CA Exams 2021: Plea In Supreme Court Seeks Opt Out Option, More Examination Centres, Postponement Of Exam If Adherence To Covid Protocols Not Possible

CA Exams 2021: Plea In Supreme Court Seeks Opt Out Option, More Examination Centres, Postponement Of Exam If Adherence To Covid Protocols Not Possible: A plea has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking directions to provide an 'Opt Out' option

Delhi High Court To Hear Jun 11 Plea For Postponement of Foreign Medical Graduate Examination

Delhi High Court To Hear Jun 11 Plea For Postponement of Foreign Medical Graduate Examination: The Delhi High Court todayadjourned till June 11, a plea seeking the postponement of Foreign Med

No entrance exam this year, says SASTRA

No entrance exam this year, says SASTRA

10/06/2021

Special Correspondent THANJAVUR

The SASTRA deemed university has announced that there will be no entrance examination for admission to engineering courses for the 2021 academic year.

In a press release, the institution said admissions to engineering programmes would be based on the Class XII scores for 50% of the seats. For the remaining seats, the Class XII and JEE Main scores, with equal weightage for both, will be considered.

Aspiring students should submit their applications online through www.sastra.edu by July 31, after receiving their Class XII scores. The rank list will be released by 9 p.m. on July 31.

The counselling for admissions will commence on August 2, and 30% of the seats will be allotted to Thanjavur- and Tiruchi-based students, the release added.

Implement lockdown strictly, says CJ

Implement lockdown strictly, says CJ

10/06/2021

Mohamed Imranullah S.CHENNAI

Madras High Court Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee on Wednesday expressed disappointment over the police not enforcing strictly the ongoing lockdown in Tamil Nadu to fight COVID-19. He said it appeared as if the lockdown had been lifted and it was “party time” on the roads.

The Chief Justice broached the subject with Advocate General R. Shunmugasundaram and said it was shocking to find people moving about on the roads as a matter of routine, though the lockdown was still in force and only a few relaxations had been provided for the convenience of the people.

“We have just eased a few things for the convenience of the citizens. But if you walk on the streets, it appears that it is party time. There is business as usual. We, the public, must follow what is in our best interest. We must inculcate a sense of discipline in us,” the Chief Justice told the Advocate General.

In reply, Mr. Shunmugasundaram said, “Your Lordship may recall that policemen were beating up people. Now, strict instructions have been given not to beat people and just to ask them about their documents, e-passes, etc. Now, they are handling softly and politely,” he said.

Alagappa University VC term ends

Alagappa University VC term ends

10/06/2021

Special Correspondent KARAIKUDI

Prof. N. Rajendran, Vice-Chancellor of Alagappa University, Karaikudi, has completed his tenure of office on June 4. A convenor’s committee has been formed with D. Karthikeyan, Principal-Secretary, Department of Higher Education, and two Syndicate members of Alagappa University namely Dr. R. Swaminathan, Principal, Vidhyaa Giri College of Arts and Science, Puduvayal, and Dr. T.R. Gurumoorthy, senior professor and Head, Department of Commerce, Alagappa University.

Late referrals of the critically ill put govt. hospitals in a fix

Late referrals of the critically ill put govt. hospitals in a fix

This also causes mental agony to families of the victims

10/06/2021

A majority of such patients are brought in ambulances in the evening. B. Jothi RamalingamJOTHI RAMALINGAM B

Serena Josephine M. CHENNAI

A critically-ill patient diagnosed with COVID-19, who was undergoing treatment at a private hospital, was shifted to a government hospital at about 11 p.m. He died three hours later. Similarly, an octogenarian, referred from a private facility to a government hospital, was declared dead on arrival.

Such incidents have become common in Chennai’s government hospitals. Last-minute referrals of critically-ill COVID-19 patients from private hospitals are not only putting government hospitals in a fix but are also causing mental agony to families of the victims, say senior doctors.

Every day, the major government hospitals in Chennai receive a number of critically-ill COVID-19 patients, even in intubated states, from private hospitals. Most of them are late referrals.

“A majority of such patients are flown in ambulances late in the evening. Most emergency calls that we get after 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. are of such patients. We receive at least 10-15 such cases a day. Almost all of them are last-minute referrals and about 90% of them die in six to eight hours or a maximum of a day. They are shifted in very critical conditions, including in intubated states. They are shifted to government hospitals after seven to eight days of treatment in private facilities,” a doctor at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital said on the condition of anonymity.

Recently, the hospital received eight very critically-ill patients, all late referrals, from private hospitals on a single day, he noted.

A doctor at the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital said they received a patient who was referred from a private hospital. He died five minutes after arrival. When the hospital added about 50 beds to its ICU during the peak, 40 of them were occupied by the evening as there were many such referrals, he said.

While the deaths of patients referred in the eleventh hour are accounted for by the respective government hospitals, doctors say it causes a lot of distress to families of the deceased.

“From top hospitals to nursing homes, many institutions resort to last-minute referrals. Private hospitals should avoid such referrals of critically-ill patients to at least save the families from mental agony. The families are traumatised and such practices can be avoided in the best interest of the patients,” he said.

A Health Department official said, “Patients should be referred with complete treatment history, at a mutually convenient time. Private hospitals should also make sure that the patient’s condition will not worsen during the transit.”

Govt. officials targeted in phishing attempt

Govt. officials targeted in phishing attempt

They received malicious web links

10/06/2021

The messages asked officials to update their vaccination status.Getty Imagessarayut

Special CorrespondentNew Delhi

Several government offices, including Defence Ministry officials, were on Wednesday targeted by a malicious web link sent on WhatsApp and SMS, asking them to update their vaccination status.

The message asked officials to click on www.covid19india.in to generate a digital certificate of COVID-19 inoculation.

The SMS, signed with an abbreviation “MoHFW”, that expands to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said, “as per directives of MoHFW, Confirm your COVID status on https://covid19india.in and generate your vaccination certificate”.

An official said that when he clicked on the link, it directed to a page “@gov.in” that resembled the government website mygov.in, and asked to key in the official e-mail and password

An e-mail received by a Defence Ministry official said that as part of an awareness drive regarding “post vaccination measures to be followed by armed forces” a questionnaire was required to be filled and a Google drive link was shared. Some officials even received phone calls where the caller said he was calling from an Army Hospital and the official need to update the vaccination status on a link being sent on WhatsApp.

The officials were sensitised to not click on the link as it appeared to be a phishing attempt to access their official e-mails and correspondence. A considerable part of government offices are still working from home owing to COVID-19 restrictions.