SHRC seeks report into suicide bid by woman student
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Trichy:31.08.2019

The state human rights commission (SHRC) on Friday issued notice to the directorate of collegiate education (DCE) in Chennai seeking a report in connection with the suicide bid by a woman MPhil student after her thesis was rejected by her professor.

The commission asked the director of DCE to inquire into the matter and submit a detailed report within two weeks failing which it will proceed with taking action as it deems fit and proper.

The 23-year-old student of the Government Arts College in Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district attempted to commit suicide by consuming acid kept in the college laboratory on Wednesday. The issue came to light on Thursday morning.

The college administration maintained that the thesis was rejected as it was incomplete and added that the professor had asked her to take an extension. The Kumbakonam East police station which was investigating the case said on Friday that the issue was settled amicably between the student and the professor and no case was registered.

REGION DIGEST

Check validity of MKU degrees, HC tells UGC

The Madras high court has asked University Grants Commission (UGC) to conduct an inspection at Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) to find out whether the degrees offered by the university are valid as per UGC regulations, and prosecute the officials if there were irregularities. The court also made some stinging remarks against the UGC for not acting against universities committing irregularities and cheating students. The court’s observations came while dismissing the petition filed by a woman challenging the rejection of her candidature by Teachers recruitment Board for appointment to the post of postgraduate assistant in History.

Retired cop held for illegal sale of liquor:

Madurai police on Friday arrested a retired police inspector for illegal sale of liquor bottles. According to sources, the Tallakulam police received a tip that a person at Iyer Bungalow in Madurai was involved in the illegal sale of liquor bottles from Puducherry. The arrested was Subbiah, 64, a retired police inspector.

DMK, AIADMK are our enemies, says MNM:

Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) vice president R Mahendran on Thursday said that the very electoral plunge of MNM was as an alternative to both the DMK and the AIADMK, therefore both are our enemies.

National Inxtitute of Design

RTI activists urge TN to take petition filing online

Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com

Chennai:31.08.2019

The Tamil Nadu government will have to respond to the Supreme Court on establishing a portal through which citizens would be able to file RTIs, after a plea was heard earlier this week. However, RTI applicants have been raising the demand for at least five years in the state, on the lines of what is available for central government departments.

The RTI activists have made a renewed demand for the same, but pointed out that the state government is loath to do it, as it would have to answer more queries from citizens. “Keeping the process manual is useful for government authorities as it can feign ignorance about receiving RTIs. Also, many people avoid filing RTIs as they have to go through the rigmarole of buying a court fee stamp of ₹10 or pay through demand draft, etc,” said Pavan K Gandhi, a law student and an RTI expert.

As per government statistics, the state’s various agencies received nearly four lakh RTI petitions in 2015. Ironically, this is the latest data put out by the TN State Information Commission (TNSIC), whose annual reports for the past three years have not yet been made public. Making it online would increase the number of RTIs filed, which the government doesn’t want, said TNSIC sources. “A former chief information commissioner, in fact, recommended this to the state government, which has not taken it seriously,” said a source in the agency.

In Tamil Nadu, only second appeals can be filed online now. The process of filing RTIs and first appeals is still manual. Compare this to central government agencies, where one can file RTIs on rtionline.gov.in and pay digitally. The first and second appeals can also be filed online. The tedious process of printing out the RTI on paper, arranging payment of ₹10 and posting it is avoided and citizens feel encouraged to file more RTIs.

This process is more organized and people don’t need to take pains to keep track of it, said P Nakkeeran, treasurer of Arappor Iyakkam, who has used RTI to bring to light many scams. “Public information officers would become more accountable if the system is online. Government doesn’t want it,” he said.

Madras university bans faculty from inviting students home

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:31.08.2019

In a precautionary step aimed at preventing incidence of sexual harassment on campus, University of Madras has banned its faculty members from inviting students to their houses. Any such act would amount to misconduct under the sexual harassment law, registrar R Srinivasan said in a circular issued to faculty members on Thursday.

“Students are directed not to stay at any faculty member’s house or tour with their guides at any cost unless special permission is taken from university authorities,” the circular said.

The university has said it wants to make the campus a harassment-free zone. “The university is a place of knowledge and no act of sexual harassment of any sort would be permitted inside the campus and any such act will be dealt with an iron fist,” the circular warned. Anyone subjected to such harassment should approach professor Rita John, head of the Internal Complaints Committee, from department of theoretical physics, or the registrar or the vicechancellor with a written complaint, it said.

Any girl student or woman faculty member threatened or harassed by any faculty member or student can directly walk in to the vice-chancellor’s room with a representation and immediate action will be initiated following an inquiry, it added. The university has asked all heads of departments to display the circular on notice boards.

But, some professors said the new rules could be misused by some vested interests. “A new academic session has just started. We wanted to give confidence to the students that the university has a redressal mechanism for harassment,” vice-chancellor P Duraisamy said.

He further said no sexual harassment complaint has been received from any student recently.

“As per the regulations, students cannot tour with their guides without permission from the university. But we will allow students as a group to travel on study tours or to attend conferences. They also can travel with their relatives,” he added.

Last year, to prevent exploitation of PhD scholars, the state government had issued fresh guidelines in the matter.


