Union minister lands at wrong lounge at airport, probe ordered

Union minister lands at wrong lounge at airport, probe ordered

Oppili.P@timesofindia.com 31.10.2024

Chennai : An inquiry has been ordered after Union minister for housing and urban affairs Manohar Lal landed at an old and unused lounge during his recent visit to Chennai, allegedly due to a lack of proper communication among officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI). A few days ago, a senior AAI official said, the minister flew down to Chennai for a meeting with state govt authorities. When he came out of the aircraft at the city air port, a vehicle from the AAI meant for transporting VVIPs was promptly sent to pick him up at the foot of the aircraft. The vehicle, however, drove straight to the old VIP lounge, which was not in use and dropped off the minister, while his guests including AAI officials, friends and cadres of the state BJP unit waited in the new VIP lounge to receive him. 

The minister, finding no one available at the lounge, then called his guests who informed him that they were indeed waiting in the lounge. The minister then called the airport director and other officials in charge of receiving and sending off VVIPs at the airport and a team was immediately sent to the old lounge. When the team of officials arrived, it was realized that the minister had been driven to the wrong lounge and that it was probably due to a lack of communication among the AAI officials concerned. The incident has sent shock waves among the AAI authorities and the Chennai airport director has ordered a thorough inquiry, the senior AAI official added.

Man, 42, who ran clinic without MBBS degree held

Man, 42, who ran clinic without MBBS degree held 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 31.10.2024 

Chennai : A 42-year-old man was arrested by the Ambattur police for running a clinic without an MBBS degree. The man ran the clinic with a registration number belonging to another doctor. According to police, J Guganathan of Kolathur ran Sri Balaji Clinic in Ambattur without being a doctor. Based on a complaint, Dr M A Elangovan, the joint director of medical and rural health services, conducted a raid at the clinic and found that Guganathan had not completed his MBBS degree.

Inquiries revealed that he had joined Stanley Medical College in 2004 but discontinued the course after three years. Police said Guganathan used a fake registration number belonging to another doctor and ran the clinic, where he treatd patients for a fee. He was remanded in judicial custody on Wednesday.

One held with fake NEET scorecard

One held with fake NEET scorecard 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 31.10.2024 

Chennai : A Class XII student and his unsuspecting parents found themselves in hot water after presenting a forged NEET scorecard that boasted of an impressive 698 marks out of 720. The student’s actual score was only 129. Their visit to the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University office on Tuesday was meant to secure admission to Madras Medical College (MMC), but it quickly turned into an inquiry at Kilpauk police station. 

According to police, the student had scored 129 in this year's test. Frustrated by his low scores, he devised a plan to create fake marksheets. He sought help from two of his friends and crafted a scorecard that inflated his marks to 698 out of 720. Police said the parents were unaware of their son's scheme. Armed with the fraudulent scorecard, the student and his parents approached the university office to inquire about his admission status. University officials scrutinized the document and discovered it was forged. They alerted police. Acting on a complaint filed by Dr Karamath, deputy director of medical education (DDME), Kilpauk police registered a case and arrested the aspiring medical student. A hunt is now underway for his two aides, one of whom is employed at a photocopy centre in Adya

Mad rush: Roads out of city gridlocked for 100 km

Mad rush: Roads out of city gridlocked for 100 km 

Traffic Snarl Extends Till Ulundurpet 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  31.10.2024 

Chennai : A large number of people deciding to spend Diwali in their hometowns resulted in back-breaking traffic logjams on roads leading out of the city on Wednesday. Traffic congestion stretched far beyond Perungalathur, Vandalur and Chengalpet, extending upto 100 km till Tindivanam. Vehicles crawled for another 100 km toward Ulundurpet, stuck in queues behind buses and trucks. South-bound cars took five hours to cross this stretch on Tuesday. Over one lakh vehicles passed through the Paranur toll plaza in the last 36 hours, with even more expected on Wednesday night. 

Many travellers started their journey as early as 5 am on Wednesday in hopes of avoiding the crowd, but the bottleneck, which began at Perungalathur on Tuesday night, continued with no end in sight. After the state govt announced that schools would have half-day sessions on Wednesday, many parents opted to leave earlier than planned, adding to the traffic volume. Despite traffic police urging private cars to avoid the GST road and use Old Mahabalipuram Road to reach Chengalpet, many drivers ignored the advice, worsening the chaos along the Kilambakkam stretch.

Although the govt announced highway patrols every ten kilometres, motorists said patrols were minimal after Chengalpet. “Bikers cutting across lanes on national highways, designed for high-speed travel, added to the chaos,” said Arulmurugan, who spent nine hours driving to Madurai. 

Samay Singh Meena, DCP (traffic) in Tambaram, said 440 police officers were deployed to regulate traffic at Kilambakkam and Tambaram, and diversions were introduced at Maduravoyal and Poonamallee from Wednesday afternoon. “Heavy vehicles were restricted from using GST Road,” he added. Over 4.5 lakh passengers departed from Kilambakkam bus terminus in the last three days. Chennai Egmore and Central railway stations were packed too as Southern Railway operated three unreserved special trains to Trichy and Coimbatore to handle the last-minute rush.

