PhD student spots rare purple crab in K’taka

PhD student spots rare purple crab in K’taka

Mangaluru:24.09.2021

A rare purple crab was spotted in the Western Ghats area of Uttara Kannada district recently.

Dr MS Mustak, department of applied zoology, Mangalore University, said that his PhD student Supreet Kadkol, spotted the rare crab, purple in colour, when he was travelling from the Ghat section to the seashore. The crab was on the road basking, he said. “The six mature crabs were spotted on the roadside and under the rocks around the terrestrial habitat, and according to literature these fresh water purple crabs are only found during the rainy season. The locals present there were also surprised by the colour of the crab. The purple crab belongs to the genus Ghatiana. We are yet to ascertain if it is a new species for which molecular taxonomic analysis is being undertaken at the lab,” Dr Mustak said.

A purple tree crab was first spotted by Arjun Kamdar and team inJuly 2015 from rainwater-containing tree holes in Amboli, Maharashtra. Later it was spotted in 2017 at the Sharavathi valley in Shivamogga. It was then spotted by the Wildlife Conservation and Awareness Team. TNN

NATURAL WONDER: The purple crab clicked by Supreet Kadkol, a PhD student at Mangalore University, was spotted in Uttara Kannada

Colleges, universities start collating students’ vax data

Colleges, universities start collating students’ vax data

Zeeshan.Jawed@timesgroup.com

Kolkata:24.09.2021

A day after the state decided to vaccinate all eligible students in higher education institutions “with a view of possible resumption of offline instruction in schools and colleges”, several colleges and universities rolled out forms for students.

A section of students in Presidency University, Jadavpur University and Calcutta University had been demanding the authorities vaccinate students and initiate the process of resuming in-person classes. The government has asked all higher education institutions to hold a meeting with stake holders and provide details of those who require vaccination. The institutions have been given the option to either arranging for a camp on campus or allow the government to arrange it in other vaccination centres.

“The students and other stakeholders should be vaccinated before any decision to resume in-person classes in higher education institutions is taken,” said an education department official.

At JU, the authorities have already collected details from students. “Students who cannot come to campus can take the shot from their nearest vaccination centres by providing an university ID,” registrar Snehamanju Basu.

Maulana Azad College has started collecting the details, including of students who have just taken admission in UG courses. “Some of the details we want are the vaccination status, if they have taken a dose and the date of first dose,” said an official.

At Basanti Devi College the last date to submit the information is September 24. “We have received instructions from the higher education department to submit the vaccination details of students,” said a college official.

At Presidency University, the deadline to submit the information was September 23. “As soon as we received the education department nod, we started collecting the information,” said an official.

A higher education department official said if the colleges and universities provide logistical support, like space and manpower, the health department can conduct vaccination on campus.

A schoolteacher gets the jab at a civic vaccination centre

The students and other stakeholders should be vaccinated before any decision to resume in-person classes is taken

An edu dept official

Pensioners get home delivery of ‘life certificates’

Pensioners get home delivery of ‘life certificates’

New Delhi:24.09.2021

To help older pensioners procure ‘life certificates’ (jeevan pramaan) right at their door-step, India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) is generating and delivering them digitally by using postmen.

With the launch of the service, pensioners will not be required to make a physical visit to the office of pension disbursing agency. The pensioners will be able to generate the life certificate either by visiting the nearest post office or through the ‘Doorstep Banking Service’ offered by IPPB. A few years ago, the postal department had begun a similar service, while also offering the facility at some of their post offices. This service will be offered to all pensioners, irrespective of having an account with IPPB or with any other bank as well. TNN

Noida residents move SC over an ‘alarming’ rise in dog bite cases

Noida residents move SC over an ‘alarming’ rise in dog bite cases

Snehil.Sinha@timesgroup.com

Noida:24.09.2021

A residents’ group from Noida has moved the Supreme Court seeking its intervention in curbing dog bite cases in the city after the Allahabad high court refused to hear their appeal.

The public interest litigation (PIL), filed by a group of eight women residents from Noida’s Sector 137, states that despite the animal birth control programme, started by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) across the country, there has been “an alarming increase in the population of strays and a distressing rise in dog attacks on people”.

The plea also contends that the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2001, violates Article 21 (right to life) of the Indian Constitution. There are several laws for the protection of animals, including the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act,1960 and Animal Birth Control Rules, 2001, the petitioners say. However, none of these laws states anything clearly regarding dog bite cases.

“This is a huge issue in a place like Noida where thousands of people live in gated societies. While we need to protect animals, people also need to feel safe within the premises of their homes. Additionally, there is no mention in any law about who would be responsible for the trauma and cost of treatment in dog bite incidents,” Shashank Shukla, the counsel representing the residents’ group in the case, told TOI.

He added that there should also be a specific mechanism in place with the power given to state authorities to take decisions in dog bite cases. “In cities like Noida, we will also suggest that future town planning should involve designated feeding points for stray animals so that the safety of people and animals is taken care of,” Shukla said.

Dr Sujit Kumar Dutta, AWBI secretary, declined to comment. Chetna Joshi, AWBI-nominated member to the Municipal Corporation Monitoring and Implementation Committee, Haryana, however, said, “These are frivolous complaints filed by intolerant people. The court has already given relevant orders acknowledging the intolerance and the resulting failure to implement the ABC Rules 2001 in India by the Centre and states as well as the citizens.”

