19-year-old nursing student found hanging in M’luru hostel

19-year-old nursing student found hanging in M’luru hostel

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mangaluru:07.10.2021

A 19-year-old first-year nursing student was found hanging in the hostel of a city hospital early Tuesday. In a note left behind, Nina, from Kadumeni village in Kasaragod stated that she was unwilling to “burden” her family with her education expenses, adding that her mother was not being paid regularly due to the pandemic and she did not want to add to her difficulties.

Sources said Nina had enrolled for the 2020-21 BSc nursing course and was worried about being able to continue her studies as her mother was single-handedly running the household. She was found hanging in the hostel bathroom and was rushed to a private hospital but couldn’t be saved.

“Since there were several allegations and suspicions about her death, I visited the college, interacted with her roommates at the hostel and met her parents and brother-inlaw,” city police commissioner N Shashi Kumar said. An unnatural death report has been registered at the Mangaluru East police station. The investigating team recovered a note, in Malayalam, that was probably written a day before her death. A hospital staff member who knows the language was asked to read it out.

In the note, Nina mentioned that ₹75,000 has been paid as fees and on paying the remaining amount, she would be provided with the uniform. Due to the pandemic, her mother’s salary was affected and Nina felt it would be tough for her family to meet her expenses under these circumstances, police said. Nina’s mother Jancy works as a deposit collection agent in a bank in Taliparamba.

Full report on www.toi.in

NEET: DMK delegation meets Kerala CM Pinarayi

NEET: DMK delegation meets Kerala CM Pinarayi

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.10.2021

A DMK delegation led by Rajya Sabha MP T K S Elangovan on Wednesday met Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram and submitted chief minister M K Stalin’s letter, urging the state governments to assert their constitutional rights and position in deciding the admission to the higher educational institutions.

“The delegation also submitted Justice A K Rajan committee’s recommendations (to do away with NEET),” a statement said. Stalin had on Monday shot off a letter to 12 chief ministers on the need to put up a united effort to restore the rights of the state government in the education sector as envisaged in the Constitution.

The state government had recently passed Tamil Nadu Admission to UG Medical Degree Courses Bill, 2021, to admit students in medical education based on class XII marks.

Tenkasi MP M Kumar and Kerala DMK organiser Murugesan were part of the delegation that met the Kerala chief minister.

Satellite campus of CUTN in Trichy soon

Satellite campus of CUTN in Trichy soon

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Tiruvarur:07.10.2021

A satellite campus of the Central University Tamil Nadu (CUTN) in Tiruvarur will be set up in Trichy soon, university vice-chancellor M Krishnan said.

Thee VC said chief minister M K Stalin had promised his support to establish the campus in Trichy. “We met the CM last week to discuss the matter. He promised to provide necessary help to set up the satellite campus in Trichy. We need around 25 acres of land for the purpose. All these efforts are made to benefit more students from Tamil Nadu,” the VC said.

Regular classes, which had been suspended following the outbreak of Covid-19, will resume from October 20. “Students of UG third year and PG final year will be asked to attend class. Those coming in should be fully vaccinated and should also submit the relevant certificates,” he said.

A separate department for sports will be created soon at the University and a special fund has been requested for this, he said.

Earlier, Union minister of education and skill development and entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan hoped that the students’ dreams would encompass the idea of doing something to better the lives of people less fortunate.

In a written message to students on the occasion of the sixth annual convocation via live streaming, he expressed hope that the country is going to witness a massive transformation in the education landscape in the years to come because of the various reforms.

TALKING ABOUT FUTURE:

Vice-chancellor of CUTN, Tiruvarur, M Krishnan speaks to reporters on Wednesday

Temple tanks shut, people perform rituals on streets

Temple tanks shut, people perform rituals on streets

Covid Norms Go For A Toss On Mahalaya Amavasya

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.10.2021

Covid-19 regulations went for a toss on Wednesday as people thronged streets around temples tanks in the city to perform rituals for departed souls on the occasion of Mahalaya Amavasya. This led to largescale crowding and several people were spotted without face masks. The Hindu religious and charitable endowments (HR & CE) department had shut all temple tanks to avoid such crowding and possible spread of Covid-19.

When asked about the crowding and lack of enforcement of Covid-19 guidelines, the HR&CE department and Greater Chennai Corporation blamed each other.

At Vadapalani, the street leading to Vadapalani Andavar Temple entrance was packed. People performed rituals in groups seated on the road and were seen jostling for space as crowd swelled later in the morning. The ‘kariya mandapam’ managed by the temple ran out of space.