Pensioners can submit digital life certificate at home through postal staff from Nov. 1

Pensioners can submit digital life certificate at home through postal staff from Nov. 1

The Hindu Bureau

MADURAI 31.10.2024

Pensioners of the Central and the State governments, Armed Forces, Employees Provident Fund and other pensioners who were required to submit life certificate from November 1 can do so from their home through the local postal employees.

To avoid the hassle of submitting life certificate in person, the India Post Payments Bank under the Postal Department has made arrangements for the postal employees to collect digital life certificate (Jeevan Pramaan) using biometric or FACE RD application methods directly from the home of the pensioners for a service charge of ₹70 to be paid to the postal employee.

The pensioners who wish to avail themselves of this service can contact the nearest post office or the local postal employee. They can also register the request through the website: https://ccc.cept.gov.in/ServiceRequest/request.aspx or by downloading the ‘Postinfo application’. For further details, people can contact 0452 2534499.

Special camps

Special camps will be organised in all the post offices from November 1 to provide this service and pensioners can submit their Aadhaar number, mobile phone number, PPO number and pension account details to the postal employee to submit their digital life certificate, according to a press release issued by the Senior Superintendent of Post Offices, Madurai Division on Wednesday.

Vijay cannot be ignored

Vijay cannot be ignored

His speech has drawn admiration and criticism in equal measure

T. Ramakrishnan

ramakrishnan.t@thehindu.co.in  31.10.2024

state of play

The response that Tamil film actor Vijay received for his speech at the inaugural State-level conference of his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), in Vikravandi on October 27 was mostly on expected lines. Mr. Vijay’s indirect attack on the ruling DMK government in Tamil Nadu and the BJP-led Central government and his statement on power sharing have become talking points among the political parties of the State. While the DMK, a couple of its allies, and the BJP did not take his speech kindly, the AIADMK, the principal Opposition party, viewed it favourably in view of the perception that Mr. Vijay did not target it. If reactions on social media are any indication, the TVK leader’s words created an impact on the people. Some admired the speech, while others criticised him for being vague on many serious issues.

As he laid down the broad contours of his party’s policies and action plans in the already cluttered political landscape of Tamil Nadu, it became clear that Mr. Vijay was adopting the general line of thinking seen in his films. By and large, his films belong to the ‘masala movie’ genre. They offer nothing different either in terms of plot or narration from other movies in the same genre. In many of his films, the protagonist, played by Mr. Vijay, represents subaltern communities or identifies with them.

The manner in which he spoke at Vikravandi, the contents of his speech, and the way the conference was organised indicated that the actor may want to follow a similar formula in politics too: nothing radically new; and in support of social justice.

He did differ from other politicians in some aspects, however. He spoke simple and direct Tamil and liberally used English words and punchlines. He did not wear a crisp, white dhoti, the uniform of politicians in the State, but instead chose trousers and a shirt. The conference began with some of the State’s traditional dance forms — Paraiyattam, Mayilattam, Devarattam, and Vallikummi. He also announced that he would be open not only to forming an alliance with other parties, but also giving a share in power in the event of victory in the 2026 Assembly polls.

Even though the film star-turned-politician did not name the DMK and the BJP in his attack, the leaders of the two parties were quick to find fault with him. Alluding to Mr. Vijay’s observation that the TVK was neither the “A team” nor the “B team” of any other party, the State Law Minister, S. Regupathy, labelled the latest entrant the “C team” of the BJP, while Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and former State president of the BJP, L. Murugan, contended that Mr. Vijay’s speech lacked clarity. To substantiate his point, he referred to the TVK leader calling Dravidam and Tamil nationalism as “two eyes” and said the two concepts were contradictory to each other.

The DMK’s allies were not attracted by Mr. Vijay’s offer of power sharing. The principal secretary of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Durai Vaiko, said it would create confusion. The leader of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Thol Thirumavalavan, who defended the demand for a share in power not too long ago, said Mr. Vijay’s “offer” was an attempt to pre-empt the AIADMK. The Congress’s State unit chief, K. Selvaperunthagai, said his party would “wait and watch” even as he welcomed Mr. Vijay’s position.

The AIADMK was the only major party which seemed to support Mr. Vijay. Referring to the actor’s observation that certain parties took an “anti-fascism” position but had “underground dealings” with the same forces, the general secretary of the AIADMK, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, said others too were echoing what his party had been saying all along — that the DMK and the BJP shared a “tacit understanding.” He did not want to get drawn into any debate on the issue of power sharing and simply said, “Each party has its own policy...It would not be proper for me to comment on whether his [Mr. Vijay’s] stand is right or wrong.” When asked whether he would agree to a proposal of power sharing where he would be Chief Minister and the TVK leader, the Deputy Chief Minister, in the event of a victory in the elections, the AIADMK leader said that his party was functioning according to the policies set by its previous leaders.

