Rogue monkey mauls three in Kembanoor village

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | ANANTH MATHIVANAN

Published

Feb 21, 2019, 5:42 am IST

Over a period of time, the monkey started to enter every house in the village and take away the food, sometimes even along with the vessels.

Gradually, the monkey expanded its territory within the human habitat. It started robbing households of food, snacks and fruits, triggering a scare whereever it went.

Coimbatore: The man-animal conflict in this region has at least in this case, assumed a different dimension. Often talked about and discussed is the co-existence of man and elephant in the forest fringes on the outskirts of the city.

But the woes of the villagers of Kembanoor in the suburbs of the city seem to be worried about a stray wild monkey disturbing them, and have demanded the forest department to relocate the simian that had mauled three persons, including a boy.

According to a villager of Kembanoor, few months ago, a monkey from the nearby forest area entered Kembanoor near Thondamuthoor. Villagers named the monkey ‘Ramu’ and started feeding it vegetables and fruits.

Over a period of time, the monkey started to enter every house in the village and take away the food, sometimes even along with the vessels.

Gradually, the monkey expanded its territory within the human habitat. It started robbing households of food, snacks and fruits, triggering a scare whereever it went. Small children were its easy target, since it comfortably snatched their snacks from them.

A few villagers made attempts to chase the animal using sticks, but the monkey pounced on them and mauled them. So far, three persons including a small boy have been injured by the monkey.

Panic gripped villagers have demanded the forest department officials to install a trap for the monkey, and relocate it into the dense forest area.

A forest source told DC, following weather changes, the water and fodder inside the forest becomes scarce.

The land turns dry, and as there is no water in the streams wild animals stray into nearby human habitats mainly in search of food and water.

Tamil Nadu wants to know: Where will ‘Captain’ go?

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | J V SIVA PRASANNA KUMAR

Published

Feb 21, 2019, 5:44 am IST

Union Minister Piyush Goel drove to Vijayakanth's Saligramam bungalow on Tuesday and paid respects with flowers.

Vijayakanth

Chennai: With both the prime political camps in Tamil Nadu finalising their alliances for the ensuring Lok Sabha elections, all eyes are now on 'Captain' Vijayakanth to see which way the former Kollywood hero would swing. His wife Premalatha, who speaks most of the political content from the DMDK after his illness, had promised the media persons at the Chennai airport Sunday morning that Captain would take the alliance decision pretty soon, after consulting party seniors. He was tired after the long flight from the US, she explained.

"We have not approached anyone; only the others are approaching us", Premalatha had then insisted, trying to underscore the DMDK importance in the TN poll scene. The party vote share had dropped from 7.88 per cent in 2011 to a measly 2.4 per cent in 2016 and could have slipped further in view of the leader's health. His inability to actively campaign could be a big drawback; but then, the DMDK even in its most famished form could still be useful as an ally in a closely contested poll with high stakes.

Perhaps realising this, the DMDK leadership could be pitching its demands rather high and might even be negotiating with both the AIADMK/BJP and the DMK/Congress. Union Minister Piyush Goel drove to Vijayakanth's Saligramam bungalow on Tuesday and paid respects with flowers. Though he insisted to the media that there was no politics in that trip and he had gone there only to wish him great health, that was hardly convincing. DMK president M K Stalin appeared distinctly irritated when a reporter asked him at the media conference on Wednesday, when he announced the poll pact with the Congress at the Anna Arivalayam, whether the reports were true that the DMDK was going to join his team.

One-day course offered for medics

Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research announced a one-day course for doctors and nurses in association with the Cardiac Surgery Advanced Life Support team from the UK.

Published: 21st February 2019 04:08 AM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research announced a one-day course for doctors and nurses in association with the Cardiac Surgery Advanced Life Support team from the UK.

According to a release, the two organisations have signed a Centre of Excellence MoU for the programme.

The course will be conducted for cardiac surgeons, anaesthetists, intensivists and nurses in emergency care.

The first batch of three courses will be held on March 23, 24 and 25 at Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (SRIHER). The first two-day classes will be conducted for SRIHER professionals and the third day it will be run for staff from other hospitals.

The course will also have practical teaching. The candidates will receive Cardiac Surgery Advanced Life Support (CALS) International Certificate with a unique international ID that is issued centrally by the CALS UK.


