Govt employee dumps wife, and two daughters on street

Govt employee dumps wife, and two daughters on street 

07.09.2026

Ahmedabad: A govt employee allegedly dumped his 52-year-old wife and two daughters on the streets saying he could not arrange for their accommodation. The woman from Kalol on Saturday filed a complaint with Sola police alleging that the husband, posted with the supply department in Una, and his family have been harassing her. 

The woman harmed herself after being left on the road. The woman told police that she lived in a rented room in Kalol while her husband lives in Una, Gir-Somnath. A few days ago, rainwater entered the room, forcing the woman and her daughters, aged 14 and 17, to move to Trimandir in Adalaj. The husband came to see them and suggested arranging accommodation elsewhere for a month. According to the complaint, the woman wanted a permanent arrangement, to which the husband allegedly said he did not have the money and she could do what she wanted. 

She alleged that he left the three on Ognaj Road and went away. According to the complaint, the woman harmed herself with a blade and was taken to a hospital. She has also accused her brother-in-law and sister-in-law of subjecting her to harassment. Times News Network

HC junks govt plea against increment order to disabled govt employee

HC junks govt plea against increment order to disabled govt employee

Siddharth Pandey & Ashutosh Shuklatnn 04.09.2026

Jabalpur/Bhopal: A division bench of Madhya Pradesh high court refused to interfere with a single-judge bench order, directing the state to grant an increment due to a specially abled govt employee, regardless of her failing to clear a typing test. 

The order came on a writ petition filed by the govt, challenging the single-bench ruling on the contention that the grant of increment in this case may set a precedent for other employees to demand a similar raise in pay without having the requisite qualification. 

Dismissing the state’s contention, the division bench of Justice Vivek Rusia, the acting Chief Justice, and Justice Pavan Kumar Dwivedi, in its August 21 order, said the apprehension of the grant of increment setting an unhealthy precedent was ‘absolutely baseless’, as the case of petitioner Sanju Yadav and 24 more specially abled employees was reconsidered by the govt through an order on April 15, 1999, as a special case for granting compassionate appointment, relaxing all conditions. “Once such sensitivity and compassion was shown at the time of appointment, it is highly improbable on the part of the state government to deny the benefit of increment on account of not passing the typing examination,” the bench ruled. 

The judges noted that the petitioner was ‘highly qualified’, possessing an MSc degree (first division) and a BEd degree from Jiwaji University, adding that with the passage of time, the govt itself has done away with the requirement of passing a typing test, as typewriters have come to be replaced by computers. “We find no merit in the present writ appeal. The same is, accordingly, dismissed,” the bench ruled, junking the plea.

Class 9 student dies after suspected heart attack in school

Class 9 student dies after suspected heart attack in school 

03.09.2026

Mandya: A 14-year-old student died after reportedly suffering a heart attack during lunch break at SCMM High School in Somanahalli village of Maddur taluk Wednesday. The deceased is Veeramani, who was staying with his grandparents while his parents were residing in Tamil Nadu. According to school authorities, the incident occurred during lunch break when Veeramani suddenly collapsed while drinking water. He was a class 9 student at the school. Teachers immediately rushed him to Maddur Public Hospital in a school vehicle, where he was provided first aid. 

As his condition was critical, doctors advised that he be shifted to Mandya MIMS Hospital for further treatment. However, doctors at MIMS confirmed that the boy had died. Dhananjay, BEO, Maddur, confirmed the death of Veeramani and mentioned that the student was very active in school. The news of Veeramani’s death left his parents and relatives devastated, with the family mourning outside MIMS hospital. Maddur police have registered a case and are conducting an inquiry into the incident. tnn Lunch-hour tragedy

Bus travel for women, three LPG cylinders to be free: CM Expected To Cost 10,000Cr Annually

Bus travel for women, three LPG cylinders to be free: CM Expected To Cost 10,000Cr Annually 

Shanmughasundaram.J@timesofindia.com 25.08.2026

Chennai: Chief minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday announced two welfare measures aimed at easing household and mobility costs—three free LPG cylinders a year for over 1.3 crore families and expansion of fareless bus travel for all women and transgender persons across Tamil Nadu. 

Announced under Rule 110 in assembly, the schemes carry a combined annual financial cost of around 10,000 crore per year. Under the expanded fareless bus travel scheme, women and transgender people can travel in express, limited stop services (LSS), deluxe services in urban areas, while they were earlier permitted to travel for free only in ordinary govt buses. In addition, they can also travel in inter-district mofussil buses and in hill areas, from Oct 2. “There will be no income ceiling or limit on the number of trips,” Vijay said. 

