Keerthy kicks off her Bollywood debut as a footballer’s wife

Sharanya.Cr@timesgroup.com

14.03.2019

Several south Indian actresses have debuted in Bollywood, thanks mainly to the work they’ve done in the south. The latest one to join that list is namma Keerthy Suresh, who will be making her debut in the Hindi industry. And like we said earlier, things fell in place for the actress because of her Telugu-Tamil film Mahanati (Nadigayar Thilagam in Tamil), which turned the tables in her career. Keerthy will be debuting in Bollywood in a film with Ajay Devgn that traces the life and time of Indian football player and coach, Syed Abdul Rahim. Directed by Amit Sharma of Badhaai Ho fame and produced by Boney Kapoor, the biopic will also chronicle our national football team’s glory from 1950 to 1963. While Ajay will essay Syed’s role, Keerthy will play his wife in the film. There is a cute love story entwined in the subject.

Ask her about bagging this Bollywood project and Keerthy tells us, “I am elated and honoured to be a part of such a great story. This is a film that will make every Indian proud. I believe this is a story that doesn’t belong to any specific region or language of India but is a great Indian story that the world should know.” The actress is fluent with Hindi and believes that she can do justice to the role. The film is likely to go on floors in June and Keerthy will be joining the team as soon as they begin filming.

We hear that things were finalised last August when Boney, who’s also producing Ajith’s Nerkonda Paarvai in Kollywood, saw Mahanati. A source says, “He was quite impressed with Keerthy’s performance and suggested her name to the director. She then met the director and things eventually fell in place.”

Keerthy Suresh

Vistara gets govt approval to commence foreign trips
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:14.03.2019

The Tata Group-Singapore Airlines JV Vistara has got the government’s nod to fly abroad, making it the first private airline being allowed to do so under recently amended rules.

The Modi government had in 2016 changed the 5/20 rule — which required an airline to complete five years of operations and have 20 planes in its fleet — to fly abroad to 0/20. Since Vistara — which started flying on January 9, 2015 — has over 20 planes, the government set up a group of ministers to examine its request to fly abroad and has now cleared it to do so.

At present, Air India, AI Express, Jet, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir fly abroad, with GoAir starting these flights only last October.

So, Vistara will be the seventh Indian carrier to fly overseas. The other Tata JV airline AirAsia India completes five years this summer and will then fly abroad as it was not considered under the amended 0/20 due to a number of cases filed against the airline.

Vistara is likely to start international flights with service to Colombo. Bilaterals to other nearby places, where any Indian carrier wants to fly like Dubai, China, Qatar and Singapore are almost exhausted, and India did not hike them.

A Vistara spokesperson said, “We are closely working with the ministry of civil aviation. Specific details will be shared at an appropriate time.”

FLYING HIGH: Vistara will be the 7th Indian carrier to fly abroad

Why some women get pregnant even when on the pill

Times of India Chennai 14.03.2019

It’s long been assumed that women who get pregnant on birth control pills somehow erred, possibly by forgetting a dose. But a new study suggests some women may inherit genes that break down contraceptive hormones rapidly, leaving them with hormone levels that are too low to prevent pregnancy, according to a report published in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Researchers found women with a certain genetic variant metabolised estrogen and progesterone so quickly that it could put them at risk for pregnancy if they were taking low-dose birth control pills.

“If a woman came in and said she was taking birth control and got pregnant we assumed she did something wrong, missed a pill or wasn’t using the method like she was supposed to,” said the study’s lead author, Aaron Lazorwitz of the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “We need to believe the patient and to understand that there are other things outside of her control, like genetics, that could cause birth control to fail.”

The new research ought to start a trend, Lazorwitz said. “Women’s health hasn’t had a lot of this kind of research done yet,” he added. “It’s time we catch up with research in other medications that have shown that genetics can affect how the body breaks them down.”

To take a closer look at the issue, Lazorwitz and his colleagues recruited 350 women with an etonogestrel implant in place for at least a year and no more than 36 months. The long-lasting contraceptive comes in the form of a small plastic strip that is injected into the skin of a woman’s upper arm and slowly releases pregnancypreventing hormones over the course of three years.

The researchers chose to study the impact of genetics on hormone metabolism in women using the implant because “it was much easier to study and there was no concern about anyone missing a dose,” Lazorwitz said.

Lazorwitz and his colleagues focused on a gene, called CYP3A7*1C, that is turned on in all fetuses but switches off in most infants. In some women, the gene never switched off. Instead, it continues to make the CYP3A7 protein, which breaks down the hormones used in birth control, Lazorwitz said. REUTERS

BLAME IT ON YOUR GENES

Doctor among four booked for ‘stealing’ kidney

Devanathan.Veerappan@timesgroup.com

Madurai:14.03.2019

The K Pudur police in Madurai have registered a case against a doctor at a kidney hospital, his wife and two others, including the father of the recipient of a ‘stolen’ kidney. They allegedly ‘stole’ the kidney of a teenager and transplanted it to another person without the consent of the boy’s family members.

In her complaint, the donor’s mother, Shakeela Banu, 35, claimed that her son’s kidney was harvested in the hospital on the pretext of curing his ‘blood infection’. Though the incident took place in November 2017, a case was registered with K Pudur police station on Wednesday based on a petition the woman handed over to city police commissioner S Davidson Devasirvatham about 10 days ago. As reported earlier, the Madurai bench of the Madras high court had directed the commissioner to probe the issue. According to police sources, though Shakeela Banu had approached Melur police station in the district police unit to get a case registered, it was not done. Dr Palanirajan of Shastha Kidney and Multi Specialty Hospital, his wife, the recipient’s father Basheer and his friend Raja Mohammed were booked under IPC sections 420-cheating, 506 (i)- punishment for criminal intimidation and sections 18, 19, 20 of The Transplantation of Human Organs Act 1994.

Dr Palanirajan told TOI that he was shocked to know about the case. He did the transplantation after getting all the required approvals and following the procedures including the approval from the authorization committee of Government Rajaji Hospital. “We have already submitted all the documents to the police officers, who inquired into the case before and were convinced. I think some money dispute between the donor and the recipient has dragged us into this,” he said.

Assistant commissioner of police Anna Nagar, Lilly Grace, who is the investigation officer, said that the case was registered based on the petition the woman had given to the commissioner and they were yet to start the inquiry. In her complaint, Shakeela Banu stated that Basheer and Raja Mohammed had been helping her with grocery items as she was struggling to make both ends meet. They told her that Basheer’s son had some disease and wanted blood transfusion frequently for which they sought her son’s blood.

Death sentence of Theni rape, murder convict upheld

Srikkanth.D@timesgroup.com

Madurai:14.03.2019

The Madurai bench of the Madras high court on Wednesday upheld the death sentence by a trial court of a man who raped and murdered a college student and her male friend near Suruli fallls in Theni in 2011 In March 2018, the principal district and sessions judge, Theni, sentenced Diwakar to death after the offences against him were proved.

The verdict was referred before the division bench of Justices R Subbiah and B Pugalendhi and the bench upheld the trial court’s verdict.

Diwakar, now 30, had committed the crime when attempting to rob the couple after confronting them when they were spending time together near the falls, the prosecution held. He had also chopped off the limbs of the woman after raping her.

The woman’s family had filed a missing complaint initially and five days later, both the bodies were found in the forest area. The Rayappanpatti police eventually arrested the accused and substantial circumstantial evidence proved that he had committed the crime.

Diwakar, before the rape and murder, had threatened another couple the same day in the forest region and the man identified the accused after he came to know that a couple had been murdered.

“The brutality of the attack on the young and helpless girl, after raping her, would show the inhuman act of the accused. We are shocked by the savagery of the offence,” the division bench said, adding that the conduct of the accused showed that he is an extremist and would be a menace to society The bench also noted that the accused had criminal antecedents and he once attacked a policeman with a sharp object when police attempted to arrest him for jumping bail in this case.

Holding that the present case came under the rarest of rare category propounded by the Supreme Court, the division bench upheld the trial court’s order.

Diwakar raped and murdered a college student and her male friend near Suruli fallls in Theni in 2011. He had also chopped off the limbs of the woman after raping her

College students protest in Pollachi, Coimbatore

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Coimbatore/Chennai:14.03.2019

College students from across Coimbatore district on Wednesday continued protests seeking proper investigation into the Pollachi sex scandal.

About 1,000 students from colleges in Pollachi on Wednesday gathered in front of the Pollachi municipality office and staged a road roko. Police dispersed them from the spot.

At least 100 students of the Coimbatore Arts College gathered in front of the college gate and raised slogans demanding that the accused be given the severest of punishment. “All those who were involved in the incident should be found and given the highest penalty, the death sentence. Only then such incidents won’t happen again,” said a protester.

College students in Chennai also staged protests seeking stringent action against the accused in the case. More than 500 students of MGR University in Maduravoyal staged a protest and tried to block the bypass road. But police prevented them from blocking the road. The students raised slogans against the accused. They also demanded that police initiate action against politicians or their relatives who were trying to protect the accused individuals.

More than 200 students of Pachaiyappas College staged a sit-in on the college premises demanding action against the accused. Holding placards, they raised slogans against the accused and sought stringent punishment.

Panel may hold inquiry

Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women Chairperson Kannagi Packianathan said that the commission is an individual body and it would conduct inquiry with the two sons of assembly deputy speaker Pollachi V Jayaraman if needed.

Pollachi sex abuse case goes to CBI

Agency To Probe Assault Case As Well

Julie.Mariappan & Subburaj.A TNN

Chennai/Coimbatore: 14.03.2019

The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday ordered transfer of the Pollachi sexual harassment case and a related assault case from the Crime Branch CID to the CBI. Governor Banwarilal Purohit has accorded consent to the transfer of case.

An order to this effect was issued by the home department based on the recommendation of DGP T K Rajendran. The case was initially registered by Pollachi East police station and it was subsequently taken over by the CBCID.

In a communication to the state government, the DGP said the two cases were transferred to the Crime Branch-CID on March

12. Since the investigation involves technical issues, including analysis of Facebook data, IP logs/addresses, internet usage logs, communication with Facebook service providers and other internet service providers in various countries and since the nature of the crime is extremely serious demanding some specialised attention, the central agency would be best placed to handle it.

The government has decided to accept the proposal of the DGP and transfer the case to CBI for further probe by issuing a notification under Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act of 1946, said home secretary Niranjan Mardi in his order.

