Final year classes on shift basis from Oct 4

Final year classes on shift basis from Oct 4

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Thiruvananthapuram:11.09.2021

Classes for final year students in higher education institutions in the state would begin from October 4 on a shift basis on alternate days. A decision in this regard was reached at higher education minister R Bindu’s meeting with college principals on Friday.

Classes for junior semester students would be decided later considering the experience of the mechanism being put in place for the final year students, Bindu told reporters after the online meeting with principals.

“To begin with, classes would be organised on alternate days. Teachers would reach the campus daily. A fresh order specifying the working time for colleges during this special arrangement would be issued soon. Institutions may opt for different shift timings, according to their convenience. Generally, the student strength in PG classes is below 20. Nothing prevents college authorities from organising daily classes for students of such classes,” Bindu said.

A special vaccination drive would be held on college campuses to ensure that all students get at least one dose of the Covid vaccine. The drive would be held by coordinating respective DMOs, primary health centres, universities, and college campuses. “For the effective drive, the statistics of non-vaccinated students and teachers would be prepared. Covid vigilance committees would be set up on all campuses. Classes would be held adhering to Covid protocols, and college authorities are supposed to ensure availability of sanitiser, soap and handwash,” the minister said.

Bindu said the department would ask district collectors to return certain college buildings that had been converted to CFLTCs. They will be also asked to relieve teachers who were given the charge of sectoral magistrates.

“Colleges are being opened to overcome limitations of online classes. Online classes would be set up in all colleges. Principals have been asked to ensure that learning management system is introduced in their colleges. Principals would fix the schedule for blended classes, using online and offline facilities,” Bindhu said.

She r said the government would make best efforts to ensure public transport facility for college-going students. “Institutional heads would arrange accommodation facilities at hostels by ensuring the adherence of Covid-19 protocol. Since only final year students are allowed on campuses, accommodation in hostels won’t be a risk,” Bindhu added

A special vaccination drive would be held on college campuses to ensure that all students get at least one Covid vaccine dose

August 2021 was third hottest in 120 yrs: IMD

August 2021 was third hottest in 120 yrs: IMD

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:11.09.2021

A huge rainfall deficit ensured August 2021 was the third hottest August in the country in the past 120 years but it was also marked by the Ridge area in the capital breaking its 24 hour rainfall record for the month.

As far as temperature was concerned, the monthly average maximum, average minimum and mean temperature over all India for the month of August during 1901-2021 shows the average ‘maximum temperature’ over all India was third highest (31.75 degree C) and average ‘minimum temperature’ was eighth highest (24.39 degree C) while the ‘mean temperature’ over all India was third highest (28.07 degree C) since 1901, making it the third hottest August.

“The observed average maximum, average minimum and mean temperature for the country as a whole during August 2021 are 31.75 degree C, 24.39 degree C and 28.07 degree C respectively, against the normal of 31.09 degree C, 24.01 degree C and 27.55 degree C based on period 1981-2010,” said the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) weather analysis for August.

The overall rainfall deficit (24% below long period average) had led it to be the lowest August rainfall in the country in the last 12 years (after 2009).

So far during period 1901-2021, August 2021 was the 6th lowest after 1920 (32.5% below LPA), 2005 (28.4% below LPA), 2009 (26.5% below LPA),1913 (25.6% below LPA), and 1930 and 1993 when it had 25.2% below LPA.

Only 28 stations reported extremely heavy rainfall

The IMD said certain stations recorded ‘very heavy’ to ‘extremely heavy’ rainfall with six of them including Delhi Ridge, Car Nicobar, Aizwal, Bundi, Thanjavur and Shivpuri reporting their 24-hour respective record rainfall in August.

“There were only 28 stations which reported extremely heavy rainfall”, said the IMD in its analysis. There are over 4,000 rainfall recording stations in the country. Referring to the impact of weather events in August, the IMD noted that a total 121 persons lost their lives while 28 persons got injured during the month.

Govt sees red on Savarkar, VC denies it’s saffronisation

Govt sees red on Savarkar, VC denies it’s saffronisation

Panel To Examine Univ Syllabus, Submit Report

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kozhikode:11.09.2021

The row over inclusion of writings of Hindutva ideologues MS Golwakar and V D Savarkar in the MA Governance and Politics syllabus of Kannur University appeared to evolve into a larger debate on whether non-mainstream or controversial works should become part of conventional syllabi, even as it put the government in a spot on Friday, with divisions cropping up among Left parties on the issue.

The varsity has constituted a two-memberpanel -- comprising political scientists Prof J Prabhash and Prof K S Pavithran -- to examine the syllabus and submit a report in five days. Higher education minister R Bindu on Friday termed the development as "highly sensitive" and said it was "dangerous" to have communal references in university syllabus, but toned down her reaction by the evening. “If the syllabus requires any change, the university will take appropriate steps. If some additions proposed are to be dropped, the university would do so," she said.

