HC stays counselling for NRI quota PG seats in pvt colleges

HC stays counselling for NRI quota PG seats in pvt colleges 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 19.12.2024

Jabalpur : Madhya Pradesh high court on Wednesday, in an interim order, said that NRI quota seats shall not be filled in the ensuing counselling of PG courses at private medical colleges until it delivers the final verdict. The move came in response to a petition that alleges the 15% seats reserved for NRIs in the state’s private medical colleges are being allocated only in eight popular courses and not evenly distributed. A division Bench of high court, comprising Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice Anuradha Shukla, observed, “Taking into consideration the fact that the matter was heard and reserved today and a final decision may take some time, in the interest of justice and with a view to avoid the creation of third-party rights… until the delivery of the final order, the seats under NRI quota shall not be filled in the ensuing counselling of PG courses and be kept in abeyance.” HC reserved its final orders. The PIL, filed by Dr Ojas Yadav from Bhopal, says NEET prepared a merit list for NRIs and although there are 22 branches in medical colleges, state govt allocated NRI quota seats to only eight high-demand branches. Advocate Alok Bagrecha, representing the petitioner, argued that the “excessive allocation” of NRI quota seats in selected branches would affect the rights of meritorious students, as the number of available seats decreased. There are 545 seats in these eight branches, with 152 allocated under NRI quota. NRI quota seats should be distributed across all branches, the counsel said, arguing that the process adopted by state govt is illegal. The seat matrix of private colleges, which outlines the seats allocated to each category, was prepared in violation of Medical Education Admission Rules-2018, the petitioner argued before the court. Instead of the stipulated 15% for NRI quota, 40 to 50% seats have been reserved in various branches, the petition says, adding that choice filling is being conducted without providing time for claims and objections as per admission rules

He fights the small battles on principle

He fights the small battles on principle 

Sachin.Sharma@timesofindia.com 19.12.2024

Vadodara : The Rs 1,500 case! His case earned this title, but it didn’t deter or frustrate  him until he won it. It was not the first time this man has won such a case. He earlier won a case over the poor quality of a Rs 950 raincoat and approached the forum for a warrant when he was not compensated. Janmejay Moghe, an insurance advisor from Vadodara, first approached the consumer forum in 2019, when he bought a raincoat for Rs 950 after downpours caused floods in the city. The raincoat had holes and was faded. Moghe returned to the shop the next day for a replacement, but the shopkeeper showed him a placard declaring: “Goods once sold will not be replaced or returned”. The shop agreed to change the raincoat only after Moghe showed them the bill that said goods could be replaced within three days. But all the raincoats in the shop were of poor quality and he asked for a refund. When the shop did not give him one, Moghe approached the consumer forum in 2019, which decided the case in his favour in July 2021, ordering a refund with interest and Rs 500 towards his expenses and an equal amount as compensation for the mental agony caused. 

Moghe returned to the court for the same matter in 2022 after he did not receive the money. When the shop did not comply with the order, a warrant was issued. The shopkeeper coughed up Rs 2,290 and the case was closed. While Moghe was fighting it out over the Rs 950 raincoat, his car met with an accident on Dec 18, 2020. He got it towed to the workshop and repaired. While the insurance company paid the repair charges, it did not recompense Rs 1,500 for the towing. Moghe was surprised, as he knew the minutiae of claims, being an insurance agent himself. “I have never seen this charge being denied,” he said. It was time for the insurance agent to move the consumer forum for his own claim. “The insurer did not turn up or even furnish a reply,” he said. The forum eventually passed an order in Moghe’s favour recently, granting him Rs 1,500 for the towing charges, Rs 500 for as compensation for the harassment caused and Rs 1,000 for legal expenses.

 “It is not a question of small amounts, but that of merchants or companies taking us for granted. Despite patient representations and asking for only what is due, they seem to ignore us,’’ he said

No requests, no alerts, doc loses ₹70k by UPI transaction

No requests, no alerts, doc loses ₹70k by UPI transaction 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 19.12.2024

Ahmedabad : A seemingly routine message about a small deposit spiralled into a nightmarish ordeal for a 33-year-old doctor from Juhapura when he discovered Rs 70,000 missing from his bank account without a trace. The cyberfraud, executed through UPI, was baffling as the doctor had neither shared his banking details with anyone nor had he received any notification about the deduction. Dr Aasif Syed, who runs a clinic in Fatehwadi, discovered the fraud on Dec 7 when he received a text from his bank about a Rs 1,520 deposit. However, upon closer inspection, he noticed that Rs 20,000 was missing from his account. Alarmed, he checked his Google Pay account and found that Rs 70,000 had been transferred without any transaction history or notification. Seeking answers, the 33-year-old resident of Golden Park in Juhapura, approached his bank’s central branch, where the manager informed him that the amount had been sent via UPI at 1.33pm on Dec 6. Shocked, Syed reported that he neither initiated the payment nor received any alerts about it. After contacting the cybercrime helpline, he was directed to the Sarkhej police station, where an FIR was lodged against an unknown accused under sections of the Information Technology Act for unauthorized access, computer related offenses, and identity theft. Investigation is underway to trace the fraudsters.

Recall Annamalai univ VC search committee notification: Guv to TN

Recall Annamalai univ VC search committee notification: Guv to TN

 TIMES NEWS NETWORK 19.12.2024

Chennai : In what could escalate into another governor-govt face-off, Governor R N Ravi directed Tamil Nadu govt to recall the notification constituting a search committee to identify a candidate for the post of vice-chancellor of Annamalai University. The governor said the committee does not include a nominee of the University Grants Commission (UGC) as per the direction of the Supreme Court. A release from Raj Bhavan on Wednesday said the governor, who is also the Annamalai University chancellor, had constituted a search committee to identify a candidate for the post of vicechancellor. This search committee included nominees of the chancellor, the state govt, the university’s syndicate and the UGC chairman as per provisions of the Annamalai University Act and UGC’s 2018 regulations. The SC made this mandatory for constitution of the search committee. 

