DMK MLA’s plea a new googly against NEET?

DMK MLA’s plea a new googly against NEET?

So, if the petitioner wins this case, it would be a big victory for the ruling DMK in its fight against NEET.

Published: 15th September 2021 03:28 AM 

NEET candidates at Asan Memorial Senior Secondary School in Chennai on Sunday. (EPS | P Jawahar)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday admitted a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by DMK MLA, Dr Ezhilan Naganathan, challenging an Emergency-era Constitutional amendment insofar as it moved the subject of education from the State List to the Concurrent List.

Though the petition made no mention of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), if the plea succeeds, State governments will be able to do away with the NEET and even the National Education Policy.

On matters in the Concurrent List, the Union government has the final word and that’s why the Bill exempting Tamil Nadu from the NEET, passed by the State government on Monday, has to get Presidential approval to become a law. So, if the petitioner wins this case, it would be a big victory for the ruling DMK in its fight against NEET. If education is brought back to the State List, the State no longer has to depend on the Union government’s concurrence on the issue, a stumbling block for the Bill passed by the previous AIADMK regime.

The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice PD Audikesavalu admitted the plea on Tuesday and impleaded the Tamil Nadu government as a party-respondent in the case by itself. It ordered the notice, returnable in eight weeks, to the State and Union governments. The matter will be taken up for hearing after 10 weeks, the bench said.

‘Amendment upset federal structure’

According to the petitioner, the shifting of education from the State List to the Concurrent List by the 1976 Constitutional amendment is a violation of the basic structure doctrine. He argued the said amendment has resulted in upsetting the federal structure as originally envisaged by the Constitution framers.

“By virtue of transferring the subject of education from List II to List III, the States’ executive/legislative autonomy in the matters of education has become subservient to Union’s executive/ legislative powers,” the petitioner said. The bench observed that the subject had not been taken out of the State’s purview entirely, as it is still in the Concurrent List and not in the Union List.

Therefore, the court wondered whether this would amount to tinkering with the basic structure of the Constitution. The DMK MLA’s petition argued that the reason behind giving exclusive authority to the States on the subject of education was due to the fact that it is the State government which knows the individual needs and aspirations of the people in different areas/localities and is better placed to address the gaps in the system, and formulate policies that are tailored to their needs.

Another aspirant kills self

Days after the reported suicide of a 19-year-old NEET aspirant in Salem, a 17-year-old girl in Ariyalur district ended her life on Monday night, upset over a “difficult” question paper

DME assures doctors, says wage arrears will be paid

DME assures doctors, says wage arrears will be paid

Meanwhile, the duty doctors maintained that representations were submitted to the Collector over the payment of salary wage arrears.

Published: 15th September 2021 07:32 AM |

Nursing students stand in a queue to get themselves immunised against Covid-19 at New Government General Hospital in Vijayawada. 

(File photo | EPS/P Ravindra Babu)

By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: Director of Medical Education (DME) V Raghavendra Rao on Tuesday carried out surprise checks at New Government General Hospital (GGH). During the visit, the DME instructed the hospital staff to offer treatment to the patients within 30 minutes after they step onto the premises.Speaking on the occasion, Raghavendra Rao said steps are being taken to increase the bed strength in the hospital by extending the emergency ward.

Referring to the strike call given by the duty doctors, the DME said doctors played a crucial role and saved many lives by risking their lives during the pandemic. He further said a lot of money was spent to purchase injections for treating black fungus and other deadly diseases. “Once again the government has sanctioned funds to arrange immediate payment of salaries due to doctors. We are requesting the doctors not to take part in protests. We are assuring to provide wage arrears and regularise the services of eligible doctors besides extending all necessary support from the government,” the DME said.

Meanwhile, the duty doctors maintained that representations were submitted to the Collector over the payment of salary wage arrears. So far there was no response from the district administration over our demands. Around 200 duty doctors in the district will participate in the strike from Wednesday to press their demands, including payment of arrears and issuance of experience certificate, a doctor said.

Criminal proceedings against lawyer for misbehaviour in court

Criminal proceedings against lawyer for misbehaviour in court

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:15.09.2021

A Delhi court has directed initiation of criminal proceedings against a lawyer for allegedly misbehaving and arguing in a high-pitched voice despite repeated warnings by the judge during physical hearing in a case, while noting that the lawyer did not feel remorseful for his act.

The directions were given by additional sessions judge Shivaji Ananda after the lawyer kept arguing with the prosecutor in a “very high pitch” voice, alleging that he is making mockery of him.

When the lawyer refused to submit a written explanation on why he misbehaved and interfered in the proceedings even after his matter was over, the judge directed initiation of criminal proceedings.

“Let miscellaneous number be registered for further proceedings under sections 228 (interruption to public servant sitting in judicial proceedings) and 179 (refusing to answer public servant authorised to question)of IPC. The matter will be taken up on September 21,” the court said in the order.

