Varsity’s report sought on two misleading colleges in Kanniyakumari

Varsity’s report sought on two misleading colleges in Kanniyakumari

A PIL filed seeking action against two colleges in Kanniyakumari for conducting satellite courses by misleading students as if they are regular affiliated courses and collecting exorbitant fee.

Published: 24th November 2020 12:08 PM 

By Express News Service

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, on Monday, sought a report from the Manonmaniam Sundaranar University on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed seeking action against two colleges in Kanniyakumari for conducting satellite courses by misleading students as if they are regular affiliated courses and collecting exorbitant fee.

M Ananda Krishnan, a retired professor and a former president of Madurai Kamaraj Manonmaniam Sundaranar University Teachers Association (MUTA), submitted in the litigation that the colleges had been offering professional courses under the name 'Satellite courses' without getting approval from All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The colleges have also misled students as if its a regular affiliated course and have collected exorbitant fee, he alleged.

Despite the same being proved by a three-member inquiry committee appointed by the varsity, no proper action was taken against the colleges for the said violations, Krishnan claimed. He prayed the court to direct the university to initiate action against the colleges and also against the officials concerned for their inaction in preventing such irregularities.

A division bench of Justices N Kirubakaran and B Pugalendhi sought an action taken report from the university and adjourned the case for two weeks.

Nivar turning into monster cyclone, landfall near Puducherry

Nivar turning into monster cyclone, landfall near Puducherry 

Experts say the chances of Nivar further intensifying can't be ruled out considering both ocean and atmospheric conditions

Published: 24th November 2020 08:28 PM 

High tides ahead of Cyclone Nivar in Chennai. (Photo | Ashwin Prasath, EPS)

By SV Krishna Chaitanya

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The slow moving cyclonic storm Nivar over the warm waters of the Bay of Bengal is turning into a monster. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday announced that Nivar will intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm while making landfall late on November 25 evening with wind speeds of 120-130 kmph gusting to 145 kmph.

S Balachandran, deputy director general of meteorology of Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, told reporters that the storm was moving at 5 kmph and lay centered over southwest Bay of Bengal about 380 km east-southeast of Pondicherry and 430 km south-southeast of Chennai.

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"Nivar will intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by Wednesday morning and into a very severe cyclonic storm in the subsequent 12 hours. It is very likely to cross the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram around Puducherry late on November 25 evening," Balachandran said.

The official said gale wind speed reaching 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph can be experienced from the morning of November 25 and 120-130 kmph gusting to 145 kmph along and off coastal districts of north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (Nagapattinam, Karaikal, Myladuthurai, Cuddalore, Villupuram and Chengalpet districts; 80-90 gusting to 100 kmph very likely over Tiruvarur, Kanchipuram, Chennai, Tiruvallur districts) during noon to night of November 25.

Experts say the chances of Nivar further intensifying can't be ruled out considering both ocean and atmospheric conditions. "Conditions have been favourable for the development of Cyclone Nivar. The sea surface temperatures in the south Bay of Bengal is 29-30°C. These temperatures are 0.5-1.0°C above normal, which can make a difference. The wind conditions were also favorable as the Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO), associated with enhanced convection and winds, was active in this region," said Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).

He also said the more Cyclone Nivar hangs around in the Bay of Bengal, the more energy it draws in. "Basically, if cyclones move very fast, it means the coupling with the ocean is less. If it goes slow, there's more coupling and exchange of energy. There's more warm waters, which potentially means more energy for the cyclone," he said.

Weather blogger Pradeep John said though the landfall is likely to happen near the Puducherry to Marakkanam belt, Chennai would experience gusts in excess of 100 kmph since the storm is moving northwards. "Chennai will also feel the impact," he said.

Chennai receives over 10 cm of rainfall

Chennai on Tuesday was battered with heavy rainfall receiving over 100 mm, which led to waterlogging in many parts of the city, especially southern and central parts.

Nungambakkam weather station has recorded 106.5 mm of rainfall from 8.30 am, while Meenambakkam station near the airport has clocked 78 mm of rainfall. 

IMD has issued a red alert in seven districts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Extremely heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Ariyalur, Perambalur and Mayiladuthurai districts of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.

Heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Ranipet, Vellore, Tirupattur, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Trichy, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts, Balachandran said.

Meanwhile, officials at the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) issued high wave warnings for north and south Tamil Nadu. Chennai, Chengalpet and Pondicherry coasts will experience significant wave height of 3 - 4.9 metres and swell height of 1 - 3 metres from Tuesday to Wednesday midnight.

NEET: No urgent hearing on plea against 7.5% quota

NEET: No urgent hearing on plea against 7.5% quota

The court said they will take up the plea in the regular course and any interference in the admission process would affect the education of student

Published: 25th November 2020 04:24 AM 

Madras High Court (File photo | EPS)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday refused to grant an urgent hearing on a plea challenging the condition that students who have studied in a government school from Class VI to XII alone would be eligible for 7.5% reservation in medical admission provided by the State.

The court said they will take up the plea in the regular course and any interference in the admission process would affect the education of students.

Petitioner V Deepa, a native of Salem, submitted that had studied in a private school till Class VI and shifted to government school from Class VII. Though she was eligible for admission under the 7.5% quota, she feared that she would not get admission due to the condition that only students who studied in government schools from Class VI to XII are eligible.