The fareless bus scheme was launched by DMK govt as ‘Magalir Vidiyal Payanam’ but was renamed as ‘Vettri Payanam’ recently by TVK govt. “The scheme is not just about free bus travel. It is a social investment securing a student’s education, a worker’s livelihood and a mother’s household security,” Vijay said, drawing loud applause from the treasury benches. “No woman in Tamil Nadu should lose an opportunity because of commuting costs,” he said adding TN govt would incur an additional expenditure of 6,000 crore annually for the scheme. Vijay also announced ‘Annapurni’scheme under which eligible families will get subsidy equivalent of three LPG cylinders a year. The scheme will cover around 1,30,16,104 households, which include families with an annual income below 2.5 lakh, small and marginal farmers and households having persons with disabilities. 

Beneficiaries will buy cylinders directly from oil companies, with the subsidy amount reimbursed to their linked bank accounts after purchase, Vijay said. The state has earmarked an additional 4,000 crore for the scheme a year, which will be formally launched during Pongal in Jan next year. 25/08/2026, 06:14 Bus travel for women, three LPG cylinders to be free: 

CM Vijay’s poll promise was to provide six LPG cylinders to each family, but it has been halved considering the fiscal situation of the state. File Photo FUELLING WELFARE: Measures aimed at easing daily costs

Endoscopic camera used to copy paper in sealed packet CM orders probe

Endoscopic camera used to copy paper in sealed packet CM orders probe

23.08.2026

Raipur: A tiny endoscopic camera was allegedly slipped through a pinhole in a sealed question paper envelope to film a BSc agriculture entomology paper without opening the packet, exposing a startling loophole in exam security at Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV) in Raipur, Chhattisgarh police said Saturday, reports Rashmi Drolia. 

The paper leak surfaced on Aug 20, shortly before the exam. The test was cancelled and rescheduled for the first week of Sept. About 1,200 students from 27 agriculture colleges were to take it. Six people have been arrested, including Yogesh Sonkesariya, a professor at a private college in Durg, and five students who allegedly paid Rs 12,000 each for the leaked paper, DCP Smritik Rajnala said Saturday.

C’garh police searching for two more suspects, CM orders probe 

Raipur police are searching for two more suspects and are probing if the group was part of a wider network. Sonkesariya allegedly took the sealed entomology paper home, pierced its envelope with a needle and another pointed tool, inserted an endoscopy camera costing about Rs 2,500 and filmed the contents through the tiny opening. The camera, normally used to inspect narrow and hard-to-reach areas inside the human body, allowed him to access the paper without visibly opening the packet. Police said Sonkesariya allegedly reconstructed the questions from the video, sold the paper and passed it to a student network that circulated images through WhatsApp about two hours before the exam. When university officials compared the paper being distributed at exam centres with the viral copy, the questions matched. Police said an FIR was registered under Chhattisgarh Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2008 and BNS sections. CM Vishnu Deo Sai has ordered an impartial probe, while the university formed a five-member panel.

State can’t undo 33-year-old appointment: Gujarat High Court

State can’t undo 33-year-old appointment: Gujarat High Court

July 5, 2026, 01.02 AM IST

Ahmedabad: 05.07.2026

The Gujarat HighCourt has quashed a state govt order cancelling an appointment of a teacher 33 years after he was given the job and some 17 years after his death, and stopping the pension being given to his widow.

In this case, Harshad Bhavsar, along with five others, was appointed as a teacher in its school by Sugyan Education Trust in 1988. After ascertaining he got requisite qualification for the post, his appointment was regularised by the district education officer in 1989. After serving for 16 years, Bhavsar died in 2004. The education department began paying family pension to Bhavsar’s widow, Manorama.

In 2021, the director of schools cancelled the appointment of six teachers and a librarian of the school, including that of Bhavsar, withdrew grant benefits, cancelled employee numbers and stopped salary payments under the Direct Salary Scheme.

The govt action was initiated following a complaint made in 2015 by the husband of then school principal, alleging that the appointments had been made in violation of recruitment rules. The govt cancelled the appointments on the grounds that they were based on forged documents, made without obtaining a no-objection certificate, without publishing advertisements and without seeking names from the employment exchange, causing a financial loss of over Rs 6 crore to the exchequer.

The school trust and the affected employees, including Bhavsar’s widow, challenged the order before HC in 2021. A single-judge bench quashed the govt’s s decision, ruling that appointments could not be cancelled after more than three decades.

However, the state govt appealed appealed against the order regarding the revocation of Bhavsar’s appointment.

Dismissing the appeal, a division bench of N S Sanjay Gowda and Justice J L Odedra said, “If an appointment was made in the year 1988, was regularised in 1989, the same cannot be subjected to a challenge or could be doubted by the state nearly 33 years after the appointment was made.”

The bench further said, “The state, after granting a family pension to the widow of the employee, is now doubting the very appointment itself, which its own officials had regularised. The learned single judge, in our view, has rightly quashed the order of cancellation and held that the state could not exercise its powers to cancel the appointment at such a belated stage.”

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.”