Woman gang-raped by eight workers after couple attacked in AP’s Guntur

Woman gang-raped by eight workers after couple attacked in AP’s Guntur

Ujwal.Bommakanti@timesgroup.com

Vijayawada:10.09.2021

A couple was attacked and the woman gang-raped by eight people near Medikonduru bypass road in Guntur district late on Wednesday night.

According to Medikonduru police, the incident took place between 9.30pm and 12 midnight when eight people waylaid the couple returning home on their bike after attending a wedding in Guntur city.

The police said as the couple crossed Paladugu crossroads, eight people stopped them, threatened them with knives, and robbed gold ornaments and cash from them. They then assaulted the husband, restrained him, and took the woman to the nearby agricultural field and gang-raped her before fleeing from the scene at around 12 midnight. The couple then went to Sattenapalli police station to lodge a complaint. However, as the incident took place at Medikonduru police station limits, the case was transferred to the latter police station. Medikonduru police registered a case. The investigation was later transferred to Disha police.

The Disha police said that they have identified the accused as workers involved in the construction of a cold storage plant in the vicinity. Out of the eight accused, six are from Odisha while the rest are from Vizianagaram district.

The woman was sent to Guntur Government General Hospital (GGH) for treatment. The police said that they are yet to make the arrests and a team led by DSP Jessy Prashanthi visited the crime scene with a dog squad and collected evidence to trace the accused.

Party flags on vehicles only during polls: HC

Party flags on vehicles only during polls: HC

K.Kaushik@timesgroup.com

Madurai:10.09.2021

Madras high court has observed that the purpose of having party flags or designation boards or portraits of party/communal leaders or advocate/press stickers is only to prevent the police from stopping the vehicles and to flout the law. Taking into account the report submitted by the DGP and transport officials in this regard, a division bench of Justice N Kirubakaran (since retired) and Justice B Pugalendhi observed that fixing of flags of any nature is not authorized by law and is illegal.

The court referred to an incident where police found huge quantity of ganja in a car with advocate sticker about three years ago in Theni. “It has become an order of the day in the state that almost 50% of the vehicles either have party flags or designation boards or portraits of party/communal leaders or advocate/press stickers. This menace has to be addressed, failing which the criminal activities will continue to be committed by the above modus operandi.”

The judges observed that as stated by the DGP, the police may face difficulties while discharging their duties as they may hesitate to stop and check such vehicles as the people travelling in them enter into heated arguments, resulting in law and order problems.

The court said vehicle owners may be permitted to fix party flags on their vehicles during elections if they are involved in election works for any political party. At other times, no one except constitutional authorities has got any right to do so. They directed the authorities to instruct owners of vehicles to remove such portraits within 60 days, failing which the authorities shall remove the same and impose fines on the vehicles.

The judges also issued a series of directions to the authorities to ensure that lights and number plates were fixed in vehicles according to Motor Vehicles Act and Rules. The court passed the order while disposing of a PIL filed by V Ramesh, an advocate from Madurai district who sought actions against the misuse of advocate stickers in vehicles.

R N Ravi is new governor of TN, Purohit off to Punjab

R N Ravi is new governor of TN, Purohit off to Punjab

TNN & AGENCIES

Chennai:10.09.2021

The President on Thursday appointed RN Ravi,the Centre's interlocutor and retired IPS officer, as the new governor of Tamil Nadu. The incumbent Banwarilal Purohit has been moved as governor of Punjab. He was earlier holding additional charge of Punjab.

RN Ravi was the governor of Nagaland, the communique said. Chief minister M K Stalin greeted R N Ravi on his appointment, wishing that his arrival to Tamil Nadu wil encourage its growth and prosperity.

He also extended a “loving and respectful” farewell to outgoing Governor Banwarilal Purohit.

In his message, Stalin greeted Ravi over his appointment. “Let your arrival encourage Tamil Nadu's growth and prosperity,” he said in a tweet. “Tamil Nadu welcomes you,” he added.

32 TN colleges among top 100 in NIRF ranks

32 TN colleges among top 100 in NIRF ranks

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:10.09.2021

Five state universities slipped in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings 2021 released on Thursday. While Anna University slipped by four places in both university category and engineering category to be ranked 16 and 18 respectively, University of Madras slipped six ranks from 22 to  28.

In the colleges category, Loyola College was ranked the third best college in the country, moving up three places. But, Presidency College slipped two ranks to 7th. As many as 32 colleges from Tamil Nadu featured among the top 100, the same as last year.

