9 engg colleges could get only 1 student

COMEDK QUOTA

9 engg colleges could get only 1 student

51 Could Not Fill Even 25% Seats

SruthySusan.Ullas@timesgroup.com

Beng aluru:05.03.2021 

Is there a high demand for seats in private engineering colleges in Karnataka? Well, data pertaining to seats under the ComedK (Consortium of medical, engineering and dental colleges - Karnataka) show there have been not many takers this admission season. Sample this: Nine engineering colleges could find only one student each in the ComedK quota while four others could get only two students each.

In a detailed list of a number of seats available and filled under the ComedK quota in colleges, it is only RV College of Engineering that has succeeded in filling up 96 per cent of the seats. Three other colleges –– National Institute of Engineering, BMS College of Engineering and MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology –– had more than 80% of their seats under the quota filled.

As many as 51 colleges could not fill even 25% of their quota; 35 of them had 10 or less than 10 students. Three of these colleges had more than 125 seats and one of them close to 200. Twenty colleges had seats between 25% and 50% filled. Another 16 colleges had filled at least 50% of the seats.

Pandemic effect

TOI had earlier reported that 69% of the ComedK seats are vacant this year. Of the total 15,020 seats, only 4,711 were filled. The dip this year has been attributed to the non-Karnataka students keeping off due to pandemic fear. Civil and mechanical engineering were the branches that were the most affected.

“Managements need to invest in colleges. They can attract students only if there is a wider vision and work towards improving quality. For many colleges, the fee is so low that they’re even unable to recruit qualified faculty. Covid has come as a double whammy for these colleges as parents have been in financial crisis and most of them did not want their children to travel,” said MK Panduranga Shetty, president of Karnataka Unaided Private Engineering Colleges Association.

S Sadagopan, director, International Institute of Information Technology-Bangalore, said there’s a combination of factors that work against these colleges that are not able to attract students. “They might not be a great brand. Being new, their credentials are not established. The location might not be favourable. When people have a choice, they prefer to go to the good colleges. Colleges kept on adding seats a few years ago when the IT companies were recruiting in large numbers. Three years ago, the trend stopped and the spillover is now for us to see,” he said.

Private engineering colleges have to set apart 45% seats for government quota, 30% seats for students through ComedK and 25% for management quota.

10 MBBS students test +ve in Rajkot

10 MBBS students test +ve in Rajkot

Ex-Minister, Kin Infected In Jamnagar

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Rajkot:  05.03.2021 

Ten first-year MBBS students of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay (PDU) Medical College, Rajkot, have tested positive for coronavirus infection on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The college dean Dr M J Samani called an urgent meeting and suspended offline education for a week for the rest of 190 students.

The nine male students and one female found infected have been shifted to the Covid care hospital and are being treated by the senior doctors. Hospital sources claimed that they have mild symptoms.

Contact tracing has been done all other students who came in their contact have tested negative. The college administration also initiated the process to administer vaccines to the students.

Of the 10 infected students, six were staying at the college hostel, while four others were living in private accommodation. They had started offline classes from February 1.

Meanwhile, 45 more people tested positive in Rajkot city on Thursday In all, 107 people have tested positive in the city on Wednesday and Thursday.

In Jamnagar, former minister and MLA Vasuben Trivedi and her family members also tested positive on Thursday. According to Jamnagar district administration, Trivedi, her husband Narendra, son and daughter-in law-tested positive. The number of cases are also spiralling in Jamnagar with 14 testing positive on Thursday.

Woman dies of Covid-19 3 days after marriage

Woman dies of Covid-19 3 days after marriage

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Vadodara:05.03.2021 

A new bride’s excitement to visit her parental home for the first time as per tradition after her wedding which took place three days ago on March 1 however came to a shocking end after she collapsed at her husband’s place moments before leaving. Later, it came to light that the woman was Covid-19 positive.

The incident took place in the Gotri area of the city on Friday morning when Sanyukta (name changed) was preparing to leave for her parents’ home in the neighbourhood but collapsed suddenly. Relatives called an ambulance and she was rushed to the SSG Hospital (SSGH), where she died during treatment.

Samples of the newly married woman were collected for Covid-19 test, which was found to be positive.

Her husband, who was in a state of shock, could not talk much and said, “We are now planning funeral rituals.”