While debates continue on how long the TVK leader will remain in the field, the reactions to his speech have made one thing clear: no one is ignoring Mr. Vijay.

Significance of Deepavali

Significance of Deepavali

faith

31.10.2024 

Celebrated as the festival of lights, Deepavali is one of the ancient festivals. The Pancharatra Agamam says Deepavali festival has been in existence through the yugas, starting with Krita yuga, said Tirukkudanthai Dr. Venkatesh.

Observed on the Amavasya day in the Tamil month of Aippasi, it denotes the emergence of Goddess Lakshmi with pot of nectar following the churning of the Milky Ocean by the devas and asuras. The word Avali denotes line-up and signifies the fact that the Goddess was welcomed with diyas lit sequentially by devas, saints and the others, when she emerged. Deepavali is also referred to Lakshmi Puja due to this reason.

People believe that in Treta yuga, Lord Rama defeated Ravana on Vijayadasami Day and returned to Ayodhya on the Amavasya day in Aippasi and hence Ayodhya continues to celebrate Deepavali by staging the Lanka war followed by the burning of the Ravana in effigy.

In the Dwapara yuga, on the day preceding Amavasya in Aippasi, Lord Krishna fought with Narakasura, a rakshasa who had stolen Indra’s pristine white umbrella and his mother Aditi’s earrings. Following Indra’s appeal to Krishna to recover the stolen items, Krishna, accompanied by Satyabhama, reached Narakasura’s abode and engaged in a fight with him, defeating the asura. With his last breath the rakshasa prayed to Krishna that He should negate the sins of all those who have a Ganga snan early morning and pray to God on Aippasi Amavasya.

The real benefit of observing Deepavali lies in the fact that the festival dispels the darkness of ignorance and fetches the blessings of Lakshmi.

Orissa HC grants bail to 3 in Balasore train accident case

Orissa HC grants bail to 3 in Balasore train accident case

Satyasundar Barik

BHUBANESWAR 31.10.2024 

The Orissa High Court has attributed one of India’s deadliest train accidents, which claimed the lives of 296 passengers in Balasore district last year, to the composite negligence of railway authorities who failed in upkeep, maintenance, and proper functioning of the signal system at the Bahanaga station.

The court, however, granted conditional bail to three railway employees who were investigated for their alleged lapses in duty, stating that there was no conclusive evidence to suggest that they were completely responsible for the tragedy. “The petitioners’ [three employees] entry into the North Goomty and the tampering with the circuit in North Goomty, which is the bone of contention of the prosecution, does not conclusively indicate that the petitioners are solely responsible for the tragedy,” the court observed. The court said the role of the stationmaster of the Bahanaga Bazar station was not inquired into properly by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Adjudicating the bail applications moved by the three employees, Justice Aditya Kumar Mohapatra said, “On a wholesome consideration of the entire incident, this court is of the view that the entire tragedy is a result of a composite negligence on the part of the railway personnel/officials/executives, who were responsible for the upkeep, maintenance and proper functioning of the signal system at the Bahanaga station.” The bail was granted as the CBI had concluded its investigation.

“There is no doubt that had the authorities been more careful and sincere in discharging their duties, the accident could have been averted, thereby saving the human lives lost,” the judge observed.

Justice Mohapatra added, “Be it a criminal act causing death of hundreds or a negligence on the part of the Indian Railways and its officials and employees, one thing is for certain; the magnitude of the damage in the present case is huge. Therefore, the investigation is required to be broad-based and comprehensive, taking within its sweep the conduct of every officer involved in the signaling system.”

Doctors call for early detection of breast cancer, highlight risk factors

Doctors call for early detection of breast cancer, highlight risk factors

Chennai accounts for the highest crude incidence rate of breast cancer in T.N., reveal data. Women who find a lump in

the breast take 6-8 months to seek medical help. They need to be breast-aware, and meet the right doctors, says expert

Serena Josephine M.

CHENNAI

One in 19 women in Chennai are at risk of being affected by breast cancer in their lifetime — 0 to 74 years*.

Chennai also has the highest Crude Incidence Rate (CIR) of breast cancer in the State, at 51.8 per 1,00,000 population, indicating that more than one factor is driving the rising incidence of the cancer, data from the Tamil Nadu Cancer Registry Project 2019, Cancer Institute (WIA), have revealed.

V. Sridevi, professor, Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute, said that the significant increase in the incidence of breast cancer was a real concern. “Women who find a lump in the breast take six to eight months to seek medical help, and most often, they do not meet the right doctor. They must be more breast-aware, and meet the right doctors for timely diagnosis,” she said.

Dr. Sridevi said that only about 5% to 10% of breast cancer cases were due to family history. Many factors were at play for the remaining 90% of the cases — one of which is lifestyle changes such as diet, delayed childbearing and nulliparity (having no children), which have increased the risk of breast cancer. R. Swaminathan, professor and head, Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Cancer Registry and Associate Director, Cancer Institute, said, “Factors such as late age of marriage and late age at first childbirth have become natural reasons for the increase of breast cancer in women. Over the past 30 years, the median age of first childbirth has increased by five to 10 years. This is because of many reasons such as education, profession and empowerment of women,” he added. Better awareness levels over the years though have led to early diagnosis of the cancer now. “At the Cancer Institute, nearly 25 years ago, 60% of women came with locally advanced cancer (stage 3). At present, about half of the patients are in the early stages. This is a definite shift,” Dr. Sridevi said.

