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Saturday, December 21, 2024

Devotee's iPhone slips into hundi, temple staff say it's deity's

Sindhu Kannan TNN 21.12.2024

Chennai : In Tamil movie Palayathamman, a woman accidentally drops her baby into a shrine's hundi (donation box) and the child becomes “temple property”. At Arulmigu Kandaswamy Temple near Chennai's Thiruporur, a devotee accidentally dropped an iPhone into the hundi. The result is the same: this temple, too, has claimed the phone as its property. Dinesh, a devotee from Vinayagapuram, had to return home empty-handed on Friday as the temple authorities said anything dropped into the hundi belongs to the deity. They, however, offered to give him the SIM card and to let him download data from the phone.

Dinesh had visited the temple with his family a month ago when he went to drop some money in the hundi. Dinesh says that while he was pulling out currency notes from his shirt pocket, his iPhone accidentally fell into the bag. Since the hundi was placed at a height, he could not retrieve the phone. Panic-stricken, Dinesh approached the temple authorities. They reiterated their stance and cited tradition that the hundi is opened only once in two months. Dinesh filed a complaint with the HR and CE (Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments) officials, requesting to be informed when the hundi would be opened. When the temple authorities eventually opened the hundi on Friday, Dinesh rushed to retrieve his phone, only to be told the device would remain in the temple's custody and the return of the SIM card. Dinesh, though, had already obtained a new SIM and left it to the authorities to decide on his plea to return the phone. Temple executive officer Kumaravel said the tradition of treating anything dropped in the hundi as belonging to the deity would be followed and that the phone would be retained

Director not liable if company check dishonored: Top court

21.12.2024

New Delhi : Supreme Court on Friday ruled that if a person repays a personal loan through a check signed by him as a director of a company, then he would not be liable to be prosecuted under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act if the check bounced. A man took a personal loan of ₹7 lakh and returned the amount through a check drawn on an account of Shilabati Hospital, Kolkata, of which he was a director. The check bounced and the creditor had initiated proceedings under Section 138 of the Act. HC quashed the proceedings and the creditor appealed in SC. A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said Section 138, being a penal provision, has to be strictly construed and a man could face prosecution only if the cheque, issued by him from an account maintained by him, gets dishonored. It said since the check was drawn from the hospital's account, the man as director cannot be prosecuted under the NI Act. There are as many as 36 lakh check bouncing cases pending in various courts as of 2023. Writing a detailed judgment analyzing the provision threadbare, Justice Pardiwala said, “Section 138 of the NI Act clearly postulates that the check returned for insufficiency of funds should have been drawn by a person on an account maintained by him.” "It will amount to doing violence to the language of the statute if Section 138 of the Act is interpreted to mean that even if a person draws a check on an account not maintained by him, he shall be liable if the check is returned for insufficiency of funds. Such an interpretation will lead to absurd and wholly unintended results,” he said.

Paracetamol bottles with 'blacked out' labels given to kids at B'luru govt hosp

Pavan Kumar Pateel TNN 21.12.2024

Bengaluru : Paracetamol syrup bottles with deliberately obscured labels have been allegedly supplied to children at a govt hospital in Nelamangala town near Bengaluru, raising suspicion among parents. that the drugs are sub-standard. At the Nelamangala govt hospital, on the northwestern fringes of Bengaluru, several locals said the paracetamol syrup bottles given to their wards in the past two days had labels with key details like the manufacturer's name, batch number and license info 'blacked out'. The children given the syrup were said to be in the age group of 5-11 years.

“I often bring my son to the hospital for check-ups. On Wednesday, I took my son to the hospital and he was given a bottle of paracetamol syrup with black marks obscuring the details. When I asked the hospital staff about it, they refused to give me a clear answer and insisted that I administer the syrup to my child. I am deeply concerned that this substandard medication could harm my child,” Ramesh Raj, (name changed), told TOI. Dr Sonia, medical officer of the hospital said, “After I informed the Bengaluru Rural district health officer (DHO), we were told these drugs had been tested for quality in a laboratory. However, the labels had been deliberately obscured to conceal vital data. Yet the syrup continues to be distributed for treatment.”