Madras University

Now, test your driving skills on virtual reality-based simulators

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:31.08.2019

For those who wish to refresh their four-wheeler driving skills, or corporates and school managements that want to ensure safe practices by drivers who carry their employees and students, the city has now got virtual reality-based advanced driver training simulators.

The simulators will be available at the Automobile Association of South India (AASI) on Anna Salai office, an 8-minute session costing ₹100.

The patented simulator was designed and developed by Chennai-based Red Chariots Technologies in three years. It is completely made in India and costs ₹8 lakh, a lot cheaper compared to foreign models, said V Vinod Gopal, director of the company.

The simulator helps drivers learn to anticipate adverse situations on roads and make safe decisions and also implement safe practices in their daily driving routines. “It is a combination of practical learning modules coupled with theory modules through an interactive e-learning quiz app,” a company release said.

“Just like flight pilots have to take refresher courses every six months, even those driving on the roads need this,” Vinod said.

The module is designed to reflect Indian roads, more specifically Chennai roads. For instance, the driver would have to contend with an ambulance or a big truck or a vehicle, which has pulled over to the side, Vinod said.

There are 10 modules; each one would have 40 parameters based on which the candidate would be evaluated. Points are deducted for changing lanes without indication, overuse of horns, not stopping to let an ambulance pass through, and disrespect of pedestrians.

The target audience is ambulance drivers, school bus drivers and MTC bus drivers, Vinod said, revealing that they are already in talks with the transport department.

After each level, trainees get detailed performance analysis reports on their strength and scope for improvement based on the rules followed, road etiquette adhered to and overall behaviour on the road. Based on this, they either qualify and graduate to the next level or are told to repeat the level after 24 hours, until they qualify.

WANNA TEST DRIVE? The simulators will be available at AASI office on Anna Salai. An eight-minute sess

Inspect varsity for courses run as commercial venture, says Madras High Court

The judge directed the high court registrar to communicate the court order to UGC for further action.

Published: 30th August 2019 08:23 PM


Madras High Court

By PTI

MADURAI The Madras High Court on Friday directed the University Grants Commission to hold an inspection at the state-run Madurai Kamaraj University for distance education degrees being offered as a commercial venture in violation of norms and prosecute the officials responsible for it.

Justice S M Subramanian said the university officials should be made accountable for misguiding and cheating students by offering courses on the basis of commercial venture with the only purpose of making money.

He dismissed a petition by S Vani, who was allowed by the university to join B.A (History) correspondence course in the third year after she had studied B.Sc (Chemistry) for two years, seeking appointment as a government teacher.

"This is against law and unknown to common sense," the judge said, referring to the student being awarded B.


A (History) degree based on which she applied for the teacher's post.

Coming down on the university officials, he said one cannot expect students to know various UGC guidelines to get appointment as teachers and innocent students should not be cheated.

The judge directed the high court registrar to communicate the court order to UGC for further action.

The UGC should find out the irregularities in conducting such courses and prosecute the officials responsible for it, he said, noting the government rightly rejected the candidature of the petitioner.

"As per UGC regulation, only regular pattern students who had classroom experience should be considered for the appointment of teachers and public appointments," he said.

It was unfortunate that even established universities were offering courses under commercial venture and cheating students, he said, asking them to stop such irregularities and take the matter seriously.

Before dying, lover gives final gift of blood in beer bottle to girlfriend in Chennai

The man, who worked as a carpenter, got drunk, slit his wrist and collected the blood in bottle before asking his friend to give it to woman and succumbing later.

Published: 30th August 2019 04:37 AM |

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: In a bizarre incident, a lover, slashed his wrist and collected the blood in an empty beer bottle and asked his friend to hand it over to his girlfriend as his final gift. The man later died in the hospital.

The man worked as a carpenter, said the police. He was said to be in a relationship over the last few years. They had decided to settle down after the man was doing well in his profession, said the police. But all was not well. “A few weeks ago, the woman stopped picking his calls and blocked him on social media. He tried to contact her and meet her many times, but in vain. Following this, he was dejected and did not talk to anyone properly,” a police officer said.

On Tuesday night, he met his friends at Pallavaram to consume alcohol and lamented that his girlfriend was avoiding him. Suddenly, he broke a beer bottle and slit his left wrist and started collecting the blood in the empty bottle.

His friends tried to stop him, but he placed the broken beer bottle to his throat and asked them to step back. His friends, however, managed to overpower him and rushed him to a hospital at Chromepet, the officer said.


Police said that the man did not even allow doctors to treat him. He then gave the blood he collected to a friend and asked him to hand it over to the woman he loved. After he fell unconscious, doctors tried to treat him, but he died around 1.30am. Shankar Nagar police registered a case and are investigating.

(Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available on Tamil Nadu’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050)

Rs 40 crore for improvement of infrastructure in Anna University’s constituent colleges
The money will be spent on improving laboratories, constructing hostels and procuring equipment.

Published: 30th August 2019 04:29 AM 

Anna University (File Photo | EPS)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Anna University has received Rs 40 crore from the State government for development of infrastructure in its 16 constituent colleges and regional campuses. University officials said the university had sought Rs 100 crore for the purpose, but received only Rs 40 crore recently.

The money will be spent on improving laboratories, constructing hostels and procuring equipment. Officials said there was a lack of adequate infrastructure in constituent colleges which need to be addressed immediately.