The State’s Health Department has learnt from the Community-Based Organised Cancer Screening, rolled out in November 2023 at Erode Health Unit District. The initiative was piloted in Erode, Ranipet, Kanniyakumari and Tirupattur, and is all set to be rolled out across the State.

T.S. Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, said that an area of concern was hesitancy among those with suspected symptoms to go for higher evaluation for further confirmation.

Arvind Krishnamurthy, professor and head, surgical oncology, Cancer Institute, said the presence of dense breasts as evidenced on mammograms had been shown to carry a higher risk of developing breast cancer. The issue gained interest with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requiring all mammograms, as of September 10, to include information on breast density. Surgery remains one of the mainstays of breast cancer management.

“It has been traditionally believed that safe surgery had to entail a modified radical mastectomy, or a total removal of breast and axillary nodes. However, evidence over the past several decades has suggested that the option of breast conservation, including conservation of the axilla (sentinel lymph node biopsy), is safe in early-stage breast cancers...,” he added.

The growing popularity of oncoplastic surgeries have additionally resulted in enhanced cosmetic outcomes in women undergoing breast conservation surgeries, Dr. Krishnamurthy said.

It may be noted that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

(*This is the cumulative risk of acquiring breast cancer in a woman’s lifetime from birth to 74 years of age calculated by a formula using summation of 5-year age specific incidence rates up to age 74).

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is expected to release the schedule for the NEET PG counselling process on November 11, 2024.

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is expected to release the schedule for the NEET PG counselling process on November 11, 2024. 

Reports cited Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) as saying that the counselling for the NEET PG 2024 will begin from November 11, 2024.

NDTV EDUCATION New Delhi:30.10.2024

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is expected to release the schedule for the NEET PG counselling process on November 11, 2024. Reports cited Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) as saying that the counselling for the NEET PG 2024 will begin from November 11, 2024.

FORDA stated, “NEET PG 2024 counselling to begin latest by 11th of November. The 4-month delay makes the timeline for #2025 challenging. The vicious cycle continues for the 3rd year straight. Will this ever end?”

Candidates who appeared for the postgraduate medical entrance exam and are awaiting counselling will be able to access the schedule on the official website. Once the schedule is available, students can select their preferred colleges and courses on the official MCC portal to participate in the NEET PG 2024 counselling process.

Survankar Datta, president of Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) wrote in a post mentioning that the NEET PG counselling schedule will be put up soon, and recent issues preventing the release of schedule have been resolved.

The Supreme Court will also hear a plea concerning discrepancies in the NEET PG results and a demand for the release of the answer key on November 19.

Comments

The NEET PG 2024 exam was conducted on August 11 in two shifts-from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 3:30 pm to 7:00 pm-for a total of 228,540 candidates. It was held across 170 cities nationwide at 416 centres. In the first shift, 107,959 of the 114,276 registered candidates appeared, while in the second shift, 108,177 of the 114,264 registered candidates attended. The results were declared on August 23.

TRAI extends deadline for telecom operators to implement new message traceability rules

TRAI extends deadline for telecom operators to implement new message traceability rules 

30.10.2024 

TRAI extends the deadline for telecom operators to implement new message traceability rules to December 1, aiming to enhance user security and combat spam. This extension allows companies more time to adapt to regulations designed to prevent phishing and protect consumers from fraudulent messages. 

TRAI extends deadline for telecom operators to implement new message traceability rules In a crucial step toward improving user safety, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has granted telecom operators an additional month to meet new regulations regarding the traceability of commercial messages. Originally telecom-operators-to-implement-new-message-traceability-rules- scheduled to be enforced on November 1, these regulations aim to discourage spam and phishing threats, particularly those involving the misuse of One-Time Passwords (OTPs). The new implementation deadline has been shifted to December 1, requiring telecom companies to ensure that all commercial communications sent to users are traceable. This measure is intended to protect consumers from fraudulent messages and phishing attempts. Any messages that cannot be verified as traceable by the deadline will be prohibited from reaching users. 

Prominent telecom operators, including Airtel, Vodafone-Idea, and Reliance Jio, have voiced their concerns regarding the difficulties posed by these new rules. They have communicated to TRAI that non-compliance could lead to significant disruptions for users, especially regarding messages from banks, telemarketing companies, and various businesses that may not be fully prepared for this transition. Consequently, these companies have requested more time to adjust to the new regulations. 

In light of these concerns, TRAI has permitted a phased approach to implementation. Telecom operators are required to send daily reminders to banks, telemarketers, and other businesses until November 30. After this warning period, any messages failing to comply with the new traceability standards will be banned starting December 1. This proactive strategy is designed to ensure that all involved parties are ready for the upcoming changes. These regulations were initially set to begin on October 1, but the deadline was first moved to November 1, and now it has been extended again. This marks the second adjustment to the timeline, which also included changes related to the incorporation of URLs and OTP links into a whitelist.

