NEWS TODAY 16.12.2025

 

Stiff penalties mark big policy shift in regulating higher education

Stiff penalties mark big policy shift in regulating higher education

Manash.Gohain@timesofindia.com 16.12.2025

New Delhi : For the first time, the govt has proposed a graded penalty regime for higher education institutions, with fines ranging from ₹10 lakh to ₹75 lakh for repeated violations, suspension of degree-awarding powers and closure, while illegal institutions could face a ₹2 crore penalty and immediate shutdown, with safeguards to protect enrolled students.

 The proposed Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, placed in Lok Sabha marks a decisive shift in how higher education institutions will be regulated, moving away from advisory nudges to a system driven by statutory penalties, mandatory transparency and accreditationlinked autonomy. Under the graded penalty framework — proposed with hard financial consequences for regulatory violations — institutions found violating provisions of the law or its regulations could face fines starting at ₹10 lakh, escalating to ₹30 lakh for repeat offences, and going up to ₹75 lakh for persistent violations. 

In extreme cases, regulators can recommend suspension of degree-awarding powers, withdrawal of affiliation or even closure. Every year the UGC, which will cease to exist, used to notify a list of fake universities, but beyond that no action could be initiated and they continued to function at the cost of unsuspecting students, many of whom were left with invalid degrees and financial losses. The bill introduced a ₹2 crore penalty for unauthorised institutions operating without govt approval, along with immediate closure

No admission to SSN college of engineering from next year

No admission to SSN college of engineering from next year

 Ragu.Raman@timesofindia.com 16.12.2025

Chennai : Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar (SSN) College of Engineering in Chennai announced on Monday that it will not accept applications for admissions for the next academic year (2026-27). The college received approval for progressive closure from Anna University and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The premier college will be merged with Shiv Nadar University Chennai, which is functioning on the adjacent campus, in a phased manner.

 “SSN College of Engineering is no longer accepting applications. Please apply for similar programmes to the SSN School of Engineering at Shiv Nadar University Chennai (SNUC),” an announcement on the college website said. It also released frequently asked questions (FAQs) to clarify the doubts of parents and students who are enrolled in the college. 

“As of now, the SSN College has more than 4,800 students, including UG, PG students, and research scholars. These students will receive their degrees from Anna University as the closure will be progressive. There will be no new admissions from 2026-27,” a source in the college said. 

Students aspiring for admissions to BTech and MTech programmes in the SSN School of Engineering under Shiv Nadar University Chennai will have to take an entrance test and interview. SSN College of Engineering is an autonomous college under Anna University and fills 65% of its seats through online counselling, which is based on Class XII marks in maths, chemistry, and physics. 

These students pay ₹55,000 as tuition fees for govt quota seats. The tuition fees for BTech programmes at Shiv Nadar University is ₹3.5 lakh. However, the university announced that the fee structure for current students at SSN College of Engineering will continue as per the prevailing norms applicable to their batch. 

Further, it also

said faculty members will continue teaching until all students complete their programmes. “The academic norms as per the prevailing Anna University regulations will continue to apply if a student has arrears or backlog after the last batch graduates,” the college further said.

NEWS TODAY 15.12.2025

 

Madras HC says heirs of temporary staff not eligible for compassionate jobs It observed that the scheme of compassionate appointment is a special scheme and not a constitutional scheme.

Madras HC says heirs of temporary staff not eligible for compassionate jobs It observed that the scheme of compassionate appointment is a special scheme and not a constitutional scheme.

Madras High Court 

Express News Service Updated on:  14 Dec 2025, 9:11 am 

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has set aside an order of the central administrative tribunal (CAT) which had ordered the Southern Railway to pass appropriate orders on the application of the legal heir of a deceased temporary worker for a job under compassionate grounds.

A division bench of justice SM Subramaniam and C Kumarappan held that the scheme of the Union government for compassionate appointments does not provide for appointment to the legal heir of a temporary worker.

It allowed the appeal filed by the Southern Railway challenging the April 21, 2022 order of the CAT passed on the petition filed by D Marimuthu, whose father, a casual labourer, died on harness, seeking appointment on compassionate grounds.

The bench noted Clause 2 (B) Note-II of the scheme of Central government for compassionate appointments defines the eligibility of only the legal heir of “Government Servant” appointed on regular basis and not those working on daily wages.

Advertisement “The scheme itself is not applicable to casual labourers, therefore, the CAT cannot expand the scope of the scheme so as to provide a government job which is in violation of the constitutional principles and would infringe the rights of numerous eligible meritorious candidates, who are all longing to secure public employment by participating in open competitive process,” the bench said in the order.

