Income cap for OBCs, EWS same, but components vary

Income cap for OBCs, EWS same, but components vary

New Delhi:27.10.2021

The ₹8-lakh income ceiling for OBC ‘creamy layer’ as well as the cap to qualify as economically weaker sections (EWS) for forward caste quotas is same on the face of it, yet different in substance by way of what sources of income are included in the calculations . But, while projecting this substantive distinction between the two caps may help the government duck the charge that “unequals are being made equals”, the BJP regime is actively working to bring them at par.

The court’s query to the Centre on how it arrived at ₹8 lakh for EWS quota has prised open a tricky debate, the primary being if gradually, a parity is being drawn between the OBC category, which has social backwardness as a parameter, and the EWS that comprises the forward communities with only poverty as criteria. TNN

HC: Open BArch counselling for JEE-pass students

HC: Open BArch counselling for JEE-pass students

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:27.10.2021

Madras high court has directed the Anna University to permit candidates who have cleared JEE (Main) also to participate in counselling for B Arch course 2021-22.

This year, candidates who have cleared the National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) only were allowed to participate in the counselling.

Passing the interim order, Justice N Anand Venkatesh has made it clear that the selection would be subject to the outcome of the pleas challenging the rule.

The court passed the order while hearing two pleas seeking direction to the university and commissioner of TN engineering admissions to permit students to participate in the admission to B.Arch course based on JEE (Main) scores.

When the pleas came up for admission, the petitioner submitted that it is seen from records that till the academic year 2020-21, candidates who qualify in the aptitude test conducted by NATA as well as candidates who qualify in the aptitude test conducted by JEE were considered eligible to participate in the admissions to B.Arch in Tamil Nadu.

However, when the prospectus was issued for the academic year 2021-22, all of a sudden the NATA examination marks alone were taken into consideration for the B.Arch course, they said.

“This goes completely against the information bulletin published by the National Testing Agency, which makes it very clear that the JEE (Main) Examination Paper II is conducted for admission to B.Arch and B.Planning courses in the entire country,” they added.

Therefore, Tamil Nadu cannot wriggle out of the obligation by not permitting the students who have undergone JEE (Main) Test to participate in the admission, they said.

Taking into account that the counselling commences from October 26, the judge directed Anna University and the Commissioner of TN Engineering Admissions to permit students who have taken both NATA as well as JEE (Main) to participate in the counselling.

Govt defends ₹8 lakh income limit for EWS quota in SC

Govt defends ₹8 lakh income limit for EWS quota in SC

AmitAnand.Choudhary@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:27.10.2021

Facing questions from the Supreme Court on the rationale for fixing income limit of ₹8 lakh for EWS (economically weaker sections) quota, which is similar to that of OBCs, the Centre said the determination cannot be a mathematical formula, and the matter be left to the government.

Stating that the income criteria was on the basis of the Maj Gen Sinho commission report which had in 2010 suggested that creamy layer benchmark for OBCs be adopted for EWS, the Centre said setting different income limits for regions on the basis of cost of living and per capita income was simply not feasible.

₹8 lakh criteria for EWS rational: Affidavit

Allaying the apprehension that ₹8 lakh limit is too high for people from general category — which does not suffer from social and educational backwardness that are grounds for OBC reservation — and would result in over-inclusiveness, the Centre said there are other checks to ensure only needy people avail of the EWS benefits in government jobs and admissions in educational institutions.

Responding to court’s query on why the same income limit be applied across the country despite a rural-urban divide and different per capita income in different states, the government indicated that a certain subjectivity might be inevitable and said, “The determination has to be made on broad probabilities and it is impossible to achieve perfection/mathematical precision”.

“It is submitted that the principle of fixation of ₹8 lakh as a criteria for determination of EWS as also for determination of creamy lawyer in the OBC category is rational and in keeping with Articles 14, 15 and 16 of the Constitution. The exercise conducted to determine the creamy layer for the purpose of OBC reservation would be equally applicable for determination of EWS category since the fundamental premise is that if a person/his family have a substantial economic standing, he/she may not require the benefits of reservation at the cost of others....In any event, the office memorandum provides further exclusionary criteria,” the affidavit said.