The emergency police report at the SSG Hospital mentions that the woman was suffering from fever since the past two days. In wake of her death, the officials at SSGH also informed the Laxmipura police station. P 6

A bride was to visit her parental home for the first time after the wedding however she collapsed at her husband’s home moments before leaving. Later, it came to light that she was Covid-19 positive

50kg food wasted per person per yr in Indian homes: UNEP

50kg food wasted per person per yr in Indian homes: UNEP

Most Of Waste Comes From Households

Vishwa.Mohan@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: 05.03.2021 

An estimated 931 million tonnes of food, or 17% of total food available to consumers in 2019 globally, went into the waste bins of households, retailers, restaurants and other food services, said the Food Waste Index Report 2021, released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on Thursday.

The weight of the global food waste roughly equals India’s total production of foodgrain, oilseeds, sugarcane and horticultural produce in 2019-20.

The report shows that most of this waste globally comes from households, followed by food services and retail outlets. On a global per capita level, 121 kg of food is wasted each year, with 74 kg of this happening in households.

In South Asia, estimates at household level show a waste of 50 kg of food per person per year in India compared to 82 kg in Afghanistan, 79 kg in Nepal, 76 kg in Sri Lanka, 74 kg in Pakistan and 65 kg in Bangladesh.

Per capita food wastage is, in fact, much higher in west Asian and sub-Saharan African countries compared to South Asian and most of the European and North American countries, challenging earlier narratives of higher consumer food waste in developed countries, and food production, storage and transportation losses in developing countries.

Referring to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO) which estimates that 690 million people were hungry in 2019, the food waste index report said the number was expected to rise sharply during and post-Covid-19.

“With a staggering 3 billion people that cannot afford a healthy diet (FAO, 2020), the message of this report is clear: Citizens need help to reduce food waste at home,” said the report comprising new global consumer level food waste estimates that were generated from existing data points in 54 countries and extrapolations based upon the estimates observed in other nations.

Underlining that food waste is not just limited to rich nations, the report noted that the household per capita food waste generation is found to be broadly similar across country income groups, suggesting that action on food waste is equally relevant in high, upper-middle and lower-middle income countries.

The report, joint research work of UNEP and UK-based non-governmental organisation WRAP, also flags that 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) are associated with food that is not consumed.

“Reducing food waste would cut GHG emissions, slow destruction of nature through land conversion and pollution, enhance availability of food and thus reduce hunger and save money at a time of global recession,” said Inger Andersen, executive director of UNEP.

Full report on www.toi.in

Times View: Many people die of hunger every year across the globe and yet 931 million tonnes of food was wasted the world over in 2019. In India too, where millions survive at subsistence level, tonnes of food is wasted.

Experts must suggest ways to get out of this grim paradox or at least minimise it. We also need awareness campaigns on the subject, both by the government and by civil society groups.

BJP aim is to prevent DMK victory: Annamalai

TALKING TO TOI ELECTIONS 2021

BJP aim is to prevent DMK victory: Annamalai

05.03.2021 

The BJP and the Centre want a government in Tamil Nadu that would push Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s development agenda. Hence, the BJP’s sole objective in the assembly polls is to prevent the DMK from coming to power, said BJP vice president K Annamalai in an interview with Shanmughasundaram J

What are the prospects of the AIADMK-BJP alliance in the assembly polls?

The AIADMK-led NDA will definitely come back to power as I don’t see any kind of anti-incumbency against the government and the CM; nor is there any strong pro-DMK wave. When it comes to leadership, people prefer EPS to DMK leader M K Stalin. Of course, there is anti-incumbency against some sitting MLAs and it is up to the ruling party to sort it out.

What are the prospects of the BJP in the polls?

The BJP’s objective this time is to prevent the DMK from coming to power and ensuring the victory of our combination (AIADMK-BJP front). We want EPS to come back to power as part of a larger scheme of things. At the same time, we believe that our time has come in TN. After a gap of 15 years, we will see some of our leaders sitting in the TN assembly.

How do you view V K Sasikala’s decision to quit politics? Did the BJP play a role in it?

I think it’s her personal decision. Our state president L Muruganhas welcomed it. The BJP has no role in what happens in the AIADMK.

Except for one seat, the AIADMKBJP alliance lost all others in the 2019 LS polls? Do you think the trend would have changed within two years?

The outcome of the 2019 LS polls in Tamil Nadu wasabnormal. Anti-Modi sentiment was whipped up by a combination of social media campaigns and careful news narratives. At that time, the AIADMK-BJP alliance was just formed. Things have completely changed now and Stalin is forced to change his narrative every month. The opposition’s anti-BJP and anti-Modi narratives do not have any impact on people.