In a few constituent colleges, there is an urgent necessity of hostels, especially women’s. “Laboratories in our constituent colleges are not in proper shape. We need to procure equipment and upgrade infrastructure on a priority basis,” said a senior official.

It is important to mention that in this year’s engineering counselling only six constituent colleges had managed to fill over 90 per cent of seats. Anna University officials are trying their best to resolve the issues to draw more students.


Vice-Chancellor MK Surappa had earlier asked officials of constituent colleges to submit a detailed proposal on condition of hostels and other infrastructural needs. “We have already prepared a detailed list as to where we need to spend the money. We required more funds, but still `40 crore will help us,” the official said.

Notably, the enrolment figures this year in constituent colleges was worrisome. Colleges at Ariyalur, Thirukkuvalai and Ramanathapuram have a sanctioned strength of 300 each. But, this year only 85 seats have been filled in Ariyalur while in Thirukkuvalai and Ramanathapuram it is 73 and 76 respectively.

CBI raids govt offices in Chennai and Madurai
Searches were part of nation-wide anti-corruption drive

Published: 31st August 2019 06:04 AM | Last Updated: 31st August 2019 06:04 AM

CHENNAI: The CBI on Friday carried out joint surprise checks (JSCs) along with the Vigilance department, on government offices across the country, including those in Chennai and Madurai, to weed out corruption.

A CBI spokesman said that as part of the special drive, more than 150 joint surprise checks(JSCs) were conducted at the offices of government departments, ministries and organisations.

The JSCs were primarily conducted at places where common citizens or small business persons feel maximum pinch of corruption in government machinery. This special drive will sensitise all stake-holders to possible avenues of corruption a common citizen faces while seeking services from such departments. It also strives to identify and highlight points and places vulnerable to corruption, the spokesman said.
The departments covered include Railways, coal mines & coalfields, medical and healthcare orgainisations, Customs, Food Corporation of India.

Other departments such as power, municipal corporations, ESIC, transport, Central Public Works Department, Directorate of Estates, Fire Services, Sub-Registrar office, GST Department, Port Trust, National Highways, DAVP, Airport Authority of India, public sector oil companies, Director General of Foreign Trade, public sector banks, Archaeological Survey of India, Shipping Corporation, BSNL, public sector steel units, mines and minerals.


These JSCs will be followed by an extensive campaign by the CBI branches all over India to make common citizens aware of how they can reach out to government departments and redress their complaints.

The cities where the drive was conducted include Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Guwahati, Shillong, Chandigarh, Srinagar, Chennai, Madurai, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Gandhinagar, Bhopal, Raipur, Nagpur, Jabalpur, Patna, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Dehradun, Ranchi, Visakhapatnam, Guntur, Vijaywada, Cochin, Kollam, Hanamakonda, Karimnagar, Chirmiri, Secunderabad, Katni–Bina, Vadodara, Himmat Nagar, Dhanbad, Kasauli, Samastipur, Danapur and Mokama.
In Puducherry

Similar searches were also held at Jipmer hospital and a registrar office at Saram, Puducherry. The hospital was searched after complaints over alleged irregularities in equipment purchase

Principal Secretary to Modi quits PMO

Misra is likely to be appointed Delhi L-G

31/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,AHMEDABAD

Nripendra Misra

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s top bureaucratic aide and Principal Secretary (PS) since 2014, Nripendra Misra, quit on Friday, prompting a rejig in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). He, however, will continue for two more weeks on Mr. Modi’s request.

Mr. Modi has appointed outgoing Cabinet Secretary P.K. Sinha as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the PMO.

Top sources told The Hindu that P.K. Mishra, currently Additional PS to the Prime Minister, is set to replace Mr. Misra, and Mr. Sinha will become the Additional PS. The sources indicated that Mr. Misra is likely to be appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi.

“Shri Nripendra Misra is among the most outstanding officers, who has a great grasp of public policy and administration. When I was new to Delhi in 2014, he taught me a lot and his guidance remains extremely valuable,” Mr. Modi tweeted.

According to Mr. Modi, Mr. Misra had helped him not just on a personal capacity but had been an important aide in the past five years in the PMO. He added that Mr. Misra, 74, had expressed his wish to quit after the election, but had continued on his request.

In a press statement, Mr. Misra, a U.P.-cadre IAS officer who served as Secretary, Telecom, and Secretary, Fertilizers, and also as chairperson of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, thanked Mr. Modi for the opportunity to work in the PMO and for placing complete faith in him. “I am deeply grateful to him for this opportunity and the complete confidence he has placed in me,” he said.

A number of appointments were made in the PMO on Friday. Arvind Shrivastava, Joint Secretary, Economic Affairs, Finance Ministry, has been shifted to the PMO. Four Deputy Secretaries were also appointed — Gujarat-cadre IAS officer Hardik Shah, currently Private Secretary to the Union Environment Minister; two Indian Foreign Service officers, Abhishek Shukla of the 2006 batch and Pratik Mathur of the 2007 batch; and Saurabh Shukla of the Indian Audit & Accounts Service.

V-P to flag off Intercity Express tomorrow

31/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NELLORE

Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu will flag off the Intercity Express between Gudur and Vijayawada at Gudur Railway Station on Sunday.

