NEWS TODAY 22.11.2025

 

Hidden costs increase PG medical course fee past ₹16 lakh cap at universities in TN UPTO ₹75 LA YEAR

Hidden costs increase PG medical course fee past ₹16 lakh cap at universities in TN UPTO ₹75 LA YEAR 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  22.11.2025

Chennai : Deemed universities across Tamil Nadu have increased tuition fees for postgraduate medical courses, with some setting it at ₹75 lakh a year, taking the threeyear fee tally for highdemand clinical courses to ₹2.2 crore. Health department officials said attempts to cap the fee according to Madras high court’s direction failed, as matters are pending in court. While deemed universities display the total fee on their admission brochures, self-financing medical colleges and state private medical universities conceal it. 

The fee-fixation committee capped the 2025 tuition fee for clinical and non-clinical courses at ₹16 lakh towards tuition fees at selffinancing colleges. But candidates say they are asked to pay up to ₹35 lakh, citing rising costs of hospital operations, hostel maintenance, mess, and transport costs. “We won’t know the cost until we go to the colleges with allotment letters,” said a doctor waiting for admissions to a postgraduate course. Directorate of medical education officials say this happened in undergraduate education in 2025. At least 50 undergraduate medical students, who were allotted seats in self-financing medical colleges and state private universities in 2025, have written to the state selection committee complaining that colleges are demanding higher fees, officials said. “There is no syntax. I was asked to pay ₹8 lakh more by the committee for management quota in one college during my son’s admission. My friend was asked to pay ₹10 lakh in another college,” said Shankar R. They paid the fees not just because they could afford it, but also because they did not want to forfeit deposits in the third round.

 While in the first two rounds of counselling, students are allowed a “free exit” where they are not punished for not taking the seat allotted to them, students must forfeit the security deposit of ₹1.3 lakh. If they download admit cards, they lose the first-year tuition fee of ₹16 lakh. Despite this, candidates withdrew from the third round. “One candidate was confident of taking the seat. He downloaded the admit card after paying ₹15 lakh. When they went to the college, they were asked to pay ₹8 lakh more. Nowhere was this fee mentioned. 

They have no budget,” said student counsellor Manickavel Arumugam. “Sometimes it seems like the deemed university method is better as there is no hidden fee. Parents opt for it if they can afford it,” he said. The family, he said, has filed a complaint with the selection committee for violation of fee committee norms. Directorate of medical education officials said they will forward complaints to the fee committee headed by Justice R Pongaiappan. On Thursday, the judge told TOI that according to the GO, his term has ended. “The complaints will be dealt with by my successor,” he said. Parents are upset. “By the time they appoint a new committee, this admission season would have ended,” said Saravanakumar K, a parent.

NEWS TO DAY 20.11.2025

 

Digital bus passes to be out in 2 weeks, CUMTA issues detailed guidelines

CHENNAI

19.11.2025

Digital bus passes to be out in 2 weeks, CUMTA issues detailed guidelines

Chennai alone has about one lakh gold pass users, and CUMTA expects uptake to rise once the digital versions are introduced.

A bus passenger using the mobile phone to scan QR code from the conductor to buy ticket inside a MTC bus at Marina in Chennai.(Photo | P.Ravikumar, EPS)

C Shivakumar

Updated on:  19 Nov 2025, 8:06 am

CHENNAI: The Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) has issued detailed operating procedures for conductors, inspectors and transport officials ahead of the roll out of fully digital monthly passes for MTC buses. The new passes, available on the Chennai One app, are priced at Rs 1,000 for the gold tier and Rs 2,000 for the diamond tier.

Special Officer I Jayakumar said the passes will be launched within the next two weeks. “MTC currently issues passes at 54 locations. Now, commuters can access them from their homes,” he said. “We have also relaxed the validity of passes. The digital pass will be valid for 30 days from the date of purchase,” he added.

Chennai alone has about one lakh gold pass users, and CUMTA expects uptake to rise once the digital versions are introduced. Under the new system, frontline staff will check the digital pass displayed on the passenger’s phone, verify the photograph, and ensure that the correct category has been purchased. The gold pass will continue to be valid on all non-AC services, while the diamond pass covers AC buses as well.

The system relies on real-time validation: passengers must scan the QR code or OTP sticker displayed inside each bus upon boarding, enabling journey logs to be linked to the pass.

Officials have been instructed to confirm the scan and, if required, verify the bus number shown on the digital pass. Each pass displays a visible expiry date and a live timestamp to prevent misuse. CUMTA has also incorporated animated security markers that move when the phone is tilted, helping staff distinguish genuine passes from screenshots or static images.

