State bans direct UK flight from Jan 3

Covid Test On Arrival For All Int’l Flyers

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Tamaghna.Banerjee@timesgroup.com

Kolkata: 31.12.2021

The state government on Thursday wrote to the civil aviation ministry, announcing its decision to temporarily suspend the direct flight between Kolkata and London from January 3 and Covid tests for all incoming passengers in view of the rising Omicron cases globally as well as in India.

The last flight from London to touch down in Kolkata before the ban will be on Sunday, January 2. Also till now, only passengers arriving from the UK that was categorized as an ‘at risk’ country due to the high prevalence of Omicron cases as notified by the Union health ministry were required to undergo Covid test on arrival.

Additional chief secretary BP Gopalika wrote to Union civil aviation secretary Rajiv Bansal to convey the curb on the once-a-week Air India flight that operates between Kolkata airport and Heathrow and the testing protocol for international flyers.

The letter was dispatched hours after chief minister Mamata Banerjee had sounded an alarm over the high incidence of Omicron cases among in-bound flyers and an emergency meeting that followed in the state secretariat on the issue. Kolkata airport director C Pattabhi was present at the meeting.

In Kolkata, five of the 10 Omicron cases that were tested in the state had returned from overseas. In the last flight from the UK that arrived on Boxing Day, four persons tested positive to Covid. Their samples have been sent for genome sequencing to check if they had contracted the Omicron variant.

“I love the UK. But it is being seen that a majority of Omicron cases are coming from passengers from the UK flight. Omicron is spreading rapidly and it is mostly spreading through international flights. Lets see what the civil aviation ministry does now,” the CM remarked in Gangasagar before boarding a helicopter to Kolkata.

The ban decision has left the airline and travel agents in a spot. With all flights in January booked to near capacity, it will be a herculean task to accommodate them in UK-bo- und flights departing from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Amritsar and Ahmedabad. “It will be a logistical nightmare,” said an AI official.

The letter to the civil aviation ministry also announced that all international passengers from non-at-risk countries would have to also undergo Covid tests. While 90% will ta- ke the Rapid Antigen Test, the rest will have to undergo Rapid PCR or RT-PCR. All passengers have to mandatorily pre-book the test before boarding to reduce waiting time on arrival which the airlines must ensure prior to allowing the boarding.

Following the announcement, Pattabhi said RAT kits were being procured to comply with the government order. “We will collect samples when passengers queue up for immigration and have the result ready by the time they clear immigration. In case there is any delay, there is seating arrangement for 350 people that we can augment further,” Pattabhi said.

Travel trade industry officials said while leisure travel would stop following the curb and rising infections across the globe, those with emergency travel needs would continue to fly in through Delhi, Mumbai and other airports.

Borrow a book, return it at any library in state

Borrow a book, return it at any library in state

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:31.12.2021

Soon, a reader can rent a book from a public library and return it anywhere in the state after reading it. Search for books, reservation and r enewals too could be done through a mobile app and home delivery of books also could be a possibility, as Tamil Nadu government is keen on reviving libraries and booklending in the state.

Acentralised book-returning system will be made possible, as the Anna Centenary Library (ACL) along with Roja Muthiah Research Library, is preparing a union catalogue for all 3 5 lakh books inthe 4,640 public libraries across Tamil Nadu. Roja Muthiah Research Library is curating the catalogue of all books in public libraries to the international standard like Anglo American Cataloguing Rules (AACR2) and Machine-Readable Cataloguing (MARC 21).

In the first phase, school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi released the union catalogue for more than seven lakh books in Anna Centenary Library, Connemara Public Library, Roja Muthiah Research Library and 32 district libraries this week. With the common catalogue, the search forbooks in all p ublic libraries will get easier. By typing the title or author, a reader will get the details like which libraries have the book, availability, literary form, publisher, edition and material type.

“This catalogue could act asa single tool for searching all books available in all public libraries in Tamil Nadu,” said S Kamatchi, coordinator of Union Catalogue Project for Public Libraries. The project is being implemented under the Tamil Nadu Innovation Initiatives (TANII) scheme by the State Planning Commission.

Digitising catalogue also will help library authorities to know whichbooks areincirculation and which are not used by readers in the public libraries.

“It would also help to know which type of books or subjects is being preferred or not preferred in a particular region. The moving books can be stocked up more and unused books could be avoided while procuring the books for public libraries,” she a dded. It may also help the library authorities to weed out the titles which are gathering dust and occupying space. Following the union catalogue, the directorate of public libraries may come upwith the user mobile app for searching for books. “Like how we know restaurants n ear us by googlingit, this app will enable the book lovers to know which nearest library has a particular book and whether it is available or not,” said G Sundar, director, Roja Muthiah Research Library in Taramani.

Researcher, boy friend kill stalker on city road

Researcher, boy friend kill stalker on city road

Sindhu.Kannan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:31.12.2021

A 26-year-old research student and her boyfriend have been arrested on charges of stabbing an engineering college employee multiple times in broad daylight at Kelambakkam on Thursday, killing him on the spot.

