‘Raising of retirement age to benefit 4 lakh army personnel’

A study is currently under way to identify the disciplines where the service tenure can be extended

22/12/2019, DINAKAR PERI,NEW DELHI

The Army’s attempt to increase the retirement age of jawans in specialised disciplines progressively to between 55-58 years is likely to benefit 30-40% of the force, or about four lakh personnel, who would get to continue in the service longer, army officials said. A study is currently under way to identify various disciplines where the retirement age can be enhanced.

“We are loosing skilled manpower,” said an army official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“We have identified specialists in various disciplines and looking if we can increase their [retirement] age progressively to 50, 54 and eventually 58,” the official added. Such specialists include medical assistants, radiologists and technicians in the electronics and mechanical engineering corps posted at Corps Headquarters and base workshops among others. “Our estimate is this will benefit 30-40% of the personnel in the 1.2 million strong army,” the official stated

The study, which was initiated earlier this year and is being carried out by the Adjutant General, was to have been submitted to the government a couple of months back. However, it was later extended.

“It was sent to the Commands for comments but the initial feedback was not encouraging,” the official said, explaining the delay.

For instance, the Army Medical Corps (AMC) recommended only three trades for enhancement. So, Army Headquarters had asked for another assessment and the revised comments “are expected in a month.”

A majority of jawans start retiring at about 40-42 years of age. While this has been set due to the rigours of military service, there has been huge technological advancement over the decades and not all personnel go through the same stress or serve in extreme situations, officials said.

“The effort is to identify specialised disciplines by category and service and enhance the age of retirement,” the official added.

தண்டனை! முதியோரை கைவிட்டால் புதிய சட்டம் பாயும்; மகன் மட்டுமல்ல; மருமகளும் இனி பொறுப்பு

Updated : டிச 06, 2019 00:16 | Added : டிச 05, 2019 23:24

புதுடில்லி: வயதான மாமனார், மாமியாரை பராமரிக்காத, மருமகன், மருமகளுக்கு தண்டனை விதிக்கும் வகையில், பெற்றோர் மற்றும் மூத்த குடிமக்கள் நலன் மற்றும் பராமரிப்பு சட்டத்தில், திருத்தம் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. இந்த மசோதாவுக்கு, மத்திய அமைச்சரவை ஒப்புதல் அளித்துள்ளது. இந்த மசோதா, நடப்பு பார்லி., குளிர்கால கூட்டத் தொடரிலேயே தாக்கல் செய்யப்பட்டு, நிறைவேற்றப்படும் என, எதிர்பார்க்கப்படுகிறது.

உலகில், 60 வயதை கடந்த மூத்த குடிமக்கள் அதிகமாக உள்ள நாடுகளில், இரண்டாவது இடத்தில் இந்தியா உள்ளது. 2050-ம் ஆண்டில், இந்தியாவின் மொத்த மக்கள் தொகையில், முதியோர், 20 சதவீதம் இருப்பர் என, கணக்கிடப்பட்டுள்ளது. இளம் தலைமுறையினர் பலரும், தங்கள் பெற்றோர் மீது அக்கறையில்லாமல் இருப்பது வேதனைஅளிக்கும் விஷயம்.

நல்வாழ்வு சட்டம்:

பிள்ளைகள் வேலை தேடி, வேறு மாநிலங்களுக்கும், வெளிநாடுகளுக்கும் குடிபெயர்ந்து விடுவதால், மூத்த குடிமக்கள் பலரும், தங்களைத் தாங்களே பாதுகாத்துக் கொள்ள வேண்டிய நிலை ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது. இந்நிலையில், 2007ல் நிறைவேற்றப்பட்ட மூத்த குடிமக்கள் பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் நல்வாழ்வு சட்டத்தில், மத்திய சமூக நீதித்துறை அமைச்சகம், சில திருத்தங்களை செய்து, பெற்றோர் மற்றும் மூத்த குடிமக்கள் நலன் மற்றும் பராமரிப்பு சட்ட திருத்த மசோதா தயாரித்துள்ளது.

இந்த மசோதாவுக்கு, பிரதமர் மோடி தலைமையில், நேற்று முன்தினம் நடந்த மத்திய அமைச்சரவை கூட்டத்தில், ஒப்புதல் அளிக்கப்பட்டது. இந்த மசோதா, நடப்பு குளிர்கால கூட்டத்தொடரிலேயே, தாக்கல் செய்யப்பட்டு, நிறைவேற்றப்படும் என, எதிர்பார்க்கப்படுகிறது.

