UGC sets rules for pvt varsities to start off-campus centres

 UGC sets rules for pvt varsities to start off-campus centres

TNN | Mar 7, 2024, 05.16 AM IST

Ahmedabad: The University Grants Commission recently allowed private universities to establish their off-campus centres and announced rules for the same. The country’s private universities were not allowed to open off-campus centres so far in other states. Sources said that while this decision gives better alternatives to students, it may also result in further weakening of 16 public universities in the state.

In a meeting held on March 5, UGC decided to allow state’s private universities to open off-campus centres in any state in the country if they met the following criteria: A minimum of five years of establishment and operations and accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). However, it will not be required to have an A or a B grade in NAAC rankings.

The private university that wants to establish off-campus centres will have to meet the minimum staff, infrastructure and financial requirements set by the commission. The universities will have to provide approvals from the statutory and regulatory bodies.

The universities must present land lease documents to show they have sufficient land to establish their off-campus centres. The lease period should be a minimum of 30 years.

The universities will have to assure they will provide infrastructure, faculty and courses being offered at the main campus to the students in their off-campus centres. The universities will have to pay Rs 10 lakh as establishment fees to UGC. The commission will have the right to carry out inspections and take punitive measures against the university in cases of irregularities and complaints. The UGC may also order closure of a university’s off-campus centre if it breaches any of the regulations and in such case the university will have to facilitate shifting students to their main campus. The university will be allowed to take over an already operational college or institute in a state after procuring NOC from the university it is currently affiliated to.

Academic experts said that this decision may prove beneficial for students as they will get more options to choose from. However, it also means that the 16 government-run universities in the state will face more competition. More students may shift to these centres, leaving a large number of approved seats in the public universities vacant every year.

Colleges struggle to bridge faculty gap

Colleges struggle to bridge faculty gap

TNN | Mar 12, 2024, 05.01 AM IST

Hyderabad: With the exponential surge in the number of seats for computer science and related courses, many colleges are grappling with a shortage of faculty in the department, particularly in emerging tech courses.

“Hardly any college has the necessary faculty to effectively teach computer science courses,” stated the head of the CSE department faculty at a private college in the city. The HoD highlighted the necessity of utilising faculty from other departments to address this shortfall.

According to regulations set by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), faculty members from core engineering disciplines can teach courses in emerging areas upon completing 10 credit online courses through platforms like SWAYAM/NPTEL. “There is a dearth of qualified faculty for emerging areas, prompting AICTE to permit core engineering faculty to teach these courses post online certification,” read a circular from AICTE.

However, this guideline isn't being implemented in Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana, as colleges are hesitant to recruit core engineering faculty, despite their completion of certificate courses. Faculty members argued that hiring core engineering faculty would be mutually beneficial, providing them with employment while offering students interdisciplinary expertise. “Despite the pressing need for faculty, managements are reluctant to hire from core engineering backgrounds,” said A Santosh Kumar, president of the Telangana Schools and Technical Colleges Employees Association, attributing this reluctance to a desire to cut costs on salaries.

NEWS TODAY 11.03.2024

 

World’s richest beggar lives in Mumbai and this is his net worth

World’s richest beggar lives in Mumbai and this is his net worth

TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Mar 8, 2024, 09.12 PM IST

Begging is often seen as a sign of poverty and desperation, but for some people, it is a lucrative and profitable profession. One such person is Bharat Jain, who is recognized as the world's richest beggar, with a net worth of ₹7.5 crore ($1 million).

Jain, who is 54 years old, lives in Mumbai, the financial capital of India. He has been begging for over 40 years, since he was a teenager. He begs at prominent locations such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus railway station (CSMT) or Azad Maidan, where he can earn ₹2,000 to ₹2,500 per day. He works for 10 to 12 hours a day, and does not take any holidays or breaks.

Despite his humble appearance and occupation, Jain is a wealthy man who owns valuable property in Mumbai. He owns a 2BHK flat in Parel, worth ₹1.2 crore, where he lives with his wife, two sons, his brother, and his father. He enrolled his children in a prestigious convent school and they have since completed their education. His other family members run a stationery store. He also owns two shops in Thane, which he rents out for ₹30,000 per month.

Jain's family is not happy with his begging habit and often advises him to stop, but he ignores them and continues to beg. He says that he enjoys begging and does not want to give up his lifestyle. He also says that he does not beg out of necessity, but out of choice. He claims that he is not greedy, but generous, and often donates money to temples and charities.

Jain is not the only beggar who has amassed a fortune in India. There are many other beggars who have made millions by begging, such as Sambhaji Kale, who has a net worth of ₹1.5 crore, and Laxmi Das, who has a net worth of ₹1 crore. These beggars are part of a thriving begging industry in India, which is estimated to be worth ₹1.5 lakh crore ($20 billion).

Begging is illegal in India, and the government has taken various measures to curb it, such as imposing fines, arresting beggars, and rehabilitating them. However, these measures have not been very effective, as many beggars prefer to beg rather than work, and some even run begging rackets and exploit other beggars. Moreover, many people are sympathetic and generous towards beggars, and often give them money, food, or clothes.

Bharat Jain is an example of how begging can be a lucrative and profitable profession, and how some beggars can become millionaires. He is also an example of how appearances can be deceptive, and how one should not judge a book by its cover. He is the world's richest beggar, and he is proud of it.

University of Madras remaining without a vice-chancellor for seven long months is unfathomable, says Madras HC

University of Madras remaining without a vice-chancellor for seven long months is unfathomable, says Madras HC

Chief Justice Sanjay V. Gangapurwala and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy say such a prestigious institution remaining headless for so long is not good for maintenance of academic excellence

March 10, 2024 08:11 pm | Updated 08:11 pm IST - CHENNAI

THE HINDU BUREAU

The University of Madras is without a Vice Chancellor since August 2023, the court noted.

