Private school headmistress in Tamil Nadu's Vellore ends life over NEET anxiety

By B Anbuselvan  |  Express News Service  |   Published: 22nd August 2017 02:22 AM  |    

VELLORE: A 38-year-old headmistress of a private school allegedly committed suicide in Vellore on Sunday, since she feared her daughter who had cleared Plus Two under the CBSE stream would not get an MBBS seat this year due to the prevailing uncertainty in the State. Her daughter had scored 1,125 marks in Plus Two and secured a National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) score of 212 out of 720.

The woman ended her life when other family members were away from home.  The deceased, identified as S Nithyalakshmi, is a native of 1st Anna Nagar (West) in Vellore.

Her husband P Sivasubramaniyan is an assistant professor at a private engineering college.

Related Article
• Ordinance in trouble as A-G does a NEET U-turn
• Plan to move Supreme Court against NEET exemption to Tamil Nadu
• Tamil Nadu likely to conduct medical admission through NEET

The couple has a daughter who completed Plus Two and is currently staying with her relatives in Madurai.

On Sunday, Sivasubramaniyan left the house around 7.00 pm to meet his friends in Vellore. When he returned around 11.30 pm, the main door of the house was found open, but the bedroom was locked from inside. As there was no response after repeated knocks, he broke the bedroom window and found his wife hanging on a saree.

Priliminary inquiries by the police revealed that Nithyalakshmi had been depressed since a month over the delay in getting her daughter’s MBBS admission.Since the admission process was delayed, the victim tried to admit her daughter in a private medical college in Madurai under management quota, but could not afford the fee.

Sasikumar, sub-inspector of Bagayam police station told Express that the victim desperately wanted her daughter to get MBBS admission. He added that despite her husband and father trying to convince her that the final MBBS rank list was not released yet, she was not convinced.

She believed that if the rank list was based on NEET score, her daughter would get admission, the police official added.

Ordinance in trouble as Attorney General does a NEET U-turn

By Express News Service  |   Published: 22nd August 2017 02:09 AM  |  

Last Updated: 22nd August 2017 07:19 AM  |  

  

Image used for representational purpose only.

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu’s hopes of getting exemption from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test or NEET rank list for admission to undergraduate medical courses this year suffered a body blow on Monday after Attorney General of India KK Venugopal reversed his opinion on a proposed State Ordinance to facilitate it. Last week, Venugopal was reported to be okay with it, but now he has conveyed to officials that the Ordinance would not stand legal scrutiny.

“The Attorney General of India said the special Ordinance for exemption of the State from NEET was not legally valid,” an officer who was part of the team camping in New Delhi told Express. The Supreme Court’s verdict on NEET is expected on Tuesday. During the last hearing the SC had sought details on the number of students who had cleared the State Board Plus Two exam and qualified for NEET.

The official further said, “we will have to conduct UG medical admissions based on NEET scores this year if the SC order too goes against the State.” Meanwhile, a group of CBSE students staged a protest at the Directorate of Medical Education campus demanding medical counselling based on the NEET score.

Related Article
• Private school headmistress in Tamil Nadu's Vellore ends life over NEET anxiety
• Delhi HC seeks government, police reply on probe plea in NEET illegalities
• Tamil Nadu Health Secretary Radhakrishnan leaves for Delhi again over NEET issue
• Group of State Board students oppose efforts for NEET exemption for Tamil Nadu
• Madra HC reserves order on President’s assent to NEET exemption

The development came a day after the headmistress of a private school allegedly committed suicide in Vellore on Sunday, fearing her daughter cleared Plus Two in the CBSE stream would not get an MBBS seat this year due to the current uncertainty. Her daughter had scored 1125 marks in Plus Two and had a NEET score of 212. The woman was found hanging in her bedroom around 11.30 pm.

The Tamil Nadu government had earlier tried to safeguard the interests of the State Board students by issuing a government order reserving 85% of UG seats for them. The GO, however, was struck down by the judiciary.

