One-Year PG vs Two: Reimagining the master’s degree under NEP 2020

One-Year PG vs Two: Reimagining the master’s degree under NEP 2020 

Given the diversity of higher education landscape, both pathways may need to coexist for some time, allowing varsities to adopt models aligned with their academic strengths 

Rajlakshmi.Ghosh@timesofindia.com 18.05.2026

As the implementation of NEP 2020 gathers pace, postgraduate education is undergoing one of its biggest transformations in decades. Universities are introducing multiple pathways to a master’s degree — a one-year PG for students completing a Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP), alongside the conventional two-year master’s route for students with a three-year bachelor’s degree. 

The shift is aimed at aligning higher education with global norms, improving flexibility, and creating research-centric academic trajectories. Since India’s higher education system is currently operating within multiple parallel academic structures involving traditional three-year UG programmes, FYUP models, autonomous university systems, and professional pathways, experts claim that a one-size-fits-all approach will no longer work. In such a diverse environment, an overly rigid approach may create unintended inequities.

 “Traditionally, the master’s degree functioned largely as an extension of UG learning. Today, however, PG education is increasingly being viewed as a stage of advanced specialisation, research orientation, innovation, and professional preparedness. This transition has been shaped both by NEP 2020 and the changing realities of the global knowledge economy. Universities are now expected to prepare graduates who are multidisciplinary, research-oriented, globally competitive, and capable of adapting to rapidly evolving sectors driven by technology and innovation. The one-year PG model emerges from this context. It assumes that students completing an FYUP, particularly Honours or Honours with Research, would have already acquired substantial academic grounding, research exposure, internships, and cross-disciplinary learning during the fourth year itself.

 This distinction has also been formally recognised in the UGC framework,” says Prof Raghavendra P Tiwari, vice-chancellor, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda. Global Benchmarks Considering the Indian one-year PG is still at the early stages of implementation and the first FYUP cohorts are only now entering the pipeline, quality will vary widely across institutions. “The UK one-year master’s degrees work because they sit on top of rigorous honours programmes with strong final-year research component besides being backed by established universities. The Indian variant will take years to build comparable credibility. Until then, a two-year PG from a reputed Indian institution carries far greater weight with international peers and employers than a one-year PG from an average university,” says Ram Kumar Kakani, vice-chancellor, RV University. 

“The need for the oneyear master’s is not organically driven nor is it choice of central universities,” says Abha Dev Habib, associate professor, Miranda House, University of Delhi (DU) advocating the need for a 3+2 PG format which is structurally more robust. “NEP 2020 introduced a flexible 4+1 structure with multiple exit options for UG and PG degrees, but it also made the system more ‘porous’. The added fourth year has increased student numbers without additional faculty, space, or research facilities. Colleges now face higher teaching loads, inadequate student-teacher ratios, and limited capacity to support undergraduate research. 

Under the new system, students who complete the fourth year of their undergraduate programme are eligible for a one-year MSc. However, no additional infrastructure or funding has been provided to support this change,” she adds. Pointing to the larger picture, Prof Tiwari says, “The one-year PG is envisioned as a more focused and intellectually intensive phase where students engage with specialised domains, emerging technologies. However, the effectiveness of this model will ultimately depend on the quality of FYUP implementation.” Given the diversity of the higher education landscape, both oneyear and two-year postgraduate pathways may need to coexist for some time, allowing universities to adopt models aligned with their academic strengths, regional realities, and student aspirations.

 18/05/2026, 06:50 Times of India ePaper ahmedabad - Read Today’s English News Paper Online https://epaper.indiatimes.com/timesepaper/publication-the-times-of-india,city-ahmedabad.cms 2/4 18/05/2026, 06:50 Times of India ePaper ahmedabad - Read Today’s E

Groom not the man she met on Instagram, bride calls off shaadi

Groom not the man she met on Instagram, bride calls off shaadi 

MATCH MISMATCH 15.05.2026

Lucknow : A friendship that began on Instagram ended in chaos at a wedding venue in UP’s Shahabad, after the bride alleged that the groom was not the same person she had connected with on the social media platform. 

The wedding was called off. Police registered an FIR against 10 people on cheating and criminal conspiracy charges, and arrested five, including the groom. Cops said the woman had befriended an Instagram user who identified himself as “Rahul Mishra” and claimed to be serving in the Army. Over time, the two grew close and decided to marry. 

The woman told police that Rahul had even visited Shahabad earlier and met her in person. After discussing with her elder sister, the wedding was scheduled for May 12. On Tuesday, a wedding procession arrived, guests were welcomed, and the rituals began. However, during the garlanding ceremony, the bride alleged that the groom was not the man she had met and interacted with online. 

She refused to marry the one in front of her. Police said Devendra Parmar — who had arrived as the groom — claimed the woman had been speaking to him all along. He denied knowing anyone called Rahul Mishra. The situation quickly escalated into chaos, with some people at the venue assaulting the groom and members of his wedding party. Police were informed, and a team rushed to the spot and detained several baraatis. 

“If the person she earlier met was someone else, how did Devendra Parmar know when and where to arrive with the wedding procession? Who posed as Rahul Mishra and met the woman? These are some of the questions we are probing,” SHO Arvind Rai said. TNN

No biryani, wedding turns bloody

No biryani, wedding turns bloody 

Knives Out After Wedding Guests Bicker Over Being Served Pulao 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  Ahamedabad 14.05.2026

Ahmedabad : Food can make or break an event. And, a wedding meant to celebrate a new beginning went spectacularly off the rails after a late-night argument over biryani, or rather a lack thereof, exploded into a violent family clash involving knives and iron ladles. 