Christian Medical College in Vellore has retained its third position among medical colleges. In the engineering category, IIT Madras was the top ranked institute, NIT Trichy was ranked 9th and Vellore Institute of Technology 12th.

Anna University vicechancellor R Velraj said the reduction in the number of PhD admissions and more students discontinuing their engineering degrees to join medicine as main reasons for the slip in the ranking.

"The university fixed a qualification criteria for PhD admissions, which resulted in fewer admissions. With engineering counselling scheduled ahead of medical counselling last year, more students discontinued their courses after getting medical admissions. It affected our scores in graduation outcomes," he said. Madras University vicechancellor S Gowri said the vacancies among the faculty members will be one of the reasons for the slip in ranking. "We will study the reasons and try to improve our ranking," he said.

Bharathiar University from Coimbatore slipped from 13 to 14 while Bharathidasan University in Trichy came down from 53 to 57 in the university category. Madurai Kamaraj University also slipped from 60 to 63.

However, Alagappa University in Karaikudi have moved up from 36 to 33 and Periyar University in Salem jumped 10 places from 83 to73.

In the dental colleges category, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences came in third, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research was ranked 8 and SRM Dental College was ranked 10th. Among the pharmacy colleges, JSS College of Pharmacy in Ooty was ranked 7th.

MBBS admissions at Madurai AIIMS unlikely this year

MBBS admissions at Madurai AIIMS unlikely this year

Health Minister Ma Subramanian said it is unlikely the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Madurai will be able to admit students in the current academic year (2021-22).

Published: 09th September 2021 05:47 AM |

For representational purposes

By Lalitha Ranjani

Express News Service

MADURAI: Health Minister Ma Subramanian said it is unlikely the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Madurai will be able to admit students in the current academic year (2021-22). The plan to commence classes this year came up at the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court in June, but the minister said the options suggested by the Union government for conducting classes were not feasible. This comes days ahead of this year’s NEET on September 12. Since last year, admission to MBBS courses at AIIMS and JIPMER has been based on NEET scores.

Speaking to TNIE, Subramanian said, “During the meeting with Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in New Delhi on September 3, it was conveyed that none of the suggestions put forward regarding temporary arrangements were feasible for the State. TN is for beginning admissions only after construction of the planned buildings at Thoppur. Thus, we insisted on expediting the project. The Ministry acknowledged the practical difficulties in meeting the criteria of the National Medical Commission to admit students at AIIMS this year.”

The Union government had suggested three temporary options to begin classes this year for 150 students of Madurai AIIMS: to host them at JIPMER in Puducherry, at a government medical or arts college in Madurai, or at any private medical college in Madurai. The State did not find these options viable and instead suggested 50 students each be accommodated at the Madurai, Theni, and Sivaganga government medical colleges. However, all these options have now been ruled out.

‘Temporary campus will not reflect well on TN’

Subramanian explained JIPMER was ruled out as it would not be appropriate when the project concerned Tamil Nadu. Starting classes at a private medical college in Madurai, too, is out of question as AIIMS is an autonomous institution of national importance. Similarly, accommodating the students at the Madurai Medical College is not feasible since the college already admits 250 MBBS students every year.

An additional 150 students would burden the college which does not have the required infrastructure. The final option of admitting 50 students each at Madurai, Theni, and Sivaganga government medical colleges was also deemed logistically unfeasible. “It will only lead to inconvenience for the faculty and students,” he added.

“Most students securing admission to AIIMS are from northern States and would have greater expectations of the amenities as provided at other AIIMS. It would not reflect well on TN to accommodate them in a hastily-arranged temporary campus,” Subramanian said. On June 30, commencement of classes from this year was mooted during the hearing of a plea at the Madurai Bench.

The petitioner, a law student, sought a direction to the Union and State governments to take steps to commence the functioning of the institute at a temporary campus, until the construction of the main building was completed. It was then that the Union government told the court it was willing to start outpatient services and MBBS classes at a temporary alternative space identified by the TN government.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan said except for vague correspondences and submissions of affidavits at the court, neither a MoU nor a concrete plan of action was chalked out by the Union Health Ministry to immediately start MBBS admissions at a temporary campus. Hence, after explaining the technical aspects, the State has insisted that the Union government fast-track the construction of AIIMS, he added.

