21cm of overnight rain floods Chennai localities

21cm of overnight rain floods Chennai localities

Very Heavy Rain Forecast For Next 2 Days

TNN & AGENCIES

Chennai: 08.11.2021

Evoking memories of the rain and deluge six years ago, the city recorded as much as 21.53cm of rainfall, the highest since the 2015 downpour, overnight on Saturday. The massive downpour inundated several areas and halted train services for some time. Motorists and pedestrians faced a tough time as several interior roads were submerged.

Velachery, T Nagar, Korattur, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar and Kodungayur were the worst affected due to inundation. Six subways were shut due to waterlogging.

Chief minister M K Stalin announced a holiday for government offices in Chennai on Monday and asked private organisation to permit staff to work from home. He also urged PM Narendra Modi to grant funds for flood relief.

Chennai is likely to experience heavy to very heavy rain in the next two days due to an upper air circulation and a low pressure area, the regional meteorological department said in its forecast.

Surplus water from three reservoirs, (Poondi, Chembarambakkam, and Puzhal that serve the drinking water needs of the city) was meanwhile released in a phased manner. Rainwater entered several houses in parts of neighbourhoods in the city and suburbs, including Saidapet, Velachery, Ambattur, Korattur and Vyasarpadi, bringing back memories of the deluge of 2015 in the city. People were evacuated in inflatable boats by disaster response teams from some of the locations.

Most city and peripheral roads came under sheets of water and several trees were uprooted, leading to traffic diversions and disruption in transport services. People waded through ankle deep water to reach nearby shops to buy essential commodities.

Since the Southern Railway shifted departure of certain long-distance trains from Central Station to Thiruvallur, Avadi, Beach, Thiruvottiyur and Perambur, passengers had no other option but to pay what the cab or auto drivers demanded. As trains were operated only at 10 kilometres per hour, departures were delayed by at least three to four hours at Central. At the Chennai Airport, all flights were operated as scheduled. But some passengers missed their flights as they were unable to reach the airport on time.

According to revenue and disaster management minister KKSSR Ramachandran, affected persons have been housed in the relief camps and a total of 50,451 food packets have been distributed to people affected by water-logging. He said giant pumps are being used to pump out water from subways and waterlogged areas.

Jeans ban order withdrawn after opposition from staff

Jeans ban order withdrawn after opposition from staff

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mysuru:08.11.2021

The Mysuru deputy director of pre-university education (DDPU) issued a circular asking teaching and non-teaching PU employees to not wear jeans and T-shirts while on duty, and withdrew it within hours on Saturday following backlash from the staff.

DK Srinivasa Murthy had directed PU principals in the district to implement the order and submit an action taken report by November 10. The circular said the deputy commissioner will make a surprise visit to colleges in the coming days. According to Murthy’s circular, the instruction applies to government, aided, private PU colleges and DDPU office staff. It stated that the DC has orally instructed him to restrict staff members from wearing jeans and T-shirts and the DC will visit colleges to check the same.

The district administration said the DC didn’t issue directions. “I came to know about it only after the DDPU issued and withdrew the circular,” DC Bagadi Gautham told TOI. Murthy was not available for comments.

“Within minutes after the circular was issued, teachers and non-teaching members opposed it. Last week, a DDPU employee visited the district administration office without buttoning up his shirt. This upset the officials. They asked the DDPU to ensure discipline among his staff. This may have led to the controversial order," said a PU college lecturer.

“There is no clarity why the DDPU issued the circular. The district administration has slammed him for involving the DC’s office in the controversy,” the lecturer said.

Inclusive question paper led to perfect scores at NEET-UG

Inclusive question paper led to perfect scores at NEET-UG

c-Jagriti.Kumari@timesgroup.com

08.11.2021

This year, three students have scored full marks in National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET-UG). In 2020, only two students had scored full marks in the test. Also, number of students scoring 700 plus marks has increased this year to 18 as compared to 17 last year.

“Increase in full marks in NEET can be attributed to inclusivity of questions from across the boards,” says Dr B Srinivas, ADG (ME), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. On the standard of question paper, he says that it has not been diluted rather become more inclusive. “Syllabi of state education boards were also taken into consideration while preparing questions for this year’s NEET,” says Dr Srinivas. He highlights that hard work, easy availability of study material, increased awareness about the pattern can collectively be attributed for the better result.

Check analytical thinking

Dr Rajesh Nachiappa Ganesh, professor, Department of Pathology, JIPMER, Puducherry, says, “Students who practice a similar pattern through mock tests have higher chances of qualifying the exam. Instead of memory-based questions, NEET aspirants should be tested for their analytical thinking skills.”