The bride, 23, who had travelled from Delhi with her family for the May 12 wedding, ended up spending the night at a police station, accusing the groom and five others of attacking her relatives after guests complained that pulao, and not biryani, was served at dinner. 

According to the bride’s complaint, she and her family were staying near the marriage hall in Kubernagar. The engagement ceremony was held on May 10, followed by the wedding rituals the next evening. Trouble began brewing during a pre-wedding dinner when guests objected to the pulao being served. They also allegedly created a ruckus on it “not being prepared properly”, the complainant stated. 

A heated exchange followed, but relatives allegedly managed to calm things down. A few hours later, however, tempers flared again. The bride alleged that around 1 am, the groom, his brother and several others arrived at the hall where her family members were staying and restarted the argument over the food issue. 

According to the complaint, the groom’s side began “hurling filthy abuses” at the bride’s father. The bride told police, “One of the men attacked my father with a knife, injuring his left hand, while another relative, who intervened, suffered a knife wound on her left palm. We all stepped in to separate them.” As relatives rushed to stop the fight, the marriage venue allegedly turned into a battleground, with pushing, shouting, and scuffles breaking out between members of both families. 

During the chaos, gold ornaments worn by the bride and her aunt reportedly disappeared. The injured relatives were rushed to Civil Hospital for treatment before the bride filed a complaint seeking action against the groom and his relatives. However, the groom’s side has given police a very different version. According to the cross complaint, police were called to settle the verbal dispute that arose during dinner, and both sides “reached an understanding”. “However, around 1.30am, the argument allegedly erupted again after the bride’s brother began abusing members of the groom’s family. 

When relatives attempted to calm him down, the bride’s brother, her father and another man attacked them with kitchen utensils and a sharp weapon. An iron ladle was used to strike the complainant on the head,” stated the complaint. Three people from the groom’s family also suffered injuries and were taken to Civil Hospital, the complaint stated. Police have registered complaints from both sides and launched an investigation into the wedding-night showdown.

Chennai faces worsening LPG crisis as wait for refill stretches to 50 days

Chennai faces worsening LPG crisis as wait for refill stretches to 50 days

The supply of LPG cylinders to domestic consumers has been impacted for the past three weeks due to the Gulf war, and the situation has now escalated, severely affecting thousands of households.

A LPG delivery person putting a lock to the empty cyclinders kept on the roadside at patravakkam in Chennai.Photo | P Ravikumar

B Anbuselvan

Updated on:

08 Apr 2026, 9:29 am

CHENNAI: The waiting period for getting a domestic LPG refill has increased unofficially, as the gap between getting refills widening to nearly 50 days in a few parts of the city - this includes the compulsory 25-30 days booking gap between deliveries followed by the delivery time of 15-20 days.

The supply of LPG cylinders to domestic consumers has been impacted for the past three weeks due to the Gulf war, and the situation has now escalated, severely affecting thousands of households.

As a result, many consumers who booked their cylinders 15-20 days ago are flocking to agency offices to collect cylinders directly. Home delivery has been disrupted in areas including Padi, Korattur, Kolathur, Ambattur and Madhavaram.

A section of consumers who interacted with TNIE said they have been buying food from hotels because of the delay in receiving cylinders and have fallen ill as a result. “The gap between two cylinders is now nearly 50 to 55 days.

For a family of four, one cylinder lasts a maximum of 30 to 35 days. For the last 15 days, I have been buying food from hotels for my son who underwent a surgery recently, and I have fallen sick,” said K Rajeshwari of Korattur TNHB colony.

However, officials from the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), which is the state level coordinator for the oil industry in the state dismissed the complaints as an exceptional incident and claimed there is no major disruption in domestic LPG supply.

A Sathish Kumar from Padi said he has not received his refill even after 15 days. “I went to the agency office to inquire about the delivery and found more than 40 people waiting with empty cylinders to exchange for new ones. When asked, I was told that those who booked before March 16 (19 days before) had still not received their cylinders and were being given supplies directly from the agency office. There was insufficient stock for home delivery.”

Another consumer, S Visalakashi (55) from Ambattur, a housemaid, said, “When I tried to book, the system only allowed bookings 29 days after the delivery of the previous cylinder. Subsequently, I booked my cylinder on March 15. When I checked with the agency, the booking was only accepted on March 22, and I was told I would receive it only around April 10. If necessary, I was asked to collect the cylinder from the agency office by handing over the empty one.”

However, in some areas like Kilpauk, residents said that they had received delivery of cylinders five days after booking through the Triplicane Urban Co-operative Society (TUCS) distributor.

LPG dealer offices have been crowded throughout the day, as many consumers who have not updated their mobile numbers, addresses, or e-KYC details are facing difficulties in booking cylinders. “If a booking made 15-20 days ago is accepted, we issue a receipt immediately and ask consumers to purchase from the office. Door delivery may take another 15 days,” said a gas agency staff member.

V Vetriselvakkumar, chief GM (corporate communications), IOCL, assured to look into the issue. “We are in a crisis situation. Home delivery of cylinders has not been stopped anywhere. In fact, in a few places, consumers receive their deliveries within a few days,” he said.

Registrar questions own varsity’s high NAAC ranking via emails, shunted out

Registrar questions own varsity’s high NAAC ranking via emails, shunted out

Ramendra.Singh@timesofindia.com TIMES OF INDIA BHOPAL07.04.2026

Bhopal : In a surprising selfindictment, the registrar of Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (RGPV) challenged the favorable NAAC accreditation for his own university. RGPV was awarded A++ in 2025. TOI has access to a copy of the mail sent by him to the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). 