இந்த மசோதாவில் இடம் பெற்றுள்ள முக்கிய அம்சங்கள் பற்றி, மத்திய சமூக நீதித்துறை அமைச்சக உயர் அதிகாரி ஒருவர் கூறியதாவது: நாட்டின் அனைத்து மாவட்டங்கள் மற்றும் தாலுகாக்களில், மூத்த குடிமக்களின் குறைகளை தீர்க்க, ஆணையம் அமைக்கப்படும்.

பராமரிப்பு தொகை:

தங்களது பிள்ளைகளிடமிருந்து, உணவு, உடை, இருப்பிடம், மருத்துவ சிகிச்சை உள்ளிட்டவை கிடைக்கவில்லை என்றால், மூத்த குடிமக்கள், அந்த ஆணையத்தில் புகார் தெரிவிக்கலாம். அவர்களது குறைகள், பிரச்னைகளுக்கு, 90 நாட்களில் ஆணையம் தீர்வு காணும். அதிலும், 80 வயதுக்கு மேற்பட்ட மூத்த குடிமக்கள் கொடுக்கும் புகார் மனுக்கள் மீது, ஆணையம் உடனடியாக நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கும். இப்போது, பெற்றோரை பராமரிக்காத பிள்ளைகளுக்கு மட்டும் தண்டனை வழங்கப்படுகிறது. இனி, வயதான மாமனார், மாமியாரை பராமரிக்காவிட்டால், மருமகன், மருமகளுக்கும் தண்டனை வழங்கும் வகையில், சட்ட திருத்தம் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது.

பெற்றோர் பராமரிப்புக்காக, அவர்களது வாரிசுகள், அதிகபட்சமாக, மாதம், 10 ஆயிரம் ரூபாய் தர வேண்டும் என, முந்தைய சட்டத்தில் நிர்ணயிக்கப்பட்டிருந்து. சட்ட திருத்தத்தில், அந்த அளவு நீக்கப்பட்டு, வசதியாக இருப்பவர்கள், தங்கள் பெற்றோருக்கு கூடுதல் பராமரிப்பு தொகை வழங்க வழிகாணப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதை மீறுபவர்களுக்கு, 5,000 ரூபாய் அபராதம் அல்லது மூன்று மாத சிறை தண்டனை விதிக்கப்படும். சில வழக்குகளில், இரண்டும் சேர்த்து விதிக்கப்படலாம் என, மசோதாவில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

புகார்:

மூத்த குடிமக்களின் முழு அனுமதியில்லாமல், அவர்களின் பாதுகாப்பாளர்கள், அவர்களது சொத்துக்களை விற்க முடியாது. முதியோர் இல்லங்கள், முதியோருக்கு வீட்டுக்கு வந்து சேவை செய்யும் அமைப்புகள், கட்டாயம் பதிவு செய்து கொள்ள வேண்டும். ஒவ்வொரு போலீஸ் நிலையத்திலும், மூத்த குடிமக்களின் புகார்களை பெற்று நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க, தனி அதிகாரி நியமிக்கப்படுவார். ஒவ்வொரு மாநிலத்திலும், மூத்த குடிமக்கள் தங்கள் புகார்களை தெரிவிக்க, தனி தொலைபேசி எண் வசதி ஏற்படுத்தப்படும். இவ்வாறு, மசோதாவில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

மக்களின் உரிமைகள், அந்தரங்கங்கள் பாதுகாக்கப்படும்:

''மக்களின் அடிப்படை உரிமைகளும், அந்தரங்கங்களும் பாதுகாக்கப்படும்,'' என, மத்திய தகவல் தொழில்நுட்பத்துறை அமைச்சர் ரவிசங்கர் பிரசாத் கூறினார். லோக்சபாவில், நேற்று கேள்வி நேரத்தின் போது, அவர் கூறியதாவது: மக்களை கண்காணிப்பதில், ரஷ்யா, சீனாவுக்கு அடுத்தபடியாக இந்தியா உள்ளது என, அமெரிக்க ஆய்வு நிறுவனம் தகவல் வெளியிட்டுள்ளது. இது உண்மையல்ல. மக்களின் அடிப்படை உரிமைகளையும், அந்தரங்கங்களையும் பாதுகாக்க, அரசு கடமைப்பட்டுள்ளது. ஆதார் எண், மக்களின் அந்தரங்கங்களை அறிய உதவுகிறது என, பொய் பிரசாரம் செய்யப்படுகிறது. ஆதார் எண்ணை வைத்து, ஒருவரின் அந்தரங்கங்களை அறிய முடியாது. இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.