On the inaugural day, the special train will depart from Gudur at 9:30 a.m. and reach Vijayawada at 3 p.m. on the same day. En-route, the train will stop at Nellore, Kavali, Singarayakonda, Ongole, Chirala, Bapatla and Tenali stations.

From September 2, the train will leave Gudur at 6:10 a.m. and reach Vijayawada at 10:40 a.m. on the same day. It will depart from Vijayawada at 6 p.m. every day and arrive in Gudur at 10:30 p.m. on the same day.

New GGH superintendent ‘irked’ by floral welcome

31/08/2019, STAFF REPORTER,KURNOOL

G.S. Ram Prasad taking charge as GGH superintendent, while Dr. P. Chandrasekhar is taking charge as principal of Kurnool Medical College on Friday.U. SUBRAMANYAM

Offering bouquets is a traditional way of welcoming a new incumbent, but this has become passé for employees of Government General Hospital, who took great pains to welcome the new superintendent of the hospital.

Dr. G.S. Ram Prasad, who took charge as the new superintendent of Kurnool GGH, entered his chambers to find his table covered in flowers. On his part, Dr. Ram Prasad was taken aback and was also reportedly irked by the unusual gesture.

“It is an attempt to get into the superintendent’s good books,” a senior official said.

Syndicate Bank founder’s son sad over merger decision

31/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, UDUPI

The decision to merge SyndicateBank — founded here with its head office located in Manipal — with Canara Bank, announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, was met with sadness here on Friday.

Ashok Pai, the youngest son of the late T.M.A. Pai, one of the founders of SyndicateBank, told The Hindu that his father was its chairman till it was nationalised.

“When the Union government proposed nationalisation of banks in 1969, my father had said, ‘I have a beautiful daughter [Syndicate Bank] and she has to get married. Who can be a better father-in-law than the government of India?’ He requested the government of India to continue all the new ideas of SyndicateBank such as its Pigmy Deposit Scheme to help the common man,” he said.

Mr. Ashok Pai, who is also chairman of Manipal Cooperative Bank and founder and secretary of Dr. T.M.A. Pai Foundation, said SyndicateBank was in those days known as the “small man’s big bank”.

‘Continue progressive policies’

“We feel sorry because we thought other banks should have been merged with SyndicateBank. Now that the government has merged SyndicateBank with Canara Bank, I want the progressive policies of SyndicateBank to be continued,” he said.

No return visa to India for former Chinese soldier
31/08/2019,BHOPAL

A former Chinese soldier, who got married in India in 1974 and returned to his native country for the first time in 2017, is now stuck there for want of return visa to India, his son said on Friday. Wang Chang Qi, 80, was captured by Indian forces in 1963 after the India-China war. He was in prison for six years till his release in 1969. He married a woman in Madhya Pradesh in 1974 and settled there. PTI

Casual wear banned for Bihar Secretariat staff

Govt. issued order on August 28

31/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,PATNA

The Bihar government has directed its Secretariat employees to avoid wearing casuals like jeans and T-shirts with immediate effect to uphold “office culture and decorum.” They have been asked to come to work in formal clothes of sober colour.

An order was issued to this effect by Additional Secretary of the General Administration Department (GAD) Shiv Mahadeo Prasad on August 28. However, it is not clear whether it is meant only for employees of the GAD or the entire Secretariat staff.

“The order issued by GAD usually means for all Secretariat employees…we all have to comply with this order,” said Suman Kumar, a Secretariat staffer.

Earlier in 2007, then Chief Secretary Ashok Kumar Chowdhary had issued a circular on dress code for government employees saying “loud, gaudy colours must be avoided.”

In 2018 then Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh issued a circular asking government employees to wear khadi clothes at least twice a week to promote the national fabric.

“Such orders come from time to time but are not being followed or implemented in spirit,” said an employee retiring next June.

Will strengthen UG courses: IP University V-C

31/08/2019,NEW DELHI

The new Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) Vice-Chancellor Mahesh Verma on Friday said that the focus of the university would be on strengthening its undergraduate programmes (UG) and introducing several skill-based courses that will help employment generation.

Canal completed in 42 years, washed away in 24 hours
Jharkhand administration probe blames rodents for breach

31/08/2019, INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE,RANCHI

It took 42 years to build a Jharkhand irrigation project, and then within 24 hours of its inauguration, the canal meant to provide water to 85 villages across Giridih, Hazaribagh and Bokaro districts was washed away.

The State administration has found rodents to pin the blame on.

The irrigation project in Giridih district was dedicated to the people by Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Wednesday. By Thursday, a major breach developed in the canal, causing extensive flooding in several villages.

“The initial probe suspected ‘rat holes’ causing damage to the canal,” said a government statement released on Friday.

Arun Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary of Water Resources Department, tweeted that following the breach in the canal and damage caused to the crops, a high-level team, led by chief engineer of advanced projects in the department, has been constituted. The reports are to be submitted within 24 hours. The repair works are on.

In 1978, the then Governor of undivided Bihar, Jagannath Kaushal, had laid the foundation of the project, but due to several reasons the project got delayed. The cost of the project also escalated from ₹12 crore in 1978 to ₹2,500 crore.

Law student can stay in Delhi, says Supreme Court

The woman, who was traced in Rajasthan, had alleged sexual harassment by ex-BJP MP Chinmayanand

31/08/2019, KRISHNADAS RAJAGOPAL,NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to the wishes of a woman law student, who had disappeared after levelling charges of sexual harassment against ex-BJP MP Swami Chinmayanand only to be traced in Rajasthan, to stay back in Delhi.

