Madras University to offer 12 online courses from 2021-22

Madras University to offer 12 online courses from 2021-22

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:23.03.2021 

University of Madras will offer 12 online degree and diploma programmes in various subjects including economics, psychology, retail management and maths from 2021-22.

The university signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC), an autonomous body of the University Grants Commission, to jointly offer online degree programmes.

Madras University vicechancellor S Gowri, CEC director Jagat Bhushan Nadda and joint director Nageshwar Nat signed the MoU to partner to develop content for eLearning initiatives.

“CEC hosts one of the largest repositories of digitised educational content. The MoU will help the university to fasttrack design, development and deploying of these online degree programmes,” Gowri said.

TN colleges, univs go online again

STATE GOVT BARS PHYSICAL CLASSES

TN colleges, univs go online again

Chennai:23.03.2021 

The Tamil Nadu government on Monday ordered all colleges, universities and deemed universities to stop holding physical classes and conduct only online classes from March 23 due to the rising Covid-19 cases in the state.

An order issued by chief secretary Rajeev Ranjan said colleges should complete all practical classes and practical exams before March 31, and must hold end-semester exams only through online mode.

In view of the recent spike in Covid-19 cases, the chief secretary conducted a videoconference meeting with vicechancellors, director of technical education, director of collegiate education, director of public health and preventive medicine (DPH) and other health officials.

“The DPH said there are reports emerging about clusters in colleges and hostels and considering the trend in many states, these clusters have the potential to contribute spread disease in their place of residence and surrounding community,” the government order said. TNN

Final semester exam to be held online

The government order read: “The vice-chancellors said classes can be conducted online as70%to80%syllabushavebeen covered. For science stream students, practical classes and examination are going on,”

“The government after careful examination directs all higher educational institutions under thecontrolof thehigher education department and deemed universities to conduct online classes six days a week from March 23. All practical classes and practical exams for science, engineering and polytechnic shall be completed before March 31, especially for final semester students. The semester examination will be an online exam,” Rajeev Ranjan said in the order.

Telangana govt gets EC nod to implement pay revision

Telangana govt gets EC nod to implement pay revision

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had reportedly assured employee unions that fitment in their pay would be two to three percent more than what the AP government was paying.

Published: 21st March 2021 05:25 PM 

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao

By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Decks have been cleared for the announcement on implementation of the Pay Revision Commission (PRC) report with the Election Commission of India (ECI) giving the go-ahead to the state government.

The state government has sought a clarification from the Election Commission on announcement of pay revision for the employees in view of the by-election for Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly seat on April 17.

In reply, the ECI said that it has no objection from the Model Code of Conduct angle, subject to the condition that no undue publicity in this regard may be done by anyone anywhere for attaining political mileage through it particularly in the district where the election is underway. The letter was signed by Avinash Kumar, secretary, Election Commission of India.

When contacted Chief Electoral Officer Shashank Goel said that they had received the clarification from the State government on Saturday which they had sent to Election Commission which in turn gave the go-ahead signal on Sunday.

A few days before the elections to two graduates’ constituencies of the State Legislative Council, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao reportedly assured employee unions that fitment in their pay would be two to three percent more than what the AP government was paying. Since AP government had announced 27 per cent, the Telangana employees unions expect that it would be about 29 per cent of their basic pay.

Leaders of TGOs and TNGOs - V Mamatha and M Rajender - then claimed that the Chief Minister had promised them to make an announcement in the Assembly after March 19. When he makes the announcement, they may also include enhancement of employees’ retirement age from 58 to 61 years. The employees were elated since the PRC in its recommendations recommended only 7.5 per cent fitment.

Earlier in the day, Tourism Minister V Srinivasa Goud said that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will make an announcement of the implementation of the Pay Revision Commission.

"Very soon, the chief minister will come out with a statement that would please the employees," he said, at a function organised by the Telangana Teachers' Union. He said the chief minister will keep in mind the role employees had played in the Telangana movement while making the announcement, he said.

World’s longest railway platform in Hubballi in its final stage of construction

After completion of the works, Hubballi railway station, which has presently five platforms, will be upgraded to eight platforms that will ease the movement of trains.

Published: 21st March 2021 10:38 PM 

View of SSS Railway Station, Hubballi. (Photo | D HEMANTH/EPS)

By Arunkumar Huralimath

Express News Service

HUBBALLI: The construction of the world’s longest railway platform at Shri Siddharoodha Swamiji Railway Station, Hubballi is in its final stage and it will likely be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon.