Indian Nursing Council allowed to publish list of recognised colleges

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

BENGALURU,AUGUST 22, 2017 00:00 IST

UPDATED: AUGUST 22, 2017 04:27 IST

In interim order, Division Bench of High Court stays part of previous order

A Division Bench of the Karnataka High Court on Monday permitted the Indian Nursing Council (INC) to publish on its website a list of nursing institutions recognised by it.

The Bench, comprising Chief Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee and Justice P.S. Dinesh Kumar, passed the interim order while staying a portion of a Single Judge Bench’s order on July 24 restraining the INC. The Division Bench also said it was open to the Karnataka State Nursing Council publishing a list of nursing institutions it recognises.

However, the Bench declined to stay, at this stage, the finding of the single judge that the INC had no power to accord recognition to colleges to impart education in nursing courses and was only empowered to prescribe qualification and syllabus.

The Bench passed the order after a preliminary hearing of appeals filed by some nursing colleges and the nursing council.

Earlier, the counsel for INC contended that the council had the power to regulate nursing institutions and pointed out that the INC has been barred from publishing a list of recognised institutions across the country because of the July 24 order.

Opposition

Meanwhile, Karnataka State Association of the Management of Nursing and Allied Health Science Institutions and some nursing institutes opposed the INC’s request as around 250 colleges not found on the INC list will not get any students as only 18 institutes were on the INC website prior to the July 24 order.

The INC’s power to grant recognition became an issue after the State government, on December 14, 2016, issued a notification citing a 2005 judgment and clarifying that the power to grant recognition, impart training in nursing, and fix intake rested with the State government, the Karnataka State Nursing Council, and the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, not the INC. The State insisted on INC recognition prior to this.

Power shutdown today

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

TIRUCHI,AUGUST 22, 2017 00:00 IST

UPDATED: AUGUST 22, 2017 04:44 IST

S

Power supply will remain suspended from 9 a.m. to 5.30 a.m. on Tuesday in the following areas owing to maintenance works to be taken up by the TANGEDCO at the Thiruvanaikovil sub-station: Thiruvanaikovil Sannidhi Street, North and South Inner Streets, Othatheru, Srinivasa Nagar, Nariyan Street, Nelson Road, Ambedkar Nagar, Panchakarai Road, Arul Murugan Garden, AUT Nagar, Raghavendra Garden, Gandhi Road, Trunk Road, Kumbakonam Salai, Sivaram Nagar, M.K.Pettai, Chennai By-pass Road, Kallanai Road, Keezh Kondayampettai, Nadu Kondayampettai Jambukeswarar Nagar, Akilandeswari Nagar, Venkateswara Nagar, Tagore Street, Thiruvennainallur, Ponnurangapuram, Thiruvalarsolai, Panaiyapuram, Uttamarseeli, Killikoodu, Tollgate, Bikshandarkovil, Maruthi Nagar, Gokulam Colony, V.N.Nagar, Raja Nagar, Anand Nagar, Rayar Thoppu and Thalakudi,..

Wednesday

Power will remain suspended from 9.45 a.m to 2 p.m. on Wednesday in the following areas owing to maintenance works at Alundur sub-station: Nagamangalam, Manikandam, Fathima Nagar, Alundur, Sethurapatti, Yagapudaiyanpatti, Sengurichi, Kunnathur, Mekkudi, Alampatti, Paganur and Surakudipatti.

Power shutdown today and tomorrow

STAFF REPORTER

MADURAI,AUGUST 22, 2017 00:00 IST

UPDATED: AUGUST 22, 2017 04:17 IST

There will be no power supply in the following areas served by the Chinnakattalai substation from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday:

Chinnakattalai, Sedapatti, Kuppalnatham, Mangalrev, S. Kottaipatti, Kanavaipatti, Sandhaipatti, Vagurani, Ayothipatti, Alligundam, Kanniyampatti, Perungamanalloor, Sembarani, Chennampatti, Paramanpatti, Periyakattalai, Chettiapatti, Aavalacheri, K. Andipatti, Veeranampatti, Thottanampatti, Salupapatti, Gudicheri, Jampalapuram, Ketthuvarpatti, Peraiyur, Elumalai, Sulapuram, Ulaipatti, Mallappuram, Ayyampatti, M. Kallupatti, Adhigaripatti, Thullukuttinayakkoor, T. Ramanathapuram, Uthapuram, Gopalapuram, Pallapatti, S. Kottaipatti, Thadaiyampatti, Paraiapatti, Kodanayakkanpatti, Rajakkapatti, Jothilnayakkanoor, A. Perumalpatti and Manoothu and surrounding hamlets.

