Worried about safety, VTU students want online exams

Worried about safety, VTU students want online exams

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

24.12.2020

Bengaluru: Engineering college students under the umbrella of Visvesvaraya Technological University have raised concerns over the university calling for offline exams and demanded online exams instead. The exams are scheduled to start from January 18.

Students mentioned safety issues while returning to campuses in large numbers. According to students, many have to return from other states and countries. Hostels have limited facilities, and many will be forced to look for PG accommodation.

“There are problems with hostels as well. Only one hostel has a single-room facility, but they need to share common washrooms and bathrooms. All other hostels have 2/3 students sharing rooms. Six students share a table in the mess and share plates and spoons,” reads a letter circulated by students of BMS College of Engineering.

India Wide Parents Association has dashed off a letter to the chief minister asking him to conduct exams online. “Many colleges are calling students for offline lab without giving any advance notice… Several other universities are conducting exams in online mode,” says their letter.

Students from various colleges under VTU have also taken to social media to voice their apprehensions and #vtucancelofflineexams was trending on Twitter by Wednesday afternoon. Some students alleged that the syllabus is incomplete and online classes have been ineffective.

However, vice-chancellor Karisidappa said there is no provision of online exams. “Many universities have tried online exams and have miserably failed with accessibility and proctoring. Even while we conduct online classes, network is a major challenge. We cannot hope to conduct online classes,” he said.

He pointed out that the university has successfully conducted offline exams for final-year students. “We’ll follow a model of staggering students. We’ll start with the seventh semester, followed by fifth and third semesters. We’re getting our hostels ready for it,” he added.

According to him, attendance for practical classes is around 80% and theory classes is 50%.

RISK FACTOR: Many students are concerned about health

Unions reject govt’s proposals as ‘meaningless amendments’

Unions reject govt’s proposals as ‘meaningless amendments’

Say Talks Only If Repeal Of Agri Laws On Agenda

Vishwa Mohan & Neel Kamal

New Delhi/Bathinda:24.12.2020

Rejecting the Centre’s proposals as “meaningless amendments”, agitating farm unions on Wednesday said talks could restart only if repeal of the three new agri laws was on the agenda. They also demanded the Centre to revise the cost of production to increase support price.

The unions wrote to the agriculture ministry saying they were ready for talks only if the Centre came out with a “concrete proposal” without repeating proposed changes to the farm laws offered earlier.

The unions iterated the demand for legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP), saying this should be on the agenda and drew attention to the National Commission on Farmers’ recommendation on support price on a higher slab of cost of production.

The demand for a revised procurement price is significant as this entails the C2 plus 50% formula which includes imputed rent and interest on owned land and capital. As per the current formula, actual paid cost of inputs and imputed value of family labour are taken into consideration for arriving at a “costs plus 50%” calculation.’

Farmers take part in the agitation at Delhi’s Singhu border on Wednesday

₹18kcr to farmers under PM-Kisan

PM will release more than ₹18,000 crore to over nine crore farmers under the ‘income support’ scheme (PM-Kisan) on Friday. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the event will be held at every development block across the country and two crore farmers have registered for it.

BJP leader now challenges party

BJP’s Birender Singh has said those claiming some “elements” raised pro-Khalistan slogans at farmers’ stir must prove it or apologise. The Congress, meanwhile on Wednesday, asked the PM to shed his arrogance and repeal the farm laws to end the stalemate.

‘We don’t want charity, we want remunerative price of produce’

While a legal guarantee for MSP has been part of the demand, the unions want this on the agenda along with repeal of laws for talks to resume.

They also said the Essential Commodities Act was not mentioned by the Centre nor was there any clarity on the Electricity Bill, 2020.

“Farmers want repeal of the laws. Half-hearted amendments are not acceptable,” said Yogendra Yadav, leader of Swaraj India. This, the group of farm leaders said, was made clear during the meeting with Union ministers on December 5, and then again when the Centre sent draft proposals on December 9. The farmers said it was up to the Union government to make up its mind and come up with a “concrete proposal”.

Though the unions, opposed to the farm laws, have been demanding a legal guarantee for MSP for a long time, their six-point letter made it more pointed with the farm leaders emphasising, “Hame daan nahin, daam chahiye (we don’t want charity, we want remunerative price of produce).”

“We want to assure you that protesting farmers and unions are ready for talks with the government and we are waiting for the government to take the discussion forward with an open mind and clear intention,” farmer leader Darshan Pal said in the letter on behalf of the group of 40 unions.