The registrar in question was removed from his post on April 1. The controversy erupted as RGPV, which oversees dozens of engineering colleges across Madhya Pradesh, faced scrutiny over its credi-bility and ranking. Affiliated institutions rely on the parent university’s NAAC grade for their own standings. Former registrar Mohan Sen had fired off emails to the NAAC on several occasions in the past three months, alleging inflated marks for nonexistent campus facilities and manipulated data in the Self Study Report (SSR) submitted for Cycle 2 in Nov 2024. 

Sen demanded that the awarded grade be withheld until a thorough probe. Despite the complaints, NAAC remains silent. Sen, who assumed the registrar’s role in Feb 2024, claimed in mails that the SSR data was never verified by current university authorities, including himself, the controller of finance, and director of UIT RGPV Bhopal. “These are just a few examples,” his letter concludes. When contacted, the then registrar, Sen, said, “The last NAAC ranking given to RGPV was A++. Several questions were raised from different corners of society, challenging such a high ranking. I investigated the issue and found that even those parameters, for which the university has no facilities, were considered. I then requested NAAC authorities to physically verify the claims made so that the truth would come to the surface. Unfortunately, NAAC has never responded to any of my emails.” RGPV's spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Akela refused to comment on the matter.

DM arrives late, sparks min’s fury, reprimand

DM arrives late, sparks min’s fury, reprimand

 Neha.Lalchandani@timesofindia.com 

28.03.2026

Lucknow : Made to wait for 45 minutes by the district magistrate at a govt event in his own assembly constituency, Kannauj Sadar, on Thursday, social welfare minister (independent charge) Asim Arun , who was invited as chief guest, first walked out of the programme and later wrote to the district magistrate demanding that he and his team should be more punctual in future.. 

The matter did not end there as the minister started a campaign on Friday evening, asking people to cite incidents where their time was wasted by someone. He named the campaign as ‘Viksit Bharat aur late latifi ek saath nahi chal sakte’. The minister added that it was necessary to emulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for punctuality and discipline. 

Earlier, the minister took the initiative to monitor calls being made by public representatives to officers, after complaints that often their calls were not being attended to for days. Asim told TOI that both the campaigns were aimed at making the bureaucracy answerable. 

 Holding high posts does not give moral right to waste time of others, says Asim In his letter to district magistrate Ashutosh Mohan Agnihotri, after which the DM tendered a ‘letter of regret’, the minister said that at an event organised at Roma Smarak on Thursday, he was invited as chief guest for the event that was to begin at 5.30pm. 

In his letter to the DM, Arun wrote: “The chief organiser was SDM Vaishali who reached 15 minutes after me. The ADM arrived even after her. I waited for around 45 minutes for the programme to start. During this time, they kept announcing from the stage that the event will begin after your arrival. You will agree that the situation became intolerable for me. Nobody knew when you would come so I had no option but to leave.” 

Launching the campaign, Arun said that it was not the issue of insult to any minister and asked that had he not been the chief guest, would the seriousness of this delay be less. He said that people holding high posts did not have a moral right to waste the time of others. “If India wants to become Viksit Bharat, then it is necessary to shed half-heartedness and negligence from our working style. We will have to add punctuality in our DNA. We will have to adhere to time like citizens of Germany, Japan and Switzerland,” he said. 

He asked people to respond with what steps were needed to ensure punctuality at personal and administrative levels in India, as is seen in developed countries. Later, in a letter apologizing to the minister Kannauj DM Ashutosh Mohan Agnihotri blamed a “delay in communication” for the incident. The 2016 batch officer said in his letter that the event had been organized by the District Tourism and Culture Council, Kannauj and the programme was to begin at 5.30 pm. However, the DM added, “the district tourism officer informed him that the show required use of LED lights and at 5.30 pm, a lot of sunlight was anticipated on the open stage. Participants were also delayed and the district tourism officer requested your representative to ask you to delay your arrival till 6.30 pm”. The unpleasant situation arose due to a delay in the communication, he added.

Telangana man ‘digs’ his own grave

Telangana man ‘digs’ his own grave 

Sushil.Rao@timesofindia.com  31.12.2025

Hyderabad : An 80-year-old man from Telangana’s Jagtial district has dug his own grave — well, literally. Not willing to leave the task to his four children, or anybody else for that matter, Nakka Indrayya picked a piece of land and dug up one for himself — to be sure of where he would be laid to rest once he dies. It is close to where his wife is buried. Not just that, he visits a grave every day to waters the plants, cleans the place, and spend some time by himself. “It is my home which I have dug for myself,” Indrayya told TOI from his house in Laxmipur in Jagtial, after returning from his daily visit. That others around him find this strange, doesn’t perturb him. “It is where I will be laid after my death, so I made it as per the design that I wanted,” a rather nonchalant Indrayya said, even going on to share how the entire grave is built only with granite — since it doesn’t get damaged. 

The total cost: About ₹12 lakh. Further elaborating on just why he decided to do this, the senior citizen said that he didn’t want to be a burden on anybody. And this, he added, stems from the fact that he lost his father at an extremely young age of 10. Soon afterwards, Indrayya started working — first as a local labourer and then in Dubai’s construction sector for 45 years. He lost his wife a few years ago. “There is no need to fear death. Everyone will die. I know I will die too. I also know where I will be buried,” he said going on to give more details about the grave that’s 5ft in depth and more than 6ft in length and built with the help of a mason from Tamil Nadu. 

“All that one has to do is take a crowbar and move the granite on the top of the grave, for which too I have made a provision,” he said.