The main objective of these regulations is to combat spam and enhance user security within the telecom industry. TRAI has signalled that it will impose strict penalties on those who fail to comply, including blacklisting offenders, disconnecting mobile numbers, and utilizing a blockchain-based platform for monitoring telemarketing calls. As the new deadline approaches, telecom operators are intensifying their efforts to adhere to TRAI’s mandates. This includes improving internal processes and ensuring that their messaging systems meet the new requirements.  

TRAI extends deadline for telecom operators to implement new message traceability rules - Technology News | The Financial… https://www.financialexpress.com/life/technology-trai-extends-deadline-for-telecom-operators-to-implement-new-message-traceability-rules-3652… 2

University of Madras to implement NEP's Academic Bank of Credits

University of Madras to implement NEP's Academic Bank of Credits

The Senate has passed a resolution to create ABC IDs for all students enrolled in undergraduate, postgraduate and diploma courses in the university and its affiliated colleges

Express News Service

Updated on:

29 Oct 2024, 11:54 am

CHENNAI: Though the state government is still maintaining its stand against the National Education Policy (NEP), it may be making its way into state universities.

The University of Madras, in its recent Senate meeting, has decided to implement the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), an essential component of NEP. The NEP 2020 calls for the implementation of a credit-based system as it facilitates flexible and integrated education opportunities. ABC envisages digitally storing academic credits earned by students from various recognised higher educational institutions (HEIs). The system has been designed to support the seamless transfer and redemption of credits across HEIs in the country. It helps in the implementation of multiple exit and entry systems.

The Senate has passed a resolution to create ABC IDs for all students enrolled in undergraduate, postgraduate and diploma courses in the university and its affiliated colleges and also for students of the Institute of Distance Education (IDE).

“UGC has set a deadline of December 31 for the creation of ABC IDs. If we defy it, it will end any opportunities for us to get funding from it. Adding to it, our students will also suffer,” said a faculty in the university. “With no funding from the state government and no clarity on the implementation of State Education Policy (SEP), it may not be wise to disobey all orders of UGC,” said a varsity official.

The senate also passed a resolution to rename the university’s Human Resource Development (HRD) Centre as Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Centre, which is also a part of NEP. UGC has mandated the renaming of these HRD centres, which are funded by it, across the country. According to official sources, since last year, UGC has asked them to change the name of the centre and conduct capacity-building programmes among college teachers for the implementation of NEP 2020. However, the university had been sitting over it.

“It was essential to pass both the resolutions as we have been avoiding them for too long. However, a final call on the implementation of these decisions will be taken by the state government as we are not an autonomous body,” said a member of the Senate.

However, few Senate members opposed the implementation of these decisions as the state government has been opposing the NEP.

“Just because the Centre and State are not on the same page and have differences over NEP, five of our state universities are suffering without vice-chancellors. Then how can we allow implementation of these resolutions,” said another Senate member.

Hundreds of PG doctors abscond from mandatory government duty in Tamil Nadu

Hundreds of PG doctors abscond from mandatory government duty in Tamil Nadu

In health institutions under the DME&R alone, there are 316 absconding doctors, said health secretary Supriya Sahu.

Thinakaran Rajamani

Updated on:

30 Oct 2024, 9:57 am

TENKASI: Even as scores of students in Tamil Nadu fight the discernible exclusiveness of NEET, hundreds of others who were fortunate enough to reap education benefits and take the Hippocratic Oath continue to abscond from government service without any fear of action.

Under the Right to Information Act, TNIE obtained a list of 144 absconding doctors from 21 public health institutions under the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DME&R) in the last four years. Most institutions under the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services (DMS) refused even to provide that information. In health institutions under the DME&R alone, there are 316 absconding doctors, said health secretary Supriya Sahu.

Activists said strong action must be taken against hundreds of such PG doctors, who left government service to join the private sector after availing of 50% reservation in PG seats, 30% incentive marks in PG NEET, and three years of education leave with a hefty government salary. These doctors had signed a security bond with the state, promising to remain in government service until retirement, which they have now violated. Though action must have been initiated within weeks of them absenting themselves from work, a few of them have been served with show-cause notices only now, they said.

Take the case of Dr Tamilarasan, MD, who has been on unauthorised absence from Shengottai GH since March 3, 2022. He works at a hospital owned by his family member. Despite an inquiry, no step has been taken to recover his bond money.

Health secy says action taken against 40 doctors

When contacted, Tamilarasan told TNIE that he was ready to pay the bond amount. “I agree that we promised to serve the government until superannuation. However, I could not continue my service due to various reasons, including forceful deputation to other stations.

The government should tone down the rules prepared decades ago for service PGs,” he added.Dr Nagajothi, who worked in Tenkasi GHQH until March 4, 2024, absconded and started a scan centre right in front of the GHQH. Health officials said they had issued a charge memo against her, but she did not respond to TNIE’s attempt to reach her.

