CBSE boards to clash with JEE main, students worried

CBSE boards to clash with JEE main, students worried

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:  05.02.2021 

Thousands of Class XII CBSE students in the biology-maths group are worried their board exam will clash with Joint Entrance Exam (Main) in May. As per the date sheets released by the CBSE, biology exam will be held on May 24, while the final session of JEE (Main) is scheduled to be held from May 24 to 28 when more than five lakh students across the country are set to appear.

Students and teachers from Tamil Nadu want the National Testing Agency (NTA) to delay the start of the JEE (Main) final session to avoid a clash.

Ebi Manuel, a Class XII biology student and IIT aspirant from the city, said biology is a vast subject and students need to concentrate more on it. “It will affect only the biology-maths group students.”

Manuel, who has applied to all four sessions of JEE (Main), said the May session would be his last chance.

“I request the NTA to change the schedule for the last session to enable the students to prepare better for the biology exam.”

NTA is conducting JEE (Main) from February 23 to 26, March15 to18, April 27 to 30 and May 24 to 28. Since engineering admissions in Tamil Nadu are based on board exam marks, students in the state will give more importance to the session conducted after the board exams.

The CBSE has also scheduled the computer science board exam on May 29, a day after JEE (Main).

Kaushik, another student, said the clash should have been avoided as some students target the main exam after the board exams.

Many teachers echo this view. “Students are stressed about the schedule since both the exams are very tough and dates also are clashing,” said Sunitha Shine, a Class XII teacher from the city. Though the exams are conducted in four sessions all the four sessions are important, she added.

Trainers said students should be given a provision to change the date of the exam. “Even a single student should not be affected due to the scheduling. In case, a biology student gets an exam on May 24, he or she should be given the option to change the exam date,” said B Pavan Kumar, deputy director (Chennai) of coaching institute FIITJEE.

NTA officials said students who have exams on May 24 will not be given the slot on that day. “The roll numbers of CBSE students will be collected by May. Biology students will get an exam session other than May 24 so there won't be a clash,” an official said.

TESTING TIMES: Candidates wrote the JEE advanced exam in September amid stringent Covid-19 protocols

HC on memorials: Is there any space on Marina beach?

HC on memorials: Is there any space on Marina beach?

Sureshkumar.K@timesgroup.com

Chennai:  05.02.2021

“How many more memorials will you (government) keep creating for leaders,” asked the Madras high court, wondering whether there was any more space available on the Marina beach for memorials.

There can be only one Gandhi, one Nehru and one Patel. You can’t keep creating memorials for every other leader, the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy said on Thursday.

“We do not mean any disrespect, but for successive chief ministers you cannot have this… you can have one Gandhi, maybe one Nehru, since he was the first, one Patel but if you keep extending it you would have memorials for deputy chief ministers also... This personality cult is not something that is great for a republic or espoused in the Constitution,” the bench said. The bench made the observations while hearing a plea moved by J Deepak, legal heir of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, challenging the validity of Tamil Nadu government’s order converting Jayalalithaa’s Poes Garden residence into a memorial.

Responding to the observation, advocate-general Vijay Narayan said, such matters are policy decision of the government.

To this, the bench wondered as to how long the government is going to continue building memorials out of all these places. “Have you almost exhausted the Marina?” the judges said.

Answering the court, the AG said, it is not unusual as several states erect memorials for former chief ministers. In Tamil Nadu alone there are 17 memorials for freedom fighters, former chief ministers and persons who have contributed greatly to the welfare of the state.

The AG also stressed that Jayalalithaa too has contributed immensely to the welfare of the state and the women. Unconvinced, the bench said, “When policy (of the government) goes to the absurd, that is where we come in.”

The court then recorded the submissions of the advocate-general and the counsel for the petitioner and directed the state to file a counter in four weeks.

The bench also observed that they would wait for the order on the challenge made to the land acquisition proceedings (pending before a single judge) before dealing with the present petition.

After 4 yrs, guv says can’t take call on plea to pardon Perarivalan

After 4 yrs, guv says can’t take call on plea to pardon Perarivalan

Purohit Says Only Prez Can Decide, Sends It To Centre

New Delhi: 5.2.2021 

The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that the application filed by life convict A G Perarivalan to the Tamil Nadu governor seeking pardon in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case has been forwarded to it by the governor on the ground saying that it is for the President to decide on the issue. The plea has been pending with the governor for over five years.

A bench headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao which was hearing a petition filed by Perarivalan seeking release from the prison based on the recommendation by the state government in September 2018, was informed by the Centre on January 21 that the governor would take a decision within three to four days and the court deferred the hearing on the plea for two weeks.

In a affidavit, the home ministry said, “His Excellency the Governor of Tamil Nadu considered all the facts on record and after perusal of the relevant documents , recorded that the President of India is the competent authority to deal with the said request for remittance matter vide his order dated January 25. The proposal received by the Centre will be processed in accordance with law.” TNN

Perarivalan moved guv for pardon in 2015

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had on January 21 told the court that Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit will take a decision on the 2018 recommendation of the state government which favoured release of seven convicts including Perarivalan in the case. The assurance was given after the apex court expressed concern over the delay in taking decision and decided to examine whether it could intervene to pass direction.

Perarivalan was awarded the death penalty in 1991for his involvement in the conspiracy to assassinate former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He was charged with providing a 9-volt battery to co-conspirator Sivarasan for the explosive device used to kill Gandhi.

After he spent over 20 years on death row, the Supreme Court commuted Perarivalan’s death penalty to life imprisonment in February, 2014.

Perarivalan had applied to the governor for pardon in December 2015 and the Supreme Court in September 2018 asked the governor to decide the plea “as he deemed fit”. The state government in the same month had recommended to the governor to remit the sentence of all the seven convicts. The governor, however, didn’t decide on the TN cabinet recommendation and kept the matter pending.

DMK moves contempt plea against Natiional Medical Commission secretary

DMK moves contempt plea against Natiional Medical Commission secretary

Senior advocate P Wilson, arguing for the DMK, made a mention before the first bench of Sanjib Banerjee and Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy to move the contempt plea against RK Vats.

Published: 04th February 2021 05:52 AM 

Madras High Court 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The DMK on Wednesday moved a contempt plea against National Medical Commission Secretary, RK Vats, for violating the Madras High Court order on implementation of 69 per cent reservation in the seats surrendered by the State for medical and dental courses. The High Court had also directed the implementation of 50 per cent reservation for OBC students from academic year 2021-22.

Senior advocate P Wilson, arguing for the DMK, made a mention before the first bench of Sanjib Banerjee and Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy to move the contempt plea against RK Vats. “The Supreme Court, entertaining an appeal by the State government against a July 27 order, refused to stay the High Court order and directed implementation of All India Quota reservation in medical and dental courses for the academic year 2021-22,” Wilson said.

According to the petition filed by DMK’s TKS Elangovan, “The High Court had ordered the Centre to constitute a committee with the participation of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Tamil Nadu Health Department and the Medical Council of India, to provide reservation for OBC students in institutions not under the Central government.”

The petition also contended that the formation of the committee with present members was in violation of the High Court order. No reply was received for a contempt order moved against the members concerned in November, the petition added.

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