Madras univ to double intake of foreign students

Madras univ to double intake of foreign students

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:03.03.2021 

Post Covid-19, University of Madras is planning to admit double the number of foreign students through collaboration with foreign universities and its alumni.

At present, the university has 22 students from Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Vietnam, South Africa and other countries. Due to the pandemic, the university had only seven new foreign students in 2020-21.

The university plans to start admission process in March and complete it before June 15.

“Courses like music, Bharatanatyam, psychology, sociology, public administration, MBA and MCom are popular among the foreign students. We are targeting to double the strength of foreign students in postgraduate and research programmes,” said vice-chancellor S Gowri.

The university has a foreign students’ hostel at Taramani that can house more than 100 occupants.

“We have identified areas and faculty members to collaborate with foreign universities. We are planning to sign MoUs for student and faculty exchange programmes. Our university alumni can help in bringing more students,” said professor Rita John, director of University of Madras’s International Centre.

The university will focus on south east Asian countries and African nations for the next academic year.

A majority of foreign students used to come through Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

“To have more foreign students, the ICCR decided to allow the students to directly contact the universities for admission,” said K Mohamed Ibrahim Khaleel, regional director of ICCR, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Tamil Nadu and Puducherry used to attract more than 200 students every year through ICCR that will provide scholarships to the foreign students.

“Due to Covid-19 pandemic, we had almost no admissions during last year. ICCR is planning to attract more foreign students. We have asked the universities to share details of popular courses, infrastructure, NIRF ranking with us. We will share it on our website,” he said.

In a bid to attract more students, Indian universities were asked to open applications for foreign students from March 15 for the next academic year, he said.

REACHING OUT: University of Madras could admit only seven foreign students last year

In central TN, ECI officials tighten grip to prevent voter bribery

EYE ON POLLS

In central TN, ECI officials tighten grip to prevent voter bribery

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Trichy: 03.03.2021 

The district election officers (DEO) in the eight districts in the central region of the state have laid a slew of guidelines to the marriage halls, pawn brokers, printers and cable TV operators to cooperate with the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure a free and fair election.

The district collectors-cum-DEOs have convened a series of meetings with the owners of the four industries.

ECI has imposed a lot of restrictions on marriage halls to prevent the political parties from bribing voters in the name of conducting any functions. The administration of the marriage halls should intimate the returning officers of the constituency if they rent out their premises to politicians.

The commission has clarified that a certain monitoring process has been put in place to stop political parties from greasing the palms of the voters by giving them gift articles or offering feast to the voters.

The marriage hall administrations have been asked to collect the invitations and the identify proof, which should be communicated to the election official concerned in the constituency. The ECI has also tightened the grip over the pawn brokers. Raising apprehensions about political parties closing the jewellery loans of people as a way of bribing, the commission has ordered the pawnbrokers to intimate the commission in case of anyone making bulk closure of loans.

The printers have also been brought under the scanner. They have been asked to submit the required documents to the election officials with regard to printing posters and other advertisement materials by the political parties. The local cable TV operators have also been advised to telecast political advertisements vetted by media certification and monitoring committee (MCMC). The commission has also warned them of action in case of any violation in the guidelines.

Death-row convict shifted to another jail

SHABNAM ONLINE PHOTO ROW

Death-row convict shifted to another jail

Maria Khan TNN

Bareilly:03.03.2021 

A woman, 38, awaiting death sentence for killing seven members of her family has been shifted to UP’s Bareilly jail from the Rampur prison, where she was lodged for the last two years, after her photos with some fellow inmates surfaced on social media platforms recently. Two guards of Rampur prison were placed under suspension on Monday after jail authorities found that they had clicked the photos with their phones and later circulated them. The death row convict, Shabnam, was brought to Rampur district jail in 2019.

Jail administration officials said that the pictures were most likely taken on January 26 this year inside the jail premises. “It is a breach of security and violation of the jail manual,” an official said. Another inmate — who was also seen in photos — was also shifted to Bareilly prison.

