REGION DIGEST

REGION DIGEST

06.02.2021

Man held for impersonating govt officer

The Salem city police on Thursday arrested a 40-year-old man who impersonated as a district revenue officer of Erode district. The arrested has been identified as N Moorthy, 40, from P Nattamangalam near Kondalampatti in Salem city. Moorthy came to Kondalampatti police station on Thursday and introduced himself as district revenue officer (DRO) in Erode.

He lodged a complaint saying that his motorcycle went missing from his house and suspected the involvement of a staff member of a private finance company for the theft. During the inquiry, the Kondalampatti police found that the vehicle was taken away by a private finance company as Moorthy failed to pay monthly installment for the vehicle.

Declare cairn circles protected sites, says PIL: The Madras high court on Friday directed the ASI and state archaeology department to inspect and submit a report on a plea which sought to declare the areas where cairn circles are situated at Sivaganga and Karur districts, as protected sites.

Voter ID card through speed post: The state elections department has entered into an agreement with India Post to send electors' photo identity card through speed post to the applicant. Chief electoral officer Satyabrata Sahoo said the initiative would be completely free of cost and applicable to the first time voters. "We have got the orders of the Election Commission to send the ID cards to first time voters through speed post. The tie up with India Posts is for five years," Sahoo said.

Govt reduces fees at Rajah Muthiah medical college

Govt reduces fees at Rajah Muthiah medical college

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Cuddalore:06.02.2021

The Tamil Nadu government has reduced the fees for UG and PG medical, dental and nursing programmes in Rajah Muthiah Medical College and Hospital (RMMCH) and its allied institutions -- Rajah Muthiah Dental College and Hospital and Rani Meyyammai College of Nursing at Chidambaram in Cuddalore district — at par with other government medical colleges and institutions in the state.

The move came after the government handed over RMMCH and its allied institutions, affiliated to Annamalai University, to the health and family welfare department from the administrative control of the higher education department on January 27. The government also announced that RMMCH will be treated as a government medical college for Cuddalore district. The government reduced the fees for MBBS programme to ₹13,610, BDS to ₹11,610, MD, MS and MDS to ₹30,000, postgraduate diploma courses to ₹20,000, BSc (nursing), BPT (physiotherapy) and BOT (occupational therapy) to ₹3,000 and MSc (nursing) ₹5,000 per annum at RMMCH and its allied institutions. "The fee structure will be given prospective effect from the date of taking over of the colleges as government colleges. The earlier existing fees prior to taking over, already paid by the students will not be returned or adjusted against future payment," said an order issued by principal secretary (health and family welfare) J Radhakrishnan.

Oppn alleges ‘drama’ over release of Rajiv convicts

Oppn alleges ‘drama’ over release of Rajiv convicts

We Hope Prez Will Take Good Decision: Min

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:06.02.2021

Political wrangling over demand for premature release of seven life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case has been revived in Tamil Nadu due to two recent events.

One, the January 29 meeting of chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami with governor Banwarlilal Purohit and the Tamil Nadu ministers’ assertion that the governor would take a positive decision on the issue. Two, the governor’s office’s affidavit in court disclosing that the Raj Bhavan had ‘referred’ the whole issue to the President on January 25 itself.

DMK chief and leader of opposition M K Stalin was quick to question the dates. “When the governor had already washed his hands off the issue in a letter to the Centre on January 25, what really did the chief minister discuss in his meeting with the governor of January 29?” Stalin asked. He charged the chief minister with lying to the state assembly about urging the governor to consider the early release of the seven convicts. There was no clear response from either the Raj Bhavan or the state ministers to this query. When asked for the governor’s reaction to the questions, the Raj Bhavan told TOI: “The matter is subjudice. Therefore, the Raj Bhavan is not in a position to talk about it.”

Deputy CM O Panneerselvam said: "We will seek the legal advice for the release of the seven convicts, including Perarivalan, as aspired by the entire Tamil community. The government is firm on that." State Law Minsiter C Ve Shanmugam said: "We will discuss about the Governor's stand and decide on the further course of action."

Minister D Jayakumar, who had on January 29 asserted that the governor would take an “appropriate decision”, on Friday said, "We hope the President of India will take a good decision."

Stalin, in the meanwhile, accused the government of enacting a drama, and said: “Instead of enacting a drama, keeping the assembly election in mind, the CM should take steps with a clean heart. If he plans to meet the President (Ramnath Kovind) to urge for the immediate release of the seven, who have undergone imprisonment for over 30 years now, DMK MPs are willing to join him.”

PMK founder S Ramadoss said: “At a time when everyone thought the seven convicts will be released, especially after Supreme Court directed the governor to decide on it, the governor’s move to write a letter to the Centre citing only President has the powers for releasing the convicts has to be condemned.”

MDMK general secretary Vaiko condemned the Centre, Tamil Nadu government and Governor Banwarilal Purohit for enacting a political drama over the release of the seven convicts.

It was on September 9, 2018 that the state cabinet decided to adopt the Article 161 route and adopted a resolution recommending the premature release of all the seven life convicts, serving their terms since 1991. It was formally communicated to the governor the same day. Governor Banwarilal Purohit kept the file pending till January 25, 2021, when he chose to refer it to the President, saying the latter alone was competent to take a decision on the issue.