The case came out in the open after a girl student from a Pollachi college complained to the Pollachi East Police Station on February 24 that she was physically and sexually harassed and robbed of her gold chain worth Rs 20,000 by a group of men inside a car. A case was registered under Sections 354 A (Sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 354 B (Assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe) and 392 (Punishment for robbery) of the IPC and Section 66-E of the Information Technology Act and Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act against the accused, Sabarirajan, Thirunavukkarasu, Sathish and Vasanthakumar. They have been arrested and remanded in judicial custody.

On February 26, brother of the victim filed a complaint at the same police station that he was assaulted by Senthil, Babu, Mani and Vasanthakumar. While Senthil, Babu and Vasanthakumar were arrested the same day and remanded in judicial custody, another accused, Nagaraj, was arrested a day later.

Tasmac bar ransacked

A Tasmac bar owned by A Nagaraj, arrested for assaulting the brother of a Pollachi sex scandal victim, was ransacked by a mob at Suleeswaranpatti near Pollachi on Wednesday. A resident of Suleeswaranpatti said, “Nagaraj has escaped by getting conditional bail in the assault case. But, he was involved in the sex scandal. We have a video of Nagaraj sexually abusing a woman. Police is trying to help Nagaraj. He should be arrested immediately for sexual abuse.” TNN

UP IN ARMS: Goverment arts college students demand action in the Pollachi sex abuse case in Coimbatore on Wednesday

HC issues guidelines for transfer of state govt school teachers

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

14.03.2019

The Madurai bench of the Madras high court has criticized the state school education department for irregular transfers of teachers on administrative grounds and issued a set of guidelines to be adopted by the department for transfer counselling.

The court made the statement after taking note of a submission by the school education department. Of the 1,181 transfers of government school teachers in 2018 on ‘administrative grounds’, several were on the basis of requests made by teachers indicating schools of their choice, the department had said.

Among the new set of guidelines, the court held that teachers who were not given transfer during the general transfer counselling should not be given transfers on administrative ground during the relevant academic year.

According to the detailed guidelines, the applicant must have worked for a minimum of one year in the present school to be eligible for general transfer. However, no such norms were framed for transfers on administrative ground.

The guidelines are in response to a petition which claimed irregularities in the transfer of teachers and sought a probe by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) into alleged irregularities in transfer and postings. After perusing the submissions made by the petitioner, K K Ramesh, and that of the state, a division bench of Justice K K Sasidharan and Justice P D Audikesavalu held that though records show irregular transfers made on administrative ground, there are no material before the court to prove the motive or to substantiate the ground taken by the petitioner that such transfers were made for “other reasons” and hence, a DVAC probe cannot be suggested.

“The annual transfers including the vacancies due to promotion/upgrading of schools must only be on the basis of general counselling,” the bench said. It then directed the department to issue the GO for general counselling sufficiently in advance.

The education secretary has been directed to ensure authenticity of the lists of vacancies and of transfers made pursuant to general counselling and to publish the same on the website without delay, the court said. “In order to fill subsequent vacancies, including those due to voluntary retirement, death, resignation, promotion and upgradation of schools, there should be at least two counselling sessions, preferably one in August and another in September, after the general counselling in June,” the court said. It also held that the clause allowing administrative transfer should not be invoked for transfers to fill vacancies as a result of promotions or upgrading of schools.

To fill subsequent vacancies... there should be at least two counselling sessions, preferably in August and in September, after the general counselling in June

Madurai bench

Fares set to fly high as aircraft grounded after Ethiopian crash

Ayyappan.V@timesgroup.com

Chennai:14.03.2019

Domestic airfares are set to go up as SpiceJet grounds its B737 Max 8 planes following a DGCA directive after the Ethiopian air crash. Around 14 flights have been cancelled as the aircraft model is being taken off service by Wednesday.

This means that between SpiceJet and Jet Airways, around 50 flights will not be operating. This will lead to capacity reduction on many routes resulting in hike in air fare in the coming weeks, feel airlines and travel agents. The increase in prices will hit families travelling during summer holidays.

SpiceJet in a statement said: “SpiceJet is rationalizing and optimizing the use of its Boeing 737 NG and Bombardier Q400 aircraft to address the current situation and minimize inconvenience to its passengers. We are evaluating options for augmenting capacity through additional flights and aircraft induction. We are sure our operations will be normal soon.”

Complying with the DGCA directive, SpiceJet has grounded its entire B737 Max fleet, while most of the B737 Max 8 aircraft of Jet Airways are grounded because the airline has to pay the lessors.

Sharat Dhall, COO (B2C) Yatra.com said, “At least 50 planes are out of action or grounded on the domestic front due to multiple reasons. That is a significant reduction in domestic airline capacity. The additional capacity coming in is not likely to cover this in the short term, while demand is going to be robust over the next few months because of the school holidays and surging leisure travel. The shortage of planes and high seat occupancies are expected to push airfares north in the short term.” Dhall said airfares were at least15% higher this year when compared to last year. A comparison of fare for March 14 in 2019 and the previous year, shows prices went up from Rs4,655 to Rs8,762 because of capacity reduction on the Chennai-Delhi route. On Mumbai-Chennai route the fare has increased from ₹5,671 to ₹20,329.

Aloke Bajpai, CEO and cofounder, ixigo, said: “Post the DGCA announcement, 34 international flights to Mumbai and 12 flights bound for Delhi were cancelled. Grounding of additional planes will further impact fares which were already high this season.” He said a majority of affected passengers have been accommodated by SpiceJet on alternate flights. “Additionally, the airline is also offering passengers the option of a refund, change of flight or date or destination (to nearest alternate airport), without any cancellation charges or fare difference.”

‘Form committee to monitor govt docs’ attendance’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:14.03.2019

The Madras high court has directed the government to constitute a monitoring committee to supervise the attendance and assess the performance of government doctors and maintenance of government medical hospitals across the state.

Justice SM Subramaniam has also directed the government to recover adequate compensation from government doctors who violate terms of service, including the lock-in periods, after completing postgraduation under government quota.

The judge passed the order while dismissing a plea moved by Dr Silamban, a government doctor, who had been absenting from service for the past seven-and-a-halfyears without authorization. The petitioner who joined the service through TNPSC in 1993, later completed his diploma in anaesthesiology as a service candidate with stipend.

“Government doctors are gaining rich experiences at the cost of public money and even through public themselves, who all are attending government hospitals. Poor men are being used as guinea pig for learning. Poor man’s body is dissected and provided for learning. Government resources and life of poor men are at the mercy of government doctors. If no adequate measures are taken to monitor the quality of treatment and performances undertaken, the state is failing in its duty to uphold the right to life ensured to the citizen under the Constitution,” Justice Subramaniam said.

Apart from corrupt practices at government hospitals, it is painful to pen down that doctors themselves are irregular in attending duty, resulting in death of patients, who all are not in a position to afford quality treatment from corporate hospitals, the judge added.

Noting that the situation results in denial of social justice and equal treatment, the court said, economic condition of a citizen cannot be a ground for denial of quality treatment. Thus, the government is duty-bound to ensure cleanliness, availability of doctors, including speciality treatment, paramedical staff, supporting staff, which all are imminent and a constitutional mandate.

Adding that frequent complaints are noticed across the state that government doctors are developing their private practice by neglecting public duty, Justice Subramaniam said, “It is a misconduct both under the service rules as well as MCI regulations. Thus, adequate steps are highly warranted.”

The court asked the government to recover adequate compensation from those who violate service terms

Supreme Court urges BCI to reconsider rule mandating age limit for law courses

Aditya AK March 12 2019  

The Supreme Court today passed an order asking the Bar Council of India (BCI) to reconsider its rule mandating an upper age limit for admission to law courses.

After hearing the matter today, the Bench of Justices SA Bobde and Sanjay Kishan Kaul observed that there is no age to acquire education. Justice Kaul observed that since children from economically weaker sections of society may not have a linear education, they would be disadvantaged by the age limit rule.

The order passed by the Bench urges the BCI to reconsider Clause 28 of the Rules on Standards of Legal Education.

“We consider it appropriate in the interest of justice to permit the Bar Council of India to reconsider the age limit after hearing the various stakeholders, including the petitioner.”

The direction was made in a petition filed in 2016 by two aspiring law students, Rishabh Duggal and Rishabh Arora. They had challenged the BCI’s age limit rule as being unconstitutional and ultra vires various provisions of the Advocates Act, 1961.

In 2008, the BCI had introduced the Rules on Standards of Legal Education framed under the Advocates Act of 1961. Clause 28 in the Schedule III of the Rules sought to impose an age cap for prospective law students. The maximum age limit for joining the Bachelor’s law course was set at twenty years for general category students and twenty-two for SC/ST/OBC students. Similarly, for the post-graduate course, the limit was thirty years for general category and thirty-five for reserved categories.

After a slew of petitions in different high courts challenging Clause 28, the BCI formed a one-man committee of advocate S Prabhakaran to peruse the validity of the provision. The same committee found that the clause fell afoul of Article 14 of the Constitution and recommended its deletion. Subsequently, the BCI passed a notification on September 28, 2013, withdrawing Clause 28.

This matter was then exhumed by B Ashok, an advocate of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. In his writ petition, he prayed that the BCI notification withdrawing Clause 28 be quashed as it was in contravention of the amendment procedure under the Advocates Act. A Division Bench of the High Court allowed the petition.

The BCI then challenged the decision before the Supreme Court of India; however, a Bench of JS Khehar and Rohinton Fali Nariman JJ. upheld the Madras High Court verdict in December 2015. In effect, the clause stood valid.

Subsequently, the High Courts of Bombay and Punjab & Haryana had struck down the rule, citing the legislative incompetence of the BCI to introduce such a rule.

Despite this, the rule still stood. However, as the petition notes, several high courts have allowed petitioners who had crossed the age limit to appear for entrance exams including the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT).

Attempts have been made in previous editions of CLAT – for instance, the 2017 edition – to impose the age limit prescribed by Clause 28.

In March 2017, while hearing this petition, the Supreme Court had stayed the operation of Clause 28.

And now, the Supreme Court has directed the BCI to reconsider the rule.

Advocate Zoheb Hossain appeared for the petitioners.

The matter is listed for the first week of April.

Pollachi Sexual Abuse Case

What is the Pollachi sexual abuse and extortion case: A detailed explainer

 Ragamalika Karthikeyan

• Wednesday, March 13, 2019 - 18:20

 The Pollachi case has taken TN – and the rest of India – by shock. TNM has put together all the verified information that is available so far.