In a letter dated Oct 25, the governor-chancellor had directed the state govt to notify the constitution of the search committee, consisting of four members with the governor-chancellor’s nominee as the committee’s convener. The higher education department issued a govt order dated Dec 9, notifying the search committee. The notification, however, excluded the UGC chairman’s nominee in violation of the judgments of the SC, said the release. It pointed out the SC had already ruled any appointment of vice-chancellor made on the recommendation of a search committee constituted contrary to the provisions of the UGC regulations shall be “void ab initio” (having no legal effect from inception). “The notification issued by the govt is in difference to the search committee constituted and is void ab initio, contrary to the existing UGC regulations and prevailing orders of SC. The chancellor called upon the TN govt to recall the said notification, and directed to notify the search committee for appointment of the vice-chancellor of Annamalai University as constituted by the chancellor, which includes the UGC chairman’s nominee,” said the release

Soon, you can buy tickets for MTC buses with NCMC

Soon, you can buy tickets for MTC buses with NCMC

 Ram.Sundaram@timesofindia.com 19.12.2024

Chennai : MTC will soon enable passengers to buy tickets for its buses using the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC). Payment through NCMC is already functional on handheld electronic ticketing machines (ETMs) provided to conductors. By tapping the card on ETM readers, passengers can pay fares directly from their card balance. NCMCs can be recharged online or at designated counters and offer seamless travel across buses, metros, and other transport modes nationwide. This initiative aligns with Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), which has integrated the ‘Singara Chennai’ card into its ticket vending machines and booking systems. CMRL offers a 20% discount on fares for transactions made through NCMCs, UPI, WhatsApp. However, transportation activist K Anbalagan said that MTC must offer discounts for paperless transactions and conduct extensive advertising to raise awareness about UPI apps. “Most MTC passengers belong to lower-middle-class or economically weaker sections. A large-scale campaign is essential to encourage them to adopt these digital payment methods,” he said. TNN

G.O. on search panel violates SC judgments, says Raj Bhavan

 From Page One

G.O. on search panel violates SC judgments, says Raj Bhavan

The Search Committee includes nominees of the Chancellor, the Tamil Nadu government, Syndicate of the University and the UGC Chairman, in accordance with provisions of the Annamalai University Act and the prevailing regulations of the UGC in 2018, which is held as mandatory by the Supreme Court, the Raj Bhavan said.

Governor’s direction

The Governor-Chancellor had directed the Tamil Nadu government to notify the constitution of the Search Committee of Annamalai University vide letter dated October 25, 2024, consisting of the four members, with the Chancellor’s nominee as the Convener of the Committee, the Raj Bhavan added.

The Supreme Court has already held in the case of Sreejith P.S. Vs. Rajasree M.S. and Others that any appointment as a V-C made on the recommendations of a search committee that is constituted contrary to the provisions of the UGC regulations shall be void ab initio, it pointed out.

The notification issued by the government was in difference to the Search Committee constituted, and is void ab initio.

The Chancellor also called upon the State government to notify the Search Committee for appointment of the Vice-Chancellor of Annamalai University as constituted by the Chancellor, which includes the UGC Chairman’s nominee, the Raj Bhavan said.

Tenant cannot dictate how best a landlord can use a property, says HC

Tenant cannot dictate how best a landlord can use a property, says HC

Abhinav.Garg@timesofindia.com 18.12.2024

New Delhi : A tenant cannot dictate how best a landlord can use his property, the Delhi High Court has said, coming to the rescue of a senior citizen couple seeking eviction of their tenant. Allowing the plea of ​​the landlord, who is mostly bedridden, the court in a recent order, cited Supreme Court rulings to point out that a "tenant cannot dictate the terms of use of a property to a landlord," adding that the " landlord is the best judge of his requirements. It is not for the courts to dictate in what manner and how a landlord should live.” 

It was dealing with a plea filed by a distraught couple seeking eviction of a tenant living in a portion of the premises. The tenancy started in 1989 and continued until 2003, but the tenant continued to stay, arguing that there is enough space in the house for the landlord to accommodate his divorced daughter or his staff. The landlord challenged a rent controller court's decision to decline relief on the ground that enough proof about their medical condition was not provided. Justice Tara Vitasta Ganju disagreed with the decision of the trial court and noted that the "records available also show that the petitioner filed substantial documents in support of its contentions, which included medical documents along with photographs of the condition of the petitioner and his wife, the divorce decree of the daughter of the petitioner as well as her provisional employment certificate."

Appearing for the landlord, advocates Sanjay Katyal and Devika Mohan submitted that the petitioner is 80 years old. and served in the Indian Army from 1966 to 1972 and is a 1971 war veteran. They informed the court that he suffers from various ailments such as Parkinson's, pulmonary fibrosis, among others, which has left him bedridden and dependent on others for his day-to-day. -day activities. They submitted that the wife too is 76 years old and suffering from critical ailments. "This court has also reviewed the photographs which are available on the record, reflecting the condition of the petitioner and his wife, which is pitiful. The photographs also reflect the fact that the senior citizens require round-the-clock care. Clearly, in such a situation, the attendants and medical staff would require to stay within the premises, and thus, this court finds no reason to question the bona fides of the petitioner," the HC observed, giving six months' time to the tenant. to vacate the premises and hand over peaceful possession