State to decide on conducting Class XII exams in two days

State to decide on conducting Class XII exams in two days

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:03.06.2021

The state government will take a call on conducting Class XII board exams after getting feedback from teachers, parents, students, health experts and educationists in the next two days, school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said on Wednesday.

Online meetings will be held and suggestions received on tnschooledu21@gmail.com and on helpline 14417, the minister said.

On Tuesday, citing Covid-19, the Centre cancelled CBSE Class XII exams and said the assessment would be based on objective criteria in a time-bound manner. Students not satisfied with the assessment will be given the option of appearing for exams when the situation is conducive, it said.

Following the Centre’s announcement, chief minister M K Stalin held a meeting with the school education minister.

“The central government took a decision to cancel CBSE Class XII exams when most states were in favour of conducting them. The CM wanted us to get the opinion of teachers, parents, students, health experts and educationists before taking a call on Class XII exams. He also wanted to know the stand of other states on cancelling Class XII exams,” the minister told reporters.

“Students’ health is very important to us. At the same time, Class XII exams and marks are also important for students. At present, there are mixed opinion about the cancellation of board exams. We will take a decision based on a majority of the views," he said.

At the meeting of education ministers last week, Tamil Nadu said it was in favour of conducting the board exams.

Graduates flying abroad in fix over vaccine shortage

Graduates flying abroad in fix over vaccine shortage

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:03.06.2021

Students from Chennai headed overseas for higher studies are in a fix because of the vaccination policy and visa appointments.

While several foreign universities have made vaccination compulsory for all incoming students, states like Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra (Mumbai) have announced that doses will be reserved for these students at vaccine centres. But there is no such policy in Chennai or other parts of Tamil Nadu. Given the vaccine shortage, many students return home without getting jabs even after queuing up for long.

While some have struggled to get the first dose at private hospitals, the long gap between doses has left many fearing whether they would get it before flying abroad.

Vaibhav Singh, co-founder of Leap which offers financial services to Indian students wanting to pursue higher education abroad, said, “Many students who were supposed to start their classes last year deferred it to this year, hoping to be able to attend offline classes. The second wave added more uncertainty to their plans.”

Now that countries like the US are opening up flights for international students, or allowing vaccinated students to attend classes; students will be able to attend classes in-person. Helping them with priority vaccinations will be a great move to allow them to start degrees in the Fall of 2021, he said.

Many others are facing issues with visa appointments. Some foreign consulates in Chennai are closed and are not accepting regular and even expedited appointment (EA) requests.

“I haven’t slept properly for weeks now because of the anxiety surrounding the visa process,” said a student, who got his PhD admission in the spring of 2021, requesting anonymity. He deferred his admission to the Fall because he was unable to get an appointment till November. His programme starts on September  1.

Alekya Kastury, an engineer from Chennai, said further delay in appointments will impact their travel plans. “It is going to be a situation in which we will be entering classes as soon as we land,” she said.

Many students slated to fly abroad have struggled to get their first dose at private hospitals

Vaccination for 45+ to continue

Vaccination for 45+ to continue

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:02.06.2021

The Tamil Nadu health departmenton Tuesday received 4.95 lakh doses of covid vaccine even as most districts inthe state complained of empty stock. The consignment included 75,000 doses of Covaxin and of 4.2 lakh doses of Covishield health minister Ma Subramanian said.

“So far, the state has received1.1 crore doses of the vaccine including 4.95 lakh doses we received on Tuesday. The state has administered 90.5 lakh doses and the state now has a stock of 6.5 lakh doses of the vaccine. This will be distributed across the state for vaccination in all districts. All districts will start vaccination by Wednesday,” he said. Priority and additional doses will be given to the western districts, where the caseload has been high, he added.

The fresh stock would help the state continue the vaccination drive for a few more days. “However, these doses are for people aged above 45 years. For people in the 18-44 age group, the state will make the purchase from the two manufacturers,” the minister said.

On Tuesday, 98,183 people including 47,567 in the 18-44 age group took the vaccine on Tuesday.

