4 airlines face FIR for ‘flouting norms’ on Maha-Delhi route

4 airlines face FIR for ‘flouting norms’ on Maha-Delhi route

Saurabh.Sinha@timesgroup.com

19.04.2021

The Delhi government on Sunday asked the Delhi police to lodge an FIR against four airlines — Indi-Go, Vistara, SpiceJet and AirAsia India — for flouting the rule of flying in people from Maharastra to the capital with negative RT-PCR report. Airlines, on their part, said they adhere to all norms and had not received any FIR till Sunday evening.

“…it has been observed that a large number of passengers fly from Maharashtra to Delhi without a valid RT-PCR report... written to SHO of IGI Airport to lodge FIRs against four flights (possibly one each by) Indigo, Spice Jet, Vistara and Air Asia… for carrying passengers from Maharashtra without valid RT-PCR tests,” the Delhi government said in a statement on Sunday. This action has been sought under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

Delhi requires people flying in from Maharashtra to have a negative RT-PCR report from a test done within 72 hours of departure, and those coming without it must get quarantined for 14 days. States have different requirement in terms of RT-PCR reports and quarantine for those coming from other states.

An IndiGo spokesperson said the airline has not “received any FIR against it…” AirAsia India said in a statement it is in “compliance with guidelines and protocols issued by the respective regulatory bodies… we have not received any information from any authority on this matter [FIR].” Comments from Vistara and SpiceJet are awaited.

In this ever-evolving pandemic situation, airlines have had their own issues with RT-PCR test reports. In the past few months, there have been several instances of airlines globally being barred from flying to certain places for bringing in passengers with negative reports who test positive on arrival. This has happened with Indian carriers too in places like UAE and Hong Kong. Tamil Nadu had barred a UAE budget carrier for flying in passengers for some days after a person flew in with a negative report but was positive.

Since RT-PCR tests need to be undertaken 3-4 days before departure, there is a possibility of passengers getting infected sometime after giving nasal swab samples. This discrepancy pin test report and actual Covid status was found to be very high with reports from certain labs in India. After that UAE, for instance, barred airlines from flying people from India with reports from some labs here. The Emirates site says “If you are flying from India, Pakistan, Nigeria or Bangladesh, you must get your certificate from one of the labs listed in the designated laboratories document to be accepted on the flight (to Dubai).”

An airline official said: “We have given strict instructions to check-in staff to follow entry requirements of all states. If someone gives a forged test report or if someone with a negative report tests positive on arrival, what can we do? The last thing we want to do is wilfully defy rules and run foul of the law also.”

INVALID RT-PCR REPORTS?

-ve test report must for train travellers from 5 states, Delhi

-ve test report must for train travellers from 5 states, Delhi

Mumbai:19.04.2021

Maharashtra government on Sunday declared Kerala, Goa, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi-NCR region and Uttarakhand as places of ‘sensitive origin’. Passengers arriving by train from these five states and union territory will have to carry a RT-PCR negative report and the Covid test must have been done within 48 hours of travel, said the state government order. It will be the joint responsibility of the railway and local disaster management authorities to ensure the curbs and protocol are followed.

On Saturday, the government had held talks with railway authorities about imposing curbs and issuing a protocol for passengers arriving in Maharashtra, especially from THE Kumbh Mela in Uttarakhand.

As per the order, passengers found to be Covid positive, or displaying symptoms or refusing to undergo screening will be moved to quarantine centres. Passengers with RT-PCR negative reports who also test negative in the rapid antigen test at the arrival station will be stamped for 15-day home quarantine. Those caught violating the home quarantine rule, except for medical emergency, will be fined Rs 1,000 and moved into institutional quarantine. TNN

MBBS grads can’t skip bond service

MBBS grads can’t skip bond service

State Warns Of Action Against Absentees

Yogita.Rao@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:19.04.2021

MBBS graduates in Maharashtra who have completed their internships before March 31 will have to go through the mandatory bond service this year. The Directorate of Health Services issued a circular to this effect on Friday. The circular for the first time also includes the list of around 2,500 eligible graduates. Even the ones keen on pursuing post-graduation will have to serve the bond till they secure a seat. The circular specifies that penal action will be taken against candidates not reporting to the allotted centre within seven days.