Health activist C Anandaraj urged the state to form a team led by an IAS officer to recover the bond amount from absconding doctors and initiate legal action, including cancellation of registration. “Doctors who completed diploma availing all benefits must pay around Rs 10 lakh, while those who completed PG courses need to pay up to Rs 40 lakh,” he said.

“The health department has initiated steps to recover the bond amount from absconding doctors under the Revenue Recovery Act. Doctors across the state have begun to receive show cause notices. The number of government doctors should be increased from around 20,550 to 30,500,” he said.

Health Secretary Supriya Sahu said, “We are taking this very seriously. My circular, issued to department directors within weeks of joining, clearly sets the tone for the action to come. Around 40 cases of absconding doctors are in various stages of action.”

Meanwhile, Dr Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, said his directorate had dismissed 508 doctors of DME&R, DMS, and DPH for various acts of misdemeanour, including absconding from government duty, and initiated action against another 457.

Violation of bond

These doctors had signed a security bond, promising to remain in government service until retirement, which they have now violated

Madurai Kamaraj University yet to pay for paper evaluation, rue teaching faculty

Madurai Kamaraj University yet to pay for paper evaluation, rue teaching faculty

“This would be paid out of the examination fees paid by the students. Semester examination was held in April and the evaluation work was completed in August," he said.

Madurai Kamaraj University. (File photo)

Express News Service

Updated on:

30 Oct 2024, 12:04 pm

MADURAI: The teaching faculty of Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) and its affiliated colleges complained that the university was delaying their paper evaluation remuneration. Speaking to TNIE requesting anonymity, a teaching faculty working in an affiliated college said MKU pays Rs 12 per paper for evaluating UG courses and Rs 15 per paper for PG courses. Similarly, MKU pays Rs 150 as Travelling Allowance (TA) for local faculty and Rs 250 for outstation faculty.

“This would be paid out of the examination fees paid by the students. Semester examination was held in April and the evaluation work was completed in August," he said.

He further stated that such payments would be made one month after the evaluation. However, the MKU authorities have not paid the same till now. Most faculty who come in for evaluation are guest lecturers working in government colleges and self-financed colleges, and they earn about Rs 25,000 per month. They opt for such evaluation to earn additional income, he added.

In response, MKU Controller of Examination (in charge) T Dharmaraj said the payments are under process and a bill for paper evaluation has been signed by the authorities. The faculty will get the remuneration by next week, he said.

Man held for ‘digital arrest’ scam

Man held for ‘digital arrest’ scam 

Sindhu.Kannan@timesofindia.com 30.10.2024

Chennai : Two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned people against falling prey to scamsters who threaten people with ‘digital arrest,’ an Ambattur resident lost ₹1.05 crore to fraudsters who used the ‘digital arrest’ method. The account to which the money had been transferred in three instalments, however, belonged to a Velachery resident K Sathishkumar, who floated a fake firm, opened a savings bank account and then sold it to cyber fraudsters. 

The Avadi cybercrime police traced Sathishkumar and seized three cell phones, seven credit cards, and ₹8,000. According to a complaint from Rameshkumar of Ambattur, he received a video call from a man who claimed to be a CBI officer. He told Rameshkumar that his name had been linked to a pending money-laundering case wherein Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty’s husband Raj Kundra was the main culprit. It may be noted that Kundra was accused of creating and distributing porn films through apps and was arrested in Sept 2021. He is currently out on bail. Giving these details, the fake CBI officer told Rameshkumar that he was under ‘digital arrest’ and that he had to transfer the cash deposit in him bank accounts to several other accounts belonging to the ‘CBI’. 

He said the money would be returned to him in two hours if the ‘law enforcement agencies’ found him innocent. Till the ‘verification’ is complete, he should not reveal his ‘digital arrest’ even to his family members, he was warned. Believing the words, Rameshkumar transferred a total of ₹1.05 crore in three instalments. As there was no more communication from the other side, Ramesh Kumar realised that he had been cheated. He then lodged a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP) and approached the Avadi cybercrime wing. A team headed by cybercrime inspector Praveen Kumar tracked the account that belonged to Sathishkumar of Velachery. 

Inquiries revealed that he floated a fake firm in his name, opened a 

savings account and sold it to the fraudsters. Only on Monday, Prime Minister Modi asked people to be vigilant against “digital arrests” and said investigative agencies never contact individuals over phone or video call for such matters. The Prime Minister also said probe agencies were working with the states to deal with the issue.