HC: Reinstate 41 AI pilots, give back wages

HC: Reinstate 41 AI pilots, give back wages

New Delhi:02.06.2021

The Delhi high court on Tuesday came to the rescue of 41 Air India (AI) pilots who were sacked by the company last year, as it quashed the national carrier’s decision and directed their reinstatement, reports Abhinav Garg.

Justice Jyoti Singh, in her order, also directed that back wages would have to be paid to the reinstated pilots along with their seniority. It, however, clarified that the payment of back wages will be as per rationalisation (reduction) of allowances of pilots carried by AI due to the impact of Covid-19 and also made it clear that extension of contract in the future, of those who are on contract, would be at the discretion of AI as per their performances.

HC had asked AI to take sympathetic view of situation

A detailed judgment would be available only on Wednesday. Appearing for some of the petitioners, advocates Keshav Sehgal and Gaurav Sethi had challenged the national carrier’s decision to terminate their services effective from August13 last year.

The pilots argued that there was a lack of decision-making by AI when they withdrew their resignations that had been submitted in 2019.

Citing the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) issued by the DGCA, the pilots were required to serve a mandatory six months’ notice period during which they withdrew their resignations in March 2020, Sehgal submitted. However, no decision was taken by AI on the withdrawal of these resignations, forcing them to move the HC. Even as the plea was pending, AI issued a letter on August13, 2020 illegally and retrospectively accepting their resignation, the petition contended, in violation of settled position of law.

In November last year, the HC had asked AI to take a sympathetic view of the situation and said the employees cannot be left high and dry.

TN govt gives ‘all pass’ for students of Classes I to VIII

TN govt gives ‘all pass’ for students of Classes I to VIII

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:02.06.2021

Tamil Nadu government has decided to grant ‘all pass’ to students of Classes I to VIII for the current academic year. The state had earlier issued orders to promote students of Classes IX to XI, citing the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a circular issued to chief educational officers on Monday, director of elementary education M Palanisamy said headmasters should enter ‘all pass’ in registers based on Right to Education (RTE) Act.

“As per Section16 of the RTE Act, no child shall be held back in any class or expelled from school till the completion of elementary education. Based on the act, all students studying in all types of schools should be declared pass. The chief education officers should give the necessary directions through email and phone to headmasters,” the circular said.

The directive said the date for reopening of schools would be announced after the end of the lockdown. The announcement on distributing books and welfare schemes, too, would be announced later. Chief minister M K Stalin and school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi held a meeting on Tuesday on Class XII exams.

‘Marks based on previous exams last yr’

Meanwhile, principals wanted the school education department to come out with modalities for awarding marks for Class X students. After cancelling the Class X boards, the school education department is yet to come out with modalities for awarding marks. “Last year, marks were awarded based on quarterly and half-yearly exams. But due to the pandemic, half-yearly and quarterly exams could not be conducted for the current batch. But class tests have been conducted. The state government may award marks to Class X students based on the performance of students in half-yearly and quarterly exams of Class IX and annual exam of Class VIII and can give some weightage to class tests,” said G J Manohar, principal, MCC Higher Secondary School, Chetpet.

Baby not yours, Karnataka cops tell couple as they celebrate his b’day

Baby not yours, Karnataka cops tell couple as they celebrate his b’day

Rajiv.Kalkod@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:02.06.2021

A couple from Koppal in North Karnataka was relaxing after celebrating the first birthday of their son on May 29 when a knock on the door turned their life upside down. Bengaluru police broke to them an earth-shattering news: the boy who they thought was their child born out of surrogacy had been kidnapped from a Bengaluru hospital.

Psychiatrist Dr Rashmi Shashikumar, who had allegedly abducted the boy from the BBMP hospital in Chamarajpet, and handed him over to the couple as part of a ₹14.5-lakh surrogacy deal, is now in Bengaluru police custody.