Police identified the accused as J Desapriya, a research scholar in physics in a private college in Kalavakkam, andherfriend S Arun Pandian, 27, a research scholar in a uni- versity in Kattankulathur. Police said they killed K Senthil, 43, an employee of the university in Kattankulathur, because he nagged the woman to marry him though he was married for seven years.

After the stabbing on a road near the college, bystanders chased and nabbed the couple, andhanded them overto police.

Married Senthil kept stalking Desapriya

Police said Desapriya and Senthil were known to each other since the time she was doing her graduation in the university in Kattankulathur. She broke up with him after she came to know that Senthil was already married. However, Senthil kept stalking Desapriya and kept asking her to marry him, claiming that he could convince his wife saying that since they remained childless for seven years he was forced to marry Desapriya.

“WhenDesapriya started to avoid him during the lockdown, Senthil threatened her saying he would upload their old photos online,” said an investigating officer. Desapriya reported the matter to Arun Pandian. Police said the duo had planned to take Senthil to a secluded place and murder him. Around 1.30pm on Thursday, Desapriya called S enthil to come to her college.
The two were talking when Arun Pandian joined them. Quoting eyewitnesses, police said after a heated argument among the trio, Desapriya and Arun Pandian slit Senthil’s throat.

When Senthil started his bike and tried to escape, they chased him and stabbed him repeatedly with two knives until he bled to death on the spot.

India records first ‘Omicron death’

India records first ‘Omicron death’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

31.12.2021

India recorded what could be its first Omicron death on Thursday even as the highly infectious variant spread to two more states, Punjab and Bihar, and recorded highest single-day infections for the second consecutive day. While India has reported close to 1,200 Omicron cases of the new variant, no deaths were reported until now.

Maharashtra confirmed the presence of Omicron in a 52-year-old man who recently died of heart attack in Pimpri Chinchwad, but stopped short of calling him the first casualty of the variant and attributed the death to his underlying health conditions.

The state added198 cases on Thursday — its highest singleday tally for the second consecutive day — which is a major indicator that the Omicron wave is here. The total count of the variant in the state has touched 450. India reported 258 Omicron cases on Thursday, taking the total tally to 1195. After Maharashtra, Delhi reported the second highest cases, 25, while Haryana reported 23 cases. Telangana, Odisha and Bengal reported five cases each while Bihar and Punjab recorded one infection each. Omicron has now spread to 24 states and UTs.

The man from Pimpri Chinchwad had died on December 28 at the local Yashwantrao Chavan Hospital. The state health authorities refrained from labelling it as the first Omicron death despite the man having a travel history to Nigeria and a Co- vid positive diagnosis. They said the patient had diabetes for the past 13 years. “The death of this patient is due to non-Covid reasons. Coincidently, the National Institute of Virology report revealed that he was infected with the Omicron variant,” the authorities said in a statement.

Health experts in Mumbai said that since the man had a Covid positive diagnosis, the death is most likely going to be classified as a Covid fatality.

Across Maharashtra, up to 46% of total 450 confirmed Omicron cases don’t have any international travel history now. Delhi, which recorded 25 new cases, too seems to be heading towards a community spread with health minister Satyendar Jain saying that the new variant has been found in 54% of the Covid samples sent for genome sequencing.

Sale of TTD calendars at higher price on Amazon triggers controversy

Sale of TTD calendars at higher price on Amazon triggers controversy

31/12/2021

Special Correspondent TIRUPATI

Even as the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) claims to have taken a giant leap in promoting its products to offshore devotees through a tie-up with online major Amazon, it is not without its share of controversy in terms of pricing.

Left party leaders have raised a hue and cry over the sale of TTD’s calendars and diaries at an “unbelievably huge price”.

“The simple calendar bearing the image of Lord Venkateswara and Goddess Padmavathi is priced at ₹15. But, Amazon shows the same as priced at ₹299 and offers it at a discounted price of ₹149. How can anyone sell the product at a price over and above that fixed by the TTD?” questions Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) general secretary Kandharapu Murali.

The TTD diary costing a mere ₹130 is shown as a whopping ₹799 and offered at a discounted price of ₹499.

Meanwhile, the TTD’s Public Relations wing clarified that the tie-up was meant to ensure hassle-free delivery of its New Year products to the devotees across the globe. “There is no compulsion to buy from Amazon, as we are selling the same in our TTD Kalyana Mandapams across the country, a spokesperson said.”

Sudden downpour batters Chennai

Sudden downpour batters Chennai

Several areas flooded, thousands stranded on main roads

31/12/2021

Under water: Ethiraj Salai after heavy rain pounded Chennai on Thursday. M. VEDHAN The Hindu

Staff reporter  CHENNAI

Thousands of motorists and commuters were stranded for several hours on arterial roads in Chennai on Thursday evening as waterlogging caused by sudden and incessant heavy rain led to a gridlock. The city last witnessed such a situation in November 2015.