After a closed-door session with the woman, Justices R. Banumathi and A.S. Bopanna also directed the Delhi police to safely bring her parents too to Delhi from their native Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh.

The court asked the Registrar to keep the woman and her parents incommunicado till the court takes up the matter again on Monday.

The court had suo motu taken up a letter from a group of women Supreme Court lawyers anxious about the safety of the woman. They had sought her production before the apex court.

On Monday, the Uttar Pradesh government counsel informed the Bench that the woman had been found in Rajasthan and was being taken to Shahjahanpur. The lawyer said the police convoy bringing the woman had already reached Fatehpur Sikri.

But the Bench insisted that the woman be produced before the Supreme Court during the course of the day.

The government counsel, after consulting with the State police officers, returned to the Bench, saying the woman could be brought here in under three hours.

Justice Banumathi said the Bench would wait for the woman to reach the court in order to interact with her in-camera. The interaction happened late in the evening.

The Shahjahanpur police had on Tuesday lodged an FIR against Mr. Chinmayanand after the student went missing following her allegation in a video clip that he had been harassing her. The woman also spoke about threats to her and her family’s life in the video clip.

Her father had filed a complaint with the police, accusing Mr. Chinmayanand of sexually harassing his daughter, a charge refuted by the BJP leader’s lawyer, who claimed it was a “conspiracy” to blackmail him.

The woman’s father had alleged that she went missing at the behest of the 72-year-old BJP leader, who heads the Mumukshu ashram. She is a postgraduate student in one of the colleges run by the ashram.

U.P. Director General of Police O.P. Singh on Friday said necessary legal action was being taken.

(With inputs from Omar Rashid)

Casual wear banned for Bihar Secretariat staff

31/08/2019,PATNA

The Bihar government has directed its Secretariat employees to avoid wearing casuals like jeans and T-shirts with immediate effect to uphold “office culture and decorum.” They have been asked to come to work in formal clothes of sober colour. An order was issued to this effect by the General Administration Department on August 28.

CBI conducts checks at 150 govt. offices

31/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday conducted simultaneous surprise checks at 150 government offices in different parts of the country, as part of a special anti-corruption drive.

Vigilance officers of various government departments were also involved in the exercise.

“The joint surprise checks are primarily being conducted at such points and places where common citizens or small businesspersons feel the maximum pinch of corruption in government machinery. This special drive will sensitise all stakeholders about possible avenues of corruption a common citizen faces,” an official said.

Air India’s Boeing to turn into a billboard
Photos of heritage sites to be put up

31/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, ,NEW DELHI

Air India’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane with its special livery will be unveiled on World Tourism Day on September 1.

Air India will turn one of its planes into a billboard in the sky to showcase India’s world heritage sites and spread Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message on promoting domestic tourism. A Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane with its special livery will be unveiled on World Tourism Day on September 27.

“We are looking at promoting tourism and celebrating India through photographs. We are preparing an aircraft which will display photos of world heritage sites in the country on the body of the plane,” Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani said. He added that if the idea is a hit, the same livery will be displayed on all its 42 wide-bodied aircraft used on international routes.

T.N.’s first Aadhaar Seva Kendra set up in Chennai
UIDAI has plans to set up a total of 114 ASKs in 53 cities

31/08/2019, DENNIS S. JESUDASAN,CHENNAI

The ASK will charge ₹50 for updating Aadhaar details. Fresh enrolment is free.

The first Aadhaar Seva Kendra (ASK) in Tamil Nadu has become operational in Koyambedu in . The ASK is set up by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to extend Aadhaar-related services to the general public.

With a capacity to handle 1,000 requests a day, the ASK would charge ₹50 for updates in Aadhaar details and in case of fresh enrolment, it is free of cost. Except for Tuesday, ASK functions through the week between 9.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. The ASK is functioning from Ten Square Mall on Jawaharlal Nehru Road in Koyambedu.

By using the link https://appointments.uidai.gov.in/bookappointment.aspx, citizens could either make fresh enrolments or update details in the existing Aadhaar entries online. Through an OTP sent to the mobile number, prior appointments could be made.

A citizen gets a token for their Aadhaar-related work and then moves to a ‘verifier’ for document checking. Once the verification is completed, the resident moves to ‘cash counter’ for payment of ₹50 (charges for Aadhaar update, if required) and is then assigned an ‘operator counter’ from the 16 operator work stations, according to the UIDAI.

The UIDAI has plans to set up a total of 114 ASK in 53 cities across the country.

HC calls for regular inspection of varsities after ‘historical’ blunder

31/08/2019, B. TILAK CHANDAR,MADURAI

In what could be dubbed a “historical” blunder in the field of higher education in Tamil Nadu, a student managed to get a degree in B.A. History after studying Chemistry for two years and History for a year.

While she pursued her B.Sc in Chemistry at a college in Aruppukottai, she enrolled for the final year in B.A. History programme, offered through the distance education by the Madurai Kamaraj University. And now, years later, the Teachers’ Recruitment Board (TRB) has taken cognisance of the academic infirmity in her basic degree and refused to appoint her as a Post Graduate Assistant in History.