குடியுரிமை மசோதா 9ம் தேதி தாக்கல்:

குடியுரிமை சட்ட திருத்த மசோதா, வரும், 9ம் தேதி, லோக்சபாவில் தாக்கல் செய்யப்படும் என, எதிர்பார்க்கப்படுகிறது. பாக்., வங்கதேசம், ஆப்கானிஸ்தான் ஆகிய நாடுகளில் சிறுபான்மையினராக இருந்து, இந்தியாவுக்கு அகதிகளாக வந்துள்ளவர்களுக்கு குடியுரிமை அளிக்கும் வகையில், குடியுரிமை சட்டத்தில் திருத்தம் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. இந்த மசோதாவுக்கு, மத்திய அமைச்சரவை, நேற்று முன்தினம் ஒப்புதல் அளித்தது. பா.ஜ.,வுக்கு, பெரும்பான்மை இருப்பதால், இந்த மசோதாவை, லோக்சபாவில் நிறைவேற்றுவதில் பிரச்னையில்லை. ராஜ்யசபாவில் பெரும்பான்மையில்லாவிட்டாலும், தோழமை மற்றும் மாநில கட்சிகளின் ஆதரவுடன், மசோதவை நிறைவேற்ற, அரசு உறுதியாக உள்ளது.

A Phenomenal Six Months

Modi government has hit the ground running as it starts its second term

Prakash Javadekar

04.12.2019

Last Saturday, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government completed six months in office in its second term. Within this six months several historic and transformative decisions have been taken by Modi 2.0 touching positively, in particular, the lives of poor, downtrodden, farmers, women, youth, middle class, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes.

The overarching principle and spirit of all decisions by the Modi government has been “India First”. In line with the mandate and faith re-imposed emphatically by the people of India, the government under Modi’s dynamic leadership has engaged in realising and fulfilling the promises made by the BJP in its election manifesto.

With the larger vision of “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas”, Modi 2.0 is steadfastly working and seeking “Sabka Vishwas”.

Several core promises of the BJP have already been fulfilled. One Nation, One Flag, One Constitution became a reality under the Modi government.

It was a historic moment when the bill to abrogate Article 370, piloted by BJP president and Union home minister Amit Shah, was passed by Parliament. The passage of the triple talaq bill has delivered gender justice to Muslim women.

The six months’ tenure of Modi 2.0 in the country also saw the historic verdict of the Supreme Court on Ayodhya, paving the way for the construction of a magnificent Ram temple on “Ram Janmabhoomi”.

Significantly, some of the key political opponents did everything to delay the judgement on Ayodhya. However, as mentioned by Modi in his “Mann Ki Baat” programme, the spirit of peace and harmony that prevailed post-Ayodhya verdict was a testimony to the strength of Indian democracy.

India is on the right path to become a 5 trillion dollar economy soon. With major decisions like strategic disinvestment of PSUs and reforms like tax, labour and banking, the Indian economy is strengthening.

Corporate tax rates have been slashed to 22% for existing and 15% for new domestic manufacturing companies. India now has one of the lowest tax rates, making it one of the most competitive global economies.

Today, the world looks up to India for providing solutions to global issues like climate change and sustainable development and we are no more back benchers.

During the recent Climate Action Summit in New York, the world was taken by surprise when Modi announced that India is going to increase energy produced from non-fossil fuels to 175 GW by 2022, and will further take it to 450 GW. At the same summit the PM also launched a Global Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.

On the domestic front we have transferred Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) funds to the tune of Rs 47,436 crore, to 26 states and Union territories for afforestation. We have ensured that tribal rights are protected fully and tribals continue to be important stakeholders in forest development.

Government is taking all efforts for the mitigation of air pollution in the country. The central government has launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) as a long-term, time-bound, national level strategy with targets to achieve 20% to 30% reduction in PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations by 2024.

The Modi government is determined to take all steps to fight the menace of air pollution and I can assure you that New Delhi will take less time than Beijing to improve its air quality.

Flying clean and high, the Modi government has brought Rafale to India. With this, the litany of false allegations against the government has fallen apart.

Strengthening its outreach to the far-flung areas, the Union government is in the process of setting up of 118 more community radio stations. The Indian Institute of Mass Communication has been tasked with training and capacity building for the same.

In order to enhance the accessibility of television programmes for the hearing impaired, we have asked for the implementation of Accessibility Standard for TV programmes.