Aerial visuals showed buses, cars, autorickshaws and scooters caught in a bumper-to-bumper jam along Anna Salai, Broadway, NSC Bose Road, Nelson Manickam Road, Koyambedu, Mylapore, Vadapalani, Porur and other areas.

Some of those who left their offices returned to their point of origin, having covered less than a kilometre in an hour. Metro Rail stations witnessed unprecedented crowds as people desperately tried to reach home.

24 V-Cs named without my nod: Dhankar

24 V-Cs named without my nod: Dhankar

31/12/2021

Special Correspondent Kolkata

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday said that the State government had appointed Vice-Chancellors of 24 universities without his approval.

“These are ex facie in defiance of specific orders or without approval by Chancellor-the Appointing Authority,” Mr. Dhankhar said. “These appointments carry no legal sanction and would be forced to take action unless soon recalled,” he added.

Students told to bring COVID-19 negative certificates after break

Students told to bring COVID-19 negative certificates after break

This follows the rise in number of Omicron cases in the State

31/12/2021

College managements say they want to take maximum precautions when students return after the holidays.File photoFile photo

Staff Reporter Bengaluru

School and college managements have asked students to produce negative RT-PCR certificates when they return to offline classes after their Christmas break. While some managements have made this an advisory, others have made this mandatory with the rise in the number of Omicron cases in the State.

School management members said this was also because many students and their families have travelled and gone to different parts of the country for vacation.

India reports over 10,000 cases a day again

India reports over 10,000 cases a day again

Of 13,154 COVID-19 cases, 961 confirmed to be of Omicron variant; health officials concerned at ‘sudden rise’ in infections

31/12/2021

Losing caution: People at the wholesale Sadar Bazar in Delhi on Thursday, even as COVID-19 cases rise in the country to alarming levels. SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI

India reported 13,154 COVID-19 cases on Thursday, with 961 of them confirmed to be of the Omicron variant. At a weekly briefing here, Union Health Ministry officials expressed concern over the “sudden rise” in cases in several cities.

Officials said six States — Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Karnataka and Gujarat — were of particular concern given the rise in test positivity and the number of weekly cases. Kerala and Maharashtra, however, continue to account for nearly half the cases.

Daily flights to Puducherry to resume soon

Daily flights to Puducherry to resume soon

31/12/2021

Special Correspondent HYDERABAD

Daily flights on Hyderabad-Puducherry-Hyderabad route will resume from January 2022, thanks to the efforts of Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, who is also the Lt. Governor of Puducherry. Dr. Soundararajan made special efforts by writing letters and making telephonic calls to the Union Minister for Civil Aviation and had requested the latter to restore direct flight connectivity on the Hyderabad-Puducherry route. As a result, the Centre has also agreed to extend the support under the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) to Spice Jet in resuming air connectivity in Hyderabad-Puducherry-Hyderabad route.

She suggested that Telangana tourism wing can organise spiritual tours connecting Karaikkal, nearby famous Velankanni Church, Nagore Durgah, Tirunallar Saneeswar temple and also cover the famous tourism spot Mahabalipuram enroute in Tamil Nadu. Visits from Puducherry to Hyd. for the tourist spots in Telangana can also be organised to promote tourism, she said.

Admission issue: Sanskrit varsity expels PG students who failed degree exams

Admission issue: Sanskrit varsity expels PG students who failed degree exams

Though the university had denied the allegations, it took an about-turn after receiving the report from regional centres.

Published: 30th December 2021 11:23 PM 

Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit. 

By Express News Service

KOCHI: Controversies seem to continue to haunt Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit (SSUS).

The university recently expelled eight post-graduate students who were found to have not cleared their graduation examinations.

The move comes after varsity regional centres reported to vice-chancellor (in-charge) M K Jayaraj that nearly 30 ineligible students had gained admission to the masters course.

R S Sasikumar, chairman of Save University Campaign Committee, alleged collusion between teachers and varsity officials which helped ineligible students gain admission. "It is a usual practice to allow students who appear for the final year degree examinations to write the entrance tests for the post-graduate courses. However, they should present certificates proving they have cleared the qualifying examinations to confirm their admission. But a good number of students who got admission to SSUS's MA courses had failed their BA final semester examinations," he said.

As per rules, students who failed in graduation have to write the supplementary examination conducted the next year. "But the varsity allowed these students to continue to attend MA classes that began in September. The varsity even conducted a special examination for these students. All the students who appeared for the examination got pass marks and were allowed to continue the course. This was done to prevent a fall in the number of students in a class," alleged Sasikumar.

"The university took such an extraordinary step to save teachers from losing their jobs due to a drop in student admission," he added.

As per rules, every university scrutinises students' certificates before admitting them to the course. But in SSUS, the deadline for the submission of the certificate was set on December 31.

Jayaraj said candidates were expelled based on the reports by the admission department. "The university syndicate will take a decision on the action to be taken against those responsible for admitting ineligible students to the postgraduate programmes. It is learnt that the ineligible students were admitted as part of the spot admission," he said.

