More time to renew FCRA registration

More time to renew FCRA registration

NGOs can do so till December 31, 2021

01/10/2021

Special Correspondent New Delhi

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended the deadline till December 31 for NGOs to apply for renewal of their Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) registration certificates.

The registration is mandatory for associations and NGOs to receive foreign funds. The Ministry had earlier given a relief up to September 30 to NGOs whose registration was expiring between September 29, 2020 and September 30, 2021. The latest order says the deadline for NGOs certificates or registration expiring between September 29, 2020 and December 31, 2021 could apply for renewal till December 31, 2021.

The certificates of around 80% of NGOs are expected to expire on October 31 and as per norms they have to apply at least six months before the expiry of registration.

Registered NGOs can receive foreign contribution for five purposes — social, educational, religious, economic and cultural.

The FCRA registration is renewed every five years. The NGOs also have to compulsorily open an account with the SBI in Delhi to receive funds.

Coimbatore: Four students arrested for ragging, nine others on run

Coimbatore: Four students arrested for ragging, nine others on run

Four students of a private nursing college in Coimbatore have been arrested and nine others booked for allegedly ragging and assaulting a junior.

Published: 01st October 2021 05:39 AM | Last Updated: 01st October 2021 05:39 AM

By Express News Service

COIMBATORE: Four students of a private nursing college in Coimbatore have been arrested and nine others booked for allegedly ragging and assaulting a junior. According to the police, the victim, a 20-year-old from Panmana in Kollam in Kerala, who has completed his first-year BSc in computer technology in the Allied Health Science department, returned to the hostel on September 20.

On Monday, when he was in his hostel room, a group of senior students, all from Kerala, staying in the hostel ragged him and assaulted him as he was unable to pronounce their names. The seniors also warned him not to go out of the hostel premises. The police further said that though the student reported the incident to the college management, no action was taken against the seniors.

He approached the Saravanampatti Police on Wednesday and lodged a complaint against 13 senior students aged between 20 and 25. A case was registered under Sections 143 (punishment for unlawful assembly) and 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of the IPC and Sections 3 (Prohibition of ragging) and 4 (Penalty for ragging) of The Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Ragging Act.

Sources said the arrested were released on bail and the Saravanampatti police have formed a team to locate the remaining nine students. When contacted, the college principal denied the allegations and said they were informed about the issue only on Thursday.

PTR stopped at Chennai airport by CISF staff for carrying two laptops

PTR stopped at Chennai airport by CISF staff for carrying two laptops

The Finance Minister who was bound for Thoothkudi, gave his bag for scanning at the domestic terminal.

Published: 01st October 2021 05:36 AM | Last Updated: 01st October 2021 05:36 AM

Palanivel Thiaga Rajan

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: An argument broke out between Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan and a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at the airport on Thursday morning after the minister was stopped for carrying two laptops.

The Finance Minister who was bound for Thoothkudi, gave his bag for scanning at the domestic terminal. The CISF personnel found the bag had two laptops and said passengers cannot carry two laptops. The minister in reply told the CISF personnel that there was no rule restricting passengers from carrying two laptops.

According to Chennai Airport spokesman, “The issue was due to a communication gap and it was resolved immediately. The officials later apologised to the Finance Minister.”

NEET-UG : Supreme Court Permits OCI Candidates To Appear For Counselling In General Category For 2021-22; Says 'They Are Indian Origin; Not Outsiders'

NEET-UG : Supreme Court Permits OCI Candidates To Appear For Counselling In General Category For 2021-22; Says 'They Are Indian Origin; Not Outsiders'

https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/neet-ug-supreme-court-permits-oci-candidates-to-appear-counselling-in-general-category-2020-21-nri-182782

VIT holds 36th annual convocation virtually

VIT holds 36th annual convocation virtually

Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) conducted its 36th annual convocation virtually on Tuesday. A total of 7,569 undergraduate, postgraduate students, and research scholars graduated this year.

Published: 29th September 2021 05:40 AM |

The 36th annual convocation of VIT

By Express News Service

VELLORE: Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) conducted its 36th annual convocation virtually on Tuesday. A total of 7,569 undergraduate, postgraduate students, and research scholars graduated this year.

Director of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras Prof Bhaskar Ramamurthi took part in the convocation as chief guest and delivered the convocation address virtually.