On February 12 this year, Priya (name changed), a 19-year-old college student in Pollachi, was called by her acquaintance, Sabarirajan, who told her that he wanted to discuss something important with her alone. Sabarirajan, who also goes by the name Riswandh, asked Priya to meet him at a bus stop in Pollachi, and when Priya reached there in the afternoon, Sabarirajan was standing near a car along with his friend Thirunavukkarasu, another acquaintance of Priya. The duo asked her to get into the car with them, and said they would talk on the way. While Thirunavukkarasu started the car, Sabarirajan was sitting in the back seat with Priya. And suddenly, two more men – Sathish and Vasanthkumar – got in. The four of them forcefully disrobed Priya and shot a video, and snatched a gold chain she was wearing. They threatened her that if she did not do as they said, and provide them with sexual favours and money when they demanded it, they would upload the video on the internet. When she screamed and cried, they left her in the middle of the road and drove away.

Upset and scared, Priya did not reveal the incident to her family. But when the men blackmailed her and tried to extort money from her multiple times, Priya decided to take her family into confidence.

Her brother Subhash (name changed) then tracked down Thirunavukkarasu and Sabarirajan, beat them up, and unearthed what is perhaps an elaborate and scary sexual violence and extortion racket. Subhash and his friends got hold of Thirunavukkarasu and Sabarirajan’s cell phones, which contained videos of at least three other women that the men may have blackmailed. The family submitted this to the Pollachi police, along with a complaint of sexual harassment and robbery.

The police have filed an FIR on February 24 against Sabarirajan, Thirunavukkarasu, Sathish and Vasanthkumar under sections 354A (sexual harassment), 354B (assault or use of criminal force against woman with intent to disrobe), and 392 (robbery) of the IPC; section 66E of the IT Act (violation of privacy); and section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Sexual Harassment of Women Act (sexual harassment).

The rape and extortion racket

Priya’s ordeal and the phones collected from the four accused has revealed a massive racket run by the four men, and allegedly several other men – and the police is looking into who the perpetrators of these crimes are. They have asked other victims to come forward with their experiences with these men.

TNM has learned some details of the modus operandi of these men was. One of them – usually Sabarirajan alias Riswandh – would lure women to a secluded house or hotel, and either force himself on them or convince them to have sex.

All the while, his accomplices – hidden from view – would shoot the act on a camera.

If it was a sexual assault, one of the accomplices would barge in and pretend to be a saviour, while the other men continued to shoot the video. At least one such video of a young woman who was sexually assaulted by Riswandh (alias Sabarirajan) has been released by a Tamil magazine. TNM will not share the video, or other videos that are circulating.

In the videos that the men have shot, the young women can be heard naming Riswandh (alias Sabarirajan) multiple times. In one of these videos, Thirunavukkarasu can be clearly seen.

Thirunavukkarasu

In another video, Sathish can be seen in a sexual act, and he has left the door open for his friends to shoot the act.

In another video, Riswandh shoots a woman and continuously asks her whether she would meet him the next day. The police say such videos were used to blackmail for money or sexual favours.

If the sex was consensual, the men would threaten to upload the videos on the internet or circulate them through WhatsApp, unless the women gave them sexual favours, along with money and other valuables. In all the videos, it is clear that the door of the room was kept open so other members of the gang could take pictures and shoot videos.

How many victims?

The lawyer of the survivor told TNM that they have recovered three videos from the cell phones they seized from two of the men. While there are media reports and estimates that there are anywhere between 50 and 200 victims of this racket, there is no confirmation of any such number so far. However, at least six women are there in the videos that have leaked now, only Forensic department can recover the rest.

In an audio message that one of the accused Thirunavukkarasu released, he says that a false case has been foisted on him – but also suggests that ‘99 other women’ were willing participants.

The case of assault of victim’s brother

Priya and her family filed a complaint and the police registered an FIR on February 24, 2019. On February 25, Subhash was assaulted by four men – allegedly friends of Thirunavukkarasu and Sabarirajan. Senthil, Babu, Mani and Vasanthkumar beat up Subhash for filing a complaint against Thirunavukkarasu, and allegedly threatened that if anything were to happen to these men, Subhash will not be alive.

An FIR was registered by the Pollachi police in this case, under section 341, 294(b), 323, 324, and 506(2) of the IPC.

The Pollachi police added the name of a fifth person – ‘Bar’ Nagaraj, an AIADMK functionary who has now been expelled by the party – in the FIR.

All five men are now out on bail.

Who are the four accused

Sabarirajan alias Riswandh is a 25-year-old civil engineer in Pollachi. Thirunavukkarasu is a 26-year-old financier. Vasanthakumar works for Thirunavukkarasu to collect money from clients. Sathish is the owner of a readymade garments shop in Pollachi.

Politics over sexual violence

While the case was registered in late February, and TNM reported about the arrests on February 27, the incident has become politicised in the last few days.

The AIADMK has been criticised for the alleged involvement of Nagaraj in the saga, with some media reports suggesting that the rot runs higher up in the party. Tamil Magazine Nakkheeran’s editor Nakkheeran Gopal, in a video, alleged the involvement of Tamil Nadu Deputy Speaker Pollachi Jayaraman’s sons in the sexual abuse and extortion racket. However, Nakkheeran has not given any evidence of their involvement, or how they are allegedly linked to the accused in the case.

While Jayaraman himself has denied allegations, the survivor, Priya, and her brother Subhash have released statements where they said that it was Jayaraman who in fact has supported them from the beginning. In an audio statement, Priya said that her family approached Jayaraman through a family friend, and he has been helpful with filing the complaint and taking the case forward.

Subhash meanwhile released a video statement where his face is not visible, where he has linked the politicisation of the case with the announcement of Lok Sabha election dates.

Meanwhile, opposition party DMK held a rally in Pollachi on Tuesday demanding action against the accused. Speaking at the rally, DMK MP Kanimozhi said, “Many of them are saying we are politicising the issue. Nobody wants to politicise this. But if the government acts only after the matter becomes politicised, then what else can be done?”

Revealing identity of victim, circulating videos

While the survivor and her family have maintained that the police is helping them in the case, Pollachi Superintendent of Police Pandiarajan revealed the survivor’s name in a press meet, against every law to protect the identity of the victim.

“The name of the survivor in this case was revealed only to silence the other women and prevent them from coming out in the open and complaining,” Kanimozhi alleged at the DMK rally on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, several videos of victims are doing the rounds on WhatsApp, with no consideration for the victims’ consent or mental health. These videos were allegedly on the phones seized from the four accused – two of the phones were retrieved by the survivor’s brother while the other two were seized by the police.

Reconsider Upper Age Limit For Admission To LL.B. Courses, SC To Bar Council Of India [Read Order]

Reconsider Upper Age Limit For Admission To LL.B. Courses, SC To Bar Council Of India [Read Order]: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Bar Council of India to reconsider, after hearing the various stakeholders, the upper age-limit for taking admission to the five-year and three-year law...

Reconsider Upper Age Limit For Admission To LL.B. Courses, SC To Bar Council Of India [Read Order]

Reconsider Upper Age Limit For Admission To LL.B. Courses, SC To Bar Council Of India [Read Order]: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Bar Council of India to reconsider, after hearing the various stakeholders, the upper age-limit for taking admission to the five-year and three-year law...

Polachi sexual assault case: Goondas Act slapped on four accused 

 The four accused -- Thirunavukkarasu, Sathish, Sabarirajan and Vasanthakumar are in judicial custody now. 

 Tuesday, March 12, 2019 - 11:44 

 

The police have slapped the provisions of the Goondas Act on the four accused who have been arrested in connection with the Pollachi sexual assault case. Just a day earlier, the Pollachi Magistrate Court had extended the remand for three of the four accused by 15 days.

The police action is in keeping with their earlier assertion that the four men -- Thirunavukkarasu, Sathish, Sabarirajan and Vasanthakumar -- had sexually assaulted and extorted other women. According to the police, their modus operandi involved befriending college-going girls online, filming them after they met them in person, and blackmailing them later with the videos for money.

The Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Drug Offenders, Forest Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Slum Grabbers and Video Pirates Act, 1982 or the Goondas Act defines a goonda as “a member of or leader of a gang, habitually commits, or attempts to commit or abets the commission of offences.”

Under the Goondas Act, a person may be detained without bail for a period that may extend up to one year. In 2011, the Madras High Court held that a single case was enough to detain a person under the Goondas Act.

It may be recalled that the Tamil Nadu police also slapped the Goondas Act on 17 accused in the rape of a 11-year-old child in Chennai last year.

Background

On February 24, a Pollachi-based woman registered a complaint with a local police station, alleging that four men -- Thirunavukkarasu, Sathish, Sabarirajan and Vasanthakumar -- sexually assaulted her in a car under the pretext of a friendly meeting on February 12. Police confirmed that the perpetrators of the crime shot videos of the girl, using it later to extort money from the survivor. While Sabarirajan, Vasanthakumar and Sathish were arrested on February 24, Thirunavukkarasu was apprehended on March 5.

 Soon after the survivor narrated her ordeal to her family, her brother Subhash confronted the men about the incident. The confrontation soon escalated to a physical altercation where Subhash was assaulted by four men.

According to the police, AIADMK functionary A Nagaraj came to the defence of Thirunavukkarasu after the confrontation, threatening and assaulting Subhash. Subhash lodged a complaint with the police. While the initial FIR did not mention him, Nagaraj's name was later added.

Nirmala Devi, accused in sex for cash scandal, granted bail by Madras HC 

 Tuesday, March 12, 2019 - 14:34
 
Nirmala Devi, a former Assistant Professor in an arts college in Aruppukkottai was arrested in April 2018 for trying to lure girl students to provide sexual favours to ‘higher officials’ of Madurai Kamaraj University.

Nirmala Devi, the main accused in the sex for cash scandal, was granted bail by the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday. This comes more than a week after the Tamil Nadu government had told the High Court that it had no objection to Nirmala Devi being granted bail. Justice Dhandapani had granted bail observing that the investigation is complete, the chargesheet has also been also filed and government has no objection. The state government had, however, submitted that Nirmala Devi should not speak to the media while she is out on bail. This submission has been accepted by the court.

On April 16, 2018, Nirmala Devi, a former Assistant Professor in an arts college in Aruppukkottai, was arrested for trying to lure girl students to provide sexual favours to ‘higher officials’ of Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) in exchange for money, grades and career opportunities. In the 19-minute long audio clip, Nirmala Devi can allegedly be heard telling four students of the college about ‘opportunities’ that await them if they agree to do an ‘assignment’ she was offering. She promised them marks, academic prospects and money if they took up her offer.

Earlier this year, the court had ordered an interim stay on the trial based on a chargesheet filed by the CB-CID, based on a petition filed by Suganthi, the General Secretary of All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA). Suganthi had alleged that the investigators had not pursued leads on purpose to unravel who the big names behind the racket were.

