CBI: Inquiry under way in ‘missing’ TN gold case

GONE FROM VAULT

CBI: Inquiry under way in ‘missing’ TN gold case

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:  13.12.2020

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday said an internal inquiry is being conducted into the matter of 100kg of gold in its custody in Chennai going missing.

“It is clarified that CBI in case number RC-24/2012 had searched the building of Surana Corporation limited, NSC Bose Road, Chennai, and prepared a search list. The search list mentioned that 400.47 kg gold had been inventorised and was kept in safe and vaults of Surana, sealed in presence of independent witnesses and the MD of Surana corporation and its officials,” the agency spokesperson said.

According to CBI, the vaults were opened and inspected, according to the directions of the Madras high court, in the presence of official liquidator, officials belonging to six banks and independent witnesses from February 27 to 29 this year to hand over the gold to the lender

banks of Surana Corporation.

“The seals affixed on the vaults were found intact. However, gold weighed only 296.66 kg. The agency promptly ordered an internal inquiry by a senior officer to look into the role of its officials, if any,” the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson said the inventorised gold was not kept in the agency’s ‘malkhana’ but on the premises of Surana under CBI’s seal. While the inquiry was on, a petition was filed in the Madras high court, which pronounced an order on December 11.

“CBI’s internal inquiry continues and if any adverse role of any agency officials surfaces, strict action will be taken against them,” the agency said.

Regarding the investigation of the case being assigned to state police, the agency said the high court had observed that CBI under the DSPE Act did not have authority to register a theft case which falls within the domain of local police. “The case will be registered by the CB-CID of state and investigation will be conducted by an officer of the rank of SP in CB-CID,” it said.

Lalu’s kidney functioning at 25%: Doctor

Lalu’s kidney functioning at 25%: Doctor

13.12.2020

The physician of jailed RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Dr Umesh Prasad on Saturday said that the latter's kidney is functioning at 25 per cent and the situation can deteriorate at any time in future. Dr Prasad has updated the authorities of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), where Yadav is admitted, in writing about this situation.

Patients since childhood, they are all set to become doctors

Patients since childhood, they are all set to become doctors

Three Students With Cerebral Palsy Get Place In MBBS Course

Bharat.Yagnik@timesgroup.com

Ahmedabad:  13.12.2020

Doctors had warned Digvijay Rathwa’s parents that he may face mental disability when he grows up. Digvijay was dssiagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (CP), a congenital disorder of movement, muscle tone or posture due to abnormal brain development, often before birth.

Seventeen years later, Digvijay has all the doctors wrong and is set to become a doctor himself. He has secured admission in Vadodara’s government medical college.

Digvijay’s father, Sureshbhai Rathwa, a police sub-inspector posted near Savli town, told TOI, “My son had spinal cord disability due to which he could not stand on his legs as a child. It took extensive physiotherapy to make him use his legs. He still faces difficulty in sitting for a long period of time. For all the time we spent with doctors, we are ecstatic Digvijay will be a doctor himself.”

Interestingly, Digvijay has a classmate from Nadiad who can understand his battle against CP and the Herculean effort it may have taken him to secure a coveted seat in medical college. Nadiaid’s Sakshi Solanki, also suffers from CP and walks on her heels due the condition. She also faces immense difficulty in writing for long.

Turning ambidextrous to overcome pain

In fact, Sakshi Solanki became ambidextrous to overcome her pain on writing with one hand. “She cultivated the habit of writing with both hands to overcome fatigue,” said father Hasmukhbhai, a mill worker in Nadiad. He says Sakshi always dreamed of donning the white coat.

The third student with CP to have secured admission in MBBS is Surat’s Saloni Waghani. Like Digvijay and Sakshi, she too has a disability adjudged more than 40%. She too has difficulty in walking and her hands become stiff when she writes for long.

B J Medical College’s dean Pranay Shah said it was heartwarming to see children with CP securing admission in MBBS.

