DHANALAKSHMI SRINIVASAN UNIVERSITY

 

Community certificate delay: SHRC summons CS, revenue officials

Community certificate delay: SHRC summons CS, revenue officials

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.02.2021

The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has summoned the TN chief secretary and revenue officials in Dindigul district to appear for inquiry on Tuesday (February 9), based on a petition by a former legislator about violations in issuing community certificates to tribal people. SHRC stated that if the officials fail to comply with the summons, final decision will be taken by the commission in their absence.

P Dilli Babu, the former MLA, also the president of Tamil Nadu Tribals Association, stated in his petition that despite directions from the Centre, the state and courts, revenue department officials bestowed with the responsibility of issuing community certificates have been making petitioners run from pillar to post. This in itself is a violation of their human rights, the petition stated.

In his petition, Babu cited instances of revenue officials in Dindigul, Tiruvallur, Aruppukottai refusing to issue Scheduled Tribe (ST) community certificates to people belonging to some of the tribes. He pointed out that the data submitted by the department of tribal welfare to SHRC, in response to an earlier petition, that there are 7.9 lakh tribals (1.10% of the state population) and 36 tribes, sub tribes in Tamil Nadu, is ten years old.

The department did not respond when asked about the tribes included under the ST category in recent years and did not mention the number of community certificates issued to them so far, Babu said. He further cited an earlier direction by the Supreme Court that held that if parents have a community certificate, the same can be issued to their children too, and questioned why the practice was not adopted in Tamil Nadu.

Further, in May 2018, the then chief secretary had advised the district collectors to finish backlog petitions on issuing community certificates, the petitioner pointed out and sought a remedy on the issue.

Focus on track work to ensure trains at 130kmph

Focus on track work to ensure trains at 130kmph

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.02.2021

Southern Railway is planning to take up a number of repair and technological enhancements to run trains at 130kmph on the Chennai-Mangalore and Chennai-Madurai routes. The work will include track renewal and upgradation, and making level crossings automatic to avoid delays.

The work is being planned as the Union railway ministry, as proposed, will be allowing private trains on some of these routes in two to three years and has instructed all railway zones to ensure that tracks are ready for operation of trains at 130kmph.

The zone’s Chennai-Mumbai and Chennai-Howrah routes too will be upgraded this year. Funds for the work has been allotted in the budget. A deadline has not been fixed for completing the work on Chennai-Mangalore and Chennai-Madurai, said Southern Railway general manager John Thomas. Nevertheless, work on the zone’s stretch from Chennai to Gudur will be completed this year. “The line is also part of the golden quadrilateral so that the speed should be increased by upgrading the tracks,” he said.

This also means a need to improve safety. Railways will be introducing a centralised train control system in Chennai Central to Arakonam and Renigunta route at ₹351crore. In addition to this, a train collision avoidance system at ₹544crore and train management system for the entire Chennai division tracks at ₹36 crore will also be introduced based on the funds from Budget 2021.

A railway official said the projects, along with the money sanctioned for doubling the stretches on main routes, will ensure that trains can have a smooth run from Chennai to the south via Trichy and via Palghat or Shoranur without having to slow down. Running time on these popular routes will be reduced considerably because of the measures.”

In addition to this, railways will also remove and replace old tracks and will lay new ones to improve riding comfort at a cost of ₹679 crore, which is among the highest allocation.

To step up safety alongside, central train control systems, train collision avoiding systems will be introduced

Online classes of Madras Univ leave students divided

Online classes of Madras Univ leave students divided

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:07.02.2021

University of Madras’s decision to continue with online classes for first year postgraduate students till March has left students divided. While a majority of them are disappointed as they were all set to attend physical classes, some of them are happy that safety of the students has been kept in mind.

While the state government had announced that physical classes for all UG and PG students would begin from February 8. But in a meeting on Thursday, Madras University officials headed by vicechancellor S Gowri decided to continue with online classes for the first semester. “We are continuing with the existing method till the semester exams. Next semester from March will have classes in physical mode,” said the VC.

Following the government announcement, a first year postgraduate student from Meghalaya who returned to the city is disappointed. “I have been facing network issues and it was hard to follow online classes. I was glad to learn that physical classes would resume from February 8. I was disappointed with the university’s decision and I don’t know whether to stay here or go back home,” the student said and pointed out that second year PG students and research scholars were attending physical classes.

Another student from Ooty enrolled in Criminology and Criminal Justice Science in the university said online studies were just not the same. “We had our first internal test and many could not do well as it is difficult to understand lessons through online classes with limited scope to clear doubts,” the student said.