The delay in appointing a Vice-Chancellor to the University of Madras since August 2023 has not gone down well with the Madras High Court.

First Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay V. Gangapurwala and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy wrote: “The University of Madras is without a Vice Chancellor since August 2023. It is one of the prestigious Universities in the State of Tamil Nadu.

“The said University is without its head for almost seven months. Only on the ground that the matter is pending in the Supreme Court, i.e. the State of Tamil Nadu filed a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution, steps for appointment of Vice Chancellor in accordance with law are not undertaken.”

The Bench also said: “We cannot fathom a University without a Vice Chancellor for such a long period. The same is also not good for the maintenance of the academic excellence.”

The observations were made while passing an interim order on a writ petition filed by advocate B. Jagannath last year insisting upon the inclusion of a University Grants Commission nominee in the search panel constituted by the State government for identifying suitable candidates to the post of vice-chancellor.

After the filing of the present writ petition, the Division Bench was informed that the Legislative Assembly had passed a Bill for making the Chief Minister as the Chancellor of all State universities but the Governor had not given his assent to it. The State government had, therefore, taken the matter to the Supreme Court.

Due to the delay in disposal of that case, there was a consequent delay in appointment of Vice-Chancellor to the University of Madras, State Government Pleader A. Edwin Prabhakar told the Bench and sought some time to get instructions on finalising the search panel.

Accepting the request, the Bench granted an adjournment till April 2 as a last chance.

Retired government hospital nurse arrested for performing abortion illegally in TN

Retired government hospital nurse arrested for performing abortion illegally in TN

Speaking to TNIE, Selvaraj said that Gayathri, who is already a mother of two girls, got pregnant again as she longed for a male child.

The accused has been identified as R Gandhimathi (58), a resident of Sikkendar Chavadi area. Express
Express News Service

Updated on:08 Mar 2024, 8:23 am

MADURAI : A retired government hospital nurse was arrested by the Alanganallur police on Thursday for allegedly performing abortion illegally on a woman, causing her to lose her uterus recently. The accused has been identified as R Gandhimathi (58), a resident of Sikkendar Chavadi area. According to sources, she had worked as a nurse in various primary health centres in the district from 1990-2020, and opted for a voluntary retirement on July 30, 2020. Following this, she allegedly began performing illegal abortions.

According to sources, Gayathri from Keelarangiyam in Sivaganga district approached Gandhimathi for aborting her female foetus on February 10, 2023, as referred by a scan centre attached to a private hospital in Sholavandhan. After the abortion, Gayathri developed severe stomach pain and was admitted to Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) in Madurai, where she underwent hysterectomy (removal of uterus), as the womb was infected due to the abortion. Later, as informed by the doctors, a team led by Deputy Director Health Dr J Kumaraguru conducted an enquiry and sent a report to Dr Selvaraj, Joint Director of Health.

Speaking to TNIE, Selvaraj said that Gayathri, who is already a mother of two girls, got pregnant again as she longed for a male child. Someone told her that the scan centre in Sholavandhan conducted sex-determination tests, and in case of female foetus, they referred the women to a nurse for abortion. As per the advice, Gayathri and her family members conducted the foeticide. The incident came to light when she was admitted to GRH for hysterectomy, he said.

He further stated that during the enquiry Gandhimathi confessed the truth, and they had lodged a complaint with Alanganallur police station. A case has been registered against Gandhimathi and the police are on the look out for the doctors and employees of the private hospital in Sholavandhan, sources added.

Teachers and students cry foul as Bharathidasan University ‘flunks’ many in exams

Teachers and students cry foul as Bharathidasan University ‘flunks’ many in exams

They are losing ranks due to negligence of the university administration.

Students protesting in front of the university over alleged irregularities in semester results | EXPRESS

Updated on:

09 Mar 2024, 8:02 am

TIRUCHY: Teachers and students of a few colleges affiliated to Bharathidasan University allege irregularities in the recently-released semester examination results. They also took to a protest over the issue in front of the university on Thursday. Students of the government arts colleges in Thuvakudi, Lalgudi and Manachanallur, besides Imayam College claimed that they were given single-digit marks despite performing well in the examination and that some were even marked absent when they had actually attended them. In a representation to the BDU administration, Thuvakudi college's principal SS Rose Mary listed names of more than 40 of its "affected" students in four departments.

The letter also stated that "some students who are eligible for national post-matric scholarships risk losing eligibility for not only the scholarship but also securing a place in the list of university rank holders."

Listing out alleged irregularities in paper correction, SFI-Tiruchy president Mohan said, "It's not only [students of] four colleges in the list. There are more colleges affected by the issue. Many will come forward soon."

"Most students who secured single-digit marks are best performing students. They are losing ranks due to negligence of the university administration. The controller of examinations didn't respond properly to students' queries," he added.

P David Livingston, state president of the Tamil Nadu Government Collegiate Teachers' Association, said, "When the affected students ask for an explanation, the university asks for Rs 900 in fees. How can students be held responsible for the mistakes made by the university? Genuine demands should be addressed immediately without charges."

"As of date more than 150 students are affected, especially those from the political science, commerce, public administration and geography departments. The controller should take responsibility, initiate an inquiry immediately and punish the people involved."

When contacted, S Srinivasa Ragavan, the university's controller of examinations, told TNIE, "Students can opt for revaluation anytime by paying fees. We are in the process of collecting data of the students and their marks. There are no clerical mistakes our side. We need some time to evaluate. The issue will be sorted out in a few weeks."