Bonded doctors challenge govt’s FIR diktat

Bonded doctors challenge govt’s FIR diktat

Move HC Against Covid Duty Call

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:28.06.2021

A group of 251 postgraduate and super-specialty doctors practising in Gujarat have approached the Gujarat high court challenging the state government’s decision to join them in Covid-19 duty and filing FIRs against them for not responding to the call of duty.

These doctors are bonded doctors, who studied in government medical colleges and were under obligation to serve in rural areas for few years after completion of their studies or else they should surrender the bond amount in lieu of the rural service.

The high court is likely to hear their case on Monday.

On May 4, following the surge in Covid-19 cases and falling short of human resource in dealing with the crisis, the state government took a decision to recruit bonded doctors as medical specialist Class –1 in Covid facilities from May 7. There were 1,415 such doctors who were called for Covid duty and nearly 1,000 doctors failed to report. The state health commissioner on June 20 ordered chief district health officers and the medical officers in corporations to file FIRs under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 against 799 doctors who did not respond to the government’s call and for their failure to discharge their moral obligation to serve the society after having taken the benefit of the subsidised education in government medical colleges.

On June 21, the state government decided that the bonds submitted by the bonded doctors would not be received. Moreover, the health authorities were asked to issue show-cause notices to the doctors.

The petitioners have urged the HC to quashed the order for registration of FIRs against bonded doctors, to junk the order to assign Covid-19 duty to them and show-cause notices issued by the authorities. They have also demanded that the National Medical Council should formulate a pan-India policy regarding compulsory service bonds.

In a petition filed through advocates Angesh and Amit Panchal, the bonded doctors have contended that they are unable to meet the additional obligations under the bond and therefore requested to submit the bond amount, but the government refused to accept it.

The bonded doctors have raised a contention that both the state government and petitioners are bound by the terms of the bond. There is no clause in the contract that the state government would refuse to accept the bond amount. The refusal is unreasonable. By threatening criminal action, the attempt to enforce the contract for personal service is a violation of Article 23 of the Constitution.

The bonded doctors have also questioned why the state government chose to assign Covid-19 duty to only those medical professionals who studied medicine in the government colleges. Two more petitions have been filed by the doctors.

There were 1,415 such doctors who were called for Covid duty and nearly 1,000 doctors failed to turn up. The government reacted with an order to lodge FIRs

FOREIGN DEGREES OF UNCERTAINTY COLLEGE EXAMS AWAITED

FOREIGN DEGREES OF UNCERTAINTY COLLEGE EXAMS AWAITED

Overseas studies, mark-sheet turbulence

Bharat.Yagnik@timesgroup.com

Ahmedabad:28.06.2021

With universities planning to hold college exams for final year students from the first week of July, students planning to go overseas are a worried lot as colleges there will open in September.

Rohan Sheth, a final year IT student from Silver Oaks College of Engineering and Technology, Ahmedabad, has finalized his plans for New Jersey in US for a postgraduate in computer science. He has enrolled in a college . But his visa procedure is stuck and cannot be completed before August it seems.

“To get my visa, I need my final semester mark-sheet. The exams will be held in July and the marksheet will come later. My plans depend on timely holding of the exams,” said Sheth.

Maulin Joshi, who runs a consultancy firm said the delay in college exams due to Covid-19 is impacting the overseas plans of many students.

“Especially those students whose academic performance depends on their final semester results are in a lot of stress. For students who wish to go overseas before the academic session starts in September, all the preparations including visa approvals should be in place by July 15,” said Joshi.

Most of the universities in Gujarat have planned to conduct final year exams for undergraduate and postgraduate students from July 6 to July 15. It would take another 15-20 days for the results to be prepared and given to the students. Many students have received inprinciple approval from overseas colleges and universities for further studies, but a final call is taken only after the final semester results are declared and mark-sheets produced.

Mili Vakil, a student of integrated BA-LLB at GLS Law College, is looking at a stressful timeline between appearing for her final sixth semester exam slated on July 6 and getting her student visa for her master’s in law course from University of Birmingham, UK.

Her course starts from September. Vakil says she has her fingers crossed to complete theexhaustive paperwork needed to start her foreign studies.

“There is a long journey ahead which includes appearing for the exam in July, getting marksheet, receiving transcript, provisional degree certificate, other documents, and confirmation from the university for student visa,” said Vakil.