Countering fake news has been high on the government's agenda. We are setting up a fact checking unit in order to identify and effectively counter fake news narratives related to government and its policies.

Modi believes in public participation by which behaviour can be changed. He had proved this through Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and building toilets.

Now he has given a clarion call for “Say No to Single Use Plastic”. During just 15 days’ campaign, 13,000 tonnes of plastic waste were collected.

He has also appealed to people to do “plogging”, that is, while jogging or walking, picking and properly disposing of polythene littered on the streets or pathways.

Though six months are a very short period, when we look back, a phenomenal achievement has been made by Modi government 2.0.

The writer is Union Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change; Information & Broadcasting; Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises



The central government has launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) as a long-term, time-bound, national level strategy with targets to achieve 20% to 30% reduction in PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations by 2024

Hema Malini flags monkey menace

It’s a serious problem, say MPs in LS

22/11/2019, INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE ,NEW DELHI

Hema Malini

Monkey menace in Mathura and Delhi reverberated in the Lok Sabha on Thursday with BJP MP and Bollywood actor Hema Malini raising the issue as a notable problem, which, she claimed, has caused deaths of various people in her constituency, seeking government attention towards the matter.

Members across party lines were on the same page over the issue when the matter was raised in the Lok Sabha during Zero Hour. They noted the problem as an alarming and serious one seeking government’s action.

Raising the issue, Ms. Hema Malini said that many people were killed in her constituency in Mathura and its nearby areas like Vrindavan due to attacks by the simians.

“The natural habitat of monkeys has shrunk and people in Vrindavan are forced to deal with them strictly when they visit residential areas for food. Pilgrims offer ‘kachori’ and ‘samosa’ to monkeys due to which they are falling sick and in turn affecting health of people,” she said.

PM dedicates Article 370 move to Patel

‘Centre has fulfilled his dream of full integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India’

01/11/2019, , SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,AHMEDABAD

Towering leader: Narendra Modi paying tributes to Sardar Patel at the Statue of Unity.ANIANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday dedicated the government’s “historic” decision of withdrawing the special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary, and said the Centre had fulfilled Patel’s dream of full integration of J&K with India.

Paying glowing tributes to Sardar Patel at the Statue of Unity built by the Gujarat government on an island on the Narmada near the Sardar Sarovar dam at Kevadia, Mr. Modi said that with the abrogation of Kashmir’s special status under Article 370, Patel’s dream of unifying India was now complete.

Human cost

“The country took the decision of abrogation of [special status to J&K under] Article 370, which had only given separatism and terrorism to that State and over 40,000 people lost their lives in three decades of terrorism,” he said, adding that it was Patel who had inspired him to take the decision to dilute Article 370 and that he was dedicating the decision “at the feet of” the first Home Minister of the country.

Comparing the move on Article 370 with the act of destroying a wall, Mr. Modi said the ‘temporary wall’ between Indians and those living on the other side had been brought down.

While lauding Patel for his efforts at integrating the hundreds of princely States after Independence, Mr. Modi also took a swipe at the country’s first Prime Minister Jawarharlal Nehru, indirectly blaming him for the way Jammu and Kashmir had been handled.

“Patel had once said that had he handled the Kashmir issue, it would not have taken so long to resolve it,” Mr. Modi said, implying that the issue had not been resolved for long since Nehru had handled it directly after Independence.

Without naming Pakistan, the Prime Minister warned that those who tried challenging the country’s unity would never succeed in defeating the country and its “unity in diversity”.

The new system in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, both now Union Territories after the State was bifurcated following the dilution of Article 370 in August, was not meant to draw a line on the land or create a boundary but to build a strong link of trust between the government and the people of both regions, Mr. Modi said.

He also announced that, as promised by the government in August, government employees of Jammu and Kashmir would be treated on a par with other government employees and the Seventh Pay Commission’s scales had come into force from Thursday.

Sex ratio improves in country; birth and death rates dip

Total fertility rate in 12 States has fallen below two children per woman

01/11/2019, BINDU SHAJAN PERAPPADAN,NEW DELHI

India has registered an improved sex ratio and a decline in birth and death rates with non-communicable diseases dominating over communicable in the total disease burden of the country, according to the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence’s (CBHI) National Health Profile (NHP) 2019.

The NHP covers demographic, socio-economic, health status and health finance indicators, human resources in the health sector and health infrastructure. It is also an important source of information on various communicable and non-communicable diseases that are not covered under any other major programmes.

“This information is essential for health system policy development, governance, health research, human resource development, health education and training,” Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said.

