Shop, hop on to a metro train soon

Shop, hop on to a metro train soon

12-Storey Mall At Ekkattuthangal To Be Ready By Mid-2022

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  05.01.2021

In less than two years, city residents can shop in a new mall and saunter across the corridor to hop onto a metro train, as CMRL has awarded a contract for constructing a 12-storey complex adjacent to Ekkattuthangal metro station. The mini-shopping mall, likely to be ready in 18 months, is one of the first properties to be developed outside metro stations through which CMRL is expected to generate non-ticketing revenue, by renting out retail and office spaces. CMRL is developing nearly 12lakh sqft multimodal hubs with commercial space in three prime locations in the city including the Central Square and Kathipara.

Officials said the commercial complex will be built on a 41,861sqft land at a cost of ₹₹73 crore, construction contract for which was awarded recently to a city-based firm. According to tender, which was floated last year, the building will have 11floors with a ground floor and two basement levels. Visitors to the building could have easy access to the metro station either through a pathway.

“The lowers levels will be for retail and the upper levels will be for office space,” an official said earlier. An official said the basement levels will be for parking for both passengers and those visiting the building.

CMRL also plans to build similar structures near stations such as Nehru Park. Construction for the urban square under Kathipara flyover, multilevel parking and pedestrian subways as part of Central Square project and underground amenities centre below Thiru Vi Ka Park at Shenoy Nagar is underway. The properties developed in these locations are expected to provide people with shopping experience, office space and a seamless switch from one mode of transport to another.

These developments, however, come at a time when large retail spaces in metro stations remain unoccupied likely due to low footfalls in the stations. Except for a few stalls in the street level of stations like Nehru Park and Koyambedu, many of them built inside bigger stations more than three years back are lying vacant. Due to no takers, CMRL made an attempt to study market interest in 2019 and it had planned to build in Ekattuthangal and Nehru Park.

Make three years’ experience at Bar must to become judge, BCI to tell SC

Abhinav.Garg@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:  05.01.2021

Should a judge have prior experience of advocacy in order to be effective?

The Bar Council of India says yes and plans to move the Supreme Court to seek that a minimum three-year practice at the Bar be made mandatory to become a judicial officer at the subordinate judiciary level.

In a release, BCI said it will file an application before the SC, arguing that judicial officers not having practical experience as advocates were mostly found to be “incapable and inept in handling matters”.

At present, fresh law graduates are being allowed to sit for the Judicial Service Examinations without having any practical experience at the Bar.

Claiming it has the support of all state bar councils, BCI said inexperience at the Bar is one of the primary and major reasons for delays in the disposal of cases in subordinate judiciary.

“Judicial officers not having practical experience at the Bar are mostly found to be incapable and inept in handling matters. Most of such officers are found to be impolite and impractical in their behaviour with members of the Bar and litigants,” Srimanto Sen, BCI secretary, stated.

It added that “Trained and experienced judicial officers can comprehend and dispose of matters at a much faster pace, thereby leading to efficient administration of justice.” Since the requirement of three-year experience at the Bar had been done away by the SC in March 2002, the apex body for advocates said it would file an application before the apex court to seek the modification of that order.

The statement came in the wake of a petition moved before the SC in connection with the decision of Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission inviting applications in a notification in December for the appointment of civil judges (junior division) in the AP State Judicial Services for advocates having a minimum experience of three years.

India needs better doc-patient ratio, more beds: Min

India needs better doc-patient ratio, more beds: Min

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  05.01.2021

The Centre is taking up the Covid-19 vaccination programme in a big way, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said on Monday.

Addressing the gathering at the 32nd convocation of Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research in Chennai over video conference, the minister said Covid-19 had turned the clock back by many years, if not decades, derailing efforts of decades. But the novel coronavirus has showcased the contribution of the government sector towards adequate healthcare, he added. He praised frontline health workers who aided in patient care during the pandemic.

India should increase doctor-patient ratio from 1:1,700 to 1:1,000 as per World Health Organisation (WHO) norms, and the number of hospital beds from 9 per 10,000 people to 40 per 10,000, the minister said. The country spends about 4.2% of its GDP on healthcare and services as compared to about 18% by many developed nations, he said.

“This year, we have already made a substantial increase in our healthcare spend and the finance commission has projected a massive increase in the health outlay in the next five years,” he said. There is also a move to increase the number of medical colleges, almost one per district, and also the number of medical graduates, he said.

He told those graduating to do the things righteously with the best intentions and efforts. “A lifelong commitment to going forward is essential and you must always look to give back to your alma mater,” he said.

Chancellor V R Venkataachalam conferred the degrees and vice-chancellor Dr P V Vijayaraghavan presented 94 gold medals to meritorious students and distributed certificates to 1,266 students including in Ph.D, super specialties, post-graduate and undergraduate disciplines.

Union health minister Harsh Vardhan participated in the convocation of Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research in Chennai over video conference

Court: Standing by striking staff not participation

Court: Standing by striking staff not participation

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  05.01.2021

Merely standing near other employees during a strike will not amount to participation in a strike, a city labour court observed and directed a manufacturing unit in Ambattur Industrial Estate to reinstate an employee who was dismissed from work for his participation in a strike. The labour court also stated that the management did not follow procedures in domestic enquiry and held that the employee did not indulge in any misconduct.

