Depression leaves city bruised; low-pressure likely tomorrow

Depression leaves city bruised; low-pressure likely tomorrow

14 Dead Across TN; Several Core City Areas Flooded

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:12.11.2021

The unrelenting showers that battered the city and northern regions of Tamil Nadu all through the night on Thursday slowed down later in the day as the depression over the Bay of Bengal crossed the coast near Chennai by evening.

The heavy rain and release of surplus water from dams, about 13,000 cusecs, has transformed several areas in the city into a water body with streets swirling with deluge and trash.

While at least 14 people were killed in rain-related incidents in the state so far, more than 1,000 tenements, mostly huts, suffered damage across Tamil Nadu.

IMD has forecast a new lowpressure over the south Andaman Sea on November 13 (Saturday). It will move northwest and become more marked around Monday. “The depression crossed the north Tamil Nadu coast close to Chennai between 5.30pm and 6.30pm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 45-55kmph gusting to 65kmph. It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and weaken gradually into a well-marked low pressure area on Friday morning,” said S Balachandran, DDG, IMD and added that the red alert for Chennai and neighbouring districts has been withdrawn.

The overnight rain left streets flooded in T Nagar, K K Nagar, Alwarpet, Velachery, and OMR, disrupted power supply, and uprooted 267 trees. On Thursday, 523 locations were water logged but only 68 could be cleared. Two roads, R K Mutt road in Mandaveli and Thirumalaipillai road in T Nagar, have caved in. The authorities used 55 boats to rescue the stranded and 570 motor pumps were used to pump out water. Eight subways still remain flooded.

Tambaram registered 23cm, Ennore 21cm, Nungambakkam 16cm and Meenambakkam 14cm. This was the second big spell after last weekend when Nungambakkam registered a record 22cm and Meenambakkam 11cm.

Many aspirants to architecture oppose new eligibility criteria

Many aspirants to architecture oppose new eligibility criteria

Mumbai:11.11.2021

Even as the Council of Architecture made scores in the National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) mandatory for admissions to non-CFTIs (centrally-funded technological institutions) a few months ago, many students are opposed to it. Earlier, students with JEE (Main) scores were also eligible.

A city college principal, said the National Testing Agency gives percentile scores in JEE (Main), which is relative, and students only have to get a nonzero score to qualify. Whereas in NATA, the general category cutoff is 70 (out of 200) to qualify. It is unfair to larger number of students seeking admissions in architecture colleges through NATA, they said.

While many are opposed to it, principals claimed colleges had to maintain quality of education and the council was authorised to regulate policies on architecture education. TNN

'This Is Not A Circus Or Cinema': Kerala High Court After Man Appears Shirtless On Virtual Proceedings

'This Is Not A Circus Or Cinema': Kerala High Court After Man Appears Shirtless On Virtual Proceedings: After noticing a shirtless man attending the virtual proceedings, the Kerala High Court emphasise

Two blind students graduate with distinction

Two blind students graduate with distinction

Nida.Sayed@timesgroup.com

Panaji:11.11.2021

Sumera Khan, 23, from Margao was born with blindness, but ask her to travel to Santa Cruz for her sessions at the National Association of the Blind (NAB) and she can do so seamlessly using public transport, with only her white cane as support.

The expertise in braille and determination to excel in academics motivated her to score 87% in distinction in graduation, the results of which were announced last week. Dethroning the long lineage of sighted students that came before her, Khan is the topper in her batch, this year.

“It was challenging when we shifted to online classes due to the pandemic. However, once I was able to adjust to the medium, there was no looking back and I was able to complete my studies,” Khan said.

She is now aiming for IAS preparation so that she can uplift people from the underprivileged and rural areas.

“I want to ensure that others get the same opportunities that I did,” she said.

Saish Salkar, 23, a visually impaired student from Old Goa, also graduated with 80% in his graduation course. He is now pursuing a masters degree in English literature at Goa University.

“Shifting to virtual examinations was the toughest challenge since verbally saying our answers on Google Meet was something we had never been exposed to. However, I was determined to excel since I want to further prepare for UPSC,” he said.

The duo’s achievement has made their teachers at NAB extremely proud. Theirs is not just yet another success story to come from the institute, but also an achievement wherein the students have performed against their sighted counterparts in a regular college, instead of a special one.

“They cannot come out of schools as leaders if they do not learn to be a part of regular society early on. We, therefore, follow an integrated regulated programme as part of which students can go to regular schools instead of special schools. Here, the students compete with the sighted students and emerge as successful while overcoming all challenges,” said NAB president Rozendo Mendonsa.

Sumera Khan (left) and Saish Salkar now aim to clear the UPSC exam and become IAS officers

Varsity to offer online course on poll processes

Varsity to offer online course on poll processes

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Panaji:11.11.2021

As the state heads towards the 2022 assembly polls, Goa University students and the general public will be able to learn about the country’s democratic systems and poll processes via a short-term online course introduced at GU’s department of political science by the office of the chief electoral officer, in a collaborative effort.

The course ‘Democracy and Electoral Management in India’ aims to introduces participants to the concepts of democracy and the functioning of the largest electoral machinery in the world. The course will also include hands-on training on an actual EVM.

The total course duration will be 12 hours, spread over four weeks from November 22 to December 22, GU said.

The course has been vetted by the India International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Management, New Delhi, and approved by the GU Academic Council. It is also open to government officials and those who will be working as presiding/polling officers at the upcoming state elections.

“Certificates of participation to be provided to all completing basic class requirements. All lectures will be available on YouTube, with an opportunity for live interaction with resource persons,” GU said.

Those interested have to register before November 17 and must have a minimum of Class XII qualification.

DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM

Med student found hanging in Midnapore college hostel

Med student found hanging in Midnapore college hostel

Sujoy Khanra

Midnapore: 11.11.2021

A 28-year-old postgraduate student of Midnapore Medical College was found hanging in the hostel on Tuesday night.

Mini Ghosh, a resident of Kandi in Murshidabad, was in her second year of MD (Paediatrics). She had cleared her MBBS from Calcutta National Medical College.

Dr Tarapada Ghosh, head of paediatrics, said Mini was a bright student and was preparing for a seminar.

Police have not found a suicide note and are probing the case. The body was sent for autopsy on Wednesday.

Father Binay Ghosh, who arrived here to receive the body, said Mini called them twice every day — at noon and before bed at night. When she skipped routine on Tuesday, her family tried calling her, but she did not answer. They assumed she was busy until the news reached them.

Father Binay Ghosh said Mini called them twice every day — at noon and before bed at night. When she skipped routine on Tuesday, her family tried calling her, but she did not answer

KGMU docs remove baby’s unborn twin in a 2-hour surgery

KGMU docs remove baby’s unborn twin in a 2-hour surgery

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Lucknow:11.11.2021

A child with his unborn twin attached to his lower back was successfully operated and disjointed from it by a team of doctors at King George’s Medical University’s (KGMU) pediatric surgery department.

The two-hour long surgery was performed on November 3 under the guidance of department head Prof J D Rawat, Dr Piyush Kumar, Dr Sudhir Singh and Dr Anand Pandey.

Doctors performed the intricate surgery and separated the abortive twin, who had two legs, hands and back but no head, from the fully formed child.

“On August 25, a woman in Sitapur had given birth to a child having a mass, legs and hands attached to its back. The family got worried over the abnormal growth and rushed the newborn to the local hospital from where they were referred to KGMU,” said Prof Rawat.

“The MRI showed that the mass was an abortive twin attached to the child’s back over the lumbar spine and spinal cord. The child was successfully freed from the burden of the mass growing on its back and is doing well,” he added.