Medical seats quota upsets open category students

Medical seats quota upsets open category students

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai:30.07.2021

The Centre’s announcement to set aside OBC and EWS quota in the all-India post-graduate medical seats has upset open category students in Maharashtra, who termed the decision as “politically fuelled”. Several students asked how the quota at the postgraduate level would be “legal” as all MBBS graduates would go on to earn a monthly stipend of Rs 60,000-75,000. Parents and activists said the government ought to think of alternatives, such as freeships or scholarships.

“Students from the general merit across India will suffer and those from the reserved category will benefit because of this decision,” said former head of the Directorate of Medical Education and Research Dr Praveen Shingare.

“In case of students from Maharashtra, they will suffer largely at the post-graduate level where many from the state take the post-graduate exam for admissions to colleges across India. The state ranks third or fourth in cornering the maximum all-India quota seats,” he said.

Doctor seeks internet connection, loses ₹74,000

Doctor seeks internet connection, loses ₹74,000

Bengaluru:30.07.2021

An ophthalmologist, who was trying to get internet connection, was cheated of Rs 74,420 by a person who claimed to be an employee of a service providing firm.

Dr Nagarathna Bailey from Hanumantanagar stated in her complaint that she was trying to get a connection for her son who is pursuing an engineering course. She had sent an online request to a service provider on April 29 this year and received a call from the customer care services of the firm the same day. The doctor was told that an executive would be sent to explain the tariff and other plan details.

The next day, a person identified as Bhanuchandra M met her at the workplace. While she enquired him about the six-month plan, he suggested she choose another plan where a router would be offered free of cost. She agreed and paid him Rs 74,420, including Rs 33,560 in cash.

But the man neither provided any internet connection nor returned her money. She found his mobile phone was switched off and the service provider did not respond to her complaint. Shankarapura police have registered a case of cheating. TNN

17-yr-old girl dies as mobile explodes while charging

17-yr-old girl dies as mobile explodes while charging

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Palanpur:30.07.2021

A 17-year-old girl from Chhetasan village of Becharaji taluka in Mehsana died on Wednesday due to severe injuries that she allegedly suffered when the mobile phone on which she was talking exploded. The deceased Shradhha Desai was talking over the phone while it was being charged.

The body was cremated by the family and post mortem was not done. “We came to know about the incident after reports appeared in media. When we reached the village the body was already cremated. The family is busy in completing the final rites. We will question the family members to find out exactly what happened,” said M J Barot, police sub inspector at Becharaji police station. Preliminary police investigation revealed that Desai, a class XII student was talking with her relative over the phone when the incident took place. Family members told police that the mobile battery could have exploded.

The deceased was on the upper floor of the house and the door of the room turned black due to the explosion. Dried grass stored in the room also caught fire. The damage is visible in a video shot following the incident. “The mobile battery was draining and she plugged it in for charging. At the same time she was over the phone which exploded. She fell unconscious before we could know exactly what happened,” said her father Shambhu.

Preliminary police investigation revealed that Shradhha Desai, a class XII student was talking with her relative over the phone when the incident took place

Covid cases rise in Kerala, Centre sends team

Covid cases rise in Kerala, Centre sends team

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:30.07.2021

In the wake of a sharp and persistent increase in daily new cases of Covid-19 in Kerala, the Centre has sent a high -evel team to the southern state to support in the effective public health interventions in order to contain the infection spread.

Kerala recorded on Thursday more than 22,000 new Covid-19 cases for the second consecutive day. The state with an active case load of 1.54 lakh is contributing 37.1% of the total active cases, with a growth rate of 1.41 (percent/ nos??) in the last seven days. The state is also reporting a high positivity of 12.93%, while six of its districts have more than 10% weekly positivity.

Central sources said Kerala, in mid-May 2021 was reporting a high of more than 43,000 new cases a day and this began to decline there on to the first week of June. But from June third week to date, daily new cases are rising in a gradual and consistent manner with Kerala recently reporting more than 22,000 new cases in a day. This is more than 50% of the peak witnessed by Kerala in mid-May.