More areas

Following areas served by Teppakulam and Anuppanadi substations will also experience power shutdown from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.:

Rajiv Nagar, Pagalavan Nagar, Tamilan street, Teacher’s Colony, Aravind Hospital, Cine Priya Theate, Aavin Milk Booth, Iravathanalloor, Babu Nagar, Ganesh Nagar, Raja Nagar, Velan Street, Kirupanantha Variyar Nagar, Gangarajapuram, Kallampal, Chintamani, Ayannarpuram, Panaiyur, Samanatham, Periyar Nagar, Thainagar, Ganga Nagar, Housing Board, Alagapuri, Kannan Colony, Rajaman Nagar, Teppakkulam South, Adaikalam Pillai Colony, New Ramanathapuram Road, Teppakulam West, Pankajam Colony, Anuppanadi-Teppam Road, Anuppanadi East and West, Kamarajar Salai, Teppakulam to East Gate, Thangam Nagar, Vadivel Nagar, Alagar Nagar, Kuruvikkaran Salai, Meenakshi Nagar, ABT Lane, New Meenakshi Nagar, CMR Road, Kondithozhu, Srinivasa Perumal Kovil Road, Chinna Kanmoi, Balarangapuram, Shanmuga Nagar, Navaratinapuram, Indira Nagar, Old Kuyavarpalayam Road, Lakshmipuram first to sixth streets, Kanpalayam first and second street, Pacharisikkara Lane, Maina Theppam first to third streets, Krishnapuram area, Mela Anuppandi East, Tamizhan Road, NMR Puram, AA Road, BB Road, DD Road, Meenakshi Avenue and Thirumakal Nagar.

On Wednesday

There will be power shutdown in the following areas served by Temple and Arapalayam substations:from 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Wednesday:

East Avanimoola Street, Dhalavai Street, Ezhukadal Agraharam, South Avanimoola Street, East Masi Street, Vengalakkadai Street, Netaji Road, South Chithirai Street, Velliambala Street, East Chithirai Street, North Chithirai Street, South Avanimoola Street, Sungam Pallivasal Street, Yanaikkal, Tirumalairayar Padithurai and North Veli Street.

Puttuthoppu Road, YMS Colony, Mela Anna Thoppu, Motilal Main Road, Arapalayam Main Road, Arapalayam Cross Road, Ponnagaram Broadway, TVS Thoppu, Krishnarao Tank Street, Thilagar Thidal, North Perumal Maistry Street, West Masi Street, North Masi Street, Pookkara Street, North Vadampokki Street, Vakkil New Street, Maninagaram, Workshop Road, Pechiamman Padithurai, Adimoolam Pillai Agraharam, Hanuman Temple Padithurai, Tamil Sangam Road, Kalaththu Pottal, Sellur 60 Feet Road, Ahimsapuram and Suyarajyapuram.

Semmalai missing at swearing-in

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI,AUGUST 22, 2017 00:00 IST

UPDATED: AUGUST 22, 2017 03:46 IST

S. Semmalai, a veteran legislator from Salem district and a former Minister, who joined ranks with former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam in February, was surprisingly left out of the Cabinet expansion exercise following the merger of the AIADMK factions on Monday.

Apparently piqued over his exclusion, Mr. Semmalai did not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Mr. Panneerselvam and K. Pandiarajan at the Raj Bhavan. Considering his seniority, there were expectations that he would be inducted into the Cabinet. Incidentally, he had convened the first district-level meeting of the AIADMK (PTA) and passed a resolution against the merger with AIADMK (Amma).