The course will be run by experienced faculty from the UK consisting of cardiac surgeon Dr Vincenzo Giordano from Edinburgh, cardiac intensivist Dr Kiran Salaunkey from Cambridge and lead cardiac nurse Tara Bartley from Birmingham.

Tamil Nadu: Nellai surgeons remove 8cm piece of knife from man’s chest

The man, who worked at a printing press, was stabbed in the back by a colleague in a brawl.

Published: 21st February 2019 04:07 AM -

By Express News Service

TIRUNELVELI: It’s bad enough being stabbed in the back, but what if the knife breaks, leaving an 8cm piece of steel lodged in your chest? That is what happened to a 36-year-old man from Kanniyakumari district. The man, who worked at a printing press, was stabbed in the back by a colleague in a brawl. Luckily for him, surgeons at the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TVMCH) successfully removed the steel piece in a recent two-hour procedure. On Wednesday, the hospital announced the success of the procedure and said the patient was ready to be discharged.


According to TvMCH Dean Dr SM Kannan, the patient had a severe stab injury on his back. Kanniyakumari Medical College Hospital, Asaripallam referred him to TvMCH for super-specialty cardiothoracic surgical care on February 4. “The stab injury was on the left side of his back. A chest CT (computed tomography) scan was done in TvMCH and a broken piece of steel, measuring 8x2x0.5 cm in size, was found inside the posterior aspect of the left side chest.

The foreign object was rubbing on his lungs and was close to his heart and great vessels,” Kannan said in the statement. Emergency exploratory thoracotomy was planned on February 6. The steel piece was removed in a mini-thoracotomy procedure that lasted two hours. The operation was done free-of-cost under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme. A similar procedure at a private hospital would have cost the patient more than `3 lakh, the hospital statement said.

Speaking to members of the media, Kannan acknowledged the members of the surgical, anesthesiology and nursing teams. “The patient has recovered from his illness and is ready to be discharged in a good condition,” Kannan told the media.

300 medical students stare at year loss as unpaid teachers go on strike
With the faculty and management of Maheshwara Medical College in Patancheru at loggerheads for the past several months, the institute’s students have become collateral damage.

Published: 20th February 2019 08:53 AM 

For representational purposes

By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: With the faculty and management of Maheshwara Medical College in Patancheru at loggerheads for the past several months, the institute’s students have become collateral damage. It’s been a month since the faculty stopped taking classes; they have not been paid for the last six months. Some of them haven’t been paid for the last nine months. With classes suspended and mid-term examination less than a month away, the fate of 300 students hang in the balance as they stare at year loss if classes do not resume soon.



On February 18, parents and students staged a dharna at the college and later complained to the district collector. Parents are now mulling legal recourse if the management does not resolve the issue with a week.

Parents said that they came to know about the issue around two weeks ago and since then they have met the director at least eight times, officially and unofficially.

Parents then went to Sangareddy district collector M Hanumanth Rao who has directed the Tehsildar to look into the matter since the college operates autonomously. On Tuesday, they also raised the issue with Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS), to which the medical college is affiliated to. Meanwhile, the faculty has told the director that unless the salary is paid to them they will not resume classes.

Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A350 to fly from city from May
The A350-900 features higher ceilings, larger windows, an extra wide body delivering more space and comfort as well as lighting designed to reduce jetlag.

Published: 20th February 2019 02:16 AM 

By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Singapore Airlines has introduced its A350 medium haul aircraft on the Bengaluru to Singapore route. Its inaugural service SQ505 will depart from Bengaluru International Airport at 1.20 am on May 18. It will be the first airline to start A350 services from Bengaluru airport. The A350-900 features higher ceilings, larger windows, an extra wide body delivering more space and comfort as well as lighting designed to reduce jetlag. The A350-900 medium haul aircraft are also designed with a new user interface that offers more navigation options. In-flight WiFi service will also be there.

Silk sarees ruined, courier company Blue Dart told to pay over Rs 1 Lakh

A consumer forum has directed a courier firm Blue Dart to pay a compensation of Rs 1,02,510 to a textile company for damaging silk sarees during transit to Hyderabad.

Published: 20th February 2019 05:03 AM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: A consumer forum has directed a courier firm Blue Dart to pay a compensation of Rs 1,02,510 to a textile company for damaging silk sarees during transit to Hyderabad. In its complaint, S Rajamanicka Mudaliar Textiles, Kancheepuram, submitted that the company was in the business of manufacturing handloom cotton sarees and dress materials.