Though the university had denied the allegations, it took an about-turn after receiving the report from regional centres.

Earlier, it had said that students awaiting results of the sixth-semester undergraduate exam were permitted to appear for the entrance exam for postgraduate programmes. They were allowed as the results of the sixth-semester exams were not published at the time of the notification of the entrance test. Only those who had cleared the qualifying examinations held in April or May 2021 will be eligible for postgraduate admissions in the new academic year, the university said.

Jhansi stn is now Veerangana Lakshmibai stn

Jhansi stn is now Veerangana Lakshmibai stn

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: 30.12.2021

The Uttar Pradesh government has renamed the Jhansi railway station in the state as Veerangana Lakshmibai Railway Station. The order was issued by the state Public Works Department after getting the go-ahead from the home ministry.

Jhansi is the latest addition to the list of renamed stations. Earlier, Mughalsarai railway station was renamed as Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay railway station. The Yogi Adityanath government has already renamed a number of cities in recent years — including Allahabad as Prayagraj and Faizabad as Ayodhya. Sources said now the necessary process will be completed to change the code name of the earlier Jhansi railway station.

Raj Bhavan considering NEET exemption Bill

Raj Bhavan considering NEET exemption Bill

It responds to question under RTI Act

29/12/2021

R.N. Ravi

Special Correspondent CHENNAI

The Bill to admit students to undergraduate medical courses in Tamil Nadu on the basis of the Class XII marks is “under consideration” of Governor R.N. Ravi, the Raj Bhavan has said in response to a question under the RTI Act.

P.B. Prince Gajendra Babu, general secretary, State Platform for Common School System-Tamil Nadu, had sought information on the status of the Bill and the action taken by the Governor.

“The file is under consideration,” the Raj Bhavan said in a response given, on December 17, by S. Venkateshwaran, under-secretary to the Governor and Public Information Officer.

Mr. Babu had also asked the Chief Minister’s Secretariat and the Chief Secretary’s office whether any letter or question was received from the Governor and whether the State had sent any reply or reminder. The Chief Secretary’s office clarified that he is not an official designated to share information (or an appellate authority) under the Act.

Mumbai student loses phone, ₹75k

Mumbai student loses phone, ₹75k

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Surat:30.12.2021

A 20-year-old Mumbai student faced double whammy on his recent visit to his cousin’s place in Pandesara area of the city. Not only the man’s mobilephone was stolen but the thieves also transferred Rs 75,000 through a money transfer application installed in the phone.

According to the police, Suraj Yadav, a Class 12 student who lives in Mumbai, visited his cousin Ashish Kumar Yadav, a resident of Vinayak Nagar society in Pandesara, for a few days in October. On October 25 Suraj and his cousin kept their mobile near an open window of the house and went to sleep at around 10. 30pm. Next morning they were shocked to find their phones stolen.

When Suraj informed his fat- her about the mobile theft, it came to light that Rs 75,230 were transferred to an unknown account through a money transfer application. Suarj had installed the application, which was linked to his father’s bank account, in his mobile phone. Soon after that Suraj approached Pandesara police station and filed an application about mobile theft and money transfer incident.

Five varsities from state in ARIIA rankings

Five varsities from state in ARIIA rankings

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad: 30.12.2021

Five universities from Gujarat havefiguredin thetop10 rankings across various categories in the Atal Rankings of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) rankings 2021.

They include Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU), Gujarat University (GU), Gujarat Technological University (GTU) and L D College of Engineering.

The rankings,announced by theCentre,for technical and non-technical institutions have been divided into seven sub-categories. EDII has been adjudged as the best in the non-technical general category.

Among government technical universities – state run and deemed – GTU has been ranked number seven while Gujarat University has been ranked at number nine.

GTU vice-chancellor Navin Sheth said it was a matter of pride that the state’s biggest university is among the ten best universities of the country. He said that the university has embarked upon an ambitious plan to expand innovation activities in near future. The ARIIA rankings have been prepared after evaluating the participating institutions under nine parameters.

LD College of Engineering has ranked third in government college and institution (technical) category. PDPU has ranked fifth in the private university and deemed university (technical)category.

1,438 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) (including all IITs, NITs, and IISc, among others) participated in the third edition of ARIIA rankings as compared to 674 HEIs during last year. ARIIA ranking 2021 has a special framework for non-technical institutions, which will further strengthen our education institutions’ innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Outdated cheque: Bank returns funds

Outdated cheque: Bank returns funds

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad: 30.12.2021

A nationalized bank returned Rs 50,000 to a depositor that had been withdrawn using a 15-year old cheque.

Mayur Vayeda, a businessman from the Law Garden area on Sunday approached Ellisbridge police with the complaint that someone had withdrawn Rs 50,000 from his account using a 15year-old cheque.

The case seemed to sho- wed negligence on the part of the bank,which allowed the mo- ney transfer with a cheque from 2006. According to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines of 2012, the validity of a cheque is three months from the date of issuance.