Responding to the ministry’s December 9 proposals and its follow-up letter of December 20, Pal said, “We urge you to send us concrete proposals, without repeating the already rejected amendments, so that it can be made an agenda to resume discussion as early as possible.”

The letter is an indication that the unions are not keen to renew negotiations unless it is on their demand for repeal of farm laws even as the Centre has made it plain that the Acts are part of larger reforms to provide farmers choice of market, access to technology and to encourage entrepreneurship.

Full report on www.toi.in

BALL IN CENTRE’S COURT: The farmers said it was up to the Union government to make up its mind and come up with a “concrete proposal”

To fight new strain, masks, distancing must

To fight new strain, masks, distancing must

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai  24.12.2020

: Twelve people died and Tamil Nadu added 1,066 positive cases to the Covid-19 registry on Wednesday. This pushed the cumulative toll to 12,024 and case tally to 8,10,080. There were 9,314 active cases until noon on Wednesday.

Among those tested positive there were two people with travel history to Karnataka, one each from Bihar and Bangladesh. All of them came into the state by road, public health officials said. “At least 30 people travelled to Tamil Nadu from the UK after the travel ban. All of them underwent RT-PCR test. Sofar,oneof them is positivefor the viral infection,” said health secretary J Radhakrishnan.

The state is awaiting information on whether this person carries the UK strain from the National Institute of Virology in Pune. “We don’t know much about this variant as it is still under investigation. The patient is asymptomatic and is being monitored by our doctors,” he said. “The best thing people can do now is wear masks and ensure they maintain social distancing at all times,” he said.

On Wednesday, barring Perambalur and Ramanathapuram all districts reported fresh cases of Covid-19, while deaths were reported from seven districts. The worst affected district, Chennai, reported 302 cases and five deaths. With 109 fresh cases, Coimbatore reported the second highest number of cases. Namakkal, which had two deaths, was the district to record the highest number of deaths after Chennai. Five other districts – Coimbatore, Madurai, Ranipet, Salem and Thiruvallur – reported one death each. Chengalpet reported 77 new cases.

Eleven districts reported a single digit increase in cases. While Dharmapuri and Thiruvannamalai reported nine cases, Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Theni and Tuticorin reported seven cases each. Sivaganga and Tenkasi reported three new cases each and three other districts, Ariyalur, Kallakurichi and Thirupathur, reported two cases each.

The 11 northern districts together reported 556 new cases andseven deaths.Thisincluded 477 cases and six deaths from Chennai. After the North, the eight western districts reported 293 cases and four deaths. While the 10 southern districts together clocked 131 cases and one death, the central zone had 86 cases.

Pondy recovery rate above 97%

Puducherry: The Union territory of Puducherry reported 34 fresh Covid-19 cases even as 44 patients recovered bringing down the number of active cases to 350 on Wednesday. As many as 172 active cases are under home isolation and treatment. The Union territory has so far reported 37,845 cases of which 36,866 patients recovered registering a recovery rate of 97.4%. Puducherry headquarters has the maximum number of active cases with 180 followed by Mahe (119), Karaikal (43) and Yanam (8). The fatality rate of infection stood at 1.7%. The Union territory did not report any Covid-19 death and the death toll remained at 629 on Wednesday. TNN

Advocates on strike cannot wear gowns: HC

Advocates on strike cannot wear gowns: HC

Madurai:  24.12.2020

Days after it reiterated the Supreme Court order that advocates cannot resort to strike, Madras high court on Wednesday directed the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to ask advocates not to wear black gown and neck band while participating in strikes. A division bench of Justices N Kirubakaran and B Pugalendhi said though advocates have to stick to their dress code only on court campus, they are seen wearing them while on strikes.

The judges made it clear that the order doesn’t imply the court is endorsing the strikes organised by advocates. The court passed the interim order while hearing a public interest litigation filed by advocate B Ramkumar Adityan, a resident of Tuticorin district who sought a direction to ensure that all advocates maintain proper dress code during court proceedings and that they don’t wear black gown and neck bands during strikes.

The petitioner stated the dress code, prescribed under the Bar Council of India Rules 1975, is a symbol of dignity, honour, wisdom and justice. TNN

2 correct answers: HC wants marks of SI exam reworked

2 correct answers: HC wants marks of SI exam reworked

K.Kaushik@timesgroup.com

Madurai: 24.12.2020

After the RBI informed Madras high court on Wednesday that Indian currency has been devalued three times with the third having two steps, Madras high court held both the answers “three and four times” to the concerned question in the 2019 TNUSRB written examination for selection of sub-inspectors of police are correct.

