We’re cash-strapped, unable to pay salaries, take up works: Ministers to BSY

We’re cash-strapped, unable to pay salaries, take up works: Ministers to BSY

Senior ministers in B S Yediyurappa’s cabinet have expressed helplessness over the financial crisis the State government was facing and which was hampering the ongoing works.

Published: 04th February 2021 06:14 AM |

Karnataka CM Yediyurappa 

By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Senior ministers in BS Yediyurappa’s cabinet have expressed helplessness over the financial crisis the State government was facing and which was hampering the ongoing works. Ministers cited the Covid-19 pandemic as the reason for revenue loss to the State treasury.Replying in the assembly during Question Hour on Wednesday, Deputy chief minister and Transport Minister Lakshman Savadi said they were not able to pay salaries to the staff of various road transport corporations.

In the last seven months, the transport department took `1,760 crore from the State government to pay salaries to the employees of KSRTC, BMTC, NWRTC and NERTC. “We have paid 50% salary to the employees in December, and the salaries for January are yet to be paid. Whatever money we are getting from passengers is spent on fuel. The situation is tight,’’ he said.Mudigere MLA M P Kumaraswamy said, “Roads are damaged due to floods. I cannot go to my constituency. People demand good roads and I am not able to convince them that there are no funds with the government.”

RDPR Minister K S Eshwarappa said they could not take up flood-related works as grants have not been released so far. “Last year, Rs 1,500 crore was released by the State government to take up flood-related works, but this year money has not been released. Once we get the money, we will take up the works,’’ he added.Haj and Wakf Board Minister Srimanth Patil said they need Rs 58 crore to complete the ongoing Shadi Mahal works across the State. This has been stopped due to financial constraints, he said.

KGMU cancer support group meet today

KGMU cancer support group meet today

Lucknow:  04.02.2021

The monthly meeting of Lucknow breast cancer support group of the department of endocrine surgery at KGMU will be held on Thursday on World Cancer Day virtually between 2pm and 3pm on Google Meet. Anyone can connect to attend the event.

Yoga and physical education facilitator Anukrti Govin Sharma will speak on healthy lifestyle and measures for breast cancer prevention. TNN

How colleges can keep Covid-19 off campus

How colleges can keep Covid-19 off campus

Social codes and distancing protocols are a must, as institutes begin or consider resuming in-person instruction for students

 04.02.2021

To streamline reopening and protect students, faculty and staff, experts recommend some basic steps: Test students on arrival and periodically through the semester; isolate those who test positive and quarantine close contacts; maintain physical distancing protocols by reconfiguring residence halls, dining facilities, classrooms and other gathering places; require everyone to wear masks in public, disinfect high-touch spaces regularly and restrict travel to and from campus.

Transform public spaces

But doing all this is easier said than done. Reconfiguring physical spaces and controlling access to promote physical distancing will be complicated and costly. Six feet of separation in classrooms, for example, may involve half of the students attending in person on alternate days, while the other half joins remotely from residence halls. Dining halls can have staggered shifts and expanded graband-go options.

Ideally, in campus hostels, every student would have a single room with a private bathroom, but for most colleges that would require bringing only a fraction of their students back to campus. A more practical but less protective alternative is to treat students in doubles or suites as a family unit, allowing them to live together without physical distancing. And all this doesn’t even begin to address sports.

The real danger, however, is that these efforts to maximise safety could be negated if students themselves do what comes naturally: Gather. To keep students, faculty and staff safe on campus, colleges and universities will need to create a culture of respect for physical distancing — and students will need to be part of the effort.

Get students involved

There are a few important things that schools can do to accomplish this. First, students should be asked to sign a social contract promising to adhere to distancing and other rules as a condition for returning to campus. Just as honour codes help limit academic misconduct, social codes can encourage students to behave in ways that protect themselves and their classmates.

Second, students should be involved in the development of physical distancing protocols tailored to their campus and enlisted in educating one another about the importance of adhering to those protocols. Schools could encourage student research papers, videos, artwork and oral presentations on topics such as how the virus spreads, what dangers different age and ethnic groups face, and how some countries have managed to contain the virus. They should then make these available to the campus community.

Third, college officials should work with student organisations to design and fund social gatherings (preferably outdoors) that are both fun and safe.

Fourth, institutions should consider an initiative that encourages students to design, produce and wear masks that reveal something about who they are and what they value.

Whether students will abide by the protocols needed to keep campuses safe remains an open question. But few want to return to virtual classes and most will embrace a culture of physical distancing as their best — and only — alternative.

— THE NEW YORK TIMES

HC acquits man convicted of raping teen for want of proof

HC acquits man convicted of raping teen for want of proof

Vaibhav.Ganjapure@timesgroup.com

Nagpur: 04.02.2021

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court has acquitted a 27-year-old man convicted of raping a 17-year-old girl multiple times over two months, citing the prosecution’s failure to produce conclusive evidence of sexual assault and its link to the survivor’s subsequent pregnancy.

“Except the survivor’s statement with regard to sexual intercourse at the house of the accused’s sister, there’s absolutely nothing supporting the prosecution’s contention of rape. Only on the basis of allegations of sexual intercourse on many occasions, it would be highly irrational to convict the accused of rape and sentence him to 10 years’ imprisonment,” Justice Pushpa Ganediwala ruled.

According to the judge, a survivor’s testimony alone was sufficient for conviction, provided it “inspires confidence” in the court.

