GU candidates face ID, password issues

GU candidates face ID, password issues

Ahmedabad:10.02.2021 

A large number of students rushed to Gujarat University campus on Tuesday after they found that they did not receive the user ID and password details for the online exams that are to be held from February 13.

The varsity will address the issue and provide the required assistance to students facing such issues in a day or two. About, 48,000 students are registered for the online exams this year. TNN

Banks to stay shut for 4 days in March

Banks to stay shut for 4 days in March

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:10.02.2021 

If you have an account with a public sector bank, then avoid scheduling your banking activities between March 13 and March 16. Around 55,000 public sector bank employees from 18,000 branches from across Gujarat are planning to participate in the nationwide bank strike on March 15 and 16, according to the MahaGujarat Bank Employees’ Association.

With March 13 being a second Saturday and March 14 being a Sunday, banks are expected to remain shut over the weekend.

The United Forum of Bank Unions, an umbrella body of nine unions, has given a call for the two-day strike against the proposed privatization of twostate owned lenders.

In an UFBU meeting held in Hyderabad on Tuesday, various announcements made in the union budget regarding reform measures like privatization of IDBI Bank and two public sector banks, setting up a bad bank, disinvestment in LIC, privatization of one general insurance company, allowing FDI in insurance sector up to 74%, aggressive disinvestment and sale of public sector undertakings.

On February 19, a daylong dharna will be held by bank employees in all state capitals whereas relay demonstrations will be held from February 20 to March 10 across various towns and districts of Gujarat. According to bankers, the strike will bring transactions worth at least Rs 60,000 crore to a standstill.

Soil tests under way for proposed flyover at Camp Road and Madambakkam junctions

Soil tests under way for proposed flyover at Camp Road and Madambakkam junctions

The 3 km structure will ease congestion on stretches of the Velachery-Tambaram Road

10/02/2021

Preliminary task: Workers using a drill to extract samples for soil test on Velachery-Tambaram Road. Special Arrangement

Deepa H. Ramakrishnan CHENNAI

Soil tests are under way for the construction of a 3-km flyover that will permit the flow of traffic between Camp Road and Madambakkam junctions on Velachery-Tambaram Road.

“These are being conducted for the design requirement. It will help us to find the type of soil in locations and thereby decide the kind of foundation required for the construction,” explained a source in the Highways Department.

Similar soil tests were conducted for the construction of a bridge that would form the last leg of the Eastern Bypass that runs from GST Road. This 1-km bridge would run along the Rajakilpakkam Eri. “We are going for this option so that we need not land on the Velachery-Tambaram Road, which would require more land acquisition,” said an engineer associated with the project. The combined length of these two structures would be 4 km and both were being taken up as one composite project.

On the need for the flyover, another source said the road was a very busy one with each of these junctions witnessing over 15,000 passenger car units (PCU) during rush hour. “According to Indian Roads Congress guidelines, if the number touches 10,000 PCU, there is a requirement for a flyover. The Camp Road junction is very narrow and instead of just widening the location and making it into six lanes, we are constructing a flyover that will add four more lanes,” an official explained.

Even as the design for the structures is being done, the land plan schedule that would identify the ownership of the lands, is being readied for land acquisition.

M. Venkat, a resident of Rajakilpakkam, said the project would see the completion of the Eastern Bypass, which had been pending.

‘Stick to schedule’

“It will provide one more connecting corridor to GST Road. Also traffic movement slows down near Camp Road junction due to the width. The widening and construction of a flyover will help a lot. What is required is that the Highways Department must ensure the work is completed as per schedule,” he said.

The Velachery-Tambaram Road runs parallel to GST Road and connects hundreds of residential localities.

It also has two other flyovers that are under construction at Medavakkam junction and at Vijayanagar junction. The Medavakkam flyover is nearing completion.

UGC seeks Anna varsity’s response on violation of norms

UGC seeks Anna varsity’s response on violation of norms

‘Follow norms in faculty recruitment’

10/02/2021

The UGC has written to the Registrar of Anna University.

Special CorrespondentCHENNAI

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has sought a response from Anna University on a complaint from an applicant for the post of assistant librarian.

The Commission has written to the Registrar of Anna University, advising him to follow the UGC norms in faculty recruitment and change the advertisement as per UGC regulations.

In a letter dated February 4, Supriya Dahiya, education officer, UGC, cited a letter received from one A.S. Puhazhenthi, who said the University had violated the UGC norms for recruitment for the post of assistant librarian.

‘Cannot be overlooked’

Ms. Dahiya, in her letter, cited Clause 4.7 of the UGC regulations on Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for Maintenance for Standards in Higher Education Regulations, 2018, and said they are mandatory and “cannot be overlooked at any stage in any circumstances”

University officials, however, said the institution was governed by the All India Council for Technical Education guidelines. “The norms for the University are implemented through a Government of Tamil Nadu G.O. [government order]. In fact, while all universities implemented the revised UGC pay scales as per guidelines in 2019, we implemented it only three months ago. It was only in the beginning of 2020 that the State government issued the G.O. for the same,” said an official.

The University has technical positions that are considered as non-teaching cadres but the qualification requirement for such posts was higher, said J. Kumar, former Registrar.