Additionally, the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) will be deploying over 7,000 medical interns on Covid duty across the state soon, besides creating a pool of 11,000 graduating nurses available for fresh appointments in hospitals facing a shortage. “Post-graduate entrance exams have been postponed in the country. Whenever students get a seat they can opt out, but till then they will have to complete the bond service. We are in a pandemic and action will be taken against students resisting the bond service. The compulsory bond will ensure we have doctors in district hospitals and rural centres too," said Dr TP Lahane, director, DMER, to which students have to apply. Exemption will be granted only to those who pay Rs 10 lakh as bond, as is the rule.

Medical graduates have been asked to apply to DMER by April 21 in an online process. Offline applications will not be accepted, said the circular. Candidates have been asked to apply for Thane, Pune, Nashik, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Akola, Aurangabad and Latur circles only. Students who tried to apply have sought to know why Mumbai is not available as an option.

While students sign the bond every year during admissions, most do not honour it after graduating. But with the state ramping up facilities, the requirement for manpower will soon go up. DMER is, therefore, making bond service mandatory this year, especially for rural areas. “The process has moved online for the first time, but there is no clarity on several aspects,” said Dwij Mehta, an MBBS graduate. Another student said there are vacancies at jumbo Covid centres in Mumbai too. “The circular says students getting an allotment will have to report to the institute within seven days, failing which penal action will be taken. But without clarity on whether Mumbai will be allowed at a later stage, how do we apply online now?” she asked.

Lahane said students who have already started working at Covid centres will be allowed to continue. Sudha Shenoy, a parent representative said, “If PG aspirants complete a few months of bond service before their admissions, will it be carried forward later?” She added that all these doubts should be clarified in another circular soon.

Hong Kong bars flights from India till May 3

Hong Kong bars flights from India till May 3

Saurabh.Sinha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:19.04.2021

Hong Kong has barred passenger flights from India, Pakistan and the Philippines for 14 days from April 20 over Covid-19 fears. Passengers who have stayed in these places for more than two hours to board a transit flight to Hong Kong have also been barred for 14 days.

These three countries “will at the same time be specified as extremely high-risk (Covid) specified places… so as to restrict persons who have stayed in these places from boarding for Hong Kong,” a government statement said late on Sunday night.

Hong Kong has a “placespecific” mechanism under which if five or more passengers from a place test positive on flights from there — irrespective of airline — in a seven-day period, that place will have passenger flights barred to land in the country for 14 days.

Hong Kong and China do not have an air bubble with India.

2 members seek annulment of BCU syndicate decisions

LETTER TO GUV

2 members seek annulment of BCU syndicate decisions

SruthySusan.Ullas@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:19.04.2021

Two syndicate members of Bengaluru City University have written to the governor and the state government questioning three decisions recently approved by the syndicate, notwithstanding their dissent.

According to Karan Kumar and Jyothi Vijay, the syndicate approved the campus redevelopment plans of the academic block and sports complex without the authorised agency showing approved plans and estimates on paper. They pointed out that the cost estimate of a building of 45,000 sqft carpet area has been quoted at Rs 31.7 crore, a much inflated figure.

The duo demanded withdrawal of the proposed ‘Master plan of campus redevelopment for BCU’ as it lacked an approved master plan, a detailed project report (DPR) and detailed estimates. They also wanted the decision on allocation of resources for the proposed sports facilities over the academic block in the proposed phase 1 scrapped as it was skewed and not in line with the aspirations of the significant stakeholders of the university. They wanted the proposal to demolish the ‘yet-to-be-used new block’ withdrawn as it was inconsistent with the NEP 2020 goal of having a minimum of 5,000 students in a university, among other reasons.

“We voiced our dissent during the syndicate meeting but were overruled by a majority vote. But if the decisions are wrong and don’t conform to the Act, the government can annul them. We’ve written to the chancellor and the pro-chancellor, apart from the principal secretary of the higher education department, highlighting the errors. If the government does not interfere, I plan to seek legal justice,” said Kumar. The decisions were made at the special syndicate meeting on February 25 and March 20.