Rampur jail superintendent PD Salonia said, “Rampur district administration had issued the orders to shift both the convicts to Bareilly district jail. They were taken to Bareilly on Monday.” Salonia added, “An inquiry revealed that a male prison guard and a woman guard deputed in the jail had taken the photos of the convicts. A report in the matter was sent to the divisional prison Moradabad which ordered suspension of the two guards.”

Confirming the development, Bareilly jail superintendent P Singh said, “Shabnam and another convict were shifted from Rampur to Bareilly district jail for security reasons.”

Rajah Muthiah med students protest again

Rajah Muthiah med students protest again

Bosco.Dominique@timesgroup.com

Cuddalore: 3.3.2021 

Students of Rajah Muthiah Medical College Hospital (RMMCH) and allied institutions at Chidamabaram in Cuddalore district are back on protest mode from Sunday after the government, which had earlier issued an order reducing the fees for medical and dental education on a par with other government medical colleges, insisted they pay the old fees.

The students said the government on February 1 had passed an order fixing ₹13,610 per annum (pa) as fees for MBBS course and ₹30,000 pa for MD/MS courses on par with other government colleges in the state. However, the college issued instructions a couple of days ago directing the students to pay ₹5.4 lakh pa for the MBBS course and ₹9.6 lakh pa for MD/MS courses, fees collected before the order was passed.

"The Tamil Nadu government conceded to our demand after our 60-day protest and passed an order reducing the fees for medical, dental and paramedical programmes on par with other government colleges in the state. We called off the protest on February 4 after the government passed the order. But the college has now issued instructions to pay ₹5.4 lakh pa for the MBBS course and ₹9.6 lakh pa for MD/MS courses. We feel we have been fooled by the government," said a member of the students' council.

The government, in January, had 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. The government also announced that RMMCH would be treated as a government medical college for Cuddalore district.

The government asked the director of medical education to send a detailed proposal on taking over the properties and liabilities of the RMMCH and allied institutions. The value of the movable and immovable properties of the institutions on 113.21 acres is estimated at ₹249.99 crore. The pending liabilities, including salaries, pension, stipend, PF, and loans, is ₹840.93 crore.

The government had also asked the director to initiate efforts to bring the colleges under the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University.

NO RESPITE: Students of Rajah Muthiah Medical College Hospital in Cuddalore protest after the college authorities asked them to pay the old fees

No nervous 90s for these super seniors

No nervous 90s for these super seniors

Aditya Dev, Meenakshi Sinha & Akanksha Gupta TNN

02.03.2021 

Om Prakash Bhutani lost no time in getting the vaccine shot he had been waiting for. He also made sure someone was around, not so much to escort him as to take a picture. It was for his sons.

“My children were very concerned. As soon as the schedule was out for senior citizens, they got me registered online,” said the 92-yearold, a former Uttar Pradesh police chief who lives by himself in his Noida house, with a helper. On Monday, he was among the first to be vaccinated in the city, at the District Command Hospital.

Both his sons are abroad — one in the US and the other in Australia — and visiting them is an annual ritual for Bhutani but the pandemic has confined him to his home. Pramod Tyagi, the SHO of Film City, accompanied him.

Dr Satya Prakash, who is 90 and has diabetes and cardio-vascular problems, was accompanied by both his sons at the District Combined Hospital in Ghaziabad on Monday afternoon. Ashwani (62) took the vaccine along with his father. Ashish, who is a doctor, had received it earlier.

Dr Satya Prakash was a regular at his clinic in Navyug market before Covid broke out. In November, he lost his wife (88) to post-Covid complications. “The vaccine is effective and everyone should take it when their turn comes,” he told TOI. Another 92-year-old who turned up for the vaccine was Col D P Mehdiratta (retd). But he had to return disappointed after waiting for two hours at a session site in Gurgaon because the registration process moved slowly. “I waited since noon because there was some trouble with the system. The hospital staff did their best. I will come back tomorrow as I was feeling restless,” he said, adding, “There is no fear at all in getting vaccinated.”