COUNSEL SAYS

In cities like Noida, we will also suggest that future town planning should involve designated feeding points for stray animals

Jamia to allow scholars with thesis deadline of December 31

Jamia to allow scholars with thesis deadline of December 31

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:24.09.2021

Jamia Millia Islamia on Thursday announced that the campus would reopen for the final-year PhD scholars who are due to submit their thesis by December 31.

The final-year semester students will also be allowed to attend clinical and practical classes in the offline mode from November in a “limited number”, the university said, adding that the Covid-19 protocol had to be adhered to. “The departmental library facility will be available for PhD and final-year semester students on production of their latest negative RT-PCR report or vaccination certificate,” registrar Nazim Hussain Jafri said.

According to a statement, “The campus shall be opened for PhD scholars who are due to submit their thesis on or before December 31. The hostel facilities shall remain suspended.”

The university added that teaching and examinations for all undergraduate, postgraduate and diploma courses would continue to be held online till further orders.

The university circular has advised all students and teachers to get vaccinated. Jamia is “sensitive to... the aspirations of students and at the same time the university is committed to the safety concerns, health and well-being” of its students and staff, it added.

Missed one heartbeat too many? You must see a doc

Missed one heartbeat too many? You must see a doc

DurgeshNandan.Jha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:24.09.2021

Heart palpitations are one of the common health concerns. But, in the majority of cases, we ignore them because they are known to occur when we are stressed or anxious.

However, cardiologists say, if the palpitations continue for a longer period and even when a person is not under stress, it may be a sign of some abnormality that needs medical attention.

Recently, doctors at Delhi PSRI hospital said they came across a 58-year-old man who had been having heart palpitations for three to four years. “The patient came to the hospital only when he started having breathing difficulty also,” Dr Amitabh Yaduvanshi, head of invasive cardiology and electrophysiology at PSRI hospital, said.

Imaging tests showed that instead of the heart beats arising from the upper right chamber and following a certain trajectory to spread to the heart (as is in a healthy person), in this case, there was additional heart beats to the extent that every third of his heartbeat was arising from an abnormal site, the Left Ventricular (LV) Summit.

It is rare, occurring in about four per cent of the cases of Ventricular Premature Complexes in which extra heart beats arise from one of the heart’s two lower pumping chambers.

“The extra heartbeat was putting pressure on the heart. If the patient had delayed visiting the hospital any further, it may have led to heart failure,” Dr Yaduvanshi said.

The doctors conducted a procedure in which radiofrequency energy (similar to microwave heat) is used to destroy a small area of heart tissue that is causing rapid and irregular heartbeats. An advanced electro-anatomical mapping system was used to identify the site of origin of the abnormal beat, Dr Yaduvanshi said.

“The palpitations or missed beats are common symptoms, but in some cases, it may be due to abnormalities in the heart. Abnormal heart beating should not be ignored.”

DOCTOR SAYS

The extra heartbeat was putting pressure on the heart. If the patient had delayed visiting the hospital, it may have led to heart failure

Salon told to pay ₹2cr for ‘botching’ model’s haircut

Salon told to pay ₹2cr for ‘botching’ model’s haircut

Saurabh Sinha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:24.09.2021

If it wasn’t for the sum involved, one could perhaps joke that the salon operator was having a bad hair day. But Rs 2 crore is not a trifling sum and that is what the salon has to pay a model as punitive award for a haircut that allegedly wasn’t what she had hoped for.

National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) awarded this sum to the model on Tuesday for allegedly deficient services at a salon in a five-star hotel in Delhi in April 2018.

Justifying the award, NCRDC president RK Agrawal and member S M Kantikar held in their order that “…women are very cautious and careful with their hair. They spend a handsome amount on keeping hair in good condition. They are also emotionally attached with their hair. The complainant was a model for hair products because of her long hair... But due to hair cutting against her instructions, she lost her expected assignments and suffered a huge loss which completely changed her lifestyle and shattered her dream to be a top model.”

The model visited the salon on April 12, 2018, a week before she was to appear for an interview. Her regular hairdresser was unavailable that day and some other stylist apparently took over. The order noted, “According to the complainant, she specifically instructed the hairdresser for long flicks/layers covering her face in the front and at the back and four-inch straight hair trim from the bottom. It is alleged in the complaint that the complainant was wearing high-powered spectacles and was requested by the hairdresser to keep her head constantly down.”

While the model wanted a “simple haircut”, the hairdresser allegedly took over an hour on the task. Told she was getting a “London” haircut. The complainant was left in “utter shock and surprise”, when the hairdresser allegedly “chopped off her entire hair, leaving only four inches from the top”.

The haircare model complained to the salon management and was offered hair extension treatment for the interview or treatment of hair “free of cost.” On May 3, the model returned to the salon, but alleged later that “during treatment, her hair and scalp got completely damaged with excess ammonia and there was lot of irritation in the scalp”.

The NCRDRC order noted that the model “underwent severe mental breakdown and trauma due to negligence in cutting her hair and… finally lost her job”, and directed the hotel to pay her Rs 2 crore within eight weeks of the order.

0 8 WEEKS’ TIME TO SALON TO PAY UP