Protests in varsity for second day

CM Pinarayi Vijayan also gave a similar reaction but said the government does not want to glorify ideologies and leaders who had turned away their faces from the Independence struggle. The university had included extracts from Savarkar’s “Hindutva: who is a Hindu”, and Golwalkar’s “Bunch of Thoughts” in the syllabus. Vice-chancellor Gopinath Ravindran justified the decision, saying the syllabus was aimed at enabling students to develop a critical understanding about various strands of Indian political thought.

The varsity witnessed protests for the second day on Friday, with the AISF also taking out a protest march demanding withdrawal of the syllabus. KSU activists blocked the vicechancellor’s vehicle. Senior CPI leader Benoy Vishwam joined the opposition leaders in criticising the decision. Opposition leader V D Satheesan said the decision is condemnable.

The issue, meanwhile, laid bare conflicting opinions in SFI, with Kannur University Students Union chairman M K Hassan supporting the decision and SFI state secretary K M Sachin Dev opposing it.

The controversy brought up diverse opinions among academics as well. Historian and former ICHR chairman M G S Narayanan said it was imperative that students read all diverse strands of Indian political thought at the post-graduate level. “They should get an opportunity to compare and contrast different points of view. Also, it will help them in developing their own independent perspective,” he said. Political scientist and Kasargod central university former vice-chancellor G Gopakumar said it was unfortunate that holistic academic matters are used for petty political gains. “Political science is a liberal discipline. Those who speak against the syllabus should at least understand that Indian political thought is a prominent paper and works and philosophy of Savarkar, Golwalkar and Muhammad Ali Jinnah are part of this,” he said. “The demand to obfuscate the prominent political ideologies would be like asking political science students to study the second world war, without studying Hilter and Mussolini and their ideologies,” he added.

P K Ravindran, educationist and former deputy director of the collegiate education department, however said students should be taught textbooks that will take them forward and not backward in time. “Universities should not be the place to promote retrograde ideas. It is wrong to teach youngsters textbooks and ideas that would take them centuries back. If those responsible for drafting the syllabus don’t take the matter seriously, they do not deserve to hold such positions,” he said.

› FULL COVERAGE: P 5

I-T dept ‘surveys’ Newsclick, Newslaundry in tax case

I-T dept ‘surveys’ Newsclick, Newslaundry in tax case

New Delhi:11.09.2021

The Income Tax department on Friday conducted separate “survey operations” at the premises of online news portals Newsclick and Newslaundry here, officials said.

The operations are being conducted to verify certain tax payment details and remittances made by the organisations, they said. Some documents have been found and these are being studied, the officials said.

In a survey operation, which is carried out under provisions of section 133A of the Income Tax Act, 1961, tax officials cover only the business premises of an assessee and those linked to it and not their residential addresses. However, tax authorities can seize documents. There was no immediate reaction from the two portals or their promoters.

Newsclick and its founders were raided by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in February under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and that investigation is linked to alleged dubious foreign funding received by its registered company, which runs the news portal.

The money laundering case arises out of a Delhi Police FIR alleging that PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt Ltd received foreign direct investment (FDI) of Rs 9.59 crore from Worldwide Media Holdings LLC USA during the 2018-19 financial year. AGENCIES

Pay ₹28L over fraud involving duplicate SIM, Voda ordered

Pay ₹28L over fraud involving duplicate SIM, Voda ordered

Srikanta.Tripathy@timesgroup.com

Jaipur:11.09.2021

The Rajasthan IT department has ordered Vodafone Idea to pay one of its customers remaining Rs 27.5 lakh out of the total Rs 68.5 lakh which was illegally transferred from his account using a duplicate cellphone SIM card issued by the telecom company without proper verification of customer identification documents.

The case pertains to one Bhanu Pratap, who was issued a duplicate SIM belonging to another person and transferred a total of Rs 68.5 lakh from IDBI bank to his other accounts. Later, he returned Rs 44 lakh but the victim is yet to receive the rest of the money. On May 25, 2017, Krishna Lal Nain’s Vodafone Idea mobile number stopped working. He went to the telecom company’s store in Hanumangarh and registered a complaint.

Though he got a new number, it remained inactivated despite repeated complaints. In Jaipur, he went to one of the company’s stores and again submitted a complaint for SIM activation, which happened the next day. By then, the culprit had transferred Rs 68.5 lakh from Nain’s IDBI Bank account using the OTPs generated.

Not only was the duplicate SIM card issued without proper verification of personal data, the delay in activation of the new SIM card and the transfer of money from the account during the period raised serious questions.

NEET forgery racket busted by Ajmer police, 3 arrested

NEET forgery racket busted by Ajmer police, 3 arrested

Ajmer:11.09.2021

A team formed by Inspector General of Police of Ajmer range on Friday arrested three accused from Delhi, Jaipur and Kota who claimed to provide guarantee to facilitate and clear NEET and JEE exams by providing dummy candidates on behalf of real candidates. The NEET examination isonSeptember12andtheracket busted by police has caused panic among the candidates.