However, a section of students preferred online classes citing safety issues. A Faizur Rahman, pursuing masters in Islamic Studies at the university, welcomed the decision to conduct online classes this semester. “From students’ point of view with only a few weeks left for this academic year to end, it will be safer to attend campus classes from the next semester,” he said.

Professors said some students were worried about exams and physical classes would boost their confidence.

New line will allow more trains from Tambaram

New line will allow more trains from Tambaram

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.02.2021

More trains can be operated from Tambaram to northern destinations via Egmore as the fourth line between Egmore and Chennai Beach is set be completed next year, almost a year earlier than the deadline as the Union budget has allocated more funds for doubling.

Southern Zone has got a grant of ₹5crore for building the line.

The doubling of the Tambaram-Chengalpet line is also expected to be ready by next month. This will ensure that more trains are operated from the north to Tambaram and further down south without a hassle as lines will be available to handle more traffic.

Southern Railway general manager John Thomas said this would increase mobility from northern cities and towns to Tambaram. “Tambaram is the third terminal with trains going to the north and south.”

Three lines are currently available between Chennai Beach and Egmore but that was not enough because of suburban, goods and express train traffic. There was a bit of a bottleneck and land too is required from the defence ministry for construction of the line. “August 2023 was fixed as the deadline, but we will be able to complete it by 2022 itself,” said Thomas.

Southern Railway has got ₹1,206.4 crore for doubling of lines in the budget.

The railways, which had already tried out trains from Tambaram instead of from Egmore, achieved success but for some minor glitches in terms of passenger amenities. When services resumed, a couple of trains were terminated at Tambaram instead of Egmore. Still there was patronage for the services.

Sources said a lot of trains can be operated from northern destinations to pilgrim centres in the south as the number of people who travel from states in the north to Egmore to change over to trains to places like Rameswaram continues to be high. Doubling of a small stretch near Madurai will also be taken up this year and once completed, the entire stretch from Chennai to the south via Trichy and Madurai will have double lines with upgraded tracks making it easy for running trains at speeds touching 100kmph and above.

The doubling of the Tambaram-Chengalpet line is also expected to be ready by next month. This will ensure that more trains are operated from the north to Tambaram and beyond

Implement protocol to reopen colleges: UGC

Implement protocol to reopen colleges: UGC

Chennai:07.02.2021

With many states including Tamil Nadu poised to reopen colleges and universities from next week, the University Grants Commission (UGC) on Friday asked the higher educational institutions to implement its guidelines for reopening campuses post Covid-19 lockdown appropriately.

Among the general measures,theUGC askedtheeducational institutions to maintain physical distancing of at least six feet feasible and wearing face masks.

As per the guidelines reissued by the UGC, the higher educational institutions should ensure that not more than 50% of the total students present at any point of time on the campus. Further, the institutions may provide online study material and access to eresources for students who prefer not to attend physical classes and want to study online.

Institutions also need to have a plan for international students who could not join physical classes due to travel restrictions. Online classes should also be made for them. Clean and hygienic conditions, as per safety and health advisories of the concerned government departments are to be maintained at all places including hostel kitchens, mess, washrooms, libraries and classrooms, the guidelines said.

UGC also asked colleges to reduce the class size and have multiple sections to maintain physical distancing during the classes and advised them to follow a six working day in a week schedule so that classes can be conducted in phases. TNN

2kg of gold found hidden in aircraft seats, 1 held

2kg of gold found hidden in aircraft seats, 1 held

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.02.2021

Chennai air customs on Friday uncovered a new smuggling modus operandi in which smugglers concealed gold in an aircraft flying on an international route and used a passenger travelling on its domestic leg to retrieve the gold. The customs seized 2.32kg of gold worth ₹1.14 crore and arrested a man in connection.

Based on intelligence that gold was likely to be smuggled from Dubai concealed in an aircraft, customs officials took up special rummaging of a specific flight and five rectangular bundles, wrapped with black adhesive tapes, inside a seat. The bundles were cut open and 10 gold bars of 10 tolas with foreign markings, weighing a total 1.16kg, were recovered. The aircraft then operated on its domestic leg to Guwahati and returned to Chennai.

Mohabath Khan, 56, of Kancheepuram, who travelled from Guwahati to Chennai on the same seat from which the gold was recovered earlier, was intercepted. When he was searched, another 10 gold bars with similar markings and concealed in a similar way were found and seized.

When questioned, he informed sleuths that he had flown from Chennai to Guwahati through another air carrier the same day. He also informed the customs officials that he was supposed to retrieve gold bundles from two seats in the specific aircraft but could find gold only in one. He admitted to his involvement in the crime and was arrested.

Further investigations were on, officials said.