Vakil’s friend Tanzim Surani who is also headed to the UK says she is hoping she can start her foreign studies in September.

Doctor sends legal notice to govt opposing mandatory vax

Doctor sends legal notice to govt opposing mandatory vax

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

28.06.2021 

A Mangaluru-based physician has sent a legal notice to the state government, seeking that vaccination of students, faculty and other staff should not be made mandatory or a pre-requisite for resuming physical classes in schools and colleges. Dr B Srinivas Kakkilaya argued that “imposing” vaccine would be a violation of fundamental rights of individuals.

Last month, Kakkilaya was booked under Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act for refusing to wear a mask in a supermarket and arguing with staff when they insisted. He said he had been treating Covid patients and that the government had made “foolish rules”.

Advocate Chidanand Kedilaya sent the notice on behalf of Kakkilaya and three others, including a BA student and parents of children studying in class 10. The notice, sent to the chief minister, chief secretary, health secretary, deputy CM Dr Ashwath Narayana and education minister Suresh Kumar, requested them to take emergent steps for reopening of schools and colleges without any further delay. It warned of initiating proceedings against the government in case it goes ahead with the vaccination mandate with students.

“There are several reports which clearly suggest that majority of citizens, be it in India or abroad, have already been infected by Covid and most of them without showing any symptoms have recovered. Reports also suggested that a person once infected will develop immunity against infection from coronavirus,” the notice said. “The state government is contemplating to impose vaccination as a prerequisite for the opening of schools and colleges, (it) is not in the interest of students nor any such decisions could have any legal sanction. It is a violation of the fundamental right of the individual (be it students, teaching or non-teaching staff)...’’

Maha & Kerala travellers can show vax cert to enter Karnataka

Maha & Kerala travellers can show vax cert to enter Karnataka

Bengaluru:28.06.2021 

Travellers from Maharashtra and Kerala, who had to furnish a negative RT-PCR report to enter Karnataka, can alternatively produce a vaccination certificate. The state will soon issue an additional order, in view of increasing vaccination in both states.

“We are trying to curb the virus spread and have taken a decision that an RT-PCR negative certificate for travellers from these states is mandatory. However, any person who has received at least one dose can produce his or her certificate issued via Co-Win and enter the state,” said chief secretary P Ravi Kumar. TNN

ENTRY INTO K’TAKA

BBMP desks set up at KIA, bus and railway stations

The order is expected in a day or two, Ravi told TOI on Sunday. Border checks were strengthened in view of rising Delta and Delta plus Covid cases in the neighbouring states.

Earlier in the day, BBMP chief commissioner and member of the Covid-19 task force Gaurav Gupta said either of the documents must be furnished to enter the state. Since there is unrestricted movement of people from Maharashtra to Belagavi, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura etc the government has decided to enforce this rule to control the spread of the virus,” he said. In Bengaluru, Gupta said the BBMP has set up special desks at the airport (KIA), Kempegowda bus station and Sangolli Rayanna railway station to conduct tests and keep track of those who enter the city.

Tamil Nadu continues to report declining trend in new Covid-19 cases

Tamil Nadu continues to report declining trend in new Covid-19 cases

PTI | Jun 27, 2021, 09.15 PM IST

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu continued to register a steady decline in daily Covid-19 cases as only 5,127 were added afresh on Sunday, pushing the aggregate to 24.65 lakh.

On May 30, the state saw fresh cases dropping below 30,000 mark while on June 7 the numbers were under 20,000 and on June 17 they were less than 10,000.

The toll mounted to 32,290 with 91 additional deaths in the last 24 hours. As many as 7,159 people got discharged today, aggregating to 23,90,783 leaving 42,801 active infections, a medical bulletin said.

Coimbatore and Erode reported an excess of 500 cases each while 21 districts logged new infections in double digits.

Chennai posted 308 cases aggregating to 5,31,732 till date.

The number of Covid-19 related fatalities in the State capital also reached 8,161.

The testing of RT-PCR samples stood at 1,66,203 in the last 24 hours, pushing the cumulative number of specimens examined so far to 3.23 crore.

Among the 91 deaths, 19 had no co-morbidity or pre- existing illness.

பாரீஸ் - சென்னை விமானத்திற்கு வரவேற்பு

பாரீஸ் - சென்னை விமானத்திற்கு வரவேற்பு

Added : ஜூன் 27, 2021 23:33

சென்னை-பாரீஸ் நகரில் இருந்து, முதல் நேரடி விமான சேவையாக, சென்னை வந்த, 'ஏர் பிரான்ஸ்' விமானம் மற்றும் விமான குழுவினருக்கு, சென்னை விமான நிலையத்தில் சிறப்பான வரவேற்பு அளிக்கப்பட்டது.

பிரான்ஸ் மற்றும் இந்திய அரசுகள், சென்னைக்கு நேரடி விமான சேவையை துவங்க, 'ஏர் பபுள்' என்ற, ஒப்பந்தம் செய்து கொண்டன. இதையடுத்து, பிரான்ஸ் நாட்டின் தலைநகர் பாரீசில் உள்ள, 'சார்லஸ் டி கோலே' விமான நிலையத்தில் இருந்து, சென்னைக்கு நேரடி விமான சேவை துவங்க முடிவானது.அதன்படி, பாரீஸ் நகரிலிருந்து, 'ஏர் பிரான்ஸ் - போயிங் 787 - 900' ரக விமானம், நேற்று முன்தினம் காலை 11:35 மணிக்கு, 111 பயணியர், 19 விமான ஊழியர்களுடன் புறப்பட்டது.

இந்த விமானம், சென்னைக்கு நேற்று முன்தினம் இரவு 12:25க்கு வந்தது. இந்தியா மற்றும் பிரான்ஸ் தேசிய கொடிகளுடன் வந்திறங்கிய விமானத்தை, சென்னை விமான நிலைய அதிகாரிகள் வரவேற்றனர். 'ஏர் பிரான்ஸ்' விமானத்தின், பைலட்டுகள், பணிப் பெண்கள், பொறியாளர்களுக்கு மலர் மாலை அணிவித்தும், பூங்கொத்து கொடுத்தும் வரவேற்றனர். இந்த விமானம் நேற்று அதிகாலை 1:20 மணிக்கு, பாரீஸ் நகருக்கு புறப்பட்டுச் சென்றது.

ரூ.100 தர மறுத்த பல்கலைகழக முன்னாள் துணைவேந்தர் படுகொலை

ரூ.100 தர மறுத்த பல்கலைகழக முன்னாள் துணைவேந்தர் படுகொலை

Updated : ஜூன் 27, 2021 20:29 | Added : ஜூன் 27, 2021 20:28 |

ஜார்சுகுடா: 100 ரூபாய் தர மறுத்த சம்பல்பூர் பல்கலைகழக முன்னாள் துணைவேந்தர் டாக்டர் துருபராஜ் நாய்க் கோடாரியால் வெட்டி படுகொலை செய்யப்பட்டார்.

படுகொலை செய்யப்பட்ட துர்பா ராஜ் நாய்க், ஒடிசா மாநிலம் சம்பல்பூர் பல்கலைகழக துணை வேந்தராக பணி ஓய்வுபெற்ற பின், தொலைவில் உள்ள கிராமத்தை தேர்வு செய்து அங்கு வாழ்ந்து வந்தார். மேலும் பழங்குடி மக்களின் வாழ்வாதாரத்திற்காக தனது வட்டாரத்தில், காடு வளர்ப்பு மற்றும் சுற்றுச்சூழல் முன்னேற்றத்தை ஊக்குவிப்பதற்கான பணிகளை செய்து வந்தார்.சுற்றுச்சூழலுக்கு அவர் செய்த பங்களிப்புக்காக ,அவருக்கு பிரகிருதி மித்ரா விருது வழங்கப்பட்டது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

இது குறித்து ஜார்சுகுடா மாவட்ட எஸ்பி தாஸ் கூறியதாவது: துர்பா ராஜ் நாய்க்கின் வீட்டிற்குள் நுழைந்த மர்மநபர், அவரிடம் 100 ரூபாய் கேட்டுள்ளான். அவர் தர மறுத்ததால், கோடாரியால் வெட்டிவிட்டு தப்பிஓடிவிட்டான். தகவல் அறிந்து சம்பவ இடத்திற்கு சென்று பார்த்தபோது துர்பா ராஜ் நாய்க்கை வெட்டிய கோடாரி அங்கே கிடந்தது. இது குறித்து மேலும் விசாரணை செய்து வருகிறோம் என்றார்.