No deadline extension leads to loss of 50 MBBS seats

No deadline extension leads to loss of 50 MBBS seats 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  30.10.2024 

Chennai : Union govt has refused to extend the deadline for admission to MBBS/BDS courses for 2024 and the state selection committee said it would not admit students to the 50 additional MBBS seats at Annaii Medical College and Research Institute this academic year. Additionally, results for the stray (final) round of counselling will be released a day late on Wednesday following a request from several parents. Last week, the state selection committee wrote to the Centre seeking permission to extend the deadline for medical and dental counselling. Health minister Ma Subramanian said the addition of fresh seats in the stray round is not possible as students don’t have the option to upgrade seats in this round. Adding fresh seats without giving the option of upgrade would defeat the purpose of merit, he said. When the committee permits upgradation, it will create vacancies in other colleges too. “So, to fill seats, we need a special round. It can’t be done in the stray vacancy round, where students are debarred if they don’t take the seat they are allotted,” he said.

On Oct 23, Annaii Medical College and Research Institute announced that it received permission to admit 50 more students, taking its seat tally to 100. The stray round, which began the next day, had 296 vacant seats in medical and dental colleges. This includes one MBBS seat and 23 BDS seats in govt colleges, 67 seats in self-financing medical colleges and 61 MBBS seats in private medical universities, besides four BDS seats under the 7.5% quota for govt students and 136 seats in self-financing dental colleges. 

Results Delayed The results for the stray vacancies will be announced on Wednesday instead of Tuesday, officials said. The selection committee said that eligible candidates must pay an additional security deposit of ₹5 lakh for the MBBS course and ₹2 lakh for the BDS course to take part in the stray round or subsequent round (if any). The amount will not be refunded if the candidate does not  join the courses after allotment. In addition to the security deposit, the candidates must pay the tuition fee and discontinuation fee if they do not join courses after allotment and will be barred from counselling for 2025. “Most parents wanted an extension of the deadline by a day as banks were closed on Saturday and Sunday,” said a senior official at the committee. “Instead of releasing the results on Tuesday, it will be released on Wednesday,” officials said

NEWS TODAY 30.10.2024

 

Lifestyle changes a major cause for stroke among young people, say doctors

Lifestyle changes a major cause for stroke among young people, say doctors

Resident Medical Officer S. Saravanan speaks at the World Strokes Day awareness programme conducted at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai on Tuesday. G. MOORTHY

The Hindu Bureau

MADURAI 30.10.2024

Stroke among young people is rising due to various lifestyle changes such as intake of food rich in saturated fat,lack of physical activities, sleep disorder, said P.K. Murugan, Head, Department of Neurology, Government Rajaji Hospital. Speaking at a public awareness meeting organised at GRH on the occasion of World Stroke Day on Tuesday, Dr. Murugan, attributed these negative factors to a sedentary lifestyle because of the youth’s job nature and location.

He highlighted the role of alteplase, a clot dissolving drug that could significantly improve recovery outcomes when administered to patients within 4.5 hours of symptom onset. “By using this treatment, patients have a better chance of clot dissolution and recovery,” he said.

S. Saravanan, Resident Medical Officer, said students and people of all professions should make it a habit to exercise every morning. “Those who cannot spare time in the morning should at least exercise or play any game in the evening. Everybody must devote at least an hour for physical reading of a book. This will help prevent most of the non-communicable diseases,” he said.

While sleep disorder leads to diabetes, blood pressure, obesity, etc., practising physical exercise and reading could help in getting a good sleep, Dr. Saravanan said. Stroke does not come suddenly. It gives warning signals. So, by taling these precautionary steps, it could be prevented, he added.

Ph. D scholar presents petition to Governor during convocation

Ph. D scholar presents petition to Governor during convocation

The Hindu Bureau 30.10.2024 

TIRUCHI 30.10.2024 

A Ph.D research scholar F. Israel Inbaraj, 51, presented a petition, complaining about the treatment meted out to research scholars, to Governor R.N. Ravi on the dais during the Bharathidasan University convocation on Tuesday. Mr. Inbaraj presented the petition to the Governor while receiving the degree from him, causing a flutter.

Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, the Chennai-based management professional said he had a passion for teaching and had earned six degrees. “I applied for a Ph. D in Human Resource Management at BDU in 2017, but was able to get my degree only after six years. There are many others like me who have been suffering. I decided to present a petition to the Governor-Chancellor to inform him about the treatment meted out to research scholars at the university,” Mr. Inbaraj told The Hindu.

He said that paperwork delays by the university had created many procedural problems.

He had petitioned the Governor for a more humane treatment of research scholars and clear guidelines on submissions. He had complained about the arbitrary rejection of journal publications because of frequent changes in the University Grants Commission-Consortium for Academic Research and Ethics (UGC-CARE) list.

“My petition was made on behalf of all the aspiring research scholars,” he said.

How the media covered the launch of ADMK and subsequent developments

How the media covered the launch of ADMK and subsequent developments

1 of 2 Landmark events: M.G. Ramachandran’s fans taking out a procession after garlanding the statue of C.N. Annadurai in Madurai on October 15, 1972. At right, MGR addressing a huge gathering from a special rostrum erected at the foot of the Anna Statue on Anna Salai, Madras, hours after he was sworn in as the Chief Minister on June 30, 1977.The Hindu Archivesprevnext

While carrying a substantial number of reports concerning the ADMK on the pages meant for the State, The Hindu, however, published prominently on the front page atthe time of key developments — be it the suspension of MGR from the DMK, or the formation of ADMK, or its spectacular success in the 1973 Dindigul Lok Sabha by-election

T. Ramakrishnan

The extensive media coverage of the maiden State-level conference of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by actor Vijay, has spurred interest among the intelligentsia in how the press fared at the time of the inauguration of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which was established by veteran actor and former DMK treasurer M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) in October 1972.