It observed that the scheme of compassionate appointment is a special scheme and not a constitutional scheme. Such appointment is a concession and can never be claimed as an absolute right.

Marimuthu’s father joined the Southern Railway as a casual labourer on April 11, 1973 and his temporary status was confirmed on October 1, 1974.

He died on October 20, 1987. After a lapse of 16 years, he applied for compassionate appointment. It was rejected on the ground that the legal heirs of casual labourers are not eligible. He approached the CAT which directed Southern Railway to consider it; again, the application was rejected. He filed another petition and the CAT passed the order to check the family conditions and decide on the application. This order was challenged in the high court.

இன்றைய சிந்தனை

 இன்றைய சிந்தனை

  15.12.2025

அடைமழைக் காலத்து அட்டைப்பூச்சியாய் சட்டென வந்து ஒட்டிக் கொள்கிறது வெறுமை..!

காரணம் கண்டு தெளியும் முன் கற்பாறையாய் கனத்து விடுகிறது மனது..!

வழமை மாறாத வறட்டு வாழ்க்கையோ அல்லது வருங்காலம் பற்றிய வலுவிழந்த நம்பிக்கைகளோ,

ஏதோவொரு காரணி எடுத்து வந்து சேர்த்து விடுகிறது இந்த வெறுமையை..!

எதனுடனும் ஒப்பிட்டு விட முடிவதில்லை எளிதில் இந்த வெறுமையை..!

சிதிலமடைந்த சிலந்தி வலையை சில நொடிகள் உற்று நோக்கும் போதும்,

புத்தகங்களால் நிரம்பியிருந்தும் புரட்ட ஆளில்லாத நூலகத்தைக் கடக்கும் போதும்,

இவ்வெறுமையின் சாயலை வேறு நிறத்தில் உணர முடிகிறது!

புறந்தள்ளிக் கடந்து செல்வதும், மறந்து விட்டு மற்ற பணி செய்வதும் கடினமான ஒன்றாகவே அமைந்து விடுகிறது அடுத்த சில நிமிடங்களுக்கு!

ஆனாலும் ஒரு குறுகிய இடைவெளியே போதுமானதாக இருக்கிறது அடுத்ததொரு வெறுமையை அவசரமாக நம் மனம் உடுத்திக் கொள்ள!

மெல்லியதொரு வலியை மென்று விழுங்கி விட்டே மேற்சொன்ன வெறுமையை மெதுவாகக் கடக்க முடிகிறது..!

வெறுமையை விரட்டுவோம். எப்பொழுதும் நம் மனம் புத்துணர்வில் வலம் வரட்டும்.

வாழ்க வளமுடன்.

HC: No fresh probe on retd staff if rules forbid

HC: No fresh probe on retd staff if rules forbid 

Vasantha.Kumar@timesofindia.com 15.12.2025

Bengaluru : If the service rules pertaining to an organisation or entity don't permit, a de novo (fresh) inquiry against a retired employee cannot be held, ruled the Dharwad bench of the high court. Justice M Nagaprasanna made this observation while allowing the petition filed by Bahubali, a resident of Yallapur, Uttara Kannada district. The petitioner, chief executive officer/manager of the local Vikas Urban Cooperative Bank, was removed from service on June 30, 2018. Insubordination, revealing customers' secrets, causing disturbance during working hours, and other charges were levelled against him. He challenged the same before Registrar of Cooperative Societies and was unsuccessful as his plea was rejected on Jan 3, 2020. He then moved Karnataka Appellate Tribunal. On Aug 24, 2023, the tribunal ruled in his favour. 

However, the bank's management had reserved the liberty to hold a fresh inquiry against Bahubali if their service rules permitted the same. Challenging the said portion of the tribunal's order, Bahubali approached the high court, contending that he retired from service on May 31, 2020, and that the bank's service rules don't permit a fresh inquiry after an employee's retirement. On the other hand, the bank claimed that Bahubali indicated he was ready for settlement, and the bank was also willing for the same, yet he continued with the litigation. 

However, after perusing the materials on record and the Supreme Court's judgment in the Anant R Kulkarni case, Justice Nagaprasanna noted that the apex court held that a de novo inquiry against a retired employee is impermissible in law unless the service rules so permit. Upon perusal of the bank's service rules, no liberty is reserved to the employer to conduct a de novo inquiry or any inquiry against a retired employee. If no inquiry can be held against a retired employee, the tribunal ought not to have reserved liberty to the bank to hold a de novo inquiry. That portion of the order is admittedly contrary to law. Therefore, the petition deserves to succeed, the judge observed while allowing the petition.