Indian students win World Debating Championship

Five-member team from Chennai, Mumbai and Jaipur underwent gruelling preparation with varied research

03/08/2019, STAFF REPORTER,CHENNAI

Winning team: Saranya Ravindran, Bhavya Shah, Tejas Subramaniam, Prithvi Arun and Manya Gupta won the World Schools Debating Championships 2019 held in Thailand. R. Ragu

An Indian team emerged world champion at the World Debating Championships 2019, defeating Canada, with Tejas Subramaniam of the Padma Seshadri Bal Bhavan (PSBB) School, Chennai, adjudged the best speaker.

The five-member Indian team included Tejas Subramaniam (PSBB School), Bhavya Shah (a visually impaired student from the Rao Junior College of Science, Mumbai), Manya Gupta (Neerja Modi School, Jaipur), Saranya Ravindran (also from PSBB School, Chennai) and Prithvi Arun (Sri Sankara Senior Secondary School, Chennai). The tournament, which was held in Thailand, saw 600 participants from 64 nations, and the Indian team reportedly did not lose a single round. After an elaborate selection process, the five students were chosen by the Indian Schools Debating Society (ISDS) and trained for months.

Tejas Subramaniam, a Class XII student says, for seven months, they attempted 140 debates on various topics. “We had to research feminism, sports and environment, sit for training in video calls, and listen to lectures on finance and developmental economics. It was gruelling training but everything paid off in the end,” he said.

For Bhavya Shah, a Class XII student and the first visually impaired debater in an Indian team, the world of debating, rebuttal, reasoning and arguments were rather new before he applied to get on the team. In the quarter finals, the team faced Pakistan on the topic ‘This House supports China’s attempts at becoming a dominant global power’. When a member of the Pakistan team said they supported China as it was the Avengers of the global south, Mr. Shah, known for his humour, shot back, “If you think China are the Avengers, I marvel that.”

P.R. Venketrama Raja, Chairman of the Ramco Group, which sponsors the ISDS, said: “There should be reason rather than rhetoric and emotions. Debaters may have opinions, but since they have been trained to have both points of view, they may never get offended because someone is differing from their opinions.”

Karnataka to HC: 41 children are with their prisoner-mothers
There are 641 women prisoners; overcrowding in State prisons pegged at 11%

03/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,BENGALURU

There are 41 children — 24 boys and 17 girls — below the age of six accompanying their mothers in 12 prisons of the State, the government informed the High Court of Karnataka on Friday.

While pointing out that there are 641 women prisoners — 437 undertrials and 204 convicted, the Superintendent of Prisons, Headquarters, office of the Director-General of Prisons and Correctional Services, stated in an affidavit that diet and clothing to the children in the age groups of zero to three and three to six, and facilities to pregnant and lactating women prisoners have been provided by amending the Karnataka Prison Rules and Manuals in 2006 on the directions of the Supreme Court.

The affidavit was filed before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice A.S. Bellunke during the hearing of a PIL petition, initiated suo motu by the High Court on the issues of overcrowding of prisons, medical and other facilities available for prisoners, including women prisoners, etc.

While pointing out that authorised capacity of nine central prisons, 21 district prisons, 29 taluk prisons and one open prison is 13,622, it has been stated in the affidavit that total inmates lodged in these prisons as on July 22, 2019 is 15,257, which amounts to overall overcrowding of 11%.

However, the percentage of overcrowding in individual central and district prisons ranges between 101 and 276 against the actual capacity of each prison. While Raichur district prison has overcrowding of 101%, Gadag district prison as the highest overcrowding of 267%. The overcrowding is 160% in Bengaluru Central Prison, 168% in Mysuru Central Prison, 193% in Vijayapura Central Prison, and 173% in Kalaburagi Central Prison.

Apart from allowing interview facilities for prisoners, landline phones are provided for communication as per the Prison Manuals and Rules, and a proposal for video calling facility with family members was submitted to the government in December 2018, the affidavit stated.

New diet for prisoners was introduced in 2014 by providing varieties of breakfasts, midday and evening meals for labouring adult and non-labouring adults, and special diet such as mutton once a week for non-vegetarian prisoners, sweets for vegetarians, and fish meal in coastal areas is being provided. Steam cooking units have been installed in central and district prisons, it was stated in the affidavit.

HC: Temples are not commercial spaces

‘Gratuity to employees not under Gratuity Act, but under State’s law’

03/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, ,BENGALURU

Declaring that a temple is not a “commercial establishment” and does not come within the meaning of an “establishment” under provisions of the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments (KS&CE) Act, 1961, the Karnataka High Court has held that employees of a temple in Karnataka are not entitled to gratuity under Payments of Gratuity (PG) Act, 1972.

The court said the employees are entitled to gratuity under provisions of the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment (KHRI&CE) Act, 1997, and not under the PG Act, 1972, as the the Union government has not notified temples as an “establishment” under this law, and the State government too has not notified temples as an “establishment” under provisions of the KS&CE Act, 1961.

A three-judge bench comprising Justice B.V. Nagarathna, Justice K.N. Phaneendra and Justice B.A. Patil delivered the verdict on August 1 while partly allowing an appeal by Shri Mookambika temple in Kolluru.

The temple had questioned the orders, passed by labour authorities in 2011-12 to pay gratuity of ₹2.91 lakh with 10% interest under the PG Act, 1972 to an employee, Raviraja Shetty, who was relived from work on attaining superannuation in 2005.

The bench also set aside a 2012 verdict of a division bench in the case of the management of Sri Venkataramana temple and Sri Hale Mariyamma temple at Kaup in Udupi district, which had said that employees of temples are entitled to gratuity under the Payments of Gratuity (PG) Act while relying on a Odisha High Court judgement in a case pertaining to the Sri Jagannatha temple.

The three-judge bench pointed out that the Odisha HC’s verdict is not applicable to Karnataka as Odisha’s law on shops and establishments included a “temple trust” under “establishments” unlike the KS&CE Act, 1961.

Observing that “a temple is a place of religious worship or meant for a religious purpose which includes worship of deities or worship in temples, mandirs, shrines, samadhis, brindavanas, gadduges or similar places installing shrines, samadhis, brindavanas, gadduges or similar places fostering spiritual fraternity, imparting spiritual, moral and religious education and teaching of philosophy, observance of religious festivals and any other public religious purpose,” the three-judge bench said that “a temple cannot be any stretch of imagination be construed as an establishment” under KS&CE Act, 1961.

The three-judge bench also held that the KHRI&CE Act, 1997, being a special enactment and had received the President’s nod, prevails over the PG Act, 1972, which is a general enactment, in the matter of payment of gratuity to employees of temples in Karnataka.

The bench directed the temple to pay gratuity as per KHRI&CE Act, 1997 to Mr. Raviraja Shetty within four weeks.

2 Bengaluru institutions fail to get IoE status

03/08/2019,NEW DELHI

The UGC has recommended 20 institutions for the grant of the Institute of Eminence (IoE) status. Two Bengaluru-based institutions, Azim Premji University and the Indian Institute for Human Settlements, have failed to get the tag.

Saudi women allowed to travel independently

King amends guardianship policy

03/08/2019, ASSOCIATED PRESS,DUBAI

Women over the age of 21 can travel abroad without prior consent. REUTERSFaisal Nasser

Saudi Arabia on Friday published new laws that loosen restrictions on women by allowing all citizens, women and men alike, to apply for a passport and travel freely, ending a long-standing guardianship policy that had controlled women’s freedom of movement.

The development is a potential game-changer for Saudi women’s rights.

The kingdom’s legal system has long been criticised because it treated adult women as minors and required them to get a man’s consent to obtain a passport or travel abroad. Often a woman’s male guardian is her father or husband, and in some cases a woman’s son.

The changes were widely celebrated by Saudis on Twitter, with many posting memes showing people dashing to the airport with luggage and others hailing the 33-year-old Crown Prince believed to be the force behind these moves. But the changes also drew backlash from conservatives, who posted clips of senior Saudi clerics in past years arguing in favour of guardianship laws.

Other reform measures

Other changes issued in the decrees allow women to register a marriage, divorce or a child’s birth, and obtain official family documents, which could ease hurdles women faced in obtaining a national identity card and enrolling their children in school.

Women are now also allowed to be legal guardians of their children, a right previously held only by men.

Still in place, however, are rules that require male consent for a woman to leave prison, exit a domestic abuse shelter or marry. Women, unlike men, still cannot pass on citizenship to their children and cannot provide consent for their children to marry.

Rights over children

Under the Kingdom’s guardianship system, women essentially relied on the “good will” and whims of male relatives to determine the course of their lives. There were cases, for example, of young Saudi women whose parents are divorced, but whose father is the legal guardian, being unable to accept scholarships to study abroad because they did not have permission to travel.

Amnesty International said Friday a lot remains to be done for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia but that the new laws could ease the guardianship system. Guardianship laws have “been a stifling system in the daily lives of women in Saudi Arabia,” said Lynn Malouf, West Asia’s research director at Amnesty.

The new rules, approved by King Salman and his Cabinet, allow any person 21 and older to travel abroad without prior consent and any citizen to apply for a Saudi passport on their own.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the new rules go into effect immediately.

Varsities to write to UGC on Hindi

03/08/2019, STAFF REPORTER ,BENGALURU

Various State-run universities in Karnataka have decided to write to the University Grants Commission (UGC) stating it is not practical to make Hindi mandatory for all students. This assertion follows an admission by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in Parliament about seeking the opinion and suggestions of universities regarding teaching Hindi.

A senior official in the Higher Education Department said that the issue would be discussed at the next meeting of the Karnataka State Higher Education Council, and Vice Chancellors will be told to submit their opinions in writing to the UGC.

There has been opposition to imposition of Hindi by several southern States, including Karnataka.

‘Dead’ man comes back to life in Assam morgue

03/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,  GUWAHATI

A middle-aged man allegedly declared dead came back to life in the ‘morgue’ of a hospital in eastern Assam’s Tinsukia district.

Suffering from an unknown disease, the man identified as Mohammed Hussain was admitted to the Tinsukia Civil Hospital on Wednesday.

“The hospital authorities told us he had died. We found him alive when we went to collect his body today [Friday],” the man’s wife, declining to be named, said.

Hospital superintendent N.C. Mahanta denied lapses on the part of his medical team. However, locals raised slogans and demanded a probe into the alleged negligence.

Patient mix-up

“First of all, we do not have a morgue. We have an isolated ward where we keep patients brought by the police. Secondly, one of the three patients who died today was also named Md. Hussain. Our staff thought he was the other Md. Hussain,” he said.

The confusion arose because the hospital also keeps dead bodies in the isolation ward.

Technical snag delayed payment of salary: A.P.

The Finance Department denies rumours that fund crunch is the reason

03/08/2019, STAFF REPORTER,VIJAYAWADA

Barely three months into its term, the Andhra Pradesh government is faced with criticism that salaries and pensions are not paid on time. Social media platforms were agog on Friday following reports that the government could not pay the salaries due to paucity of funds.

A couple of news channels too picked up the issue, creating confusion among employees and giving credence to the tittle-tattle being circulated on social media.

The employees’ associations, in private, feel that the paucity of funds was in fact the reason, though there was also a technical snag in the system.

“A majority of employees did not receive salaries. Same is the case with pensioners,” said an association leader on condition of anonymity. The associations said salaries were being credited from 8.30 a.m. and a clear picture would emerge by Saturday.

The State government, in a damage control exercise, issued a statement saying, “Some TV channels and social media are spreading rumours that the salaries for government employees have not been paid due to lack of funds, but it is not correct.”

‘Standard practice’

The Finance Department, in the statement, clarified that paucity of funds was not the reason. Usually, payments are made through ‘e-kuber’ or the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on the first day of every month. The details were sent to the RBI on July 31.

Following the same practice, all files related to salaries and pensions of all districts were sent to the RBI by July 31 itself. By the noon of August 1, all pensions and salaries of some employees were paid.

Later, there were some technical snags. The certificates issued through e-Mudra did not function. That caused a delay in the payment of salaries of some files. All measures were taken to resolve the snag.

There are more than 4.61 lakh employees in the State. Of this, 3.51 lakh are government employees and the remaining work in judiciary, gram panchayats, municipal administration and other agencies.

The Andhra Pradesh government spends ₹33,470 crore on salaries and ₹16,639 crore on pensions annually.

Disappointed burglar leaves a note behind

Was it justified to leave an empty cash chest, he asked, when he had risked his life?

03/08/2019,S. PRASAD  CUDDALORE

Failed mission: Articles lie strewn in the shop, left, and the handwritten note from the perpetrator. Special Arrangement

Burglars often leave some evidence at the scene after pulling off a successful heist. But one burglar, who broke into a grocery shop in Neyveli in Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore district only to come upon an empty cash chest, left behind a handwritten note with a lesson on risk and reward for the shop owner.

According to the police, the burglar gained entry into the shop in the Mandarakuppam locality by removing the tiles on the roof of the premises on Thursday. He then proceeded to look for the cash chest, but to his dismay, found that it was empty.

Frustrated by the experience, he ransacked the shop and wrote a note in Tamil on a piece of paper that he took from the shop. In it, he asked the owner, “Is it justified on your part to keep the cash chest empty when I had come to steal risking my life?” He went on to add : “To express my disappointment I have performed this ‘monkey’ act [the ransacking].”

The elderly shop owner Jayaraj discovered the attempted burglary, the ransacking, and the note, when he came to the shop in the morning.

He was amused by the note on the cash chest, but lost no time in filing a complaint with the Mandarakuppam Police.

The incident left the police baffled, as thieves only unwittingly leave behind clues.

Handwritten clue

“This is the first time we have come across such a case in our jurisdiction,” a police officer in Cuddalore said, referring to the burglar’s handwritten note on the cash chest.

The handwriting could eventually help the police conclusively prove the involvement of the culprit as and when he is traced.

In the past, there have been instances in Tamil Nadu of burglars, after breaking into homes, having cooked a meal or watched television, dozed off, and then left without any hurry at the break of dawn.

Bonanza for officials who did election duty
Govt. staff to get one month’s basic pay as honorarium

03/08/2019, S. VIJAY KUMAR , CHENNAI

Satyabrata Sahoo

Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo on Friday wrote to all District Electoral Officers, including Vellore, which goes to the polls on August 5, informing them that the government would sanction an honorarium equivalent to one month’s basic pay subject to a maximum of ₹33,000 for the officials’ “strenuous” work during the general election this year.

He called for the details of basic pay of officers and other staff members as on May 1, 2019 for the sanction of honorarium. The period of attending election work would be from the date of notification till counting of votes.

While officers in the rank of District Election Officer, District Revenue Officer, Personal Assistant (Elections), Returning Officer, Commissioner of Corporation, Tahsildar (Election)’ Deputy Tahsildar (Election), Zonal Officer and Liaison Officer to Poll Observers would get a month’s basic pay subject to a maximum of ₹33,000, whichever is less, members of the flying squad, video surveillance team, video viewing team, accounting team, assistant expenditure observers, status surveillance team and zonal assistants would also get a month’s basic pay, but subject to a maximum of ₹24,500 whichever is less. Other category of staff who took part in election duty would get a honorarium of ₹17,000, ₹7,000 and ₹5,000 depending on their respective designations.

Details sought

Zonal Officers/Zonal Assistants or any other staff who were paid remuneration for having attended election duty may be sanctioned honorarium after deducting the amount already paid.

The District Election Officers have been told to furnish the details of officers and staff along with the honorarium they are entitled to before August 10, 2019.

Ironically, the quantum of honorarium sanctioned for police officers on poll duty vide a separate GO issued in June is comparatively much less. The honorarium for 735 police officers from the rank of Director-General of Police to Assistant a Commissioner of Police/Deputy Superintendent of Police has been fixed at ₹20,000. The quantum of funds calculated for the 735 police officers alone is ₹1.47 crore.

Though the funds would be debited from the State’s expenditure, the DGP was directed to send necessary proposal for reimbursement of the amount from the Government of India, the order said.

The order made no mention of payment of honorarium to the police personnel in the ranks of inspector or constable on election duty.

In a separate development, the State government on Friday issued an order enhancing the festival advance payable to government employees, teachers, teaching and non-teaching staff of local bodies, aided education institutions and others eligible from ₹5,000 to ₹10,000.

The order would take immediate effect and apply to festivals to be celebrated after August 2, 2019.

Power bills shock and awe consumers

Over 20 Kotturpuram residents complain of overbilling

03/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,CHENNAI

In a few cases, the accumulated meter readings were recorded. File photo

Electricity officials have identified a manual error in the meter readings for a group of residents of Kottur Gardens, Kotturpuram, who received exorbitant power bills for the bi-monthly billing cycle in July.

Nabarun Ghosh, a resident of Riverdale apartments in Kottur Gardens, said he was shocked at his electricity bill which showed ₹13,528 as dues. He said that he normally paid ₹3,000 as power bill. Similarly, another resident, Vineet Singhal, in the same gated community, got an electricity bill for ₹14,452.

The residents gave a representation to the Assistant Engineer, Taramani. Immediately, senior Tangedco officials directed the revenue section to check all assessments done by the assessor in that area to rectify the billing mistakes.

A senior official admitted that the mistakes were committed by the assessment staff while noting down the reading of the domestic consumers in Kottur Gardens. In a few cases, the meter readings were interchanged, while in others, the accumulated readings were recorded, which meant the staff were recording the readings without visiting the house for a number of months. Complaints of over-assessment were received from more than 20 residents in Kotturpuram. A report has been sought from the assessor and suitable action will be taken, the official said.

Restaurant courts trouble with poster

STAFF REPORTER

MADURAI, AUGUST 03, 2019 00:00 IST

A restaurant, Hotel Milagu, on North Masi Street here found itself in the middle of a controversy over a poster on Thursday.

The poster advertising ‘Kumbakonam Iyer Chicken’ was pasted prominently at the eatery. As it was offensive in taste, members of Tamil Nadu Brahmins Association staged a protest in front of the restaurant.

They alleged that the sentiments of the community was offended by clubbing the name with a food item unrelated to it.

Following the protest, partner of the restaurant Immanuel Devavaram tended an unconditional apology to the association and took down the poster immediately.

“It was a mistake made by one of the inexperienced staff, while I was out of station and it was not done intentionally to offend any community or religious sentiments. I have given an apology letter,” the restaurateur said.

TNAU gets ICAR funds for improving academics

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

COIMBATORE, AUGUST 03, 2019 00:00 IST

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has secured Rs. 30 crore from the Indian Council for Agricultural Research under National Agricultural Higher Education Project.

A release from the University said the funding was for three years, starting 2019-20.

The TNAU competed with 64 state agricultural universities for securing the project, which would enable it to strengthen learner-centric environment by adopting innovative techniques in teaching, promote student and faculty diversity, leverage alumni network among others in nine constituent colleges covering six UG programmes.

As part of the project, the release said, scientists and academics from the University would get to visit universities abroad for exchange of ideas.

The release also said that the TNAU getting the funding followed the steps taken by Vice-Chancellor N. Kumar to gain ICAR accreditation.

Anna varsity recommended for IoE status

R. Sujatha

CHENNAI, AUGUST 03, 2019 00:00 IST

Anna University has been recommended for the Institute of Eminence status by the University Grants Commission. The awarding of the status, however, rests on the outcome of consultation with the State government.

Under the scheme, the selected institutions would receive Rs. 1,000 crore funding for five years. The institutions on their part must raise 20% from within. In the case of State universities, 50% of the funding will have to come from the State. Higher Education Secretary Mangat Ram Sharma said based on the guidelines from the Central government the State would provide the funding.

The IIT Madras has also been recommended to be declared as Institute of Eminence.

‘No stipend for students who fail to submit sureties’

Legal Correspondent

CHENNAI, AUGUST 03, 2019 00:00 IST

HC told their studies won’t be affected

The State government has decided not to disrupt the studies of postgraduate medical degree and diploma course students who fail to submit, within three months, sureties from two government employees along with bonds for Rs. 40 lakh and Rs. 20 lakh respectively to assure that they would serve the government for two years after completing the course in government colleges.

Advocate-General Vijay Narayan told Justices S. Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad of the Madras High Court that the defaulters would not be paid stipend for the entire period of study if they do not submit the sureties. The stipend would be paid in lump sum after completing the course if the doctors agree to be in government service for two years.

When the senior judge in the Division Bench questioned how the government could force doctors to work only for it and not take up jobs in private hospitals, the A-G said the State spends around Rs. 2 crore to educate every postgraduate medical student. Hence, it becomes their bounden-duty to serve the poor and needy who approach government hospitals. The submission was made during the hearing of a public interest litigation petition filed by T.K. Saravanan of Chennai, through his counsel S. Ayyathurai, against the insistence on submitting sureties from government servants.

The petitioner feared that students who could not obtain such sureties might face the threat of being asked to quit studies midway. However, after the A-G assured the court that the fears were unfounded, the judges wanted the assurance to be filed in the form of an affidavit by Tuesday. They sought details regarding the vacancy position of government doctors by then so that appropriate directions could be issued.

In a counter affidavit that had already been filed in reply to the PIL petition, A. Sugavanam, Joint Secretary, Health and Family Welfare department, stated that there were 24 government medical colleges in the State and 48 government hospitals attached to medical colleges. There were also 29 district headquarters hospitals and 1,806 primary health centres (PHCs).

In order to serve them, the government had made it mandatory for government doctors who want to pursue post graduation, under a special quota for them, to undertake to serve the government till their retirement.

It also requires non service doctors to serve the government for two years in non scarce specialities and for five years in scarce specialities. Pointing out that none of the doctors had refused to give such a bond so far, the court was told that even the present PIL petitioner was an advocate by profession and not a doctor.

The government also expressed concern over a majority of doctors refusing to serve the poor in government hospitals after pursuing postgraduate courses in government colleges.

“During the past five years, the government has given posting orders for 338 non-service candidates after the completion of post graduate degree/diploma courses but only 228 had joined. Further, 20 candidates left service before completing the tenure and 110 did not turn up,” the counter read.

The State spends around Rs. 2 crore to educate every postgraduate student. Hence, it is their duty to serve those who approach government hospitals

Vijay Narayan

Advocate-General

Medical students protest against NMC Bill

STAFF REPORTER

CHENNAI, AUGUST 03, 2019 00:00 IST

Students of Madras Medical College boycotted classes and staged a sit-in near the Dean’s office in Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital on Friday.B. Jothi Ramalingam

Proposals for bringing in Community Health Providers and NEXT singled out for attack

About 400 students of Madras Medical College (MMC) boycotted classes and staged a sit-in on Friday.

They were protesting against the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill which, according to them, would disrupt the healthcare system.

Under the banner of Tamil Nadu Medical Students Association, second, third and final year MMC students, and also many from Government Medical College, Omandurar Estate, boycotted classes and participated in the day-long protest from 8 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. on the MMC campus.

The protesting students said that bringing in Community Health Providers would affect the rural healthcare system in Tamil Nadu, the National Exit Test (NEXT) would impact the quality of doctors and replacing the Medical Council of India (MCI) with NMC would result in poor representation of doctors from States. According to the Bill, persons connected with the medical profession could be granted limited licences to practise medicine as Community Health Providers. These persons can prescribe specified medicines independently, but only in a primary and preventive healthcare context.

“We study medicine for five-and-a-half years of which one year is for Compulsory Rotatory Residential Internship. How can Community Health Providers learn medicine in a few months of training and prescribe medications at the primary health centre level? This will affect healthcare in villages, and it will be disastrous for a State like Tamil Nadu that has come a long way in rural health,” one of the protesting students said.

Opposing NEXT, the students said as of now, they have theory and practical examinations conducted by the medical university in the final year of MBBS. “NEXT will contain multiple choice questions, and this will only result in mushrooming of coaching centres like that for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test,” another student said.

The students lamented the lack of clarity on NEXT, its pattern or subjects that would be covered. “There are no proper guidelines. With NEXT, our clinical orientation and understanding will be lost,” he said. Some students said there was no clarity on what would happen if students failed to clear NEXT. As per the Bill, NEXT would be the basis for admission to postgraduate courses.

On NMC replacing MCI, the students said it would result in loss of autonomy and NMC, a nominated body, would not have adequate representation of doctors from States.

UGC names 20 institutions for eminence tag

Priscilla Jebaraj

NEW DELHI, AUGUST 03, 2019 00:00 IST

The chosen universities will be given greater autonomy an d freedom to decide fees and course durations.* FILE PHOTO

Five private ones among those denied the status due to absence of rankings

The IITs Madras and Kharagpur, Delhi University, University of Hyderabad, Amritha Vishwa Vidyapeetham and VIT are among the 20 institutions recommended for the grant of the Institute of Eminence status by the University Grants Commission on Friday.

However, the UGC denied the tag to five private universities — Azim Premji University, Ashoka University, KREA University, Indian Institute for Human Settlements and the Indian Institute of Public Health — on the grounds that they have not been placed in any global or national rankings. Since their exclusion left a vacant slot on the list of private universities given the tag, the Satya Bharti Foundation — telecom major Airtel’s philanthropic arm — became the second greenfield institution to be given IoE status, after Jio Institute which is backed by the Reliance Foundation.

“We considered two types [of institutions], those who are already ranked well and those which are potential institutions. We might have felt something has potential, but government may feel something else, they may have felt that if an institution is not ranked at all, it cannot be considered. It is entirely justified,” said N. Gopalaswami, former Chief Election Commissioner who headed the expert panel which initially identified the list of IoEs.

The scheme is aimed at developing 20 world-class institutions which would put India on the global education map.

Five public universities also did not make the cut. Tezpur, Panjab and Andhra Universities were left out as they are not ranked. Savitribai Phule Pune University and Aligarh Muslim University are both in the same 801-1,000 ranking slab in the QS World rankings as the Benares Hindu University; however, BHU squeaked through as it was higher placed than the other two in the India rankings.

Anna University and Jadavpur University have been given the IoE tag on a conditional basis as they are state universities, and will be finalised only after the Tamil Nadu and West Bengal governments issue an official communication allocating their share of funds (up to 50%).

The other institutions which have been recommended for IoE status are Jamia Hamdard, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, OP Jindal University and Shiv Nadar University.

UGC nod to IIT-Madras for ‘Institutions of Eminence’ tag

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:03.08.2019

IIT-Madras, IITKharagpur, Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University and University of Hyderabad, among others could be the new entrants to the list of “Institutions of Eminence.” The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Friday recommended five government institutions and seven private institutions for IoE status and letter of intent (LoI) respectively.

The recommendations now wait for the government’s approval before being notified. The UGC in its meeting considered the reports of the empowered expert committee (EEC) appointed by government under the chairmanship of N Gopalaswami recommending 15 public institutions and 15 private institutions for granting status of IoE.

Among the private institutions recommended for issue of LoI include Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Vellore Institute of Technology, Jamia Hamdard, Kalinga Institute of Technology, O P Jindal University and Shiv Nadar University. The commission also recommended Bharti (Satya Bharti Foundation) for issuance of LoI in the vacant slot under the greenfield category for yet to be established institutions.

“This is a tremendous encouragement for a young university and our philanthropic work. Our next mission is to be among the top 500 global institutions and top 50 young institutions,” said C Raj Kumar, vice chancellor, O P Jindal University.

Among those institutions which missed out from the recommended list are government run Savitribai Phule Pune University, Aligarh Muslim University, Tezpur University, Panjab University and Andhra University. Meanwhile, Jadavpur University and Anna University can be considered for issue of the IoE status only after the respective state governments have issued an official communication allocating their share of the funds (up to 50%).

According to a UGC official, “The mandate has been to prepare the institutions for securing international standard and to be among the top ranked institutions in global rankings. Therefore, the institutions not recommended are those which have not figured in any of the national or global rankings.”

Vellore Institute of Technology is among the private institutions recommended for issue of letter of intent (LoI)

Scooter girls are the new ‘delivery boys’

Number of women in India’s delivery business is up to 68k from 40k in 2018. The ripples are being felt far and wide in the 10L-strong workforce

Ishita Mishra & Anam Ajmal | TNN 03.08.2019

The scooter comes to a halt outside a restaurant in the narrow bylanes of Dehradun. As the rider moves towards the kitchen, heads turn. An unfazed Reena Gupta quickly picks up a parcel and starts the GPS on her phone. Minutes later, the mother of two is knocking at a stranger’s house, pizza in hand.

As new-age internet companies expand businesses, an increasing number of women are making their presence felt in the gig economy space. In the delivery sector alone, which has about 10 lakh employees, 67,900 are women — up from 40,000 in 2018 — according to latest estimates.

There’s been a surge in women applying to be delivery partners in big metros and smaller cities, says a spokesperson at Zomato. The company has 2 lakh delivery partners. Increased participation of women has led to the roll-out of delivery via bicycle, targeted at those who don’t know how to ride a bike.

Some women are leaving their low-paying “9 to 5” desk jobs as assistants and back-office employees to embrace this digitally mediated work. And driving this choice are factors like greater flexibility, more working-time autonomy and better pay parity than in traditional jobs.

Reena joined Zomato last September after her husband lost his job at a medical store. “It was an unusual choice but I decided to give it a shot,” the arts graduate told TOI.

What sealed the deal for her was the freedom to decide her working hours, set her own targets and higher pay — she earns up to Rs 6,000 every week, delivering up to 20 orders a day.

Firdaus Ansari from Chhattisgarh’s Bhilai quit her job as a doctor’s assistant last year and became a food delivery agent. No longer bound by a desk job, she has extra time at hand and is now focusing on dreams cast aside years ago — like pursuing a bachelors in sociology. She attends classes early morning and starts picking up orders after 1 pm.

Priyanka, a 22-year-old from Mumbai who has been with Swiggy for 10 months, chose to be a delivery partner for financial reasons. “My parents passed away when I was a teenager. I have three younger siblings to raise. This job has given me financial independence.” She also enjoys meeting new people and is now familiar with many areas of the city.

While digital forces may have opened new opportunities for women, it’s not always a trouble-free ride. Safety remains a concern and companies are starting to take note. Swiggy — which employs over 1.95 lakh delivery executives and has 700 women — has designated “safe zones” for women employees in over 20 cities.

“They work in shifts that end before 6 pm and operate in areas identified as safe zones,” a company spokesperson said.

“Our location is tracked by area managers. The key is to keep someone informed,” said Menka Pakhare, a 34-yearold who works with Zomato in Mumbai and was a housewife for 13 years before taking up the job.

Firdaus added that initially she was scared to take orders after dark, but her job has taught her how to deal with all kinds of situation.

But gender dynamics remain strong and convincing “society” that women can enter male-dominated professions is a challenge. Firdaus gives the example of another girl who had joined with her but quit shortly afterwards due to family pressure.

Some resolute women like 39-year-old Harshika Pandya — one of the 12 female Zomato delivery partners in Surat — manage to stand their ground. Harshika was working in the back office of a finance company and decided on Zomato in 2018.

“When I started out, my family said it was a man’s job. But I stuck to my decision,” said Harshika, who usually picks up her last order around 1.30am.

Ashwini, 34, Swiggy’s first female delivery partner in Vadodara who recently moved to Bengaluru for her daughter’s higher studies, said that each ride she undertakes delivers a message that no job belongs to any particular gender.

Observers back the thought. “When women opt for jobs where they are seen in public places, it increases their visibility, which leads to normalisation and acceptance of such work in society. It also gives women better career options and leads to an increase in their confidence levels and economic worth,” said Ranjana Kumari, director, Centre for Social Research.

India is indeed moving beyond gender, said Preethisha, the country’s first transgender food delivery person with Uber Eats who lives in Chennai. She has high hopes for the future. “Today, gender doesn’t stop people from pursuing opportunities. With more women and marginalised communities in the workforce, the future will be even better,” said the 32-year-old.

Harshika agreed. “Ye soch badalne ka safar hai (This is a journey to change mindsets),” she said.

Food, religion, politics get mixed up in unsavoury curry
Dish Named ‘Iyer Chicken’, Hotel Apologises For ‘Typo’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Madurai:03.08.2019

‘Kumbakonam Iyer Chicken’, a dish announced on social media by a hotel in Madurai city, has landed it in trouble.

It was removed from the hotel's social media account after Brahmins’ associations and right-wing outfits took exception. Representatives of the hotel told TOI that the designer who made the poster inadvertently typed ‘Iyer’ in place of ‘Fried’.

The owner of the establishment (Hotel Milagu), on North Masi Street, has been busy apologizing to callers and sending statements of regret. But many continued to protest.

Associations named after the community launched a strong social media campaign, with a few outfits seeking action against the hotel. On Thursday evening, a section of people went to the hotel to protest and were engaged in a heated argument with the staff. Police had to rush in and bring the situation under control.

“I am a Brahmin myself and the manager of the hotel. It is completely my mistake,” C Ramanathan told TOI.

“The hotel did not look for cheap publicity or promotion as it is 11 years old,” he claimed, adding that he received the design of the promotion, did a hurried check and shared it on Facebook a few days ago. “I had to rush to Chennai for a health checkup and came to know about the controversy on Wednesday night. From Thursday we have been answering calls, offering explanations and apologising,” he said. Ramanathan said that they had also sent apology letters to associations of the community which had not directly protested as they did not want to hurt their sentiments.

IN A SOUP

Pudukottai coffee shop takes stand against bigotry

Trichy:

Zomato’s stand against religious bigotry had an echo in Pudukottai town with the owner of a coffee shop putting up a board saying food has no religion and his establishment was closed to bigots. M Arunmozhi, 47, owner of Ayngaran restaurant and coffee shop in Pudukottai, told TOI he was deeply moved by the strong stand food delivery app Zomato took when a customer asked it to change the Muslim deliveryman. As a gesture of solidarity he put up a signboard in front of his restaurant saying “food has no religion and Ayngaran is shut for bigots”. Arunmozhi says many of his customers were all praise for his gesture. Arunmozhi said he was also very disturbed by clashes among people of different religious group in Pudukottai in the last week. Thus he had decided to openly condemn the spread of hate by those who differentiated among people on the basis of religion.

SIGNED & STAMPED

EWS quota triggers demand for income certificates in city

Yogesh.Kabirdoss@timesgroup.com

Chennai:03.08.2019

Taluk offices in and around the city are witnessing demand for income certificates from the economically weaker sections (EWS) among forward castes. Though Tamil Nadu has not introduced the 10% quota for EWS in education and employment, people who were not covered under any reservation, are seeking the certificate as the Centre has opened doors for the purpose. With the number of applications expected to rise, legal experts urged the government to make procedures stringent to prevent misuse in obtaining the certificates.

Revenue department sources said six applications have been received in Egmore and Mambalam taluks. While the applications are under process at Egmore, one applicant received his EWS income certificate at Mambalam, official sources said. “In Ponneri taluk, which comprises suburbs in the north, five EWS income certificates have been issued to people belonging to forward castes in the past month,” a Tiruvallur district official said. “Income certificates under EWS category were largely sought by individuals from backward classes to ascertain their eligibility for central government jobs, where the creamy layer rule applies. Now, forward caste people are also seeking it in light of the10% quota for EWS announced by the Union government,” the official added.

Last May, the state government releasedcriteria for EWS reservations. While an annual income cap of ₹8 lakh has been fixed for the reservation, those owning more than 1,000sqft flat or residential plot measuring 900 sqft in urban areas are not eligible for the quota among theforwardcastes.After verification, the tahsildar of the respective taluk should obtain a self-declaration form from the applicant. The income certificate is valid for a year.

Madras high court advocate M Radhakrishnan said issuing EWS certificates should be stringent as there was scope for misuse. “The certificates should be issued only by an officer abovethe rankof revenue divisional officer or sub-collector.Thisfixes accountability as only a self-declaration is obtained from the applicant”.

Saravana Bhavan told to pay ₹1 lakh to customer

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:03.08.2019

The state consumer disputes redressal forum has asked Saravana Bhavan to pay a Delhi-based lawyer, who complained he suffered food poisoning after eating at its Anna Salai outlet, ₹1.1lakh for mental agony and litigation costs.

S K Saamy, in his petition stated that he went to the Anna Salai branch of the restaurant on October 10, 2014. When his food was served, he had noticed strands of hair in it and brought it to the notice of the waiter and the manager. While the food was replaced, an hour after eating it the petitioner said he felt uneasiness in the stomach and then experienced nausea and vomiting.

He got admitted in the Royapettah Government Hospital the next day, where doctors told him that he was suffering from food poisoning. “The restaurant is responsible for serving defective food and causing ill-health and mental agony,” the lawyer stated in his petition.

In response, the hotel management submitted that no other customer who consumed food that day made any complaints and this particular complaint was made two years after, with an ulterior motive of extorting money. The management also pointed out that the complainant’s petitions were dismissed by the Madras high court and by the National Human Rights Commission.

The forum, after perusing the submissions held that there was no necessity for the complainant to file a false petition and noted that he did not get admitted in the hospital the same day as it was raining that night.

The forum also dismissed the restaurant’s submission that the petition was dismissed by the Madras high court and NHRC and pointed out that the petitions were not for seeking compensation for mental agony, but for directing police to register FIR against the restaurant. Subsequently, judicial member K Baskaran and member S M Latha Maheshwari directed the management to pay ₹1.1 lakh to the customer for mental agony and litigation costs.

While the food with strands of hair was replaced, an hour after eating it the petitioner felt uneasiness in the stomach and then experienced nausea

துணைவேந்தர் பதவியில் பிரதிநிதித்துவம்திருமாவளவன் வழக்கில் ஆக.5 தீர்ப்பு

Added : ஆக 02, 2019 00:56

சென்னை:பல்கலை துணை வேந்தர், சிண்டிகேட் மற்றும் செனட் உறுப்பினர்கள் நியமனங்களில், ஆதிதிராவிடர், பழங்குடியினர் மற்றும் மகளிருக்கு, உரிய பிரதிநிதித்துவம் அளிக்கக்கோரி, சென்னை உயர் நீதிமன்றத்தில், திருமாவளவன், எம்.பி., மனு தாக்கல் செய்துள்ளார்.
இவ்வழக்கில், இரு தரப்பு வாதங்கள் முடிந்து, தீர்ப்பு தள்ளி வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

விருப்பப்படி நியமனம்

விடுதலை சிறுத்தைகள் கட்சி தலைவர், திருமாவளவன் தாக்கல் செய்த மனு:தமிழகத்தில், ௨௧ பல்கலை கழகங்கள் உள்ளன. மூன்று ஆண்டுகளாக, ஒன்பது துணைவேந்தர், எட்டு பதிவாளர், ௧௦ தேர்வு கட்டுப்பாட்டாளர் பதவிகள் காலியாக உள்ளன. பல்கலைகளுக்கு துணை வேந்தர்களை நியமிக்கும் போது, ஆதிதிராவிடர், பழங்குடியினர், மகளிருக்கு, உரிய பிரதிநிதித்துவம் வழங்கப்படுவது இல்லை.மக்கள் தொகைக்கு ஏற்ப, ஆதிதிராவிடர் மற்றும் பழங்குடியினரில் இருந்து, ஐந்து; மகளிரில் இருந்து, ஏழு; இதர சமூகத்தினரில் இருந்து, ஐந்து என, துணைவேந்தர் பதவிகளில் நியமனம் இருக்க வேண்டும். ஆட்சிமன்ற குழு, சிண்டிகேட், செனட் அமைப்புகளுக்கும், விருப்பப்படி நியமனம் நடக்கிறது.
உரிய பிரதிநிதித்துவம்

குறைந்தபட்ச பிரதிநிதித்துவம் கூட, ஆதிதிராவிடர், பழங்குடியினர், சிறுபான்மையினர், மகளிருக்கு வழங்கப்படவில்லை. உரிய பிரதிநிதித்துவம் வழங்க கோரி, 2017 ல், பல்கலை மானியக் குழு, கவர்னரின் முதன்மை செயலர், உயர் கல்வித் துறை முதன்மை செயலர் ஆகியோருக்கு மனு அனுப்பினேன்; எந்த பதிலும் இல்லை.எனவே, துணை வேந்தர், ஆட்சி மன்றக் குழு, நிர்வாக குழு, சிண்டிகேட், செனட் குழுக்களில், ஆதிதிராவிடர், பழங்குடியினர்,சிறுபான்மையினர், மகளிருக்கு, உரிய பிரதிநிதித்துவம் வழங்குவதை உறுதி செய்ய வேண்டும்.இவ்வாறு, மனுவில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.
மனு, நீதிபதிகள் மணிகுமார், சுப்ரமணியம் பிரசாத் அடங்கிய, 'டிவிஷன் பெஞ்ச்' முன், விசாரணைக்கு வந்தது. திருமாவளவன் தரப்பில், வழக்கறிஞர் பழனிமுத்து, அரசு தரப்பில், சிறப்பு பிளீடர் கதிர்வேலு ஆஜராகினர். இரு தரப்பு வாதங்களும் முடிந்து, வழக்கின் உத்தரவை, வரும், 5ம் தேதிக்கு, டிவிஷன் பெஞ்ச் தள்ளி வைத்துள்ளது.

உணவு பட்டியலில், 'ஐயர் சிக்கன்': பிராமணர்கள் எதிர்ப்பு

Added : ஆக 02, 2019 02:45

மதுரை:மதுரையில் உள்ள, ஓட்டல் ஒன்றில், 'கும்பகோணம் அய்யர் சிக்கன்' என, சர்ச்சையை ஏற்படுத்தும் விதமாக, அசைவ உணவுக்கு பெயர் சூட்டப்பட்டிருந்தது. பிராமணர்களின் போராட்டத்தை அடுத்து, அந்த உணவின் பெயர் நீக்கப்பட்டதுடன், ஓட்டல் உரிமையாளர் மன்னிப்பு கடிதமும், எழுதி கொடுத்தார்.

மதுரை, வடக்கு மாசி வீதியில், 'மிளகு' என்ற ஓட்டல் உள்ளது. இங்கு, வாடிக்கையாளர்களுக்கு கொடுக்கும் உணவு பட்டியலில், 'கும்பகோணம் அய்யர் சிக்கன்' என்ற பெயர் இருந்தது.மேலும், இது குறித்து, இணையதளங்களில், விளம்பரமும் செய்தனர். ஜாதி துவேஷத்துடன், அசைவ உணவுக்கு பெயர் சூட்டப்பட்டிருந்தது.இந்த உணவு பெயரை கண்டித்து, பிராமணர்கள் நேற்று மாலை, அந்த ஓட்டலை முற்றுகையிட்டனர்.இதையடுத்து, ஓட்டல் மேலாளர், டுவிக் என்பவர், 'தவறுக்கு வருந்துகிறோம். சர்ச்சைக்குரிய, அந்த பெயர், உடனே நீக்கப்படும்' என, தெரிவித்தார்.மேலும், எழுத்துப்பூர்வமாக மன்னிப்பு கடிதம் தர, ஓட்டல் உரிமையாளர் ஒப்புக்கொண்டதால், போராட்டத்தில் ஈடுபட்டோர் கலைந்து சென்றனர்.

மருத்துவ மாணவர்களுக்கு உற்சாக வரவேற்பு

Added : ஆக 02, 2019 01:13


சென்னை:அரசு மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகளில், எம்.பி.பி.எஸ்., முதலாம் ஆண்டு மாணவர்களுக்கு, நேற்று வகுப்புகள் துவங்கின.

 புதிய மாணவர்களுக்கு மூத்த மாணவர்கள், பூங்கொத்து கொடுத்து, உற்சாக வரவேற்பு அளித்தனர்.தமிழகத்தில் உள்ள, அரசு மருத்துவ கல்லுாரி களில், எம்.பி.பி.எஸ்., படிப்பில் சேர்ந்த, முதலாம் ஆண்டு மாணவர்களுக்கான வகுப்புகள், நேற்று துவங்கின. சென்னை மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிக்கு வந்த புதிய மாணவர்களை, மூத்த மாணவர்கள், பூங்கொத்து கொடுத்தும், ரோஜா மலர் கொடுத்தும் வரவேற்றனர்.சென்னை மருத்துவ கல்லுாரியில் நடந்தநிகழ்ச்சியில், டீன் ஜெயந்திபேசியதாவது:சென்னை மருத்துவ கல்லுாரியில், 'ராகிங்' முற்றிலும் தடை செய்யப்பட்டு உள்ளது. இதுவரை, ராகிங் நடந்ததாக புகார்கள் இல்லை. 'சீனியர்' மாணவர்கள், முதலாம் ஆண்டு மாணவர்களுடன், நல்லுறவை ஏற்படுத்தும் வகையிலும், 'ராகிங்' நடப்பதை தடுக்கும் வகையிலும், குழு அமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.அந்த குழுவில் உள்ள மாணவர்கள், ராகிங்கில் ஈடுபடும் மாணவர்களை கண்காணிப்பர். இதில், அவர்கள் தவறு செய்தது தெரிய வந்தால், கடும் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும்.இவ்வாறு, அவர் பேசினார்.

சென்னை கீழ்ப்பாக்கம், ஸ்டான்லி, ஓமந்துாரார் அரசு மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகளிலும், முதலாம் ஆண்டு மாணவர்களை, சீனியர் மாணவர்கள் வரவேற்றனர். மலர் கொடுத்தும், மரக்கன்றுகள் நடச்செய்தும், புதிய மாணவர்களுக்கு வரவேற்பு அளிக்கப்பட்டது.தமிழகம் முழுவதும், அரசு மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகளில் நடந்த நிகழ்ச்சியில், 'ராகிங் செய்ய மாட்டோம்' என, சீனியர் மாணவர்கள், முதலாம் ஆண்டு மாணவர்களுக்கு வாக்குறுதி அளித்தனர். மேலும், விடுதிகள், அங்கு அளிக்கப்படும் உணவுகள் தரமானதாக இருக்கும் என, பெற்றோர்களிடம், விடுதி காப்பாளர்கள் உறுதி அளித்தனர்.

ஒரு மாதம் பயிற்சி

இந்திய மருத்துவ கவுன்சில், நாடு முழுவதும், ஒரே பாடத்திட்டத்தை அறிமுகம் செய்துள்ளது. இந்த பாடத்திட்டம் தொடர்பாக, பேராசிரியர்களுக்கு பயிற்சி அளிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. புதிய பாடத்திட்டத்தின்படி, முதலாம் ஆண்டின் துவக்கத்தில், ஒரு மாதத்திற்கு, மருத்துவமனையில், பயிற்சி பெற வாய்ப்பு தரப்படுகிறது.இதில், நோயாளிகளை எப்படி அணுகுவது, ஒருடாக்டராக, அவர்களை புரிந்து பணியாற்றுவதுஉள்ளிட்டவை குறித்து கற்பிக்கப்படும்.நாராயண பாபு,மருத்துவ கல்வி இயக்குனர்'ராகிங்' குறித்து புகார் செய்யலாம் ராகிங் குறித்து, கல்லுாரி டீன்கள் அல்லது கல்லுாரிகளில் உள்ள, ராகிங் தடுப்பு குழுவினரிடம் புகார் அளிக்கலாம் எம்.சி.ஐ., எனப்படும், இந்திய மருத்துவ கவுன்சிலில், ராகிங் தடுப்புக்கான ஒழுங்குமுறை கமிட்டி உள்ளது.
இந்த ராகிங் தடுப்பு ஒழுங்குமுறை குழுவை, 18001 11154 என்ற இலவச எண்ணிலும், 011 - 2536 7033, 2536 7035, 2536 7036 என்ற எண்களிலும், தொடர்பு கொள்ளலாம்* மேலும், mci@bol.net.in, contact@mciindia.org என்ற, இ - மெயில் முகவரிகள் மற்றும்,www.mciindia.orgஎன்ற இணையதளத்திலும், புகார் தெரிவிக்கலாம். சிறப்பு அவசர உதவிக்கான, 011 - 2536 1262 என்ற எண்ணிலும், antiragging-mci@nic.in என்ற, இ - மெயிலிலும், மருத்துவ மாணவர்கள் புகார் தெரிவிக்கலாம்.

யு.ஜி.சி., எச்சரிக்கை:உரியகல்வித்தகுதி இல்லாதவர்களை பேராசிரியர்களாக நியமிக்க கூடாது

Added : ஆக 02, 2019 00:46

சென்னை:'உரிய கல்வித்தகுதி இல்லாதவர்களை, கல்லுாரிகள் மற்றும் பல்கலைகளில் பேராசிரியர்களாக நியமனம் செய்யக்கூடாது' என்று, பல்கலைமானிய குழுவான,யு.ஜி.சி., கட்டுப்பாடு விதித்துள்ளது.

யு.ஜி.சி., சுற்றறிக்கையில், கூறப்பட்டுள்ளதாவது:உயர்கல்வி நிறுவனங்களில், அனைத்து மாணவர்களுக்கும், தரமான கல்வியை அளிக்க வேண்டிய கட்டாயம் உள்ளது. ஆனால், பல பல்கலைகளில் கல்வித்தரம், உள்கட்டமைப்பு வசதிகளில் குறைபாடுகள் உள்ளதாக, புகார்கள் எழுந்துள்ளன.குறிப்பாக, யு.ஜி.சி., குறிப்பிட்டுள்ள கல்வி தகுதியை பெறாதவர்களை, பல கல்வி நிறுவனங்கள் பேராசிரியர் பணியில் சேர்த்துள்ளதாகவும், குறைந்த ஊதியம் காரணமாக, இந்த நியமனங்களை மேற்கொள்வதாகவும் தெரியவந்துள்ளது.எனவே, யு.ஜி.சி.,யின் விதிகளை, உயர்கல்வி நிறுவனங்கள் முறையாக கடைபிடிக்க வேண்டும் என, அறிவுறுத்தப்படுகிறது.இவ்வாறு, சுற்றறிக்கையில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

SHOCKING: Youth killed brother to conceal incestuous affair with sister, aunt
15-yr-old school teen near Ulundurpet was found murdered with his throat slit on Sunday; while villagers suggested human sacrifice, sniffer dog bring out truth

Published: 02nd August 2019 04:03 AM |

By Express News Service

VILLUPURAM: A couple of days after a schoolboy was found dead in a forest area near Ulundurpet, his brother, sister and aunt were arrested for murdering him. Police said the boy’s own brother murdered him as he had come to know of an illicit affair between the trio.

According to a police source from Ulundurpet, the deceased Sivakumar (15), studied class 10 in a government high school in Elavansurkottai. He lived with his mother, brother Sarathkumar (21), a farm labourer and his 18-year-old sister Soundarya. His father works abroad. On Sunday, Sivakumar went missing and the same night, his body was found in a nearby forest area, with his throat slit.

A police team was formed to inquire about the murder as rumours spread that he was murdered as part of human sacrifice. However, the sniffer dog brought to the spot ran till the house of the deceased itself and stopped. On checking the house, police found a scythe there and it smelled of blood. They suspected it may have been used to murder the boy.

Police then secretly watched their movements. Their suspicions centered around Sarathkumar and he was taken to the police station on Thursday. During inquiries, he confessed to murdering his own brother, said a police source. Sarathkumar was allegedly having an affair with his own sister and aunt, Pushpavathi (40). Sivakumar once saw them during their illicit affair, and as Sarathkumar was afraid that he would tell others, he decided to murder the boy.


On Sunday, he took his brother for a rabbit hunt in the nearby forest area and asked Sivakumar to fix the cage for rabbits. As he was doing it, using the scythe, Sarathkumar killed Sivakumar, police said. After that, he went home and when their mother searched for Siva, he said that the boy had gone for rabbit hunting. He also joined their relatives when they went to search for him and cried on seeing Siva’s body.

Return used Aavin covers, get 10 paise

The state government recently banned sale and use of one-time use plastic but exempted essential products like oil and milk.

Published: 02nd August 2019 06:30 AM

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: In an effort to stop one-time-use milk covers from polluting the environment, State-owned Aavin Milk has announced that it will be offering `10 paise on the return of each cover. Residents can return used Aavin milk covers at its retail stores, dairy centres and regional offices located across the city.
In a release, the milk-producing body also urged other private milk producers to join in this recycling program.”

The state government recently banned sale and use of one-time use plastic but exempted essential products like oil and milk. Because of this, such covers find their ways to rivers, lakes and other public spaces, polluting the same,” said a release issued by Aavin.

For more assistance, regional officers can be contacted at 94442 47327 (North zone) and 97907 73955 (South Zone) or people can dial the toll free helpline number number 1800 425 3300.

Welcome move


Aavin Milk has announced that it will be offering `10 paise on the return of each cover

Residents can return used covers at its retail stores, dairy centres and regional offices located across the city

Aavin said the move is aimed at stopping such covers finding their ways to rivers, lakes and other public spaces, polluting the same
TN government had recently banned sale and use of one-time use plastic

Dismissal of MTC driver for misconduct upheld

A division bench of the Madras High Court has upheld the dismissal of an MTC driver from service, for his alleged misconduct of quarrelling with his superior and slapping him.

Published: 02nd August 2019 06:34 AM |

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: A division bench of the Madras High Court has upheld the dismissal of an MTC driver from service, for his alleged misconduct of quarrelling with his superior and slapping him.

“A person, when dismissed from service, is put to a great hardship but that would not mean that grave misconduct should go unpunished. Although the doctrine of proportionality may be applicable in such matters, but punishment of dismissal from service for such misconduct, cannot be said to be unheard of. Maintenance of discipline of an institution is equally important,” the bench of Justices Dr Vineet Kothari and C V Karthikeyan observed.

The bench was dismissing an appeal from N Mohandass, on July 24. Mohandass raised an industrial dispute, questioning the dismissal order dated July 23, 1997. And the Labour Court passed an award holding that there was no violation of principles of natural justice during the enquiry and also that there was no justifiable reason to interfere with the findings of the enquiry officer. It, however, ordered his reinstatement but denied back wages. Challenging this, the management filed a writ petition and a single judge restored the order of dismissal.

Hence, the present appeal from Mohandass. Dismissing it, the bench said, “In view of the change in the economic policy of the country, it may not now be proper to allow the employees to break the discipline with impunity. In the light of the findings recorded and the legal precedent, it is not a fit case where any relief can be given to Mohandass. The Labour Court clearly erred in directing reinstatement of the workman, though without back wages and it did not take into account the binding precedent of the Supreme Court.” The bench restored the order of dismissal.

2 Ayurveda doctors held for causing death by negligence

They tried to treat malaria with allopathic medicines in 2013

02/08/2019, RAINA ASSAINAR,NAVI MUMBAI

Two Ayurveda doctors, who practise in Panvel taluka, were arrested on Wednesday for causing the death of a 23-year-old girl by negligence, six years ago. Ashish Bhagat (38) and Vijay Bhagat (55) were produced before court on Thursday, and released on bail.

Madhukar Bhalerao, a retired assistant commissioner of the State’s sales tax department, had approached the Panvel City police 2014, with a complaint against the doctors alleging negligence, which led to the death of his daughter Geetanjali on September 8, 2013.

Report confirms it

Assistant police inspector Rahul Sonawane, Panvel City police station, said after the complaint was received, the relevant documents, health reports, and medical treatment history to the Raigad civil surgeon. “We received the civil surgeon’s report last month, which confirmed negligence on the part of the doctors. The report said the victim had died of malaria and the doctors, who had completed Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery, attempted to treat the victim with allopathic medicines.”

Specialist doctor

He also said the doctors, after learning about her illness, should have immediately referred to a specialist doctor instead of treating themselves. The police registered a case on July 28. As per the complaint, Mr. Bhalerao’s wife had taken their daughter to Dr. Ashish in New Panvel on August 26, 2013, as she was suffering from fever.

Dr. Ashish told her that the girl had symptoms of malaria and prescribed her medicines, and also asked to get her blood tested.

“Even after two days, there was no improvement in her condition and hence Mr. Bhalerao met Dr. Vijay in Panvel with the blood reports. He changed the medicines and told him that there was nothing to worry. After a few days, her health deteriorated, and he visited Dr. Vijay again on August 3, 2013, who told him to admit the girl at Patel Hospital in Panvel,” Mr. Sonawane said.

Doctors at Patel Hospital said the girl needed to be admitted to ICU. Since the hospital did not have the facility, they asked the father to go either to MGM Hospital at Kalamboli or Paramount Hospital at Panvel. At MGM, there was no vacant bed at ICU and hence the complainant took his daughter to Paramount Hospital where she was admitted to ICU, and during the course of treatment, she died on September 8, 2013.

“The negligence in treatment happened between August 26 and September 3, 2013, when the victim was under the treatment of both BAMS graduates,” Mr. Sonawane said.

HC allows bike-sharing app Rapido to continue operations in State

Judges also stayed operation of cyber crime police’s letter to Google, Apple

02/08/2019, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Rapido submitted that all necessary safety measures were being followed by the firm.

A Division Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday stayed the operation of an order passed by a single judge of the court on July 18 restraining Hyderabad-based Roppen Transportation Services from operating their mobile app Rapido, which facilitates sharing of pillion seats in motorcycles, in Tamil Nadu until the State government frames regulations for services such as car pooling, bike taxi and call taxi.

Justices Vineet Kothari and C.V. Karthikeyan also stayed the operation of a letter written by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Cyber Crime Cell, Central Crime Branch here to Google LLC and Apple India Private Limited on July 6 requesting them to remove Rapido from their app stores. The letter had led to Apple removing the app from its platform and making it impossible for Rapido to operate in other States too.

The interim orders were passed after Rapido explained to the judges the procedure of booking bikes through the app and submitted that all safety measures such as insistence on the riders wearing helmets and possessing valid insurance were being followed by the appellant firm.

Since Advocate General Vijay Narayan could not appear, the procedures were explained in the presence of Special Government Pleader A.N. Thambidurai.

Two weeks’ time

Pointing out that the government had not filed any counter affidavit either before the single judge or before them, the Division Bench granted two weeks’ time for filing the counter affidavit.

“Respondent State may also disclose in its counter affidavit as to when it is likely to frame specific regulations for bike sharing app operators as has been done by other States such as Telangana, Rajasthan and Chandigarh,” the judges ordered.

The interim stay by the Bench would now allow Rapido and similar bike sharing applications to operate in the State until further orders to be passed by the court.

Sexual harassment: HC strikes down ‘inadequate punishment’

Court sends back case for re-fixing quantum of punishment for policeman

02/08/2019, STAFF REPORTER ,MADURAI

Expressing shock over how a police constable was simply given a punishment of postponement of his increment for three years on a charge of sexual harassment of a girl, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday remitted the case back to disciplinary inquiry, to re-fix the quantum of punishment.

A Division Bench of Justices K. Ravichandrabaabu and Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy observed that the punishment imposed on the constable was totally inadequate and disproportionate to the grave misconduct committed by him. The matter should be considered afresh for determining the quantum of punishment.

The court said that under Rule 6 of the Tamil Nadu Police Subordinate Service (Disciplinary and Appeal) Rules, 1955, the appellate authority is empowered to confirm, enhance, reduce or set aside the penalty.

Even though the constable had agreed with the findings of the inquiry officer, a minor punishment was imposed on him, the court observed.

The court was hearing an appeal preferred by the State against the order of a single bench that had set aside the punishment.

It was said that the constable, P. Karuppusamy, had abducted a girl and abused her in 2012. Following the incident, a criminal case was registered against him in Theni district. The single bench had taken into account the reliance of the inquiry officer on preliminary inquiry statements alone and disposed of the case at the admission stage itself.

The HC Bench observed that the single bench had erred on this account, set aside the order and allowed the appeal preferred by the State.

High Court allows life convict to remain in Madurai prison

02/08/2019, B. TILAK CHANDAR,MADURAI

Bringing relief to a life convict, an author of a book of poems, with proven good conduct, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday directed the Additional Director General of Police/Inspector General of Prisonto issue proceedings permitting his retention in Madurai Central Prison so that his 92-year-old mother could visit him as often as possible.

Justice G. R. Swaminathan passed the direction after hearing the plea of V. Radhakrishnan from Madurai, the life convict.

Following the acceptance of his clemency petition, his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment with a condition to remain in prison for the rest of his life.

He was originally placed at Tiruchi Central Prison. After his mother filed a plea before the HC, he was transferred to the Madurai prison.

However, the prison authorities filed an appeal, which was allowed by a Division Bench on the grounds that there was no provision under the prison rules to consider a relative’s request for prisoner’s transfer.

He was allowed to prefer a fresh application seeking transfer. He filed a fresh application to the prison authorities.

With no response, he filed the petition seeking a direction to retain him at the Madurai prison.

It was submitted that only the IG of Prisons could take a final decision in this regard. The court observed that a bare reading of the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Prison Rules gave an impression that the prison authority could decide where the prisoner would reside. But, then, no textual reading could remain constant. The jurisprudential ground beneath had shifted, the court said.

“Incarceration or conviction does not reduce a prisoner into a non-person. While there may be a sharp and drastic shrinkage of fundamental rights, there is still some residue left. It is the obligation of the prison authorities to protect the human rights of prisoners,” the court said.

The HC Bench took cognisance of the Model Prison Manual prepared by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which says prisoners may be transferred from one prison to another so that they can be nearer to their home district.

Therefore, subject to considerations of security, prison discipline and public interest, the competent authority is obliged to respect the choice of the convict prisoner.

If circumstances warranted, the authorities were always at liberty to pass appropriate orders transferring the petitioner to some other prison, the court said.

02/08/2019

 EXCHANGE RATES

Indicative direct rates in rupees a unit except yen at 4 p.m. on August 01 CURRENCY

TT BUY

TT SELL

US Dollar.

.68.86

.69.18

Euro.

.76.01

.76.36

British Pound.

.83.42

.83.82

Japanese Yen (100).

.63.22

.63.52

Chinese Yuan.

.9.98

.10.02

Swiss Franc.

.69.20

.69.53

Singapore Dollar.

.50.07

.50.31

Canadian Dollar.

.52.08

.52.32

Malaysian Ringitt.

.16.61

.16.70

Source:Indian Bank

SC transfers Unnao cases to Delhi court
02/08/2019

Sunday’s ‘accident’ killed two of her aunts accompanying her in the car and left her and her lawyer critically injured. The victim is on ventilator support at King George’s Medical College and Hospital in Lucknow. The CBI is investigating suspicions of foul play.

The court ordered the CBI to complete its probe into the ‘accident’ case in the next seven days. As an exception, it said, the CBI could take another week. But under no circumstance should the probe extend beyond a fortnight.

The agency, represented by Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta, initially sought a month’s time to complete the probe. “A month? You have seven days… you do what you have to do within that time,” CJI Gogoi said.

The court also ordered protection for the girl and her family by personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force at the urging of its amicus curiae V. Giri.

Mr. Giri said the girl was in the hospital with just her mother to attend to her. The family was not financially well off. The State should pay her an “exemplary” compensation, he said.

But the Uttar Pradesh government protested that it would pay a compensation only “as per statute”.

“What is happening in this country? You want the Supreme Court to follow statutes to order compensation?” the CJI said.

The court finally fixed ₹25 lakh as the interim compensation and ordered the U.P. government to pay the amount on August 2.

The court insisted on getting a complete low-down on the Unnao cases and the status of the CBI probe.

Further, the court directed Mr. Mehta to have a team of doctors check the medical condition of the victim and her lawyer to see if they could be airlifted to Delhi for advanced treatment.

At 2 p.m., Mr. Mehta informed the court that both were medically fit to be shifted. The court said it would pass the necessary orders whenever their families gave their consent to shifting both to Delhi.

In a separate order, the CJI Bench directed Sanjeev Sudhakar Kalgaonkar, Secretary General of the court, to conduct an enquiry within seven days into whether any lapse or negligence on the part of Registry officials caused the Unnao victim’s letter to reach the CJI late.

Thursday’s first hearing began with the CJI asking Mr. Mehta to have a responsible officer of the CBI present in the court by noon with the entire case detail. The CJI was not swayed when Mr. Mehta asked the court to reschedule the case for Friday. “Tomorrow is another day, Mr. Solicitor. We want this to happen today,” he responded.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

02/08/2019

A wake-up call?

The death of billionaire entrepreneur and the founder of Café Coffee Day, V.G. Siddhartha, is extremely saddening. The market capitalisation of the company has taken a nosedive in the last few days, which would force the creditors to take a serious haircut. Had he been part of the U.S. system, there is a very high chance that he would have found a way to deal with the creditors and, most importantly, he would have been alive. His death just shows how nascent the corporate debt markets are in India, and how private equity firms operate in the country. Access to capital markets is key for entrepreneurship and for businesses to thrive and grow. Hence, this should be a wake-up call for the government to see that capital is made available to the firms with good growth prospects, if it is serious about making India’s GDP reach $5 trillion and beyond ( Front page, “Siddhartha cremated in family estate,” August 1).

Varad Seshadri,

Sunnyvale, California, U.S.

Criminalising talaq

Marriage is a civil contract and criminalising what is obviously a civil issue is a step in the wrong direction. The Centre’s logic that the Triple Talaq Bill will act as deterrent to the abhorrent practice of instant talaq is hard to digest. However, the fact that Muslims take recourse to this detested form of divorce, even after the 2017 Supreme Court verdict, is a worrying development and one cannot but share the government’s concerns over this. Religion should not be a factor when it comes to the irresponsible desertion of spouses and children. Herein lies the need for a common divorce law, which the Bill fails to address (Editorial, “Beyond talaq,” August 1).

Abdul Assis P.A.,

Thrissur, Kerala

Rather than addressing a social issue, the passage of the Triple Talaq Bill through both the Houses of Parliament gives rise to questions. The government’s reasoning that it was giving effect to the Supreme Court verdict declaring it unconstitutional is absurd, considering that the Bharatiya Janata Party was opposed to the same court’s verdict when it came to allowing entry to women in the Sabarimala shrine. The Centre’s claim that it is a step towards gender justice also sounds false. The Act may not be of much benefit as it expects the victim or someone from her family, in most cases women who come from the poorest sections of the society, to take up the issue against her husband with the concerned authority.

A.G. Rajmohan,

Anantapur

Unnao case

The Unnao case appears to be a tragedy from the medieval ages — a poor girl is raped by the local strongman, the state machinery doesn’t help and even the judiciary fails to protect her family. (Front page, “SC takes note of complaint by rape survivor’s family,” August 1). Instead, her alleged tormentors keep openly threatening her and get her family members and witnesses in the case eliminated. This is a fit occasion for the Supreme Court to step in. A thorough inquiry must be held under its aegis, all culprits arrested immediately and the trial conducted on a day-to-day basis. The victim and her family must be provided strong security. Let people like her tormentors know that rule of law does prevail. In this regard, the fact that the CBI has taken over investigation in the case surely comes as a welcome development.

Harjas Bains,

Bassi Pathana, Punjab

Medical college planned at Dayanand Hospital

02/08/2019,NEW DELHI

Standing Committee of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation on Thursday passed a resolution to set up a medical college at Swami Dayanand Hospital. The hospital gets the most number of daily patients in East Delhi and is planned to be expanded to a 500-bed hospital, the resolution stated. Hospitals with more than 400 beds are suitable for setting up medical colleges and since the hospital meets all other criteria, the move is being undertaken to help train skilled doctors and deliver affordable health care, it said.

Free electricity for Delhiites using up to 200 units

Move will encourage power saving, says Kejriwal; BJP, Cong. call announcement ‘election gimmick’
02/08/2019, STAFF REPORTER,NEW DELHI

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal at a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday.Sushil Kumar Verma Sushil Kumar Verma

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday announced free electricity for people consuming up to 200 units under a domestic connection. The decision, which came into effect from August 1, has been taken barely six months before Delhi Assembly elections due in February 2020.

“In Delhi, people who consume up to 200 units will not have to pay electricity bills. Their bills [will be] waived,” Mr. Kejriwal said while addressing a press conference. Those consuming 201-400 units of electricity will get about 50% subsidy, he added.

“Now people using 210 or 300 units will think that if they use under 200 units, their bill will be zero. We believe this will encourage them to save electricity,” the Chief Minister said.

Attacking the move, both the BJP and the Congress termed it an “election gimmick”. Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said the Delhi government has “looted” ₹8,500 crore from the people as fixed charge and load charge and demanded that Mr. Kejriwal refund it or else his party will “initiate a movement” against it.

The Chief Minister said around 35% of the total consumers use less than 200 units during summer and in winter, the percentage goes up to around 70. Terming the move “historic”, he claimed Delhi has the cheapest electricity rate in the country.

The Delhi Congress, however, claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party government was misleading the people on power tariff. “It is a lie that Delhi has the cheapest rates of electricity and I challenge Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders who are misguiding people. When Congress was in power, even then power tariff in Delhi was lowest in the country,” senior Congress leader Haroon Yusuf said.

Asked about the timing of the move, Mr. Kejriwal said: “When we took over, the power sector was in a bad state. We worked and slowly improved it. Since then, the DERC has been reducing rates... It was not possible earlier, as power companies’ financial state was bad. At that point, there was no question of making it free.”

(With PTI inputs)

Sheela Priya to head Bharathiar University VC search panel

02/08/2019, STAFF REPORTER,COIMBATORE

The State government has replaced the convener of the three-member search committee to recommend names for the post of Vice-Chancellor of Bharathiar University following the resignation of K. Ganesan, former Higher Education Secretary, as the government nominee.

According to a Government Order issued on Wednesday, M. Sheela Priya, retired Additional Chief Secretary and former State Chief Information Commissioner, will be the new government nominee.

She has been also appointed as the convener of the search committee replacing Mr .Ganesan, who had resigned within days of his nomination.

Panel members

In the panel, C. Subramaniam, former Vice-Chancellor of Tamil University in Thanjavur, continued as the senate nominee and S.P. Thyagarajan, former Vice-Chancellor of University of Madras, continued as the syndicate nominee.

The varsity remains without a Vice-Chancellor for more than one-and-a-half years.

Coimbatore siblings’ murder: SC confirms death sentence

2:1 decision concludes that crime is in rarest of rare category

02/08/2019, KRISHNADAS RAJAGOPAL,NEW DELHI

Manoharan

The Supreme Court, in a 2:1 majority judgment, confirmed the death sentence of a man accused of the gruesome rape and murder of a 10-year-old child and the murder of her seven-year-old brother in Coimbatore nine years ago.

The majority decision of Justices Rohinton Nariman and Hemant Gupta on Thursday concluded that the convict, Manoharan, showed no remorse for the heinous crime and found it to be a case of the “rarest of rare category”, deserving the death penalty. Manoharan had come in appeal.

Justice Sanjeev Khanna, while confirming the guilt of Manoharan, dissented with the majority decision and awarded the accused life sentence without remission/commutation till his natural death. Justice Nariman, writing for the majority, said the trial court and, subsequently, the Madras High Court had correctly balanced the mitigating and aggravating factors for and against Manoharan to find that the “crime committed was cold-blooded and involves the rape of a minor girl and murder of two children in the most heinous fashion possible”.

The majority judgment said Manoharan falsely retracted only those parts of his earlier confessional statement which implicated him of the rape of the young girl and the murder of both children. “Consequently, we confirm the death sentence and dismiss the appeal,” Justice Nariman wrote.

Justice Khanna held that the retraction of the confession should not be treated as absence of remorse or repentance but as “an afterthought or on advice propelled by fear that the appellant (Manoharan), in view of his admission, may face the gallows, and that the earlier confession made seeking forgiveness would be the cause of his death”.

Justice Khanna said the retraction should not be held against Manoharan.