Buffalo dies of dog bite in UP, villagers who had ‘raita’ made from its milk rush for vaccine

Buffalo dies of dog bite in UP, villagers who had ‘raita’ made from its milk rush for vaccine 

Krishna.Chaudhary@timesofindia.com 30.12.2025

Bareilly : More than 200 residents of Pipraul village in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun district suddenly queued up in large groups at a local health centre for precautionary anti-rabies vaccines after widespread speculation that ‘raita’, a side dish made up of yogurt, served at a funeral feast was from a buffalo which had died due to rabies after being bitten by a ‘mad’ dog. The feast was held on Dec 23 in memory of late Oran Sahu, a resident of Pipraul — a village with a population of around 1,800 people, as per official records. 

Locals said villagers from nearby settlements also attended the ‘tehravi’ ceremony. One of them said that the buffalo belonged to Sahu’s cousin who used its milk to prepare the ‘raita’ dish. Three days later, the buffalo died, sparking panic in and around the village. “People are anxious because no one knows much about rabies, and there is more hearsay than facts spreading here... Nearly 250 residents have taken the anti-rabies vaccine already, and others are lining up to do the same. Most of them have left all their work to get this done first,” said Deepak Kumar, husband of village pradhan Renu Devi. He added villagers were particularly worried since the dog — believed to have bitten the cattle — could not be traced. Also, the buffalo was buried soon after its death without a postmortem, leaving health officials without a clue regarding the exact cause, Kumar said. 

A medical team has since been stationed in the village to monitor the situation and counsel residents. Health authorities said that they are vaccinating anyone seeking “precautionary protection”. Budaun’s chief medical officer, Dr Rameshwar Mishra, said, “In two days, 247 residents from Pipraul came to our facility for vaccinations en masse. On Monday alone, 110 people got the shots. 

Counselling is also underway, and villagers are being advised not to panic.” Experts, meanwhile, said that current evidence does not support the widespread belief that rabies can be transmitted through milk. Dr Abhijeet Pawde, principal scientist and in-charge of IVRI (Indian Veterinary Research Institute) Polyclinic, told TOI , “Studies so far do not conclusively show milk consumption as a mode of rabies transmission. No scientific literature confirms that rabies passes into milk in such cases. Transmission risk is higher via direct exposure to saliva or tissue.” Budaun’s chief medical officer said in two days, 247 residents from Pipraul came to the facility for vaccinations en masse. ‘On Monday alone, 110 people got the shots’

How to dodge an exam: Two students fake principal’s death

How to dodge an exam: Two students fake principal’s death 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 17.10.2025

Indore : What do you do when you are not prepared for an exam? Two students at a science college in Indore, MP, spread the word that their principal had passed away. It took a series of calls—made to “condole” her “death”—for the hapless principal to wake up to the situation and take steps. 

Two BCA students of Govt Holkar Science College were booked on Thursday for spreading the false message about principal Anamika Jain. The FIR was registered on Wednesday following a written complaint by Jain. A case was registered under Section 336 (4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for forgery, intending that the document forged shall harm the reputation of any party, police said. 

“The thirdsemester students circulated the fake notice on the college letterhead claiming the college would remain closed on Oct 15 and 16 following the demise of the principal,” Bhanwarkuan police station incharge Rajkumar Yadav said. The letter was circulated on WhatsApp on Oct 14. The entire campus was abuzz with the misinformation. Jain said, “The students have been suspended for 60 days. 

Further action will depend on the outcome of the police investigation and court proceedings. As soon as the matter came to our notice, the administration clarified through the official website and class groups. The students admitted they had circulated the notice to delay the online test conducted every three months

Madras HC refuses to order college to readmit student held in drug case

Madras HC refuses to order college to readmit student held in drug case

The orders were passed recently on a petition filed by P Pradeep, a third year LLB student of the Central Law College, Salem.

He was arrested in a criminal case registered under NDPS Act, 1985, on September 10, 2024, and was released on bail on October 14, 2024.

Express News Service

Updated on:

30 Sep 2025, 8:22 am

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has refused to order a private law college to readmit a student who was dismissed after being arrested in a drug case. However, the court quashed the termination order, as it was passed without issuing notice to the student before taking the decision to dismiss him, and directed the college to initiate fresh proceedings.

The orders were passed recently on a petition filed by P Pradeep, a third year LLB student of the Central Law College, Salem. He was arrested in a criminal case registered under NDPS Act, 1985, on September 10, 2024, and was released on bail on October 14, 2024.

The college administration passed an order on December 2, 2024, dismissing him from the college and sent his transfer certificate and other original certificates to him.

Pradeep filed a plea against the dismissal and contended that he was not issued notice before deciding to dismiss him; and this amounted to violation of principles of natural justice. He prayed for the court to quash the order and direct the college to readmit him.

Justice Kumarappan observed that the principles of natural justice were not followed and so quashed the impugned order. He directed the college to pass a fresh order after following due procedures in four weeks. Until final decision is taken, the petitioner is not entitled to enter the college except for inquiry, the order said.

UGC cracks down on 10 universities

UGC cracks down on 10 universities

Bhopal : 29.09.2025

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has raised serious concern over noncompliance by 10 private universities of Madhya Pradesh regarding mandatory information disclosure. Despite repeated reminders, these private universities have defaulted in submitting details under Section 13 of the UGC Act, 1956, and in uploading the required public self disclosure information on their official websites.

Issuing the notice on its official portal, UGC stated that as per the guidelines on public self disclosure by higher education institutions, issued on June 10, 2024, every higher education institution must maintain a functional website carrying all relevant institutional details. "These disclosures should be easily accessible on the homepage without login requirements, and equipped with a proper search facility. The norms mandate transparency, enabling students and the general public to verify key information," UGC authorities stated in the notice. 