Karnataka’s ‘Super 30 Engineering colleges’ to check student migration

Karnataka’s ‘Super 30 Engineering colleges’ to check student migration

Rajlakshmi.Ghosh@timesgroup.com

08.11.2021  TOI Education times

Karnataka will develop Super 30 Engineering colleges to upgrade the quality of Engineering education. The development will essentially focus on faculty training, industry collaborations, setting up of laboratories, internships and placements. A special committee will develop these colleges in the state by taking up one institution in each district. The committee will be headed by Karisiddappa, vice-chancellor, Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Belagavi, Karnataka. This decision was taken during a meeting chaired by CN Ashwath Narayan, minister, higher education.

Addressing the gaps

Talking to Education Times, the minister said, “The aim is to prevent students from migrating to Bengaluru for their higher education. The name ‘Super 30’ comes from the 30 districts in Karnataka, each of which will have a model institution, where a collaboration with the industry and the government’s IT and higher education departments will ensure proper implementation of the scheme. While addressing the lacunae in the model colleges, efforts will be made to provide case study-based learning, industry internships and placements. Incubation will be encouraged to help students develop startups and become job creators.”

Selection norms

The committee is busy working out the modalities of implementation of the initiative, it is yet to release names of the Super 30 colleges. One government college in each district will be selected, says Karisiddappa. He adds that in districts with no government colleges, private institutions will be developed as a model college, for which the college management will have to agree to the terms and conditions as prescribed by the government’s committee.

Development of infrastructure

“Support to these colleges will be granted in the form of upgradation of lab and computing facilities, creation of digital infrastructure as well as research funding. The colleges will also be motivated to set up centres of excellence in various research technologies,” adds Karisidappa.

Industry orientation

He explains that plans are also on to train faculty of selected colleges to impart industry-oriented curriculum. Teachers would also have access to industry internships to keep themselves updated with the latest industry trends. “Our objective is to develop teachers as key facilitators for which they would also be provided training in blended mode of teaching. Teachers must use recent educational tools and technologies to create competent students, ready to join the modern workforce. While the committee is engaged in the groundwork of the initiative, the industry will mentor the institutes as part of its CSR activities,” further adds Karisidappa.

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Fares of cabs, autos hit the roof

Fares of cabs, autos hit the roof

Ram Sundaram & V Ayyappan | TNN

08.11.2021

Fares of cabs and autorickshaws shot through the roof after heavy rain crippled the transport network of the city on Sunday. While suburban trains were not operated throughout the day, only 10% of government buses remained on the roads in the city.

Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), Chennai, usually operates 3,100 buses daily, but on Sunday, only 400 buses were operational.

Even those on the roads were unable to complete their trips due to traffic diversions and closure of subways. As a result, demand for auto and cabs shot up. The fare for longer trips was at least 200% higher than the usual rates. For instance, cabs demanded Rs.500 for travelling to Tambaram from Madipakkam. Usually, it costs less than Rs.300 even during peak hours, said R Raghu, a Madipakkam resident.

Since the Southern Railway shifted the departure of certain long-distance trains from Central station to Thiruvallur, Avadi, Beach, Thiruvottiyur and Perambur, many passengers had no other option but to pay a bomb to autorickshaws and cabs.

Departures of trains were delayed by at least three to four hours at Central. “Several commuters suffered because there was no reliable helpline to give info on status of suburban trains,” said T Sadagopan, a resident-activist from Avadi. The State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) and six other statetransport corporations managed to operate more than 16,000 buses to Chennai from other parts of the state.

Chief Minister MK Stalin requested people not to rush back to Chennai due to a prediction of more rain for the next two days.

At the airport, all flights were operated as scheduled, but many passengers missed flights as they were unable to reach the airport.

No schools, colleges today

No schools, colleges today

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 08.11.2021

Schools and colleges in Chennai, Tiruvallur Kancheepuram and Chengalpet districts will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday due to heavy rain, chief minister M K Stalin said on Sunday.

All government departments apart from essential services such as Aavin, Tangedco, local bodies, revenue, and public transport will be on leave for a day on Monday.

The CM has requested all private offices to offer work from home for a few days starting Monday.

After inspecting rain-affected areas such as Purasawalkam, Padi and Kolathur in Chennai, Stalin said men and machinery were kept ready for all emergency situations. He appealed to people to put their travel plans on hold for three days as more rainfall was forecast in the coming days.

“The government is taking all measures to provide compensation to those affected by rain. About 50,000 food packets have been distributed since morning in about 44 rehabilitation centres in the city. In 500 locations, pumps have been kept ready. Four NDRF teams have been sent to Madurai and Cuddalore,” he said.

ON DUTY: Chief minister M K Stalin takes stock of the situation

PM assures CM of relief aid

Stalin urged Narendra Modi to allocate funds to Tamil Nadu from the NDRF and the Prime Minister has assured him aid for relief. The PM had called the CM to enquire about the rain damage. While explaining the relief works undertaken to Modi, Stalin said the state had spent its relief funds on Covid care. The PM assured him that enough funds will be allocated.

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