Though no explanation was forthcoming on the decision to leave him out, the message that emanated from AIADMK circles was that his rivalry with Edappadi K. Palaniswami cost him a Cabinet place. Another member of the erstwhile OPS camp who didn’t make it to the Cabinet was Srivaikuntam MLA S.P. Shunmuganathan.

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

A year on, still no full-time Governor

Dennis S. Jesudasan

CHENNAI,AUGUST 22, 2017 00:00 IST

UPDATED: AUGUST 22, 2017 04:46 IST

S

Ch. Vidyasagar Rao  

Rao often flies down for key occasions

Tamil Nadu, which has witnessed a political churn since the hospitalisation of Jayalalithaa in September last year, has been without a full-time Governor for almost a year now. Acting Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao continues to shuttle between the Raj Bhavans in Chennai and Mumbai to attend to his duties in both the States.

The last time the State had an acting Governor was 16 years ago after the resignation of the then Governor Justice M. Fathima Beevi in July 2001. The Centre had chosen to “recall” Ms. Fathima Beevi.

Mr. Rao is the longest serving acting Governor of Tamil Nadu, who would be completing a year in Raj Bhavan in Chennai next week.

The Governor had to fly down to Chennai every time a political situation emerged in connection with the hospitalisation and eventual death of Jayalalithaa in December last year. He administered the oath of office to two Chief Ministers.

Also, it was only because the Governor was away in Mumbai that then Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam hoisted the national flag during the 2017 Republic Day celebrations, a clear break from the tradition.

Mr. Rao, who stayed put in Mumbai when Sasikala was elected leader of the AIADMK Legislature Party, arrived in Chennai in time for Monday’s cabinet expansion.

When The Hindu sought a comment, a former Governor of an Indian State, who had also served as an acting Governor, said, “There is nothing unusual about having acting Governors. But, yes, it does create some problems. During the Independence Day and the Republic Day, the Governor’s presence is expected in both the State capitals. In case of extraordinary situations, it does create problems for the Governor.”

Senior DMK leader and Deputy Floor Leader in the Assembly Duraimurugan said that the party has felt the absence of the Governor many times when they wanted to meet him.

“We have to wait for the Governor to come and then we have to meet him. The Chief Minister should urge the Prime Minister for a full-time Governor. You can see what is happening now in the State,” Mr. Duraimurugan said.

DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan said that the ruling BJP in the Centre was still looking for a leader who understands Tamil Nadu well and would protect the party’s interest in the State.

‘Situation normal’

However, Union Minister of State and senior BJP leader Pon. Radhakrishnan disagrees and says there is nothing extraordinary in the present situation.

“There is no difference between a full-time Governor and otherwise. What matters is whether the Governor is acting when the situation requires. We know the political situation prevailing in Tamil Nadu and I believe our Governor [Mr. Rao] has acted whenever his actions were required.”

There is no difference between a full-time Governor and otherwise. What matters is whether the Governor is acting when the situation requires

Pon. Radhakrishnan

Union Minister of State

‘Medical aspirants deserve a fair chance’

R. Sujatha

CHENNAI,AUGUST 22, 2017 00:00 IST

UPDATED: AUGUST 22, 2017 03:46 IST

Students stage protest, feel that admission should be based on Plus Two marks

Students from various private schools held a protest outside the office of the Directorate of Medical Education on Monday demanding that medical admission should be based on Plus II marks.

Around 30 students, who had scored over 1,160 and had a cut off of 196.5 and above, said they were worried about losing to candidates who had taken a break to prepare to qualify in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test this year.

“They are playing on our weakness. We didn’t get time to prepare for NEET. We are not less intelligent or ineligible,” Joice A., an aspirant from Tiruchi, said of the candidates who have been demanding NEET-based admission.

Her Plus II marks would get her a seat but her score of 133 in NEET wouldn’t, she said.

Praveena U., a State Board student who took the NEET and wanted it to be the basis for admission, says all candidates had a “fair share of chances.”

She, along with aspirants who took the NEET this year, cited details obtained under the Right to Information Act from the Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University that showed that in the past 10 years, only a handful of students from government schools have managed to enter medical colleges.