Coimbatore-Mayiladuthurai Jan Shatabdi Express to run with LHB coaches from December 28

The important features of LHB coaches are that they can be operated at higher speeds and have a higher passenger capacity than the conventional coaches. Special Arrangement

The Hindu Bureau

TIRUCHI 21.12.2024

The Coimbatore-Mayiladuthurai-Coimbatore Jan Shatbadi Express (12084/83) will run with LHB (Linke Hofmann Busch) coaches from December 28.

The LHB coaches are deployed to enhance safety and ensure a comfortable journey for passengers. The trains will be operated with two AC chair cars, 18 chair coaches, one second class (Divyangjan friendly) coach, and one luggage-cum-brake van.

The important features of LHB coaches are that they can be operated at high speed and have a higher passenger capacity than the conventional coaches. They are lighter compared to the conventional coaches and have aesthetically superior interiors and require less maintenance.

Each coach has an advanced pneumatic disc brake system for efficient braking at high speed. Improved suspension system of LHB coaches provides more riding comfort to passengers. They have fire retardant material for furnishing and their air-conditioning system is of higher capacity, a railway press release said.

Notify VC search panels I had formed, Governor tells Tamil Nadu govt.

From Page One THE HINDU

Notify VC search panels I had formed, Governor tells Tamil Nadu govt.
21.12.2024

The Governor pointed out that his panel for Anna University comprised the nominees of the Chancellor, the State government, the Syndicate and the UGC Chairman, in accordance with the provisions of the University's Act and the UGC Regulations, 2018.

Similarly, the search committees for Bharathidasan and Periyar universities included the nominees of the State government, the universities' Senate and Syndicate, and the UGC Chairman, the statement added.

The release further pointed out that the Governor-Chancellor, acting within the ambit of Constitutional and legal provisions, had constituted the search committees to ensure a fair and impartial process for selecting V-Cs.

The Governor also objected to the Higher Education Department's action of notifying the search committee for Bharathidasan University on December 9; and for Periyar and Anna universities on December 13. The government orders were published in the Gazette, and the committees excluded the UGC Chairman's nominee, he added.

On Thursday, Minister Govi. Chezhiaan cited a Supreme Court judgment, dated July 17, 2013, in support of the government's stand in the matter. The Raj Bhavan, in its response, said the statement was misleading. The Supreme Court, in another judgment on October 21, 2022, held that any appointment as a VC made on the recommendation of the search committee constituted contrary to the provisions of the UGC Regulations, shall be void ab initio, it added.

It further pointed out that any selection by a search committee constituted without the UGC chairman's nominee was bound to be quashed by the court. The role of a VC is pivotal in shaping the future of universities, and keeping the post vacant went against the interest of students.

Minister responds

Higher Education Minister Govt. Chezhiaan demanded that the Governor pave the way for filling vacant VC posts instead of creating hurdles to the process.

In response to the Governor's statement, the Minister said Mr. Ravi was merely repeating himself, despite the State government having pointed out that it had followed the regulations brought in by the State legislature.

He urged the Governor not to create a “crisis situation”. The University Grants Commission can only make recommendations. The State need not follow the UGC recommendations, he said.

Mr. Chezhiaan said the Governor appeared to have an ulterior motive in repeatedly demanding that the UGC Chairman's nominee be included, even though the State had followed the respective university's statutes in constituting the VC search panel.

The Minister said the Governor was interfering in the State's functions. He should instead focus on ensuring that the State universities receive the funds due to them from the UGC, which had been drastically reduced or delayed for many years, he added.

He urged the Governor to give up his “politically-motivated” attack, and instead work to improve the functioning of the universities.

The Minister said the government would address the issue legally.

Friday, December 20, 2024

Docs: Coronary heart disease behind 3 lakh deaths in UP annually

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 20.12.2024

Lucknow : The prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) in India now accounts for 15.8 lakh deaths annually, including around 3 lakh in UP only, with the number of cases tripling over the past three decades. The issue was discussed threadbare at the conference of the Cardiological Society of India which was held in the city recently. Dr Rajeev Gupta, a Jaipur-based cardiologist, said CHD has become one of the major causes of death in the country in recent years.