As per the NHP, sex ratio (number of females per 1,000 males) in the country has improved from 933 in 2001 to 943 in 2011.

In rural areas the sex ratio has increased from 946 to 949.

“The corresponding increase in urban areas has been of 29 points from 900 to 929. Kerala has recorded the highest sex ratio in respect of total population (1,084), rural population (1,078) and urban (1,091). The lowest sex ratio in rural areas has been recorded in Chandigarh (690),” the report said.

The report also showed that the estimated birth rate, death rate and natural growth rate are declining.

The estimated birth rate reduced from 25.8 in 2000 to 20.4 in 2016 while the death rate declined from 8.5 to 6.4 per 1,000 population over the same period. The natural growth rate declined from 17.3 in 2000 to 14 in 2016 as per the latest available information.

As per the report, the total fertility rate (average number of children that will be born to a woman during her lifetime) in 12 States has fallen below two children per woman and nine States have reached replacement levels of 2.1 and above. Delhi, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have the lowest fertility rate among other States.

It was also observed that non-communicable diseases dominated over the communicable in the total disease burden of the country.

The NHP also complied a detailed data on health manpower availability in public sector.

“The total number of registered allopathic doctors (up to 2018) is 11,54,686. Number of dental surgeons registered with Central/State Dental Councils of India was 2,54,283. There is an increasing trend in the number of dental surgeons registered with the Central/State Dental Council of India from 2007 to 2018. The total number of registered AYUSH Doctors in India as on January 1, 2018 was 7,99,879,” the report noted.

Central,/ MCI

State gets MCI nod for 6 med colleges

Times News

Network | Oct 22, 2019, 04:54 IST

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: Two committees of the Medical Council of India have cleared the decks for six new government medical colleges to be set up in the state, said health minister C Vijaya Baskar. If the Union health ministry gives the final nod and financial sanction, the state will be able to add up to 900 MBBS seats into its matrix.

“We are thrilled. This is probably the largest number of seats Tamil Nadu has been sanctioned at one go,” Vijaya Baskar said. “We have been working hard to get the seats. On the day of Chinese president Xi Jinping’s visit, papers had to be signed by at least five ministers for six government orders to be released in 24 hours. I signed one of the orders in Mamallapuram. We did it and were able to convince the Centre that we were serious about it,” he said.

Now, encouraged by the results, the state has planned to apply for three more medical colleges in Krishnagiri, Nagapattinam and Tiruvallur. “We are in the process of finalising land for these colleges. This should add another 450 MBBS seats and allow us to create tertiary care hospitals in the districts,” he said. The addition of six colleges — in Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar, the Nilgiris, Dindigul, Tirupur and Namakkal — will take the total number of MBBS seats in government colleges to 4,150. The state will have to recruit at least 600 more doctors, 300 staff nurses, paramedics and administrative staff besides completing construction work.

“We may not be able to open all six colleges by 2020, but we will try our best. A lot depends on when we get funds from the Centre,” said a senior official.

In August, the cabinet committee on economic affairs had approved setting up of 75 government medical colleges by 2021-22. The Centre has proposed to partially fund the project as it wanted to increase the number of medical schools. Tamil Nadu, which has 23 medical colleges, proposed medical colleges in the six unserved areas.

The state, which had made a policy decision to open one medical college in every district and increase seats in existing medical colleges, decided to use the opportunity.

In September, Vijaya Baskar presented the proposal to Union health minister Harsh Vardhan and told him the state had made all arrangements, including identification of land, for the six colleges.

The administrative building of Hindustan Photo Films in Ooty, land in the collectorate complex in Virudhunagar and space around the government hospital in Tirupur have been earmarked for the new colleges.

Central

Centre sanctions ₹1,950cr for 6 new TN med colleges

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:

The Centre has sanctioned ₹1,950 crore to Tamil Nadu for setting up six new medical colleges under a centrally-sponsored scheme. With this, the total total number of government-owned medical colleges in the state will go up to 29, excluding three government-run colleges. This would also mean at least 900 more medical seats for the state.

While the Centre has allocatted ₹1,170 crore, the state’s share would be ₹780 crore, said chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, thanking Prime Minister Modi for the financial sanction. “It is a historic achievement. I thank the Centre wholeheartedly,” he said.

In August, the cabinet committee on economic affairs had approved setting up of 75 government medical colleges by 2021-22. The state made proposal for six medical colleges in unserved areas. On Wednesday, the ministry of health and family welfare undersecretary P K Bandopadhyay in a letter to the state health secretary Beela Rajesh said the Center has approved ₹325 crore for each medical college — ₹195 crore from the Centre and ₹130 crore from the state.

