Govt clears Akasa airline, to take flight by summer

Govt clears Akasa airline, to take flight by summer

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:12.10.2021

The government has given the go ahead to the billionaire investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed startup airline Akasa. The aviation ministry has issued it the no objection certificate (NOC), following which it will now apply for air operator permit from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and hopes to start flying next summer.

The proposed ultra lowcost carrier (LCC) SNV Aviation, which will fly under the brand name Akasa Air, is piloted by aviation veteran Vinay Dube, who is its CEO. Jhunjhunwala had recently met PM Narendra Modi in Delhi.

The airline is likely to place an order for about 100 Boeing 737 Max, with Airbus best selling A320 neo family of planes having a long waiting period for those placing orders now.

The DGCA has recently allowed modified B737 Max to fly in India. In a statement, the upcoming airline said it “plans to offer flights across India starting in the summer of 2022 with an endeavour to be the nation’s most dependable, affordable and greenest airline”.

Dube said, “We are extremely happy and grateful to the aviation ministry for their support and for the grant of the NOC. We will continue to work with the regulatory authorities on all additional compliances required to successfully launch Akasa Air… we believe having a robust air transportation system is critical for our nation’s progress.” “It is this belief that has motivated us to create a modern, efficient, quality conscious airline. Moreover, Akasa Air will serve all Indians regardless of their socioeconomic or cultural backgrounds with warmth, inclusiveness and respect. Because at the end of the day, it is these qualities that connect people and cultures and help Indians realise their dreams,” Dube, who has held top positions in Indian carriers like Jet Airways and Go-Air, added.

Next year will be one of the most exciting times Indian aviation has seen in recent times with Air India and Air India Express will then be flying as Tata Group airlines; Akasa would have taken birth and possibly Jet Airways 2.0 may have reincarnated.

HC notices to NMC, Kaloji on MBBS first year exam pattern

HC notices to NMC, Kaloji on MBBS first year exam pattern

SagarKumar.Mutha@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad:12.10.2021

Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili of the high court has issued notices to the Union health ministry, the National Medical Commission, the Kaloji Health University and the state health department asking them to explain their stand on a petition filed by Kaitha Geethika and 30 other fellow MBBS students who challenged the examination pattern set by Kaloji University for first year and instant examinations.

Contending that they were conducted contrary to the manner that was prescribed in the Regulations on Graduate Medical Education (Amendment) Act, 2019, these students were seeking directions to the authorities to conduct a fresh supplementary examination for them this time in tune with the prescribed format.

According to their counsel Unnam Muralidhar Rao, the question paper set by the university was a complete mismatch to the guidelines framed by the National Medical Commission (NMC). Scores of students failed in the main examination and also in the instant examination because the format was entirely different from the mode of training they received, the counsel added.

He explained to the court that the Medical Council of India (the predecessor of NMC) had introduced competency-based undergraduate curriculum (CBA) and brought in the 2019 statutory regulations for the new assessment method. The recent annual and the instant examination pertaining to MBBS first year were done contrary to this assessment mode and hence a huge number of students failed in their first-year examinations and were detained.

When students all over the country were failing in huge numbers, the central and state authorities must take corrective steps, he said. He also sought a direction to the university and medical colleges to allow the failed students to attend second year classes. The judge sought counters from authorities and medical colleges in which the petitioners were pursuing MBBS. The judge also asked G Pujitha, counsel for NMC, to ascertain their views and posted the case to October 21.

Medical institutes not apt authority to certify fitness standards for recruiting forces: HC

Medical institutes not apt authority to certify fitness standards for recruiting forces: HC

Ajay.Sura@timesgroup.com

Chandigarh:12.10.2021

The Punjab and Haryana high court has held that medical institutes like Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak, are not the appropriate authority to certify standards required to be observed for medical examination for the armed forces.HC was of the view that the medical examination by such institutes cannot be taken into consideration for recruitment into the forces.

Justice Rajbir Sehrawat passed these orders while dismissing a plea filed by a Navy aspirant. The petitioner, Kuldeep Singh, had challenged the order dated May 4, passed by the Navy authorities though he was declared medically unfit for enrolment in the force. The petitioner had mainly argued that he was also examined by PGIMS, Rohtak, and that the institution has not found the problem as being reported by the Navy medical authorities.

“The medical examination by PGIMS, Rohtak, is of no relevance qua the requirements of the recruiting force. Hence, the same cannot be taken into consideration,” the judge held while dismissing the plea.