Briefing a press conference, Inspector General of Police Ajmer range S Sengathir told the media that the candidates appearing for NEET exams were getting calls by consultancy companies that they will arrange for admission in government colleges and also provide candidates who will appear in the NEET exam, as they have already qualified such exams before. For this purpose, candidates had to first deposit Rs 1 lakh and later Rs 5 to 6 lakh on the day of examination and for getting into a good college, they had to deposit total Rs 30 lakh.

The team constituted for investigation went for query as a dummy parent and met Arpit Swami, who is running the office as consultancy in Vikas Puri of New Delhi.

Arpit told them about the network they have, to provide examination centre as well as dummy candidate who will appear in the examination. The dummy parents made a deal and paid Rs17 lakh to Arpit and after confirming the forgery in the examination, police arrested Arpit Swami, who is a resident of Alwar, from New Delhi; Gajender Swami, a resident of New Delhi arrested from Raja Park in Jaipur and Mohammad Danish from Kota. TNN

A Very Consequential Supreme Court Ruling

A Very Consequential Supreme Court Ruling

When govt values land unjustly, landowners cannot seek full remedy in lower courts

Sunil Gupta

11.09.2021

Construction of national highways and acquisition of land for that purpose is an important GoI project. The state always has the power to compulsorily acquire any person’s property for public purpose but in lieu of fair compensation. Fair compensation is a constitutional right. However, now, under a recent Supreme Court judgment in Project Director, NHAI vs M Hakeem, GoI can acquire land for highways without a fair mechanism for compensation. SC has always taken pride in laying down the law for upholding constitutional rights. But it has failed this time.

Why is govt arbitration one-sided?

Under the National Highways Act, 1956 (amended 1997), when GoI acquires land for highways, compensation is fixed by a government servant. A dissatisfied landowner can seek reconsideration but even reconsideration is done by another government servant called an ‘arbitrator’ who is appointed not with the landowner’s consent but unilaterally by GoI.

A non-consensual ‘arbitrator’ is an oxymoron. Fulsome remedies of appeal are not available to the landowner under the Land Acquisition Act if the arbitrator’s compensation award is inadequate. Only a truncated remedy on technical grounds under Section 34 of the Arbitration Act is provided, where a court has limited power.

The court under this remedy can either set aside the award or leave it to be re-decided by the arbitrator but cannot modify the award and increase the compensation itself. Arbitrariness is writ large. Still, the apex court refused to concede to lower courts (below it) the right to enhance NHA awards.

SC’s view could have been acceptable had the arbitrator been appointed with the landowner’s consent. An HC had found that the governmentappointed arbitrator had simply ‘rubber-stamped’ the collector’s measly compensation of Rs 46.55-83.15 per sq mt, although the market value (from sale-deeds of identical lands) was Rs 645 psm.

Therefore, HC, instead of setting aside the award or remitting it for a completely new hearing and decision by yet another government-appointed bureaucrat arbitrator, enhanced the compensation itself. It held that, at least, as regards NHA awards, Section 34 should be construed liberally as permitting the court to modify and enhance the compensation itself. This view gave landowners at least one full and fair judicial remedy in a court.

What did the Supreme Court say?

Time and again, SC has itself adopted ‘dynamic’ and ‘creative’ interpretation of statutes to facilitate justice. It has constitutional power to do ‘complete justice’. However, this time, despite NHA’s unfair consequences, SC disagreed with HC and adopted a surprisingly conservative approach.

SC expressed regret that under NHA the wholesome regime of appeals has been replaced by a nonconsensual arbitrator’s award challengeable only on limited grounds but left it to Parliament to amend NHA. Yet it simultaneously ruled that the mere fact that such a process would enable a government servant to ‘rubber-stamp’ an award cannot mean that a challenge on merits should be provided under Section 34. Such an approach by the all-powerful highest court is disconcerting.

Ironically enough, SC did note the ‘perverse’ and ‘abysmally low amounts’ granted to landowners by the Arbitrator. Yet it disapproved the HC’s enhancement but at the same time refused to disturb this particular enhancement on the ground that the NHA amendment’s constitutional validity hasn’t been challenged, therefore, grave injustice would be done if SC were to set aside the HC decision or leave it for re-decision by the very government servant arbitrator who had applied the ‘depressed land values’.

Why does the status quo continue?

However, SC has denied lower courts (below it) the right to modify and enhance NHA awards. They can only set aside an award or remit it back for ‘arbitration’. Landowners cannot challenge the NHA amendment’s validity in their purely statutory petitions under Section 34. That can happen only in a writ petition in HCs or SC under the Constitution. This leaves lower courts spectators when confronted with unjust awards.

Future cases of inadequate NHA compensation under Section 34 leave landowners (mostly poor farmers and agriculturists) and lower courts in a bind. For landowners, SC has ruled a ‘limited right’ and ‘limited remedy’ to ‘cure’ awards. Lower courts are hamstrung by a lakshman rekha.

The writer is a Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India