“Very few students with this disorder have medical courses as they face multiple challenges. The rise of these students is overwhelming,” said Dr Shah.

Short of funds, Pondy univ urges students to donate caution deposit

Short of funds, Pondy univ urges students to donate caution deposit

‘Fund Crunch Due To Lavish Spending’

Bosco.Dominique@timesgroup.com

Puducherry: 13.12.2020

Pondicherry Central University, which faces financial crunch has appealed to the students who have completed their programmes to donate their caution deposit to the university.

University director (studies and educational innovation and rural reconstruction) S Balakrishnan appealed to all deans, heads of the schools, departments and centres in this regard. Balakrishnan said the university faces resource crunch to carry out academic activities as the funds received from the University Grants' Commission cover only a part of the expenditure incurred by the university.

"To augment its resources, the university requests the passed out students to donate their caution deposit to the Pondicherry University funds. This donation to the alma mater will help in resources mobilization for improving academic activities. The deans and heads of the schools, departments and centres are requested to advise the students in this regard," he appealed. The students, who still wish to get their caution deposit refunded can fill the requisite form and submit to their respective heads of the schools, departments and centres.

The varsity's appeal seeking donations from the students was strongly condemned by the various students' forums. The students' representatives argued that the financial crisis was an outcome of the 'incompetency' of the administration. "It is not the first time the administration has passed the burden of their incompetency and mismanagement on the student community," said a statement released by the Students' Federation of India (SFI), Pondicherry University unit. The representatives came down heavily on the administration pointing out that it spends funds lavishly to construct compound walls within the university premises, against the guidelines of the Centre.

TN seeks six-month extension for chief secy

TN seeks six-month extension for chief secy

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

Chennai: 13.12.2020

The Tamil Nadu government has moved the Centre recently seeking extension of the term of chief secretary K Shanmugam for six months, according to sources. His service was extended twice and the present term will end on January 31.

The state government has cited his key role in Covid management while seeking extension of service for the third time. The 1985 batch IAS officer was due to retire on July 31.

“The state government requested for one-year extension in its first letter to the Centre, but could get only three months. Subsequently, another request was made in August for oneyear extension, but once again, three months were granted. Now, the third letter has gone seeking six months extension,” said a source.

As of now, there are 30 IAS officers in Tamil Nadu cadre in the additional chief secretary rank. Four of them are secretaries at the Centre.

Bharathidasan university VC search committee

 

Court asks if med body can add MBBS quota seats in govt colleges

Court asks if med body can add MBBS quota seats in govt colleges

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 13.12.2020

The Madras high court has directed the National Medical Commission (NMC) to ascertain as to whether additional seats can be created in 24 government medical colleges in Tamil Nadu to accommodate waitlist students under the 7.5% reservation for government school students.

These students were constrained to opt for waitlist during admission, as they could not afford to pay the government quota fees in self-financing medical colleges. Tamil Nadu government’s announcement to pay the fee came a day after their counselling got over. “By taking this positive step, it will not put any extra burden on the government colleges in terms of infrastructure and manpower. Creation of additional seats is not something new and such additional seats have always been created whenever the situation demands,” Justice N Anand Venkatesh said.

The judge passed the interim order on a batch of pleas moved by waitlisted students under the 7.5% reservation as they could not afford the fee of self-financing colleges allotted to them. Had the government’s announcement to pay their fees come a day earlier, they would have joined the colleges.

When the pleas came up for hearing, advocate-generalVijay Narayan submittedthattill now nearly 160 seats have reverted back to the state government quota. He added that a clearer picture will evolve in a couple of days andby the nextdateof hearing, the total number of seats that can be accommodated with students falling under the 7.5% quota, can be almost frozen.

Wondering how the state is going to deal with students who could not be accommodated within the vacant seats that reverted back to the state quota, the court made the suggestion of creation of additional seats.