Cyclone Nivar is still far away but many parts of Chennai already inundated

Cyclone Nivar is still far away but many parts of Chennai already inundated

Residents lamented that due to clogged drainages, the stagnated rain water was mixed with sewage too in areas such as RK Nagar and Korukuppet.

Published: 25th November 2020 05:34 AM 

As heavy rain lashed Chennai on Tuesday vehicular movement came to a standstill,pics: DEBADATTA MALLICK

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Several areas in Chennai witnessed water logging for hours while suburbs faced inundation on Tuesday with non-stop rains, as Cyclone Nivar is expected to intensify over the next several hours. Motorists and pedestrians at areas such as Egmore, Parrys, Kilpauk, Otteri and north Chennai, including Tondiarpet and Thiruvottriyur, faced severe difficulty as rain water remained stagnated for hours. However, Corporation officials made immediate attempts to clear the water.

Residents lamented that due to clogged drainages, the stagnated rain water was mixed with sewage too in areas such as RK Nagar and Korukuppet. While the civic body officials were on the ground clearing clogged drainages and storm water drains in the city, residents of Chennai suburbs such as Chitlapakkam, Perumbakkam, Medavakkam and lake-surrounding area as in Pallavaram faced moderate to severe inundation.

Activists in the suburbs blamed the civic administrations for improper engineering of storm water drains and non-removal of encroachments. Sunil Jayaram, member of Chitlapakkam Rising NGO, said the surplus water from the Selaiyur lake does not enter the cut-and-cover storm water drain and overflows to the nearby residential localities.

near Kilpauk

“The PWD and Panchayat built the SWD spending crores of money but it doesn’t serve the purpose. Either the mouth of the SWD must be blocked by thrash or it is not wide enough to carry water,” he said. As a result of this, close to 10 streets were inundated in the Chitlapakkam area. Dayanand Krishnan, a Chitlapakkam resident, said, “Several lakes in Southern suburbs including Selaiyur, Rajakilpakkam and Sembakkam have sewage in it and is unable to hold rain water.

After the cut and cover project, a buffer pond was created to hold water before it connects to the Selaiyur surplus canal. However, this buffer pond is left open on the Eastern end without a bund and causes reverse flooding from the cut and cover project in several streets.” Several areas in the Perumbakkam town panchayat too were inundated after water breached through the encroachments along the Perumbakkam lake, said local residents. Many encroached houses along the Pallavaram Periay Eri too were at risk on Tuesday. Civic activist David Manohar said if it rains further, the houses alongside the Pallavaram lake would be at severe risk. 

City receives over 100 mm of rainfall

Chennai on Tuesday received over 100 mm of rainfall which led to waterlogging in many parts of the city. Nungambakkam weather station recorded 106.5 mm of rainfall. Meenambakkam station has clocked 78 mm of rainfall. IMD has issued red alert in 7 districts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Extremely heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Ariyalur, Perambalur & Mayiladuthurai districts of TN and Puducherry. Heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Ranipet, Vellore, Tirupattur, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Trichy, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur.INCOIS officials issued a high wave and swell wave warnings for north and south Tamil Nadu.

After 18-yr-old daughter’s death, woman becomes mother at 42

After 18-yr-old daughter’s death, woman becomes mother at 42

J Abbas Mulla TNN

Hubballi: 25.11.2020 

A year after she lost her 18-year-old daughter, a 42-year-old woman gave birth to a girl in a hospital here after doctors reversed her sterilisation operation and enabled her to conceive again.

“Doctors have worked a miracle and I have become a mother again. It’s the rebirth of my daughter whom I lost in October last year,” said Shobha Haveri, clutching her baby who was born at Chitaguppi hospital on Monday.

“My daughter Lakshmi was studying to become a doctor but failed to fulfil her dream. Now that she is reborn, I will ensure my daughter studies hard and becomes a doctor,” she said.

Shobha, who lives at Saunshi in Kundagol taluk, had undergone sterilisation after the birth of her first daughter. Heartbroken after her daughter died due to ailments, Shobha sought doctors’ help to conceive again. “In November last year, she begged us to help her conceive again. Because there was no facility for laparoscopic tubal recanalisation, we took her to a hospital outside for the procedure,” said Dr Sridhar Dandappanavar, who treated her at Chitaguppi hospital in Hubballi, run by civic authorities.

“We then started infertility treatment for both husband and wife, after which she conceived. When she was pregnant, she tested positive for Covid-19 and also suffered from severe pre-eclampsia (a complication during pregnancy). We finally had to conduct a Csection.” said Dandappanavar, who is also a health officer of HDMC. “The success rate of laparoscopic tubal recanalisation is less but despite that we took a risk and succeeded.”

“We are happy that my sister’s dream of becoming a mother again has been fulfilled,” said Manjunath, Shobha’s brother. “My sister encouraged her daughter to achieve her goal of becoming a doctor, but unfortunately she couldn’t. Now, this baby girl will achieve that,” he said.

RELIVING DREAM: Shobha gave birth to a girl after doctors helped her conceive again

Cyclone casts shadow over hit Mamallapuram

 

Government announces public holiday today