Last week, Medical Council of India, the apex body that regulates medical education in the country, cleared the decks for the state’s proposal to start colleges in Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar, Dindigul, Tirupur, Namakkal and The Nilgiris.

‘State could get 900 more medical seats’

Two committees of the MCI the technical committee and the empowered committee brainstormed the need for these colleges. “We had to convince them on the need for a medical college in each location,” said health secretary Beela Rajesh. For instance, the board asked why set up a college in The Nilgiris when there is a medical college in Coimbatore. “We had to tell them that it can take up to four hours for people to get downhill to the nearest tertiary care centre. The hills aren’t an easy terrain to serve and many people living there are tribals,” she said.

After the technical committee‘s learance, the state was asked to prepare government orders allotting land to the medical colleges. The team moved files through at least five government departments to get the orders out in less than 24-hours on the day of Chinese President Xi’s visit. “Our hard work has paid off. This would mean at least 900 more medical seats for our state,” he said.

This will take the total number of seats in government colleges to 4,150. While the 20 acres of land has been allotted in the Nilgiris has been allotted for the new medical college, land in the collectorate complexes in Virudhunagar and Ramnad, space around existing government hospital in Tirupur have been earmarked for the new colleges.

The state health department will soon start the process for appointment of special construction and appointment for doctors, nurses, paramedical staff for the new colleges. “We are doing our best to get all colleges ready for admission as early as possible,” said the directorate of medical education Dr R Narayanababu.

NTA to hold common test for 15 central univs

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:17.10.2019

The national testing agency (NTA) will conduct a common admission test for 15 of the central universities of the country from the 2020-21 academic session. These will include universities of Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Jammu, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka among others.

The human resource development ministry is likely to give a nod to the proposal on Thursday. NTA is in talks with other central universities as well to join the common test. This is the first time NTA has been entrusted with the task of conducting the Central University common entrance test (CUCET) which till last year was conducted by the University of Rajasthan. “There is addition to the list of the universities for the academic session 2020-21 making it 15. And more are likely to join as NTA is in touch with other new universities like the Central University of Manipur,” said a source in MHRD.

The common entrance test for the 15 central universities for 2020-21 academic session will be conducted in May, 2020. The test would be conducted for around 50 undergraduate courses, over 170 post-graduate and over 100 MPhil and PhD programmes.

NTA conducted a computer-based entrance test for Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University this year for a limited number of courses.

“NTA has the capacity and capability as the final aim is to make it a premium testing agency. It has already delivered glitch-free, transparent and secure testing for JEE (Main), NEET, UGC-NET, DU and JNU entrance tests,” said a senior HRD official.

These will include universities of Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Jammu, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka among others

Cabinet nod for 5% DA rise for govt. staff 
 
EC says ‘nothing wrong’ with move

10/10/2019 , Special Correspondent, NEW DELHI

In a decision that raised eyebrows coming just ahead of Assembly elections in States including Maharashtra and Haryana, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a decision to release an additional 5% dearness allowance for Central government employees over the existing rate of 12% of basic pay. A similar increase of 5% in dearness relief was also announced for pensioners.

“The Union Cabinet today approved to release an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief to pensioners with effect from July 1, 2019, representing an increase of 5% over the existing rate of 12% of the Basic pay/Pension, to compensate for price rise,” a government release said.

The Election Commission said there was nothing wrong with the announcement, even though it comes before the elections in Maharashtra. “This is linked to indexation as per the formula for all central government employees,” an official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Hindu.

புதிதாக 6 மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகள் துவங்க அனுமதி

Added : அக் 06, 2019 00:20

புதிதாக ஆறு மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகள் அமைக்க, மத்திய அரசு அனுமதி கிடைத்தால், தமிழகத்தில், அரசு மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகள் எண்ணிக்கை, 32 ஆக உயருவதுடன், 4,500 பேர், எம்.பி.பி.எஸ்., படிக்கும் நிலை ஏற்படும்