Shocked over such an unheard of “hybrid” degree, the Madras High Court (Madurai Bench) has called upon the University Grants Commission (UGC) to regularly inspect universities.

The student, S. Vani of Madurai, had approached the court seeking a direction to the TRB to appoint her as PG Assistant in History.

Dismissing her petition, Justice S.M. Subramaniam observed that such a pattern of education was in violation of the UGC regulations and the candidature of the petitioner was rightly rejected by the TRB.

The court said it was of the considered opinion that large number of such irregularities were found on account of non-adherence of the UGC regulations by various universities across the country. Though the UGC was aware of such irregularities, no effective steps were taken against such universities, the judge said.

Candidates are participating in recruitment process by virtue of such illegal and invalid degrees granted by such universities. The Madurai Kamaraj University is also involved in such irregularities. Thus, an inspection in this regard by the UGC was undoubtedly imminent and warranted, the court said.

GRH doctors remove four-foot-long rod from youth’s body
It pierced him below the neck
31/08/2019, STAFF REPORTER,MADURAI

A four-foot-long iron rod that pierced below the neck of a 27-year-old man was successfully removed by doctors at Government Rajaji Hospital here.

Gurusamy, a daily wage worker from Vadipatti, and a friend were returning home from Madurai on a two-wheeler in the night of August 26 when they accidentally fell into a roadside ditch near Thuvariman, where the State Highways department is widening the road. One of the protruding iron rods pierced Gurusamy below his neck and his friend sustained minor injuries. The duo were rushed to Government Rajai Hospital.

Hospital Dean K. Vanitha said that a five-hour-long surgery was conducted on the patient by a team of doctors, including surgeons, anaesthetists and plastic surgeons, without significant blood loss. “The patient was lucky as the villagers did not try to remove the iron rod, which would have complicated the situation,” said Dr. Vanitha.

A.M. Syed Ibrahim, professor of surgery, said that the rod pierced the youth in a crucial place near the jugular vein and carotid artery, which supplies blood to the brain.

“This is the first time that an operation of this magnitude was performed here. The availability of experts and medical assistance at the right time helped us make it a success,” said Dr. Vanitha.

The patient had been shifted to the post-operative ward, where he would be kept under observation for a few days, said Dr. Vanitha.

Retired TNSTC staff stage demo seeking disbursal of pension
Madurai Division alone accounted for ₹ 165.66 crore

31/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,MADURAI

Claiming their right: Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Retired Employees’ Association members staging a demonstration in Madurai on Friday. G. MoorthyG_Moorthy

The State government evinced interest only in launching new bus services and not in settling the mandatory finances on superannuation of its employees, said members of Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Retired Employees’ Association here on Friday.

Leading a demonstration as part of a State-wide stir, State deputy general secretary Devaraj said that the government had failed to honour its employees with pensionary benefits at the time of retirement.

Explaining the reasons for poor financial position, he said that TNSTC and the government were keen on introducing new buses. There were 35,000 retired TNSTC employees across the State.

Though several agitations were staged in the last 45 months for grant of pensionary benefits, nothing tangible had come out so far, he claimed and said that they would gather in front of the Secretariat in Chennai on September 24 to show their protest and draw the attention of the government.

In the past, the association, through a delegation, made representations to the Transport Minister and Secretary four times, but in vain, he said in response to a query from reporters.

The State government had, in its supplementary budget in April 2018, informed that ₹1,093 crore would be earmarked for disbursal of pension to all retired TNSTC /employees.

A Government Order to this effect was issued in August 2018, which stated that Madurai Division alone would get ₹165.66 crore, he said.

TANCET admissions end with 82% seats vacant

31/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Around 82% of the seats for postgraduate programmes in engineering colleges in the State will go vacant this year. The counselling for Tamil Nadu Common Admissions was held this week and of the 15,574 seats in the State, 12,801 remained vacant. Even in Anna University, of the 2,198 seats, 895 lie vacant.

Professors say one of the reasons is poor job opportunties for candidates with a PG qualification. AICTE’s decision to alter the faculty-student ratio from 1:20 to 1:25 also played a part, a faculty member said.

A faculty in a self-financing institution in the western region said the vacancies were higher in some departments alone. Of the 18 seats in civil engineering in the college 17 had been filled, he said. “We have to factor in the issue of students getting placed after applying for PG,” he noted.

Until a couple of years ago, IIT-Madras faced a similar situation. While UG candidates got placed easily, the institute struggled to place PGs.

It then made an effort to improve job opportunities for the students through their alumni network. Last year, it saw a turn around with PGs and research scholars also being placed with handsome pay package.

As dream crumbles, tribal student returns to cattle rearing in his village

NHRC registers case as student fails to get admission to veterinary, agri courses

31/08/2019, PON VASANTH B.A,CHENNAI

U. Chandran

U. Chandran, a tribal student from an unmotorable hamlet on Bargur hills, who passed out with flying colours in Class XII, despite all odds, has gone back to cattle rearing.

He failed to get admitted to the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) and Tamil Nadu Agriculture University (TNAU) due to alleged policy bias against vocational stream students.

Following a complaint by Sudar, a non-governmental organisation working against child labour, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has now registered a case and has sought a report from the Director of Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare (ADTW) Department.