“The house still had all the signs of the birthday celebrations. Balloons, colourful festoons and toys were all over the place. But we had a duty to do and we explained to the couple that they had been cheated by the doctor and we had come to take back the child,” an investigating officer said.

It took more than an hour for the couple to come to terms with what happened and speak to cops. Officials told them to get ready by May 30 (Sunday) and leave for Bengaluru. Accordingly, the child, the couple and cops travelled to the city.

After taking their statements, Dr Rashmi was arrested. The couple with agricultural background told police they have lost all hope in life.

“Our first child, a girl, is specially challenged and can hardly speak or move. We took her to Dr Rashmi when she was with a private hospital in Hubballi during 2014 and 2015. Dr Rashmi, who came to know that my wife’s uterus had been removed, suggested we have another child through surrogacy,” police quoted the Koppal man as saying.

Full report on www.toi.in

Baby-lifter doctor had loans to clear

Dr Rashmi, according to police, was in deep financial crisis. “Her education loan — ₹7 lakh — was still uncleared. Rashmi, wife of a Bengaluru-based software engineer, had also borrowed ₹3 lakh from friends and relatives,” an officer said. Police are now awaiting the court’s permission to conduct a DNA test to establish the child’s parents. The child is currently with the Koppal couple, while the Child Welfare Committee will take a final decision. The child’s parents, Naveed Pasha, an auto driver, and Husna Banu, want to get their baby back at the earliest.

Student safety supreme; CM will decide on fate of Class XII exams

Student safety supreme; CM will decide on fate of Class XII exams

02.06.2021 

In an interview with Julie Mariappan and A Ragu Raman, school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi shares his ideas and views on issues ranging from abolition of board examinations this year, and doing away with NEET forever, to the barrage of sexual harassment complaints coming from school students against their teachers

Now that CBSE has cancelled board examinations for Class XII, what is TN’s decision on holding state board examinations?

Our chief minister has a lot of concern for the safety of students and their future. We will discuss the issue with the chief minister on Wednesday and he will take a call.

Students are venting their anger on social media, highlighting sexual assaults at the hands of teaching staff and indifference of managements. What are you going to do?

Every school should have a committee headed by a female teacher to deal with complaints of sexual harassment. If the school managements go beyond a ‘limit,’ the state government will not hesitate to move the CBSE for action. The teaching staff, who commits such an offence should be punished. Whenever such complaints are received, the education department holds an inquiry and submits a report to the government. For us, the school management or the teaching community should not get affected just because a teacher commits an offence, or a student gives wrong information. It should be noted that the chief minister has ordered a committee to be set up to frame guidelines for online classes.

The DMK government boycotted a meeting convened by the Centre because the latter did not respond to a request to hold a minister-level discussion on New Education Policy (NEP). Is Tamil Nadu the loser?

We only wanted the Centre to have a meeting at the ministerial level since we are elected members. The policy has many flaws which are against the interests of the students. We are against the three-language formula or kulakkalvi thittam (hereditary education) in the name of vocational courses. The chief minister will soon hold a meeting on the NEP.

DMK also promised a separate state education policy to fulfil the needs of the students. Please Comment.

Our promise is to have a policy for our own and abolishing NEET will form part of that. The previous AIADMK did not do the job properly. You wait and see what DMK will d o on NEET.

What are your immediate priorities in the school education department?

I can proudly say we are on a par with the CBSE when it comes to content or syllabus. We need to bring in innovation and reforms. We have set up a thinktank, a 12-member expert group, to aid us in our activities like setting up model schools, CSR activities or availing ourselves of funds. There are also plans to make the state-run Kalvi TV interactive. You will get to see the developments after the upcoming assembly session.

Dropout rates at all levels have been a cause of concern. What is the current status?

It is prevalent in some areas, mostly among the downtrodden sections who either take away children for work or get their girl children married. We are trying to engage with children to minimise the dropout rate. The continued absence of 30 days without an excuse is considered a dropout in our system.

Have you got a blueprint for the revival of Anna Centenary Library?

Yes, soon the work will begin.