In March 2016, it had booked 42 fancy and handloom sarees worth Rs 1,12,000 with the courier company to supply to one of its customers at Hyderabad. However, 40 sarees were damaged by a chemical leak during the transit. As a result, the customer in Hyderabad refused to accept the shipment since it was damaged and the consignment was returned to Kancheepuram.

Finding that the courier company had damaged 40 sarees worth Rs 72,510, the textiles sought compensation and filed a complaint before the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Chengalpattu.

The courier company submitted that the complainant has been carrying on commercial activities. Hence, the case does not come under the purview of the Consumer Protection Act.



However, the forum, presided by J Justin David, reasoned there was no buyer-seller relationship between the courier company and the manufacturer. Thus, the argument made by the courier firm is not sustainable.

The forum in a recent order observed that the courier firm failed in its duty to deliver the sarees safely. It directed the firm to pay a compensation of Rs 1,02,510.

Chemical leak during transit to Hyderabad

In March 2016, the textile firm had booked 42 fancy and handloom sarees worth `1,12,000 with the courier company to supply to a customer at Hyderabad. However, 40 sarees were damaged by a chemical leak during the transit

Chennai: One more toll plaza to charge motorists from today
Opposing the move, the state truckers association questioned the rationality behind collecting the user fee for a roads that were built for developing ports.

Published: 20th February 2019 06:01 AM 

The new toll plaza set up at Mathur village in Manali | Nakshatra Krishnamoorthy

By B Anbuselvan

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Amid strong opposition from a section of motorists and state truckers association, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has set up another toll gate at Mathur Manali Ennore Express Highway. The user fee collection will begin from Wednesday.

With this, the northern outskirts of Chennai city now have got four toll plaza within a 20-km radius. 

The new toll gate was three km away from the Surapattu toll plaza (on the Chennai bypass road), five km from Nallur toll gate (Chennai-Tada road) and 20 km from Vanagaram toll gate (Chennai bypass road). 

The four stretches of roads covering 28.33 km have been developed at the cost of `600 crore under Ennore Manali Road Improvement Project (EMRIP). The EMRIP stretches include Manali Ennore Expressway, northern portion of Inner Ring Road, Tiruvottiyur-Ponneri-Panchetty road and Manali oil refinery road. 

The road projects were executed by the Chennai Ennore Port Road Company Limited (CEPRCL), which comprises Chennai Port Trust, Kamarajar Port Limited, NHAI and the state government as its stakeholders.

The state government’s gazette notification, dated October 1, 2018, permitted the CEPRCL or any agency authorised by CEPRCL to collect user fee from the toll plaza at Mathur until recovering the project cost. The motorists will be charged toll of `35 to `215 for single journey depending on the categories of the vehicles.



Opposing the move, the state truckers association questioned the rationality behind collecting the user fee for a roads that were built for developing ports.

“In early 2000 the project was proposed to provide last-mile connectivity for vehicles that transport goods for Kamarajar (Ennore) port and Chennai port. More than 50 per cent of project cost was borne by them. Then why should we repay the expenses through user fee?,” asked R Sukumar, president, Tamil Nadu Lorry Owners Federation (TNLOF).

Echoing the similar view, S Soundrajan, retired Manager (Finance), NHAI, Tamil Nadu questioned the legality of setting up the toll plaza on roads that were largely funded by public limited companies. 

“Indian Tolls Act 1951 authorises state governments to set up toll gates on roads that are funded by government or private companies. However, there was no provision in the NH Act or Indian Tolls Act to collect user fee for roads that are funded by companies (Chennai port and Kamarajar port),” he added.

Chennai man orders food on Swiggy, shocked to see delivery boy leaving from Rajasthan

While one Twitter user asked if the delivery person is the Iron Man, others wondered if the company has tied up with ISRO for the rocket speed delivery.

Published: 20th February 2019 06:50 PM 

Swiggy wins the internet with quirky response. (Photo | Twitter/@bhargavrajan)

By Online Desk

Thanks to the advent of food delivery apps, getting food delivered at home within minutes is now just a tap away. Even if the delivery boy is thousands of kilometres from your home, as a Chennai man recently discovered.