She alleged that the CB- CID had limited the case to three people- Nirmala Devi, Assistant Professor V Murugan and former Research Scholar Karuppasamy. She had stated that CB CID has deliberately not questioned or revealed the names of people for whom Nirmala Devi was allegedly soliciting sexual favours from students.

During the hearing last week, the court had asked the TN government if Nirmala Devi’s life was in danger and the government had said there was no danger.

Murugan and Karuppasamy, were granted bail by the Supreme Court. However, Nirmala Devi’s bail application has been rejected multiple times by various courts.

Bengaluru: Woman tells how Ola failed her after driver misbehaved

Written by
Shalini Ojha



Taxi aggregators need to get serious about women's safety, a woman's journey in Ola has shown once again.

Not only is it important that Ola fixes its emergency button, but it should also do a thorough screening of its drivers, said Akanksha Hazari, who had an ugly experience on December 10.

Hazari, who is the CEO of m.Paani, narrated her ordeal on Twitter.
 
In context 

Woman recalls horrifying Ola trip in Bengaluru



What happened
She booked a cab from Bengaluru airport, driver took detour

Hazari revealed on the night of December 10 at 11:31 PM, she boarded a cab from Bengaluru Airport to the city.

The driver didn't follow the route the app showed and took his own path, saying he doesn't have change for a toll. He turned the cab around and sensing trouble Hazari asked him to follow the prescribed path.

He didn't.

Aggression 

When she told him to turn around, he misbehaved

Not only did the driver refuse to follow the route, but he also asked Hazari to leave the cab. The road was secluded and barring few men, no one was seen around.

Hazari immediately pressed the app's emergency button and got a call. The executive spoke to the driver and assured her the ride will be tracked.

She felt relieved but things got ugly.

Fear 

Driver kept making calls, spoke in Kannada

Few minutes after the call, the driver called someone from his phone. Hazari asked him not to do that.

She wrote, "Because like every woman I was wary of who he could call to our location at this time of night. He spoke in Kannada so I couldn't understand the conversations."

Then he turned the engine off and continued to make calls.

Details 

Helpless Hazari dialed emergency again, nothing happened

Hazari said her phone's battery was dying and she didn't know what to do. She was also wondering about the safety executive who said her ride would be tracked.

"I immediately start to press on the emergency button again. 1..2...3...5...10 times, no callback," she wrote.

She called the police too and gave them the registration number of the vehicle.

Second call 

She had to call service center again, explain everything

A crying Hazari then called the service center again, and explained everything, again. She said her call was referred to another safety executive.

He spoke to the driver and directed him to drop her safely. Hazari was asked to keep the driver's phone to ensure he doesn't make further calls.

She reached her destination and paid the money, despite the horrendous experience.

Questions 

Upset with the experience, Hazari tweets about it

In multiple tweets, Hazari explained to Ola how they failed her. She asked why was the driver given this job and why was he continuing.

She also slammed the company for charging her money and not taking action despite promising to do so.

Hazari questioned why did the first safety executive didn't track the ride and why the emergency button didn't work.

Her experience was terrifying. Read about it here

Meanwhile, here's what Ola has to say

"We deeply regret the experience that the customer had to go through. The driver in question had been off-roaded immediately, and has been blacklisted from the Ola platform. We have extended support to the police in sharing all information to help them with the investigation," Ola's statement read.

This Chennai lad has not missed a single day of school or college for last 17 years

The journey was not easy for the MCA student at Measi Institute of Information and Technology.

CHENNAI: Reaching into his bag, GV Vinoth Kumar pulls out his 19 certificates from school and college, exuding pride. He spreads them out on the table. Each commends the 21-year-old for perfect attendance.

For the last 17 years, Vinoth has not missed a single day of school or college. Be it sickness or stormy weather, Vinoth has been determined to attend school and college, in order to set a record with the India Book of Records and Guinness Book of Records.

“After completing class 12, my school gave me a certificate for perfect attendance all through my schooling at Kalaimagal Vidyalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary School. That was when I got the idea to set a record because the current record is only 14 years, which is from LKG to class 12. I have completed three years of undergraduate without missing a class. It puts my current record at 17 years,” he says. He hopes to complete 19 years of perfect attendance.

The journey was not easy for the MCA student at Measi Institute of Information and Technology. “My parents motivated me a lot. They were the ones who told me that I should go to school every day. My father, who is also a teacher, used to drop me at school every day,” says Vinoth. But the situation became tricky when he was completing his undergraduate course in Computer Science at Hindustan College of Arts and Sciences. “I live in Royapuram. From there to Padur takes two and a half hours each way. I used to reach home at 7.30 pm every day. I took the bus for the first two years, and went on my bike during my third year,” he says.

In his third year of college, one day, Vinoth recorded a temperature of 102 degrees, but still drove to college and back. In 2015 and 2016, when the floods and Vardah cyclone hit the city, Vinoth remained focused on his goal, and still went to college every day until it was shut down, and was often the only student in his class. “Years of work isn’t worth being broken by just one day. Everyone accomplishes something in their lifetime. I wanted to accomplish something unique, and so I decided that I will set this record,” he says.

Of course, such dedication comes with a price. “I feel bad when my friends go on trips without me and come back with great stories. Once, they went to a forest near Thiruporur and cooked food out there. They made chicken 65, prawn 65, parotta and curry. However, they went again with me on an off day,” says Vinoth, smiling. He admits that although missing this quintessential part of college life is difficult, he keeps strong through the support of his friends and teachers, head of departments and principals.

Future plans

Vinoth hopes to clear the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission exam and feels that his dedication towards the award will translate into an admirable work ethic.

NRI Admission in PG Medicine

Attention NRI Category PG Medical Aspirants: MCC has issued Notice for submission of documents

New Delhi: Through a recent notification Medical Counselling committee (MCC) informed about the candidates that those who are claiming to be NRI as per the directions/orders of Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.

The notice clearly states that such candidiates have to send their required documents support of their claim of change of nationality from Indian/Other to NRI through e-mail nri.adgmemcc1@gmail.com by 10th March 2019 (Sunday) till 5.00 PM

The notice along with the full details of the original website of MCC is given below:

It is for the information to all the candidates that those who are claiming to be NRI as per the directions/orders of Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in the case (W.P. (C) No.689/2017- Consortium of Deemed universities in Karnataka (CODEUNIK) & Anr. Vs. Union Of India & Ors.) dated 22-08-2017 (Copy enclosed), such candidates should send their relevant documents as mentioned below, in support of their claim of change of nationality from Indian/Other to NRI through e-mail nri.adgmemcc1@gmail.com by 10th March 2019 (Sunday) till 5.00 PM.

All such candidates are advised to be in touch with the mcc.nic.in the website for further course of action.

The following conditions are required to be met by the candidates applying for the change of their category (Indian/Others to NRI):-

1. As per the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in the case (W.P. (C) No.689/2017- Consortium of Deemed universities in Karnataka (CODEUNIK) & Anr. Vs. Union Of India & Ors.) dated 22-08-2017 and principles set out in Anshul Tomar (supra) case.

The list of documents to be sent through e-mail are as follows:

1. Affidavit of the person who is NRI and the sponsorer.

2. Documents claiming that the sponsorer is an NRI (Passport, Visa of the sponsorer)

3. Relationship of NRI with the candidate as per the court orders of The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in case W.P.(c) No. 689/2017-Consortium of Deemed Universities in Karnataka (CODE UNIK) & Ans. Vs Union of India & Ors. dated 22-08- 2017

4. The affidavit from the sponsorer that he/she will sponsor the entire course fee of the candidate.

5. Embassy Certificate of the Sponsorer.

23 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு பிறகு மதுரையில் 106 டிகிரி பதிவு: 10 நகரங்களில் 100 டிகிரி வெயில்

Published : 08 Mar 2019 07:23 IST

வெப்ப அலையின் தாக்கத்தால் தமிழகம் முழுவதும் கடும் வெயில் வாட்டி வருகிறது. சென்னை பல்லாவரத்தில் நாள் முழுக்க மேம்பால கட்டுமானப் பணியில் ஈடுபட்டிருந்த தொழிலாளர் ஒருவர், அந்திசாயும் மாலைப் பொழுதில் தண்ணீர் குடித்து இளைப்பாறுகிறார். பின்னணியில், சுட்டெரித்த சூரியன் தொடுவானில் தரையிறங்கும் காட்சி. படம்: எம்.முத்துகணேஷ்

தமிழகத்தில் வெப்ப அலையின் தாக்கத்தால் 10 நகரங்களில் வெயில் 100 டிகிரிக்கும் அதிகமாக பதிவாகியுள்ளது.

சென்னை வானிலை ஆய்வு மையம் எச்சரித்திருந்தபடி, தமிழ கத்தில் கடந்த 3 நாட்களாக கடும் வெயில் வாட்டி வருகிறது. இதனால் பொதுமக்கள் பகல் நேரங்களில் வெளியில் செல்வதை தவிர்த்து வருகின்றனர். கடந்த செவ்வாய்க் கிழமை 7 இடங்களில் 100 டிகிரி வெயில் பதிவாகி இருந்த நிலை யில், புதன்கிழமை அன்று 9 இடங் களில் பதிவாகி இருந்தது. அதன் உச்சகட்டமாக நேற்று 10 நகரங் களில் வெயில் 100 டிகிரிக்கும் அதிகமாக பதிவாகியுள்ளது.

சென்னை வானிலை ஆய்வு மைய துணை இயக்குநர் ஜெனரல் எஸ்.பாலசந்திரன் கூறியதாவது:

நேற்று மாலை 5.30 மணி நில வரப்படி, அதிகபட்ச வெப்பநிலை யாக மதுரை விமான நிலையம், கரூர் பரமத்தி ஆகிய இடங்களில் தலா 106 டிகிரி, சேலத்தில் 105 டிகிரி, திருத்தணி, திருச்சி, தருமபுரி ஆகிய இடங்களில் தலா 104 டிகிரி, பாளையங்கோட்டை, நாமக்கல், வேலூர் ஆகிய இடங்களில் தலா 103 டிகிரி, கோவையில் 101 டிகிரி வெப்பநிலை பதிவாகி யுள்ளது.