In addition to website disclosure, universities were directed to submit detailed information in the prescribed proforma along with duly attested supporting documents. This submission was intended for inspection under Section 13 of the UGC Act, 1956. Institutions were further asked to host the same documents on their respective websites for public access. The UGC noted that despite multiple reminders through e-mails and online meetings, 10 private universities of MP have failed to comply with these directions. The regulator has now circulated a list of defaulting universities, warning them to ensure compliance at the earliest. UGC has reiterated that transparency in higher education is non-negotiable and universities failing to adhere to the norms could face consequences. TNN

Hoardings, ropes at rally site made things worse

Hoardings, ropes at rally site made things worse 

Crowd Included People From Other Districts Too 

V Srivatsal & Deepak Karthik | Tnn 28.09.2025

Karur : Hoardings and ropes on both sides of the Karur Erode highway at the TVK rally site at Veluswamypuram appear to have contributed to the tragedy. “There was no way for people to flee the stampede like situation because both sides of the road were blocked with ropes and hoardings. Some were injured when the hoardings fell on them, but one thing I am sure, those hoardings and ropes were not there when we reached the venue by 4 pm,” S Ramkumar, a survivor from Vadakku Palayam near Karur, told TOI. 

Witnesses said some youths stood atop the roofs of a bakery and offered to help women with children by pulling them to safety. However, the roof collapsed and the situation turned much worse. Men and women who were watching the campaign sitting on two-wheelers were trapped as the crowd surged like a human flood.

 “We could not pull out a middle-aged man; his leg was struck in a two-wheeler. But a two-yearold boy was saved, I hope he made it alive,” said R K Nirmal, a survivor. Survivors said the crowd gathered at the Karur venue were not just locals, there were people from Theni, Madurai, and Virudhunagar districts too. They have come to see their star actor at close quarters. Survivors said the crowd that turned up would have filled a huge open ground. “It was chaos. No one knew where their loved ones were; people had fallen ten deep,” said Abinaya S, who lost her aunt Maheshwari. S Maliga, who lost her husband Shankar Ganesh, said, “I asked him not to attend the campaign, but he did. He has now left us all alone.”

38 KILLED IN STAMPEDE AT VIJAY RALLY

38 KILLED IN STAMPEDE AT VIJAY RALLY 

■ Deceased Include 10 Children

 ■ Murmu, Modi Condole Deaths

 ■ Retd HC Judge to Probe Incident 

News Of Missing Girl Triggered Panic In Crowd: Eyewitnesses Team

TOI Karur/Chennai : At least 38 people, including 10 children and 16 women, were killed in a stampede that took place when TVK chief and actor Vijay was addressing an election rally at Karur on Saturday night. Eighty-one people have been hospitalised. Witnesses gave different versions of what triggered the stampede; many said some disturbance in the crowd started as soon as Vijay opened his speech.The actor was heard appealing to the people and police to calm down. Ashmika, a 9-year-old girl, was missing, the public address system said. 

Vijay appealed to the police to help. He then cut short his speech and left the place. R K Nirmal, a native of Karur working in an IT firm in Chennai, said everything was normal until Vijay came to the campaign venue. “Suddenly, floodlights connected to a generator turned off. One woman started to search for her missing child. People panicked, and then everyone ran helter-skelter,” he said. 

Nirmal said he and a few others managed to evade the frenzy and save a few people. He saw some people trapped and stuck under vehicles. Another rally participant Ramesh V, recalled a moment that triggered panic in the crowd. “When Vijay sang the song criticising V Senthilbalaji as the '10-rupee minister', the crowd erupted. The energy shifted and suddenly the police began using lathis, and people panicked. 

Everyone started pushing forward, including parents holding babies. It was chaos,” he said. Compared to the previous campaigns of the TVK leader, Karur was the most disorganised event. Cadres and fans were standing right beside the campaign vehicle.

In a statement, chief minister M K Stalin announced an inquiry commission headed by retired judge Justice Aruna Jagatheesan to probe the incident.

CM orders ₹10L ex-gratia Stalin also ordered an ex-gratia relief of ₹10 lakh each from the chief minister’s public relief fund to next of kin of the deceased and Rs one lakh to each of the injured. “The loss of priceless lives has shaken the hearts of all of us. I express my deep condolences and sympathies to the families who face an irreparable loss,” Stalin said, ordering all those admitted to the hospital be given the best treatment. 

The chief minister also rushed to the Secretariat at night and took stock of the situation. Vijay had completed his rally in Namakkal district and was supposed to campaign in Karur district on Saturday evening. From morning, his fans and cadres from various parts of the state beyond Karur started assembling at Veluswamypuram, the location permitted by police for the TVK’s rally on Karur-Erode state highway. 

The 2 km stretch from Karur-Trichy highway roundabout to Karur-Erode highway was completely crowded. Many of those gathered were young girls, children and women

Pay-cut: Non-teaching staff of Madras University call off stir

Pay-cut: Non-teaching staff of Madras University call off stir 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

04.08.2025

Chennai : Non-teaching staff of Madras University will convene a meeting on Monday to discuss their future course of action regarding the proposal to cut their salaries. This decision follows the employee associations calling off their protest late on Saturday, the day the syndicate meeting, where the pay cut agenda was scheduled to be discussed, was postponed. 

“Since the syndicate meeting has been moved to next week, we have decided to call off our strike. The Monday meeting will primarily involve discussions between employee associations to ensure that this pay cut agenda is not brought up in the syndicate meeting ever again," said Balakrishnan, president of the Madras University staff association. 

According to the employees, who were on a sit-in protest outside the PRO office on the Madras University Campus, the proposed pay cut would reduce the salaries of employees such as attenders, senior attenders, section officers, assistant and deputy registrars by ₹10,000 to ₹30,000 on average. Their current salary ranges from ₹40,000 to ₹1,30,000 a month. 