At Mylapore, Kapaleeswarar temple tank was out of bounds for the public and some mandapams, where the rituals were usually performed, remained inaccessible due to Covid-19 restrictions. People used the space around the tank here as well.

Similar was the case in the neighbouring Chengalpet and Tiruvallur districts. A few temples such as the Kandaswamy temple at Tiruporur on OMR and the Veeraraghava Perumal Temple at Tiruvallur remained closed to devotees and people crowded the streets around the temple tanks to perform rituals there as well.

When contacted, sources in the HR & CE department said it was the responsibility of the corporation to act if the rituals were performed on the streets, outside the temple tank.

An official source with the Greater Chennai Corporation said penalty was levied on some people near the Vadapalani temple for flouting Covid-19 norms. “But then, why was the ‘kariya mandapam’ belonging to Vadapalani Andavar temple crowded?” was the official’s reply to HR&CE reaction.

DEADLY MOVE: State’s precautions of shutting temples for Mahalaya Amavasya went to waste as people stood jostling for space on the street leading to Vadapalani Andavar Temple on Wednesday. They performed rituals for departed souls without masks and social distancing

Many AIADMK lawyers continue to represent govt

Many AIADMK lawyers continue to represent govt

Sureshkumar.K@timesgroup.com

Chennai:07.10.2021

Nearly 300 government lawyer posts in the Madras high court, its Madurai bench, district courts, boards, corporations and universities are either vacant or still being represented by lawyers appointed during the previous AIADMK regime.

Senior lawyers spearheading legal wing of the DMK, however, blame it on a stringent government order issued during the AIADMK regime, and the prevailing pandemic conditions.

Though the 2019 GO has been amended in July 2021 relaxing the stringent conditions, Covid-induced lockdown has delayed the appointment process, they said.

“We received over 2,800 applications for 240 posts. Scrutinising all the applications which run to several pages is not an easy task. We were very particular about selecting only qualified persons,” Tamil Nadu advocate-general R Shunmugasundaram said.

This apart, the short-listed candidate must clear police and Bar council verification. This has also delayed the process, he added. “Recommendations have been made. The appointments might be notified in a week or two,” he said.

As to the allegations that lawyers appointed during the previous AIADMK government are still representing the present government in many courts, Shunmugasundaram said, “Many of these lawyers are refusing to hand over the case bundles even after repeated requests. These issues will be sorted out soon.”

Explaining the causes for the delay in the selection process, DMK Rajya Sabha MP and designated senior advocate N R Elango said: “DMK came to power in May. Courts reopened in June, that too only virtually. Necessary amendments were made to the rules in July. Only in August were we able to start the selection process.”

Noting that there were many impediments in the 2019 rules, Elango said, “An applicant should mandatorily provide income tax returns to show income of minimum ₹1 lakh. Many could not comply with this condition as the profession was severely affected due to Covid-19.”

This apart, the rules required a minimum 3-year practise in the high court. All these impediments were removed by amending the rules, he said.

No unreserved passengers on trains while pandemic lasts

No unreserved passengers on trains while pandemic lasts

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.10.2021

It may take longer for unreserved passengers to be allowed on express trains as railways will decide on it after Covid-19 situation improves.

Southern Railway general manager John Thomas told reporters that almost all of the express trains have resumed services and a few of the passenger trains as unreserved specials but unreserved passengers are not being allowed into express trains as the railway board wants the Covid situation to improve.

This will impact suburban commuters because several of them used to travel into the city for work using unreserved tickets from stations where suburban or main line EMU trains are not frequent.

He also said that the cost of the platform tickets too could be reduced only "if there is no third wave." He said that "we are not fully out of Covid. The cases have reduced but not down to zero. The idea of making the platform tickets expensive was to ensure that only essential people will enter the station."

Meanwhile, railways are going ahead with augmenting infrastructure. Two lines - the third line between Tambaram and Chengalpet and doubling of Madurai-Bodinayakanur line - are getting ready.

"We will have the commissioner of railway safety to inspect the lines in almost a month. In the Madurai-Bodinayakanur line we have been told to attend to a power line that is crossing."

The lines could be commissioned after the inspection. The Tambaram-Chengalpet third line will help railways to operate more suburban trains linking Chengalpet to the city.

Commenting on the productivity linked bonus that was announced by Indian Railways for non-gazetted staff on Wednesday, Thomas said that 72,241 employees of Southern Railway will get the benefit. That will be to the tune of Rs 130crore, he added.