“For example, a clerical assistant in Annamalai University may be appointed with just a degree. But in Anna University, we have special guidelines as per the nature of the institution. We would require the person to have knowledge of and certification in typewriting, and proficiency in working on the computer,” he said.

Tejas to stop in Dindigul from April 2

Tejas to stop in Dindigul from April 2

10/02/2021

Tejas Express (Chennai Egmore to Madurai) will stop at Dindigul Railway Station from April 2. According to DMK MLA I. Periasamy, following representations from commuters, Dindigul MP Velusami had appealed to the Railway Minister to consider the plea. The public had suggested that the train could stop at Dindigul instead of Kodaikanal Road junction as passengers had to alight at Kodaikanal Road junction and travel to Dindigul. So, the Railway Board had in a communication said from April 2, on an experimental basis, Tejas Express would stop at Dindigul in lieu of Kodaikanal Road junction.

Stating that he had been continuously demanding for the stoppage of Tejas Express at Dindigul, Madurai MP Su. Venkatesan has thanked the railway administration for heeding to his demand.

RTI info over 200+ pages? File another plea

RTI info over 200+ pages? File another plea

Banaskantha DDO Issues Circular Including ‘No Prejudice’ Clause

Paul John@timesgroup.com

Ahmedabad:10.02.2021

If you are in Banaskantha and the information you sought under RTI runs into more than 200 pages, you will have to file another application. You will also need to ensure that the public information officer does not “perceive” you are filing the plea to satisfy a grudge, or your RTI plea could be rejected.

These are just two of the fivepoint mantra issued by the Banaskantha district development officer that threatens to weaken the right of Gujarat’s citizens to know about government affairs. Coming on the heels of the Gujarat Information Commissioner’s controversial decision to impose a lifetime ban on a whistleblower from Amreli and ban three members of a family from filing RTI pleas for five years, these clauses in the circular have further alarmed RTI activists.

On February 2, Banaskantha DDO Ajay Dahiya issued a 27-point circular to all departments including five ‘controversial’ clauses that have raised eyebrows. These clauses bar the PIOs from parting with information if the PIO “deciphers” that the applicant, who has filed the plea, holds a grudge.

The circular also imposes a 200-page restriction. If an RTI applicant seeks copies of an officers’ property or tax returns, copies of charge sheets, show cause and warning notices, records related to conducting disciplinary action or annual confidential reports -- these will now be denied, too. For this, Dahiya has asked PIOs to rely on Supreme Court orders related to cases SLP 22609/2012 and SLP 27734/ 2012 to reject any such information sought under RTI Act. P 2

‘Attack on participatory democracy’

Bnaskantha DDO Ajay Dahiya's circular also stalled the transfer of an RTI application.

So, if information sought is not available with a particular department, the plea will not be transferred to the concerned department.

Instead, a fresh RTI application will have to be filed. “Our deputy DDO Harshad Makwana had prepared the circular with adequate legal citation. You may discuss with him for more details,” said DDO Dahiya who chose to stay away from commenting on the rationale behind including the controversial clauses. The DDO’s circular is an attack on participatory democracy, said Pankti Jog of Mahiti Adhikar Gujarat Pahel. “Information regarding misappropriation of social security scheme payments, food ration, farmers enquiring into farm disputes, can all be denied with this single circular,” Jog said.

New govt arts colleges reopen for1st yr students sans subject teachers

New govt arts colleges reopen for1st yr students sans subject teachers

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:10.02.2021 

After months of online classes, thousands of first year students finally entered college campuses for in-person classes on Monday. But for 2,000 students in 10 new government arts and science colleges, in-person classes began without subject teachers and in some cases without any furniture too.

Ramar, a BComm student in one of the colleges, said the institution just took attendance the first two days and no classes were held. After months of attending online classes at neighbouring colleges, Ramar, like many of his peers, was looking forward to in-person classes. “We thought that offline classes would be better than online classes, but the first two days were disappointing,” he said.

Pothum Ponnu, another student, said her college told students that teachers would be appointed by next Monday. “One faculty member gave orientation,” she said.

While students were able to still learn something with online classes, with reopening, these classes have come to a halt, a student said.

As of Tuesday, the six new colleges in Rishivandiyam in Villupuram district, Ranipet, Sankarankovil in Tenkasi district and Srivilliputhur in Virudhunagar district, Tharangambadi in Karur district and Kuthalam in Nagapattinam district have just one faculty member per college. The other colleges have two or three faculty members, a far cry from the allotted 17 teaching posts per college.

“I am the only faculty member in my college. I have to open the college and put out chairs for students and take attendance and give orientation. It was really difficult to manage more than 200 students all by myself,” said a faculty member in charge of one of the new colleges. The faculty member rented chairs for 10 days as there was no furniture in the college.

Some new colleges postponed semester exams expecting more faculty members. “But, there is no chance in terms of faculty members and infrastructure. We have to prepare the students for upcoming semester exams. The government can depute some faculty members or appoint guest lecturers to help rural students,” another faculty member said.

Sources in the higher education department said the directorate of collegiate education is in the process of transferring faculty members to the new colleges.