“At one point in time, prior to 1989, we received salaries on a par with RBI employees. But on the recommendations of Dr Venugopal and Dr Arumugam committees, our salary structure was revised and fixed on a par with those in the Secretariat,” Balakrishnan pointed out. 

A retired assistant registrar of the varsity lamented, “The govt cannot cite fund shortage to cut down the pay of university workers while maintaining the status quo for those at the Secretariat. Moreover, when the next pay revision is scheduled for 2026, why is the govt bent on moving this agenda in the syndicate all of a sudden? The employees, therefore, are well within their right to protest.”

Clerical error’ turns farmer ‘poorest man in India’; docu goes viral

‘Clerical error’ turns farmer ‘poorest man in India’; docu goes viral 

Satna : A certificate showing a Madhya Pradesh farmer’s annual income as Rs 3 went viral on social media with the internet dubbing him as the “poorest man in India”, prompting the authorities to clarify that it was a “clerical error”. 

A photograph of the income certificate issued to Ramswaroop (45), a resident of Nayagaon village under Kothi tehsil of Satna district, complete with the tehsildar’s signature, surfaced on social media this week. 

The document, issued with the signature of Tehsildar Saurabh Dwivedi on July 22, was circulated widely on social media, with netizens calling Ramswaroop the “poorest man in the country”. Officials soon scrambled into action, and by July 25, a new certificate was issued, boosting the farmer’s reported annual income to Rs 30,000, ie, Rs 2,500 per month. 

The original certificate implied Ramswaroop earned 25 paise a month. “It was a clerical error, which has been corrected. A new income certificate has been issued,” Dwivedi clarified. The Madhya Pradesh Congress went all out to ridicule the blunder, sharing the original certificate on X. “In MP chief minister Mohan Yadav’s rule, we discovered India’s poorest man! Annual income: just Rs 3!” the party said in its post. “Isn’t it shocking? A mission to make people poor? Because now the chair itself eats the commission,” it alleged. PTI

Two-year-old bites cobra, toddler faints, snake dies

Two-year-old bites cobra, toddler faints, snake dies 

27.07.2025

Patna : If little Krishna (Govinda) slayed Kaliya Naag in the Yamuna, two-year-old Govinda bit a cobra to death with his tiny teeth, scripting a surreal parallel, reports Kshitiz. The toddler from a hamlet near Bettiah in Bihar’s West Champaran district fell unconscious after the hair-raising duel on Friday but was saved from the snake’s venom, thanks to quick medical intervention. The incident unfolded when Govinda was playing near his home in Majhaulia area’s Bankatwa village. The ever-curious Govinda, son of one Sunil Sah, spotted the reptile and threw a piece of brick at it in play.

Then, the snake struck back, coiling itself around the child’s hands. But instead of screaming or running, the little boy sank his teeth into the snake’s flesh, biting it so hard that it died on the spot.

2-year-old bites cobra, toddler faints, snake dies

2-year-old bites cobra, toddler faints, snake dies 

Kshitiz@timesgroup.com 27.07.2025

Patna : If little Krishna (Govinda) slayed Kaliya Naag in the Yamuna, two-year-old Govinda bit a cobra to death with his teeth, scripting a surreal parallel. The toddler from a hamlet near Bettiah in Bihar’s West Champaran district fell unconscious after the hair-raising duel on Friday but was saved from the snake’s venom, thanks to quick medical intervention. The eerie parallel between the divine legend and the child’s real-life encounter that left many stunned unfolded when Govinda was playing near his home in Majhaulia area’s Bankatwa village. The ever-curious Govinda, son of one Sunil Sah, spotted the reptile and, perhaps unaware of its lethal nature, threw a piece of brick at it in play. Then, the snake struck back, coiling itself around the child’s hands. But instead of screaming or running, the little boy sank his teeth into the snake’s flesh, biting it so hard that it died on the spot. Recalling the jaw-dropping moment, Govinda’s grandmother Mateshwari Devi said: “When we saw the snake in the child’s hand, everyone rushed towards him, but in the meantime, he already bit the snake.” The bite caused Govinda to faint instantly. He was rushed to a local health centre and then to Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH) in Bettiah where doctors described the case as “highly unusual”. According to the doctors, it appears the cobra died from trauma to the head and mouth inflicted by the child’s bite. By contrast, the venom’s effect on Govinda was relatively mild, enough to knock him unconscious, but not enough to be fatal. “Timely treatment saved Govinda’s life. The child’s condition is currently stable. Our medical team is providing continuous medication and he is under observation,” said GMCH doctor Saurabh Kumar. Bankatwa village is under observation, too, from far and wide. Little Govinda has catapulted the sleepy hamlet into the spotlight, evoking amazement and admiration in equal measure with his daredevil fight and survival.

Dead scorpion found in halwa in Tirunelveli

Dead scorpion found in halwa in Tirunelveli 

THE HINDU BUREAU TIRUNELVELI 17.07.2025

The Food Safety Department officials inspected a leading sweet stall and its kitchen here on Wednesday after dead scorpion was allegedly found in the halwa sold to a customer.

Suganthan of Keezha Azhagunatchiyaarpuram near Sankarankovil bought 1.50 kg halwa in five packets from a leading halwa shop in Tirunelveli Junction on last Sunday (July 13).

He reportedly found a dead scorpion in the delicacy in one of the packets when he opened it after reaching home. He released the video showing the dead venomous stinger in halwa with the voice accusing the shop for allegedly not showing due attention in preparing and packing the sweet.

“Since the shop has sold halwa with venomous scorpion, I’m planning to approach the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum,” the voice says.