The Metropolitan Transport Corporation dominates Chennai’s bus transport, operating a vast network of 2,421 km. MTC services carry an average daily ridership of 31.8 lakh passengers as of 2024, supplemented by mofussil and private services that extend connectivity to peripheral regions. The corporation operates more than 690 named routes and serves 5,608 bus stops across the city.

New Vande Bharat Express to connect Chennai to Rameswaram in just 7 hours via Karaikudi

New Vande Bharat Express to connect Chennai to Rameswaram in just 7 hours via Karaikudi

Chennai - Rameswaram Vande Bharat express will take a route via Karaikudi, is designed to slash travel time, completing the journey in approximately seven hours, making a same-day round trip from the state capital a feasible option for passengers.

Ramkumar Published: 19 Nov 2025 13:58:PM

Chennai: In a significant boost to rail connectivity in Tamil Nadu, Indian Railways is set to launch a new Vande Bharat Express service linking Chennai Egmore with the pilgrimage town of Rameswaram. The new train, which will take a route via Karaikudi, is designed to slash travel time, completing the journey in approximately seven hours, making a same-day round trip from the state capital a feasible option for passengers.

A Game-Changer for Speed: Chennai to Trichy in Under 4 Hours

The new service promises to be one of the fastest rail links in the state. According to the provisional timetable, the train will depart from Chennai Egmore at 5:30 AM and from Tambaram at 5:52 AM, arriving at Trichy by 9:20 AM—a journey of under four hours. This is a significant reduction compared to the six or more hours typically taken by other trains and buses, offering a swift and comfortable alternative for business and leisure travelers alike.

Chennai Rameswaram Vande Bharat Route and Timings: The Complete Schedule

The train will connect several key towns in central and southern Tamil Nadu. Here is the detailed provisional schedule for the Chennai Egmore to Rameswaram route:

Chennai Egmore: 5:30 AM

Tambaram: 5:52 AM

Villupuram: 7:20 AM

Trichy: 9:20 AM

Pudukkottai: 10:00 AM

Karaikudi: 10:40 AM

Sivaganga: 11:15 AM

Ramanathapuram: 12:15 PM

Rameswaram: 1:15 PM

The return journey will commence from Rameswaram at 2:30 PM, arriving at Chennai Egmore by 10:20 PM the same day. The train will operate on all days of the week except Wednesday.

Enhanced Connectivity for Southern Districts

This new Vande Bharat service marks a major infrastructure upgrade for districts like Pudukkottai, Karaikudi, and Sivaganga, providing them with a high-speed, direct link to the state capital. While the fare is expected to be premium compared to other mail or express trains, the unparalleled speed and comfort are likely to make it a popular choice for travellers seeking efficiency. The official launch date is awaited, and the stopping places and timings are subject to final confirmation upon the start of operations.

NEWS TODAY 19.11.2025

 

BLOs won’t come to houses again, you must submit forms at camps

BLOs won’t come to houses again, you must submit forms at camps

Omjasvin.MD@timesofindia.com 19 .11.2025

Chennai : As the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of poll rolls enters its third week, and less than two weeks remain for its completion, the booth-level officers (BLOs) will not go door to door to distribute or collect the SIR forms any more. Instead, it is the voters who must go and submit their completed forms to the BLOs at the designated camps. On Tuesday, most of the 947 camps across 16 constituencies in Chennai saw a high voter turnout to submit forms. 

Senior citizens benefited from the drive as the BLOs helped them fill up the forms on the spot. Some voters with old photos struggled as they needed to leave and obtain the latest photos. The BLOs also assisted people in retrieving their 2005 numbers, and for those who didn’t have them, they were instructed to leave the section empty, with just the constituency name in pencil. Booth-level assistants (BLAs) of registered political parties, who are allowed to submit 50 forms, were also seen submitting filled forms. W S Ravi, a DMK member and BLA in Royapuram, said he was facilitating the submission of forms for senior citizens.

 “I have been helping people retrieve their 2005 SIR numbers, too. Many have left the sections empty. As much as possible, I am pulling out the numbers and completing the forms. Many forms haven’t been digitised yet,” he said. However, many residents were still clueless about the process. “What will senior citizens and differently abled persons do? We requested the BLO to come and collect the form, and she obliged. But will this be followed in all booths? It will only create confusion. 

They should have started this from the beginning or they should have just allowed BLOs to go door-to-door. Not many people are aware of what to do now,” V Sandhya of Anna Nagar said. Some BLOs welcomed the move. Yamuna, a BLO from Old Washermenpet, said she struggled to cover 1,500 houses without a vehicle. “We also used our own data pack for the GPS camera and uploading. The camps seem to work better,” she said. Of the 6,41,14,587 voters in Tamil Nadu, enumeration forms has been distributed to 95% of them, and 13% of them has been digitised