மதுரையில் மார்ச் மாதத்தில் கடந்த 1996-ம் ஆண்டு அதிக பட்ச வெப்பநிலையாக 106 டிகிரி பதிவாகியிருந்தது. இதுவே மதுரையில் கடந்த 140 ஆண்டு களில் மார்ச் மாதத்தில் பதி வான அதிகபட்ச வெப்பநிலை யாகும். இந்நிலையில் 23 ஆண்டு களுக்கு பிறகு நேற்று மீண்டும் 106 டிகிரி வெப்பநிலை பதிவாகி யிருப்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

இன்று (வெள்ளிக்கிழமை) மேற்கு திசைக் காற்றின் வலு குறைய வாய்ப்புள்ளதால், தமிழகத் தில் வெப்பநிலை அதிகரிக்க வாய்ப் பில்லை. படிப்படியாக வெப்ப நிலை குறையும்.

உலகம் போற்றும் பெண்மை!
By அ. அரவிந்தன் | Published on : 08th March 2019 03:05 AM |

ஒரு காலத்தில் ஆண் குழந்தைகள் மீதான மோகத்தால், பெண் குழந்தைகள் பிறந்ததும் அதற்குக் கள்ளிப்பால் ஊற்றி அதை பிஞ்சிலேயே இரக்கமின்றி, வேரறுக்கும் படுபாதகச் செயல்கள் நாடு முழுவதும் அரங்கேறின. பெண் குழந்தைகளால் குடும்பத்துக்குக் கூடுதல் சுமை ஏற்படும் என்ற அவநம்பிக்கை காரணமாக இதுபோன்ற செயல்கள் கோலோச்சத் தொடங்கின. 

இடைக்கால இந்திய வரலாற்றில் பல சமூக சீர்திருத்தவாதிகளின் தளராத முயற்சியால் பெண் சிசுக் கொலை கட்டுப்பாட்டுக்குள் வந்தது. குறிப்பாக, பெண் சிசுக் கொலையை முற்றிலும் ஒழிக்கும் பொருட்டு, தொட்டில் குழந்தை திட்டம் கடந்த 1992-ஆம் ஆண்டில் பிற மாநிலங்களுக்கு எல்லாம் முன்னோடியாக தமிழகத்தில் அறிமுகப்படுத்தப்பட்டது. முதலில் சேலம் மாவட்டத்தில் அறிமுகப்படுத்தப்பட்ட இந்தத் திட்டம், 2001-ஆம் ஆண்டில் மதுரை, தேனி, திண்டுக்கல், தருமபுரி என பிற மாவட்டங்களுக்கும் விரிவுபடுத்தப்பட்டது.

இந்தத் திட்டத்தின் கீழ், பெண் குழந்தைகள் பிறந்ததும் அவர்களைச் சுமையாகக் கருதும் பெற்றோர், ஆங்காங்கே அரசு மருத்துவமனைகள், ஆதரவற்ற இல்லங்கள், ஆரம்ப சுகாதார மையங்களில் வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்த தொட்டில்களில் அந்தக் குழந்தைகளை போட்டு விட்டுச் செல்ல வழிவகை செய்யப்பட்டது. இதன் மூலம் தமிழகத்தில் கடந்த 2001-ஆம் ஆண்டில் 1,000 ஆண் குழந்தைகளுக்கு 942 பெண் குழந்தைகள் என இருந்த பாலின விகிதம், 2011-ஆம் ஆண்டின் மக்கள்தொகைக் கணக்கெடுப்பின்படி, 946-ஆக உயர்ந்தது தெரியவந்தது. 

இது ஒருபுறமிருக்க, தற்போது ஒருசில தனியார் மருத்துவமனைகளில், பாலினம் கண்டறியும் சோதனை மூலம் பெண் சிசுக் கொலை நவீன வடிவம் எடுத்திருப்பதை மறுப்பதற்கில்லை. இதைத் தடுக்க மத்திய அரசு கடுமையான சட்டத்தை நிறைவேற்றினாலும், ஆங்காங்கே அத்திப்பூத்தாற்போல் நடைபெறும் ஒரு சில நிகழ்வுகள் அவ்வப்போது வெளிச்சத்துக்கு வந்த வண்ணம்தான் உள்ளன. தனியார் மருத்துவமனைகளில் இதுபோன்ற சட்டவிரோத கருக்கலைப்புகள் மூலம் ஆண்டுக்கு ரூ.1,000 கோடி வரை வருவாய் ஈட்டப்படுவதாகக் கூறப்படுகிறது.
இன்றைய நவநாகரிக உலகில் துரித உணவுப் பழக்கம், உயிரணு உற்பத்தியைப் பாதிக்கும் தவறான பழக்கவழக்கங்கள், போதைப் பொருள்கள் உள்ளிட்ட காரணங்களால் திருமணமாகி பல ஆண்டுகள் கடந்தும், மகப்பேறு என்னும் மகத்தான நிலையை எட்ட இயலாத தம்பதிகள், ஆதரவற்ற குழந்தைகளின் இல்லங்களை நாடி, குழந்தைகளைத் தத்தெடுக்கும் முறை பெருகி வருகிறது. அதிலும், ஆண் குழந்தைகளைக் காட்டிலும் பெண் குழந்தைகளைத் தத்தெடுப்பதில் முனைப்புக் காட்டி வருவது ஆறுதல் அளிக்கும் செய்தியாக உள்ளது.

இந்தியாவில் கடந்த 2015-2018-ஆம் ஆண்டுகள் வரையிலான கணக்கெடுப்பின்படி, ஆதரவற்ற இல்லங்களில் வசித்து வந்த 11,649 குழந்தைகள், இதுபோன்ற தம்பதிகளால் தத்தெடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளனர். இதில், குறிப்பிடத்தக்க அம்சம் என்னவென்றால், ஆண் குழந்தைகளைக் காட்டிலும் பெண் குழந்தைகளுக்கு கூடுதல் முக்கியத்துவம் அளிக்கப்பட்டிருப்பதே ஆகும். அதிலும், நகர்ப்புறங்களில் வசிக்கும் தம்பதியினர், இல்லாள் இல்லாத இல்லம் பாழ் என்ற பொன்மொழிக்கேற்ப பெண் குழந்தைகளின் மகத்துவத்தை அனுபவ ரீதியாக உணர்ந்து கொண்டமையால், அவர்களுக்கே முன்னுரிமை அளிக்கின்றனர். 

இந்த 3 ஆண்டு காலகட்டத்தில் தத்தெடுக்கப்பட்ட 11,649 குழந்தைகளில் 6,962 பேர் பெண் குழந்தைகள்; ஆண் குழந்தைகளின் எண்ணிக்கை 4,687-ஆக உள்ளது. குறிப்பாக, 2015-16-இல் தத்தெடுக்கப்பட்ட 3,011 குழந்தைகளில் 1,855 பேர் பெண் குழந்தைகள். இதேபோன்று, 2016-17-ஆம் ஆண்டு காலகட்டத்தில் தத்தெடுக்கப்பட்ட 3,210 குழந்தைகளில் 1,915 பேர் பெண் குழந்தைகள். இவைதவிர, 2017-18, 2018-19 காலகட்டங்களில் தத்தெடுக்கப்பட்ட 3,276 மற்றும் 2,152 குழந்தைகளில் முறையே 1,943 மற்றும் 1,249 பேர் பெண் குழந்தைகளே ஆவர்.

ஒட்டுமொத்தமாக, குழந்தைகள் தத்தெடுப்பு விகிதாசாரத்தில், ஏறத்தாழ 60 சதவீத இடத்தை பெண் குழந்தைகள் ஆக்கிரமித்துள்ளனர். அதிலும், குறிப்பாக கடல்கடந்து வசிக்கும் வெளிநாடுவாழ் இந்தியர்கள் (என்.ஆர்.ஐ.), நமது நாட்டின் கலாசார, பாரம்பரிய விழுமியங்களின் மீது நாட்டம் கொண்ட அயல்நாட்டுத் தம்பதியினர் ஆகியோரால் தத்தெடுக்கப்பட்ட பெண் குழந்தைகளின் விகிதம், உள்நாட்டைக் காட்டிலும் அதிகமாக 69 சதவீதம் என்ற அளவில் உள்ளது.

கடந்த 3 ஆண்டுகளில் சட்டப்பூர்வமாக வெளிநாடுகளுக்குத் தத்துக் கொடுக்கப்பட்ட 2,310 குழந்தைகளில், 1,594 பேர் பெண் குழந்தைகள் என மத்திய குழந்தைகள் மற்றும் பெண்கள் நல அமைச்சகம் அண்மையில் வெளியிட்ட ஆய்வறிக்கை தெரிவிக்கிறது. இதன் மூலம் சமூகத்தில் பெண் குழந்தைகளுக்கு எதிரான மக்களின் பார்வையில் எதிர்பார்ப்பையும் கடந்து மிகப் பெரிய மாற்றம் ஏற்பட்டிருப்பது தெளிவாகிறது.

சமூகத்தில் ஆண்களுக்கு நிகராக பல்வேறு துறைகளில் பெண்கள் நிகழ்த்திவரும் சாதனைகளே இதுபோன்ற மாற்றங்களுக்கு வித்திடுகின்றன. இதன் மூலம், பெற்றோரால் கைவிடப்பட்ட கள்ளம் கபடமில்லாத பச்சிளங்குழந்தைகள், குடும்பம் என்னும் நல்லறத்தில் காலடி எடுத்துவைத்து, எதிர்கால வாழ்க்கையைத் தன்னம்பிக்கையுடன் எதிர்கொள்ள இந்த வாய்ப்புகள் உதவி புரிகின்றன. 

மேலும், தாயின் அரவணைப்புக்காக ஏங்கும் பச்சிளம் குழந்தைகளுக்கு இதன் மூலம் நல்ல விடிவுகாலம் ஏற்பட்டிருப்பதை உணர முடிகிறது. அதேசமயம், சமூகத்தில் நிலவும் சட்டவிரோத செயல்பாடுகளைக் கருத்தில் கொண்டு, அவர்களின் எதிர்காலச் சூழல் குறித்தும் ஆய்வு மேற்கொள்ள வேண்டியது அவசியம். ஒட்டுமொத்தத்தில் உலகம் எனும் ஓவியம், பெண்மையினால் மேன்மேலும் எழில் பெறட்டும்!

விமானத்தை இயக்கும் பெண் விமானிகள்

Added : மார் 08, 2019 06:23

சென்னை:சர்வதேச மகளிர் தினத்தையொட்டி விமானங்களை இன்று பெண்கள் இயக்க உள்ளனர். 

