Emergency power shutdown in parts of Chennai on August 14, check list here

As a part of emergency maintenance works, Tangedco will be suspending power supply in parts of Avadi, Adyar, Kodungaiyur and other areas.

Published: 13th August 2019 06:43 PM

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: For carrying out emergency maintenance work, power supply will be suspended by Tangedco on Wednesday (August 14) from 9 am to 5 pm in these following areas.

According to a statement from Tangedco, power supply will be resumed before 5 pm if work is completed. Here is the full list:

ADYAR: Sri Ram Nagar, Pallippattu Main Road, Ethiraj Street, Yoki Garden, Kadasamy st, 2nd , 3rd and 4th Main Road, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Canal Cross Road, 4th Cross Road, Crescent Avenue Road, Canal bank road, 1st Main Road, Sasthiri Nagar, 4th, 5th and 6th Cross St, Sasthiri Nagar.

KOTTIVAKKAM: New Beach Road 52, 51, 58, 59, 64, 65, 61, 62, 56, 70, 71, 54, 53, 39, 44, 3, 48, 47 11, 1, 2nd streets, 3, 7, 8th Main Road, Kurinji Flats, Bhaghatsingh Salai, Shivani Flat, Kurinji Extension, RTO office.


BESANT NAGAR: 1st to 3rd Street Sivakamipuram, Gangai Amman St, Kamarajar Salai, Rajiv Gandhi Salai, 1st to 3rd St Malaviya Avenue, MG road, RK Nagar Main Road, 1st to 3rd St RK Nagar, Maruntheeswar Nagar, Sunnambu Kalvai Main Road.

VELACHERY WEST: Part of Velachery Tambaram Main Road, Sankara Avenue, Ganapathy Nagar, Part of Nehru Nagar, Kamarajapuram, Ramaniyam Flat.

KODUNGAIYUR: Abirami Avenue 1,5,6,7,8 streets, KKD Nagar 4 and 5th Block, Sidco 1st Main Road, 3rd Main Road, Solai Amman Koil St, Selvaperumal Koil St, Part of TH Road.

AVADI: Jothi Nagar, JB Nagar, 60 Feet Road, Nagammai nagar, Antony Nagar, ESI Anna Nagar, Siva Sakthi Nagar, Devi Nagar.

Madras HC turns down plea against NEET
Only during the course of hearing of this case, the fact that the Centre had rejected the bills came to light.

Published: 14th August 2019 06:26 AM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: A division bench of the Madras High Court has disposed of a batch of public interest petitions challenging the applicability of National Eligibility-cum-Entrance-Test (NEET) for medical admissions in Tamil Nadu.

During the course of hearing on the pleas recently, a bench of Justices S Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad was informed that the Central government had rejected the two Bills sent by Tamil Nadu government in September 2017. The Bills, unanimously passed in the Assembly, had sought exemption to Tamil Nadu from the mandatory national entrance exam.

When the matter came up for hearing on Tuesday, petitioners’ senior counsel R Viduthalai argued that the Centre should have given the reasons for the rejection.

The bench, however, disposed of the petitions after observing that “the propriety, illegality or irregularity or any other can be challenged in a writ or certiorari or declaration, as the case may be, subject of course to the pleadings, material and the maintainability of such writ petitions.” The bench, however, granted liberty to the petitioners to challenge the order of rejection subject to the maintainability of the same.

Only during the course of hearing of this case, the fact that the Centre had rejected the bills came to light.

7-month pregnant minor rescued from prostitution, woman arrested

A woman aged 24 has been arrested for allegedly forcing two minor girls into prostitution in the suburbs of North Chennai.

Published: 14th August 2019 06:30 AM

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: A woman aged 24 has been arrested for allegedly forcing two minor girls into prostitution in the suburbs of North Chennai. When police rescued the girls, one of them, aged 17, was found to be seven-months pregnant.

Police said the main accused was one Indu, 24. She had allegedly befriended the girl in 2017, then aged 15, when she was standing at a bus stop in the city and crying. The victim’s mother had died and her father was believed to have abandoned her. Taking advantage of her situation, Indu offered to help her find a job.
“The accused brought the victim to her house and later forced her into prostitution.

The girl is seven months pregnant. Most men who visit the place have criminal cases, including chain snatching and robbery cases. Six months ago, a chain-snatching suspect from the same locality, had promised another 15-year-old girl that he would marry her. He allegedly kidnapped and brought the minor girl to Indu. The victim took refuge in Indu’s house and was later forced into trafficking,” said a police officer.

Police got information from a robbery suspect they arrested recently. A team raided Indu’s house on Monday and rescued the two minor girls, besides a few women.

Police said Indu accommodated all the women in her house and sent them to hotels and other houses to meet clients. A few other women escaped. A hunt is on for the suspects who raped the minors, police said.

Holiday declared

14/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,KOCHI

The District Collector has declared holiday for all educational institutions, including professional colleges, in Ernakulam on Wednesday in view of the continuing rain.

The holiday is applicable to schools under CBSE, ISCE, ISE streams; Kendriya Vidyalayas, and anganwadis.

Heavy rainfall warning for two more days

Death toll in monsoon-related incidents rises to 92 in State

14/08/2019, 

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Although rain has subsided, the Alappuzha- Changanassery road remains submerged on several stretches. A view of the road at Mankombu on Tuesday. Suresh Alleppey

The death toll in rain-related incidents in the State went up to 92 on Tuesday, even as the southwest monsoon again showed signs of intensifying over Kerala, sparking fresh fears of flooding.

The India Meteorology Department (IMD) has issued a heavy rainfall warning in eight districts for Wednesday. According to a bulletin issued by the weather office on Tuesday evening, the low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal is likely to become more marked during the next 48 hours, triggering widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall and extremely heavy falls at some places in Kerala.

A red alert indicating the likelihood of extremely heavy rainfall (above 204.4 mm) has been issued for Malappuram and Kozhikode while an orange alert indicating isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall (64.5 to 204.4 mm) is in place for Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts on Wednesday.

A holiday has been declared for educational institutions in Alappuzha, Idukki, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, and Kannur on Wednesday.

Strong winds and rough seas are also likely along and off the coast of Kerala and Karnataka and the Lakshadweep areas till Thursday. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea.

By Tuesday evening, 2,24,506 persons were shifted from flood-hit places to 1,243 relief camps across the State. As many as 1,057 houses were destroyed and 11,142 damaged. According to official figures, 34 persons were injured and 61 reported missing in various incidents as on Tuesday.

CM visits sites

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekharan, accompanied by senior officials, visited the flood-ravaged areas in Wayanad and Malappuram. The team comprising Chief Secretary Tom Jose, Additional Chief Secretary Vishwas Mehta, State Police Chief Loknath Behera and Principal Secretary (Revenue) V. Venu made an aerial survey of the affected areas in an Indian Air Force helicopter.

Mr. Vijayan also visited various relief camps in Wayanad and Malappuram areas and reviewed the relief operations.

Admission without papers

14/08/2019, STAFF REPORTER, ,BENGALURU

Students who are victims of the flood in the State can be admitted to any school in the State without producing documents. This is to ensure no dropouts because of this natural calamity.

Many students have lost documents like birth certificates, SSLC marks cards, Aadhaar cards, etc. An official from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) said that students from over 18 districts would benefit from the move.

In another circular, the department asked officials to conduct a survey of the school buildings after the floods recede. It asked the Karnataka Textbook Society to provide textbooks to students who have lost them.

The Associated Management of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka has decided to provide free education for children from flood hit areas.

The decision was taken after deliberating upon the issue by over 3,000 of their member schools.

State was not kept in the dark on anti-NEET Bills, govt. tells court

‘The information was shared in the Assembly in June 2018’

14/08/2019, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Denying the claim that the State was kept kept in the dark for two years with regard to the President having withheld his assent to two anti-NEET Bills passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly in February 2017, the Tamil Nadu government on Monday told the Madras High Court that the information was shared in the Assembly as early as on June 28, 2018.

Advocate-General Vijay Narayan submitted before a Division Bench of Justices S. Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad the proceedings of the debate that took place on the subject in the Assembly last year and said the information was shared by Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar to a query raised by none other than the Leader of the Opposition M.K. Stalin.

As per the proceedings published under the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Rules, Mr. Stalin wanted to know the status of the two Bills passed by the Assembly on February 1, 2017, since Rajya Sabha member T.K. Rangarajan of Communist Party of India (Marxist) had reportedly received a letter stating that the President’s office had not received the Bills.

Replying to it, the Health Minister clearly stated that the President had withheld his assent to the Bills and that the State government had written to the Centre seeking the reasons for having done so. Since the discussion had taken place on June 28, 2018, there was no question of the State or the Assembly having been kept in the dark on the issue, the A-G clarified.

He also brought it to the notice of the court that the State Law Secretary had written as many as 11 letters to the Union Home Ministry between October 25, 2017 and July 5, 2019 seeking reasons for the President having withheld assent so that the shortcomings, if any, in the two Bills could be rectified but there was no positive response so far.

The submissions were made during the hearing of a batch of public interest litigation petitions filed in 2017 seeking a direction to the State government to expedite the process of obtaining Presidential assent for the two Bills aimed at granting exemption for students of the State from writing National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) to gain admission in medical courses.

After recording his submission, the Division Bench disposed of all the cases since the prayer had become infructuous in view of the subsequent developments that had taken place.

The President had withheld his assent for the Bills on September 18, 2017. Therefore, the Union Home Ministry had returned them to the State government on September 22, 2017. The petitioners would have to file fresh writ petitions challenging the subsequent proceedings subject to their maintainability, the judges observed.

During the course of hearing, they also said the use of the term ‘withhold assent’ instead of ‘refuse assent’ in Article 201 of the Constitution might have led to a lot of confusion on the issue.

Minister orders departmental action against principal

14/08/2019, STAFF REPORTER ,COIMBATORE

Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar said that departmental action would be initiated against the principal in-charge of the nursing college in Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) for allegedly not being aware of the government schemes.

During his interaction with nursing students at CMCH, Mr. Vijayabaskar asked about various schemes in the health sector. They allegedly drew a blank.

The Minister then asked the principal (in-charge) about the schemes and she also allegedly did not know about them, following which he asked CMCH Dean B. Asokan to initiate departmental action against her.

Mr. Asokan could not be reached for a comment regarding the issue.

Later, Mr. Vijayabaskar, along with Municipal Administration Minister S.P. Velumani, inaugurated the pneumococcal vaccination drive and the vascular surgery unit at CMCH.

With slump in demand, many private dental colleges slash fee
Dwindling job opportunities are said to be the cause

14/08/2019, TANU KULKARNI,BENGALURU

It is not just engineering colleges that are struggling to fill their seats. In view of poor demand, private dental colleges too have slashed their fee, with some charging only a half of what they are allowed to charge.

For the 2019-20 academic year, private dental colleges are allowed to charge ₹72,484 and ₹5.32 lakh annually for government and institutional quota seats, respectively. While all colleges are charging the full rate for government quota seats, many have changed the fee for institutional quota seats, which is now anywhere between ₹2.78 lakh and ₹4 lakh a year. Many of top dental colleges in Bengaluru are willing charge ₹5.32 lakh.

Over the last three to four years, NRI and management quota seats — categorised as ‘other’ — have also seen a decline in demand. This year, the fee is in the range of ₹2.78 lakh to ₹9.28 lakh.

Dental college managements point out that this is because of dwindling job opportunities in this sector. “Today, the number of dentists required is not very high,” the principal of a Bengaluru-based private dental college said.

According to the principal, the managements of many dental colleges did not want the fee hiked for 2019-20. However, the government increased the fee by 15% as their respective associations fought for it. “The top dental colleges that make up for 10% of the colleges will get their seats filled as students will be willing to pay for these seats. But the remaining colleges will have no takers. So colleges are willingly reducing the fee,” the principal said.

Several dental colleges deployed agents to help them fill seats after the introduction of NEET. “With this, students from across the country can choose colleges in the State. For the most part, agents have been promised up to 30% of the annual fee if they are able to pursue students to take their management and NRI quota seats when the seats are surrendered to the colleges after the mop-up round,” a senior professor said.

‘No unqualified teachers in affiliated colleges’
MKU’s reply comes on HC direction

14/08/2019, SANJANA GANESH

There are no unqualified teachers in the affiliated colleges of Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU), according to an affidavit filed before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court by Registrar (in-charge) R. Sudha. The HC Bench had directed the MKU, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University and the University of Madras to ensure adherence to UGC norms on a contempt petition filed by a former professor, M. Anandakrishnan.

MKU Vice-Chancellor M. Krishnan told The Hindu on Tuesday that vacancies created by unqualified teachers would be filled up as per UGC norms in a month.

The retired professor filed the petition following ‘failure of the universities’ to adhere to the order of the court, which had directed that those recruited as teachers must possess a Ph.D. or should have cleared National Eligibility Test (NET) or State-level Eligibility Test (SLET).

Dr. Krishnan and the Registrar (in-charge) confirmed that there were no unqualified teachers in the university and its 100 affiliated colleges.

“We can be assured that all appointments have been made at the MKU, its constituent colleges and the day college as per UGC norms,” said Dr. Krishnan.

Madurai Kamaraj, Manonmaniam Sundaranar, Mother Teresa and Alagappa University Teachers’ Association (MUTA) treasurer A.T. Senthamaraikannan welcomed the appointment of qualified teachers.

“But it is a request to colleges and the university that they should allow the teachers employed now to continue in service. Many of them have worked for years with a pittance for salary. They can surely qualify themselves, if enough leeway is given to them,” he said.

Though the university authorities claim that there were no qualified teachers in the affiliated colleges, a teacher from Yadava College, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that most of the unqualified teachers had been removed. But some continued to work in nearby colleges. They had made special request to their colleges, he said.

R. Murali, convenor, Save Higher Education Movement – Tamil Nadu, said that the MKU had finally responded to their petition and taken action. However, if a six-month extension was provided by the government and a special SLET conducted, the teachers in service could qualify themselves, he said.

The HC had, on July 18, directed the Registrar to submit a report to the UGC on the number of unqualified teachers and action initiated against them.

Nursery student raped in school, sweeper held

14/08/2019,NEW DELHI

A five-year-old nursery student was allegedly raped inside a school in south Delhi’s Chittaranjan Park. The accused, a sweeper, has been arrested, the police said.

Woman dead in Sydney knife rampage

14/08/2019, REUTERS,SYDNEY

A man went on a stabbing rampage in Sydney on Tuesday, killing a woman and wounding another before he was restrained by members of the public, police said, adding that they were not treating it as a terrorist incident.

The 21-year-old man, who police did not name, was carrying a knife and a computer thumb drive containing information about deadly attacks in North America and New Zealand, police said.

Video images on Twitter showed him yelling and waving what appeared to be a long-bladed knife. He was later restrained by passers-by.

57.3% allopathic practitioners not qualified: Health Ministry
CMs of all States have been asked to take appropriate action
14/08/2019, BINDU SHAJAN PERAPPADAN,NEW DELHI

The Union Health Ministry has warned that an uneven distribution of qualified doctors puts rural patients at risk. “At present, 57.3% of personnel currently practising allopathic medicine do not have a medical qualification,” says the Ministry’s data, adding that this puts rural patients at risk given the high density of doctors in urban areas and India’s poor doctor-population ratio of 1:1456 as compared with the World Health Organisation standards of 1:1000.

‘A huge skew’

“There is a huge skew in the distribution of doctors working in the urban and rural areas. Consequently, most of our rural and poor population is denied good quality care, leaving them in the clutches of quacks,” said Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan.

Section 15 of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, prohibits a person other than a medical practitioner enrolled on a State Medical Register to practice medicine in the State.

“We have requested all Chief Ministers of all the States to take appropriate action under the law against quacks, and also to evolve suitable policies to ensure availability of a quality health workforce in rural areas,” said a senior health official.

According to government records, a total of 11,46,044 allopathic doctors were registered with the State Medical Councils/ Medical Council of India as on December 31, 2018.

Mid-level professionals

Professor K. Srinath Reddy of the Public Health Foundation of India noted that the wide gaps in comprehensive primary healthcare services for many rural areas need to be filled through competent mid-level healthcare providers who are adequately trained, technologically enabled and legally empowered.

The Health Ministry states that it is now looking into bringing in mid-level healthcare providers to relieve overburdened specialists.

MHA nod for CM’s visit to U.S., U.K.

MGR was the last T.N. CM to go to the West to woo investors

14/08/2019, T. RAMAKRISHNAN,CHENNAI

When Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami leaves later this month for a 10-day visit to the United Kingdom and the United States to attract industrial investments, he will be the first Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to go to the West in 40 years.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs formally gave its clearance for the CM’s visit. Now, the file will make its way to the Prime Minister’s Office for final approval from PM Narendra Modi.

Between late October and early December in 1978, M.G. Ramachandran, as Chief Minister, undertook a five-week-long trip to the US, Japan and Singapore for attracting investments to Tamil Nadu.

In January 1999, M. Karunanidhi made a three-day trip to Singapore and interacted with representatives of the business community. In July 1970, he went to Europe on a three-week-long visit for a similar purpose.

As per the present plan, Mr. Palaniswami will leave for London on August 28 and return to Chennai on September 7.

In the U.S., he will go to New York and California to hold interactions with representatives of business and industry. There will also be separate meetings with potential investors who hail from Tamil Nadu. In January last, the State government held the second edition of the Global Investors’ Meet.

The Chief Minister will be accompanied by Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar in the U.K. leg of the trip, while the Ministers for Industry, Information Technology and Dairy Development — M.C. Sampath, R.B. Udhayakumar and K.T. Rajenthra Bhalaji — will accompany Mr. Palaniswami in the U.S. Besides, Chief Secretary K. Shanmugam, Secretaries to CM and secretaries of the departments concerned will be part of the contingent.

Expressing confidence that the visit would yield benefits for the State, senior government officials handling the visit point out that a high-profile trip is bound to generate greater visibility for the State, apart from those at the helm of affairs getting first-hand knowledge of the state of affairs of various sectors in a country like the U.S.

On the one-to-one relationship between such a visit and the fructification of projects, K. Venkatesan, former State Finance Secretary, who accompanied MGR to the U.S. in 1978, says it is not easy to establish that, and this holds good for any such visit. However, every government will, and has to, make efforts to attract foreign investment, even though it is well-known that investors consider a number of factors before taking their decisions.

K. R. Shanmugam, Director and Professor, Madras School of Economics, says that the move of the government is ‘essential’, given the prevailing “low investor sentiment” in the country.

Referring to a number of visits undertaken by former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Chandrababu Naidu to many countries, Dr. Shanmugam says the impact of such visits is not known.

To a question whether the visit to the U.K. would be purposeful, given the impact of Brexit, a senior official in the Tamil Nadu governmentsays the situation provides an ‘opportunity’ which should be made use of.

Judge tells erring students to clean up their act — and Kamaraj Memorial House

They had attended class in an inebriated state earlier this year

14/08/2019, B. TILAK CHANDAR,MADURAI

Eight students of the Devanga Arts College in Aruppukottai, Virudhunagar district, who attended a class in an inebriated state, have been asked by the Bench of the Madras High Court to clean the Kamaraj Memorial House in Virudhunagar and hold placards highlighting the ill effects of alcohol this Independence Day, with the objective of reforming them. The court was hearing a writ petition filed by the boys, who were issued Transfer Certificates by the college. They sought a direction to be permitted to continue their studies in the college.

Quoting a couplet from Tirukkural (Chapter 93 Kallunnamai), Justice R. Suresh Kumar observed that as a punishment to ensure that the students mend their ways in future, they were to face a different kind of reciprocal action.

The students were directed to visit the Kamaraj Memorial House, the birthplace of K. Kamaraj, the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu who advocated the prohibition of alcohol, on Independence day (August 15). They were asked to report to the caretaker of the memorial by 10 a.m.

In a day-long task, the students were directed to clean the memorial and assist visitors till 4 p.m. (with a lunch break). Then, the students shall, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., hold placards outside the premises on the ill effects of alcohol consumption. The college shall depute a teaching staff to monitor the students, the court said. The exercise shall be verified and overseen by the Inspector of Police, Virudhunagar Town Police Station, and a report on the same shall be submitted, the court said. The case was then posted for reporting compliance on August 19.

Earlier this year, the second-year students had attended class in a state of inebriation after taking part in a friend’s birthday party. The teacher in charge of the class brought this to the notice of the Head of the Department, who in turn informed the Principal of the college. Following a disciplinary inquiry, a transfer was recommended after the students completed the academic year.

Taking into account that the students had admitted their mistake and belonged to a humble background, the court observed that if their education was hindered, their career could get affected. If they were sent out abruptly pursuant to the disciplinary action, they might not get admission in other colleges, the court said.

Reformative punishment

“If a punishment is inflicted on a guilty person, such punishment must be in the nature of reforming the person who had been inflicted with the punishment”, the court observed.

The court said the students shall be permitted to continue their final year/third year in the college, after the payment of the course fees, following the completion of the exercise. However, if they fail to take up the task, the college can take disciplinary action against them, the court said.

SHRC seeks report on Collector pulling up police inspector
Commission wants to know whether his action violated human rights

14/08/2019, VIVEK NARAYANAN,CHENNAI

Rajinikanth at the Devarajaswamy Temple to worship Athi Varadar in the early hours of Wednesday.special arrangementB. Velankanni Raj

The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), Tamil Nadu, has called for a detailed report from the Chief Secretary and others on Kancheepuram Collector P. Ponniah giving a public dressing down to an Inspector on duty at the Athi Varadar darshan queue.

Taking suo motu cognisance of a report published in The Hindu on August 11, the SHRC directed the Chief Secretary, the Director-General of Police and the Kancheepuram Collector to explain whether the Collector verbally abusing, threatening and reprimanding the Inspector of Police inside the temple in the presence of devotees and other police personnel amounted to violation of human rights.

The notice comes a day after Mr. Ponniah clarified in a television interview that his outburst was not intentional.

The video of the Collector reprimanding the Inspector went viral on social media drawing criticism from various quarters, including serving and retired police personnel. The allegation against the police official was that he allowed some common people to access the VIP entry.

The Commission also sought to know the action taken by the government against the Collector following the incident. If the report is not submitted within two weeks, the Commission would take such action as it deems fit and proper.

RTI query

Meanwhile, V. E. Shanmugayya, a police inspector from Tiruchi, has filed a petition under RTI to Kancheepuram Collectorate seeking the provision under which VVIP, VIP and general public categorisation was made for Athi Varadar darshan.

He sought a copy of the list VVIP/VIPs who had darshan since July 1, and also information on how the Collector issued VIP pass to Varichur Selvam of Madurai.

The Tamil Nadu chapter of the IPS Officers Association appreciated the police force for ensuring peaceful conduct of the festival and has asked all sections of society to respect policemen and cooperate with them to discharge their duties.

Residents complain

Meanwhile, residents of Kancheepuram claimed that the policemen were preventing them from moving freely inside the town.

“We are not even able to go to medical shops or markets. Business has been affected as vehicles of our clients, from other States, are not allowed to enter the town. Vehicles are stopped on the outskirts and diverted,” said a resident.

A senior police officer agreed that such incidents would have happened as there were security personnel from other districts who would not have been aware of local streets or the residents.

“Besides there are lot of outsiders trying to gain entry into town claiming to be local residents,” said a police officer.

Besides, he blamed poor planning as the reason for the chaos.

“People are bringing printouts of the passes, without proper signature or credentials to gain entry. The local administration and police should have held a meeting with residents before the festival began. Basic facilities were provided days after the event started,” he added.

The Collector could not be reached for his comments.

5.5-kg benign mass removed from woman

14/08/2019, STAFF REPORTER,CHENNAI

A benign mass weighing 5.5 kg was removed from a 50-year-old woman at Voluntary Health Services (VHS).

The woman approached the gynaecological department of VHS with complaints of abdominal distension.

A team of doctors from the Department of Obstetrics evaluated her for surgical procedure.

Vacancies in government colleges raise concerns

No full-time Principals in 41 instutions; guest lecturers’ allocation cut by 20%

14/08/2019, PON VASANTH B.A.,CHENNAI

Concerns have been raised over vacancies in government arts, science, and education colleges with 41 colleges not having full-time principals and the Higher Education Department recently reducing the allocation of guest lecturers by 20%.

Tamil Nadu has a total of 99 government arts, science, and education colleges. This is excluding the 14 constituent colleges of State-run universities that were recently converted as government colleges. Of these 99, sources from the Department confirmed that 41 did not have full-time principals with senior faculty members acting as “principals (in-charge)”.

Officials highlighted that similar vacancies were present in administrative positions at the Directorate of Collegiate Education (DCE), for which senior principals are appointed. Of the 12 administrative posts, which included eight Regional Joint Directors (RJDs), three Joint Directors, and the Director, seven are being held by persons appointed as “(in-charge)”.

S. Suresh, a joint secretary with Tamil Nadu Government College Teachers’ Association, said non-filling of these vacancies not only resulted in administrative inefficiencies, but were also an additional financial burden.

“For instance, a senior faculty member acting as principal (in-charge) is paid around 20% of his salary as an incentive over and above his salary, every month. A person being promoted and appointed as a full-time principal will not cost as much,” he said.

Similarly, to manage the large number of vacancies among the teaching faculty, the Higher Education Department sanctions permission to temporarily engage Guest Lecturers (GL) on a consolidated pay of ₹15,000 per month.

This year, against the request of DCE to engage 2,653 GLs for Shift 1 in government colleges, the Department sanctioned only 2,120, which is roughly 20% less than the requirement. The approved strength is also lesser than the 2,423 GLs engaged during the last academic year.

A.R. Nagarajan, advisor, Tamil Nadu NET/SLET Association, said the cut was unreasonable since new vacancies must have arisen this year with the retirement of staff. “Importantly, the government has done this despite introducing 81 new courses this year,” he added.

K.P. Anbalagan, Higher Education Minister, said steps to fill vacancies of principals in colleges categorised as Grade I are almost over.

‘Solution on hand’

“We normally promote those from Grade II category and appoint them in Grade I. The vacancies in Grade II will be filled subsequently. Orders on that can be expected soon,” he said.

On GL shortage, he said that 81 new courses will not be affected as separate allocations have been earmarked. “For the remaining, we will be getting some surplus from the Annamalai University. We will ensure that required number of faculty are available for students,” he added.

Government of India

Air India flights to and from HK suspended until further info
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

14.08.2019

The ongoing unrest in Hong Kong forcing frequent closure of its international airport (HKIA) — first on Monday and then again from Tuesday evening — has affected several people, who were to travel between India and rest of the world via this major transit hub. Air India has suspended flights to and from Hong Kong till further information “in view of prevailing situation”.

On Tuesday evening, HKIA posted on their website, “Terminal operations at Hong Kong International Airport have been seriously disrupted, and all check-in processes have now been suspended.” This came after Cathay Pacific issued a travel advisory on their website saying travellers are “encouraged to postpone of non-essential travel” from HKIA till Wednesday.

There are about 75 weekly flights between Indian cities and Hong Kong operated by Cathay Pacific, Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet. While flights were expected to resume from Tuesday night, the closure of HKIA meant they have again been cancelled. Since it’s the start of the busy student travel season in the US and Australia, travel majors say many from India who were to go via Hong Kong are now alternate arrangements.

“This is the peak student travel period for both North America and Australia. We are getting requests from travellers to re-book their travel,” travel portal Yatra COO Sharat Dhall said, adding, “Airlines are giving full refunds for cancelled flights and are allowing rebooking at the same fare.”

Blind women detect breast cancer early
Women MTEs Use Tactile Strips To Examine Patients
Ambika.Pandit@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:14.08.2019

Using their power of touch, five blind women over the last four months have been able to detect precancerous or cancerous lesions in 17 women (or 3.5% of over 500 women examined) in C K Birla Hospital for Women in Gurgaon. Their findings were affirmed medically by radiological tests — mammograms and ultrasounds.

These outcomes draw attention towards the need for early detection of cancer through regular examinations. This first of its kind study claims high levels of accuracy through physical examinations carried out by visually impaired women especially trained using tactile strips to map every centimetre of the breast. The Medical Tactile Examiners (MTEs) are able to detect small lumps between 0.5 millimetres to 1 centimetres.

Voluntary organisation National Association for the Blind’s Centre for Blind Women in Delhi started training women to be MTEs last year to empower them professionally and financially. The nine-month course is being conducted in collaboration with German gynaecologist Dr Frank Hoffmann’s project “Discovering Hands”.

The training has been certified by Rehabilitation Council of Germany. Of the first group of seven MTEs, two were taken up by Fortis Hospital in Vasant Kunj and five by C K Birla Hospital for women in Gurgaon. Another batch of seven will soon be ready as MTEs.

MTEs are not a substitute for radiological testing, says doc

As per data from C K Birla Hospital, nearly 900 women from Delhi and NCR underwent ‘Tactile Breast Examination (TBE)’ along with ultrasound breast for those below 40 years and mammogram for those above 40 years of age.

In the last four months over 500 women were studied to evaluate the enhanced touch (Tactile Sensation) of a visually impaired MTEs.

The clinical findings of the study shared by Dr Mandeep S Malhotra, director, The Breast Centre at C K Birla Hospital for Women show that the MTEs have a very high level of sensitivity for detecting breast lesions.

“Of the 500 cases examined, the MTEs reported 70% as normal and detected changes in breasts of 30% women. Radiological examinations affirmed the findings with 70% women found to be normal.

Of the 30% with changes in breasts it turned out that in 15% there were changes but they were non cancerous, 11.5% had cysts or fibroids and as many as 17 women (3.5 %) had lesions that were either cancers or precancers,” Dr Malhotra said.

“Less than 2%, women, were into any kind of active breast screening and during follow-up said they had started doing self breast examination and would continue with regular check-ups,” Dr Malhotra added.

He, however, cautioned that MTEs were not a substitute for radiological testing but a supplementary check that mapped the entire breast area through a physical examination.

Dr Malhotra cited national statistics to point out that early detection was the need of the hour. “Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in India. Every year around 1.5 to 2 lakh new women are being diagnosed with breast cancer. As per ICMR data in urban areas 1 in 22 women are likely to be affected by breast cancer. 50% of them don’t survive beyond five years of the diagnosis,” he shared.

According to American Cancer Society Guidelines, the standard screening process of mammography, should start at the age of 45.

Full report on www.toi.in

Bedi hails HC order on med colleges
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Puducherry:14.08.2019

Lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi on Tuesday welcomed the division bench of Madras high court’s order upholding the single judge’s verdict that directed private medical colleges in Puducherry not to send any student out of the campus for not paying fees.

The divisional bench comprising Justice R Subbiah and Justice C Saravanan upheld the single judge’s verdict, which directed the private medical colleges ‘not to prevent the students from attending the classes’.

“There shall also be a direction to the institution not to send the students out of the campus on the ground that they have not paid the fees. The students should be allowed to attend the classes and the respondent shall also give the necessary attendance,” the bench quoted the single judge’s interim order.

Bedi said the division bench has reiterated the single judge order and added that medical colleges cannot send students out for not paying the fees. She lauded advocate V B R Menon for defending the medical students of Puducherry.

Menon has been working tirelessly with the Union human resources development ministry and Union health and family welfare ministry for the last three years to safeguard the rights of the students, she said “Puducherry cannot thank him enough. Those with vested interests, who were either conniving or negligent, are under investigation by CBI. A legacy of organised crime of medical seats selling finally stands nailed for now. We have to stay alert. Puducherry parents and students thank him and owe their medical careers to Menon’s singlehanded legal fight. Am happy the system now is getting technology-driven to prevent scope for future manipulations,” she said in a group post.

Nursing college principal earns min’s wrath

Pratiksha.Ramkumar@timesgroup.com

Coimbatore:14.08.2019

Health minister C Vijayabaskar on Tuesday ordered action against the principal (in-charge) of the nursing college in the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) after she failed to answer the questions he posed on various government schemes for women.

Vijayabaskar had visited CMCH to inaugurate the pneumococcal vaccination programme and honour the doctors, who had performed 2,750 angiograms.

While he was waiting for municipal administration minister S P Velumani to arrive at the venue, the minister, who was a practicing doctor before entering politics, used the opportunity to interact with the nursing students.

He quizzed them about the government schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, a cash transfer scheme for pregnant and lactating women, Janani Suraksha Yojana, a programme for reducing maternal and infant mortality by promoting institutional delivery, and the cradle scheme.

“He became unhappy when the students failed to answer the questions,” a hospital source told TOI.

The minister then summoned the nursing college principal (in-charge) Dhanalakshmi, and asked her why any of the students, who should educate patients about the schemes, were not aware of them.

“Pulling her up for the students’ lack of knowledge, the minister asked her if she was aware of the schemes. Dhanalakshmi, who looked stunned, did not reply. An irate minister ordered CMCH dean Dr B Ashokan to take action against her,” said the official.

Vijayabaskar and Velumani later attended ‘Gift an Organ’, an event to promote organ transplantation, organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry and Young Indians.

Russian Medical University

Rajiv convicts can’t claim release as matter of right, TN tells HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:14.08.201`9

About a year after adopting a unanimous resolution in the state assembly for the release of all the seven life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, the Tamil Nadu government did a partial somersault on Tuesday and said the convicts cannot claim release as a matter of right or privilege.

It was in September 2018 that the assembly resolved to take the Article 161 route and recommend to the state governor to order the premature release of the seven convicts in the case. It was followed up with letters and reminders to the governor and the Centre.

Meanwhile, Nalini Sriharan filed the present petition seeking a direction to the governor to release all seven convicts including herself.

The state government, in its counter-affidavit to the petition, referred to the Supreme Court judgment in this regard, and said it was for the appropriate government to pass appropriate orders in the case of premature release of prisoners. Such premature release of life convicts is prerogative of the government and no life convict can claim the same as a right and it is not matter of privilege.

The counter, filed before a division bench of Justice R Subbiah and Justice C Saravanan, also reiterated that life term meant imprisonment for life. It is a settled law that unless the life sentence is commuted or remitted by appropriate authority under the relevant provisions of the Constitution or the Code of Criminal Procedure, prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment is bound in law to serve the life term in prison and, therefore, the life imprisonment prisoners cannot claim premature release as a matter of right, argued the deputy secretary to government, home department, in his counter on Tuesday.

The bench then adjourned the hearing to August 20.

The deputy secretary referred to the order of the Supreme Court in a case filed by another life convict – A G Perarivalan – in the case, and said: “Based on the direction issued by the Supreme Court to the governor to decide on the application of AG Perarivalan as deemed fit, the proposal for premature release of the petitioner Nalini and six other life convicts under Article 161 of the Constitution of India, has been sent to governor of Tamil Nadu and the same is under consideration.”

That the state governor has not acted upon the recommendation of the state assembly to release all the seven convicts, is a subject matter of intense political debate for several months now.


CONTESTED: Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict Nalini Sriharan had filed a petition seeking a direction to the governor to release all seven convicts. The state in its counter-affidavit said life imprisonment prisoners cannot claim premature release as a matter of right or privilege

Pvt medical college moves high court to admit students

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:14.08.2019

The beleaguered Sri Muthukumaran Medical College Hospital and Research Institute, which is yet to be allowed to admit students for MBBS course this year, has knocked at the doors of the Madras high court to be included in the seat matrix.

The institution is in trouble after the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) issued notice for locking, sealing and demolition of at least seven buildings saying they were either without planning approval or were guilty of deviations. Citing this grave violation, the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University disallowed the college from being included on the list of college eligible to admit students for MBBS courses this year.

Noting that it was only a notice by the CMDA and that the buildings concerned could continue to be utilised, the petitioner said out of abundant caution the management had shown a list of alternative buildings to an inspection committee deputed by the university. It also gave an undertaking that adequate building facilities with necessary approvals would be constructed within three months.

“Suitable alternative buildings approved by the CMDA have been located for all the buildings which are under lock, seal and facing demolition notice of the CMDA, and they were also inspected by the inspection team,” she said.

Noting that the last counselling for allotment of MBBS seats by the selection committee was held on August 8, and that as per the Medical Council of India regulations, the admission process should be completed by August 31, it wanted the court order inclusion of the college in the seat matrix so that it could admit students for the academic year 2019-20.

Justice G Jayachandran, before whom the petition filed by chairperson of Sri Muthukumaran Educational Trust Gomathi Ammal, came up for admission on Tuesday, adjourned the hearing to August  19.

APPOINTMENT OF NURSES

HC notice to state health secretary in contempt case

TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Chennai:14.08.2019

The Madras high court has issued notice to the Tamil Nadu health secretary in a contempt of court case for having disobeyed the court’s order dated July 2, 2018 relating to appointment of nurses.

A division bench of Justice K K Sasidharan and Justice P T Asha, before which an application filed by Tamil Nadu Medical Recruitment Board (MRB) Nurses Empowerment Association, represented by its president K Gopinathan, came up for hearing on Tuesday, ordered notice to the health secretary and others, returnable by four weeks.

According to advocate

Puhazh Gandhi, the MRB issued a notification on April 19, 2015 inviting applications for appointment of nurses for 7,243 vacancies. The selected candidates will be given a consolidated pay of ₹7,700 a month with ₹500 annual increase as per GOs issued in 2013 and 2014.

The matter relates to disparity in salary as a result of the petitioner-association members being denied regular pay scale. It also led to protests by nurses. In response to a PIL in the matter, the health secretary told a division bench that a sevenmember core committee, under his chairmanship, had been formed to look into the grievance of nurses. And by a final order dated July 2, 2018, the bench held that the nurses were entitled to equal pay as per equalwork-equal pay concept. It also directed the committee to address the issue and grand equal pay within six months.

Despite the direction, for reasons best known to the committee members, no action was taken. Describing it as a gross, wilful disobedience of the court order, the present contempt petition has been filed.

Plea to display Athi Varadar idol for another 48 days
3 Days Left Before The Deity Is Immersed

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:14.08.2019

Just three days before the Athi Varadar idol at the Devaraja Perumal temple in Kancheepuram is to be returned to the temple tank, where it will remain immersed for another 40 years, a PIL has been filed in the Madras high court to keep the idol on display for another 48 days.

The idol which was taken out of the tank for public worship in July, will remain outside till August 17. So far more than 90 lakh people have had a darshan of the idol and the crowd continues to swell.

Tamizharasi of Meensurutti village in Ariyalur district filed the petition saying the darshan period should be extended. Noting that the arrangements made by the Kancheepuram district administration and police officers for crowd management were very poor, the petitioner said, “This failure on the part of the state had resulted in a large number of devotees not being able to get even a glimpse of Athi Varadar, leave alone a ‘divya darshan.”

Noting that it is a oncein-40-years event, the devotee said it would not be fair to deny the opportunity of worship to several lakhs from all corners of the state and neighbouring states. Tracing the history of the Athi Varadar and why the idol had to be kept under a sheet of water in the temple tank, the petitioner said such external threats did not exist at present, and hence there was no problem in keeping the idol outside the tank for another spell of 48 days.

The PIL wanted the high court to restrain the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department as well as the executive officer of the temple from immersing the idol on August 17.

The petition is likely to come up for hearing on Wednesday.

HUGE DRAW: Devotees throng the Athi Varadar festival

NEET cases: HC closes petitions
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:14.08.2019

About two weeks after it became known that the Centre had returned Tamil Nadu’s two Bills exempting the state from NEET for medical admissions in 2017 itself, the Madras high court drew curtains on a batch of PILs on the issue saying the Centre’s rejection order could be separately challenged.

Among those who filed the PILs were Tamil Nadu Students Parents Welfare, represented by P B Prince Gajendra Babu and U Mustaffa, seeking a direction to Tamil Nadu government to complete the procedures for obtaining the presidential assent for the Bills on or before August 15, 2017.

A division bench of Justice S Manikumar and Justice Subramoniam Prasad, closing the cases, referred to senior counsel R Viduthalai’s submission that reasons for the rejection ought to have been given by the Centre. They then said: “It is our considered view that the propriety, illegality or irregularity or any other can be challenged in a writ of certiorari or declaration, as the case may be, subject to the pleadings and materials and maintainability of such writ petition, if any, filed.” The writ petition was disposed of with liberty to challenge the Centre’s rejection order.

During earlier hearings, the bench had rapped the Tamil Nadu government for not informing anyone, including the state legislative assembly, about the ‘rejection/return’ of the two NEET Bills adopted by the assembly, that too after acknowledging the receipt of the returned Bills from the Centre.

Viduthalai had accused the central an state governments of being hand in glove in the issue. He submitted that it was the constitutional duty of the President to record reasons for denial of assent to a Bill.

Even while there was a raging political debate over the fate of Tamil Nadu government’s NEET Bills was on, no official nor the government spoke of the fact that it had been returned by the Centre. However, during arguments in court during the hearing of the PILs, the Centre informed the court that the Bills were returned as early in September 2017.

Parents Beware : Handing Over Vehicle To Your Child Could Land You In Jail Now

Parents Beware : Handing Over Vehicle To Your Child Could Land You In Jail Now: The Motor Vehicles Amendment Act 2019, which received the assent of the President on August 9, has included stringent provisions in the principal Act to curb the tendency of children using vehicles....

விமர்சனம்: நேர்கொண்ட பார்வை

the hindu tamil

பெண்களுக்கு எதிரான பாலியல் துன்புறுத்தல் குறித்து உரக்கப் பேசியிருக்கும் படமே 'நேர்கொண்ட பார்வை'.

இசை நிகழ்ச்சியில் நடனம் ஆடும் ஷ்ரத்தா, நிகழ்ச்சி முடிந்த பிறகு தன் தோழிகள் அபிராமி, ஆண்ட்ரியாவுடன் வீடு திரும்புகிறார். அதே நேரத்தில் தலையிலும் கண்ணிலும் பலத்த காயமடைந்த அர்ஜுன் சிதம்பரத்தை ஆதிக் ரவிச்சந்திரனும், அஸ்வின் ராவும் மருத்துவமனையில் சிகிச்சைக்காக சேர்க்கின்றனர். சுமார் நான்கு நாட்கள் கடந்தும் நடந்த சம்பவத்தை மறக்க முடியாமல் மூன்று இளம்பெண்களும் தவிக்கின்றனர். மீள முடியாத மன அழுத்தத்தில் இருக்கும் ஷ்ரத்தா ஸ்ரீநாத் தன் இன்னொரு தோழியுடன் காவல் நிலையம் சென்று புகார் கொடுக்கிறார். அர்ஜுன் சிதம்பரத்தின் நண்பர்கள் தொடர்ந்து ஷ்ரத்தாவையும் அவரது தோழிகளையும் மிரட்டுகின்றனர். ஒருகட்டத்தில் போலீஸ் ஷ்ரத்தாவைக் கைது செய்கிறது.


நடந்த சம்பவங்கள் அனைத்தும் அஜித்துக்குத் தெரியவர, ஷ்ரத்தாவை ஜாமீனில் கொண்டு வர முயல்கிறார். அடியாட்களைப் பந்தாடி வழக்கை நேரடியாகச் சந்திக்க சவால் விடுகிறார். இசை நிகழ்ச்சி நடந்த அன்றைய இரவில் நடந்தது என்ன? அர்ஜுன் சிதம்பரம் ஏன் மருத்துவமனையில் அனுமதிக்கப்பட்டார்? ஷ்ரத்தாவை ஏன் போலீஸ் கைது செய்தது? அஜித் யார்? அவர் வாழ்வில் நடந்த துன்பியல் சம்பவம் என்ன? நீதி வேண்டி ஷ்ரத்தாவுக்காகப் போராடும்போது வென்றது யார்? போன்ற கேள்விகளுக்குப் பதில் சொல்கிறது திரைக்கதை.




2016-ம் ஆண்டில் இந்தியில் ஹிட்டடித்த பிங்க் படத்தை தமிழுக்கே உரிய சில மாற்றங்களுடன் மறு ஆக்கம் செய்து மலைக்க வைத்துள்ளார் இயக்குநர் எச்.வினோத். பாலியல் துன்புறுத்தலுக்கு எதிராக, பெண்களுக்கு எதிரான வன்கொடுமைக்கு எதிராக சமகாலத்தில் பேசாப் பொருளைப் பேசத் துணிந்த அவரது முயற்சிக்கும் அக்கறைக்கும் வாழ்த்துகள்.

படத்தின் மிகப்பெரிய ஆச்சர்யம், அதிசயம் எல்லாம் அஜித்தான். பரத் சுப்பிரமணியம் என்கிற கதாபாத்திரத்துக்கு எந்தப் பாதகத்தையும் செய்யாமல் உயர்ந்து நிற்கிறார். ஸ்டைலாக நடப்பது, பறந்து பறந்து அடிப்பது, பன்ச் பேசுவது என்று ரசிகர்களைத் திருப்திப்படுத்தும் வழக்கமான டெம்ப்ளேட்டிலிருந்து விலகி நின்று அனைத்துத் தரப்பு ரசிகர்களையும் சென்று சேர வேண்டும் என்ற நோக்கத்துடன் பக்குவமான நடிப்பை வழங்கியுள்ளார். அவரின் கதாபாத்திர நோக்கம் முழுமையாக நிறைவேறியுள்ளது. அந்த இடைவேளை சண்டைக் காட்சியும், என்னைப் பார்த்தா பயப்படுற மாதிரி தெரியுதா? என்று ஜெயப்பிரகாஷிடம் கேட்கும் விதமும் மாஸ் ரகம்.

முதல் பாதி முழுக்க கதைக்களத்துக்கான நியாயத்தைச் செய்ய வேண்டும் என்று ஒதுங்கி இருந்துவிட்டு இரண்டாம் பாதியில் அஜித் அசர வைக்கிறார். அதுவும் வழக்கின் முதல் நாளில் மருந்து சாப்பிட்ட களைப்பில் குறுக்கு விசாரணை செய்யாமல் இருந்துவிட்டு அடுத்தடுத்து விசாரணையில் திருப்பத்தை ஏற்படுத்தும் விதத்தில் கச்சிதமான நடிப்பை வழங்கியுள்ளார். அவரது குரலும் கம்பீரத்தின் சாட்சியாக நின்று அப்ளாஸ் அள்ளுகிறது.



தனக்கு நேர்ந்த பாலியல் துன்புறுத்தலைக் கண்டு கொதிப்பது, போனில் மிரட்டும் நபரிடம் நேர்ல வந்து பேசு என்று கெத்து காட்டுவது, பின் விபரீதம் உணர்ந்து ஓட்டம் பிடிப்பது, கண்ணீரும் கதறலுமாக நடந்த சம்பவத்தை விவரிப்பது, தன் மீது எந்தத் தவறுமில்லை என்று நிரூபிக்கப் போராடுவது என தேர்ந்த நடிப்பில் ஷ்ரத்தா ஸ்ரீநாத் மிளிர்கிறார்.

ஷ்ரத்தாவின் தோழியாக ஃபமிதா பானு கதாபாத்திரத்தில் அபிராமி வெங்கடாசலம் பொருத்தமான வார்ப்பு. சமாதானமாகச் செல்ல நினைத்து ஸாரி கேட்பது, ஆண் திமிரில் பேசும் அர்ஜுனிடம் அப்படியே எதிர்த்து நிற்பது, சரி சரி சரி என்று செய்யாத செயலைச் செய்ததாக வாக்குமூலம் கொடுத்து வெடிப்பது, வேலை இழந்த சூழலில் கையறு நிலையை வெளிப்படுத்துவது என இயல்பான உணர்வுகளைக் கடத்துகிறார்.

ஆண்ட்ரியா தாரியங் அழுகையும் ஆற்றாமையுமாக கொடுக்கப்பட்ட கதாபாத்திரத்தில் குறையில்லாமல் நடித்துள்ளார். ஆணாதிக்க மனோபாவத்தின் அதீத முகங்களாக அஸ்வின் ராவும், சுஜித் சங்கரும் வந்து போகின்றனர். ஆதிக் ரவிச்சந்திரன் தப்புக்குத் துணை போய் என்ன செய்வதென்று தெரியாமல் முழிக்கும் குழப்பமான மனநிலையை சரியாக வெளிப்படுத்துகிறார். வித்யாபாலன் கொஞ்ச நேரமே வந்தாலும் நிறைவான நடிப்பில் தனித்து ஜொலிக்கிறார்.




ரங்கராஜ் பாண்டே சில இடங்களில் செயற்கையாக நடித்திருந்தாலும் எதிர்த்தரப்பு வழக்கறிஞருக்கான வழக்கமான எதிர்வினைகளுடன் சரியாக நடித்துள்ளார். ஜூனியர் பாலையா, ஜெயப்பிரகாஷ் ஆகியோர் குறைந்த அளவில் மட்டும் பயன்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளனர். டெல்லி கணேஷ் தகப்பனின் எந்த உணர்வையும் கடத்தாமல் வெறுமனே வந்து போகிறார்.

நீரவ் ஷா கேமரா கோணங்களில், ஃபிரேம்களில் மேஜிக் நிகழ்த்தியுள்ளார். பார்ட்டி, இசை நிகழ்ச்சி, வீடு, நீதிமன்றம் என்று எல்லாவற்றையும் வித்தியாசப்படுத்தி லைட்டிங்கில் கவர்கிறார். யுவன் ஷங்கர் ராஜா இசையில் உமாதேவி எழுதிய வானில் இருள் சூழும்போது படத்தின் அடர்த்தியை அதிகப்படுத்துகிறது. பா.விஜய் வரிகளில் அகலாதே பாடல் பின்னோக்குக் காட்சி உத்திக்கு கனம் சேர்க்கிறது. அஜித் படம் என்பதால் பின்னணி இசையில் வழக்கம் போல் எக்ஸ்ட்ரா எனர்ஜியைக் கொடுத்துள்ளார் யுவன்.

காட்சி ரீதியான அழுத்தத்தை படம் முழுக்கப் பரவவிட்டு, நடந்தது என்ன? என்பதைக் கடைசியாகக் காட்டி, அலுப்பு தட்டாமல் பார்க்க வைத்ததில் கோகுல் சந்திரனின் நேர்த்தியான படத்தொகுப்புப் பணி ஆச்சர்யப்படுத்துகிறது.

ஜெயப்பிரகாஷின் பின்னணி என்ன, மருந்துகள் எடுத்துக்கொள்ளாமல் அஜித்தால் எப்படி இயங்க முடிகிறது போன்ற சின்னச் சின்ன கேள்விகள் எழுகின்றன. ஆனால், அவை படத்துக்கு எந்த பாதிப்பையும் ஏற்படுத்தவில்லை.



பெண் என்றாலே அடக்கமாக இருக்க வேண்டும், எதிர்த்துப் பேசக்கூடாது, நவீன ஆடைகளை அணிபவள் அந்த மாதிரிதான் இருப்பாள் அல்லது நடந்துகொள்வாள், தாமதமாக வீட்டுக்கு வருபவள் நல்லவள் அல்ல, சிரித்துப் பேசினால் அவள் எதற்கும் சம்மதிப்பாள், இரவில் தனியாக ஒரு ஆணை நம்பி வந்தால் அவனுடன் மது அருந்தினால் தப்பானவள்தான் என்று ஆண்கள் உள்ளிட்ட சமூகத்தில் இருக்கும் யாரும் நினைக்கும் பொதுப்புத்தியின் மீது மிகப்பெரிய கல்லை எறிந்து உண்மையை உரக்கச் சொல்லியிருக்கிறார் இயக்குநர் வினோத்.

காவல் நிலையத்தில் எஸ்.ஐ.யின் நக்கலான பேச்சு, நீதிமன்றத்தில் எதிர்த்தரப்பு வழக்கறிஞரின் வாதம், சில சாட்சிகளின் முன் முடிவுகள், ஊர் உலகுக்குத் தெரியாமல் லிவிங் டூ கெதரில் இருக்கும் ஒரு விரிவுரையாளர் இன்னொரு பெண்ணைக் குற்றம் சுமத்துவது, குற்றம் சாட்டப்பட்டவர்களின் ஆணவப் பேச்சு, பெண்ணுக்கு எதிராகவே சில பெண்கள் என்ன நடந்தது என்றே தெரியாமல் பொத்தாம் பொதுவாகப் பேசும் கிசுகிசு பாணியிலான விமர்சனங்கள் என்று சுற்றியிருப்பவர்களின் மனவோட்டத்தையும் வலுவாகக் காட்சிப்படுத்தியதில் இயக்குநரின் ஆளுமை பளிச்சிடுகிறது.

பாதிக்கப்பட்ட பெண் அபலைப் பெண்ணாகவோ அல்லது ஏழைப் பெண்ணாகவோதான் இருக்க வேண்டும் என்று நினைக்கும் பொதுப்புத்தியையும் சேர்த்தே இயக்குநர் உடைத்து எறிகிறார். பெண்கள் சொல்லும் நோ என்பது வெறும் வார்த்தையல்ல... வரி. வேணாம் என்றால் வேணாம் என்றுதான் அர்த்தம் என்பதே படத்தின் மையக் கரு. அதைக் கொஞ்சமும் சிதைக்காமல் நேர்மையாகப் பதிவு செய்த விதத்தில் 'நேர்கொண்ட பார்வை' நிமிர்ந்து நிற்கிறது.

ஒகேனக்கல் காவிரியாற்றில் 2.40 லட்சம் கனஅடியைக் கடந்த நீர்வரத்து: வெள்ளத்தில் மூழ்கிய தொங்கும் பாலம்

மூழ்கிய தொங்கும் பாலம்

தருமபுரி

தருமபுரி மாவட்டம் ஒகேனக்கல்லில் தொங்கும் பாலத்தை மூழ்கடிக்கும் அளவுக்கு வெள்ளப்பெருக்கு ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது.

கர்நாடக மாநில அணைகளில் இருந்து அதிகப்படியான உபரி நீர் தொடர்ந்து வெளியேற்றப்பட்டதால் தருமபுரி மாவட்டம் ஒகேனக்கல் காவிரியாற்றில் வெள்ளப்பெருக்கு ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது. 11-ம் தேதி காலை 8 மணி நிலவரப்படி விநாடிக்கு 1 லட்சம் கனஅடி அளவுக்கு தண்ணீர் வந்துகொண்டிருந்தது. பின்னர், அன்று முற்பகலில் விநாடிக்கு 1.20 லட்சமாகவும், பகலில் 1.40 லட்சமாகவும், மாலை 4 மணியளவில் 1.60 லட்சமாகவும், இரவு 7 மணியளவில் 1.75 லட்சம் கன அடியாகவும் வேகமாக நீர்வரத்து அளவு உயர்ந்தது.

இன்று (12-ம் தேதி) காலை இந்த அளவில் மேலும் உயர்வு ஏற்பட்டு விநாடிக்கு 2 லட்சம் கனஅடி என்ற நிலையில் தண்ணீர் வந்தது. முற்பகலில் அது 2.40 லட்சம் கனஅடி என்ற நிலைக்கு அதிகரித்துள்ளது. மிகையான இந்த வெள்ளப்பெருக்கு காரணமாக ஒகேனக்கல்லில் பிரதான அருவிக்குச் செல்லும் நடைபாதையின் இருபுறங்களில் அமைக்கப்பட்டிருந்த இரும்பு பாதுகாப்பு வேலி புரட்டிப் போடப்பட்டுள்ளது. ஆங்காங்கே அமைக்கப்பட்டிருந்த அறிவிப்புப் பலகைகளையும் வெள்ளம் முறித்துப் போட்டுள்ளது.

மூழ்கிய தொங்கும் பாலம்

தொங்கும் பாலத்துக்குச் செல்லும் வழியில் இருந்த கதவுகள், இரும்புத் தடுப்புகள் போன்றவையும் வெள்ளத்தால் சேதமடைந்துள்ளன. இதுதவிர, வெள்ளப்பெருக்கின் அளவு படிப்படியாக அதிகரிப்பதால் தண்ணீர் தொங்கும் பாலத்தின் நடைமேடையை மூழ்கடித்துச் செல்லத் தொடங்கியுள்ளது.

கண்காணிப்பு தீவிரம்

தொங்கும் பாலத்தின் மீது ஏறும் அளவுக்கு வெள்ளப்பெருக்கு ஏற்பட்டால், ஒகேனக்கல்லைப் பொறுத்தவரை அதை அசாதாரண சூழலாக அரசு நிர்வாகம் கருதுவது வழக்கம். இருப்பினும் கர்நாடகாவின் நீர்த்திறப்பு நிலவரத்துக்கு ஏற்ப தருமபுரி மாவட்டத்தில் ஒகேனக்கல் மற்றும் காவிரிக்கரையோர பகுதிகளில் மாவட்ட நிர்வாகம் போதிய முன்னெச்சரிக்கை நடவடிக்கைகளை மேற்கொண்டுள்ளது. எனவே, அசம்பாவிதங்கள், பாதிப்புகள் எதுவும் ஏற்படவில்லை.

அஞ்செட்டி சாலை

ஒகேனக்கல்லில் இருந்து அஞ்செட்டி செல்லும் சாலையில் ஒகேனக்கல் அடுத்த நாடார் கொட்டாய், ஆலம்பாடி உள்ளிட்ட இடங்களில் வெள்ளத்தால் சாலை மூழ்கடிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. எனவே, அத்தியாவசியப் போக்குவரத்துகள் மட்டுமே மிகுந்த பாதுகாப்புடன் இந்தச் சாலையில் அனுமதிக்கப்படுகிறது.

குறைக்கப்பட்ட நீர்திறப்பு

இதற்கிடையில், இன்று காலை முதல் கர்நாடகா மாநில அணைகளில் இருந்து திறக்கப்படும் உபரி நீரின் அளவு படிப்படியாக குறைக்கப்பட்டு வருகிறது. ஆனாலும், நேற்று விநாடிக்கு 3 லட்சம் கனஅடி வரை திறக்கப்பட்ட தண்ணீர் ஒகேனக்கல்லை இன்னும் அடையவில்லை. இன்று மாலைக்குள் இந்த நீர்வரத்து இந்த அளவை எட்டியபின் படிப்படியாகச் சரியத் தொடங்கும் என பொதுப்பணித்துறை அதிகாரிகள் எதிர்பார்க்கின்றனர்.

தொடரும் தடை

வெள்ளப்பெருக்கு காரணமாக பரிசல் இயக்கவும், அருவி, ஆறு உள்ளிட்ட இடங்களில் குளிக்கவும் விதிக்கப்பட்ட தடை ஒகேனக்கல்லில் தொடர்ந்து அமலில் உள்ளது. வெள்ள நிலவரம் இயல்பாகும் வரை சுற்றுலாப் பயணிகள் ஒகேனக்கல்லுக்கு சுற்றுலா வருவதைத் தவிர்க்குமாறு மாவட்ட நிர்வாகம் கேட்டுக் கொண்டுள்ளது.

நெல்லை மாவட்டத்தில் இன்று உள்ளூர் விடுமுறை

By DIN | Published on : 13th August 2019 07:59 AM |

திருநெல்வேலி: சங்கர நாராயண சுவாமி கோயிலில் ஆடித்தபுசு விழாவை முன்னிட்டு திருநெல்வேலி மாவட்டத்தில் இன்று உள்ளூர் விடுமுறை அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இதுதொடர்பாக மாவட்ட ஆட்சியர் வெளியிட்டுள்ள உத்தரவில், திருநெல்வேலி மாவட்டம் சங்கரன்கோவிலில் உள்ள சங்கர நாராயண சுவாமி கோயிலில் ஆடித்தபுசு விழாவை முன்னிட்டு விடுமுறை அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.


மேலும், சங்கரன்கோவில் சுற்றுவட்டாரங்களில் உள்ள 7 மதுபான கடைகளை மூடவும் ஆட்சியர் உத்தரவில் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

தனியார் மருத்துவமனைக்கு நோயாளிகள், 'சப்ளை': பொறுப்பில்லாத செயல்!

Added : ஆக 13, 2019 02:24

சேலம்:தனியார் மருத்துவமனைக்கு, நோயாளியை அனுப்பி வைத்த, அரசு மருத்துவமனை தினக்கூலி ஊழியர், பணி நீக்கம் செய்யப்பட்டார்.

சேலம், அரசு மருத்துவக் கல்லுாரி மருத்துவமனையில், 'பத்மாவதி ஆஸ்பிட்டல் மேனேஜ்மென்ட் சர்வீஸ்' என்ற தனியார் நிறுவனம், ஒப்பந்த அடிப்படையில், துப்புரவு பணிகளை மேற்கொண்டுள்ளது.அதற்காக, 370 பெண்கள் உள்பட, 460 பேர், தினக்கூலிக்கு பணியமர்த்தப்பட்டுள்ளனர். அவர்கள், துப்புரவு பணிக்கு மாறாக, மருத்துவமனை பணியில் அதிகம் ஈடுபடுவதால், மருத்துவமனை பணியாளர்களுடன் அடிக்கடி மோதல் போக்கு உருவாகிறது.மருத்துவமனைக்கு வரும் நோயாளிகளை, 'மூளை சலவை' செய்து, தனியார் மருத்துவமனைக்கு அனுப்பி வைக்கும், 'வேலை'யிலும், தினக்கூலி பணியாளர்கள் ஈடுபடுகின்றனர்.சேலம், திருமலைகிரியை சேர்ந்தவர், வீரமணி, 36; துப்புரவு ஊழியர். இவர், சமீபத்தில், விஷம் அருந்தி சிகிச்சைக்கு வந்தவரை, தனியார் மருத்துவமனைக்கு, ஆம்புலன்சில் அனுப்பி வைத்துள்ளார்.அதற்கான, மாமூல், 1,000 ரூபாய் கேட்டு, ஆம்புலன்ஸ் டிரைவரிடம், மொபைல் போனில் மிரட்டி உள்ளார். 

அந்த உரையாடல், சமூக வலைதளங்களில் பரவியது.இதையடுத்து, மருத்துவமனை கண்காணிப்பாளர் தனபால், ஆர்.எம்.ஓ., ராணி ஆகியோர், சம்பவம் குறித்து விசாரித்தனர்.விசாரணையில், பணம் கேட்டு, வீரமணி மிரட்டியது அம்பலானது. இதையடுத்து அவர், பணியில் இருந்து நீக்கப்பட்டார்.இது குறித்து, டீன் ராஜேந்திரன் கூறியதாவது:ஏற்கனவே, பல்வேறு புகாரால், கடந்தாண்டில், வீரமணியை பணியில் இருந்து நீக்கினோம். அரசியல்வாதிகள் நெருக்கடியால், மீண்டும் பணியர்த்தப்பட்டார்.தற்போது, முறைகேடு செய்ததால், இரண்டாம் முறையாக, பணி நீக்கம் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளார். இனி, யார் சிபாரிசு செய்தாலும், ஏற்க மாட்டோம்.இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினர்.

பவுர்ணமி கிரிவலத்துக்கு நேரம் அறிவிப்பு

Added : ஆக 13, 2019 02:31

திருவண்ணாமலை:திருவண்ணாமலையில், கிரிவலம் செல்ல உகந்த நேரத்தை, கோவில் நிர்வாகம் அறிவித்துள்ளது.மலையையே, சிவனாக பாவித்து, பக்தர்கள் வழிபடும் இடம், திருவண்ணாமலை. இங்கு, பவுர்ணமி தோறும், 14 கி.மீ.,க்கு, பக்தர்கள் கிரிவலம் செல்கின்றனர்.இதில், ஆடி மாத பவுர்ணமி திதி, நாளை மாலை, 4:35 முதல், 15ம் தேதி மாலை, 6:16 மணி வரை உள்ளது. இந்த நேரத்தில், பக்தர்கள் கிரிவலம் செல்லலாம் என, கோவில் நிர்வாகம் அறிவித்துள்ளது.

டில்லியில் சித்தா மருத்துவமனை

Added : ஆக 13, 2019 02:25

வேலுார்:டில்லியில் சித்தா, ஆயுர்வேத மருத்துவத்துக்காக, எய்ம்ஸ் போன்ற மருத்துவமனை மற்றும் ஆராய்ச்சி மையம் அமைக்கப்பட உள்ளது என, மத்திய அமைச்சர், ஸ்ரீபத் யசோ நாயக் கூறினார்.

வேலுார் அடுத்த திருமலைக்கோடியில், 5 கோடி ரூபாய் செலவில், நாராயணி சித்தா மற்றும் ஆயுர்வேதா மருத்துவமனை துவக்க விழா, நேற்று நடந்தது.மத்திய, பாதுகாப்புத் துறை மற்றும் ஆயுர்வேதா, சித்தா, யுனானி, ஹோமியோபதி மற்றும் யோகா துறைகளின் இணை அமைச்சர், ஸ்ரீபத் யசோ நாயக், மருத்துவமனையை திறந்து வைத்தார்.நிருபர்களிடம், அவர் கூறியதாவது:சித்தா, ஆயுர்வேத மருத்துவம், நாடு முழுவதும் உள்ள, அனைத்து மருத்துவமனைகளிலும் வழங்கப்படுகிறது. இதற்கான உள்கட்டமைப்பு வசதிகளும் மேம்படுத்தப்பட்டு வருகின்றன.
நாடு முழுவதும், 150 மாவட்டங்களில், 150 சித்தா, ஆயுர்வேதா மருத்துவமனைகள் அமைக்கப்பட உள்ளன. டில்லியில் சித்தா, ஆயுர்வேத மருத்துவத்துக்காக, எய்ம்ஸ் போன்ற மருத்துவமனை மற்றும் ஆராய்ச்சி மையம் அமைக்கப்பட உள்ளது.வெளிநாட்டு நோயாளிகள், இந்திய இயற்கை வழி மருத்துவத்தை நாடி வருகின்றனர்.தற்போது, ஜம்மு - காஷ்மீரில், 144 தடை உத்தரவு திரும்ப பெறப்பட்டுள்ளது. மேலும் அங்கு, அமைதி நிலை திரும்புகிறது.இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.

சேலம் எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் ரத்து

Added : ஆக 13, 2019 00:52

சென்னை:சேலம் - சென்னை எழும்பூர், சூப்பர் பாஸ்ட் எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் ரயில், இன்று ரத்து செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது.

கேரளாவில் பெய்து வரும் பலத்த மழையால், ரயில் போக்குவரத்து பாதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.இதனால், சேலத்தில் இருந்து, சென்னை எழும்பூருக்கு, இரவு, 9:20க்கு இயக்கப்பட வேண்டிய, சூப்பர் பாஸ்ட் எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் ரயில், இன்று ரத்து செய்யப்பட்டுஉள்ளது.மேலும், மழையால், மும்பை தாதர் எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் ரத்து செய்யப்பட்டதால், சென்னை எழும்பூரில் இருந்து, நேற்று சேலத்துக்கு இயக்கப்பட வேண்டிய, சூப்பர் பாஸ்ட் ரயில் ரத்து செய்யப்பட்டது. இன்றும், ரத்து செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது.

டிப்ளமா நர்சிங் படிப்பு 26 முதல் விண்ணப்பம்

Added : ஆக 13, 2019 00:51

சென்னை:'டிப்ளமா நர்சிங் படிப்புக்கு, வரும், 26ல் இருந்து, விண்ணப்பங்களை பதிவிறக்கம் செய்யலாம்' என, மருத்துவ கல்வி இயக்ககம் தெரிவித்துள்ளது.

அரசு மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகளில், டிப்ளமா நர்சிங் படிப்புக்கு, 2,000 இடங்கள், தனியார் மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகளில், 8,000க்கும் மேற்பட்ட இடங்கள் உள்ளன. இவற்றில், மாநில ஒதுக்கீட்டு இடங்களுக்கான மாணவர் சேர்க்கை நடவடிக்கைகளை, மருத்துவ கல்வி இயக்ககம் துவக்கியுள்ளது.இதற்கான விண்ணப்பங்களை பதிவிறக்கம் செய்யும் வசதி, வரும், 26ல் துவங்குகிறது. விண்ணப்பங்களை, www.tnhealth.org என்ற, இணைய தளத்திலிருந்து பதிவிறக்கம் செய்யலாம்.பூர்த்தி செய்யப்பட்ட விண்ணப்பங்களை, செப்டம்பர், 4க்குள் தாக்கல் செய்ய வேண்டும். தர வரிசை பட்டியல், செப்., 9ல் வெளியிடப்படும் என, மருத்துவ கல்வி இயக்ககம் தெரிவித்துள்ளது.

அத்தி வரதர் வைபவம் ஆக., 16ம் தேதியுடன் தரிசனம் நிறைவு

Updated : ஆக 13, 2019 01:07 | Added : ஆக 12, 2019 23:48 |

காஞ்சிபுரம் : ''அத்தி வரதர் வைபவம், 17ம் தேதியோடு முடிவடைகிறது; அதில் எந்த மாற்றமும் இல்லை. 16ம் தேதியுடன், பக்தர்கள் தரிசனம் முடிகிறது,'' என, காஞ்சிபுரம் கலெக்டர், பொன்னையா திட்டவட்டமாக தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

காஞ்சிபுரம் வரதராஜர் கோவிலில் நடைபெறும் அத்தி வரதர் வைபத்திற்கு, ஜூலை, 1ம் தேதி முதல், தினமும், லட்சக்கணக்கான பக்தர்கள் வந்து, சுவாமியை தரிசிக்கின்றனர். நேற்று, தெலுங்கானா முதல்வர், சந்திரசேகர ராவ் மற்றும் அவரது குடும்பத்தினரும், ஆந்திரா மாநில, எம்.எல்.ஏ.,வும், நடிகையுமான, ரோஜா தரிசித்தனர்.
நேற்றைய தரிசனத்தின்போது, 13 பேர், கூட்ட நெரிசலில் சிக்கி, மயக்கமடைந்தனர். அவர்களுக்கு, அரசு மருத்துவமனையில் சிகிச்சை அளிக்கப்பட்டது. அதேபோல், வி.வி.ஐ.பி., வரிசையில் சென்ற பக்தர்களிடையே, வாக்குவாதம் ஏற்பட்டு, கைகலப்பானது. இதில், இரு பக்தர்கள் காயம் அடைந்து, அங்குள்ள மருத்துவ முகாமிற்கு அழைத்து செல்லப்பட்டனர். இந்நிலையில், அத்தி வரதர் வைபவ நாட்கள் நீட்டிக்கப்படுமா என்பது குறித்து, கலெக்டர், பொன்னையா, நேற்று, நிருபர்களிடம் கூறியதாவது: முதல்வர், இ.பி.எஸ்., கூறியபடி, 17ம் தேதியோடு, அத்தி வரதர் வைபவம் முடிகிறது. கால நீட்டிப்பு செய்ய வாய்ப்பு இல்லை.

அனந்தசரஸ் குளத்திற்கு, அத்தி வரதரை எடுத்துச் செல்ல, 17ம் தேதி ஏற்பாடு செய்யப்படும். பக்தர்கள் தரிசனம் செய்ய, 16ம் தேதி கடைசி நாளாகும். பக்தர்கள் கூட்டம் அதிகமாகி வருவதால், மூன்று இடங்களில், பிரமாண்ட தங்குமிடங்கள் அமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. வந்தவாசி, உத்திரமேரூரிலிருந்து வரும் வாகனங்கள், கீழ்கதிர்பூரில் உள்ள, பி.ஏ.வி., பள்ளிக்கு அருகில் வாகனங்களை நிறுத்தலாம். சென்னை, அரக்கோணம், வேலுார் ஆகிய இடங்களில் இருந்து வரும் வாகனங்கள், கீழ்கதிர்பூரில் உள்ள, எஸ்.ஆர்.எம்., பங்க் அருகில் நிறுத்த, ஏற்பாடு செய்யப்பட்டு உள்ளது.

வாலாஜாபாதிலிருந்து வரும் வாகனங்கள், பச்சையப்பன் கல்லுாரி வளாகத்தில் அமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ள தங்குமிடம் அருகில், வாகனங்களை, 'பார்க்கிங்' செய்யலாம். நிறுத்துமிடங்களில், உணவு, குடிநீர், கழிப்பறை, 'டிவி' உள்ளிட்ட வசதிகள் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளன. பக்தர்கள், பஸ் மூலம், கோவிலுக்கு அனுப்பி வைக்கப்படுவர். பஸ்சில் செல்ல கட்டணமா அல்லது இலவசமா என, பின் தெரிவிக்கப்படும். பாதுகாப்பு பணியில், 10 ஆயிரத்திற்கும் மேற்பட்ட போலீசார் ஈடுபட்டுள்ளனர். இதுவரை, 80 லட்சம் பக்தர்களுக்கு மேல், அத்தி வரதரை தரிசித்துள்ளனர். இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.

போக்குவரத்து துறை முதன்மை செயலர், ராதாகிருஷ்ணன், காஞ்சிபுரத்தில் உள்ள தற்காலிக பஸ் நிலையம் அமைந்துள்ள, பெரியார் நகர், ஓரிக்கை உள்ளிட்ட இடங்களில், நேற்று பார்வையிட்டார். அத்தி வரதர் தரிசனத்திற்கு கூடுதல் பஸ்கள் முறையாக இயக்கப்படுகிறதா உள்ளிட்டவை குறித்து, ஆய்வு செய்தார்.

வருமான வரி கணக்கு 17 லட்சம் பேர் தாக்கல்

Added : ஆக 13, 2019 06:26 |

தமிழகத்தில், ஜூலை வரை, 17.10 லட்சம் பேர், 2018 - 19ம் நிதியாண்டுக்கான வருமான வரி கணக்குகள் தாக்கல் செய்துள்ளனர்

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கடந்த, 2018 - 19ம் நிதியாண்டுக்கு, அபராதமின்றி வருமான வரி கணக்கு தாக்கல் செய்வதற்கான அவகாசம், வரும், 31ம் தேதியுடன் முடிகிறது.

நடவடிக்கை

ஆண்டுக்கு, 2.5 லட்சம் ரூபாய் வருமான உச்சவரம்பை தாண்டும் அனைவரும், வருமான வரி கணக்கு தாக்கல் செய்வது அவசியம்.வரி ஆதாய நடவடிக்கையில் ஈடுபட்டு, வருமான உச்சவரம்புக்கு கீழ் வந்தாலும், கணக்கு தாக்கல் என்பது, கடந்த ஆண்டு முதல் கட்டாயமாகி உள்ளது.இந்நிலையில், ஜூலை வரை, கணக்கு தாக்கல் செய்தோரின் விபரங்களை, வருமான வரித்துறை வெளியிட்டுள்ளது.ஜூலை வரை, நாடு முழுவதும், 2.67 கோடி பேர், வருமான வரி கணக்கு தாக்கல் செய்துஉள்ளனர்.
இது, 2017 - 18ம் நிதியாண்டில், 3.43 கோடியாக இருந்தது. 76 லட்சம் பேர், கடந்த நிதியாண்டை விட, குறைவாக கணக்கு தாக்கல் செய்துள்ளனர்.தமிழகத்தில், ஜூலை வரை, 17.10 லட்சம் பேர் கணக்கு தாக்கல் செய்துள்ளனர். இது, 2017 - 18ல், 24.68 லட்சமாக இருந்தது. கடந்த நிதியாண்டை விட, 7.58 லட்சம் பேர், தற்போது குறைவாக தாக்கல் செய்துள்ளனர்.

அவகாசம்

தமிழகம் மட்டுமின்றி, மஹாராஷ்டிரா, குஜராத், உத்தரபிரதேசம் போன்ற மாநிலங்களிலும், 2017 - 18ம் நிதியாண்டை விட, பல லட்சம் பேர், குறைவாகவே வருமான வரி கணக்கு தாக்கல் செய்துஉள்ளனர்.கடந்த நிதியாண்டுபோல, நடப்பு நிதியாண்டிலும், அபராதமின்றி கணக்கு தாக்கல் செய்வதற்கான அவகாசம் நீட்டிக்கப்பட்டு உள்ளதால், எண்ணிக்கை அதிகரிக்கும் என, எதிர்பார்க்கப்படுகிறது. நமது நிருபர் -

தேர்வு கட்டணம் உயர்வு விளக்குகிறது சி.பி.எஸ்.இ.,

Added : ஆக 13, 2019 01:48

புதுடில்லி:தேர்வு கட்டணம் உயர்த்தப்பட்டது தொடர்பாக, நேற்று விளக்கம் அளித்து உள்ள, சி.பி.எஸ்.இ., 'பிற கல்வி முறையில் வசூலிக்கும் அளவுக்குத் தான், தேர்வுக் கட்டணம் மாற்றிஅமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது' என, தெரிவித்துள்ளது.

மத்திய இடைநிலை கல்வி வாரியமான, சி.பி.எஸ்.இ., மாணவர்களின் தேர்வு கட்டணத்தை மாற்றிஅமைத்துள்ளது. அதன்படி, எஸ்.சி., - எஸ்.டி., மாணவர்களுக்கான தேர்வு கட்டணம், ௨௪ மடங்கு உயர்த்தப்பட்டுள்ளது.இதற்கான அறிவிப்பு நேற்று முன்தினம் வெளியானது. இந்நிலையில் நேற்று, 'மாற்றியமைக்கப்பட்ட கட்டணங்கள் - சில உண்மைகள்' என்ற தலைப்பில், சி.பி.எஸ்.இ., சில விளக்கங்களை அளித்துள்ளது.அதில், தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளதாவது:l கட்டணங்கள் மாற்றம், டில்லிக்கு மட்டும் என, சில ஊடகங்களில் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. அது தவறு. நாடு முழுமைக்கும், அனைத்து பிரிவு மாணவர்களுக்கும் கட்டண மாற்றம் பொருந்தும்l கட்டணம், பிற கல்வி முறையில் படிக்கும் மாணவர்கள் செலுத்தும் கட்டணத்துக்கு இணையாக உயர்த்தப்பட்டுள்ளதுl கடந்த ஐந்தாண்டுகளாக, கட்டணங்கள் உயர்த்தப்படாத நிலையில், இப்போது தான் உயர்த்தப்பட்டுள்ளதுl சி.பி.எஸ்.இ., சுயநிதி கல்வி நிறுவனம். லாபம் சம்பாதிப்பது, அதன் நோக்கமல்ல; அதே நேரத்தில் நஷ்டத்தையும் ஏற்க முடியாது.இவ்வாறு, தெரிவித்து உள்ளது.

Mukesh Ambani unveils Jio Fiber for broadband

13/08/2019

After receiving over 15 million registrations from nearly 1,600 towns for Jio Fiber, the company plans to reach 20 million residences and 15 million business establishments.

HD TV

Under the Jio Fiber welcome offer, the company will offer free high definition (HD) LED TV and a set top box free for customers opting for Jio’s annual plans called as Jio-Forever plans.

“The experience of Jio Fiber and Jio Set Top Box really comes to life when combined with an LED television. So, Jio Fiber customers who opt for our annual plans, will get an HD OR 4K LED television and a 4K Set Top Box absolutely free. We are calling this the Jio Fiber Welcome Offer,” said Mr. Ambani.

The digital set top box will offer ultra high definition entertainment, virtual reality content, multi-party video conferencing, voice enabled virtual assistants, interactive gaming, home security and many smart-home solutions.

Jio Fiber premium customers will also be able to watch movies in their living rooms the same day these movies are released in theatres with the Jio First-Day-First-Show offer starting from the middle of 2020.

OTT applications

“Jio Fiber plans will come bundled with subscriptions to most leading premium OTT applications. Also, for the first time in India, we are introducing a disruptive concept for watching new movies. Premium Jio Fiber customers will be able to watch movies in their living rooms the day these movies are released in theatres,” said Mr. Ambani.

Maharashtra govt. to seek ₹3,000-crore flood package

Flood-hit State will submit memorandum to Centre

13/08/2019, SHARAD VYAS,MUMBAI

Bidding adieu: A woman in Sangli tying a ‘rakhi’ to a soldier at an event to thank them for their relief work.Emmanual YoginiEmmanual Yogini

Following Karnataka’s request for interim flood relief from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Maharashtra government will also submit a memorandum seeking a ₹3,000-crore package this week.

At a meeting on Monday, Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta spoke to senior Relief and Rehabilitation, and Revenue department officials to asses the losses in the flood-ravaged western Maharashtra in which over 150 people have died.

Sources said the Cabinet would review the State’s proposal on Tuesday. Senior officials said the destruction to human life and property was massive and might need Central assistance at the earliest.

Monetary assistance

Karnataka, meanwhile, has sought ₹3,000 crore as monetary assistance from the Centre before the final review of the inter-ministerial committee on disaster management on assessment and quantification of the damage. “We have finalised our assessment of damages and will submit a memorandum to the Centre soon,” said a senior official.

While Karnataka’s assessment of damages is based on losses in 2,694 villages in 86 talukas of 17 districts, Maharashtra’s damages have been reported from 70 talukas of Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Thane, Nasik, Palghar, Ratnagiri, Raigad and Sindhudurg districts. The floods left 761 villages marooned, officials said.

The crop destruction alone could be more than ₹125 crore, according to a preliminary assessment.

While the exact worth of damage would be known once the flood waters have fully receded, senior officials said that around 27,468 hectares of agriculture land had been completely destroyed while the numbers could eventually touch one lakh hectares when the panchnama was complete.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said the total length of roads damaged was 484 km, while 2,615 transformers were damaged partially or fully.

Death toll due to Kerala rain rises to 85

Rescue and relief operations stepped up in districts ravaged by landslip; orange alert in six districts
13/08/2019, SPECIAL 

CORRESPONDENT,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/KALPETTA

Giving solace: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi interacting with a flood victim at the Kaithapoil flood-relief camp in Kozhikode on Monday.PTI

Diminished rainfall on Monday allowed the government agencies to step up rescue and relief operations in the flood and landslip-ravaged districts of Kerala. With more deaths confirmed on Monday, the death toll has climbed to 85.

Six more bodies were recovered from the landslip-hit Kavalappara in Malappuram. Two fishermen lost their lives at Muthalappozhi in Thiruvananthapuram.

An intensified search on Monday at Puthumala, Meppadi, however, failed to trace the eight people still missing in the landslip site in Wayanad district.

With the IMD predicting the possibility of isolated heavy rain, a holiday has been declared on Tuesday for educational institutions, including professional colleges, in all districts except Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Idukki, Palakkad, and Kasargod.

The IMD has issued an orange alert for Tuesday in Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Malappuram, Wayanad and Kannur districts.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who held a videoconference with District Collectors to review the situation, will visit the landslip-hit Wayanad and Malappuram districts on Tuesday. At a review meeting here, Mr. Vijayan stressed the need to remain vigilant despite rainfall abating in most districts.

More than 50 people are still missing, around 40 of them in Kavalappara alone.

With floodwaters receding, people have begun leaving the relief camps for their homes. The number of camps decreased from 1,639 on Sunday to 1,413 on Monday.

‘Both govts. must help’

Rahul Gandhi, Wayanad MP, said on Monday that the State and the Central governments should pay attention to those affected by rain-related calamities and support them.

He was speaking to presspersons here, after a two-day visit to Wayanad, which has been badly hit. While people in the State had come together to tackle issues related to the disaster, it was the responsibility of the governments to support the flood victims.

Reliance Retail may get global partner

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | SANGEETHA G

Published  Aug 13, 2019, 4:49 am IST

Reliance Retail has crossed Rs 130,000-crore turnover and is four times larger than the second largest retail player.

Mukesh Ambani

Chennai: Amidst reports of Amazon eyeing stake in Reliance Retail, the conglomerate has announ-ced plans to get global partners for its retail business and to list the entity in five years. The New Commerce, or Reliance’s omni-channel, proposes to partner with millions of small merchants and kirana shops.

Addressing shareholders at the 42nd AGM, Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani said the retail arm would be one of the key growth engine of the group. “We have received strong interest from strategic and financial investors in our consumer businesses, Jio and Reliance Retail. We will induct leading global partners in these businesses in the next few quarters, and move towards listing of both these companies within the next five years,” he said.

Reliance Retail has crossed Rs 130,000-crore turnover and is four times larger than the second largest retail player. “Reliance Jio and Reliance Retail collectively contribute nearly 32 per cent to the consolidated Ebitda, up from 2 per cent five years ago. The day is not far when their share would be 50 per cent,” he said. Over the next five years, the aim is to be amongst the world's top 20 retailers.

Further, he finds the omni-channel model as a massive new business opportunity of $700 billion. It will completely transform the unorganised retail market, which accounts for 90 per cent of India's retail industry, comprising three crore merchants and kirana shop owners, he said.

“Reliance Retail plans to tap into a myriad of neighbourhood mom-and-pop stores. Such stores would carry out the last-mile delivery, which would help save on logistics costs,” said Edelweiss Securities.

“We are convinced that India’s retail sector offers an immense opportunity and that organised players have so far barely scratched the surface,” said Edelweiss.

Air India to fly over North Pole from August 15

PTI

Published  Aug 13, 2019, 2:35 am IST

The airline has flights between India and North America over the Atlantic and the Pacific routes.

There would be around 300 passengers on the flight which would be operated by a Boeing 777, the spokesperson said.

Mumbai: Taking a new flight path that will save time as well as fuel, Air India will start flying to San Francisco from the national capital over the Polar region.

With the new route, the flight duration would reduce by around one-and-a-half hours and fuel savings would be in the range of 2,000 to 7,000 kg per flight, according to an Air India spokesperson.

The flight duration will reduce from 14.5 hours to 13 hours. The inaugural flight will be on August 15. Air India operates a daily flight from New Delhi to San Francisco.

The airline has flights between India and North America over the Atlantic and the Pacific routes.

“Polar routes between India and North American destinations are yet to be utilised. Situated on opposite sides of the Northern Hemisphere, India and North America would benefit immensely by using existing North Polar routes for commercial air operations,” the airline said in a release.

The fuel savings are expected be in the region of 2,000 to 7,000 kg on these routes with the resultant decrease in carbon emission of 6,000 to 21,000 kg per flight, it said.

On August 15, the inaugural revenue flight over the Polar region would be piloted by Captain Rajneesh Sharma and Captain Digvijay Singh.

“Passengers will benefit from the reduced flight times, the airline from the reduced fuel consumption and the environment from reduced carbon emissions,” the release added.

There would be around 300 passengers on the flight which would be operated by a Boeing 777, the spokesperson said.

Earlier this month, aviation regulator DGCA came out with the requirements that need to the fulfilled by airlines for Polar operations.

Careful risk analysis has been conducted and crew training, weather monitoring, alternate selection and aircraft serviceability have been enhanced to ensure safe operations on this route, Air India said.

Approvals are in place from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The airline also said a reputed diversion support agency would assist in aircraft and passenger retrieval in case of diversion.

According to the spokesperson, Air India would be the first airline in the world that would have flights over Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Polar region.

About the flight over the Polar region, Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani said it is a tremendous unparalleled initiative by the national carrier that would save precious fuel and also reduce travel time for its flights to the US.

“The passengers of the first flight would be given a commemorative certificate,” he said in a separate statement. As per Air India, in 2007, the airline flew a Boeing 777 over the Polar region under the command of Captain Amitabh Singh.