After this disturbing visual was shared on social media, officials attached to the Department of Food Safety inspected the shop and the kitchen where halwa is prepared.

“We’ve served notice to the halwa shop and shared the visuals with the owner of the shop seeking his clarification on this issue. Based on our findings, we’ve asked the shop owner to take a few measures to ensure better housekeeping like fixing mesh in the windows and other holes in the kitchen through which the insects can enter. We’ve also lifted samples from the kitchen and sent for analysis. Based on the analysis report and our findings in the shop, due action will follow,” Designated Food Safety Officer, Tirunelveli, Pushparaj, said.

The halwa shop workers categorically denied that there was no chance for a scorpion getting packed along with halwa.

“We maintain superior cleanliness in the kitchen at any given time. Since halwa would be very hot when it is packed, it would even burn your skin if a small portion accidentally falls on you. So, no insect will come even closer to the hot pan. As we suspect a foul play in this issue, we’re planning to file a complaint with the police since this incident should not tarnish our credibility,” said sources in the shop.

7.5 லட்சம் மூத்த குடிமக்களின் வீடு தேடிச் சென்ற ரேஷன் பொருள்கள்!

7.5 லட்சம் மூத்த குடிமக்களின் வீடு தேடிச் சென்ற ரேஷன் பொருள்கள்! 

வீடுகள் பூட்டப்பட்டிருந்ததால் பயன் பெறாத 2.25 லட்சம் போ் 

தமிழகம் முழுவதும் இதுவரை 7.5 லட்சம் மூத்த குடிமக்களின் வீடுகளுக்கு ரேஷன் பொருள்கள் நேரடியாக அளிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன.

கே.பாலசுப்பிரமணியன் Updated on:  11 ஜூலை 2025, 4:04 am 

தமிழகம் முழுவதும் இதுவரை 7.5 லட்சம் மூத்த குடிமக்களின் வீடுகளுக்கு ரேஷன் பொருள்கள் நேரடியாக அளிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. 2.25 லட்சம் குடும்ப அட்டைதாரா்களின் வீடுகள் பூட்டப்பட்டதால் அவா்களுக்கு பொருள்கள் வழங்க இயலவில்லை என கூட்டுறவு மற்றும் உணவுப் பொருள் வழங்கல் துறை அதிகாரிகள் தெரிவித்தனா்.

மாநிலத்தில் 34,814 நியாயவிலைக் கடைகள் மூலம் 2 கோடியே 26 லட்சத்து 68 ஆயிரத்து 771 குடும்ப அட்டைதாரா்களுக்கு பொருள்கள் வழங்கப்பட்டு வருகின்றன. குடும்ப அட்டைதாரா்களுக்கு வீடு தேடிச் சென்று பொருள்களை வழங்கும் திட்டம் செயல்படுத்தப்படும் என்று தமிழ்நாடு அரசு அறிவித்திருந்தது. இந்த அறிவிப்பை நடைமுறைக்குக் கொண்டுவரும் வகையில், அந்தத் திட்டம் செயல்பாட்டில் உள்ள ஆந்திரம், தெலங்கானா ஆகிய மாநிலங்களுக்கு தமிழக உணவுத் துறை அதிகாரிகள் சென்று ஆய்வு செய்தனா்.

இதன்பிறகு, தமிழ்நாட்டில் திட்டத்தைச் செயல்படுத்துவதற்கான சாத்தியக்கூறுகளை மாநில அரசு ஆய்வு செய்தது. அதன்படி, 70 வயதைத் தாண்டிய 15 லட்சம் குடும்ப அட்டைதாரா்களின் இல்லங்களுக்கு நேரில் சென்று பொருள்களை வழங்க முடிவு செய்யப்பட்டது. சோதனை அடிப்படையில் திட்டத்தைச் செயல்படுத்த சென்னை, திருநெல்வேலி, சிவகங்கை, திண்டுக்கல், ராணிப்பேட்டை, ஈரோடு, தருமபுரி,

நாகப்பட்டினம், நீலகிரி, கடலூா் ஆகிய மாவட்டங்களில் தலா 2 வட்டங்கள் தோ்வு செய்யப்பட்டன.

 இந்தப் பகுதிகளில் வசிக்கும் 70 வயதுக்கு மேற்பட்ட மூத்த குடிமக்களின் வீடுகளுக்கு கடந்த 1-ஆம் தேதிமுதல் ரேஷன் பொருள்கள் நேரடியாக வழங்கப்பட்டன.

7.5 லட்சம் போ் பயன்: 70 வயதைக் கடந்த 15 லட்சம் மூத்த குடிமக்களில், 7.5 லட்சம் பேரின் வீடுகளுக்கு நேரடியாகச் சென்று ரேஷன் பொருள்கள் வழங்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. 

அதாவது, 50 சதவீத மூத்த குடிமக்கள் குடும்பங்களுக்கு நேரில் பொருள்கள் அளிக்கப்பட்டதாக கூட்டுறவுத் துறை அதிகாரிகள் தெரிவித்தனா்.

சோதனை அடிப்படையிலான முயற்சி நிறைவடைந்த நிலையில், திட்டம் முழுமையாக நடைமுறைக்கு வரும்போது மாதந்தோறும் 80 சதவீதத்துக்கும் மேற்பட்ட குடும்ப அட்டைதாரா்களுக்கு பொருள்களை நேரில் வழங்க முடியும் என கூட்டுறவு மற்றும் உணவுப் பொருள் வழங்கல் துறை அதிகாரிகள் தெரிவித்தனா்.