சர்வதேச மகளிர் தினம் இன்று கொண்டாடப்படுகிறது. இதையொட்டி தலைமை பெண் விமானி தீபா மற்றும் துணை விமானி விருந்தா தலைமையிலான குழுவினர் டில்லி செல்லும் ஏர் இந்தியா' விமானத்தை இன்று இயக்க உள்ளனர்.இந்த விமானம் இன்று காலை 6:10 மணிக்கு சென்னை உள்நாட்டு முனையத்தில் புறப்பட்டு காலை 9:00 மணிக்கு டில்லி செல்கிறது.பின் அதே விமானம் காலை 9:50 மணிக்கு டில்லியில் புறப்பட்டு மதியம் 12:40 மணிக்கு சென்னை வந்தடைகிறது.

கலிபோர்னியா பல்கலை.க்கு இந்தியர் நன்கொடை

Added : மார் 08, 2019 02:43

நியூயார்க்: அமெரிக்காவின், கலிபோர்னியா பல்கலைக்கு, இந்தியாவை சேர்ந்த, கணிதவியல் நிபுணரான, வி.எஸ்.வரதராஜனும், அவரது மனைவி வேதாவும் இணைந்து, 70 கோடி ரூபாய் நன்கொடை வழங்கியுள்ளார். மறைந்த, கணிதமேதை ஸ்ரீனிவாசன் ராமானுஜனை போற்றும் வகையில், அவரது பெயரில், கணித பேராசிரியர் பணியிடத்தை உருவாக்குவதற்காக, இந்த நிதி வழங்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

24 மணிநேரமும் சரக்கு வியாபாரம்... போதையூர் ஆன திருப்பூர்...!


தி.ஜெயப்பிரகாஷ்

திருப்பூரில் தெருவுக்குத் தெரு திறக்கப்பட்டுள்ள டாஸ்மாக் மதுபானக் கடைகள் மீதான மோகத்தால், ஏராளமான பனியன் தொழிலாளர்கள் ஒழுங்காக வேலைக்குச் செல்லாமல், குடி குடியென முடங்கிக் கிடக்கிறார்கள்.

இந்தியாவின் மாபெரும் தொழில் நகரம் திருப்பூர். நாட்டின் வெளிமாநிலங்களிலிருந்தும், தமிழ்நாட்டின் பிற மாவட்டங்களிலிருந்தும் பிழைப்பு தேடி, திருப்பூர் நகரத்திற்கு அன்றாடம் மக்கள் வந்துகொண்டே இருப்பார்கள். வாழ்க்கையில் அனைத்தையும் தொலைத்துவிட்டு, வெறுங்கையுடன் திருப்பூர் நோக்கி வந்தவர்கள் பலர், இன்று இதே நகரத்தில் தொழிலதிபர்களாக உயர்ந்து நிற்கும் அளவுக்குத் திருப்பூரின் தொழில் வளம் இருந்துகொண்டிருக்கிறது. ஆனால், இவை அனைத்தும் கடந்த கால சம்பவங்களாகி விட்டன. தற்போது திருப்பூரின் நிறமே மொத்தமாக மாறிப்போய் கிடக்கிறது. ஓயாமல் ஓடியாடி உழைக்கும் தொழிலாளர் வர்க்கம், இன்று மதுவுக்கு அடிமையாகிக் கிடக்கிறது. திருப்பூரில் தெருவுக்குத் தெரு திறக்கப்பட்டுக் கிடக்கும் டாஸ்மாக் மதுபானக் கடைகளின் மீதான மோகத்தால், பனியன் கம்பெனிகளில் பணியாற்றும் தொழிலாளர்கள் பலர் ஒழுங்காக வேலைக்குச் செல்லாமல், `குடி, குடியென்று' முடங்கிப்போய் கிடக்கிறார்கள்.




அண்மையில் திருப்பூரைச் சேர்ந்த கவிதா என்ற பெண், தன் கணவர் அதிகாலையிலேயே மது அருந்திவிட்டு வேலைக்குச் செல்லாமல் வீட்டிற்கு வந்து படுத்துக்கிடக்கிறார். இதனால் தங்களின் குடும்பமே வருமானமின்றி வறுமையில் திண்டாடுகிறது என்று கூறி, ஒரு டாஸ்மாக் கடையின் முன் தனியொரு பெண்ணாக தர்ணா போராட்டத்தில் ஈடுபட்டார். அந்தப் பெண், ``திருப்பூரில் உள்ள டாஸ்மாக் மதுபானக் கடைகளால், எங்களைப் போன்ற பல குடும்பங்கள் வறுமையில் வாடிக் கிடக்கின்றன. மதியம் 12 மணிக்கு மேல் திறக்கப்பட வேண்டிய டாஸ்மாக் கடைகளை, அதிகாலையிலேயே திறந்து வைக்கிறார்கள். இதனால் காலையில் வேலைக்குச் செல்வதை தவிர்த்துவிட்டு, நேராக டாஸ்மாக் கடைக்குப் போய் குடித்துவிட்டு வருகிறார்கள்" என்று பொங்கினார். ஆனால், போராட்டம் நடத்திய அந்தப் பெண்ணைக் காவல்துறையினர் விசாரணைக்கு அழைத்துச் சென்றார்களே தவிர, அனுமதிக்கப்பட்ட நேரத்துக்கு முன்பாகவே சட்டவிரோதமாக மதுபானங்களை விற்கும் டாஸ்மாக் கடைகள் மீது எந்தவித நடவடிக்கையும் எடுக்கவில்லை.



திருப்பூரில் உள்ள பல டாஸ்மாக் மதுபானக் கடைகளில் 24 மணி நேரமும் மதுபானங்கள் சர்வசாதாரணமாக விற்பனை செய்யப்படுகின்றன. டாஸ்மாக் நிறுவன அதிகாரிகளும் சரி, காவல்துறையின் மதுவிலக்குப் பிரிவு அதிகாரிகளும் சரி, நடவடிக்கை எடுக்காமல் கண்ணை மூடிக்கொண்டு அமைதி காக்கிறார்கள். அவ்வப்போது எடுக்கப்படும் நடவடிக்கைகளும் பெயரளவுக்கு மட்டுமே இருக்கிறது. நிரந்தரத் தீர்வாக இல்லை.

இதுதொடர்பாக நம்மிடம் பேசிய திருப்பூரைச் சேர்ந்த சமூக ஆர்வலர் பழனிகுமார், ``திருப்பூரில் உள்ள பல டாஸ்மாக் மதுபான பார்கள் எம்.எல்.ஏ-க்களின் பினாமிகளாலும், முன்னாள் கவுன்சிலர்களாலும்தான் நடத்தப்படுகின்றன. அதிகாரமட்டத்தில் அனைத்து இடங்களிலும் அவர்களின் செல்வாக்கு உள்ளதால் 24 மணி நேரமும் மதுபானம் விற்பனை செய்கிறார்கள். எந்தவொரு அதிகாரியும் நடவடிக்கை எடுப்பதில்லை. ஒருசில நேர்மையான அதிகாரிகள் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க முயன்றாலும், அவர்களுக்குப் பல இடையூறுகள் கொடுக்கிறார்கள். வேறு மாவட்டங்களைச் சேர்ந்தவர்களும், வெளிமாநிலங்களைச் சேர்ந்தவர்களுமே திருப்பூரில் அதிகம் வசிப்பதால், மக்களிடையே ஒற்றுமை இல்லாத மனநிலை உள்ளது. ஆனால், கிராமப் பகுதிகளில் அப்படியில்லை. டாஸ்மாக் கடைகளுக்கு எதிராக மக்கள் ஒன்று திரண்டு போராடுகிறார்கள். மாநகரப் பகுதியில் டாஸ்மாக் கடைக்குச் செல்லும் நபரிடம், வாங்கும் மதுவுக்கு பில் போட்டு வாங்குங்கள் என்று சொன்னால்கூட அவர் அதைச் செய்யத் தயாராக இல்லை. மாறாக எங்கள் மீது கோபப்படுகிறார்கள்" என்றார் வேதனையுடன்.

`நாளைய திருப்பூர் மக்கள்' அமைப்பைச் சேர்ந்த சுந்தரபாண்டியன், ``தினமும் காலையில் வாக்கிங் செல்வதைப் போல, மது குடிக்கச் செல்வதையும் வழக்கமாக்கி விட்டார்கள். பனியன் நிறுவனங்களுக்கு ஒழுங்காக வேலைக்குச் செல்வதில்லை. சனிக்கிழமை வாரச் சம்பளம் வாங்கினால், அடுத்த இரு நாள்களுக்கு அந்தப் பணத்தைக் குடித்தே அழிக்கும் தொழிலாளர்கள் அதிகமாகி விட்டனர். `சட்டவிரோதமாக 24 மணி நேரமும் மதுவிற்பனை நடக்கிறது' என மாவட்ட ஆட்சியர் உட்படப் பலரிடமும் புகார் மனு அளித்துவிட்டோம். `ஆய்வு செய்கிறோம்; நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கிறோம்' என்கிறார்கள். ஆனால், எள்ளளவும் நடவடிக்கை எடுப்பதில்லை என்பதுதான் உண்மை" என்றார்.

திருப்பூர் மாவட்டத்தில் சுமார் 275 டாஸ்மாக் மதுபானக் கடைகள் இயங்கி வருகின்றன. தமிழகத்திலேயே அரசுக்கு அதிகமாக டாஸ்மாக் வருமானம் பெற்றுத்தரக்கூடிய மாவட்டமும் திருப்பூர்தான். நாட்டின் அந்நியச் செலாவணியை உயர்த்துவதற்குப் பாடுபட்ட மாநகரம், இன்று அரசின் டாஸ்மாக் வருமானத்தை உயர்த்திக்கொண்டிருப்பதுதான் வேடிக்கை!

Extra-marital affairs have become social evil contributing to crime: Madras HC

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | J STALIN

Published  Mar 7, 2019, 1:49 am IST

The bench was setting aside an order, detaining Ajith Kumar under the Goondas Act, by the authorities.

Madras high court

Chennai: "Extra-marital relationship has become a dangerous social evil nowadays. Many heinous crimes including ghastly murders, assaults and kidnappings are committed because of clandestine relationships and they are alarmingly increasing day-by-day", observed the Madras high court while posing 20 queries to be answered by the Tamil Nadu and Union governments.

A division bench comprising Justices N.Kirubakaran and Abdul Quddhose said most of the killings are either by husbands or wives to eliminate his or her cheating partner, the paramour and shockingly even children. Moreover, murders are being committed either by husband or wife to continue the relationship with paramour, they added.

The bench was setting aside an order, detaining Ajith Kumar under the Goondas Act, by the authorities.