According to recent health studies, premature deaths, especially among individuals under 60, have risen by 85% since 1990. Dr Gupta attributed this trend to a combination of urbanisation, lifestyle changes, and genetic predispositions. He explained that rapid urbanisation has led to greater consumption of calorie-dense diets, reduced physical activity, and increased sedentary behavior, all contributing to obesity and other cardiometabolic risks.

Prof Rishi Sethi from KGMU cardiology department said that in addition to lifestyle-related risks, conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and stress have emerged as significant contributors to CHD. He also pointed out regional factors, such as a higher prevalence of elevated lipoprotein (a) and meta bolic syndrome, which further increase the burden of CHD in South Asia.

Prof Satyendra Tiwari from SGPGIMS highlighted findings from global and regional studies, including INTERHEART and PURE, showing that poor dietary habits and high rates of tobacco use are critical factors driving the rise in CHD cases. Healthcare experts at the conference also discussed challenges in addressing CHD, pointing out disparities in access to preventive care and healthcare services. Limited awareness of modifiable risk factors and socioeconomic barriers further complicate efforts to manage the disease effectively. To tackle this public health challenge, experts recommended a multi-pronged approach. This includes promoting healthier lifestyles, better management of conditions like diabetes and cholesterol, and adopting preventive strategies such as the use of polypills, which combine multiple medications into a single pill, simplifying treatment regimens and improving adherence.

Mobile app to aid in curbing sudden cardiac death cases

Lucknow : 20.12.2024

Leading cardiologists from across India, including head of cardiology department at SGPGIMS Prof Aditya Kapoor, have come up with a Revive CPR mobile app to bolster the battle against sudden cardiac deaths. Prof Kapoor said over 15 lakh people die of sudden cardiac arrest annually in India. Only less than 1% can be saved as there is lack of availability of timely CPR. “Doctors felt that covering the entire country was a mammoth task, and there was a need for technological aid to bridge the gap. Their effort was strengthened by the fact that India is the second-largest user of smartphones, with over 700 million users (including 425 mn are in rural areas),” he said.

The app is available on both Android and iOS platforms. “It provides step-by-step audio-visual guidance for performing CPR. It provides expert’s insights about how timely CPR can save lives, besides explaining key issues like the difference between heart attack and cardiac arrest, along with simple audio/visual cues for accurate identification for timely intervention,” Kapoor said. The app allows one-touch calling to 108 ambulance service, a nearby automated external defibrillator (AED) locator app with automatic AED detection and usage guidance, and linkage to a nationwide trained volunteer network. TNN

Hundreds of engg students hold stir as college withholds exam hall tickets

JNTUH In-charge VC Demands An Explanation From Institute

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 20.12.2024

Hyderabad : Hundreds of final-year students from Sreenidhi Institute of Science and Technology in Ghatkesar staged a protest on Thursday after the college barred them from writing mid-semester exams due to fee reimbursement issues. The management was forced to postpone the exams, scheduled for Thursday, following the protests. Students expressed concerns not only about missing their exams but also about the potential impact on their future prospects, including the risk of being denied certificates. “Over 700 students have been denied hall tickets due to fee dues. Why should we suffer for govt’s mistake?” questioned one student. They added that they had no choice but to gather in front of the college to pressure the management into postponing the exams.

The students claimed that while SC/ST students, who receive 100% fee reimbursement from the govt, were not affected, others — including those with merit scholarships —were being asked to pay part of the dues to receive hall tickets. “More than the mid-semester exams, we are worried that the management might use the same excuse during the final semester exams or at the time of graduation,” said another student, adding that the timing of the issue, with placement preparations underway, is troubling. Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad joined the protest and demanded action against the college management.

“Not just this college, but many institutions are forcing students to pay fees or withholding certificates over fee dues. Many students have lost job and higher education opportunities because of the managements’ insensitivity. This needs to be stopped,” said J Dileep from ABVP. Following the protest, principal of the college Siva Reddy announced that the exams scheduled for Dec 19 and 20 would be postponed. JNTUH seeks explanation JNTUH in-charge vice chancellor Balakista Reddy has demanded an explanation from SNIST principal for withholding hall tickets. Reddy, also chairman of the Telangana council of higher education, instructed the principal to present all documents on Friday. He emphasized that colleges cannot deny hall tickets or delay exams for such issues and warned of strict action against non-compliant management.