The petitioner had approached the HC seeking directions for re-examination by some independent medical board. His main emphasis was that since he got himself examined from PGIMS, Rohtak, and Medical Centre, Agroha, in which no such disease as pointed out by Navy authorities was reported. He had sought directions to give him some time to file an appeal against his rejection by the Navy authorities or to reexamine him by some independent medical board.

Responding to the petition, the Navy authorities informed the HC that the petitioner was examined by the graded specialist (ENT) and classified specialist (dermatology). On such examination, he was found to be fit qua his problem of ‘left tympanic membrane perforation (healed)’. However, the Appeal Medical Board found the petitioner on account of another problem — ‘keloid tendency (forearms)/hypertrophic scars’ and ‘hypopigmentation over hands/verruca valgaris’. The said problem has been graded as a reason for unfitness according to the standards of medical examination.

After hearing all the parties, the HC held that the petitioner could not be enrolled in the force, and hence, has been rightly declared to be medically unfit.

Dismissing a plea filed by a Navy aspirant, the Punjab and Haryana high court observed that the medical examination by such institutes cannot be taken into consideration for recruitment into the armed forces. “The medical examination by PGIMS, Rohtak, is of no relevance qua the requirements of the recruiting force,” the judge held

HC to examine if Hry employees selected in 2003 entitled to old pension scheme

HC to examine if Hry employees selected in 2003 entitled to old pension scheme

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chandigarh:12.10.2021

The Punjab and Haryana high court would now examine whether an employee is entitled to seniority and pensionary benefits from the date of joining or from the date when other such employees, who were selected through the same selection process, had joined service.

Justice Arun Monga issued a notice to the Haryana government and has sought its response on the issue. He had taken cognizance of a petition filed by some drivers of the Haryana Roadways department, who had sought seniority and benefits of the old pension scheme on the ground that they were selected prior to the closure of the old pension scheme. However, they were allowed to join their duties after a gap of five years. The petitioners, Jagtar Singh and others, have been working in Sonipat, Palwal, and Faridabad depots of the state’s roadways department.

According to the petitioners, the Haryana government had decided to recruit 500 drivers in 2003. Tentative vacancies for the post of drivers in Faridabad depot were shown to be 40. Out of these, 20 posts were of the general category.

The selection list was published on July 30, 2003. In this list, the petitioners were selected for the post of driver. Some of the candidates were permitted to join on the posts on December 12, 2003, from the general category and some were permitted to join in December 2004. However, the petitioners, who were also selected as a part of the same process, were permitted to join the department in 2008 only after the intervention of the HC.

The petitioners had approached the transport department with a request that they had been selected after an advertisement issued in April 2003 along with the similarly situated persons, who were permitted to join the service immediately on their selection. Those who joined prior to the petitioners have been given benefits from 2003 but the petitioners were given the benefits from 2008.

The counsel for the petitioners, advocate Rajender Singh Malik argued that the petitioners were entitled to seniority from the same advertisement when they were selected but the seniority in the service to the petitioners has been awarded from the date of joining instead of the date of selection along with other similarsituated persons, who were selected under the same advertisement and under the same process.

“Seniority has to be assigned on the basis of the ranking given by the selection board and not on the basis of joining reports. Seniority fixed on the basis of joining reports is illegal,” Malik argued, citing some Supreme Court judgments.

The counsel sought the directions for quashing the order dated August 23 through which their claim regarding grant of ante-date seniority along with consequential benefits-- pensionary benefits under the old scheme.

Directions have also been sought for benefits under the old pension scheme by giving the petitioners deemed appointment from the date of joining of similarly situated persons by giving the notional benefits from the period December 12, 2003 to June 17, 2008, along with consequential benefits.

After hearing the plea, the HC has issued notice to the principal secretary, department of transport, Haryana and the director of the state’s transport department seeking their replies on the issue by February 3.

Court takes cognisance of a plea by some drivers of the Haryana Roadways dept, who were allowed to join after a gap of 5 years and had sought seniority and benefits of the old pension scheme on the ground that they were selected prior to the closure of the old pension scheme

Govt: MedEd AIQ doesn’t violate anyone’s rights

Govt: MedEd AIQ doesn’t violate anyone’s rights

AmitAnand.Choudhary@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:12.10.2021

Justifying its decision to implement 27% reservation for OBCs and 10% for Economically Weaker Sections in the All-India Quota (AIQ) for admission in medical and dental colleges, the Centre has told the Supreme Court that grievances of the general category students who challenged the decision is “unfounded and misconceived” as it does not violate their fundamental rights.