Originally, Joseph alias Ranjith Kumar was having illicit relationship with a woman, who in turn developed contacts with Lokesh, a friend of Joseph. On coming to know this relationship, Joseph attacked Lokesh and subsequently Joseph was detained under the Goondas Act. After the expiry of the detention, Joseph developed contact with another woman. While so, when Joseph was standing along with his friends in Ayyanavaram, Lokesh came along with his associates armed with weapons and attacked Joseph, who fell down in a pool of blood and died. A murder case was registered against Lokesh and five of his associates Ajith Kumar and four others. Later Ajith Kumar was detained under the Goondas Act.

Setting aside the detention order on technical grounds including the delay in passing the detention order, the bench said though the detention order passed by the Commissioner of Police, Chennai, the matter was kept pending to deal with the social evil-extra marital relationship which was the basic reason for the murder in this case. Marriage in India was based on love, faith, trust and legitimate expectation. The marital relationship was considered to be sacred. However, what was to be sacred, was dangerously fast becoming scary shattering families due to outside conjugal relationship, the bench added.

The bench said therefore, to adjudicate the said issue of extra-marital relationship between men and women, this court suo motu impleads Union of India, represented by its secretary, ministry of family welfare, New Delhi and the state of Tamil Nadu, represented by its secretary, home department as respondents. Assistant solicitor general G.Karthikeyan takes notice on behalf of newly impleaded Union government and additional public prosecutor M.Mohamed Riyaz takes notice on behalf of the newly impleaded Home Secretary, the bench added.

The bench said in view of spurt in offences, especially, murders due to extra-marital affairs, it was the bounden duty of this court to address this issue. "In an effort to find out the reasons and find ways and means to address the issue of "extra-marital relationship" and to prevent/reduce the related offences, queries are being raised by this court. Therefore, the queries are neither opinion nor finding or conclusions of this court", the bench added and posed 20 queries to be answered by the state and Union governments.

Soaps, social media behind extramarital affairs? Court poses 20 questions

In an effort to find out the reasons and find ways and means to address the
issue of "extra-marital relationship" and to prevent/reduce the related offences, the Madras high court has posed 20 queries to be answered by the state and Union governments.

A division bench comprising Justices N. Kirubakaran and Abdul Quddhose posed the 20 queries and posted the matter to the third week of June 2019.

The queries are:

QHow many murders took place in Chennai as well as in Tamil Nadu and in India for the past 10 years due to extra-marital affairs?

QHome many offences like suicide, kidnapping and assault , other than murder were committed due to illicit intimacy in Chennai, Tamil Nadu and in India for the past 10 years?

QWhether there is phenomenal increase in the number of offences due to immoral relationship year by year?

QIs it a fact that the mega television serials and cinemas are major reasons for the increase in scandalous relationship in our country?

QWhether mega television serials and cinemas invariably give clue to the people involved in clandestine relationship to commit the offences including murders and kidnapping?

QWhether spouses are increasingly engaging paid killers to get rid of their life partners?

QIs it a fact that the economic independence of both the spouses is responsible for spurt in extra-marital affairs?

QIs it a fact that the increase in illicit relationships is because of sexual dysfunctions or deficiencies of the spouses?

QDoes the spurt in scandalous affairs due to internet which offers platforms, like, Facebook, Facetime, WhatsApp and Instagram giving many chances for strangers to get connected?

QWhether the increase in clandestine relationship is due to westernisation of our culture and way of life?

QAre illicit affairs due to invalidity of men due to their alcohol addiction?

QWhether illicit intimacy is due to lack of quality time spent by the spouses with each other, depriving of their emotional, psychological support and physical comfort and pleasure?

QWhether better public exposure of women, who rightly broke restrictive customs, and their mingling with third parties in their offices or professions are some of the reasons for clandestine relationships?

QWhether breaking away of joint family system and formation of nucleus family are responsible for the increase in extra-marital relationship?

QIs it correct to say that non-teaching of moral and ethical values in the schools is primarily responsible for many social evils including illicit affairs?

QIs it a fact that scandalous relationships are due to conduct of arranged marriages contrary to the wishes of the bride or bridegroom?

QDoes mismatch of couples cause illicit intimacy?

QWhat are all the sociological, psychological and economical factors responsible for spurt in extra-marital relationship?

QWhy not the Central government and the State government constitute an expert committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge/retired high court judge, consisting of psychologists, psychiatrists, andrologists, neurologists, physicians, social activists, Non Governmental Organisation who work for safeguarding the families, to study and analyse the reasons for the social menace of extra-marital relationship and find out the reasons for increase in illicit relationship/extra-marital relationship and give suggestions/solutions to arrest the evil and prevent connected offences in the interest of families/society?

QWhy not the respondents (authorities) constitute Family Counselling Centre to give counseling to the spouses in every district?

Health Dept. to revise ‘on call’ rates of doctors

Afshan Yasmeen

BENGALURU, MARCH 08, 2019 00:00 IST

District-level committees have been set up to fix rates for specialists at hospitals in their jurisdictions

Grappling with a shortage of specialists in rural areas, the State Health Department has now realised that the poor response to its ‘on call’ hiring of doctors is due to low rates per case fixed in 2017-18. The department is now working on revising rates for various hospitals, based on the jurisdictional availability of specialists, transport, and distance from the district headquarters.

Of the 3,400 sanctioned posts of specialists in the hospitals run by the Health Department, 779 are vacant.

The department has set up district-level committees, headed by the deputy commissioners, for suggesting rates for ‘on call’ specialists for each community health centre, taluk hospital, district general hospital, and other health and family welfare hospitals in their jurisdictions.

These committees will have the jurisdictional Zilla Panchayat CEO as vice-chairman and Director/Dean of Government Medical College, District Surgeon, District Health and Family Welfare Officer, Reproductive Child Health officer, and president of the local Indian Medical Association as members.

The committees will analyse the shortage of specialists in hospitals every year and arrive at the ‘on call’ rate for specialists (of various specialities). “The rate for each hospital will differ as it will be based on the local conditions, such as availability of specialists in the private sector, distance from district head quarters, and availability of easy transport,” stated a circular issued by the Health Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey on March 5.

If the rate fixed by the committee for a particular hospital is abnormally high, the reason should be explained.

While the freedom to fix the rates per case for various specialities will be given, the final approval will be done by a State-level committee, headed by the Commissioner. This exercise will be taken up every financial year, the circular stated.

Asserting the need to attract more specialists to its hospitals, Mr. Pankaj Kumar Pandey told The Hindu that due to the shortage of specialists, operation theatres and other modern facilities in many hospitals are not being used.

“The investment made by the government in the health sector is going waste because of this shortage. Following the launch of Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka scheme, public health institutions are duty-bound to provide all health services and carry out as many procedures as possible. For this, we need adequate number of specialists,” he said. “The government is trying to recruit specialists and has started DNB and CPS courses. Despite regular recruitment through the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) and doctors hired on contract under National Health Mission (NHM), the situation has not improved,” he said.

In 2017, the department started an aggressive drive to hire doctors on call and on contract.

While a monthly remuneration of Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 1.2 lakh had been fixed for doctors opting to take up a job on contract, a retention fee of Rs. 10,000, apart from a daily out-patient fee of Rs. 2,000 had been fixed for those who are on-call.

A stipulated fee had also been fixed for every procedure they conducted.

The investment made by government in the health sector is going waste because of shortage of specialists. Following the launch of Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka scheme, public health institutions are duty-bound to provide all health services and carry out as many procedures as possible.

Pankaj Kumar Pandey,

Health Commissioner

The investment done by government in the health sector is going waste because of shortage of specialists. Following the launch of Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka scheme, public health institutions are duty-bound to provide all health services and carry out as many procedures as possible.

Pankaj Kumar Pandey,

Health Commissioner

Antyodaya Express to stop at Kovilpatti

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTMadurai:

MADURAI, MARCH 08, 2019 00:00 IST

Railway Board has approved stoppage for Train number 16191/16192 Tambaram – Nagercoil – Tambaram Antyodaya Express at Kovilpatti railway station on an experimental basis for a period of six months from March 8.

Train number 16191 Tambaram – Nagercoil Antyodaya Express will arrive Kovilpatti at 10.26 a.m. and will leave at 10.28 a.m. Train number 16192 Nagercoil – Tambaram Antyodaya Express will arrive Kovilpatti at 6.10 p.m. and leave at 6.12 p.m.

Graduation ceremony remains a pipe dream for them

Pon Vasanth B.A

MADURAI, MARCH 08, 2019 00:00 IST

Students of Madurai Kamaraj University College, who completed courses in 2015, are yet to get degree certificates

Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) College here has not conducted its graduation ceremony for the students who passed out of the college at least since 2015.

The college, which comes under the direct administration of the MKU and being run on self-financing mode, offers 13 undergraduate courses and nine postgraduate courses with hundreds of students passing out every year.

While a section of alumni who completed their undergraduation as early as 2013 claimed that they were yet to receive their degree certificates, official sources said the graduation ceremony was not conducted only for the batches that passed out since 2015.

A girl student, who completed her undergraduation and completed postgraduation in business administration in the college in 2017, said she neither got the opportunity to attend the graduation ceremony nor received her degree certificates.

Convocation fee

Another postgraduate student, who passed out in 2016, said this was despite the college promptly collecting a convocation fee from final year students. “Though I desperately needed the certificate for a job in late 2017, I could not obtain it. I received it only recently,” he said.

Highlighting that the college was run on self-financing mode with fees on a par with many private colleges, a postgraduate student in Tamil who passed out in 2017, said it was unfair on the part of the college to not issue certificates on time and conduct graduation ceremonies.

“Most of our students come from rural and economically-backward families. It will be a dream for them and particularly their parents to see them receive degree certificates at the graduation ceremony,” he said.

Acknowledging that there were delays in the issuance of certificates due to various factors, a senior university official said the issues had already been addressed to a large extent. “Now, we have obtained all backlog certificates of students graduated since 2015 and made them available at the college for them to collect. It was a humongous task. However, we have done it,” he said.

Assuring that graduation ceremony would be conducted for those who passed out in 2018 in the near future, the official said the possibility of doing it together for those who graduated since 2015 would also be explored.

Customary divorce from first wife no licence to remarry: SC

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:08.03.2019

The Supreme Court on Thursday said marrying a second time on the basis of a “customary divorce” from the first wife will render the second marriage void as the law stipulates that a man and woman are permitted to tie the nuptial knot only if they do not have a living spouse.

This decision came in the case of an inter-caste marriage solemnized in 2010. The marriage developed strains allegedly because of the husband’s drinking habits and matrimonial torture inflicted on the wife. While leaving for her parental home with her belongings, she discovered a marriage dissolution deed of her husband from his first wife and later moved a Pune court seeking her marriage to be declared void.