“To provide further check as to ensure that that only the needy get the benefit of the reservation , the office memorandum provides further exclusions which are not applicable for determination of creamy lawyer for OBCs,” the affidavit said and mentioned that a person would not be entitled to EWS quota if along with her family she owns 5 acres of agriculture land or a residential flat of 1,000 sq ft or a residential plot of 100 sq yard or 200 sq yard in notified municipalities.

Full report on www.toi.in

Covaxin: WHO wants ‘addl clarifications’

Covaxin: WHO wants ‘addl clarifications’

27.10.2021

The World Health Organisation’s technical advisory group on Tuesday sought “additional clarifications” from Bharat Biotech for its Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin to conduct a final “risk-benefit assessment” for Emergency Use Listing of the vaccine. Hyderabadbased Bharat Biotech, which has developed Covaxin, had submitted EOI to the WHO on April 19 for the vaccine’s Emergency Use Listing (EUL). The TAG may get these clarifications by the end of this week, and aims to meet on November 3 for the final risk-benefit assessment.

Planning US visit from Nov 8? Be fully jabbed against Covid

Planning US visit from Nov 8? Be fully jabbed against Covid

Must Be Inoculated With WHO-Approved Vax & Carry Report Of Covid Test Done Within 72 Hrs Of Departure

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

27.10.2021

Come November 8 and foreign travellers who are fully vaccinated with WHO-approved jabs and have a negative Covid report from a test taken within 72 hours of departure can enter the US. For travellers from India, it means the lifting of restrictions imposed on May 4 at the height of India’s second Covid wave. The existing country-bycountry restrictions will be replaced by a consistent approach worldwide under the new international air travel policy that will be effective from November 8, the US department of state said.

For the purpose of allowing entry, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has accepted vaccines that are FDA approved or authorised and those with an emergency use listing from the WHO. So, the wait for those who got Covaxin continues. “Both US citizens and foreign nationals who are fully vaccinated should travel with proof of their vaccination status to provide to their airline prior to departure to the US. That proof of vaccination should be a paper or digital record issued by an official source and should include the traveller’s name and date of birth, as well as the vaccine product and date(s) of administration for all doses the traveller received,” the state department website said. “The entry into US by air travel of non-citizens who are non-immigrants and who are not fully vaccinated against Covid-19 is suspended and limited (with some exceptions),” a presidential proclamation said.

Children under 18 are excepted from the vaccination requirement for foreign national travellers. Those between the ages of 2 and 17 are required to take a pre-departure test. If travelling with a fully vaccinated adult, an unvaccinated child can test three days prior to departure. An unvaccinated child travelling alone or with unvaccinated adults, will have to test within one day of departure, the White House said in a fact sheet. Air passengers will have to certify the validity of vaccination and testing, and confirm that their contact information is complete and accurate. Falsifying any information could result in criminal penalties and/or fines.

The new system incorporates a contact tracing order to respond to Covid variants. “The order requires that airlines collect contact information for all international inbound travellers to the US – including full name, as well as a phone number, email and address at which they can be reached while staying in the US. Airlines will have to keep this information on hand and promptly turn it over to the CDC when requested,” the state department website said. Fully vaccinated air travellers will continue to be required to show documentation of a pre-departure negative viral test from a sample taken within three days of travel to the US before boarding. This condition applies to all travellers, whether US citizens, lawful permanent residents, or foreign nationals. “To further strengthen protections, unvaccinated travellers – whether US citizens, LPRs, or the small number of excepted unvaccinated foreign nationals – will now need to show documentation of a negative viral test from a sample taken within one day of travel to the US,” it added.