A division bench of Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice B Pugalendhi passed the order while hearing an appeal challenging the order of the single judge who by an order dated August 26 had held that the Indian currency was devalued three times. The question was, “Indian rupee was devalued __ times since 1947?”, and the options given were ‘(A) 3 (B) 4 (C) 2 (D) 1. In the preliminary answer key published by the Board, ‘A - three times’ was declared as the correct answer, but in the final answer key itwaschanged to ‘B - four times’.

The state submitted the expertshad arrived atthecorrect answer as “four times” taking into accountthedemonetization doneby thecentral government in 2016. The single judge had observed there is a huge difference between ‘devaluation’ and ‘demonetisation’. Following the single judge’s order, two students who had written “three times” as answer moved HC Madurai bench seeking to award them 0.5 marks for the correct answer. The state government subsequently deducted 0.5 marks from those who marked ‘B - 4 times’. A few aggrieved candidates filed an appeal challenging the single judge’s order.

After the court impleaded the finance ministry and RBI in the matter, the RBI submittedon WednesdaythatIndian currencies were devalued on September 22, 1949, June 6, 1966 and the third instance in two steps, on July 1, 1991 and July 3,1991.

The court observed since the third instance involved two steps it should also be construed as four times.

Will move court if guv doesn’t act on ‘corrupt govt’ petition: DMK

Will move court if guv doesn’t act on ‘corrupt govt’ petition: DMK

Chennai:  24.12.2020

DMK president M K Stalin on Wednesday said his party would approach the court if governor Banwarilal Purohit did not act on the petition submitted to him on Tuesday, listing corruption charges against chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam and six other ministers.

Stalin said the detailed complaint submitted to the governor had proof of irregularities indulged in by the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues. “This is only one part. There is more to come. The governor assured us that he would initiate action after going through the petition. If he does not act, we will definitely approach court,” Stalin said.

Later, addressing a virtual public meeting organized by the party’s Sivaganga district unit, Stalin wondered why the chief minister was not challenging the petition. “Why no one tried to brush aside the corruption charges as mere allegations, why didn’t the chief minister say he is willing to face inquiry,” Stalin asked. TNN

Court quashes appt of retd offical to chief engineer post

Court quashes appt of retd offical to chief engineer post

Extraordinary Favour Shown To Officer: HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:24.12.2020

Asserting that it is not open to the Tamil Nadu government to use ‘pleasure doctrine’ to make illegal appointments, the Madras high court set aside the appointment of a retired officer, whose service as chief engineer of municipal administration was extended a third time.

This court is constrained to hold that the extraordinary favour shown to the officer, who got extension of service continuously for the fifth year, appears to be on an extraneous consideration, Justice V Parthiban said.

The issue pertains to a plea moved by N Natarajan, chief engineer, commissionerate of municipal administration, challenging his transfer to chief engineer in the office of the commissioner, Chennai corporation.

As his replacement, retired officer Pugazhendi, who was principal chief engineer in the Chennai corporation on extension of service, was posted named chief engineer, municipal administration.

When the plea came up for hearing, senior advocate P Wilson representing the petitioner submitted that Natarajan who joined the Tamil Nadu municipal engineering service in 1983 has rendered 35 years of unblemished service.

Pugazhendi, who was chief engineer at Chennai corporation, retired on June 30, 2016. But his service has been extended three times on the ground that his service was required to oversee projects undertaken by the corporation worth ₹12,000 crore, Wilson said.

“Strangely, during the period of extension, Pugazhendi has been shifted and posted in the petitioner's place in the middle of his extended appointment. Therefore, the action of the government again extending the service of Pugazhendi was not on the basis of a bona fide consideration of public interest as it was intended to illegitimately continue his service under one form or the other for extraneous reason,” counsel said.

Opposing the same, advocate-general Vijay Narayan contended that there was nothing amiss in granting extension of service to Pugazhendi as the government was well within its power to grant such extensions.

“It was a normal practice for the government to extend the service of its officers in public interest, particularly, when an officer-incharge was in the midst of overseeing large projects and its execution. Such work should not be affected by the retirement of such officers,” he added.

Refusing to concur, the court set aside the transfer of the petitioner and appointment of Pugazhendi in municipal administration.

Pugazhendi, who was chief engineer at Chennai corporation, retired on June 30, 2016. But his service has been extended thrice