ON THE ATTACK: DMK president M K Stalin said: “Instead of enacting a drama, keeping the assembly election in mind, the CM should take steps with a clean heart”

Permission to shower petals on Sasi sought

Permission to shower petals on Sasi sought

Vellore:06.02.2021

Disqualified AIADMK MLA from Gudiyatham in Vellore district, C Jayanthi Padmanabhan, has planned to welcome V K Sasikala, former aide of Jayalalithaa, on her return to Tamil Nadu from Bengaluru by showering flowers on her convoy using a helicopter.

Jayanthi has decided to hire a private chopper for this purpose and has sought permission from the district authorities to shower flowers at Koothampakkam near Mathanur. The former MLA submitted a petition to Vellore district collector A Shanmuga Sundram seeking permission to use the helicopter for three hours from 11am to 1pm on February 8.

Jayanthi, elected on AIADMK ticket in 2016, was one of the 18 MLAs disqualified by speaker P Dhanapal for withdrawing support to chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. TNN

Will take a month for local trains to be opened to all: S Rly

Will take a month for local trains to be opened to all: S Rly

Chennai:06.02.2021

It may be a month or two before the general public can travel on suburban trains during peak hour, said Southern Railway general manager John Thomas. Speaking at a virtual conference about the Budget, Thomas said, “We are step by step with suburban train services. The next step will be to allow all categories of commuters, but only after a month or two depending on the Covid-19 situation.” However, commuter associations have been demanding that railways should allow all to travel round the clock because schools and colleges are going to resume more classes. TNN

Lawyer sits in car, argues case, HC unhappy

Lawyer sits in car, argues case, HC unhappy

Sureshkumar.K@timesgroup.com

Chennai:06.02.2021

The pandemic did strange things to institutions clinging on to their starched traditions.

For instance, the onlineonly hearing of court proceedings has witnessed such spectacle as lawyers in casuals, those caught smoking or lying sprawled on bed during virtual arguments, those using expletives without muting the mike – no doubt, all of them were pulled up or fined by different courts.

Now, the incidence of such inapt behaviours is down, but not fully out.

On Wednesday, Justice S M Subramaniam of the Madras high court took offence to a lawyer ‘arguing’ his case sitting inside his car, with another man watching the act from the rear seat.

Taking exception to the ‘casual’ approach adopted by the lawyer, the judge made it clear that such acts would tantamount to disrespecting court proceedings.

“Counsel for the petitioner, by sitting in a stationed car in a causal manner, is representing the case, which is impermissible in view of the video-conferencing rules notified by the high court.”

He said, “Back side of the car another person was also sitting, and this court is of the opinion that such a way of representing case amounts to disrespecting the court proceedings as per the high court video-conferencing rules.”

He then directed the erring advocate to file an affidavit by February 4, explaining his act.

The Madras high court, which is scheduled to resume its in-person proceedings from February 8, after nearly 10 months of pandemic-induced lockdown protocol, had come out with a circular listing at least 10 don’ts for lawyers advancing virtual arguments. Though they do not specifically mention arguing while sitting inside car would amount to misconduct, the guidelines do say: “All proceedings conducted by a court by way of video-conferencing shall be judicial proceedings and all the courtesies and protocols applicable to proceedings in physical courts shall apply Mulalis Mulandis.”

However, several lawyers say they are constrained to stand on roadside, waiting for their cases to be called due to want of seamless connectivity. They, then, choose to sit inside cars, as windshields act as noise-cutters during arguments.

Colleges, univs to work 6 days a week from Feb 8

Colleges, univs to work 6 days a week from Feb 8

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:06.02.2021

The Tamil Nadu government has directed colleges and universities to function six days a week from February 8 to cover syllabus and conduct practical classes. Colleges are planning to use the six working days to split the strength and conduct classes on alternate days.

The state government has allowed higher educational institutions to conduct physical classes for undergraduate and postgraduate students from February  8. It has allowed hostels for the students to function.

In an order issued on Wednesday, higher education secretary Apoorva directed colleges and universities — including arts, science, technical and engineering — to function six days a week by following standard operating procedures till the end of the academic year 2020-21.

“We are going to start physical classes with 50% of first year students on Monday. The classes will be split into two batches and each batch attend classes on alternate days,” said S Santhosh Baboo, principal of DG Vaishnav College.

Around 9,000 students are enrolled in the college in two shifts. The college expects around 4,000 students a day in the classrooms.

Ethiraj College for Women also plans to have only 50% of students on alternate days. “We expect around 3,000 students for physical classes from Monday,” said S Kothai, principal of the college. The college plans to continue with online classes for students who are not able to attend the physical classes.

Madras Christian College will let in students on campus in a staggered manner. “We have called second year students from February 10. Next, first year students will attend classes from February 24 and remaining students will come from March 7,” said Paul Wilson, principal of the college.

Anna University has issued a staggered schedule to be followed from February 8 on its campuses and colleges.

University officials said they wanted to maintain one student per room in the hostel throughout the semester. As per the schedule, the university would allow one year students additionally at any given time in the semester to maintain social distancing.

The government has let higher educational institutions conduct classes for undergraduate and postgraduate students