The White House confirmed that children under 18 are exempt from the new vaccine requirements as are people with some medical issues. Those between the ages of 2 and 17 are required to take a pre-departure test

Chinese city of 4m under lockdown

China placed a city of four million people under lockdown on Tuesday, ordering them not to leave home except in emergencies, in a bid to eradicate a Covid cluster of just a few dozen cases. The fresh restrictions came as China reported 29 new domestic infections, including six in Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province in the country’s northwest. The latest outbreak has been linked to the highly contagious Delta variant, with the tally hitting 198 cases since October 17. Thirty-nine have been in Lanzhou. While the rest of the world opens up and tries to find ways to live with the virus, China has maintained a zero-Covid approach. In Beijing — which reported three new cases Tuesday — access to tourist sites has been limited. Mass testing is under way in 11 provinces. AFP

FDA advisers weigh Pfizer jab for kids

An expert panel will weigh authorisation of Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine for US children aged 5 to 11 on Tuesday as it prepares to vote on a recommendation for the FDA. An authorisation is an important regulatory step toward reaching about 28 million children of these ages, most of them back in school for in-person learning. The FDA need not follow the advice, but usually does. The dose for younger children would be one-third of the strength given to people 12 and older, with two shots given three weeks apart. Only a few other nations, including China, Cuba and UAE, have cleared vaccines for this age group. AP

Kanchi bus terminus turns crime hotspot

Kanchi bus terminus turns crime hotspot

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:27.10.2021

The Kancheepuram bus terminus which witnesses large numbers of passengers throughout day and night, is turning into the most unsafe zone for the passengers, especially women in the night.

In the past two days alone, three snatching incidents have been reported leaving the passengers in panic.

At 9.30pm on Monday, an unidentified man snatched cell phones of an elderly couple, Srinivasan and Banu, while two other women lost their expensive mobile phones to miscreants on Sunday. On Tuesday, a woman was relieved of ₹7,000 cash.

Passengers complain that anti-social elements lurk there as many of the shops remain closed and consume liquor besides committing crimes.

Commuters say, the main bus stand, though has lights, is not an ideal place for women and it inconveniences them to a great extent. Absence of CCTV cameras has come handy for the miscreants to to have afree run.

They said that more than half of the shops have yet to start functioning. “Since many shops are closed, antisocial elements have taken up space to consume alcohol in public,” says Prathiba, a commuter who takes bus from the terminus to Uthiramerur regularly.

"Except for two or three shops with CCTV cameras, no surveillance is provided by the police for safety. We can see men openly consuming liquor and creating ruckus. They attack people who try to question them," she said.

Even if a crime happens, police will be left clueless about the identity of the miscreants, she added.

Gandhiya Makkal Iyakkam district president Bethraj who recently submitted a petition to the police highlighting the problems haunting the bus depot said that people are scared even during day time.

"We have sought them to increase the policing to keep the miscreants at bay, as it is one of the main bus stops," said Bethraj.

SORE POINT: The terminus witnessed three snatching incidents in the past two days alone leaving the passengers in panic. Passengers complain about lack of CCTV cameras and proper policing

Have no faith in commission probing Jaya death, Apollo tells apex court

Have no faith in commission probing Jaya death, Apollo tells apex court

Says Won’t Be Able To Appear Before Panel

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:27.10.2021

Alleging bias and arbitrariness in the Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission probing the circumstances surrounding the death of former chief minister Jayalalithaa, the Chennai-based Apollo Hospitals has said it would not be able to appear before the commission for inquiry.

The Supreme Court had in April 2019 stayed the commission proceedings, after Apollo Hospitals took the case to the apex court saying the commission was not in a position to understand its submissions as it did not have a doctor or an expert familiar medical procedures and protocols.

Though many political leaders, including former chief minister O Panneerselvam, were yet to appear before the commission for inquiry, the doctors who treated Jayalalitha were made to appear before it repeatedly, said the hospital.

Selective leak of testimony given by doctors resulted in the hospital’s image being tarnished in public eye, Apollo said, adding that the commission was straying beyond its terms of reference. Noting that it was ready to take party in any court proceedings, Apollo said it had no faith in the commission.

The hospital also said that the then AIADMK government had directed the hospital to remove the CCTV on the floor where Jayalalitha was being treated, saying it was a privacy issue.

After a 75-day stay at Apollo, Jayalalithaa died on December 5, 2016. Justice Arumughaswamy commission was set up in September 2017.

FOR A FAIR PROBE: Apollo Hospitals alleges bias and arbitrariness against the Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission probing the circumstances surrounding the death of former CM Jayalalithaa

Selective leak of testimony given by doctors resulted in the hospital’s image being tarnished, Apollo said