Chandran was the fifth among the 11 children born to Udumutti and Pasuvi from Sundaipodu, roughly 60 km away from Anthiyur in Erode district.

He studied in a vocational stream — Agricultural Practices — in an aided school in Gobichettipalayam, by staying in an ADTW-run hostel. He secured 98% in his core subjects and 74% in total.

Reservation Arithmetic

In TANUVAS, 18 of the 360 seats (5%) in Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry course is reserved for the vocational stream. Despite topping the rank list in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category, he failed to get admission due to reservation arithmetic.

As per Tamil Nadu’s reservation policy, 1% is for ST. One percent of 18 is 0.18, which is rounded off to ‘zero’ and hence no seats,” said C. Nataraj of Sudar, adding that Chandran was heartbroken when the news reached him.

Su. Moorthy from the Forum for Education Development, who is fighting along with Mr. Nataraj in seeking justice for Chandran, said the situation in TNAU was worse.

“We have appealed to the Chief Minister’s office to allocate a seat for Chandran. We are hoping for the best,” he added.

Madras University to honour researchers

31/08/2019,CHENNAI

The University of Madras will celebrate Teacher’s Day by presenting awards to research scholars. Sudha Seshayyan, Vice-Chancellor of the Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University will distribute the awards, said Madras University V-C P. Duraisamy.

10 public sector banks to be merged

Big banks will have enhanced credit capacity and global 

competitive edge, says Nirmala Sitharaman

31/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

In what comes as the second wave of the government’s efforts to revive the economy, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday announced a slew of banking reform measures, including merger of 10 public sector banks into four entities. This would take the number of banks in the country from 27 in 2017 to 12, Ms. Sitharaman said.

These bank mergers, and the ones already carried out, will lead to the creation of big banks with an enhanced capacity to give credit, she said. These big banks, she said, would also be able to compete globally and increase their operational efficiency by reducing their cost of lending.

“We have chosen these banks for the mergers on the basis of ensuring that there is no disruption in the banking services, and that the banks should benefit from increased CASA [current account savings account] and greater reach,” Ms. Sitharaman said. “The banks that are being merged with each other run the same or very similar platforms, and so there will be no disruption in their activities.”

The largest of the mergers announced is that of Punjab National Bank with Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank. The amalgamated entity — to be called Punjab National Bank — will become the second-largest public sector bank in India, after the State Bank of India. It will also become the second-largest bank in India in terms of its branch network, with a combined total of 11,437 branches.

The second merger announced was that of Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank, which would render the merged entity the fourth-largest public sector bank. The merger also has the potential to lead to large cost reductions due to network overlaps, Ms. Sitharaman said, adding that the similar business cultures of the two banks would also facilitate a smooth transition.

The third merger is of Union Bank of India with Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank, the Finance Minister said, which would make the merged entity the fifth largest public sector bank. This merger would have the potential to increase the post-merger bank’s business by 2-4.5 times, she added.

TN Veterinary & Animal Sciences University directed to admit Overseas Citizen of India card holder

The Madras High Court said that holding a Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card is sufficient for admission under NRI quota.

Published: 30th August 2019 04:05 AM 

Madras High Court (Photo | EPS)

By Siva Sekaran

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Holding that for admission of a candidate having US citizenship in a university in India, the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card issued by the Central government alone is the sufficient document, the Madras High Court has directed the TN Veterinary & Animal Sciences University to admit an OCI card-holder in the first year BVSC & AH degree course for 2019-20.

Justice G Jayachandran gave the direction on Wednesday while allowing a writ petition from Karnan Jayabalan, a US citizen holding the OCI card, praying for a direction to the university to admit him in the course without insisting on proof of employment of NRI (specimen-III) and NRI bank account.

Earlier, advocate Hema Muralikrishnan told the judge that as per the prospectus, the OCI cardholders/Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) have been granted parity with NRIs. The prospectus also specifically excludes the NRI/OCI/PIO for consideration under the foreign national quota.


While so, having pursued his course throughout in Tamil Nadu, but being a citizen of the US and OCI cardholder, his only option is to compete along with the NRIs/wards of NRI/NRI-sponsored candidates under the NRI quota. As per the prospectus, he submitted the OCI card issued by the Union government, the only document available with him to prove that he is an OCI.

However, the university rejected his plea for admission, Hema contended. She referred to an amendment made to the Citizenship Act in 2015 and claimed admission to her client.

Accepting her arguments, the judge pointed out that the amendment had been made to accord the OCI cardholders certain rights. As a consequence to provide education for PIO and OCI candidates, parity has been drawn along with NRIs.

The documents necessary to prove the status of an NRI is entirely different from the documents that have to be submitted by a PIO/OCI. To prove PIO/OCI status, the card issued by the Centre would be the one and only document. The prospectus does not say anything about other documents.

Hence, the petitioner should be admitted, the judge said and accordingly gave the direction with a condition that the candidate should pay the fees only in US dollars and not the equivalent Indian currencies.

Bharatidasan University staff meeting with governor's secretary cancelled after stirring row
This followed criticism by invitees over the lack of any agenda and the mention in the university circular asking them to 'dress up in pleasing attire' for the event, which they deemed insulting.

Published: 29th August 2019 01:32 PM

Bharathidasan University in Tiruchy

By Express News Service

TIRUCHY: A meeting scheduled on Thursday at Bharatidasan University between varsity staff and R Rajagopal, the Governor’s additional general secretary, was called off.

