amazing entertainer. But when his stunt sequences and music are parachuted onto an online NEET coaching class, it spells trouble. The other day, a bunch of MBBS aspirants attending an online NEET coaching classes of a popular tuition centre were in for a surprise when their class proceedings were hacked and some Jackie Chan sequences were played. The alert teacher cut the link quickly and changed access code for the virtual classroom. While the students had a good laugh and typed in the new code to continue their classes, the teachers are now debating ways to keep such hackers away, as more grave content could find its way into online classes. A Subramani

Kovid calling

Blame it on pandemic-induced paranoia. But, when a mail appeared in my inbox the other day from a Covid V (surname withheld), I was convinced it was a virus, some sort of mayhem being created by a malicious hacker determined to gain access to my contact list. Without a second thought, I deleted Covid from my inbox, reported him as spam. A few days later, I got a call from Covid. Imagine my fright and surprise. Before I could utter a word, poor Covid said, "Please don't hang up. My name is Covid. I'm trying to change my spelling to Kovid but it hasn't happened yet." And that's when I went to that online fount of all knowledge and keyed in the name Kovid. Apparently it is a Sanskrit word for Wise and Experienced. A lovely name, a lovelier meaning, a new lockdown learning for me. Kamini Mathai

Service, with a personal touch

As this reporter walked inside a private bank, which had collapsed recently due to bad loans, she saw a fight break out between a couple and the bank manager over deposit withdrawal. The argument escalated as angry depositors who believed their money was lost wanted to take back their entire deposit. The teary-eye customer was consoled only after the manager explained the concept of moratorium -- a one-month restriction over deposit withdrawals --- and assured her that all deposits were safe. A senior official at the bank said that FAQs or posters explaining the restrictions would not actually help customers and they would feel confident only after meeting the bank officials in person. Even as he said that, there were 20 other agitated couples waiting outside the bank, worried that they had lost all their savings.

Mamtha Asokan

Welcome to Chennai

Many people who are new to the city complain about the language barrier. But here’s why you should think twice before you grouse. A cab driver, who was on his way to pick this reporter up late in the night and lost his way, assumed he was talking to a non-city resident and mustered his English skills to ask for directions. For the next 15 minutes, the phone conversation went like a military parade- ‘Left, Right, Left, Right, Turn, Left, Right…’ Finally, when this reporter boarded the cab and uttered a few words in the local language, the stunned cab driver facepalmed for two straight minutes. “Madam, I feel embarrassed for talking in bad English. I didn’t know you can speak good Tamil. I thought you may be new to the city and I tried hard to speak in English, so that I can safely drop you at your destination. I didn’t want you to feel unwelcome.”

U Tejonmayam

‘Govt funding should have been announced earlier’

‘Govt funding should have been announced earlier’

Many Govt School Students Can’t Afford Fees In Pvt Med Colleges

A Ragu Raman & M K Ananth TNN

Chennai/Madurai:  23.11.2020 

The state’s move to fund the expenses of government school students who have secured MBBS seats in private colleges under the 7.5% quota has left many wishing that the announcement should have come earlier. Distraught that their poor parents couldn’t even afford the ₹25,000 deposit, leave alone the ₹3.8 lakh-4 lakh annual fees, many of these students have opted to be waitlisted.

For MBBS, under this quota, there were 227 seats in government medical colleges and 86 in private institutions; and for BDS, there were 12 seats in two government dental colleges and 80 seats in private institutions.

At the end of the three-day counselling, except for 6 BDS seats in private colleges, all seats were filled; 180 students opted to be waitlisted. S Dhulfiya of Thali village near Udumalpet in Tirupur district, with 192 marks, got 260th rank among government school students and 14th among BCM candidates. Called for counselling on November 18, she said she would have taken a seat had government announced its decision three days earlier.

“I hoped for admission in a government college. But those seats were filled. Seats in PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research and Vellammal Medical College in Madurai were available.

Considering the ₹4 lakh annual fee, my father did not opt for an MBBS seat,” she said. Her father is a small vendor and a part-time driver. “The government should consider allocating a seat and sponsoring me,” she added.

S Thangapetchi of Paana Mooppanpatti in Usilampatti taluk, eldest of four daughters of a couple who are farmworkers, also wished that the government announcement had come sooner. Scoring 155 marks in NEET, she was ranked 438th among government school students and 149th in MBC category.

By the second day of counselling, when she attended, the government seats had been taken and she was left to choose from the 10 seats left in private colleges. She came out of the counseling hall in tears as her family could not pay the ₹25,000 deposit or the nearly ₹6 lakh annual fee for the next five years. Her plight was taken to the notice of the chief minister’s office and on Saturday Madurai collector T Anbalagan contacted the girl’s family.

FINANCIAL STRIFE: S Thangapetchi’s (2nd from left) family wasn’t able to pay a deposit of ₹25,000 for a seat in a pvt medical college

Now, students and women vendors can take suburban trains

Now, students and women vendors can take suburban trains

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:23.11.2020

Southern Railway has allowed more categories of people to commute by suburban trains in the city. Students, candidates appearing for examinations, admission tests or interviews; women vendors carrying perishables and sportspersons travelling for practice or performance will now be permitted to travel by suburban trains.

Students will have to show their hall tickets or permission letters while the vendors will have to show their vendor season tickets at the counter before proceeding to the train. Sportspersons will have to show authorisation from their associations or institutions to buy tickets.

Southern Railway will be allowing women commuters and children accompanying them to travel during non-peak hours from Monday. The non-peak hours will be till 7am, 10am to 4.30pm and 7.30pm to closing time of the services.

So far, people who have air tickets and railway tickets on long distance trains are allowed to take the local for last mile connectivity. They can produce their flight or express train tickets to buy suburban train tickets.

Southern Railway has scaled up the number of suburban services and is operating 244 trains a day, around 40% of pre-Covid-19 level, said a railway official.

Sources said more categories of the public are being allowed to take the trains as the state government has requested that fullfledged services be resumed. The Union home ministry is, however, yet to clear full-scale operations of suburban trains.

Long distance suburban services to Tiruttani and Sulurpetta have also resumed.

GETTING THERE: Southern Railway is operating 244 trains a day, 40% of pre-Covid-19 level