The second wife alleged that the marriage was solemnized by fraud as the man declared himself a bachelor in the marriage registration document under the Special Marriage Act. She said there was no divorce decree from the first wife, a fact concealed from her, and the man had a spouse at the time of marriage.

The man argued that he had married a second time under pressure as the woman threatened to commit suicide if he said no. He pointed out that there was a customary divorce between him and his first wife prior to his second marriage and hence the wedding was valid. The Pune court had dismissed the woman’s petition and the Bombay high court too refused to give relief.

A customary divorce is a recognized method of separation without involving the court if such a custom is recognized by marriage laws.

On appeal before SC, a bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and M R Shah set aside orders of the trial court and the HC and declared the second marriage null and void. It said under Section 4 of the Special Marriage Act, at the time of marriage neither party should have a living spouse. The bench also ruled that no time limit can be set for filing a petition for annulment of marriage and that it could be filed as and when a party to the marriage discovers that the other had a living spouse at the time of their marriage.

Writing the judgment, Justice Shah said, “The husband was required to prove that such customary divorce was permissible in his caste or community. In the absence of any such issue or any evidence, the courts were not justified in observing that there was customary divorce between the man and his first wife.”

For full report, www.toi.in

Promotion of 30 docs who did not meet research criterion withheld

Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:08.03.2019

At least one in 10 government doctors with the experience to be promoted as a professor was denied promotion as he/she did not satisfy the Medical Council of India (MCI) criteria of publishing at least four research papers in indexed medical journals as first or corresponding authors.

The director of medical education Dr A Edwin Joe said resumes of about 30 doctors out of 300 were withheld for promotion after the directorate found that they have not published adequate papers that help them qualify.

“Most of these teachers had enough experience and satisfied other criteria, but without research they will not get promotions. Assistant professors too should have at least two papers to qualify as associate professors,” he said. The state said vacant positions in the posts would be filled as soon as these doctors provide evidence that their work had been peer-reviewed and accepted for publication.

But senior doctors said while the number of publications might go up, the quality and standards were likely to be compromised if research is done without passion and just for the sake of promotion. “Doctors in government have access to quality clinical material and data. The intention of urging doctors to do research is to get evidences for policies. If doctors are rushing research for promotion, we will have heaps of research papers that can be put to no use,” said a senior professor at the Madras Medical College.

As per the MCI rule, assistant professors must have four years of experience and at least two research papers to be promoted as associate professors, and from then on they need at least two years experience and two more research papers before they are promoted as professors. “It is not difficult to publish research papers but we don’t have that many research grants. There is tough competition for small grants. When doctors are dealing with overcrowded wards it may not be easy for them to spend time competing for research grants. If doctors must do research, they should be given the time and money,” said Dr A Ramalingam, state secretary for service doctors and PG association.

To make things tougher, the state medical council is insisting doctors complete at least 90 hours of medical education for a block of every five years. A gazette notification, published in November 2018, said all doctors in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands must comply with the code of ethics of the council that mandates 30 credit hours – 90 absolute hours – of attending medical education programmes conducted by recognised or accredited organisations.

“Doctors have to pay ₹50 to carry forward deficit credit hours for the next year,” said state medical council president Dr K Senthil.

“If the hours are not completed in the next year too, the fine has to paid once again,” Dr Senthil said.

STUMBLING BLOCK:Doctors said fund crunch and demanding work schedule came as hurdles in their way

இந்தியாவில்தான் மிகக் குறைந்த மொபைல் டேட்டா கட்டணம்

Published : 07 Mar 2019 08:12 IST

பி.டி.ஐபுதுடெல்லி





உலகிலேயே இந்தியாவில்தான் மிகக் குறைந்த கட்டணத்தில் மொபைல் டேட்டா வசதி அளிக்கப்படுவதாக ஆய்வில் தெரியவந்துள்ளது.

முகேஷ் அம்பானியின் ஜியோ மூலம் ஒரு ஜிபி கட்டணம் ரூ. 18.50-க்கு அதாவது 0.26 டாலர் கட்டணத்தில் அளிக்கப்படுகிறது. சர்வதேச அளவில் சராசரியாக ஒரு ஜிபி கட்டணம் ரூ. 600 என்ற அளவில் உள்ளதாக ஆய்வில் தெரியவந்துள்ளது. மொத்தம் 230 நாடுகளில் உள்ள டேட்டா கட்டணம் இதில் ஆய்வு செய்யப்பட்டது. இந்தியாவில் 0.26 டாலருக்கு ஒரு ஜிபி வழங்கப்படுகிறது. இதற்கான கட்டணம் இங்கிலாந்தில் 6.66 டாலராக உள்ளது. இதுவே அமெரிக்காவில் 12.37 டாலராக உள்ளதாக தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

டேட்டா கட்டணத்தில் சர்வதேச சராசரி 8.53 டாலராக உள்ளது.

இளம் தலைமுறையினரை அதிகம் கொண்ட நாடாக இந்தியா திகழ்கிறது. இங்கு இணையதள பயன்பாடு அதிகரித்து வரும் அதே சூழலில் ஸ்மார்ட்போன் சந்தையும் விரிவடைந்து வருகிறது. இதன்காரணமாகவே இங்கு இணையதள கட்டணம் மிகக் குறைவாக உள்ளதாக ஆய்வில் குறிப்பிடப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இந்தியாவில் 43 கோடி பேர் ஸ்மார்ட்போன்களை உபயோகிக்கின்றனர். சீனாவுக்கு அடுத்தபடியாக அதிக எண்ணிக்கையில் ஸ்மார்ட்போன்களை உபயோகிக்கும் நாடாக இந்தியா திகழ்கிறது.

2016-ம் ஆண்டு இந்தியாவில் முகேஷ் அம்பானி மிகவும் போட்டிகள் நிறைந்த தொலைத் தொடர்புத் துறையில் 4ஜி அறிமுகத்தோடு களமிறங்கினார். இவரது ஜியோ இணையதள சேவையை 28 கோடி வாடிக்கையாளர்கள் பெறுகின்றனர். உள்ளூர் இலவச அழைப்புகள், மிகக் குறைவான டேட்டா சேவை, ஏறக்குறைய இலவசமாக ஸ்மார்ட்போன் என ஜியோ அறிமுகம் பலரையும் சென்றடைய காரணமாகிவிட்டன. இதன் காரணமாக போட்டி நிறுவனங்களும் கட்டணங்களை குறைக்க வேண்டிய கட்டாய நிலை உருவானது.

ஜியோ அறிமுகம் மூலம் முகேஷ் அம்பானி உலகப் பணக்காரர்கள் வரிசையில் 6 இடங்கள் முன்னேறி 13-வது இடத்தில் உள்ளார்.

61 வயதாகும் அம்பானியின் சொத்து மதிப்பு 2018-ம் ஆண்டில் 4,000 கோடி டாலராக இருந்தது. அப்போது உலகப் பணக்காரர்கள் வரிசையில் 19-வது இடத்தில் இருந்தார். 2019-ல் 5,000 கோடி டாலர் சொத்து மதிப்புடன் 13-வது இடத்துக்கு முன்னேறியுள்ளார்.

இந்தியாவின் மிகவும் நம்பகத்தன்மை மிக்க ரிலையன்ஸ் இண்டஸ்ட்ரீஸ் நிறுவனத்தையும் முகேஷ் அம்பானி நிர்வகிக்கிறார்.

230 நாடுகளில் உள்ள 6,313 டேட்டா கட்டண விகிதங்கள் பரிசீலிக்கப்பட்டன. கடந்த ஆண்டு அக்டோபர் 23-ம் தேதி முதல் நவம்பர் 28-ம் தேதி வரையான காலத்தில் இந்த ஆய்வு மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டது.

இந்தியாவில் மொத்தம் 57 வகையான மொபைல் கட்டண விகிதங்கள் ஆய்வு செய்யப்பட்டன. அதில் 1 ஜிபி மிகக் குறைந்த கட்டணமான ரூ. 1.75-க்கு கிடைக்கிறது. அதிகபட்சம் ரூ. 99.90 ஆக உள்ளது.

இந்தியாவுக்கு அடுத்தபடியாக கிர்கிஸ்தானில் 1 ஜிபி 0.27 டாலருக்கும், கஜகஸ்தானில் 0.49 டாலருக்கும், உக்ரைனில் 0.51 டாலருக்கும் கிடைக்கிறது. ஜிம்பாப்வேயில் மிக அதிகபட்சமாக ஒரு ஜிபி-க்கு 75.20 டாலர் கட்டணம் வசூலிக்கப்படுவதாக ஆய்வு முடிவுகள் தெரிவிக்கின்றன. ஆப்பிரிக்க நாடுகளில் மிகக் குறைந்த கட்டணம் மற்றும் மிக அதிக கட்டணம் ஆகிய இரண்டுமே உள்ளன. ருவாண்டா, சூடான், காங்கோ ஆகிய நாடுகளில் ஒரு டாலருக்கும், கினியா, செயின்ட் ஹெலனா உள்ளிட்ட நாடுகளில் ஒரு ஜிபி-க்கு 50 டாலர் கட்டணம் வசூலிக்கப்படுகிறது.

சீனாவில் ஒரு ஜிபி டேட்டா கட்டணம் 9.89 டாலராகும். இலங்கையில் இது 0.87 டாலராகவும், வங்கதேசத்தில் 0.99 டாலராகவும், பாகிஸ்தானில் 1.85 டாலராகவும் உள்ளது. இந்தியாவில் உள்ள 106 கோடீஸ்வரர்களில் முகேஷ் அம்பானி முதலிடத்தில் உள்ளார். அஸிம் பிரேம்ஜி 36-வது இடத்தில் உள்ளார். ஹெச்சிஎல் நிறுவனர் ஷிவ் நாடார் 82-வது இடத்திலும், ஆர்சிலர் மிட்டல் தலைவர் லட்சுமி மிட்டல் 91-வது இடத்திலும் உள்ளனர். இந்தப் பட்டியலில் குமார் மங்களம் பிர்லா-122, அதானி குழுமத் தலைவர் கவுதம் அதானி- 167, சுநீல் மிட்டல் 244-வது இடத்திலும் உள்ளனர். பதஞ்சலி இணை நிறுவனர் ஆச்சார்ய பால்கிருஷ்ணா 365-வது இடத்திலும், அஜய் பிரமிள் 436-வது இடத்திலும், கிரண் மஜூம்தார் 617-வது இடத்திலும், இன்ஃபோசிஸ் நாராயணமூர்த்தி 962-வது இடத்திலும் உள்ளனர்.