In what appears to be a technical glitch, a customer was shocked to see his food getting delivered from Rajasthan to Chennai in just 12 minutes.

Amused by the bug, Bhargav Rajan wrote to Swiggy India on Twitter saying, "Wow @swiggy_in what are you driving?"

View image on Twitter



Bhargav Rajan@bhargavrajan

Wow @swiggy_in what are you driving?
2,630
5:42 PM - Feb 17, 2019
1,358 people are talking about this
In a swift reply, Swiggy Cares said, "This seems to be the work of God of mischief Loki. In all seriousness, we have highlighted this issue and taken it very seriously and are actively working on to avoid such mishaps in the future. Thank you for bringing this to light for us Hyperion."

The screenshot triggered the funny bones of Twitterati, who came up with some really hilarious replies to the post. While one Twitter user asked if the delivery person is the Iron Man, others wondered if the company has tied up with ISRO for the rocket speed delivery.

One user wrote that Swiggy's delivery from North to South India for just Rs 138 shows their determination to deliver the goods come what may. Replying to which, Swiggy said, "We will fly to the moon and back for our customers! #Anythingforourcustomers" with a dog flying gif. Its reply is winning praises on the internet.


@kaunrajneesh
· Feb 18, 2019

Replying to @bhargavrajan @swiggy_in


Wow for ₹138 they're coming from Bangalore , this is called determination for work !!! Keep going #SwiggySurprise


SwiggyCares
✔@SwiggyCares


We'll fly to the moon and back for our customers! #Anythingforourcustomers

^Zyn pic.twitter.com/vFaTM1RDiH
228
6:05 PM - Feb 18, 2019
Twitter Ads info and privacy


43 people are talking about this
Here are some of the humorous replies from Twitterati. We warn you that your stomach might hurt from laughing.


Joel James@Joel_James

Replying to @bhargavrajan @swiggy_in

12 mins to travel from Rajasthan to Bangalore Is that Iron Man?
4
3:54 PM - Feb 19, 2019
Twitter Ads info and privacy
See Joel James's other Tweets
Someone wanted to know if Swiggy can deliver momos from Nepal.


KRANTIRANJAN N@whokranti

Replying to @bhargavrajan @swiggy_in

@swiggy_in @SwiggyCares I love momos.. I m staying in Banglore..I want home made momos from NEPAL.. Can I get it from there plzzz????
6
11:08 PM - Feb 19, 2019
Twitter Ads info and privacy
See KRANTIRANJAN N's other Tweets


XhakaPramukh‏‎‎پراموکھ@bmwonthenet

Replying to @bhargavrajan and 2 others

Can't be the new Vande Bharat Express
6
7:34 PM - Feb 18, 2019
Twitter Ads info and privacy
See XhakaPramukh‏‎‎پراموکھ's other Tweets
All the Superstar fans unite!


आशुतोष@LYCHNOBITE_ASHU

Replying to @bhargavrajan @swiggy_in

It's only possible when "RAJNIKANTH" is driving.

8:48 PM - Feb 18, 2019
Twitter Ads info and privacy
See आशुतोष's other Tweets
Foodie level 10000!!


JRabari@JRabari2

Replying to @bhargavrajan @swiggy_in

My Permanent residence is in Rajasthan and I am here in Mumbai for now, if (swiggy)you have started any such service (state to state delivery) let me know yeah.. Just wanted to order from favorite restaurant back there
3
10:35 PM - Feb 19, 2019
Twitter Ads info and privacy
See JRabari's other Tweets
Hey Swiggy, will you be our valentine?


Chandan Rawal@chandanrawal316
· Feb 19, 2019

Replying to @SwiggyCares

Let me tell you something...i fucking love @swiggy_in


SwiggyCares
✔@SwiggyCares

Hey Chandan! We love you too. All you need to be happy is love and food. And see here, we are offering you both. Loads of love sent across in a box of delectable food.

^Aishwarya pic.twitter.com/eEzMuKNzS1
6
3:50 PM - Feb 19, 2019
Twitter Ads info and privacy


See SwiggyCares's other Tweets
Swiggy sure knows to make our tummy as well as heart happy. Happy Swiggying!