E Kandan of Chettiyar Agaram moved the labour court against his employeran automobile parts manufacturing unit against his termination. According to his petition, he joined the company in 2010 and in April 2014, he was terminated, stating that he was a member in the labour union.

In response, the management submitted that the petitioner was deputed at another factory of them in Villivakkam and instead of reporting to work there, he was found indulging in an illegal strike in front of the Ambattur factory. The management contended that they did not terminate his services, but the petitioner stopped reporting to work.

After perusing the submissions from both sides, Jacintha Martin, Presiding officer, II additional labour court noted that the main charge of the management was that the petitioner participated in an illegal strike. To prove their point, they had played a video in the court showing the petitioner standing near the other employees who participated in the strike, the court noted.

The presiding officer pointed out that the name of the petitioner is not mentioned in the list of the partial lock out. The management has failed to establish that the petitioner participated in an illegal strike, the court observed merely standing near other employees during strike does not mean participation.

Flights to UK to begin but not from Chennai

Flights to UK to begin but not from Chennai

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

05.01.2021

Flyers to London will have to go via Bengaluru or Hyderabad as there will not be any direct flight from Chennai when services resume on January 8. The ministry of civil aviation has allowed direct flights only from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

This has hit many who had arrived earlier and have tickets to fly back from Chennai. Refund is not an option because they have already used one leg of the ticket. The airline has allowing them to shift the date of travel but they have to fly domestic to board flights from Bengaluru or Delhi.

Basheer Ahmed of Metro Travels said, “The ministry has allowed more frequency to airports other than those in the south because of the worry of the new strain. People from other TN towns will have to fly to Chennai and then to Bengaluru or Delhi to board direct flights.”

There will be two services from Bengaluru, three services, from Hyderabad, five services from Mumbai and five services from Delhi per week.The ministry has allowed outbound flights to resume from January 6 and inbound flights from January 8.

“The resumption of services is only temporary. People are looking to postpone trips. The restriction on the number of flights is likely to affect reopening of international sector,” said Ahmed.

Sources said Air India may start a direct flight from Chennai to London this month. “However, the state government is unlikely to allow services on the route. The four metro airports except Chennai have been identified as gateway airports for international flights during the shutdown so that passengers can be screened in a more efficient manner,” said an airport official.

TN plans to reopen schools after Pongal, seeks views of parents

TN plans to reopen schools after Pongal, seeks views of parents

Times News Network

 05.01.2021

The school education department wants to reopen schools for Class X and XII students post-Pongal holidays to prepare them for board exams. The department has asked all schools to conduct meetings with parents on or before January 8 to know their views on the move.

“It is necessary to reopen schools for students who are due to write board exams to conduct physical classes and prepare them for the exams. So, all schools should conduct parents meetings on or before January 8,” school education director S Kannappan said in a circular to CEOs on Monday.

The department also evolved standard operating procedures (SOP) for reopening of schools. He said the decision on reopening of schools would be taken based on the parents’ views.

V Shanthi, headmistress of Vidyodaya Girls Higher Secondary School in T Nagar said, “Though we take classes online, we can give writing practice only in classrooms. Some are hesitant to clear doubts in online classes.” We need to hold physical classes for at least students due to write board exams,” said G J Manohar, principal of MCC Higher Secondary School in Chetpet.

For CBSE students, the practical exams for Classes X and XII are scheduled to start from March 1. Schools said they needed 30 days to give training to the science students. CBSE board exams for Classes X and XII scheduled to start from May 4.

“State board students also need to be prepared for board exams. If they practice by writing model exams or revision tests, they may not score well in board exams which may affect their higher education prospects,” said career consultant Jayaprakash Gandhi.

MBBS admissions: 182 seats in govt colleges available

MBBS admissions: 182 seats in govt colleges available

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:05.01.2021

The second round of counselling for MBBS and BDS admissions began after initial hiccups on Monday with admissions for government school students.

The counselling was delayed till noon as the selection committee sought legal clarifications over an order passed by the Madras high court in the allotment of seats to three government school students under the 7.5% quota. “These students had moved the court saying they turned down their allotment in self-financing medical colleges as they were not aware the state’s announcement sponsoring medical education came late. The court had asked us to give priority to these students during counselling. We sought certain clarifications from legal experts before going ahead with the counselling,” said director of medical education Dr R Narayanababu.

On Tuesday, when the counselling begins, there will be 182 MBBS seats in government colleges, 206 seats in selffinancing medical colleges, 68 BDS seats in government colleges, and 965 seats in self-financing dental colleges.

When the counselling began, the selection committee, which initially displayed 41 seats under the 7.5% quota, added six more by adding Muthukumaran Medical College to the seat matrix. This year, at least 132 MBBS seats that were surrendered to the central government were returned to the Tamil Nadu after they remained vacant after two rounds of centralised online counselling. The centre also returned 28 BDS seats to the state government. Muthukumaran Medical College, which was not a part of the seat matrix given by the TN Dr MGR Medical University, was added to the seat matrix after orders from the high court. In addition, the100 additional seats given to PSG and16 of the 25 additional seats given to ESIC Medical College by the National Medical Commission were also added to the seat matrix.