Vayeda, a resident of Thakorbhai Tower in Law Garden, had gone to his bank in Nehrunagar to withdraw Rs 40,000. The banker checked his account and told Vayeda that he did not have sufficient money in the account. Vayeda inquired further and got a bank state- ment, which showed the irregularity.

After the complaint was lodged, the bank in a letter to the complainant, stated that on December 21, due to a technical error, Rs 50,000 had wrongly been debited from his account.

The bank stated that the rectification was made on Monday.

Air India Express’ shuttle bus drops 13 int’l passengers at domestic arrival

Air India Express’ shuttle bus drops 13 int’l passengers at domestic arrival

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 30.12.2021

In an unusual incident, around 13 passengers, who had arrived by a Sharjah-Chennai Air India Express (IX 636) flight, were dropped at the domestic arrival terminal at the city airport by a shuttle bus of the airline close to midnight on Tuesday. The flight arrived around 11. 30pm.

The passengers found that they were at the wrong terminal after they could not find the immigration counters. Meanwhile, the airline staff who were present at the terminal found something amiss and alerted their coun- terparts who take care of international arrivals. The passengers were taken to the international terminal to process immigration procedures and other arrival formalities.

An Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said that the driving permit of the driver of the shuttle bus has been seized and action would be taken for the error.

Sources said that international passengers need to undergo immigration and customs clearance before entering the city and the error must have resulted in people walking out of the airport without any such checks. There are no checks at the domestic terminal.

An Air India Express official said, "The shuttle coach driver made a mistake and brought the passengers to the domestic terminal. A few shuttle buses were used to move the passengers to the terminal. Only one bus went to the wrong terminal. There were only a few passengers in it and the airline staff at the terminal contacted the immigration and also arranged for their transport to reach the international terminal to clear the arrival formalities. We have contacted the ground handling agency about the error. "

The AAI official said that the shuttle buses are operated by drivers who are trained for airside driving. "They have a permit after completing the training. This could be a mistake due to a communication error. The incident will be checked and corrective measures will be taken. "

Lengthy waits, despair for scores of patients as cries go unheard

Lengthy waits, despair for scores of patients as cries go unheard

Shinjini.Ghosh@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:29.12.2021

For 14-year-old Aradhya Yadav, Tuesday proved a long day as she waited on a stretcher with a plastered leg for a doctor to attend to her at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. But even after almost six hours of waiting, no doctor was available to see her.

Reema Yadav, the teen’s mother, said that they reached the hospital from Badarpur around 6am but hadn’t seen a doctor till past noon. “Aradhya had surgery around a fortnight ago and we were scheduled to visit the hospital today for a follow-up. In 15 days, proper dressing hasn’t been done even once,” the mother said. “When I called our doctor from the hospital, I was told to come back later because nobody was available. He simply asked us to continue with whatever medicines Aradhya was having despite the course being over.”

From a hassled father running anxious about his son’s treatment to a pregnant woman waiting on the pavement, patients and their caregivers found themselves helpless with hundreds of doctors at government hospitals on strike.

At Dwarka, Markandey Sharma reached the hospital around 9am with his wife. They were asked to go elsewhere as the emergency ward was closed due to the strike.

“My wife has been having intestinal problems and is finding it difficult to move. But at the hospital, we were asked to go somewhere else. We will probably head to the ESI Hospital because she needs immediate attention,” the desperate construction worker said.

Many others similarly complained of travelling long distances only to be turned back at the hospitals. Kishandevi was there with her injured 24-yearold son. “We cannot afford treatment in private hospitals, but this is what we face in government hospitals. They asked us to come once the strike was over,” she grumbled. The Rohini resident at Safdarjung Hospital added, “A bus takes us two hours and using the motorcycle means spending for petrol. It is almost a 45km journey to and fro.”

Mohammad Irfan of Shiv Vihar was pushed on his wheelchair from one area to another, his child on his lap, at the hospital for two hours before his mother and wife saw the futility of hanging around. “I can’t walk after an operation went wrong two years ago,” said Irfan. “I need regular check-ups, but today we found no one available here.”

Attendants of in-hospital patients said there were announcements on Monday about the strike. Flustered Badarpur resident Mohit said, “My father is admitted here after a recent stroke. Last evening, doctors said that we could take the patient home because of the strike. How can we just take him home? He is in a poor condition. We don’t know what to do.”

Call off stir, engaged with SC to solve EWS quota issue: Centre

Call off stir, engaged with SC to solve EWS quota issue: Centre

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:29.12.2021

Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday urged resident doctors to call off their strike over the delay in NEET-PG counselling in the larger interest of the public and said the Centre is engaged with the Supreme Court to quickly resolve the issue regarding the EWS quota.

In a meeting with the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (Forda), Mandaviya assured all requisite steps are being taken by the government and a suitable reply with respect to the EWS report will be submitted to the SC before the scheduled date of hearing on January 6. “We are not able to do the counselling because the matter is sub judice before the Supreme Court. The Government of India will submit a reply to the apex court before the scheduled date of hearing on January 6. We request the court to expedite the issue so that the counselling can be started at the earliest,” he said.