He also said that the zone was able to achieve 95% punctuality and there was a 25% increase in earning from freight.

Suburban commuters will be affected because several of them travel into the city for work using unreserved tickets in express trains

People Vaccinated With COVAXIN Treated As Un-vaccinated In Foreign Countries' : Plea In Supreme Court Seeks Re-Vaccination

People Vaccinated With COVAXIN Treated As Un-vaccinated In Foreign Countries' : Plea In Supreme Court Seeks Re-Vaccination

Shruti Kakkar

5 Oct 2021 7:08 PM

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A Public Interest Litigation has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the absence of the provisions of voluntary re-vaccination for persons who have been administered CoVAXIN in the present system of COVID-19 vaccination.

Preferred by Kartik Seth, an advocate practising in the Supreme Court of India, the PIL states that under the present scenario, a person is not allowed/permitted to get vaccinated with Covishield by registering on the official website of Government of India, "COWIN" after having been fully vaccinated with COVAXIN.

It is pointed out in the petition that all the individuals fully vaccinated with COVAXIN are being treated by all major countries as un-vaccinated individuals and are made to either quarantine or are not completely allowed within their borders. This is due to the lack of WHO approval for the home-grown vaccine.

"There has been a major latent lacuna in the entire vaccination system across the country which involves lack of awareness attributable to the respondents mainly. The respondents, at the time of rolling out of COVAXIN for use in the market, failed to make the public aware that it was not approved by the WHO and that it had not even submitted an application before WHO for approval which was submitted as late as in April, 2021. It was only in May, 2021 (five months after the commencement of vaccination drive) that it rolled out into the news that several nations are not allowing entry of people vaccinated with vaccines other than those enlisted in WHO's emergency use list. Another blemish in the vaccination drive was that until 1st May, 2021 (i.e., up to the first and second phase of vaccination drive), no choice of vaccination was made available to the public in India and it was the discretion and prerogative of the Government to administer whatever vaccine was available to the persons eligible for it. It was only from 1st May, 2021 (i.e. commencement of third phase of vaccination in India) that the public was allowed to choose the vaccine as per their own wish," petition states.

It has been argued that the manufacturers of COVAXIN, Bharat Biotech and the Government of India have failed to procure/obtain the WHO's Emergency Use Listing (EUL) despite starting with the administration of COVAXIN on exactly the same date as Covishield, i.e. 16th January, 2021 when the vaccination process commenced in India.

To highlight the shift of people from Covishield to CoVAXIN, Seth in his petition has contended that the shift was because of the endorsement by the Prime Minister and his support for the homegrown vaccine.

"It was right after Hon'ble Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi's COVAXIN vaccination that a major part of the population flocked to COVAXIN instead of Covishield as a matter of trust and ardent following of the Hon'ble Prime Minister, who as per rough data, is one of the most followed world leaders on Twitter. As a result of this apparent shift and support, more than 7 crore COVAXIN doses have been administered up to August, 2021 within India," petition further states.

Advocate Kartik Seth has also contended that another vaccine, Pfizer was granted emergency use authorisation by WHO on December 31, 2020, and the manufacturers of Pfizer were inclined to enter into the Indian market, however, entry of the same met with various hurdles created by the Government of India and eventually it was not allowed by the Government of India for reasons best known to themselves despite the fact that Pfizer had WHO approval and was proven as highly effective vaccine.

In light of the above, the petitioner has sought for issuance of directions to the concerned departments of the Union to issue and release official data, record, timeline and reasons of delay in the approval of COVAXIN vaccine developed and manufactured by Bharat Biotech International Limited and to state the reason for giving approval to COVAXIN vaccine for administration to persons in India pending the results of third phase trials of the same.

Relief for issuance of directions to Bharat Biotech International Limited and ICMR for publishing actual data and records submitted to the WHO for obtaining WHO's approval in favour of CoVAXIN and issuance of statement giving detailed reasons for delaying the approval of CoVAXIN Vaccine has also been sought in the PIL.

Advocate Seth in his petition has also sought for issuance of directions to the Centre for not restraining those who wish to get Covishield administered to them at their own costs voluntarily after having already received two doses of CoVAXIN.

The PIL that has been filed through Chambers of Kartik Seth and drawn by Advocate Shriya Gilhotra has also sought for issuance of directions to the Centre and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to issue a revised Standard of Procedure and guidelines allowing re-vaccination of fully vaccinated persons with another vaccine on voluntary payment of the person at his own risks and costs.

Case Title: Kartik Seth v Union of India