OLD IS BOLD: O P Bhutani and Dr Satya Prakash

My children were very concerned. As soon as the schedule was out for senior citizens, they got me registered online

O P BHUTANI

Former police chief, UP

Air travel to soar, AI cancels pilots’ leave

Air travel to soar, AI cancels pilots’ leave

Saurabh.Sinha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:  02.03.2021 

Air India has cancelled the leaves of its pilots with immediate effect, in a signal that more flights, perhaps even international, could be allowed soon. The airline sent an order to its pilots on Monday, saying “all leave for cockpit crew stands withdrawn with immediate effect. However, leave may be granted in extreme cases depending on the urgency on a case-to-case basis”.

Senior AI officials say the airline has taken this step as the number of flights operated by the divestment-bound Maharaja are going to increase soon. The government has allowed airlines to operate up to 80% of their pre-Covid levels of domestic flights and has indicated that the cap may be removed in the coming summer schedule if the Covid situation continues to remain in control.

Scheduled domestic air travel is reviving after being allowed to resume on May 25, 2020 following a two-month suspension. Aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Monday that February 28, 2021 saw 3,13,668 domestic passengers on 2,353 flights — the highest single day number since resumption of domestic flights.

If this trend continues then the summer schedule that gets into force in Marchend could see the 80% cap on domestic flights and fare bands withdrawn. Scheduled international flights, that were suspended on March 23, 2020, continue to remain suspended. However, India has allowed international flights to and from air bubble countries and on Vande Bharat Mission operations. So far bubbles have been created with over 25 countries. In India, AI has the largest fleet of wide body aircraft used for passenger flights followed by two twin aisle Boeing 787 Dreamliners of Tata Group’s Vistara.

TAKING OFF AGAIN

Schools can’t bar students from exam over fees: Govt

Schools can’t bar students from exam over fees: Govt

‘Action Against Schools Forcing Fee Payment For Covid Months’

Suchandana.Gupta@timesgroup.com

Bhopal:  02.03.2021 

No student can be denied appearance in examinations if his or her school fee were not paid during the Coronavirus-induced pandemic period. This was specified by minister of state for school education Inder Singh Parmar while answering a question by BJP MLA from Mahidpur constituency Bahadur Singh Chouhan in the state assembly on Monday.

Parmar also said that district collectors will once again be sent an order on Monday to take action against schools that are forcefully taking fees from parents of students for the months during which schools were shut.

The minister of state said, “Whether CBSE or state board, the government has given orders that if online classes have been held then only tuition fees can be taken. No other additional fee can be charged. We will send a letter to all district collectors again today for action against such schools that are forcefully extorting fees.” During Question Hour on Monday, Bahadur Singh Chouhan raised the issue of two schools in his constituency — Ji Maa Vaishno Convent School in Jharda and Bharatiya Madhyamik Vidyalaya in Banbana. The MLA asked the minister to end recognition of the schools because the parent of a student was beaten-up since he could not pay the fee. “Not only was he beaten, he was also locked up,” the MLA alleged.

He claimed there are many irregularities committed by the owners of these schools. He said one of the two schools is hardly nine feet away from a petrol pump. “There is only a boundary separating the petrol pump from the school,” Bahadur Singh Chouhan told the House. He said the petrol pump was set up much before the school. Hence, there should be action against officials who permitted the construction of the school.

Bahadur Singh Chouhan’s question was supported by MLAs from the Opposition Congress. Former finance minister Tarun Bhanot said, “In the whole of Madhya Pradesh, schools are forcing parents to pay fees for the Coronaaffected months.” Another former minister and MLA from Bhopal South-West constituency PC Sharma said, “Children are not being permitted to appear for examinations if their fees have not been paid.”

BJP MLA from Timarni assembly seat Sanjay Shah pointed out that even the big corporate schools are demanding fees for Corona affected months when the school was closed. Speaker Girish Gautam told the minister that many MLAs are concerned with the fee extraction of schools and asked the minister to look into the matter.

Regarding the two schools in Mahidpur, minister of state Inder Singh Parmar said that the department has found many irregularities in the schools.

Bahadur Singh Chouhan asked for suspension of the officials who gave permission for construction of the schools. The minister said action will be taken but the department will follow set procedure.

NO ONE LEFT BEHIND