.தமிழகத்தில், 23 அரசு மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகள் உள்ளன. இதில், 3,250 எம்.பி.பி.எஸ்., இடங்கள் உள்ளன. மேலும், அரசு கட்டுப்பாட்டில் உள்ள, ராஜா முத்தையா மருத்துவ கல்லுாரியில், 150 எம்.பி.பி.எஸ்., இடங்கள்; ஐ.ஆர்.டி., பெருந்துறை மருத்துவ கல்லுாரியில், 100; சென்னை, கே.கே.நகர், இ.எஸ்.ஐ., மருத்துவ கல்லுாரியில், 100 என, மொத்தம், 3,600 எம்.பி.பி.எஸ்., இடங்கள் உள்ளன.அதேபோல், 13 தனியார் மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகளில், 1,800 எம்.பி.பி.எஸ்., இடங்கள் உள்ளன. மேலும், ஒரு அரசு பல் மருத்துவ கல்லுாரி மற்றும் தனியார் மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகளில், 1,760 பி.டி.எஸ்., என்ற பல் மருத்துவ படிப்புக்கான இடங்கள் உள்ளன.இதற்கிடையே, நாடு முழுவதும் புதிதாக, 31 மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகள் துவங்க, மத்திய அமைச்சரவை, ஆகஸ்ட் மாதத்தில் ஒப்புதல் அளித்தது. இதில், தமிழகத்தில், ஆறு மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகள் அமைக்க அனுமதி கோரி, தமிழக சுகாதாரத் துறை அமைச்சர் விஜயபாஸ்கர், டில்லியில், மத்திய அமைச்சர்களை சந்தித்து, கோரிக்கை மனு அளித்தார்.அதில், திருப்பூர், நீலகிரி, ராமநாதபுரம், நாமக்கல், திண்டுக்கல், விருதுநகர் உள்ளிட்ட பகுதிகளில், மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகள் அமைக்க, போதுமான இடங்கள் உள்ளன. அந்த பகுதிகளில், மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகள் அமைக்க அனுமதி கோரப்பட்டுள்ளது.அனுமதி வழங்கப்பட்டால், ஆறு மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகளில், தலா, 150 மருத்துவ படிப்பு இடங்கள் கிடைக்கும் வாய்ப்புள்ளது.

அதன்படி பார்த்தால், 900 எம்.பி.பி.எஸ்., இடங்கள் கூடுதலாக கிடைக்கும். மேலும், தமிழக அரசு கட்டுப்பாட்டில் உள்ள, மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகளின் எண்ணிக்கை, 32 ஆக உயருவதுடன், அவற்றில் உள்ள, எம்.பி.பி.எஸ்., இடங்களும், 4,500 ஆக உயரும்.இந்நிலையில், நாடு முழுவதும், மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகள் துவங்க அனுமதி கேட்ட மாநிலங்கள் பட்டியலை, மத்திய சுகாதார மற்றும் குடும்ப நல அமைச்சகம் வெளியிட்டுள்ளது.
அதில், அதிகபட்சமாக, ராஜஸ்தான் மற்றும் மத்திய பிரதேச மாநிலங்களில், தலா, 10 மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகள் அமைக்கப்பட உள்ளன. தமிழகத்தில், ஆறு; காஷ்மீரில், இரண்டு; உத்தர பிரதேசத்தில், மூன்று துவங்கப்பட உள்ளன.இது குறித்து, தமிழக சுகாதாரத் துறை செயலர் பீலா ராஜேஷ் கூறுகையில், ''தமிழகத்தில், ஆறு மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகள் அமைக்க, மத்திய அரசிடம் கோரிக்கை வைத்துள்ளோம். ''புதிய கல்லுாரிகளுக்கு அனுமதி வழங்குவதற்கான ஆய்வு கூட்டம், வரும், 10ல், டில்லியில் நடைபெற உள்ளது. அதன்பின், புதிய கல்லுாரிகள் குறித்து தெரிய வரும்,'' என்றார்.
- -நமது நிருபர் -.

President commutes 20 death sentences in nine years

Separately, MHA decided to commute the sentence of Rajoana, convicted in the then Punjab CM Beant Singh’s killing

05/10/2019, VIJAITA SINGH,NEW DELHI

The President commuted death sentences to life imprisonment in at least 20 cases over the past nine years, based on the recommendations received from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

These commutations were based on the President’s exercise of powers under Article 72 of the Constitution after the convicts filed mercy petitions.

Separately, last week the MHA took a decision to commute the death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted over the assassination of then Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, as a “humanitarian gesture” ahead of the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Sikh founder Guru Nanak. It also decided to release eight other prisoners convicted for life for their involvement in Sikh militancy as a ‘token of goodwill’.

Beant Singh and at least 16 others were killed in an explosion outside the Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh in 1995. Rajoana was sentenced to death in 2007 by a special court and he refused to file a mercy petition.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the apex body of the Sikhs, filed a petition on his behalf in 2014.

