Airfares skyrocket as UAE opens borders, puts Malayali expats in spot

Airfares skyrocket as UAE opens borders, puts Malayali expats in spot

DGCA asks int’l pax to check rates on airline websites as search engines at times do not reflect actual prices

Published: 11th August 2021 06:43 AM |

By Dhinesh Kallungal

Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Soon after the UAE opened its borders for the Indian diaspora, airline companies jacked up the ticket fares six- to seven-fold on main routes. Further, the popular flight ticket booking sites quote the highest fares for tickets even on transit flights. As the issue became grave, the aviation regulator asked the international air passengers to book tickets preferably from the websites of airlines as the search engines at times do not reflect actual prices.

According to MakeMyTrip, a ticket on Indigo or Etihad flight to Abu Dhabi on Thursday will cost the passenger Rs 72,264 even as the journey will take 20 hours. Another connecting flight by Indigo to the same destination via Mumbai and Kochi as on Thursday will cost Rs 41,502 for a journey that will take 37 hours and 10 minutes.

Similarly, a Qatar Airways flight to Kochi from Abu Dhabi via Doha will cost the passenger Rs 1,57,559, while a direct flight to Kochi by Ettihad from Abu Dhabi cost the passenger Rs 58,993 on Thursday. Similarly, flights on most of these routes have started charging exorbitant rates from passengers since the travel restrictions were eased by UAE authorities. If this is the situation ahead of Onam which is hardly two weeks away, the expats’ plans to reach home for the occasion will be a costly affair.

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued an advisory asking passengers travelling to international destinations to check the fares preferably on the websites of the airlines concerned as the meta search engines at times do not reflect the actual point-to-point fare and do make combinations of multiple airlines and show an exaggerated figure.

IATA Agents Association of India national president Biji Eapen said, “The DGCA’s advisory is mainly related to transit flight tickets offered jointly by two airlines in which the ticket fares of both airlines are combined showing an unbelievably exaggerated price. But the prices in general on the West Asia routes are ruling high after the UAE opened its borders,” he said.

The airfares had peaked well ahead of the festival season. Since there is a demand for tickets, airlines are exploiting the situation in the name of market dynamics, said Babu Paul, head of Speedwing Tours.

“When the complete lockdown was in force in Kerala, a private chartered flight arrived in Kochi from the UAE with 19 passengers. Each passenger had to pay Rs 3.5 lakh per seat. Despite the restrictions being eased, there is no significant change in the industry and the government has not taken any decisive steps to stop the fleecing of passengers hit by the Covid impact,” he added.

How can State reservation be same for All India Quota seats?: Madras HC

How can State reservation be same for All India Quota seats?: Madras HC

Court says AIQ purpose defeated if State reservation is implemented

Published: 11th August 2021 06:51 AM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday wondered how a State’s reservation policy can be applied to All India Quota (AIQ) seats as the very purpose of AIQ seats would be defeated once State reservation is implemented.

Noting that the demography of every State differs, the court asked whether an OBC in Rajasthan can be considered an OBC in Tamil Nadu and whether they would get reservation under the TN reservation policy.

The court made theses oral observations on a contempt petition filed by the DMK for non-implementation of 69 per cent (50 per cent OBC) reservation in the State-contributed seats to AIQ. The first bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice P Adikesavulu, observed, “Since these are AIQ seats, meant for students from other States as well as students from Tamil Nadu, a separate reservation policy must be followed.

Many States like Meghalaya do not have reservation for OBCs at all. Can such States insist that they will follow only the State reservation in the seats surrendered by them?” Senior advocate P Wilson, representing the DMK, explained, “We have a common list for the purpose of such AIQ seats issued by the Union government and approved by the State. Once it is accepted by the State it becomes the government-approved list.”

“Moreover, the fight for reservation is not for me or my party. It is for the people. The downtrodden and the more suppressed class have to get their share,” he added. Additional Solicitor General of Supreme Court KM Nataraj contended that if State reservation is permitted for OBCs in AIQ seats it will lead to two different scenarios. “All along SC and ST reservation was provided in the AIQ seats only based on the Central Act. Now, if this is allowed, we have to adopt State reservation for OBCs alone which will lead to confusion,” he added. The bench recorded the submissions and adjourned the plea to August 17.