Soon after commissioning of lengthening of Platform No 1 to 1,505 meters, it will unseat Gorakhpur station, under North Eastern Railway Zone, which has a platform length of 1,366 meters. After completion of the works, Hubballi railway station, which has presently five platforms, will be upgraded to eight platforms that will ease the movement of trains.

The existing 550-meter platform has been extended to 1,505 m with 10-m width. The longest platform has been designed to accommodate two trains at a time. On this longest track, there will be two platforms that are platform No.1 and platform No.8. To facilitate the passengers to platform No.8 third entry point will be opened. With this Hubballi railway station will be one among a few stations in the country having three entry gates.

Being the headquarter of the South Western Railway zone, Hubballi junction had not seen any developments. In the last decade, many developmental works have been initiated. The main entrance of the station has been constructed as a model railway station. The railway station connects many passenger and goods trains every day from many states. Due to lack of platforms, the trains were supposed to wait in Hubballi South Station and on the Dharwad line.

SWR chief public relations officer E Vijaya said to address the platform issue and to take up electrification and other civil works, the SWR has already completed remodelling the railway station at the cost of Rs 90 crores. Construction of longest platform, building full yard, signalling, electric works, the third entry and other civil works were part of the the project.

“The world’s longest platform construction work is in the finishing stage which will take a week-long time. Soon after the completion, the head office will take a call on the inauguration of the platform,” she added.

Key features

The total length of the platform will be 1,505 meters

The longest track will have two platforms no.1 and no.8

Hubballi will have eight platforms

PM Modi is expected to inaugurate the platform virtually

Rs 90 crore has been spent on various developmental works

Hubballi railway station will be having three entry gates, with this the station will be a few stations in India to have three entry points. At the present main gate, Gadag entry points are facilitating the passengers to the station. The new entry point will help the passengers to reach directly to platform no.8.

Residents of Selaiyur blame lack of co-ordination for delay in bypass

Residents of Selaiyur blame lack of co-ordination for delay in bypass

The construction of the Tambaram Eastern Bypass (TEB) has made travel through the stretch unsafe, say residents of Selaiyur and its neighbouring areas.

Published: 22nd March 2021 03:06 AM |

The poor condition of the road that is laid till Selaiyur | Express

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The construction of the Tambaram Eastern Bypass (TEB) has made travel through the stretch unsafe, say residents of Selaiyur and its neighbouring areas. The reasons cited are poorly-illuminated and dug-up roads.

The TEB connects Rajakilpakkam with Peerkankaranai on the GST Road. The road has been laid till Selaiyur. Most of the residents blame lack of coordination between the different agencies involved in the project for their hardship. E Varathan, a resident of Madipakkam, said there are a lot of lapses. “Work is not happening at Mappedu Junction. Service road has not been properly completed for the entire stretch from Rajakilpakkam to Mappedu Junction. Road widening is also pending for a small stretch in Thiruvanchery,” he said.

Street lights are missing between Camp Road junction and Mappedu junction. “When we complained to the CM cell saying the stretch is risky for travel, the Highways Department replied that road works have been completed in the Selaiyur stretch. It said queries like service lane, street lights and center medians must be diverted to the divisional office,” said Dayanand Krishnan, a resident. He further added, “All the components in road works should be undertaken by a single agency.

There is a lot of confusion and delay in execution.” The TEB, once completed, will ease traffic in Perungalathur and reduce travel time to Southern districts. It is a boon for those living in South Chennai including Velachery, Nanganallur, Madipakkam, Thiruvanmiyur and Adyar among others, as they can directly reach the bypass via Medavakkam. Now, since these vehicles pass through Perungalathur, traffic jams have become inevitable.

The bypass for Tambaram was proposed in the CMDA first Master Plan 1979 to help vehicles from outside the city avoid the railway line and the Irumbuliyur junction, infamous for accidents then. The State government sanctioned `1 crore as a token amount for land acquisition in 2004 for the 9.3-km road that runs from Peerkankaranai on the GST Road and ends at Rajakilpakkam on the Velachery-Tambaram Road. However, tackling the encroachments and issues in land acquisition have delayed project.