After the State government sought permanent exemption from NEET and a group of students demanding that NEET scores be used for admission, the Supreme Court had issued a directive that the State should ensure that no candidate was affected in the process. The State government, on its part said that in that case it should be allowed to add 2,000 more seats.

‘Tough to get more seats’

But experts said that the Medical Council of India would not agree to the State’s demand for more seats. A former medical education official said there were just a few occasions, that too around 30 years ago, when the State managed to get a big haul of seats. The first time was when the State moved from pre-university course to higher secondary education, two batches of students were admitted from each of these programmes.

Around the same time, the number of postgraduate seats in paediatrics programme was doubled to mark the International Day of Paediatrics, the official recalled.

K. Senthil, president of the Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association, said, “When the State government announced a medical college in Vellore, the MCI did not give permission for over seven years. Even in 2005, when the Theni Medical College was started, the permission was denied for a year.”

The only way out for the government would be to provide weightage for NEET scores and the class 12 marks, so that toppers in both are accommodated, he said.

“Now not a single student from the State board makes it to the All India Quota. In fact, we are losing all 15% of the seats currently. If NEET is implemented, within a span of five years we will have students being admitted to those seats also,” he says.

Even if the anticipated Supreme Court verdict on Tuesday is in favour of the State government, it would be very difficult for the admission process to be completed before August 31, as stipulated by the Supreme Court.

Since the court has ruled that no student can be admitted after September 30, the State might have to appeal for an extension into September, said the former medical education official.

Rajini family moves HC to reopen school locked by landlord

Sureshkumar| TNN | Aug 21, 2017, 11:34 AM IST

Aishwarya Dhanush

CHENNAI: Having suffered the ignominy of a family-run school being locked by the landowner for alleged non-payment of rental dues, actor Rajinikanth's daughter, Aishwarya Dhanush, has moved Madras high court to reopen the locked premises. She is the younger daughter of the superstar, and wife of actor Dhanush.

She has also demanded Rs 5 crore as compensation for defamation caused by the landowner, and another Rs 1 crore for wrongfully locking the school gate.

Aishwarya filed the suits in the court in her capacity as secretary of Raghavendra Education Society, which runs the Ashram School. Last week, the landowner locked the gate forcing the school management to shift students to another institution.

The suit, filed by advocate TT Ravichandran on behalf of Aishwarya, was mentioned before Justice CV Karthikeyan, who granted them permission to move the suit on Tuesday for admission.

Aishwarya has also requested the court to appoint an advocate commissioner to remove the lock.

It was her contention that when a suit filed by the landowner for recovery of arrears and enhanced rent was still in court he should not have locked the gate.

Claiming that the landowner's version of the rental dues was false, Aishwarya said the gates ought not to have been locked when the compromised talks between the parties were still on. The landowner wants the rental arrears, as well as enhanced rent, recovered from the school management.

‘90% MBBS seats still vacant in deemed universities

’TNN | Aug 21, 2017, 11:56 PM IST

Chennai: After two rounds of counselling by the Directorate General of Health Sciences (DGHS), nearly 90% of MBBS seats in several deemed universities across the country, some of which cost up to Rs 1 crore, remained vacant on Monday.

When the directorate released the vacancy list for the final mop-up counselling scheduled for Wednesday, data showed that 817 more students joined 43 deemed universities in the second round. With this, the vacancies dropped from 8,278 seats in round 1 to to 7,461 seats in round 2.

"We will see if we can fill up more seats in the mop-up round," a senior DGHS official said from New Delhi.

For the first time, acting on a Supreme Court order, the DGHS this year conducted centralised counselling for deemed universities. In Tamil Nadu, only six more student had joined deemed universities in second round of counselling. The DGHS has now asked eligible students, who were not allotted seats in either of the rounds, to fill in choices by Tuesday. The DGHS will on Wednesday process the results for the mop-up round and publish them on Thursday. Students will have to pay fees to secure admission to the colleges between August 25 and August 28.


The DGHS will return the vacant seats to the universities on August 28. The universities will have time till August 31 to fill the seats.

Parents say that several universities are desperate and have invited applications from students. "I was told that if I was willing pay the fees now, my son will be assured an admission," said R Shamugeshwarn, a businessman. "Agents have also started negotiating but this time we know the exact number of seats that are vacant."

