M Selvam is new VC of Bharathidasan Univ

M Selvam is new VC of Bharathidasan Univ

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  05.02.2021 

Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Thursday appointed M Selvam vice-chancellor of Bharathidasan University, Trichy. His tenure will last three years from the date of assuming office.

Selvam has 36 years of teaching experience and was previously a professor and head of the department of international business and commerce, Alagappa University. He has published 12 research articles in listed journals and presented papers in international and national conferences. He has so far guided 12 research scholars.

At present, he is the accreditation ambassador under the UGC’s Paramarsh Scheme. He has also served as dean of research, dean of students affairs and dean of management in Alagappa University and functioned as a member of senate, syndicate, finance committees.

Sources said the governor interviewed S Ganesan, former registrar of Anna University, N Thajuddin of Bharathidasan University and Selvam on Thursday morning before appointing the new VC. The incumbent VC P Manisankar’s tenure ended last month, but his term was extended till the appointment of the next VC.

AU to start physical classes for 1st year students on Feb 8

AU to start physical classes for 1st year students on Feb 8

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:05.02.2021 

To ensure social distancing at hostels, Anna University has released a special staggered schedule for physical classes for first, second and third year UG students and first year PG students. As per the academic schedule, the university campuses, regional campuses and constituent colleges will begin physical classes for first year UG students from February 8.

Second and third year UG students are scheduled to return on March 15 and April 5, while first year PG students will return to campuses on March 8.

Classes for all UG, PG students belonging to engineering, technology and architecture of Anna University will resume on February 8 and hotsel accommodation will also be permitted on the respective dates as per Covid-19 protocols issued by the state, said a university circular to all deans and department heads.

Universities and colleges reopened for final year students on December 7. The state, in its latest guidelines, allowed physical classes for all UG and PG classes starting February 8.

“The university has issued a schedule for staggered reopening of its campuses. It would allow us to accommodate one student per room in our hostels at any given time,” an Anna University official said. The varsity has also permitted affiliated colleges to function from February 8 and directed principals to strictly adhere to Covid-19 standard operating procedures.

Private colleges are also planning to reopen campuses in a phased manner. “We are planning to complete physical classes for final year students,” a principal from a city college said. Some colleges are also considering allowing all students by following a shift system.

Unsatisfied patient makes bomb threat call to Siddha clinic

Unsatisfied patient makes bomb threat call to Siddha clinic

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  05.02.2021 

Upset over the health treatment he got from a Sidha clinic being ineffective, a man made a bomb hoax call to the clinic in Kodambakkam. Police traced the caller to Trichy and sent a team to detain him.

Police said the clinic received a call from a man who said a bomb planted on the premises would go off any time. The clinic called police who rushed a bomb disposal squad. They found it to be a hoax. Using the caller ID, police identified the caller as Manivel, 26, a resident of Trichy. The clinic said he had come for treatment in 2019.

A doctor at the clinic took ₹75,000 from him and gave him tablets for six months with an assurance that he would be cured. His condition, however, did not improve. Following this, Manivel decided to make the call.

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.