“Given the facts and circumstances, this court is of the opinion that the prosecution couldn’t establish beyond reasonable doubt the offence of rape against the accused,” Justice Ganediwala said.

The Hinganghat sessions court in Wardha had convicted and sentenced petitioner Jageshwar Kawle under Section 376(2)(n) of the IPC (repeated rape) and sections 5 and 6 of the Pocso Act (aggravated penetrative sexual assault on a minor).

Justice Pushpa Ganediwala said that the prosecution couldn’t establish beyond reasonable doubt the offence of rape against the accused

Civic edu official mistakes sanitiser for water, drinks it

Civic edu official mistakes sanitiser for water, drinks it

04.02.2021

Joint municipal commissioner (Education) Ramesh Pawar drank sanitiser from a bottle mistaking it for water while presenting BMC’s education budget on Wednesday. While speaking, Pawar picked up a bottle to have water. The bottle contained sanitiser, but Pawar spat it out immediately. He continued with the presentation and had no health issues, said officials.

BMC officials said that water bottles and sanitisers were kept on the table and both the bottles looked identical. TNN

UGC hostel rules run into host of practical problems

UGC hostel rules run into host of practical problems

Ardhra.Nair@timesgroup.com

Pune: 04.02.2021

The standard operating procedures for colleges to reopen, published by University Grants Commission last year in the wake of Covid 19 pandemic, is causing stress to universities and higher education institutions as it stipulates only one person per hostel room.

Every institution should regularly monitor the health of its students, faculty, and staff who should also be sensitized on self-monitoring of their health, the rules said.

The hostels in the universities and colleges are woefully short, and most rooms are shared by more than three students.

However, UGC vice-chairman, Bhushan Patwardhan, said these were guidelines and decisions can be taken at the local level based on the conditions and safety of students.

Nitin Karmalkar, vicechancellor of SPPU, said while the university is already prepared for the reopening and has an SoP for all sections of the campus, the problematic part would be the hostels.

“We have a large number of students coming from outside the city and even if we keep theory classes online as much as possible, there is no alternative to practical classes in the laboratory. For students living in other districts or states, it will not be feasible and will also be risky if they have to be called in batches and have to travel frequently. Hence, staying in hostels is the only option. But if the one person per room rule is applied, then we will be short of rooms. So, we are going to write to the UGC appealing for an amendment in that clause so that when colleges reopen, students have a secure place to stay,” Karmalkar said.

Vidya Yeravdekar, principal director of Symbiosis Society, said at the moment they have reopened the Symbiosis Medical College for Women, and are providing accommodation as per one person per room norm.

“However, these are young women who have just completed their standard XII and many of them are new to the city and living away from their parents for the first time. Hence, they want to have room mates so that there is no feeling of loneliness. Our hostel rooms are big enough to accommodate two people while maintaining enough social distancing. We would also be writing to the UGC to see if two persons per room will be allowed especially when there is enough space in the room,” Yeravdekar said.

Patwardhan said they are not revisiting the guidelines. “We have given enough freedom to universities to make local decisions based on the situation in the area. They can also innovate. If they decide to keep two students in a room and their Covid-19 test is negative, then there is no problem. There is flexibility and freedom given to them and they can decide to keep the best interest of students,” he said.

No HC relief for man who faked identity to sexually exploit woman

No HC relief for man who faked identity to sexually exploit woman

Abhinav.Garg@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:  04.02.2021

A man who faked his identity to allegedly sexually exploit a woman for years on the false promise of marriage will now be tried for rape, even though the couple claimed to have reached a compromise.

Delhi High Court this week dismissed a plea to quash the FIR registered for rape and forgery, after it found that the accused, Akhtar, not only forged his marriage certificate but also Aadhaar card.

“It is the allegation of the complainant that the petitioner Akhtar falsely represented himself as Shiva and promised marriage to her and had a physical relationship with her. The marriage certificate is found to be a fake one and in any event, the petitioner could not have married her in Arya Samaj Mandir according to Hindu Vedic rites and customs,” justice Subramonium Prasad noted, rejecting the compromise bid.

The couple cited a compromise deed where the woman said she had accepted her fate and wanted a peaceful married life with Akhtar.

But the court was not convinced. Justice Prasad observed that “it is evident that the petitioner has been accused of serious offences like rape and forgery having a bearing on vital societal interest and these offences cannot be construed to be merely private or civil disputes but rather will have an effect on the society at large. In crimes, which seriously endanger the well-being of the society, it is not safe to leave the crime doer only because he and the victim have settled the dispute amicably.”

According to the FIR lodged in December last year at Prem Nagar police station, the woman complained that Akhtar met her posing as Shiva and he promised to marry her five years ago. The couple had a physical relationship but the woman was shocked to realise his identity as Akhtar when he disclosed it after marrying her at a temple. The woman also claimed in the FIR that after the marriage, the accused started demanding money and when she visited his parents, she was driven away by them. Nearly a month after recording her statement before a magistrate, the woman agreed to a compromise deed.

In its probe report, police told the court that the accused hid his identity and was sexually exploiting the victim for five years. They further alleged Akhtar even forged his marriage certificate and had two Aadhar cards—one in the name of Shiva and the other as Akhtar.

“This court is not in a position to quash the FIR on the basis of compromise entered into between the parties where it is stated that the accused and the complaint have decided to stay as husband and wife and lead their peaceful marital life,” the high court said.

DELHI HIGH COURT SAYS

In crimes that endanger the well-being of the society, it is not safe to leave the crime doer only because he and the victim have settled the dispute amicably