Issue at hand

The court noted that the demography of every State differs, and asked whether an OBC in Rajasthan can be considered an OBC in TN and whether they would get reservation under the TN reservation policy. The issue pertained to a contempt petition filed by DMK for non-implementation of 69 per cent reservation

Doctors remove tumour bigger than size of baby’s heart in rare surgery

Doctors remove tumour bigger than size of baby’s heart in rare surgery

DurgeshNandan.Jha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:11.08.2021

In a rare surgery, doctors at Delhi’s Apollo Hospital recently removed a tumour that was attached to the surface of the heart of a newborn. It was bigger than the baby's heart itself, doctors said.

Dr Rajesh Sharma, senior paediatric cardiac surgeon at Apollo, said it took them nearly two hours to remove the tumour. “The heart has a surrounding membrane called pericardium. This tumour was within the pericardium and was attached to the aorta. We had to be very careful while operating on the two-day-old baby and see no surrounding organs and tissues were damaged,” said Sharma.

The mother, a resident of Noida, was in the 20th week of pregnancy when the tumour was detected in the foetus. Operating on the foetus could have increased the risks, so the doctors decided to wait till after delivery to surgically remove the tumour.

At birth, the baby weighed a normal 3.2kg, but had trouble breathing. He was immediately intubated and put on a ventilator. A CT angio showed a giant intra-pericardial tumour that was pushing the heart to the left and compressing the lung. The baby’s condition was precarious and, therefore, an immediate surgery was planned. “The tumour was so big that the child’s heart wasn’t visible. Also, any attempt to remove the tumour would cause a fall in the blood pressure. We had to put the child on a heart-lung machine to remove the tumour in one piece,” Sharma said.

An intra-pericardial teratoma arising from the heart of a foetus is an "exceedingly rare tumour". A major concern with such a tumour is the life-threatening pressure that it exerts on the foetus' heart and lungs, the hospital authorities said.

Dr Ashutosh Marwah, paediatric cardiology surgeon at Apollo, added that there have been no significant deleterious effects of the tumour on the lungs or heart. “Though the tumour removal is supposed to be curative in most cases, in this rare case the baby will need regular follow-up with tumour marker levels and echocardiographic examinations.” For now, the baby has shown good recovery and has been discharged in a healthy condition, the doctors said.

CARDIAC SURGEON SAYS

The tumour was so big that the child’s heart wasn’t visible. We had to put the child on a heart-lung machine to remove the tumour in one piece

HC clarifies on OBC quota order for medical officers

HC clarifies on OBC quota order for medical officers

Bhopal:11.08.2021

A division bench of the Madhya Pradesh high court headed by the Chief Justice on Tuesday clarified that scope of their order allowing the state government to go ahead with appointment of medical officers with 14% OBC quota and keep the 13% extra reservation for OBCs on hold was limited to the recruitment of medical officers only.

The division bench on an application by the state government seeking permission to recruit medical officers in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic with 27% reservation to the OBCs said that a list of selected candidates can be issued with 14% quota for OBCs and the list prepared with 27% reservation for them would remain in abeyance. The court clarified that scope of the order was limited to recruitment of medical officers for which the state government had moved the application.

Aditya Sanghi, advocate for the petitioners who have challenged the hike in OBC quota said the interim order of the court on March 19, 2019, staying the operation of an ordinance hiking quota for OBCs in state government jobs and admission into institutes of higher education to 27% percent from the existing 14% will continue to remain in force. The court on Monday clarified that the ambit of its previous order was limited to recruitment of medical officers only, he added.

Purusendra Kaurav appeared for the state government and R P Singh for the petitioners supporting OBC quota hike. TNN

Medical students firm on their agitation

Medical students firm on their agitation

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Rajkot:11.08.2021

Protesting medical students are not in the mood to give up their agitation despite deputy chief minister Nitin Patel’s order asking them to resume duty. Around 800 students in Rajkot and Jamnagar are protesting.

The agitating students, meanwhile, have also garnered the support of Indian Medical Association (IMA) to pursue their demand. Students in Rajkot held a candle rally on Monday night while the stir entered the seventh day.