Protesters at Madras University undeterred by students’ suspension

Protesters at Madras University undeterred by students’ suspension

Protest at the varsity enters fifth day, complainant hurt herself but later joins stir

Published: 22nd March 2021 03:06 AM 

File photo of a decked-up Madras University during its 160th Graduation Day celebration

By Sushmitha Ramakrishnan

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The protest by University of Madras students, alleging that a senior faculty sexually harassed one of the students, entered the fifth day. The student who filed the sexual harassment complaint had hurt her wrist on Sunday morning, but returned to the protest scene after receiving first aid at a government hospital. This comes a day after the university suspended five students, including the complainant and some of the witnesses, on grounds of “disciplinary action.” Speaking to Express, the complainant said that the head of her department (HOD) had molested her in the middle of a heated argument among students and the teacher in a class room.

Top university officials told Express that the students did not show up for many discussions they tried organising and that they had “violated the code of conduct by staging demonstrations before formally writing a complaint to the administration and misusing the campus space.” The protesters however paint a different picture. Students of the social science department had approached the HOD on March 16, to discuss discrepancies in their internal marks. They had charged that some students were failed in the exams deliberately as they had staged demonstrations against the management earlier in the year.

“Sir (HOD) was sitting on the chair and he got up and pushed me on my chest. Then he pushed other students also. First I thought he did it accidentally,” said the complainant narrating the altercation between the students and the teacher on March 16. “But then he pushed me three times in total, but at all times he pushed me on my chest. In fact one of my classmates asked him why he was doing that and I even held his shirt and asked him to stop doing that,” she added.

She said that after the incident, she asked the faculty to apologise for “manhandling” her and other students. “He walked off asking us to do whatever we can. The only recourse we have is protest,” she said.

The complainant explained that the reason she hurt herself was because the “University staff asked me questions about my character. They asked what kind of a girl I should be to stay up with boys to protest all night. It was very embarrassing.”

A witness who was suspended concurred with her and added that students had fought with the teacher as a handful of them who were failed by the faculty, passed with much higher marks on reevaluation. “So we were asking him to disclose our internal marks on the notice board as per procedure,” he said. University officials told Express that they suspended the students only after students refused to show up for discussions. “If they had a problem with the HOD, they should have written to the campus director or registrar. Instead, they directly entered protests. They did not attend any meetings we tried to organise,” a top official said.

The witness however argued that students were summoned by a committee that was enquiring the allegations submitted by the HOD against the students and not the other way around. The witness also showed the summon letter to this reporter. The complainant told Express that when the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) had summoned the students, she showed up. “However they asked very little about the harassment and sent me off,” she said.

The varsity official responding to this allegation said that while summoning the HOD, he was informed about the students’ allegations. “We want the interests of the students protected,” the official added. A member of the ICC, on condition of anonymity, said that the suspension had nothing to do with the complaint itself and was not issued by the ICC. “The ICC is yet to sign the official findings of the enquiry committee. So, I cannot comment on the sexual harassment yet,” the member said on Saturday night.

Hyderabad biryani comes to Mambalam

Hyderabad biryani comes to Mambalam

Amidst a range of delicious kebabs and heaps of soulful biryani (not to mention copious amounts of brinjal gravy), the chain’s 34th restaurant came to be.

Published: 22nd March 2021 01:18 AM 

The SS Hyderabad Biryani outlet in Brindavan Street is SS Biryani’s 34th branch. | Debadatta Mallick

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: In a no-fuss, no-frills ceremony reminiscent of a close-knit family affair, the SS Hyderabad Biryani clan on Saturday welcomed guests to their brand new outlet at Brindavan Street, Mambalam. Amidst a range of delicious kebabs and heaps of soulful biryani (not to mention copious amounts of brinjal gravy), the chain’s 34th restaurant came to be.

S Abdul Samad, the brand’s owner who was present at the launch, attending to each and every guest who showed up, commented that the outlet was strategically positioned to cater to the hungry shoppers who are left with few good options in the area.

“There are not many restaurants in this area. So, people finish shopping and leave. It is for them that we opened this outlet here. So that they can finish their shopping and stop here to get good food,” he explained.

Besides their usual biryani and meat fare, the outlet also has a range of options for vegetarians. You’ll also find the welcome addition of an assortment of beverages and loaded milkshakes. Like most of his outlets, this one too bears an array of antique pistols and daggers on display as part of the decor. Ask him why this peculiar choice for a biryani chain and he goes, “Usually people have pictures of food.

But, the food we put on the table would be good enough to make you smile; that’s what we focus on. As you wait for the food to arrive, we thought these vintage weapons may draw your interest.” Samad plans to instal a food bank that will offer free food for those in need soon after Easter, he shared.