‘Rajiv case convicts would’ve been hanged if not for AIADMK’

‘Rajiv case convicts would’ve been hanged if not for AIADMK’

Shanmughasundaram.J@timesgroup.com

Chennai:  05.02.2021 

Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday said in the assembly that but for the AIADMK government’s sustained efforts, the convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case would have been hanged by now.

“The DMK is staging a political drama to make people believe that they are fighting for the release of the seven convicts. Their aim is to gain public sympathy ahead of the assembly elections,” he said, referring to the opposition’s decision to boycott the assembly session citing delay in governor ordering their release.

He expressed confidence that the governor would take a “good decision” and give his stamp of approval to the TN cabinet’s decision taken on September 9, 2018, recommending the premature release of the seven convicts. “We are asking the governor to consider the cabinet’s decision whenever we meet him,” he said.

He criticised the DMK and its leader M K Stalin for carrying out a “misinformation campaign” regarding the issue. Seeking to set records straight, the CM said the DMK government, on August 19, 2000, had advised the governor to commute the death sentence of Nalini Sriharan and uphold the capital punishment of Sriharan, Shanthan and A G Perarivalan. The governor accepted the cabinet decision, said EPS. “If the order was implemented, they would have been executed by now,” he said and wondered why the DMK, when it was in power, did not pass a resolution to commute the death sentence.

Why didn’t the DMK pass a resolution to commute sentences of death row convicts when it was in govt, asked Palaniswami

Court junks plea to declare Murugan a Tamil god

Court junks plea to declare Murugan a Tamil god

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Madurai:05.02.2021 

The Madras high court on Thursday dismissed a plea urging the state government to pass a government order declaring Lord Murugan a Tamil god.

A division bench of Justices M M Sundresh and S Ananthi observed that seeking to declare one deity as Tamil god would damage the fibre of the federal and secular nature of the country emphasised in the preamble of the Constitution. Hence, the bench said the prayer sought by the petitioner G Thirumurugan, an advocate from Ramanathapuram district, cannot be granted.

Though he has a justifiable reason to refer to Lord Murugan as a Tamil god which was for him to do so, as a state, such a request is not feasible for consideration. The judges observed that the petitioner also cited a statement made by CM Palaniswami referring to Lord Murugan as a Tamil god. However, the reference was made when declaring a public holiday during Thai Poosam festival and cannot be relied upon for seeking relief, the court ruled.

Plea to change Tamil Nadu to Thamizh Naadu

Madurai:

The Madras high court on Thursday directed the state government to consider a petitioner’s representation to change the spelling of Tamil Nadu in English to Thamizh Naadu or Tahmizh Naadu. Petitioner M Selva Kumar, a Tamil enthusiast from Tuticorin district, said the word Tamil is wrongly represented while written in English as the correct representation is Tahmizh or Thamizh. The letter ‘zha’ in Tamil language is very significant, he said. A division bench of Justices M M Sundresh and S Ananthi said though they find some force in the request of the petitioner, they do not wish to get into the discretion of the administration. The judges disposed of the petition by asking the state to take appropriate decisions within eight weeks .TNN

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.