Doubts raised over faculty appointment in MS varsity

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI, FEBRUARY 21, 2019 00:00 IST

Group seeks High Court-monitored probe

A group of persons has sought an investigation under the watch of the Madras High Court to rule out corruption in the appointment of faculty in Manonmaniam Sundaranar University. The group wants appointment of professors to be put on hold until enquiry is completed.

According to the group, of the 54 positions which fell vacant, only 27 were filled though a large number of candidates appeared for the interview. The complaints range from vacancy positions not being separately demarcated to the State government to presenting self-financing departments as regular departments.

The group is being represented by Makkal Sananayaka Kudiyarasu Katchi, which has claimed that the 200-point roster system was not followed in the appointment either. The group has pointed out that nine faculty members who were appointed in November 2016 had all taken a loan either against salary or pledging jewels from Abishekapatti branch of Indian Bank, which they had either paid within a short time or transferred to another account.

A. Marx, activist and former Government College Teachers’ Association office-bearer, said it was difficult to point to the violation unless the affected person spoke out. “We are asking for an inquiry commission to see how the appointments happened,” he said. The group has given bank details of nine of the assistant professors who were appointed by former Vice-Chancellor K. Baskar.

The group has called for putting on hold appointment of the faculty members and an inquiry as to whether the advertisement was placed in the dailies as required and how was the scrutiny of application forms done.

A university official, however, said the institution had followed the norms and only those who were qualified had been appointed. “The appointments have helped the university get ‘A’ grade. The V-C cannot appoint without putting in place a proper committee and qualified members.

There was a nominee from the government and the Governor’s office too. All members of the committee would be responsible if the appointments are not in order,” he pointed out.

Schools to get digital classrooms this year

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:21.02.2019

Operation Digital Board (ODB) would be implemented across 2 lakh classrooms in higher education institutions at a cost of ₹2,000 crore.

The government, in collaboration with the states and UTs, is also planning to implement the scheme across 1.5 lakh secondary and senior secondary government and government-aided schools over a period of three years, according to Union minister for human resource development Prakash Javadekar.

Announcing the scheme on Wednesday, provision for which was made in the Union Budget in 2018, Javadekar said that digital classrooms will make learning as well as teaching interactive and popularize ‘flipped learning’ as a pedagogical approach.

The process will begin from the 2019-20 session. “It will also help in provisioning of personalized adaptive learning as well as intelligent tutoring by exploiting emerging technologies like machine learning, artificial intelligence and data analytics. An expert committee has worked out optimum configuration of the digital classrooms under ODB,” Javadekar added.

The Union minister said the biggest challenge facing education sector in the country is maintaining acceptable quality standards across the country.

Javadekar said that although we have good number of premier institutions, which compete with the best in the world, a large number of higher education institutions and schools need improvements in quality teaching-learning, as the students coming out of these institutions find themselves unsuitable for the requirements of society and market.

UGC will be the implementing agency for ODB in HEIs. UGC in its commission meeting held on January 29, 2019, has passed a resolution for extending digital education to every classroom in the country by 2022.

Sex scandal case: Suspended MKU faculty, former researcher released

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Madurai:21.02.2019

Suspended assistant professor from Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) V Murugan and former research scholar from the university S Karuppusamy, who were arrested in connection with a sex scandal case, were released from the Madurai Central Prison on Wednesday after bail was granted by the Supreme Court last week.

After his release, Murugan said that it was a false case foisted against him and he will fight it out legally.

Their family members and relatives turned up at the prison , where they were lodged for the past 10 months. The case was registered in April 2018 by the Aruppukkottai town police station under various sections including attempt to traffic girls after an audio tape containing conversation between Devangar Arts College assistant professor Nirmala Devi and girls students went viral.

Devi had allegedly tried to lure a group of girls to have sex with higher officials from the MKU. She had offered marks and monetary benefits in return. The trio were arrested by the police and the case was subsequently taken over by the CB-CID police. The incident became sensational as it dragged the governor’s office into the scandal. It forced governor Banwarilal Purohit to clarify that his office had nothing to do with the incident.

Murugan and Karuppsamy could not get bail despite repeated petitions in the Srivilliputhur court. They moved the Madurai bench of Madras high court but did not get any respite. On February 14, the Supreme Court granted bail to both of them. However, Devi is still lodged in the prison.

Former research scholar from MKU Karuppasamy (in photo) and assistant professor V Murugan were released on bail on Wednesday