The list of vacancies published by the DGHS show that MBBS seats remained untouched in many colleges and some colleges had admitted fewer than five students. For instance, no students joined colleges like ACS Medical College in Chennai, which charges Rs 19 lakh as annual tuition fee besides up to Rs 1.75 lakh as hostel fees. GITAM Institute of Medical Science and Research, Visakhapatnam, and Aarupadai Veedu Medical College and Hospital, Puducherry, had one student each and Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, had two students.

While Sri Ramachandra University in Chennai, 128 of 250 seats vacant, and Saveetha University, Chennai and DY Patil University in Navi Mumbai each retained 137 of 150 seats. In SRM Medical University 137 of 150 seats are vacant. Parents said that one of the main reasons students rejected or did not join deemed universities were prohibitive fees. In each of these colleges, the fee ranged between 18.5 lakh and 23 lakh.

"My son had asked for Kasturba Medical College in Manipal as his first choice, but he did not get a seat there," another parent, Priya Shankar, said. "The fee in Manipal is Rs 10.3 lakh. Now he has been allotted to a college where the fee is Rs 21.5 lakh. But 83 of 250 seats in Manipal are still vacant."

Her son will not be able to join the mop-up round because DGHS has said only registered candidates who were not allotted a seat in the second round of allotment and "have submitted fresh choices as per the vacancies shown before the second round of counselling" are eligible for the round.

Chitheri train accident: Loco pilot gets jail for accident that killed 12

Shanmughasundaram J| TNN | Updated: Aug 22, 2017, 05:53 AM IST

(Representative image)

VELLORE: A mobile phone-wielding loco pilot, whose train rammed a stationary rake in Chitheri killing 12 people in 2011, has been found guilty of committing culpable homicide, and sentenced to 10-year imprisonment.

Vellore principal district sessions judge S Ananthiconvicted loco pilot A Rajkumar who drove the Chennai Beach-Vellore MEMU on the fateful day, under two counts and sentenced him to undergo imprisonment for maximum period of 10 years.

According to A Dilli Babu, public prosecutor, a total of 74 witnesses were examined in the case, and 12 material evidence too were submitted. This included the mobile phone of the loco pilot and speedometer of the train engine.

Rajkumar had made phone call to a fellow loco-pilot, Ravi, when he was in-charge of the train. During the conversation, he told Ravi that he had to return from Vellore to Chennai the same night and hence he was rushing to Katpadi. During the course of the conversation, the phone call got disconnected and then it became not reachable, Ravi had depose during the trial.

Police stated that the train was being driven at 97 kmph, as against the permitted speed of 75 kilometres per hour.

During trial, police also produced the call details of Rajkumar's mobile number, which clearly showed that he was speaking on the mobile while driving the train, which is against rules as per the Railway Board orders. While on the call, he missed the signal and dashed against the Arakkonam-Katpadi passenger train.

On September 13, 2011, the Chennai Beach-Vellore Cantonment Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit-66017 driven by Rajkumar rammed into a stationary train Arakkonam-Katpadi Passenger at Chitheri at 9.24 pm. Twelve persons died, while 71 were grievously injured in the accident. Of the 12 deceased, 11 had died on the spot, while another person died at the hospital. The then station master of Walajah Road station Krish Kumar, 31, was one among the deceased. He had gone to Arakkonam to buy gifts for his son's first birthday.

Sessions judge Ananthi sentenced that Rajkumar must serve 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for offences punishable under Section 304 (ii) of IPC besides five years and Rs 1 lakh fine under Section 3 of Tamil Nadu Public Property Prevention of Damage and Loss Act, 1992 read with 151 of Railways Act. Though he was also booked under section 308 of IPC, he was acquitted of the charge. He will serve the imprisonment concurrently.

Police had filed a 395-page charge sheet in the case and said Rajkumar was speaking over the phone, jumped a signal and violated the speed limit. They also listed 165 witnesses in the charge sheet and quoted Southern Railway's assessment that Rs 2 crore worth property was damaged in the accident.