The apex court is hearing a batch of petitions challenging the government and a medical counselling committee (MCC) notice issued in July, providing 10% quota for the EWS (economically weaker sections) category and reservation for OBC (Other Backward Classes) in the All India Quota (AIQ) in medical admission through NEET. It has raised questions on the EWS income limit criteria and in the process the counselling process for NEET-PG has been stalled.

As per the legislation ratified by Parliament in January 2019, a general category student or candidate whose family income is less than Rs 8 lakh per year is eligible for EWS reservation.

While a set of petitions have challenged the income limit criterion of EWS at Rs 8 lakh per annum, the government told the SC in November that it will re-examine the limit with a committee headed by former finance secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey going into it. However, that would mean the counselling for the NEET post-graduate medical courses will be further postponed by four weeks.

The legal deadlock has in turn resulted in uncertainties for MBBS aspirants as well as resident doctors seeking admission to PG degrees. A large number of resident doctors on Tuesday protested on the premises of the Centre-run Safdarjung Hospital.

MANDAVIYA SAYS

We are not able to do the counselling because the matter is sub judice before the Supreme Court

Testing Times For All, Here’s Why Docs Are Protesting

Testing Times For All, Here’s Why Docs Are Protesting

As Third Wave Looms, Nearly 45,000 Doctors Waiting To Join Workforce Due To Delay In NEET-PG Counselling

Priyangi.Agarwal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:29.12.2021

Nearly 45,000 doctors are waiting to join the workforce but the counselling for National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET PG 2021), which is a process to allot medical colleges to qualified postgraduate candidates, has been delayed, leading to a shortage in hospitals and adding to the workload of the resident doctors. With the third wave of Covid-19 looming large, the residents are asking the government to expedite the counselling process and have struck work to press their demand.

The normal schedule for NEET PG exam is January and the counselling takes place in March-April with the new batches joining the medical colleges in May. The exam was delayed by the pandemic and was conducted only in September, with results declared by the end of that month.

Meanwhile, the government issued a notification on July 29 providing 27% reservation for other backward classes and 10% for economically weaker sections in the all India quota for NEET-PG. The counselling, which was to begin from October 25, was put on hold after some students moved the Supreme Court on the new reservation norms. When the matter was last heard in the apex court on November 25, the Centre sought four weeks to revise the eligibility for the EWS quota from the current limit of Rs 8 lakh annually. The matter will now be heard on January 6.

The residents want the counselling to be conducted quickly. They began the protest on November 27 but called it off later. However, they went back on protest in the second week of December. Dr Manish, president, Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA), said, “We have suffered a loss of one year due to the delay in counselling.”

The resident doctors, who are in the second and third year of their postgraduate courses, are managing the workload of three batches. A resident doctor who wished not to be named cautioned, “With a third Covid wave threatening life, the public will face much inconvenience if there is a shortage of doctors.”

Holding up a picture of police dragging him while protesting on Monday at ITO, Dr Shankar Kudari, who claimed to have sustained a foot injury, said, “I am a second-year postgraduate student. My seniors passed in June while my juniors haven’t begun their studies. This means the workforce has been reduced by 33%.” Due to the increased workload in the hospitals, residents were, he said, unable to focus on studies and their theses.

Doctors claimed their duty hours at times stretch up to 48 hours without a break. Dr Deepika Acharya, in his second year of PG, said, “We are on hospital duty for 96-100 hours a week. Recently, I worked without a break for 36 hours. This causes mental and physical exhaustion. We are unable to even give proper time to patients.”

Dr Pulkit Gupta too claimed to have toiled continuously for nearly 48 hours. He said, “Treating patients requires us to take bold decisions. But we are exhausted. A human body needs eight hours of sleep per day, and for six months now, we sometimes work for 48 hours without a break. I take a15-minute nap to function normally during such durations.”

Even if counselling is concluded at the earliest, doctors said it would take at least a month for the new batch to join hospitals. “When doctors in the first year of PG join the institutions, we train them for specialisation for six months. Without proper training, they can’t shoulder the workload,” said Dr Basava Kiran, who is in his third year of PG in anaesthesia at Safdarjung Hospital.

Kiran added, “On top of everything, the candidates who are waiting for counselling are on tenterhooks because they don’t know if they will get a college of their choice.”