According to the order, the lawyer continued to raise his voice despite repeated warnings from the judge.

The lawyer had come to the court to seek interim bail for his client for two months on the medical grounds.

Furnish info on MP medical varsity scam probe panel: HC to CS

Furnish info on MP medical varsity scam probe panel: HC to CS

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bhopal/Jabalpur:15.09.2021

A division bench of Madhya Pradesh high court on Tuesday directed the chief secretary to furnish information on constitution of a committee to probe the MP Medical University scam while deferring hearing on the petitions related to the case to October 4.

Three petitions have been filed in the high court in connection with the scam— one of them a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a judicial probe into the scam in which an Agra-based company, which was given contract to hold the exams conducted by the university and prepare marksheet of students, allegedly manipulated the marksheets of the students and changed their marks.

The second petition was filed by the company- Mind Logic Infratech Ltd— challenging the decision of the university to annul the contract with the company and the third petition was filed by the state government against the then registrar in-charge of the university.

During a joint hearing of all the three petitions— petitioners of the PIL contended that then in-charge registrar of the university Dr J K Jain had probed the allegations of scam against the company and found them prima-facie true. Not only was the marksheet of students manipulated and marks obtained by them changed, but their data was prepared not on the official site of the university but a private site, he said.

Following this, contract with the company was put in abeyance, but later, Gupta was also placed under suspension and the vice-chancellor resigned from the post.

The acting exam controller of the university, who was the first to complain against the company to higher authorities of the university has also been removed from the post. The petitioner also pointed out that Agra Medical University had filed an FIR against the company for a similar scam, yet it was given the contract by the MP Medical University.

The petitioner sought the court intervention to order a judicial probe into the scam.

Med edu curriculum in Hindi soon: Min

Med edu curriculum in Hindi soon: Min

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bhopal:15.09.2021

Medical education curriculum could soon be in Hindi in Madhya Pradesh. A committee is preparing the module and in the near future it could be offered in Hindi as an option, said MP medical education minister Vishwas Sarang, here on Tuesday on the occasion of Hindi Day.

Similar initiatives have been made at Bhopal’s Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hindi University but never saw the day of light after the campus of the university was shifted three years ago.

Madhya Pradesh government would offer the option of studying medicine in Hindi “in the near future”, the state medical education minister said.

“We are going to form a committee at the earliest to ensure that medical education courses (material) are prepared in Hindi as well. In the near future, we will start medical studies in Hindi too,” he said.

Vishwas Sarang said the special committee will work to prepare the course.

In Madhya Pradesh, medical students will now be taught in Hindi. The entire course will be in Hindi. The announcement was made by Medical Education Minister Vishwas Sarang. He said that today is Hindi Day. Best wishes to all. We have decided to study medicine in Hindi in Madhya Pradesh on the occasion of Hindi Day. A committee will be constituted soon.

Govt would offer the option of studying medicine in Hindi “in the near future”, state med edu minister Vishwas Sarang said

‘Aadhaar not a valid document for proof of age’

‘Aadhaar not a valid document for proof of age’

Chandigarh:15.09.2021

The Punjab and Haryana high court has made it clear that the Aadhaar card cannot be used for proof of age as no documentary details are usually sought at the time of applying for the Unique Identity Development Authority of India’s (UIDAI’s) verifiable 12-digit identification number.

Justice Amol Rattan Singh of the HC passed the order while hearing a petition filed by a runaway couple from Haryana’s Jind district. The court also ordered the state authorities to determine the actual age of the girl and take legal action if her age was found to be false.

"There is no firm proof of age of either of the petitioners other than their Aadhaar cards, which is actually no proof as no documentary proof is usually asked for at the time of applying for the Aadhaar card or the issuance thereof," the HC said. TNN

120kmph limit is dangerous, reduce it, HC orders Centre

120kmph limit is dangerous, reduce it, HC orders Centre

Chennai:15.09.2021

Flagging ‘overspeed’ on highways, the Madras high court has quashed a central notification issued in 2018, increasing the speed limit of vehicles on them from 100kmph to 120kmph.

In a recent order, the HC blamed ‘overspeeding’ for most road accidents and directed the Centre to set the speed limit as per an August 5, 2014 notification, which prescribed 80kmph as maximum speed on highways.

Refusing to accept the stand taken by the Union government that the speed limit had been fixed by an expert committee considering the improvement in the infrastructure and better engine technology of vehicles, a division bench of justices N Kirubakaran (since retired) and TV Thamilselvi said: “When overspeeding is a major cause for road accidents, it is not known as to how the improvement in road infrastructure and engine technology would reduce accidents.”

In fact, better engine technology would always be a reason for uncontrolled speed and thereby cause more accidents, the court said. It added that authorities must use modern gadgets like speed gun, speed indication display to find out the speeding vehicle and punish the driver. TNN