The health ministry is concerned that since June first week, Kerala is also reporting a high number of daily Covid deaths. In the first week, daily new Covid deaths were 227 and remain more than 150 deaths a day. Of the 4,00,000-odd active cases in India, 1.5 lakh are in Kerala alone. There is a 13% increase In average daily new cases in the last eight weeks. There is also concern over a dip in testing in the July 22-28 week.

The Centre has also warned the state of rising number of cases and advised stringent containment measures along with compliance to physical distancing and other Covid-appropriate norms, an official said.

The team sent to the state is headed by Dr S K Singh, director, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), one of the country's top experts in monitoring public health.

“The team shall work closely with the state health departments, take stock of the on ground situation and recommend necessary public health interventions to contain the large number of cases being reported,” the health ministry said.

The Centre is also concerned as the latest national sero-prevalence survey shows only 44% of Kerala’s population above the age of six years had so far been infected by Covid-19. This implies that majority of the population is susceptible to the infection and in the absence of effective containment measure, the spread can be wider.

Student rush: AI doubling flights to US from Aug 7

Student rush: AI doubling flights to US from Aug 7

Saurabh.Sinha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:30.07.2021

Air India is doubling its non-stop flights to the US from August 7 as a large number of Indians head to universities there this fall.

It had reduced the number of weekly flights from about 40 to under 10 when the catastrophic second wave of Covid-19 here saw the US imposing restrictions on travellers from India starting May 4.

Now the airline will operate at least 21 flights per week to the US, with the maximum increase in flights to New York (JFK and Newark or EWR), followed by those to Chicago and San Francisco, say people in the know. United, the only other airline with nonstops between the two countries, is not altering India flight frequencies for now.

“Flights to the US had to be curtailed after the US presidential proclamation restricting air traffic from India. Flights were combined and rescheduled, affecting travel itineraries for some. Frequency to US has now been enhanced from August and all-out efforts to accommodate passengers are on,” Air India said on social media.

Before May 4, the air bubble requirement for a majority of travellers between India and the US to fly direct saw AI operating almost as many flights to America as it did in pre-pandemic times. The May 4 restrictions meant there were very few eligible to fly from here to the US and the reduced demand led to AI slashing flights.

Centre sanctions new Karaikal-Peralam line part of ₹177cr project

Centre sanctions new Karaikal-Peralam line part of ₹177cr project

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

30.07.2021

The Union railway ministry has sanctioned a 23km-long line to provide direct connectivity from Karaikal to Peralam as a part of the Trichy-Thanjavur-Nagore-Karaikal gauge conversion project at ₹177.69 crore, said Union railwaysminister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Karaikal is Puducherry’s enclave 150km south of its headquarters while Peralam is in Tiruvarur district.

In a written response to queries raised by Puducherry Lok Sabha MP V Vaithilingam in Parliament on Wednesday, Vaishnaw said the ministry submitted land acquisition proposals for 3.2 hectares to the Tamil Nadu government in September 2019 for the project.

He added that the ministry requested the government to expedite land acquisition and work is underway on available land.

To a query on expected time of completion of the project, the minister maintained that it cannot be ascertained at this stage of the project.

“Completion of a railway project depends on various factors like expeditious land acquisition by the state government, shifting of infringing utilities, statutory clearances from various authorities, geological and topographical conditions of area, law and order situation in the area of project site, number of working months in a year for a particular project etc. and all these factors affect the completion time of project. As such, confirm completion time of the project cannot be ascertained at this stage,” the Vaishnaw said.

The Union railway ministry submitted land acquisition proposals for 3.2 hectares to the TN government in September 2019 for the project

Eminent doctor honoured

Eminent doctor honoured

30.07.2021  Times of India 

30.07.2021

Dr T S Chandrasekar, founder chairman and chief interventional gastroenterologist, MedIndia Hospitals, was appointed as honorarydistinguished professor of The Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University in recognition of his contribution to medical education. TNN