What is BJP’s narrative for the polls?

We believe the popularity of Narendra Modi is very high in TN because two in every three people in the state have benefited from the Centre’s schemes. He is going to be the party’s biggest ambassador. The PM and the Centre want a government in TN that would push Modi’s development agenda. The EPS-Modi combination and Jayalalithaa factor would work in our favour.

Stalin accused the BJP of admitting several notorious criminals in the party. What is your take?

It is like the pot calling the kettle black. Several leaders of his party face serious criminal charges. We cannot check the background of every person joining our party.

The opposition accuses the BJP of making a mockery of elections bydislodging state governments through unfair means. Puducherry is the latest instance. What have you got to say?

The Narayanasamy-led government has done nothing for Puducherry. (Congress) MLAs, including A Namassivayam, who built the party in Puducherry, came to the BJP on their own. Like G23, (Congress dissidents at the national level) it’s G7 in Puducherry. Knowing that the kitchen cabinet of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Narayanasamy will not allow new leaders to emerge, they came out. It is not fair to say the BJP is killing democracy.

Why are your supporters saying that many TN BJP leaders are against your growth in the party?

I don’t see anybody opposing me, we’re like a family. The party’ssystem is built against it (factionalism). If anybody has an ego issue, itis temporary. I enjoy the role given to me and remain loyal to the party.

BJP says it works for all sections of society. If so, why doesn’t it get support from minorities?

This (BJP) government has done far more than others for minorities. Muslim students get the highest scholarships. It is the DMK that wants to keep them as a vote bank. We see them as part of the country. The triple talaq Act helped us get more votes, particularly from Muslim women. We proved it in Bihar polls and will do it in Tamil Nadu too. It’s only a matter of time.

I-T officials seize ₹3 crore from two business groups

MULTIPLE RAIDS

I-T officials seize ₹3 crore from two business groups

Siddharth Prabhakar@timesgroup.com

Chennai:05.03.2021 

Income tax department's searches on the premises of two groups of civil contractors in Ramanathapuram and Madurai districts on Wednesday resulted in detection of ₹175 crore unaccounted income and seizure of ₹3 crore unaccounted money, according to an I-T statement.

The income tax department conducted searches on 18 premises. Based on intelligence inputs about the existence of cash, which is likely to be distributed for election purposes, searches were mounted on the business groups. The action resulted in the finding of unaccounted money to the tune of ₹3 crore.

Other findings include the identification of the fact that the assessee was booking bogus expenses under various heads to reduce the profits. The declared profits were less than 2% of the turnover, when in actual accounts the profits exceeded 20%. Similarly, more than 100 subcontractors were introduced to book expenses to meet illegal payments and onmoney payments for property purchases.

These subcontractors filed returns of income from the same IP address, and for the first time ever, showed only this receipt as their sole source of income.

Pallavaram, Pammal now receive piped water supply

Pallavaram, Pammal now receive piped water supply

Oppili.P@timesgroup.com

Chennai:05.03.2021 

More than 40,000 residents in Pallavaram and Pammal municipal limits have begun getting piped water from Metrowater.

A senior official of the agency said that under the project, which was commissioned a couple of days ago, 28,000 connections were provided in Pallavaram, while 13,400 were provided in Pammal.

Metrowater draws more than 4 million litres of water a day (MLD) from Chembarambakkam reservoir for piped supply to the houses in both the municipalities and has collected the required charges.

In Pallavaram, where the requirement is nearly 30 MLD, the municipality buys 5.5 MLD from Metrowater and 1.5 MLD from the TWAD Board that draws from the Palar scheme. The remaining quantity is managed with other sources, an official said.

For residents of areas under Pammal area, where the requirement is 6 MLD, the municipality gets 0.5 MLD from the TWAD Board and another 2.5 MLD from Metrowater.

Given that the water requirement is only set to increase in the two areas where there has been rapid development in the past few years, with residential colonies springing up all over, the authorities the authorities have begun exploiting the abandoned quarries within their jurisdictions. The state department of municipal administration and water supply (MAWS) has set up treatment plants at two quarries in Pallavaram and one in Pammal, the official added.

During the cruel summer of 2019, one of the worst in the memory of the city’s residents, people in some of the core areas were supplied water drawn from some abandoned quarries in the suburbs.