Praful Kamani, president of Rajkot Medical Association said “We have extended our moral support with these students and also asked the government not to take any coercive actions like asking them to vacate hostels.” Students in Jamanagar’s G G hospital campus had announced a programme of beating plates outside the dean’s office, which, however, got scuttled after the IMA could convince them to postpone the event. Ravi Kothari, a student of Rajkot said, “We will continue with our agitation and IMA’s support will be a great help for us.”

IMA members meet agitating doctors at Jamnagar’s GG Hospital on Tuesday

Students forced to take circuitous routes to Canada

FOREIGN DEGREES OF UNCERTAINTY

Students forced to take circuitous routes to Canada

Parth.Shastri@timesgroup.com

Ahmedabad:11.08.2021

On Tuesday, the Canadian government announcement on Twitter read, ‘we’re extending the #NOTAM (notice to airmen) restricting all direct commercial and private passenger flights to Canada from #India until September 21, 2021 #COVID19.’ The irate parents went into tizzy immediately – the move effectively increased the hurdles, time and money to reach Canada manifold in one swipe.

“When we started inquiries last month, a one-way ticket cost about Rs 1 lakh to 1.5 lakh. Today, it has increased to Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh along with quarantine and testing facilities in other countries. With Doha extending quarantine period from three to 10 days, the only other route feasible is through Mexico,” said parent of a city-based youth whose first semester starts from September 7. “Due to high rush, prices are hiked everywhere. We are told that the chartered flights from Maldives is the only option we have despite the obvious risks involved.” How does the route work? Sameer Yadav, a city-based immigration consultant, said that the agents from across the country try to pool in resources and book a flight where up to 150 students can go directly to Toronto.

“The students get RT-PCR done at Maldives, stay for two days, and then take the flight. We are not sure when the direct flights would resume, so many parents and students are taking every chance,” he said.

The parents meanwhile are scurrying for resources and praying for intervention by any of the two governments. “We brought so many Indians back through Vande Bharat mission. Why can’t we send our students to Canada with due precaution? Till they reach Canada, we can’t sleep. Almost all students are travelling abroad for the first time, and are at mercy of the agents. Is the risk worth taking?” asked a city-based textile unit owner whose son is all set to board a flight to Doha later this month.

‘Human rights issue’

Hemant Shah, director of Canada India Trade and Marketing for Overseas Friends of India Canada (OFIC), said that the Indian community in Canada has already raised the issue to the office of PM Justin Trudeau. “Isn’t it a bad start for the hundreds of students who are having the first brush with Canada? I believe that it’s not just a student issue, but also a human rights issue, as these students are paying money to get the best education. Many of them may also contribute to Canada’s progress,” he said. TNN

Prof R Velraj is vice-chancellor of Anna univ

Prof R Velraj is vice-chancellor of Anna univ

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:11.08.2021

Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Tuesday appointed R Velraj, 56, as vice-chancellor of Anna University. He will hold the post for three years from the date of assuming office. He is an expert in the field of thermal energy who has worked extensively in areas of building cooling applications, micro grid, solar applications and electronic cooling. He has published 193 research papers in indexed journals with H-index 52 and citations more than 10,000. He also guided 33 PhD scholars and has two patents to his credit.

Velraj, who has 33 years of teaching experience, is presently working as a professor at the Institute of Energy Studies, Anna University. He has also worked as director of the Institute of Energy Studies and director of Anna University-FRG Institute for CAD/CAM.

Born in Nagercoil in Kanyakumari district in 1965, he completed his BE (mechanical engineering), ME (energy engineering) and PhD at Anna University. He has executed several projects at university including erecting solar lamps at the College of Engineering, Guindy campus. He was further involved in a project converting the waste from hostels into bioenergy.

Professors from the university said the first major challenge before professor Velraj is filling up more than 30% vacancies at the university's four campuses. "There are more than 300 vacancies notified by the university previous year and not filled due to non-cooperation by the previous state government. Filling up these vacancies with qualified candidates is the most important task before the new vice-chancellor. It will help the university to get better ratings during NAAC assessment and NIRF rankings," a senior professor from the university said.

Secondly, the perception of technical universities needs to be improved. "The university has come out from major scams such as revaluation scam and procurement of mark sheets. In the past three years, the system was cleansed, and the university remained corruption free. The new vice-chancellor needs to build on it and improve the perception of the university globally," another professor said.

FRESH IDEAS: R Velraj receives appointment order from Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit