‘Education is a powerful tool’

The college is also in the process of building additional floors in MCE Block.
Published: 18th March 2019 06:53 AM  

Medals were distributed to 87 meritorious students

By Rinreichui Kashung

Express News Service

CHENNAI: It is a celebration of pride and dignity for Loyola College. It is not only a moment of happiness but also a time to reaffirm the commitment and continue the legacy laid down by the elders,” said L Antoine Lebel, vice-principal of Loyola College while addressing the audience during the institution’s 94th College Day function on Friday.

The event was a milestone for the entire Loyola community as the celebration marked another march towards years of excellence in education, service to the society and achieving all-round development of students. US Consul General Robert G Burgess presided as the chief guest of the event and was honoured by Rev Fr AM Jayapathy Francis, rector of Loyola College and Rev D Selvanayakam, secretary and correspondent. The college’s annual report was presented by Rev F Andrew, principal. “It is the only college which has prominence in research studies. The college is also in the process of building additional floors in MCE Block.

A new course for BCom undergraduates was started in 2018. For the 3,468 seats open for 2018 admission, we received 36,352 online applications,” he shared. Robert G Burgess commended the college for its many achievements. “College Day is the day to reflect and consider the achievements together as an individual and institution,” he said. Talking about the importance of education, he shared, “Education is an investment to an individual, but also a powerful tool to society.


It is not just a system of memorising facts and figures, or learning how to apply a formula which is essential but it is also about developing a sense of ethics, a standard of integrity, social responsibility and philosophy which will guide you through your life.” He also presented the special awards to Sushmita Kumari — ‘Best Outgoing Women Student Award’; Camil Rex M for ‘Best Outgoing Student’, and ‘Best Loyolite Award’ for the year to Dharunsharma T. Medals were given to 87 meritorious students. The retiring faculty and staff were also honoured.

Tamil Nadu: Retired government staff & wife get jail for amassing wealth
According to the prosecution, R Arivudainambi (64) worked as the deputy drug controller in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, for over a decade.

Published: 19th March 2019 06:39 AM

By Harish Murali

Express News Service

CHENNAI : A retired drug controller and his wife, also a retired government official, were sentenced to two years in jail on charges of amassing wealth as much as 90 per cent above their known sources of income. A CBI special court delivered the verdict on Monday, bringing the trial to an end 12 years after the CBI arrested the couple on charges of corruption.

According to the prosecution, R Arivudainambi (64) worked as the deputy drug controller in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, for over a decade. During this period, he was required to deal with different types of proposals of different pharmaceutical companies of the country, relating to new drugs in the market, including manufacturing of new drugs, import of raw material, etc.

He was also required to accord approval to such proposals submitted by the pharmaceutical companies and was allegedly taking bribe from these companies.


Along with R Arivudainambi, his wife Sathayvani (62), who was working in the State government at the secretariat, was also arrested under the Prevention of Corruption Act, by the CBI in 2007. She is alleged to have helped her husband in amassing the ill-gotten wealth.The CBI filed a case under section 13 (2) Prevention of Corruption Act, on charges of ‘criminal misconduct’. The CBI, after investigations, accused the couple of amassing wealth 90 percent above their known sources of income and the case was tried in the CBI special court.

The trial court judge, S Muruganantham, in the verdict on Monday said that the prosecution has proved the charges against the couple beyond doubt. The couple were sentenced to two year of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of `1 lakh each. After the court pronounced the verdict on Sunday, the couple were released
on bail to enable them to appeal against it.

VIT, Indian Bank team up to collect fee online

Indian Bank and VIT University have entered into an agreement for launch of online fee collection of the latter, on Monday.

Published: 19th March 2019 06:43 AM |

A file photo of Indian Bank.

By Express News Service

CHENNAI : Indian Bank and VIT University have entered into an agreement for launch of online fee collection of the latter, on Monday.The MoU was exchanged between the MD and CEO of Indian Bank, Padmaja Chunduru and Chancellor of VIT University, Dr G Viswanathan.VIT University has about 36,000 students in Vellore campus who pay their fees through branch counters at the campus, direct payment gateway at a higher cost. Whereas now Indian Bank is providing payment gateway at a lower cost. 

Students are benefitted since their parents are not required to stand in the queue or pay a higher cost. Team Indian Bank is on the campus to assist students on mobile banking and internet banking facilities, a release said.

Advocate sends legal notice to sub-judge

STAFF REPORTER

MADURAI, MARCH 19, 2019 00:00 IST

Faces contempt proceedings in High Court

Taking serious note of the legal notice sent by an advocate, E. Ayyanar, to sub-judge A. Deepa in Dindigul, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday sought his enrolment details.

A Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and S. S. Sundar, hearing a contempt petition against Ayyanar, questioned how a legal notice was sent to a presiding officer. The court also summoned the advocate and adjourned hearing in the case.

It is said that Ayyanar, instead of filling an application to reject an original suit for want of jurisdiction, filed a legal notice on the sub-judge.

On the insistence of his client V. Arun Kumar, the advocate is said to have sent the notice to the sub-judge demanding the rejection of the suit, claiming that the court lacked jurisdiction.

In the notice, it was said that if the demand to reject the suit was not complied with by the judicial officer, then proceedings under the Contempt of Court Act might be initiated.

The sub-judge, on receiving the notice, brought it to the knowledge of the Principal District Judge, Dindigul.

The Principal District Judge then brought it to the notice of the High Court Bench.

Following this, a contempt petition was initiated against the advocate and his client.

court was informed that the advocate had already tendered an apology to the sub-judge.

Students claim they were not allowed to take up practical exam

STAFF REPORTER

ERODE, MARCH 19, 2019 00:00 IST

Claiming that they were not allowed to take up the university practical examination for failing to pay the additional fees collected by the department, a group of students came to the Collectorate seeking the Collector’s intervention here on Monday.

Their petition said that they were final year students of science departments who were not allowed to undertake their chemistry practical in the first year. They said they had approached the Head of Department of Chemistry seeking permission to take up the practical exam in 2017-18. However, the head demanded Rs. 2,080 towards laboratory fee and other expenses and denied permission to them.

They said they had already paid the examination fee of Rs. 120 plus Rs. 80 for the practical exam. They were denied permission this year also. They were coming from very poor families and were unable to pay the money, they said and urged the Collector to intervene.

Resolution asking not to appear for accused goes against professional ethics’

Wilson Thomas

COIMBATORE, MARCH 19, 2019 00:00 IST

While the Pollachi Bar Association is said to have adopted a resolution not to defend any of the accused in the Pollachi sexual abuse case, the Coimbatore Bar Association (CBA) said that it has not taken a similar stand on the issue as it is against professional ethics.

K. Sudheesh, CBA secretary, told The Hindu that the association had not taken any such resolution.

‘Against SC order’

“The Bar Association cannot pass such a resolution. Any such decision is against the Supreme Court order in A.S. Mohammed Rafi vs State Of Tamilnadu case in 2010,” he said.

The apex court Bench comprising Justices Markandey Katju and Gyan Sudha Misra had observed that “several Bar Association all over India, whether High Court Bar Associations or District Court Bar Associations have passed resolutions that they will not defend a particular person or persons in a particular criminal case.

“Sometimes there are clashes between policemen and lawyers, and the Bar Association passes a resolution that no one will defend the policemen in the criminal case in court. Similarly, sometimes the Bar Association passes a resolution that they will not defend a person who is alleged to be a terrorist or a person accused of a heinous crime or involved in a rape case.”

“In our opinion, such resolutions are wholly illegal, against all traditions of the Bar, and against professional ethics. Every person, however, wicked, depraved, vile, degenerate, perverted, loathsome, execrable, vicious or repulsive he may be regarded by society has a right to be defended in a court of law and correspondingly it is the duty of the lawyer to defend him,” said the order which also added that such resolutions are null and void and the right-minded lawyers should ignore and defy such resolutions.

Citing the order, S. Balamurugan, advocate and national council member of People’s Union for Civil Liberty said that no Bar Association can ask an advocate not to defend an accused in a sensational case.

However, individual advocate was free to take his or her decision.

Meanwhile, the main accused in the case K. Thirunavukkarasu is yet to have his counsel, according to sources privy to the court proceedings.

When the court asked whether he had a counsel, the accused had mentioned the name of an advocate while being produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Coimbatore, on March 15.

However, no advocate had appeared for the accused, added sources.

Judge recuses from hearing appeals in sexual harassment case

Legal Correspondent

CHENNAI, MARCH 19, 2019 00:00 IST

A Division Bench led by Justice K.K. Sasidharan of the Madras High Court on Monday recused from hearing a batch of writ appeals preferred by an Inspector General of Police challenging orders passed by a single judge of the court in cases related to a complaint of sexual harassment lodged against the officer by a woman Superintendent of Police (SP).

Counsel’s reservations

The judge recused after V. Selvaraj, counsel for the SP, expressed reservations over arguing the case before the Bench and wondered if he would get justice. The advocate, however, refused to divulge further details in the open court and said he was prepared even to go to jail if he was to be hauled up for contempt of court for making such submissions.

The appeals had been preferred against orders passed by Justice S.M. Subramaniam on February 14 directing an Internal Complaints Committee constituted under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act of 2013 to continue with its probe into a complaint lodged by the woman officer. The judge had also ordered the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department to continue with its parallel probe into a criminal complaint lodged by the woman officer against her superior.

Over Rs. 1 crore seized from staff of cash firm

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI, MARCH 19, 2019 00:00 IST

Flying squad seeks special permission

A flying squad of the Election Commission, accompanied by the police, on Monday morning seized Rs. 1.04 crore from the staff of a cash management firm who were carrying it without requisite permission.

While the flying squad was conducting vehicle checks on the national highway near Nazarathpet close to Poonamallee, they intercepted a van belonging to the cash management firm.

The team found that the staff were carrying Rs. 1.04 crore from a private bank in Adyar to fill ATMs in Irunkattukottai, Sriperumpudur and other places. Though the staff showed the documents from the bank, the officials demanded they produce the special permission issued for carrying large anounts of cash when the model code of conduct is in force.

The seized cash was taken to the district treasury in Tiruvallur. Officials said money would be returned on producing authorisation.

Long queues await international travellers

STAFF REPORTER

CHENNAI, MARCH 19, 2019 00:00 IST

The upgradation of the inline scanners is part of the phase II expansion and modernisation project at Chennai Airport.

Standalone baggage scanners for check-in luggage to operate for next few months

For the next few months, passengers flying out of Chennai airport may have to endure long queues while getting their baggage scanned at the international terminal as only standalone baggage scanners will be available. The inline scanners at the terminal are being upgraded and hence standalone baggage scanners have been brough in as a temporary measure. This means passengers will also have to come in and report much earlier to the terminal.

At present, international passengers just drop off their check-in baggage at the inline scanner near the airline counters before getting their boarding card. For a few months, they will have to carry it, load it into the standalone baggage scanner and then take it off again. This will involve passengers having to lift heavy bags as many carry more than 15kg on international travel.

Officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said the upgradation of the four inline scanners at the international terminal was part of the phase II expansion and modernisation project, estimated to cost Rs. 2,500 crore. “We cannot do without installing the new scanners, as they are built with the latest technology to offer. Passengers have to adjust only for a few months after which the new inline scanners will be installed,” an official said.

There will be five standalone baggage scanners for the next few months and AAI also plans to depute a few additional personnel to help passengers, especially senior citizens, he added.

Children with rare diseases await T.N.’s nod to start treatment

Serena Josephine M.

CHENNAI, MARCH 19, 2019 00:00 IST

Despite court orders, the govt. is yet to implement the life-saving ERT

Nine-year-old Praveen (name changed), suffering from a rare disorder, is waiting for the State government’s nod to avail of Enzyme Replacement Therapy (ERT).

With the government taking time to arrive at a decision, his mother is worried because he is growing weaker. Only treatment can help prevent more complications.

“It was when he was two-and-a-half-years old that he was diagnosed with mucopolysaccharidosis I. He has difficulty in walking. He goes to school but he cannot exert much and cannot write. Only ERT can help in preventing his condition from worsening. He was evaluated and selected for treatment. But we are still awaiting the government’s response on providing ERT for a group of children with rare disorders, including my son,” said Pavithra (name changed), his mother.

Risky wait

The State Technical Committee has sent a list of 27 patients with Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSD) to the government for approval.

But the wait is risky for children with LSDs, a group of rare disorders, say parents and members of LSD Support Society (LSDSS).

“In the last one year, four children in Tamil Nadu have died waiting for treatment. We have informed the government about the deaths. ERT is life-saving medicine for children with LSDs,” said M. Raja, joint secretary and State coordinator of LSDSS, Tamil Nadu. Eighteen months ago, LSDSS filed a PIL in the Madras High Court.

The court directed the State and Institute of Child Health (ICH) to provide treatment without delay and form a committee involving all stakeholders, recalled Manjit Singh, national president of LSDSS.

“The committee was formed and the first meeting was held within two months of the judgement. The children were evaluated at ICH and a report was sent to the Health Department. But treatment has not started till date,” he said.

As of now, 18 children are getting free treatment through international charitable support, he added.

Urgent hearing

“Earlier this month, we made an application to the Registrar General of the Madras High Court for an urgent hearing in this matter. We are appealing to the government to start treatment for a handful of children, who urgently need ERT. Already, Karnataka is providing treatment for seven children,” he said.

Sujatha Jagadeesh, head, Department of Genetics, MediScan, said as of now, 28 children are on treatment at the centre, while another 15 to 20 are on the waiting list.

“It is the prerogative of the State to collect data on rare disorders at government teaching hospitals and genetic centres,” she said.

Night shifts? Ensure your circadian rhythm is in place

Serena Josephine M.

CHENNAI, MARCH 19, 2019 00:00 IST



Altering sleep-wake cycle will have its effect on the body, say experts

Working on night shifts might have become a way of life for many professionals now, but altering the sleep-wake cycle will have its own effect on the body; it could cause a sleep disorder in some. Sleep specialists say that such disorders can be treated by taking simple measures at the workplace and home.

Shift Work Sleep Disorder occurs when the body’s internal biological clock gets altered or confused. While there are many professionals who work at night, it is the employees of the Information Technology sector who are the most affected, mainly due to the regular night shift patterns, say sleep specialists.

IT/BPO sector

“More than 80% of persons suffering from shift work sleep disorder are from the IT and BPO sector. This is because they work in the same shifts, disrupting their sleep pattern,” said N. Ramakrishnan, senior consultant, Sleep Medicine, Apollo Hospitals.

“Most of us go to bed between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. and wake up between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. This is the usual sleep-wake up time and socially accepted hours of sleeping. For those with this sleep disorder, the symptoms are like chronic jet lag. Irritability, anxiety and depression are among the symptoms. The hormonal cycle is messed up. We are noticing menstrual irregularities among women and infertility among men,” he explained.

Lifestyle problems

There is the risk of lifestyle-related health problems. High blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, early heart disease and stroke are common, Dr. Ramakrishnan of Chennai said.

Koushik Muthuraja, consultant, pulmonologist and sleep specialist, Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre, said, “We have the circadian rhythm that is considered to be our bodies’ internal biological clock. This clock on a 24-hour basis regulates certain changes in our body, such as hormonal secretions, temperature regulation, sleep timing and other physiological changes. When people work at night continuously, the biological clock gets confused.”

As a result, a majority of night shift workers present themselves with complaints, he said.

Dr. Ramakrishnan said the treatment included a review of the entire cycle.

“A significant amount of counselling is involved. We tell them to ensure appropriate light and dark exposure. They should ensure that their workplace is appropriately lit at night time. When they go back home, they should avoid driving and instead take a car pool. They can use eye shades. They should eat light and make their room conducive. Occasionally, we use melatonin for treatment,” he said.

High Court rules out criminal action against Chief Secretary

Mohamed Imranullah S.

CHENNAI, MARCH 19, 2019 00:00 IST



Girija Vaidyanathan

‘Seizure of documents at Veda Nilayam by I-T dept. supports her stand’

The Madras High Court on Monday rejected a plea to initiate criminal action against Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan on the charge of perjury.

A litigant had accused her of having filed a false affidavit in the court on July 17, 2017 when she claimed that a letter sent by the Income Tax department to her predecessor P. Rama Mohana Rao, regarding illegal sale of gutkha in the State, on July 9, 2016 was not available with her office.

Justices K.K. Sasidharan and P.D. Audikesavalu dismissed the case filed by Madurai-based trade union leader K. Kathiresan after pointing out that the discovery of the letter from Veda Nilayam, the Poes Garden residence of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, by none other than Income Tax officials during a raid conducted on November 17, 2017 would fortify the Chief Secretary’s claim that it was not available with her office.

“The documents seized by the Director of Income Tax (Investigation) during the search at Poes Gaden supports the stand taken by the Chief Secretary. The documents were seized only from the residence of the then (sic) Chief Minister at Vedha Nilayam. Therefore, it is clear that the documents referred to in the affidavit filed by the Chief Secretary were not available with her office. It was very much available at Veda Nilayam.

‘Affidavit is correct’

“The Chief Secretary was, therefore, correct in her affidavit that no such communication was received from the Income Tax department as alleged... The availability of the documents in the office of the Chief Secretary would arise only in case those documents were still there. The search conducted by the Income Tax Department clearly revealed that the documents were not available with the office of the Chief Secretary,” the Bench said.

The judges came down heavily on the petitioner for having filed a series of public interest litigation petitions targetted at the continuance of T.K. Rajendran as Director General of Police by accusing him of having played a role in permitting illegal manufacture and sale of gutkha. They pointed out that Mr. Kathiresan had filed only three “public interest litigation” petitions in his lifetime and all three were aimed only at Mr. Rajendran.

“The successive petitions filed by the petitioner targeting a particular officer of the police department clearly shows that he is dancing to the tunes of others. The petitioner has been lending his shoulder to others to fire the gun. He has given a brand name, ‘public interest litigation’ to make it appear as if everything was in larger public interest. We are therefore of the view that the petition deserves to be dismissed,” the Division Bench said.

Singapore couple jailed for ‘worst kind of’ maid abuse

Singapore: 19.03.2019

Times of India

A Singaporean couple was on Monday jailed for abusing a Myanmar maid after the pair force-fed her with a funnel, made her eat her own vomit and threatened to kill her family if she reported the maltreatment.

In a case described by Singapore prosecutors as “arguably one of the worst of its kind” in the city-state, the married couple — who were sentenced two years ago over the abuse of another maid — beat and kicked their helper and made her clean the house in her underwear.

Moe Moe Than, 32, was also given little food, limited use of the toilet and faced threats that her parents in Myanmar would be killed if she reported the abuse, court documents showed.

The district judge sentenced the woman, Chia Yun Ling, to 47 months in prison and ordered her to pay a fine. Her husband, Tay Wee Kiat, a former information technology manager, was jailed for 24 months. They were ordered to pay compensation to the maid. AFP

40kg of plastic found in dead whale’s stomach in Philippines

Daniel Victor

Times of India 19.03.2019

A beached whale found in the Philippines on Saturday died with 40 kg of plastic trash inside its body, an unusually large amount even by the grim standards of what is a common threat to marine wildlife. The 499kg whale, measuring 15 feet long, was found in the town of Mabini with more than 18kg of plastic bags inside its stomach, along with a variety of other disposable plastic products. Darrell Blatchley, owner of the D’Bone Collector Museum in Davao City, was attended a necropsy on the whale and called it the worst collection of plastic inside an animal he had ever seen.

“The plastic in some areas was so compact it was almost becoming calcified, almost like a solid brick,” said Blatchley, who has seen other marine mammal post-mortems. “It had been there for so long it had started to compact.” Ingesting plastic gives whales a false sensation of fullness without providing any of the nutrients they need. It leads to reduced weight, energy and swimming speed, making them more vulnerable to predators. They have no way of digesting or expelling the plastic.

The whale’s grisly death brought renewed focus to the worldwide problem of plastics ending up in oceans; a 2015 study estimated that five million to 13 million metric tonnes of plastic waste pollute oceans each year. Philippines is world’s third-biggest contributor of plastic to oceans behind China and Indonesia. NYT NEWS SERVICE

Flyer from Malaysia held in embryo-smuggling racket

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai  19.03.2019

: A man from Malaysia carrying a human embryo in a specialized nitrogen-packed canister was arrested on Friday, blowing the lid off a racket involving smuggling of frozen embryos into the country by an infertility clinic.

Directorate of Revenue Intelligence officials, who made the arrest, said the embryo was to be delivered to the Indo Nippon IVF clinic on Turner Road, Bandra (West). They suspect the embryos were meant to be transplanted into the womb of Indian surrogates, as the process could be much cheaper in India. Rules on assisted reproduction are nebulous, but import of embryo is banned except for research and, that too, only after obtaining a noobjection from the Indian Council of Medical Research.

The arrested man, Partiban Durai, worked for a commission and, officials said, he has admitted to making 10 such trips to the Bandra clinic in the last 18 months. He would arrive in the morning with the package and leave by an evening flight.

Goral Gandhi, co-founder and scientific director of Indo Nippon, moved the Bombay high court on Monday after receiving summons from the DRI. Lawyer Sujay Kantawala, appearing for her, told the court that she is a “renowned embryologist. She has her own IVF clinic”. He denied allegations that the frozen embryos were for her clinic. DRI counsel Rebecca Gonsalves countered that they found text messages on Durai’s mobile phone indicating the clinic as the place of delivery. The HC bench of Justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre posted the matter to April 3 and in an interim relief, restrained the agencies from arresting her. Gandhi has been directed to be present at the DRI office at 10am on Friday.

India has been a favoured destination for foreigners seeking infertility treatment because of cheap treatment as well as inadequate regulation. The decade-old guidelines for the Assisted Reproductive Technology haven’t yet been made into a law. Piecemeal legislation exists, such as the ban on import of embryo except for research purposes.

DRI is in the process of finding out whether the clinic had already identified a surrogate for the new embryo or planned to sell it to some other clinics or doctors.

NOT A VIOLATION OF MODEL CODE

Poll panel gives clean chit to Stella Maris for Rahul event

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:19.03.2019

Chief electoral officer Satyabrata Sahoo on Monday said the Election Commission has given a clean chit to Stella Maris College in Chennai for inviting Congress president Rahul Gandhi on March 12 for an interaction with students even when the model code of conduct was in force.

“The district election officer has given a report to the chief electoral office stating that the college had received proper permission before inviting Rahul Gandhi to the college. The report clearly mentions the college has not violated any model code,” said Sahoo.

Three days after Rahul’s visit to the college, the CEO had sought a report from the Chennai district election officer based on a complaint by the legal wing of the state BJP. The state directorate of collegiate education too had sought a report on the conduct of a ‘political event’ at Stella Maris college when the model code of conduct was in place.

Soon after Rahul addressed college students and replied to their questions on various issues, videos of the interaction went viral. Several state BJP leaders have been criticising Rahul’s interactive session with students. The director of collegiate education R Sarumathi directed the Chennai regional director to conduct an inquiry.

BJP youth wing president Vinoj P Selvam filed a complaint with the CEO against the Congress leader for using the premises of an educational institution. He accused Rahul of using the platform to level accusations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

No seat, AIADMK ex-minister offers support to DMK

D Govardan & Shanmughasundaram J TNN

Chennai: 19.03.2019

: In a first sign of revolt in AIADMK, miffed over seat denial in the party, Raja Kannappan on Monday extended support to the DMK alliance in the state. Even though, he did not resign from the party nor joined the DMK, Kannappan called on DMK president M K Stalin on Monday evening and offered to work for the victory of DMK alliance in the state.

“The present AIADMK leadership has totally surrendered the party to the BJP, which is dictating terms. How can a ruling party give away 10 out of 12 Lok Sabha seats to allies, including four to BJP alone, in the southern region, while retaining most of seats in western belt,” Kannappan asked.

A former AIADMK minister for PWD, power and highways in J Jayalalithaa’s cabinet (1991-96), Kannappan, floated an Yadava-dominant Makkal Tamil Desam party in 2000. He returned to AIADMK in 2009 and Jayalalithaa pitted him against P Chidambaram in Sivaganga constituency, the same year. While Chidambaram emerged the winner, the result remained shrouded under a cloud.

With the revolt of Kannappan, whose Yadava community’s presence is spread across a few districts in south, the ruling AIADMK could take a hit. Already, another prominent leader of the community, T Devanathan Yadav was expected to be accommodated in the AIADMK – BJP alliance, but could not make it.

There are a few more in the party, who are upset. V Maitreyan, AIADMK Rajya Sabha member, whose term ends in July, had submitted application with the party for either contesting from south Chennai Lok Sabha seat or Thiruporur assembly bypoll. It was overlooked by the party.

AIADMK party functionaries in Tiruvannamalai district too expressed their strong protest over the party nominating Agri S S Krishnamoorthy and sitting MP V Elumalai for Tiruvannamalai and Arni constituencies. “Amma (Jayalalithaa) removed him from the party and the present leadership brought him back to the party, which did not go well with party cadres,” an AIADMK functionary said.

“The present AIADMK leadership has totally surrendered the party to the BJP, which is dictating terms

RAJA KANNAPPAN

FORMER MINISTER

Salon owner Kumaravel resigns from Kamal’s MNM

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:19.03.2019

C K Kumaravel, promoter of Naturals’ beauty salon chain, on Monday resigned from actor Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), alleging lack of transparency in its functioning.

However, in a statement, MNM said Kumaravel had to leave the party for violating party principles.

Kumaravel, who was a member of the party’s executive committee, was expected to be fielded by the MNM in the Cuddalore Lok Sabha constituency in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. But even before the party formally announced the decision, he wrote in social media posts that he was contesting from Cuddalore, the party said. The process of interviewing candidates is still on. He did not attend the interview and when queried, his response for not attending was not convincing, the party said in a statement.

“The quantum of internal politics and management committee’s attitude to inner party democracy has led me to this decision,” Kumaravel wrote in his letter to party president Kamal Haasan, on is decision to resign from the membership of the party as well as from its executive committee. “Based on the assurance that I will be fielded from Cuddalore, I had started the ground work” he later explained in his social media posts.

Pollachi sexual assault case: Accused lodged in prison

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Coimbatore:19.03.2019

Accused in the Pollachi sexual harassment case P Thirunavukkarasu, 26, was produced by the CB-CID police before the chief judicial magistrate S Nagarajan at his residence at 8pm on Monday, following which he was lodged in the Coimbatore central prison. The plan to produce him at the magistrate’s house was kept under wraps fearing an attack on him by the public. Police had to defer their plans twice in the past to produce him in court as people had started gathering on the court premises to gherao him.

Last week, the CJM court had granted four-day custody of Thirunavukkarasu to the investigation agency. He was kept at the office of the CB-CID where he was questioned by superintendent of police Nisha Parthiban and other officials.

“We cannot reveal the police custody details. He has given some information during the interrogation and everything was handed over to the court. It’s a sensitive issue and we cannot talk about the developments to the media,” said a CBCID officer.

A police officer said there was so much anger all round and they were worried the accused persons would be attacked if they were produced before the court. “If we get custody of Sabari Rajan, Vasanthakumar and Sathish (other accused), they too will be produced before the court through video conferencing,” said the officer.

In the meantime, CB-CID police are discussing with legal authorities custody of the trio. If the lower court denies police custody of the three, the investigation agency plans to approach the Madras high court. Otherwise, police will have to get a new complaint from another victim to register a fresh FIR. Only then, the investigation agency will get police custody.

“Only if we get custody of the trio, we can dig out more evidence,” said a CB-CID source.

Coimbatore city based advocate R Kalairasu told TOI that the first FIR was registered by the Pollachi East police and it was transferred to the CB-CID. But the CB-CID registered a new FIR. If the case goes to the CBI, the investigation agency too will register a new FIR. The case is one, but the FIRs will be three. So, it would affect the case and it will favour the accused.

Nakkheeran editor seeks advance bail

Chennai:

Tamil fortnightly magazine Nakkheeran’s editor R Gopal has moved the Madras high court seeking anticipatory bail fearing arrest by the cybercrime police in connection with the videos released on Pollachi sexual abuse case. According to Gopal, based on a complaint made by TN deputy speaker Pollachi Jayaraman, the cybercrime police has registered an FIR against him for offences under sections 153, 153(A), 505 and 469 of the Indian Penal Code, and section 66 of the Information Technology Act. Alleging that foisting such a case against him was nothing but blatant misuse of power by the complainant, Gopal said, “The mala fide intention of the complainant is to scare media from publishing any evidence in connection with the case.” TNN

9,000 apply online for PG med seats in state

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:19.03.2019

At least 9,000 applications have been filed online by PG medical aspirants in the state over the last week. The filled-in form was submitted online along with online fee payment. However, the selection committee has asked candidates to also send the application by post with copies of service certificates and other documents for verification.

“We wanted to take the process entirely online. But we will not be able to verify all certificates online,” said selection committee secretary Dr G Selvarajan. On March 11, the state uploaded the prospectus for counselling of post-graduate medical and dental admissions 2019. “The decision on online counselling will be taken after at least one round of mock counselling. It can happen only after the rank list is released,” Selvarajan said. The state selection committee will hold the first round of counselling soon after the Directorate General of Health Services completes its first round for the all-India quota. Forms can be accessed on www.tnhealth.org and www. tnmedicalselection.org. The deadline for online submission is 5pm on March

20. The department will receive postal copies till March

22. The tentative date for declaring the rank list is April 3. Counselling dates have not been announced but courses will commence by May 1 and admissions will be closed by May 31, officials said.

1,042 students receive degrees in city college

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:19.03.2019

SSN College of Engineering celebrated its 19th Graduation Day on Sunday.

Former director of IISc Bangalore P Balaram conferred degrees to 1,042 students in a ceremony held at the SSN campus.

Balaram said, “There is a great need for young people to understand multiple phenomena, to experiment and do research. There is no greater case for research than the fact that it helps one to find answers to questions and in the process of finding those answers, occasionally make great discoveries."

In the 2017-2018 academic year, 832 undergraduate, 94 postgraduate and 116 MBA students graduated with flying colours. The graduating batch has 112 university rank holders which include Charanya G, a gold medalist from the undergraduate program and three other gold medalists from postgraduate programs. The management honored the rank holders.

Supreme Court Directs BCI to Reconsider Upper Age Limit for LLB Course Admission

Shilpi Sharan March 13, 2019 



March 13, 2019

In a case (Rishabh Duggal v. Bar Council of India & anr.) taken up by Two-Judge Bench of the Supreme Court on Tuesday, the Apex Court has directed the Bar Council of India to reconsider the upper age limit for admission into LLB courses.

The Court’s direction can be accessed here.

“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.”

While passing the aforesaid direction the Bench was of the view that there was no age to acquire education and that children belonging to the economically weaker section would be disadvantaged by the upper age limit. The impugned direction comes in response to Clause 28 of Rules of Legal Education providing for the Age of Admission.

According to the Clause the maximum age for seeking admission into a stream of integrated Bachelor of law degree program, is limited to twenty years in case of general category of applicants and to twenty two years in case of applicants from SC, ST and other Backward communities.

Similarly, the maximum age for seeking admission into a stream of Three Year Bachelor Degree Course in Law, is limited to thirty years with right of the University to give concession of 5 further year for the applicant belonging to SC or ST or any other Backward Community. The provision has been challenged by the Petitioners of being arbitrary and in contravention of fundamental right of students under Articles 14, 19(1)(g) and 21 of the Constitution.

In Delhi University, Mother- daughter duo receive PhD degrees together 

Officials at the University of Delhi said it was first time that a mother-daughter duo had completed their doctoral programme together from the institution although there have been similar cases at the postgraduate level. education Updated: Mar 17, 2019 09:14 IST



Fareeha Iftikhar
Hindustan Times, New Delhi


Mala Dutta (left) and Shreya Mishra with their degrees(HT)

Mala Dutta, 56, achieved her dream of receiving a PhD degree on Friday, 34 years after she stepped out of college. What made it a doubly memorable occasion was that her 28-year-old daughter, Shreya Mishra, was with her to pick up her own doctoral degree the same day after they completed their PhD programmes together—something both had worked for.

Officials at the University of Delhi said it was first time that a mother-daughter duo had completed their doctoral programme together from the institution although there have been similar cases at the postgraduate level. They missed attending the convocation last year because it had been scheduled to take place a day after Shreya’s wedding.

Datta, an Indian Economic Service officer working with the defence ministry, said she had always wanted to do her PhD after completing her Master’s in economics from the Delhi School of Economics in 1985.

“I had to take a break from work in 2012 when my younger daughter had her class 12 board exams. That was the time when I registered for PhD (in finance). I then took study leave from the ministry and worked seriously on my completing the PhD,” Datta said.

Her daughter Mishra, a consultant at the World Bank, registered for her own PhD, in psychology, two years later. “After I registered for the PhD we realised that we can complete it together and make it the most remarkable moment for us. Though our subjects were totally different, I started seeking guidance from my mother and worked harder to complete it within three years,” Mishra said.

The mother and daughter finally managed to submit their theses and attend their oral exams last year, with a couple of months separating the two.

“It’s an absolutely wonderful experience for me because I got to learn a lot studying with the co-students of my daughter’s age. There were instances when my professor would call me ma’am. But I enjoyed it. The motivation was to get a PhD degree with my daughter on the convocation day,” Dutta said.

That wasn’t to be, however. “The convocation was on November 19, a day after I was getting married. There was no chance of us attending and receiving our degrees together. It was disappointing for us both,” said Mishra.

Datta and Mishra went to the university on Friday and collected their degrees. “We finally realised our dream and collected our degrees together. Officials there said that we would have made news headlines if we had received the degrees on the day of the convocation. But it doesn’t matter because now my paternal grandparents and my husband are here to share this unique feat,” said the daughter.

First Published: Mar 17, 2019 08:34 IST

Sree Balaji medical college: MCI order on PG courses intake 

increase quashed by HC

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

PublishedMar 18, 2019, 1:36 am IST

In the absence of any deficiency, the disapproval of the MCI cannot be sustained, the judge added.

Madras high court

Chennai: The Madras high court has set aside an order of the Medical Council of India, disapproving the proposal submitted by the Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital at Chromepet in Chennai for increase in intake of the Post Graduate courses.

Allowing the petition filed by the college, Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana said since the refusal is based only on discrepancies, the matter is remitted back to MCI/Central Government for reconsideration to grant permission, if otherwise, the college is entitled for the proposal already submitted for the academic year 2020-2021.

The judge said when this court put a specific question as to whether the MCI has got any method or norm based on which the IPD and total daily admissions are computed, on instructions, the counsel for the MCI stated that there is no specific formula for the same. It is also stated that there are no specific norms.

Clause 11.3 of the 2000 Regulations deals with the bed strength in clinical departments which merely says that a department to be recognised for training of post graduate students shall have at least 60 beds each of general medicine, general surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology and 30 beds each for other specialties for degree and diploma courses and 20 beds each in case of super specialty courses. The petitioner, having applied for increase in intake of PG students, had already complied with the MCI norms of students for PG courses. Excepting the above, there is no specific ratio mentioning about the number of beds for number of PG students. In the absence of verification of the original records by the inspection teams, it will not lie in the mouth of the MCI that they are falsified. It is also not the case of the MCI that the petitioner college refused to furnish the original records. It cannot take away the valuable rights of the petitioner college for no fault of theirs, the judge added.

The judge said it was the claim of the petitioner that it had applied for additional intake of PG students only on the strength of the fact that it has already complied with the norms of MCI. In the absence of any specific or special rules for additional intake of students, the MCI cannot deny the approval on discrepancies, when the said discrepancies were also explained by the petitioner college and they were mere discrepancies and not deficiency. In the absence of any deficiency, the disapproval of the MCI cannot be sustained, the judge added.

Chennai: Family to get Rs 17.75 lakh for loss of breadwinner

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | J STALIN

Published  Mar 18, 2019, 1:55 am IST

The judge said from the facts and circumstances of the case and also on perusal of the FIR and post-mortem certificate.

Madras high court

Chennai: Coming to the rescue of the family members of an agricultural coolie who died due to electrocution, the Madras high court awarded a compensation of Rs 17.75 lakh to them.

Justice T.Raja awarded the compensation while disposing of a petition from Maheswari, wife of the deceased, which sought a direction to the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited to pay a sum of Rs 7 lakh as compensation.

According to petitioner, on June 24, 2017, while her husband, after finishing his agricultural work, was taking bath in the backyard of his house, he came in contact with the overhead three-phase live wires which caused the death of her husband. Immediately after the accident, a case was registered by the Thiruvarur Police. The overhead three-phase wires near her house were running very low and close to palmyrah tree ad therefore, although she and her husband approached the authorities, they have never rectified such defects. In view of such negligence on the part of the Electricity Board, her husband lost his life, that too, at the age of 37 years leaving her and two minor daughters behind. Had the Electricity Board maintained the electricity wires properly, the ill-fated accident would have been averted, she added.

The judge said from the facts and circumstances of the case and also on perusal of the FIR and post-mortem certificate, “it is clear that the death had occurred due to the negligence on the part of the Electricity Board as they have not maintained the live wires properly, therefore, in my considered view, the board cannot escape from the liability of paying compensation”, the judge added.

The judge said with regard to awarding of compensation, there was no codified law for arriving at quantum of compensation in cases of these types of cases.

The enactments like the Motor Vehicles Act and the Workmen’s Compensation Act may be applied for arriving at a just compensation. In the case on hand, at the time of death the petitioner’s husband was aged about 37 years. Therefore, since the deceased was an agricultural coolie, this court by following the recent judgment of the division bench of this court, was inclined to fix a sum of Rs 11,000 per month towards notional income. After adding 25 percent towards future prospectus, the total monthly income of the deceased works out to Rs 13,750, the judge added.

The judge said by following the ratio laid down by the Apex Court, this court fixes multiplier at 15 and as the deceased was a married person at the time of death, after deducting 1/3rd of his income towards personal expenses, this court awards a sum of `16.50 lakh towards loss of dependency. By adding the compensation towards loss of love and affection, pain and sufferings and funeral expenses, the court awarded a total sum of Rs 17.75 lakh as compensation, the judge added.

Goa CM Manohar Parrikar loses cancer battle

DECCAN CHRONICLE WITH AGENCY INPUTS

PublishedMar 18, 2019, 12:40 am IST

He was 63. The Centre has announced national mourning on Monday to mark his death.

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar

New Delhi: Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar passed away at his residence in Panaji on Sunday evening after a prolonged illness. He was 63. The Centre has announced national mourning on Monday to mark his death.

Parrikar’s health had worsened over the past two days, and turned critical late Saturday night. when he was put on life support. His medical condition had fluctuated for over a year. The four-term chief minister and former defence minister was flown to the United States for treatment of his pancreatic cancer in March last year. 

“The chief minister died around 6.40 pm on Sunday,” a state government official said in Panaji. A widower, he is survived by his two sons and their families.

Parrikar will be accorded state funeral. The national flag will be flown at half-mast in New Delhi and the capitals of all states and Union territories on Monday. The Union Cabinet will hold a special meeting at 10 am on Monday to pay tribute.

President Ram Nath Kovind Monday expressed grief over Parrikar’s demise, saying he was an “epitome of integrity and dedication in public life”. Condoling his death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described him as a unparalleled leader, who was a true patriot and an exceptional administrator, admired by all. “Shri Manohar Parrikar was an unparalleled leader. A true patriot and exceptional administrator, he was admired by all. His impeccable service to the nation will be remembered by generations. Deeply saddened by his demise. Condolences to his family and supporters. Shanti,” the PM said in a tweet.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said when Parrikar was the defence minister, India witnessed a series of decisions that enhanced the country’s security capacities, boosted indigenous defence production and bettered the lives of ex-servicemen.

With Parrikar’s demise, the BJP-led coalition in Goa has to search for a new leader to replace him. He was heading a coalition government comprising the BJP, Goa Forward Party, MGP and Independents. His death will also necessitate a fourth byelection in Goa, where bypolls are due for the Shiroda, Mandrem and Mapusa Assembly seats on April 23. These will be held in the state along with the Lok Sabha polls.

“With CM Parrikar’s demise, the ruling coalition will have to make a fresh representation to the governor after choosing their leader. The representation will have the letter of support,” a senior Goa official said. “If the governor is not convinced, then she will have to invite the single largest party to form the government,” he said.

The Congress is the single largest party in Goa, with 14 MLAs, while the BJP has 13 in the 40-member Assembly. The Goa Forward Party, MGP and Independents have three MLAs each, while the NCP has one. The strength of the House has been cut to 36 due to demise of BJP MLA Francis D’Souza earlier this year, and Parrikar on Sunday, and the resignation of Congress MLAs, Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte, last year. After the news of Parrikar’s death broke, the coalition partners have called emergency meetings.

7 of 20 DMK candidates are political heirs

Party bigwig Duraimurugan’s son Kathir Anand has been given a ticket to contest from Vellore and former minister K Ponmudi’s son D Gowtham Sigamani is to contest from Kallakuruchi.

Published: 18th March 2019 06:44 AM 

DMK flag (File Photo | EPS)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The opposition DMK’s president M K Stalin announced the party’s candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as well as for the bypolls to the 18 vacant Assembly seats in Chennai on Sunday. Significantly, of the 20 candidates contesting the parliamentary polls six are the sons and daughters of DMK leaders, including Kanimozhi, daughter of the late DMK party chief M Karunanidhi, and only two are women.

While Kanimozhi, a two-time Rajya Sabha MP will be facing a direct election — from Thoothukudi — for the first time, former union minister Dayanidhi Maran, son of late union minister Murosoli Maran, will be contesting from Chennai Central again. Former minister Arcot N Veerasamy’s son Dr Kalanidhi Veerasamy will contest from Chennai North while former minister Thangapandian’s daughter Tamizhachi Thangapandian will contest from Chennai South.

Party bigwig Duraimurugan’s son Kathir Anand has been given a ticket to contest from Vellore and former minister K Ponmudi’s son D Gowtham Sigamani is to contest from Kallakuruchi. Former Rajapalayam MLA Dhanushkodi’s son Dhanush M Kumar is to contest from Tenkasi.

Aside from the political heirs, quite a few former union ministers have also received tickets, with TR Baalu contesting from Sriperumbudur constituency, A Raja from Nilgiris, S Jagathratchagan contesting from Arakkonam, and SS Palanimanickam from Thanjavur. Baalu and Jagathratchagan won from Sriperumbudur and Arakkonam respectively in 2009.
Raja, who, along with Kanimozhi, was investigated, jailed and then acquitted in the 2G spectrum scam case in 2017, last won from Nilgiris in 2009.


The DMK has also given a ticket to former DMDK MLA SR Parthiban to contest from Salem. Parthiban joined the DMK in 2016.

Other candidates are G Selvam for Kancheepuram (SC), Dr S Senthilkumar for Dharmapuri, CN Annadurai for Tiruvannamalai, K Shanmugasundaram for Pollachi, P Velusamy for Dindigul, TRVS Sriramesh for Cuddalore, S Ramalingam for Mayiladuthurai and S Gnanathiraviam for Tirunelveli parliament constituency.

Speaking to the media after releasing the list Stalin said that the party manifesto would be released on March 19 and he would begin the poll campaign from Tiruvarur on March 20. 

Asked why only two women candidates were being fielded, Stalin said, “We are handling this the way Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) handled it.”

Uncertainty over engineering counselling in Tamil Nadu

Engineering aspirants in the State are worried as uncertainty prevails over the engineering counselling this year.

Published: 18th March 2019 06:49 AM |

By Binita Jaiswal

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Engineering aspirants in the State are worried as uncertainty prevails over the engineering counselling this year.

The Class XII examination in the State will conclude on March 19, but the state government is yet to announce whether the counselling this year will be conducted by Anna University or Directorate of Technical Education (DoTE).

The confusion over the counselling process started last month after Anna University’s Vice-Chancellor, M K Surappa resigned from the chairman’s post of the Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions (TNEA) committee as he was upset with the untimely reconstitution of the committee by the Higher Education department. Notably, Anna University (AU) was conducting the counselling for the last 22 years and after Surappa’s resignation, it was speculated that DoTE will be handling the counselling process. However, the State government is yet to make any official announcement in the matter.


Engineering aspirants and academicians have expressed concern as the delay in making the decision will affect the counselling process as well as the students’ careers.

“If the counselling process gets delayed due to this ongoing controversy then we will be badly affected. We need to get a clear idea of State engineering counselling schedule then only we can plan as we can attend counselling in other states and institutes,” said S Saravanan, an engineering aspirant.

“Usually the preparation for engineering counselling, which was conducted last year in July, starts in April. We have only a few days in hand to start preparations but surprisingly, the higher education department is yet to decide on which institute will conduct the counselling,” said a faculty of AU.

Madambakkam panchayat’s waste disposal methods leave locals ‘fuming’
Earlier, Express had reported how the former dumpyard of the panchayat was set on fire. But now the waste is being cleared from there and dumping of new waste has been prohibited.

Published: 18th March 2019 06:57 AM 

Empty plots in Madambakkam are used to set fire to municipal waste | express

By Samuel Merigala

Express News Service

CHENNAI: When the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change called for ‘decentralised’ handling of solid waste by local bodies in the Solid Waste Management Rules (2016), they definitely did not mean burning waste collected in the same ward itself. But that is exactly what the Madambakkam Town Panchayat is doing.


Residents alleged that workers of the NGO entrusted with conservancy operation are burning non-recyclable plastic waste in empty plots and forcing them to inhale carcinogenic fumes whenever there is accumulation of plastic waste on the streets.

“The workers set fire to the waste instead of taking it to the dumpyard for processing,” said V Lokesh, a software engineer, residing in Parvathy Nagar, on the areas worst affected by this irresponsible disposal of waste.

Residents of ALS Nagar and Yeshwant Nagar claimed that conservancy, which is also affected by this issue, claimed that this happens whenever complaints are lodged about garbage pile- up. “They usually set flame to the garbage early in the morning and vanish,” said a senior citizen, claiming the neighbours end up blaming each other.

A conservancy worker of ‘Hand In Hand’ told Express that some workers only set fire to the waste which has no value. “The thick plastic such as wrappers of big chips companies and milk covers have recyclable value so they are collected carefully, the other thinner types have no value so they set those on fire,” the worker said.

When contacted, Selvan, the conservancy supervisor, denied such happenings. “All workers have been instructed to bring the waste to the sorting area and strict action will be taken if they burn the waste,” Selvan said.

Earlier, Express had reported how the former dumpyard of the panchayat was set on fire. But now the waste is being cleared from there and dumping of new waste has been prohibited. While this is a welcome move, the lack of a dumping facility for non recyclable waste has resulted in waste being burned in empty plots or street corners.

Jabalpur-Coimbatore special train services extended

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

MANGALURU, MARCH 18, 2019 00:00 IST

The Railways has extended the services of Jabalpur-Coimbatore-Jabalpur Weekly Superfast Special (02198/02197) till July to clear extra rush of passengers. Train No 02197 Coimbatore-Jabalpur Weekly Superfast Special would leave Coimbatore at 7.05 p.m. on Mondays on April 8, 15, 22 and 29, May 6, 13, 20 and 27, June 3, 10, 17 and 24 and on July 1 to reach Jabalpur at 10.20 a.m. on Wednesdays, said a release from Southern Railway’s Palakkad Division here.

Train No 02198 Jabalpur-Coimbatore Weekly Superfast Special would leave Jabalpur at 11 a.m. on Saturdays on April 6, 13, 20 and 27, May 4, 11, 18 and 25 and June 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 to reach Comibatore at 3.50 a.m. on Mondays.

The train would have one AC 2 tier-cum-3 tier coach, three AC 3 tier coaches, 10 second class sleeper coaches, four unreserved coaches and two luggage-cum-brake vans. The train would have stops at Palakkad Junction, Shoranur, Tirur, Kozhikode, Vadakara, Thalassery, Kannur, Payyanur, Kanhangad, Kasargod, Mangaluru Junction, Mulki, Udupi, Kundapur, Mookambika Road Byndoor, Kumta, Karwar, Madgaon, Thivim, Kudal, Kankavali, Ratnagiri, Chiplun, Khed, Roha, Panvel, Igatpuri, Manmad, Bhusaval, Khandwa, Harda, Itarsi, Pipariya, Gadarwara and Narsinghpur.

University faculty urged to discourage irrelevant research

Shubashree Desikan

CHENNAI, MARCH 18, 2019 00:00 IST

Central varsity circular causes a flutter

A March 13 circular issued by the Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Kerala (CUK) that was circulated among the deans and heads of departments of the university has caused a flutter after it was posted on social media.

It exhorted the faculty to discourage research in irrelevant areas and ensure that topics for theses should be in accordance with national priorities.

It referred to a tripartite MoU between the Ministry of Human Resource Development, the University Grants Commission and the Central University of Kerala, which was discussed at a meeting of VCs held in Delhi in December 2018.

Girish Hosur, Joint Secretary for Higher Education (Central Universities), said this was not a directive or part of the MoU but an advisory given to all Central Universities.

“Some VCs raised the question of irrelevant research being carried out, so this was added,” he said.

‘Repeated topics’

It appears that only the CUK has issued the advisory to its faculty. G. Gopakumar, V-C of CUK, said, “In many State Universities, and even Central Universities, research topics are often repeated. Of the entire GDP, less than 3% is spent on higher education, and less than 1.5% on research. We need to take up research in topics like nanotechnology, Pharma, IT, Engineering, Nuclear Science, etc. where we have the potential to grow.”

He said basic and pure research were also very important, but even in theory building, we should work on new theories instead of old theories, and that the advisory which led to his issuing the circular was aimed at stopping duplication, prioritising, being scientific and progressive.

‘Up to scholars to decide’

He said it was up to the faculty and scholars to decide what was relevant and needed.

A senior academician who has served as a vice-chancellor of a central university said, “It is rather disingenuous to say that this is a mere advisory given to universities, especially as it bestows a lot of power on people at different levels. For instance, the researcher and her mentor may have no say in deciding whether the problem is relevant or irrelevant.”

He added that in the absence of a clear indication of what constitutes national priority, this merely bureaucratises a creative process.

K. Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the government, said in an email, “The notice from the Registrar, Central University, Kerala, could have been worded slightly better to capture the spirit and purpose on this matter.”

According to him, a significant number of the PhD topics tended towards the pedestrian rather than an attempt to answer important basic questions in the field or developing important applications, and the purpose of a research effort is to address such questions.

‘PhD and Master’s in Design through research growing in India’

At NID, research is embedded across 20 different disciplines at various levels with a strong industry focus, says senior faculty Praveen Nahar

Rajlakshmi.Ghosh@timesgroup.com

18.03.2019  TOI Education Times

Research has been an integral part of design practice for long. The focus on research is increasing at PhD and master’s level. Praveen Nahar, senior faculty, Industrial Design, National Institute of Design (NID) stresses on syncing research with market demands. “At NID for instance, we do most of our graduation projects in collaboration with industry with many adapting new tools and design research methods,” says Nahar.

Be it primary research (where there is a need to validate the ideas with the end user), secondary research (using existing data like books, articles, or the internet to validate or support existing research), generative or exploratory research (which focusses on a deeper understanding of user needs) or evaluative research (which gives users the opportunity to evaluate the prototype), the methods, says Nahar are many, helping the researcher to understand the users’ behaviour and turn it into actionable insights to improve their design.

INDUSTRY LINK

In case of product design — from finding need, understanding the user to investigating various manufacturing and materials — there is a lot of applied research being carried out. At NID, which works across 20 disciplines ranging from Industrial Design, Communication Design to IT Integrated Design, research is embedded in all these areas at various levels. “Most of our classroom and graduation projects have a strong design research component. Of the students who evince an interest in research, many of them opt to work as freelance researchers and / or design researchers,” says Nahar, whose own research interests lie in the emerging field of system-oriented design.

NID has had many research chairs ranging from the field of education and new disciplines to industry-specific chairs in the area of colour, stainless steel etc. The Jamsetji Tata Research Chair, NID Asian Paints Colour Research Chair, Jindal Stainless Chair, and the Ravi J. Matthai Design Research Chair, are among the few emphasising on research and innovation in these fields. “We also work on short-term research and consulting assignments which provide inputs to the industry,” Nahar says.

HOW DOES IT WORK

Research findings are translated into ideas of products/ service through design synthesis, which is a human-centred, collaborative process. This leads to creating a coherent summary of all the data gathered during the design research, explains Nahar.

RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

In order to encourage research dissemination, it is important to focus on publications involving books, monographs, craft and course documentations. “The publications should capture the institute’s design philosophy and experiences gained through design education, research, consultancy, and outreach. The range of titles published so far at our institute aim to build connections to the past, present, and future of design education and practice as they focus upon contemporary issues, historical developments, global connections and extrapolate the philosophical developments in design,” says Nahar.

COLLABORATIVE EXCHANGE

Currently, NID has more than 95 international agreements, the most recent one being an MoU with the University of Limerick - School of Design, Ireland, which is expected to stimulate design-led collaborative research in the fields of innovation, sustainable development and new product development.

Praveen Nahar

All you want to know about Medical Coding

Satya Gopal Kalluri explains how Life Sciences students can learn medical coding and enjoy a job that combines knowledge of medical terminology and management with proficiency in English

18.03.2019  Times of India 

Akash, a young boy from Tiruchirappalli wanted to be a researcher, so he took up BSc (Life Sciences) after class XII to follow his dream. As he began to understand the nuances of research, he realised that it may not be his cup of tea. At that point, he was uncertain of an alternative career. He stumbled upon medical coding that seemed interesting and close to the research work he was associated with. Life Sciences graduates in India often find themselves struggling, due to lack of requisite skills and limited knowledge of alternative careers. This is the reason that many graduates fail to secure a suitable job. Medical coding is fast emerging as an interesting and lucrative career for Life Sciences students.

WHAT IS MEDICAL CODING?

Medical coding is the transformation of healthcare diagnosis, procedures, medical services, and equipment into universal medical alphanumeric codes. It is an important process in the medical billing process and plays a vital role in the overall reimbursement cycle. It helps to ensure that healthcare providers are paid for all the services they render. Medical billers use these codes to submit claims to third-party payers while statisticians, researchers, public health officials, and internal auditors use these codes to determine what services were provided to patients, and why.

GROWING DEMAND FOR MEDICAL CODERS

With business booming in the healthcare outsourcing industry, the demand for medical coders is also rising exponentially. The adoption of new coding standards has led to more US-based healthcare clients looking to outsource these processes, and bring more business to the Indian BPOs. According to a joint study by Assocham and EY (India), India has emerged as the second largest destination after the US in the healthcare outsourcing space. The ability of the Indian players to analyse big data, discover hidden patterns and unknown correlations are making way for new jobs. With rising demand for better healthcare facilities and patient care in the US, the established medical and central lab infrastructure, and training centres are contributing to the growth of healthcare and life sciences sector, thereby fuelling the domestic demand for healthcare outsourcing in India.

The healthcare industry is going digital with the rapid adoption of EHRs and EMRs, eliminating sizeable volumes of paperwork. This is pushing the outsourcing sector to hire specialists to perform core tasks in the Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) process such as coding and billing. Healthcare providers in countries such as the US and other Anglophile countries trust India as a reliable hub for outsourcing many of their tasks because of the English-proficient medical coding professionals available in the nation.

CERTIFICATION – AN ADDED ADVANTAGE

While certification is not a mandate to secure a job as a medical coder, it would help increase the job opportunities. Preference may be given to candidates with a certificate in medical coding from a recognised institute as they would be more familiar with identifying and applying the right codes. There are many institutes that offer training and certifications in medical coding. Pick the institute based on the expertise of faculties and the kind of curriculum they adhere to. Being a streamlined sector, more women are taking coding as a career. Coding is largely a desk job with fixed working hours, where one must utilise organisational and managerial skills, while also being linked to compartmentalising and accuracy. Hence, medical coding is considered one of the convenient jobs for women.

FUTURE OF MEDICAL CODING IN INDIA

Medical coding is well established across the world with lucrative job opportunities for life sciences students and others inclined towards the healthcare field. Innovation and advancement in the healthcare space will continue to be fast-paced with the rising demand for better patient experience and treatment. This is bound to open up more career opportunities. Of these, medical coding is one of the fast expanding segments in the healthcare field, and the demand for seasoned medical coders will only continue to rise.

(The author is vice president – Technical Training, Quality and Operational Excellence Omega Healthcare Management Services)


COURSES IN MEDICAL CODING

While one can train to become a medical coder with any degree, a Life Sciences degree gives one the upper hand to become an ace medical coder. Strong knowledge of anatomy, physiology and medical terminology is an added advantage to become a medical coding specialist. Other skills necessary for a medical coder include:

• Sturdy analytical skill is essential because medical coding rules are complex and cryptic. Coders should be able to decipher the details in a patient’s record and apply the appropriate codes

• Electronic health records, health informatics and automation are changing the face of the healthcare industry, making computer skills a basic requirement

• Coders should have an eye for detail. Coding being a critical process based on which reimbursements are made, a coder needs to be accurate and spot an error very easily

• Students with backgrounds other than the life sciences can also pursue a career in medical coding by taking courses and training at certified academies that offer extensive hands-on training in medical coding.

AI will turn financially attractive before divestment

New Delhi:  18.03.2019

More investments with strict riders have been planned to make Air India financially attractive before starting any new round of divestment, Union minister Suresh Prabhu has said.

As per the plan, Air India would be allowed to induct more aircraft to grow its market share, while a search-cumselection committee will scout for the best management talent for the company. The airline group with a consolidated debt level of around ₹55,000 crore will also be required to sell non-core assets, and adhere to a ₹2,000 crore cost saving plan. According to the minister, the financially challenged airline will induct three aircraft on a dry-lease within the next two months.

“Air India placed order for induction of 27 A320 NEO on dry lease basis. Out of 27, 24 have already been inducted and remaining 3 will be inducted within next two months,” the minister said.

In 2018, the company failed to find any suitors during the last and the only attempt by the government to divest its stake in the airline business. “Government has prepared a ‘Revival Plan’ of Air India... which includes a comprehensive financial package, transferring non-core debt and assets to an SPV (special purpose vehicle),” Prabhu said. “We have also proposed to induct eminent persons on the board of Air India through ‘search-cum-selection committee’ process.” Last month, the Union Cabinet approved creation of an SPV — Air India Assets Holding Ltd — for transferring the accumulated working capital loans of the national carrier. It has also approved the associated activities for the disinvestment of Air India and its subsidiaries or joint ventures. IANS

PUTTING ON THE BLOCK: The airline with a consolidated debt level of around ₹55,000 crore will also be required to sell non-core assets

Now, thousands may avoid open-heart surgery

A Minimally Invasive Procedure Reserved For The Old & Sick Is Good For Younger, Healthier Patients Too: Study

Gina Kolata  18.03.2019

The operation is a daring one: To replace a failing heart valve, cardiologists insert a replacement through a patient’s groin and thread it all the way to the heart, maneuvering it into the site of the old valve.

The procedure, called transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), has been reserved mostly for patients so old and sick they might not survive open-heart surgery. Now, two large clinical trials show that TAVR is just as useful in younger, healthier patients.

It might even be better, offering lower risks of disabling strokes and death, compared to open-heart surgery. Cardiologists say it will likely change the standard of care for most patients with failing aortic valves.

“Is it important? Heck, yes,” said Dr Robert Lederman, who directs the interventional cardiology research programme at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The findings “were remarkable,” he added.

Lederman was not involved with the studies and does not consult for the two device companies that sponsored them.

In open-heart surgery, a patient’s ribs are cracked apart and the heart is stopped to insert the new aortic valve.

With TAVR, the only incision is a small hole in the groin where the catheter is inserted. Most patients are sedated, but awake through the procedure, and recovery takes just days, not months, as is often the case following the usual surgery.

The studies are to be published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented Sunday at the American College of Cardiology’s annual meeting.

The Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve the procedure for lowerrisk patients. As many as 20,000 patients a year would be eligible for TAVR, in addition to the nearly 60,000 intermediate- and high-risk patients who get the operation now.

The study led by Mack and Dr Martin Leon, an interventional cardiologist at Columbia University in New York, tracked deaths, disabling strokes and hospitalizations at one year following the procedures. The rates were 15% with surgery versus 8.5%with TAVR.

Aortic valve replacements have been performed for decades, and surgeons know the valves placed during surgery last at least 10 to 15 years. It remains to be seen if TAVR valves will fare as well. At the moment, it will be up to most patients which procedure they choose, Popma said — TAVR or surgery. NYT NEWS SERVICE

In open-heart surgery, a patient’s ribs are cracked apart and the heart is stopped to insert the new aortic valve. With TAVR, the only incision is a small hole in the groin where the catheter is inserted. Recovery takes just days, not months

Eating extra half-egg a day ups risk of cardiovascular disease by 6%: Study

The debate over whether eggs are good for you is age-old: while a good source of protein, they also contain potentially harmful cholesterol. Now, a new study — published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) — has weighed in. After analyzing 30,000 Americans from six separate studies, researchers concluded that eating an extra half-egg a day increased the risk of cardiovascular disease (6%) and premature death (8%) over the study period. That is relatively little, especially given that a half-egg daily is double what the average American eats. Separately, the study found an additional 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol per day increases the risk of heart disease by 17% and premature death by 18%. But 300 mg is twice the average daily amount eaten by Americans. A large egg contains about 186 mg of cholesterol. The new data suggest that eating eggs increases the risk of heart attack or stroke, although the study does not establish a causal link. AFP

After 26 years, expert panel to review OBC ‘creamy layer’ criteria

Subodh.Ghildiyal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:18.03.2019

In a move that has raised anxiety levels among interested groups, the Centre has constituted an expert committee to “revisit the criteria” for determining the “creamy layer” for OBCs which was laid down in 1993. It has argued that the review was required to “simplify and streamline” the norms in view of “issues” arising from their implementation.

“Creamy layer” is the section of OBCs that is economically advanced and ineligible for Mandal reservations in jobs and education. Following the Supreme Court’s judgment on Mandal Commission, the exclusion norms for “creamy layer” were laid down by the DoPT’s office memorandum of 1993 based on the report of the Prasad committee.

Now, after 26 years, ministry of social justice, on March 8, set up a panel headed by retired GOI secretary B P Sharma, with “terms of reference” which sound radical in their breadth and scope.

The committee will “revisit the criteria evolved by the Prasad committee” and give recommendations for “redefining, simplifying and streamlining the concept of creamy layer” while keeping in view the SC’s observations in Indira Sawhney case.

The backdrop for the review is the controversy arising from the DoPT’s application of different “wealth test” yardsticks — inclusion of “salaries” in family income — for OBCs with parents employed in central and state governments, and those with parents in PSUs.

At the core of the problem is that posts in PSUs have not been identified as Group A/B/C/D like in government, creating confusion.

The Centre has argued that the review was required to “simplify and streamline” the norms in view of “issues” arising from their implementation