இதுகுறித்து அவா்கள் மேலும் கூறுகையில், ஒவ்வொரு நாளும் ஒரு குறிப்பிட்ட எண்ணிக்கையிலான மூத்த குடிமக்களின் முகவரி நியாயவிலைக் கடை பணியாளா்களால் எடுத்துக் கொள்ளப்பட்டது. ஒரு பகுதியில் 80 வீடுகள் வரை இருந்தால், அந்தப் பகுதியில் 50 சதவீதம், அதாவது 40 வீடுகளில் வசிப்போருக்கு மட்டுமே பொருள்களை வழங்க முடிந்தது. 

15 சதவீதத்துக்கும் மேற்பட்டோா், அதாவது 2.25 லட்சம் பேரின் வீடுகள் பூட்டப்பட்டு இருந்தன. மேலும், 2.5 சதவீதம் முதல் 3 சதவீதம் வரையிலான அட்டைதாரா்கள் இறந்துவிட்டதால் பொருள்களை வழங்க முடியவில்லை.

சென்னை போன்ற பெருநகரங்களில் இதுபோன்ற சவால்களை நியாயவிலைக் கடை பணியாளா்கள் சந்தித்தனா். திட்டத்தை முதல்வா் மு.க.ஸ்டாலின் தொடங்கி வைத்த பிறகு, முழுமையான அளவில் பயனாளிகளுக்கு பொருள்களைக் கொண்டு சோ்க்க முடியும் என்று கூட்டுறவு மற்றும் உணவுப் பொருள் வழங்கல் துறை அதிகாரிகள் தெரிவித்தனா்.

மாதத்தில் ஒரு குறிப்பிட்ட நாளில் வழங்க முடிவு

தமிழ்நாடு முழுவதும் மூத்த குடிமக்களுக்கு மாதத்தின் ஒரு குறிப்பிட்ட நாளைத் தோ்வு செய்து அன்றைய தினம் பொருள்களை நேரில் வழங்க முடிவு செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதற்கான திட்டம் வகுக்கப்பட்டு வருகிறது. அதாவது, கடந்த ஆண்டில் ஒவ்வொரு மாதமும் எந்தத் தேதியில் மூத்த குடிமக்கள் அதிக அளவு பொருள்களை வாங்கியிருக்கிறாா்கள் என்ற தரவுகளை கூட்டுறவு மற்றும் உணவுப் பொருள் வழங்கல் துறை அதிகாரிகள் சேகரித்து வருகின்றனா்.

மாதத்தின் இரண்டாவது சனிக்கிழமை போன்ற கிழமைகளைத் தோ்வு செய்து அன்றைய தினம் தமிழ்நாடு முழுவதும் பொருள்களை வழங்கலாமா என்றும் அரசு ஆலோசித்து வருகிறது.

மாநிலத்தில் பயனாளிகள் விவரம்: (கிராபிக்ஸாகப் பயன்படுத்தலாம்)

மொத்த மாவட்டங்கள்: 39

நியாயவிலைக் கடைகள்: 34,814

குடும்ப அட்டைகள்: 2 கோடியே 26 லட்சத்து 68 ஆயிரத்து 771

பயனாளிகள்: 7 கோடியே 55 ஆயிரத்து 863

ஆதாா் பதிவுகள்: 6 கோடியே 96 லட்சத்து 46 ஆயிரத்து 224

கைப்பேசி எண் பதிவு: 2 கோடியே 26 லட்சத்து 67 ஆயிரத்து 318

Bharathidasan varsity staring at financial crisis

Bharathidasan varsity staring at financial crisis

Bharathidasan University’s revenue comes mainly from fees from students and colleges and its corpus fund. FILE PHOTO

The university requires ₹6.5 crore to ₹8 crore every month for meeting its salary obligations and with expenditure rising, dwindling resources have become a source of worry for the management

C. Jaisankar

TIRUCHI  30.05.2025

The proposed plan of bifurcating the Bharathidasan University is set to increase its financial strain.

As per the proposal mooted by the Department of Higher Education, a new university, named after former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, will be established by bifurcating the Bharathidasan University.

The Bharathidasan University, headquartered in Tiruchi, at present, has jurisdiction over all arts and science colleges in Tiruchi, Karur, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, and Nagapattinam districts. It has about 158 institutions under its purview.

It includes 119 non autonomous colleges and institutions. Of them, the colleges in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Ariyalur and Nagapattinam are expected to be brought under the jurisdiction of the Kalaignar University. Minister for Higher Education Govi Chezhiaan had said that the new university would be headquartered at Kumbakonam.

The Bharathidasan University has a sanctioned strength of about 263 faculty members for four faculties, 16 schools, 39 departments, and 29 specialised centres in addition to the non-teaching faculty members. It depends mainly on the revenue generated through collecting affiliation fee from colleges, course affiliation fee, new programmes fee, student enrolment fee, examination fee, revenue generated from the students of distance education, and its corpus fund. According to sources, the university is struggling to meet its financial obligations, including salaries for the teaching and non-teaching staff members because of steady decline in revenue sources. It is attributed to various factors, including issues involving the running of distance education centres and the drying up of State funding.

It requires ₹6.5 crore to ₹8 crore every month for meeting its salary obligations to its both teaching and non-teaching faculties. The dwindling resources trouble the university officials to pay the salary. It will increase the burden once the Kalaignar University comes into being.

It is expected that the university will face nearly 50% drop in revenue from its affiliated institutions and colleges as the colleges that are expected to be part of the Kalaignar University will stop paying to the Bharathidasan University.

A senior official of the Bharathidasan University told The Hindu that there was no issue as of now in meeting its expenditure and it was being managed well.

The modalities of managing the resources would be known only after further proceedings of the proposed establishment of the new university.