BJP ally and NDA member, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), had been pressing the Centre to commute Rajoana’s death sentence.

“Rajoana never engaged a lawyer when the case was being heard in the court,” said Manjinder Singh Sirsa, an SAD leader who had recently met Home Minister Amit Shah regarding Rajoana’s case — the only Sikh prisoner on death row in a militancy related case. “To highlight the atrocities against the Sikhs, he refused legal assistance. After he was sentenced to death, the SGPC decided to file a mercy petition on his behalf,” added the SAD leader.

One-off gesture

The ministry’s decision to release the eight Sikh prisoners convicted under the repealed Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) is seen as a one-off gesture as it is not in consonance with the guidelines regarding the 2018 “Cabinet decision to grant special remission to prisoners on the occasion of 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.”

As per the guidelines: “special remission will not be given to prisoners who have been convicted for an offence for which the sentence is sentence of death or where death sentence has been commuted to life imprisonment; cases of convicts involved in serious and heinous crimes like dowry death, rape, human trafficking and convicted under POTA, UAPA, TADA, FICN, POCSO Act, money laundering, FEMA, NDPS, Prevention of Corruption Act, etc.”

A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “This was in response to the long pending demands on release of Sikh prisoners raised by various sections of the Sikh community.”

Under the special remission, 2,035 prisoners were released in three phases — October 2, 2018, April 6 and October 2 this year. In the third phase, 611 prisoners were released, the ministry said.

Former President Pranab Mukherjee had commuted the death sentence in at least four cases and rejected mercy petitions in 14 cases including that of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks convict Ajmal Kasab and the 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon. President Ram Nath Kovind has rejected one mercy petition in his current tenure. The Central Information Commission (CIC) in a 2018 order had said that “grant of remission is an exercise of a statutory power under CrPC.”

The CIC’s order said: “It acknowledges the power of the Executive to grant remission to convicted persons after due consideration by the appropriate Government.”

AIIMS, JIPMER to come under NEET: Minister

05/10/2019,NEW DELHI

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said AIIMS and JIPMER would be included under the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) from 2020 with the government keen on implementing the National Medical Commission (NMC)-2019 at a fast pace.

Fake news more dangerous than paid news: Javadekar

New Delhi:04.10.2019

Fake news is more dangerous than paid news and there is need for the government and the media to combat it jointly, information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar said on Thursday.

The government will not take any step that may curb media freedom, the minister said and suggested there should be some kind of regulation on over-the-top platforms (OTT), as there is for the print and electronic media as well as films.

OTT platforms include news portals and also ‘streamers’ such as Hotstar, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, which are accessible over the internet or ride on an operator’s network.

In an interaction with PTI journalists at the news agency’s headquarters here, Javadekar said several mainstream media outlets have conveyed to the government that that there was no levelplaying field with OTT platforms being completely unregulated.

“I have sought suggestions on how to deal with this because there are regular feature films coming on OTT — good, bad and ugly. So how to deal with this, who should monitor, who should regulate. There is no certification body for OTT platforms and likewise news portals also,” he said.

At the same time, he said the government has not taken any decision on the matter.

The Press Council of India takes care of the print media, the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) monitors news channels, the Advertising Standards Council of India is for advertising while the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) takes care of films, he said.

“However, there is nothing for the OTT platforms,” the I&B minister said.

There has been a spurt in news portals in India with several of them seeing a rise in the number of online subscribers.

Javadekar also expressed concern over fake news, saying it is “more dangerous than paid news”.

“Fake news has to be stopped and that is our joint work. It is not just the government’s job, it is everybody’s job. Those who are in the business of genuine news, they all must strive hard (to combat it),” the minister said.

He said several media channels are tackling the menace by showing the truth with programmes such as “Viral Sach”, and added that the print media should also carry columns on similar lines uncovering the truth of fake news.

“We have seen in the last few months that fake news on social media and gossip, rumours on child lifting have resulted in the deaths of more than 20-30 people in mob violence,” he said.

Javadekar said the government is doing its bit to combat the menace and has run programmes on Doordarshan News such as ‘Kashmir ka Sach’ to tackle fake news about Kashmir, where Article 370 provisions were abrogated on August 5. PTI

Fake news has to be stopped and that is our joint work. It is not just the government’s job, it is everybody’s job. Those who are in the business of genuine news, they all must strive hard (to combat it)

PRAKASH JAVADEKAR

Information & Broadcasting Minister