The members also expressed displeasure over two more tenders — e-Document Generation System and the Rs 1-crore tender on e-governance in exam — approved by the syndicate, which they fear will be a den of corruption.

BNU exams to begin today

Bengaluru North University has announced its new schedule for exams that were postponed due to the transport strike. They will be held from Monday (April 19). Details are available on website www.bnu.ac.in. This includes BA, BSc, BEd, MA, MSc, MCA, MCom, MA, MFA, MSW, MBA and MTTM programmes. Meanwhile, some students have raised concerns about the university conducting offline exams in the middle of the pandemic. “...We’re dealing with the most unresponsive and apathetic education system. We want the exams to be cancelled. It’s not plausible to gather in a hall together to write exams while the country averages 2 lakh positive cases every day,” read a tweet.

5 pvt univs get nod in K’taka; 6 in pipeline

5 pvt univs get nod in K’taka; 6 in pipeline

Sandeep.Moudgal@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:19.04.2021

Five entrants have joined the growing league of private/deemed universities in Karnataka, with the state government giving the go-ahead in a notification issued on April 16.

The five universities — St Joseph’s, New Horizon, Sri Jagadguru Murugarajendra, Vidyashilp and Atria — will now be allowed to expand their campuses and launch new courses. Murugarajendra University will be based out of Chitradurga, about 200km from here, and the other four will be in Bengaluru.

The addition of five varsities will take the state’s total of such universities to 30. A senior officer said that at least 6-7 colleges and education institutions are seeking the university status, and the tally may breach the 40 mark in the next two years. Deputy CM CN Ashwath Narayan, who holds the higher education portfolio, told TOI that there is an increasing need to bring more private universities.

Govt strengthening public varsities: Min

With the decision raising a debate on whether Karnataka would “privatise” higher education over the next few years, the state government said the way forward is to increase the number of private universities and also consolidate the strengths of the public varsities in the state.

“Most of these institutions, which are being given the university status, are not-for-profit organisations. With our economy being more knowledge-driven, we need to strengthen our education system with investments,” said deputy chief minister CN Ashwath Narayan.

He also said the state is strengthening its existing public universities and institutions. “We are integrating technology to support our universities to match the needs of the industry. From corporate social responsibility funds to setting up our own source code for the learning management system, the government is investing in our institution as well,” he said.

The Karnataka State Higher Education Council said the government will give emphasis to public universities and colleges as well. “Our intention is to increase the number of public institutions with more researchoriented focus. However, when people apply for a university status, we will examine the infrastructure and necessary requirements,” said KSHEC vice-chairman P Thimmegowda.

A member of the KSHEC said when the state doesn’t have funds to ramp up the quality of education in public varsities, it is obvious private ones will mushroom to drive the market.

Applicant needs 25 acres, 3,000 students

As per the law, any private/deemed university applicant needs 25 acres of land and at least 3,000 students on its campus. With the new National Education Policy, these requirements may be diluted due to the growing cost of land and increased need of practical courses.

Rlys to run ‘Oxygen Express’

Rlys to run ‘Oxygen Express’

New Delhi:  19.04.2021 

Indian Railways will run ‘Oxygen Express’ for faster movement of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) in cryogenic road tankers. The railway ministry said green corridors were being created to facilitate fast movement of these trains.

It said the technical feasibility of transportation of LMO tankers was explored at the request of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra governments.

On Friday, the railway board had approved the request of Maharashtra government to allow transportation of LMO road tankers through Roll On-Roll Off (RORO) service and had directed all its zonal general managers to make necessary preparations.

“Due to restrictions of the height of road overbridges (ROBs) and overhead equipment (OHE) at certain locations, out of the various specifications of road tankers, the model of road tanker T-1618 with height of 3,320 mm was found feasible to be placed on flat wagons with height of 1,290 mm,” the board said.

Inox Air Products, a manufacturer of industrial and medical gases, which joined the Indian Railways’ Oxygen Express trial, said the transportation innovation would help state governments avail oxygen in remote areas from surplus areas in a shorter time. TNN