The scheme was introduced in 1986 at the Supreme Court’s instance to provide domicile-free merit-based opportunities to students from any state to get admission in a good medical college in another state. AIQ at present consists of 15% of total available undergraduate seats and 50% of total available PG seats in government medical colleges. There was no reservation in AIQ up to 2007 when the SC permitted 15% reservation for Scheduled Castes and 7.5% for Scheduled Tribes. Similarly, OBC and EWS quotas have also been extended to AIQ.

Govt decision has hurt general category students: Petitioners

A batch of MBBS doctors, who are aspiring to pursue higher education in medicine, approached the apex court through advocate Vivek Singh, seeking interim stay on the Centre's notification issued on July 29 for enforcing OBC and EWS quota in AIQ. They contended that the Centre's decision was contrary to the law laid down by the apex court and leaves only a miniscule number of seats for the general category students.

Countering the petitioners, the Centre in its reply said the decision was taken to bring equality of opportunities and without cost to the candidates from the unreserved category as the number of available seats has gone up. It said that in the last six years, MBBS seats in the country increased by 56 % from 54,348 seats in 2014 to 84,649 in 2020 and the number of PG seats increased by 80 % from 30,191 in 2014 to 54,275 seats in 2020. In the same period, 279 new colleges have been established and now the country has 558 medical colleges, the affidavit said.

"It is submitted that reservation, both to the backward category as well as EWS category, is on the broader considerations of equality of opportunities and the equality mandate viewed in the perspective of social justice. The government of India has therefore decided to provide for 27% reservation for OBC and 10% reservation for EWS in the AIQ scheme. The OBC students from across the country will now be able to take benefit of this reservation in the AIQ scheme to compete in any state. TNN

SC reduces sentence of person convicted of raping minor

SC reduces sentence of person convicted of raping minor

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:12.10.2021

In relief to a person convicted for raping a minor, the Supreme Court has reduced his sentence to eight-years imprisonment which he had already undergone. He was convicted for gang rape by trial court and was awarded a 20-year jail term.

A bench of Justices M R Shah and A R Bopanna upheld his conviction under Section 376 and not under Section 376D(gang rape) as done by trial court and Allahabad high court. The court also acquitted other accused in the case. The court said that the charge of gang rape has not been established with convincing evidence. “However, having already noted that the incident of rape alleged had been established, it would be a case to convict the appellant under Section 376 of IPC,” the Supreme Court bench said.

Denied hall ticket, SSLC girl tops supplementary

Denied hall ticket, SSLC girl tops supplementary

SruthySusan.Ullas@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:12.10.2021

Greeshma Nayak, the girl who was denied a hall ticket for SSLC exam over non-payment of fees, has topped the supplementary exam scoring 599 on 625.

Results of the SSLC supplementary exam held on September 27 and 29 were announced on Monday. Some 55.5% of the 53,115 candidates have cleared the exam.

The topper wants to be a doctor and is exploring PU colleges for admission. “I was prepared 100% for the main exam which I could not attend. With the supplementary, I got some more time to prepare. However, I made silly mistakes because of tension in the exam hall. Else, I could have scored better. I was so disappointed after the exams,” she said.

In mid-July this year, Greeshma was denied a hall ticket by her residential school in Daskhina Kannada district over fees. Her father, a farmer in Hanumanthapura village from Koratagere taluk in Tumakuru district, suffered losses during the pandemic and could not pay her Class 9 fees. Therefore, she was not allowed to join Class 10.

Have mixed emotions: Girl

Following media reports about the girl's plight, then education minister S Suresh Kumar visited her house. He promised her an opportunity in the supplementary exam. Along with Greeshma’s case, instances of several students who were denied hall tickets due to nonpayment of fees were raised.

On Monday, Greeshma said she has mixed emotions. “I was unhappy earlier because my batchmates were moving ahead while I was left behind as I couldn’t write the main exams. Now, I’m both happy and sad: Happy because I did very well; sad because all this happened. There are many students like me who have talent but no opportunity,” she said. “Education is everyone’s right,” she said.

Since she was denied admission to Class 10, Greeshma was taught by her 19-yearold sister, a BSc (agriculture) student. “For one full year, my sister taught me core subjects in front of a board in simulation of classroom experience and asked me to learn languages on my own. I started learning them three months before the exam,” she said. After the results were out, the girl called Kumar to thank him.

‘Midday meals from Oct 21’

BC Nagesh, minister for primary and secondary education, said midday meals will be resumed in schools from October 21 when they reopen after Dasara holidays. “Parents’ associations have had discussions with education officials on forming a fee regulatory committee in schools. We will look at how the model works in other states,” he said.