In his speech, Prof Bhaskar Ramamurthi said, “To use a familiar Indian description, one should aim for vidwath in at least a few subjects. But how do we know which ones to do this in, which subjects are likely to be useful in one’s career? Well, one cannot know this, and the curious thing is, it does not matter. What the effort itself does, irrespective of the subject, is teach one how to delve deep, how to know when one has understood the core underlying concepts well, and how to recognise when one is slowly but surely becoming a vidwan,” he said.

Founder and Chancellor of VIT Dr G Viswanathan said last year 844 national and international companies took part in VIT’s campus placement. He urged students to become employers rather than employees. “We have ample opportunity to manufacture and export to other countries. Our Prime Minister’s slogan Make in India can be fulfilled if there is cooperation between the Centre, State, private sectors, and capable individuals,” he said.

Chennai colleges filling up, but Maths has few takers

Chennai colleges filling up, but Maths has few takers

Chennai colleges’ undergraduate seats are fast filling up, but there seems to be an exception. Top colleges here are hoping and waiting for candidates to opt for BSc Mathematics.

Published: 29th September 2021 07:03 AM 

By Binita Jaiswal

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Chennai colleges’ undergraduate seats are fast filling up, but there seems to be an exception. Top colleges here are hoping and waiting for candidates to opt for BSc Mathematics. Five years ago, the demand for mathematics and other basic science subjects was so high that Loyola College started a second shift. But this year, almost 70 mathematics seats in Shift II are lying vacant, and about 15 physics and chemistry seats in the college are yet to be filled.

“The demand for basic science courses has been dwindling over the past few years as students are now more interested in computer-related subjects and commerce courses,” the college principal Thomas Amirtham says.

Overall, the number of applications received for basic science courses, such as physics, chemistry and mathematics, is 10-15 per cent less than last year, say the managements of colleges in the city, adding that they never expected to struggle to fill their mathematics seats.

The change is linked to the 100 per cent pass rate in the Class 12 exams, say academicians. “Since all students passed, they aspire to pursue professional courses, such as engineering and computer science,” says A Sudhakar, a retired college principal.

At Guru Nanak College, principal MG Ragunathan says there is an “unusual situation” — while all seats have been occupied, mathematics is the lone exception, with 10 out of 50 seats remaining vacant.

But at MOP Vaishnav College for Women, principal Lalita Balakrishnan is hopeful. The 15 (out of 70) vacant mathematics seats are likely to get filled once the NEET results are out and the engineering counselling is over, she says.

“The deadline for admission is October 6, so students who don’t get an engineering course of their choice or a good rank in NEET will seek admission for mathematics,” Balakrishnan explains. Some academicians, meanwhile, say the declining popularity of mathematics is worrying. “How will students learn the algorithms required for artificial intelligence and machine learning without mathematics?” wondered a professor from Anna University.

AIIMS associate prof in ‘fake’ certificate row

AIIMS associate prof in ‘fake’ certificate row

As per rules, a doctor requires three years teaching experience to become an associate professor at AIIMS.

Published: 28th September 2021 08:54 AM 

By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: AIIMS, Bhubaneswar has issued a show cause notice to Associate Professor of Burns and Plastic Surgery department Dr Sunil Kumar Rout asking him to submit evidence of his previous service at a private medical college and hospital (MCH). The notice was served following a complaint lodged with AIIMS president Prof Subrat Acharya regarding the ‘false’ experience certificate produced by Rout during the selection of faculty. It was alleged that Rout was selected on the basis of the certificate of experience of three years in Hi-Tech Medical College from 2010 to 2013 but there was no plastic surgery department in the MCH during the period.

As per rules, a doctor requires three years teaching experience to become an associate professor at AIIMS. As per the recommendation of the president, AIIMS Director Prof Gitanjali Batmanabane said, Rout has been asked to submit his experience certificate, salary slips and other related documents. “The selection of faculty is done as per the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) rules.

The person, who submits false information or forged documents, is responsible for the discrepancies and liable as per law. The next course of action will be decided after verification of the documents,” she said. Rout, who joined AIIMS in December 2017, has been given 10 days to reply to the notice. “I will submit all the documents sought by the Director and reply to the notice within the time frame,” he said.