SAFDARJUNG HOSPITAL

It has been nearly eight months and our junior batch is yet to join medical college. Due to an increase in workload, I am unable to focus on my thesis

Dr Neha Yadav 27

The counselling for NEET PG 2021 has been delayed, hampering admissions for the current academic year. We want the government to conduct the counselling soon

Dr Puja Yadav 28

We are working with a third of the manpower at a time when Covid cases are on the rise. Around 45,000 doctors are sitting at home and waiting to join hospitals

Dr Jaskaran Singh 26

We are working 70-80 hours a week. At times, we don’t get a break for 36 hours

Dr Mohammed Ameen 27

Our demand is not unethical. We are not here to do politics. Hospitals are running at a capacity of 66% doctors and, hence, we want the counselling to be conducted soon

Dr Ajit Singh 28

Jabalpur collector orders to withhold his own salary

Jabalpur collector orders to withhold his own salary

Jabalpur:29.12.2021

Irked by the delay in disposing of a large number of pending complaints of citizens on the chief minister's helpline, the collector of Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district has ordered to withhold his own salary along with that of a few other officers for the month of December, an official said on Tuesday.

As per a release issued on Monday, district collector Karamveer Sharma directed the district treasury officer to carry out the order to this effect.

The collector also directed to withhold the salaries of officers for this month for keeping complaints pending for over 100 days, it was stated.

Sharma issued the directives while conducting a department-wise review of pending complaints made on the chief minister's helpline during a meeting held at the district panchayat office on Monday, the official said. The collector instructed officers to be sensitive and dispose of the complaints within the time limit. Not a single complaint should be left unattended, he had stated.

Sharma further instructed to withhold the salaries of deputy municipal commissioners for negligence in dealing with matters related to cleanliness and the helpline.

The collector instructed to withhold the increment of some tehsildars for negligence in disposal of revenue cases and the executive engineer PIU (Project Implementation Unit) for lethargy in dealing various cases, the release said.

A show cause notice was also issued to a district marketing officer for not attending the meeting, it was stated.

Sharma directed officials to dispose of all complaints, either related to the CM Helpline or Samadhan, within the time limit. PTI

Bank heist in city, intruders escape with DVR

Bank heist in city, intruders escape with DVR

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bhopal:29.12.2021

In a high security zone during corona night curfew a major theft was reported at a private bank of Arera Hills locality during the two days of bank holiday. The time of the theft and appearance of the thieves remained unclear as the accused sprayed black paint on CCTV cameras and escaped with a DVR (digital video recorder) fitted in the bank.

The case was reported at Arera Hills police station on Monday after the bank manager reached the branch to open the bank. Arera Hills SHO, RK Singh, said that complainant, Nitish (43), branch manager of a private bank which is located in Malviya Nagar stated in his complaint that on Friday evening he locked the bank and left home. As Saturday and Sunday were holidays, he came to open the bank on Monday and was shocked to find that the main shutter locks broken.When he entered inside, he spotted that the entire bank was ransacked and the accused had tried to break the roon where cash was kept.

3 dead persons ‘vaccinated’ in Indore

3 dead persons ‘vaccinated’ in Indore

29.12.2021

Mobile teams in Indore have ‘vaccinated’ at least three dead persons with the second dose this week. A 63-year-old man was apparently given his second dose of the Covid vaccine eight months after his death in Indore district. His son received a message from CoWIN about this and checked the website, only to be stunned to see his ‘full vaccination certificate’. A 68-year-old woman’s kin were also shocked to see that she had been ‘vaccinated’ eight months after her death. In the third such case, a Sudama Nagar resident was ‘vaccinated’ on December 24 — six months after his death. The administration is investigating these cases.

SC: Insurer can’t refuse med claim citing existing condition

SC: Insurer can’t refuse med claim citing existing condition

‘Proposer Dutybound To Disclose All Facts Within Knowledge’

New Delhi:29.12.2021

An insurer cannot repudiate a claim by citing an existing medical condition that was disclosed by the insured in the proposal form, once the policy has been issued, the Supreme Court has said.

A bench of justices D Y Chandrachud and B V Nagarathna also said a proposer is under a duty to disclose to the insurer all material facts within his knowledge.

The proposer is presumed to know all the facts and circumstances concerning the proposed insurance, it added.

While the proposer can only disclose what is known to him, the proposer’s duty of disclosure is not confined to his actual knowledge, it also extends to those material facts which, in the ordinary course of business, he ought to know, the court said.

“Once the policy has been issued after assessing the medical condition of the insured, the insurer cannot repudiate the claim by citing an existing medical condition, which was disclosed by the insured in the proposal form and which condition has led to a particular risk in respect of which the claim has been made by the insured,” the bench said in a judgment.

The top court was hearing an appeal filed by Manmohan Nanda against an order of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), rejecting his plea seeking a claim for medical expenses incurred in the US.

Nanda had bought an Overseas Mediclaim Business and Holiday Policy as he intended to travel to the US. On reaching the San Francisco airport, he suffered a heart attack and was admitted to a hospital, where angioplasty was performed on him and three stents were inserted to remove the blockage from the heart vessels. Subsequently, the appellant claimed the treatment expenses from the insurer, which was repudiated by the latter stating that the appellant had a history of hyperlipidaemia and diabetes, which was not disclosed while buying the insurance policy. PTI

5 flyers stranded on airport bus for 45 mins, see flight take off

5 flyers stranded on airport bus for 45 mins, see flight take off

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kolkata:29.12.2021

Five people on way to Kolkata from Mumbai missed their 5am flight and were left stranded in an airline bus in the apron area of Mumbai airport for over 45 minutes on Monday morning when the driver refused to budge.

One of the stranded passengers, Baby Koerie, who works as a domestic help in Mumbai and borrowed Rs 7,500 from her employer for an air ticket to attend her mother's funeral, could not reach on time for the ceremony.

Despite repeated pleas the Go First ground staff remained unmoved. The passengers finally reached Kolkata via Bengaluru around 2.30pm instead of 7.30am. Kavya Sarkar, who along with colleague Subhangi Agarwal, was one of the five left behind by Go First flight G8 511, said they had reached the airport at 3.15am, completed check-in, security check and boarded the bus around 4.15am.

Koerie, who was desperate to see her mother before the cremation, began crying. “I just couldn't believe my rotten luck. I was paying a fortune to get a last glimpse of my mother but that opportunity was denied as we were held up in the bus that just didn't move,” sobbed Koerie.

State varsity student tests +ve for Omicron in Hyd

State varsity student tests +ve for Omicron in Hyd

29.12.2021

A University of Mysore student who arrived from Tanzania to Hyderabad has tested positive for Omicron. She is asymptomatic and isolated in an institutional facility.

Her swab samples were collected at Hyderabad international airport upon her arrival in India. The test results were sent to the district authorities on Tuesday. “She is asymptomatic,” said DHO Dr KH Prasad.

According to the authorities, on Tuesday also her swab samples were collected for the second RT-PCR test.

Meanwhile, the authorities informed that a nine-year-old girl, the first Omicron patient from the city, has recovered. TNN

KEEPING VIGIL: Cops check vehicles near Minsk Square in the wake of night curfew imposed by the government from Tuesday

874 ‘refuse’ Covid aid in K’taka, 69 families have no legal heir left

874 ‘refuse’ Covid aid in K’taka, 69 families have no legal heir left

Chethan.Kumar@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:29.12.2021

While hundreds of families which have lost a member to Covid-19 have received compensation from the Union and state governments, 874 families from across Karnataka have refused to accept the aid saying they do not need any financial assistance.

Bengaluru, with 551, has the most number of such families. There are 69 cases — 32 from Bengaluru — where all members of the family have died leaving no legal heirs to claim compensation. The government is unable to trace nearly 1,200 families, most of whom (910) are from Bengaluru. “These are cases where authorities were given improper or incomplete addresses and wrong phone numbers,” the official said.

Satish Kumar, director (pensions), said the exercise to get families onboard to avail compensation brought to the fore families that did not want the aid. This means these families were entitled to Rs 50,000 per death and their refusal saves the Centre at least Rs 4.4 crore.

There are 420 cases where families are living in other states. In all, there are 2,545 cases that the government will be unable to pay compensations to. And, 1,674 of them are from Bengaluru.

Periyar univ 2nd in NAAC ranking

Periyar univ 2nd in NAAC ranking

Salem: 29.12.2021

Periyar University has bagged the second place with A++ in the all-India ranking of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). Vice-chancellor of the university R Jagannathan on Tuesday said with a score of 3.61 out of 4, Periyar University has secured the first place in the state and the second place at the national level among the state government universities. “This is the first time the university has achieved the top coveted position,” he said. The NAAC peer team inspected the university between December 22 and December 24. TNN

TN Class X, XII board exams to be held in May 2022: Minister

TN Class X, XII board exams to be held in May 2022: Minister

Two Revision Tests In Jan And March

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:29.12.2021

Class X and XII board exams for state board students will be held in May 2022 after two revision tests in January and March, school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi told reporters here on Tuesday.

He was speaking after a meeting with chief educational officers where the progress of demolishing unsafe buildings in schools was discussed.

Later, the directorate of government examinations released a schedule and said the first revision test will be held from January 19 to 28 followed by one from March 21 to 29. Marks in these tests, school education department sources said, are likely to be used as backup in case board exams are cancelled due to another Covid wave.

Schools welcomed the announcement saying students will get more time to prepare for exams in May. “They will have three to four months to prepare. Teachers also will have time to complete the syllabus and revise,” said N Vijayan, senior principal, Zion Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Tambaram.

Teachers’ associations, however, urged the government to plan the rest of the academic year keeping the rapidly spreading Omicron variant in mind. “States have started to close schools to prevent Omicron spread. The school education department should consider the situation while planning exams,” said P Patric Raymond, general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Graduate Teachers Federation.

Earlier, speaking about the meeting with chief educational officers, Poyyamozhi said that in the first phase, officials identified unsafe buildings in 1,600 schools and that demolition work was on. “We instructed officials to check the stability of all buildings in schools. In the wall collapse incident in Tirunelveli, the toilet wall was built without any foundation,” he said.

Officials were directed to ensure display of helpline number 14417 in classrooms and schools to create awareness among students. Schools should have a complaint box to receive sexual harassment complaints, Poyyamozhi added.