The Hindu’s approach towards vividly capturing the political events of Tamil Nadu can be evident from its coverage of developments leading to the formation of the AIADMK in 1972 and the events until after the party was voted to power in June 1977. A search in the newspaper’s internal archival system for the term, ADMK (Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which was how the party was called until September 1976), threw up 756 entries for reports published from October 1972 to December 1973.

While carrying a substantial number of the reports concerning the ADMK in the pages meant for the State, the newspaper, however, published on page 1 reports of key developments — be it the suspension of MGR from the DMK, or the formation of the ADMK, or its spectacular success in the 1973 Dindigul Lok Sabha by-election.

Start of the showdown

Even though the showdown between MGR and the DMK leadership began in the first week of October 1972 with his famous speech at Thirukazhukundram, there was an indication on September 29 that year that members of the MGR Mandrams (fans’ clubs) were planning a body of their own when they put up at a busy locality of Tirunelveli town a separate flag with the figure of a lotus in crimson hue at the centre. Till then, the leader’s fans had only the DMK’s flag for their Mandrams. This development was captured briefly in a report on page 12 of the edition dated October 1, 1972.

On October 8, MGR, in his speech at Thirukazhukundram, about 75 km from Chennai, urged town, taluk, and district secretaries of the DMK to make public the details of their assets. Sensing the political significance of the speech which was made a few days before the scheduled meetings of the party’s executive and general council, the newspaper carried a box report on his speech at the bottom of the front page the next day.

Two days later, when the DMK leadership announced its decision to suspend MGR from the party, a report was published on the right top of the front page on October 11, 1972. On page 12, an account of the reaction of rickshaw-pullers, women from slums, small-scale traders, and hoteliers was presented in two reports from Tiruchi and Madurai.

ADMK announced

On October 19, the newspaper published at the lower bottom of the front page a report based on MGR’s interaction with journalists the previous day wherein he had announced the formation of the ADMK. On November 10, MGR, along with his party colleagues and representatives of his allies — the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Republican Party — took out a “mammoth procession” over 10 km to the Raj Bhavan at Guindy. This event was captured in a three-column report that was carried in the middle of the front page on November 11, 1972, with a four-column photograph below.

Six months later, the ADMK’s resounding victory in the byelection to the Dindigul Lok Sabha constituency was captured in a seven-column report at the top of the front page on May 22, 1973. The report carried a profile picture of the winning candidate, K. Maya Thevar. On February 27, 1974, the newspaper had another lead story, spanning over four columns, on the ADMK-CPI combine securing an absolute majority in the Puducherry Assembly election. The heading of the report also mentioned, “DMK Routed.”

On the same page, there was a report on the ADMK’s victory in the byelection to the Coimbatore (West) Assembly constituency, besides a couple of more on ADMK and CPI candidates leading over their nearest rivals — the Congress and Congress (Organisation) candidates — in the by-elections to the Puducherry and Coimbatore Lok Sabha constituencies. In March 1977, when the Lok Sabha elections were held, the coalition comprising the AIADMK (by then, the ADMK’s nomenclature got two more letters — AI or All India), the Congress and the CPI bagged 34 out of 39 seats. On March 21, 1977, there was a report at the bottom of the front page with the heading, ‘Sweeping Success for Cong.-AIADMK Alliance.’

Absolute majority for AIADMK

Three months later, the Assembly elections were held. On June 15 and 16, 1977, the newspaper carried on the right top portion of the front page reports on the victory of the AIADMK, which had, among others, the CPI (Marxist) and the Muslim League as partners. On the first day, the item had a single column photo of MGR, too, as he was declared elected. Below his picture was that of his colleague, Nanjil K. Manoharan, who also emerged victorious. The next day, the same slot had an item, titled ‘AIADMK Gets Absolute Majority’. The top middle portion had a box item which referred to the ADMK becoming the single largest party in the Puducherry Assembly election. MGR was sworn in as the Chief Minister on June 30, 1977, and the next day (July 1), almost one half of the front page was devoted to the event with two stories and two pictures — one displaying MGR addressing the crowd on Anna Salai after the swearing-in and the other showing a section of the crowd.

Report on press conference

In addition to the report on the swearing-in, the newspaper had reported on MGR’s press conference wherein he had stated that the government would maintain cordial ties with the Centre (which was headed by the Janata Party, which had aligned with the DMK in the 1977 Lok Sabha election). On the remaining columns, there were stories on the Assembly commencing its session on July 4 and the AIADMK Ministry assuming office in Puducherry on July 2.

A scrutiny of the treatment of all these events shows the newspaper’s adherence to high standards of professionalism