THE ROAD SO FAR

JUNE 30 Centre tells HC it is keen to start outpatient services & classes, subject to availability of alternative space & manpower till the building is set up

JULY 7 State says Union govt suggested three places in Puducherry and Madurai to temporarily conduct MBBS classes for 150 students

JULY 26 TN says it sought an AIIMS report on the proposal to take 50 students in 2021- 22. Also says students can be taught at nearby govt colleges

AUG 17 AIIMS executive director says Centre is ready to start classes at any of the colleges chosen by TN, subject to infrastructure requirements. State seeks time.

Errors in Covid vaccine certificates headache for students

Errors in Covid vaccine certificates headache for students

Issues include wrong number, name, age, and dates of vaccination

Published: 09th September 2021 06:56 AM 

A health worker administering a dose of Covid-19 vaccine to a student at Meenakshi Sundararajan Engineering College in Chennai | R Satish Babu

By KV Navya

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Several students who have taken vaccines for Covid-19 are reportedly not being allowed inside their colleges as they are unable to download their vaccination certificates from CoWin portal owing to issues like erroneous contact number, name, age, and same dates for first and second doses. A few of the colleges that insist on vaccination certificates are Loyola College, Chellammal Women’s college, and AM Jain college.

“I got the first dose at a government school in Meenambakkam in July. I have not even received a single message and thought it would take a 10-15 days. It, however, has been two months now and the officials at the vaccination centre have stopped responding. They said they could arrange for a certificate saying I got vaccinated in September,” said A Tamizhselvan, a student of AM Jain College. He added the college is not accepting the vaccination card issued at the centre at the time of vaccination as proof.

When contacted, a staff of the college said they are not accepting the cards because it is easy to duplicate them. Vaccination certificates are being insisted on to ensure everyone in the college is safe, especially in the backdrop of numerous cases erupting in schools across the State.

Similar is the plight of Aishwarya from Chellammal Women’s college in Guindy. She has been skipping college since September 1 and running from pillar to post to get her vaccination registered. “If we register as if we took a jab in September, the second dose will be delayed. I took my first dose in July. I know at least three of my friends facing similar issues,” she said. The college authorities could not be contacted for their response.

The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has instructed the health department officials to establish a help desk in State and Health-Unit-District levels to sort out issues raised by citizens on Covid-19 vaccination, including non-issuance of vaccination certificate, certificate correction, merging of certificates, and others.

It may, however, be noted that the Tamil Nadu government had said that Covid-19 vaccination is not mandatory to attend physical classes in colleges across the State.

How to make corrections in certificates

The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has instructed the health department officials to help State residents with vaccination-related issues. To lodge a complaint, the public can visit www.cowin.gov.in, click on register/sign in, enter mobile number, click on ‘Get OTP’, enter OTP, and click on ‘Verify’. After entering the account page, click on the ‘Raise an Issue’ tab

60 engg colleges in Karnataka to offer 4-yr BSc course this yr

60 engg colleges in Karnataka to offer 4-yr BSc course this yr

SruthySusan.Ullas@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:09.09.2021

Around 60 engineering colleges may introduce a BSc Honours course in Science from this academic year. On Tuesday, the Visvesvaraya Technological University sought government nod to start the course which is in sync with the new National Education Policy (NEP).

The 4-year BSc (Hons) programme will have Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM) subjects. The science and engineering departments will conduct classes on campus and each college can have 60 students per course.

“This course will be different from those in degree colleges given the emphasis on STEM subjects. The open electives, project work and internship will be STEMcentric and from engineering background,” said vicechancellor Karisiddappa.

Proposal to choose students through CET

The open electives, project work and internship will be STEM-centric and from engineering background like Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity and Internet of Things, among others. It’ll be like courses offered in the Indian Institute of Science and other premier technological institutions,” said vice-chancellor Karisidappa.

There is a proposal to select students through the Common Entrance Test. Engineering colleges offering this programme will be chosen based on NAAC and NBA accreditation and Local Inspection Committee reports. With government colleges not having NBA accreditation, they’re unlikely to offer the course this year. “As most engineering colleges have placement cells, students can benefit from them,” the VC said.

While admission to all BSc programmes in most colleges is over, VTU hopes its course will enthuse those keen to join. “Some students passionate about STEM subjects may want to join an engineering college. Others may prefer pure sciences over engineering. The number of students completing PU course is higher than last year because of the all-promotion policy. The increase in seats will benefit them,” Karisidappa said.

The course will be in sync with NEP. Students can opt for electives from other streams like humanities. NEP allows forming a cluster or collaborating with other educational institutions and engineering colleges will be encouraged to do it

Karisiddappa VTU VC