Univ to set up centre for AI in health sciences

Univ to set up centre for AI in health sciences

Puducherry:21.08.2021

A deemed university in Puducherry has proposed to set up an exclusive centre for artificial intelligence to introduce the emerging field of study in health sciences.

The proposed centre for healthcare artificial intelligence and research (chair) at Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (SBV) aims to realise the potentials of artificial intelligence (AI) in several avenues including storage, retrieval and analysis of patient data, pharmacy services and robotics in surgery. The university proposes to collaborate with other healthcare institutes to introduce AI in academics and research, and patient and healthcare services. “Inclusion of AI in academic and research activities and healthcare system would pave the way for a proactive eco-system in our march towards a better, safer and healthier world,” SBV vice-chancellor S C Parija said. TNN

Pallavaram, Avadi residents can pay tax online soon

Pallavaram, Avadi residents can pay tax online soon

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:21.08.2021

State municipal administration department has urged all municipalities and corporations other than the Greater Chennai Corporation to ensure that their services are offered online for the public.

The director of municipal administration, P Ponniah, on August 13 issued a circular instructing local bodies to ensure delivery of online services in cases of filing self-assessment of property tax returns, levy and collection of property tax, application for name transfer of property tax and issue of name transfer orders.

The urban tree information system website (tnurbanepay.tn.gov.in) should be used, the official directed, adding that this would be an improvement for the ease of doing business.

When implemented, online services will bring a relief to lakhs of residents who live in areas governed by smaller local bodies like Avadi corporation, Pallavaram municipality, Tambaram municipality, Sriperumbudur town panchayat and others.

These are localities which have sprung up within 20-30km from Chennai, but the facilities and services are not comparable to those available in the city.

V Pugalventhan, an activist who lives in Kundrathur on the fringes of the city, said that GCC offers services like property tax, water tax, birth and death certificates online. But other local bodies have failed to replicate this model.

“The websites are totally unprofessional and look like blogger sites,” he said.

Due to absence of online services, residents have to run from pillar-to-post for basic public sevices such as birth certificates or death certificates from local offices, he said.

“Currentlhy, this work does not get done without payment of bribes. If services are brought online, payment of bribes can be eliminated,” he said.

He cited a reply to an RTI application by Sriperumbudur town panchayat which denied receipt of any order or instruction to process online applications for new property tax assessment or water connection requests.

When implemented, online services will bring relief to lakhs of residents who live in these areas

Distance edu PG not enough to teach pre-law courses: HC

Distance edu PG not enough to teach pre-law courses: HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:21.08.2021

Candidates who obtained post-graduate degree through distance education or correspondence, and those with cross major degrees, are ineligible for appointment as assistant professor for pre-law courses in government law colleges, the Madras high court has ruled.

“Any recruitment to a post of teaching faculty in higher education is not intended to provide job opportunities to the potential candidates, but towards fulfilment of achieving higher academic standards. Although the court is conscious of the fact that distance education has become a social imperative considering the lack of education to vast majority of disadvantaged class, in the larger interest of institutional growth, the degrees obtained through distance education and correspondence cannot be considered as valid degree for appointments,” said a division bench of Justice V Parthiban and Justice N Kirubakaran (since retired).

The judges also directed the state authorities to revisit the entire criteria for appointment to the post of assistant professor or any other post in the teaching faculty in government law colleges in the state.

The notification stated that candidates would be eligible for the post only if they had a masters degree in law with not less than 55% of marks and if they had enrolled as an advocate in the Bar Council. A similar notification was also issued in 2014. These qualifications were prescribed apart from the main qualifications – PG degree in the subject concerned from the universities in Tamil Nadu with not less than 55% of marks and passing the National Eligibility Test (NET).

“The state authorities are to conform to the minimum standards set by the Bar Council of India and expedite the process of recruitment,” the bench said and disposed of a batch of petitions.

The court also ruled that notifications mandating that candidates must have enrolled as advocate and possess a master’s degree in law (ML degree) to be qualified for appointment as assistant professors for pre-law courses in government law colleges are irrational and illegal. The court, however, added that any appointments already made pursuant to the 2014 and 2018 notifications would not be affected by the ruling.

The court was referring to a notification issued in July 2018 by the Teachers Recruitment Board for the recruitment of assistant professors (pre-law) in government law colleges in Tamil Nadu for the year 2017-18.

Those Opting To Write The Test In Tamil Up by 16%

NEET applicants from TN fall by 7%

Those Opting To Write The Test In Tamil Up by 16%

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:21.08.2021

The number of students applying for NEET (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test) 2021 from Tamil Nadu has dropped by 7% compared to previous year. For the second year in a row, the number of applicants from the state has dropped after reaching 1.4 lakh applicants before the pandemic in 2019.

From 1,21,617 applicants for NEET 2020, the number has come down to 1,12,889 for NEET 2021, according to National Testing Agency's registration data. Among the applicants, 71745 (63.5%) are female candidates and 41,144

(36.5) are male candidates.

Experts cite the delay in conducting the common medical entrance test and increase in the cut-off for medical admissions as reasons for dip in the applications.

Meanwhile, the number of students opting to write the exam in Tamil increased by 16% as the number went up from 17,101 in 2020 to 19,867 in 2021.

NEET 2021 is scheduled to be held on September 12, 2021.

"During the last two years, the cut-off for medical admissions increased by 100 marks. The current students are reluctant to take up the exam without coaching as the cut-off for government colleges has gone up to 570 and 580 marks. This year students did not attend even regular classes as the classes were held online. So, students who are mentally not prepared might have decided to apply after preparing for a year," said career consultant Jayaprakash Gandhi.

He further said the quota for government school students could be the reason behind the increase in the number of students opting to write in Tamil.

Students counsellors said the delay in conducting the NEET could be the reason for dip in applicants from Tamil Nadu.

"Due to the pandemic, the NEET exam has been conducted in September for the last two years. The more the medical admissions are delayed, students who are not confident and undecided are joining engineering colleges. If the NEET exam is conducted in May, the registrations will be more from Tamil Nadu," said Manickavel Arumugam, a students counsellor.

From government and government-aided schools, 11,236 students have applied to the exam. Last year, around 10,000 students applied for the exam.

Experts cite the delay in conducting the common medical entrance test and increase in the cut-off for medical admissions as reasons for dip in no. of applications

RTI Act

 

Nursing students from Salem positive for Covid 19

 

HC Judge