College admission, exam dates worry many

College admission, exam dates worry many

Class 12 exams scheduled from Aug 6-19; admissions start on July 26

Published: 24th July 2021 07:11 AM |

By KV Navya

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Private students and those who are not satisfied with the results published through the new method of evaluation, wanting to write Class 12 exams for betterment of marks, are worried if they might miss a seat in college admissions.

According to the recent announcement by Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy, the application process for admission into Arts, Science, and Engineering colleges will start from July 26. However, Class 12 exams in the State have been scheduled from August 6 to 19. Among the people who will be taking the exam are more than 39,000 private candidates, nearly 2,000 absentees, students with arrears, and registered students who are not happy with their Class 12 marks.

“The government deciding to conduct exams much later after opening the college admissions is in itself an irony. We were promised that we will be given a chance to write exams if we are not satisfied with our marks. But, what will be the use of it if top college seats get filled before we even get a chance to apply,” worried P Saindhavi, a Class 12 student from Tambaram. Parents said students will be taking up optional exams to meet the cut-off, yet will be left only with tier 2 and 3 colleges.

“The students who want to rewrite Class 12 exams might only be 1 per cent, but education must be unbiased and provide equal opportunities to all. The government must reconsider its decision and invite applications for college admissions at a later date. Or, this will discourage a lot of top performers from writing the exams,” said one of the parents, L Bhargav.

Private students also feel that there is a common perception that they might not aim for top colleges. According to a private student, Lathika Rani, some of them give exams in private due to unavoidable conditions and this does not make them any less competitive to bag a seat in top college.

The Class 12 supplementary exam will be conducted from August 6 to 19. Students not satisfied with the marks calculated can apply from July 23 to 27, but will need to do so for all subjects. They cannot seek to write any particular subject.

‘Factored in Covid-19’

When contacted, a School Education Department official said the exam date was fixed after discussing with experts about the Covid-19 situation.

What’s India’s vax output? Even govt might not be sure

What’s India’s vax output? Even govt might not be sure

Jr Health Mantri Gives 3 Sets Of Numbers For Covaxin, 2 For Covishield

Rema.Nagarajan@timesgroup.com

24.07.2021 

India’s vaccine production numbers seems to be a mystery for the government, with the junior health minister giving the Rajya Sabha three different sets of numbers for the monthly output of Covaxin and two for Covishield on the same day in response to questions. Two of these questions were even asked by the same member. And the numbers don’t match what the government had earlier told the Supreme Court in affidavits.

On July 20, in response to a question from Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge, Bharati Pravin Pawar, junior health minister said the average monthly production capacity of Covishield by Serum Institute of India is 11 crore doses and of Covaxin by Bharat Biotech 2.5 crore doses.

She went on to add that “as communicated by manufacturers, the monthly vaccine production capacity of Covishield is planned to be increased from 11 crore doses per month to more than 12 crore doses per month and production capacity of Covaxin is planned to be increased from 2.5 crore doses per month to 5.8 crore doses per month.”

In response to a question from BJP MP TG Venkatesh from Andhra Pradesh on the same day, Dr Pawar said “the estimated production quantity is around 130 million (13 crore) doses/month” for Covishield and for Covaxin “the estimated production quantity is around 17.5 million

(1.75 crore) doses/month.”

To yet another question from Kharge on the same day, about the MoU signed between ICMR and Bharat Biotech, Dr Pawar said the biotechnology department’s efforts to upscale the production of Covaxin were “expected to enhance the production of Covaxin from the present one crore doses to ten crore in the coming months”.

Incidentally, the government affidavit filed in the Supreme Court on May 9 had stated: “Serum Institute of India Ltd. has ramped up production from 5 crore doses/ month to 6.5 crore doses per month and further ramp-up is expected by July 2021. Bharat Biotech Intl Ltd. has increased production from 90 lakh/ month to 2 crore doses/ month and further increase is expected upto 5.5 crore doses/month by July 2021.”

While Serum Institute seems to have ramped up production to 11 crore (or more) as was estimated in May, Bharat Biotech’s actual production capacity appears to be a mystery even to the government. In the May affidavit, the government had stated that it had a production capacity of roughly 2 crore doses per month of Covaxin. But now it puts it at anything between 1 crore to 2.5 crore doses per month.

In an earlier affidavit filed on April 29, the government had stated that Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin production would go up from 90 lakh/month to 1 crore and further up to 5 crore doses/ month by July 2021.

Full story on www.toi.com

Affiliation issue keeps college teachers, students on the edge

VNSGU VS SARVAJANIK UNIVERSITY

Affiliation issue keeps college teachers, students on the edge

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Surat:24.07.2021

Future of some of the oldest colleges of south Gujarat run by Sarvajanik Education Society (SES) hangs in balance as there is uncertainty over which university they would be affiliated to. Currently, these colleges are affiliated with Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU) ever since they came into existence.

Now, with the formation of Sarvajanik University of SES, these colleges are gradually being disaffiliated by VNSGU as per government guidelines. However, the Sarvajanik University is not ready to give affiliation to these colleges without clarity on the issue of grants for salary and perks.

This has raised doubts about the future among the teachers and students of grant-inaid colleges of SES. The teachers and students of SESrun colleges on Friday held protests at VNSGU and made representation to the officials. The colleges in question include MTB Arts College, Sir P T Sarvajanik College of Science, Sir K P College of Commerce. However, VNSGU vice-chancellor K N Chavda clarified that the university had no role in it.

“There cannot be two acts or set of rules for a private university in the state and as per my knowledge, there are no disputes,” added Chavda.

VNSGU came into existence in 1966 in the campus Sarvajanik Education Society (SES). Meanwhile, SES’s Sarvajanik University was approved by the government recently.

Chairman of SES Kamlesh Naik said, “We had proposed the government that we will take only self-finance institutions (SFI) while the grant-in aide colleges will remain affiliated with VNSGU. We are ready to affiliate grant-in aide colleges only if we get assurance on grants from the government.” VNSGU started disaffiliation of eight colleges of which five are run by the SES, one by the Vanita Vishram Trust and two from Bardoli are associated with trust that runs Uka Tarsadia University. A senior syndic of VNSGU, Sanjay Desai, said, “Earlier, in May the government had ordered a process of disaffiliation. Since it was not done, government sent a reminder for quick implementation. Teachers and students of these colleges don’t need to worry as there will be no changes in benefits they are receiving.”

Corona batch: 23k from Guj went abroad for education

Corona batch: 23k from Guj went abroad for education

Fourth Highest Figure In India

Parth.Shastri@timesgroup.com

Ahmedabad:24.07.2021

Despite travel restrictions being in place for much of 2020, 2.61 lakh students made it to other countries for pursuing studies, revealed the data tabled in the Rajya Sabha by the ministry of external affairs. The number represented more than a 50% fall from the four-year high of 5.88 lakh in 2019.

Gujarat showed a similar trend with the student numbers falling from 48,051 to 23,156 in the same period, a 52% drop.

In terms of sending students abroad, Gujarat was in fourth place behind Andhra Pradesh (35,614), Punjab (33,412), and Maharashtra (29,079). In all, about 9% of the students who went abroad from India were from Gujarat. Even in the first two months of 2021, the state maintained that ratio.

The data from 2016 also revealed that the number of those aspiring to study abroad has doubled from 24,775 in 2016 to 48,051 in 2019.

“Covid has surely impacted the plans of many aiming for both graduate and postgraduate studies,” said Jay Trivedi, a city-based immigration and visa consultant. “Annually, about 15,000 students go to Canada and the US alone for further studies. The number has been affected a bit due to travel restrictions and other factors.” Trivedi added: “But the trend is here to stay, with countries such as Australia and Germany and some other European countries attracting students for specialized courses.” How will 2021 pan out for the students? Nethra Rangarajan (name changed), a city-based private university student, said that she had waited for a year to get admission in an AI learning course in the US.

Unable to get jab? Visit a mall

Unable to get jab? Visit a mall

Chennai: 24.07.2021 

If you haven’t been able to get vaccinated, visit a mall. Greater Chennai Corporation is conducting camps to vaccinate workers of malls and markets in the city and will open them up to members of the public as well.

Deputy commissioner Vishu Mahajan said vaccination camps had been set up at 10 malls and 38 markets. “Our target is to vaccinate 60,000-70,000 employees of malls and marketplaces. We have already vaccinated around 40,000,” he said. If doses are available, others who walk in will also be vaccinated, he added. Registration will be done on the spot and data entry operators will enter all details on the CoWIN portal. Locations such as Ranganathan Street, Ritchie Street and similar crowded areas are among the 48 locations to set up camps. TNN

Applications sought for UG, PG courses on labour law

Applications sought for UG, PG courses on labour law

Chennai:

The Tamil Nadu Institute of Labour Studies has invited applications for UG and PG courses on labour management. Candidates can contact coordinator (admission) R Rameshkumar on 9884159410/044-29567885/29567886. TNN

₹9,725 crore spent so far on Covid-19 vax programme

₹9,725 crore spent so far on Covid-19 vax programme

New Delhi:24.07.2021

A total of around ₹9,725 crore has been spent so far on the Covid-19 vaccination programme including procurement of vaccines and operational cost for vaccination, the government informed the Parliament on Friday.

It also maintained that there has been no delay in procurement of jabs and that the target of delivering 135 crore doses between August and December is on track, minister of state for health, Bharti Pravin Pawar, said in response to a question from Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and TMC’s Mala Roy.

“Between August 2021 to December 2021, a total of 135 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine are expected to be available. There has been no delay in entering into purchase agreements with the domestic vaccine manufacturers. Advance payments have also been made to manufacturers for the supply orders placed with them,” Pawar said. TNN