This followed criticism by invitees over the lack of any agenda and the mention in the university circular asking them to 'dress up in pleasing attire' for the event, which they deemed insulting.

The meeting was also criticised on the grounds that it amounted to bypassing authority. Balamurugan, general secretary of the Association of University Teachers (AUT), said, “It is clearly bypassing the authority of the higher education department of the state. They chose to do this without consultation or involvement of the department which AUT condemns.”




“Apart from stating the time and the venue of the meeting, there were no clear details about the meeting, especially the agenda,” said a member of the Teachers Association of Bharathidasan University.

“Asking us to dress up in pleasing attire was insulting. We are supposed to stand before students each day. What exactly was meant by the statement?” wondered another staff member.

Educationist Prince Gajendra Babu said, “The Governor performs the role of Chancellor in a decorative capacity. A formal meeting with university stakeholders to be chaired by the governor’s secretary is unreasonable. The vice-chancellor and the higher education department hold authority. With the higher education department not involved, the meeting is just bypassing authority. This is the first time I am hearing about such a meeting.”

Speaking to Express, additional general secretary Rajagopal said, “I am not going to Bharathidasan University today. The university officials may have thought that I would drop in on my way to South Zonal Cultural Centre at Thanjavur. They have not asked me before issuing the circular.”

The circular signed by the university registrar was dated Wednesday and the meeting was scheduled in the University on Thursday. It was said in the circular that Rajagopal was to interact with deans, directors and co-ordinators of the University.

The registrar and vice-chancellor were not available for comment.

Parts of Chennai to have power shutdown on August 30, here's the list
As a part of routine maintenance works, Tangedo will be suspending power supply in areas like Velachery, Adyar, Madhavaram and Avadi.

Published: 28th August 2019 06:52 PM | Last Updated: 28th August 2019 06:52 PM

Power supply will be resumed before 5 pm if work is completed, Tangedco said in a statement (File photo | EPS)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: For carrying out maintenance work, power supply will be suspended by Tangedco on Friday (Aug 30) 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 list of areas which will face outage

VELACHERY: Part of Velachery Tambaram main road, Part of 100 Feet Taramani Link road, Sarathy Nagar, Seetharam nagar, SPIC nagar, Entire Dhandeeswaram Nagar.

MADHAVARAM: Parvathipuram, Industrial Garden, Annai Nagar, Veti Nagar, Srinivasa Modern Town, Dhanalakshimi Nagar, Chetti medu Ponniamman Koil street, Telecom colony, Manjambakkam Eri Karai, Omakulam street, Athikula medu, Periya Mathur.

SASTHIRI NAGAR: Thiruvalluvar salai, 1 st to 4 th East Street, Valmiki street, Sivasundara Avenue (1st and 2nd street).


NEELANKARAI: Pandian salai, Surya garden, Kumaraguru Avenue, Sivan Koil Street, Ellai Amma Koil street, Sengeni Amman Koil st, ECR – Liberty company to Police station, Kabaleswarar nagar (North and South), Sunrise Avenue, Anna nagar 1 st to 4 th st, Saraswathi nagar (South and North).

THIRUVANMIYUR: L.B Road 1 part, Indiranagar 1 st Main Road, 2 nd Main Road, Indiranagar 1 st Cross st, Indiranagar 1 st Avenue, Teachers colony, Balaraman road.

AVADI: Kalaigar nagar, Koilpathagai main road, Part of Poompzhil Nagar, Kannanapalayam part.

PALAVAKKAM: Ambedkar Nagar, Canal Puram, Govindan Nagar 1 st to 7 th st, Vaiko salai, Maniammal st (Canal road), Krishna nagar 1 st to 8 th st, Kovalavili Amman st 1 st to 15 th st, Periyar Salai, Pachaiappan street ,1 st to 11 th streets, DSG st 1 st to 4 th streets, Kandasamy nagar 8 th to 10 th streets, Gandhi Nagar 1 st to 4 th streets.

Oral cancer stalks the poor in rural Kuppam

High rates reported among agricultural labourers addicted to chewing tobacco and gutkha

30/08/2019

Help is at hand: Health officials organising a cancer screening and awareness camp at Kuppam in Chittoor district of A.P.

The largely rural district of Kuppam on the junction of three major southern States — Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu — has recorded an alarming increase in cases of oral cancer over the last decade. The intensity of the disease has gone up in recent months. The frequency of oral cancers is higher among women in the Kuppam belt.

The dependence of a large proportion of the population on manual labour for livelihood is seen as a major factor contributing to the rising rates of oral cancer. The region of Kuppam, Santhipuram, Gudupalle and Ramakuppam mandals is home to a large number of agriculture labourers. In addition, a huge number of youth from the district depend on odd jobs in Bengaluru and Chennai — both major cities within a day’s commute.

Given the hard manual labour, this vast group is forced to undertake, addiction to tobacco products, particularly the chewing variety is common.

Families afflicted

Three members of a six-member family — a couple and their son — at Mallanur were all detected with oral cancer in a span of just three years. The head of the family, Senthil, said he had acquired the habit of chewing tobacco from his father.

“Since 2012, I got addicted to gutkha, consuming close to 10 packets a day. I was diagnosed with oral cancer in a Bengaluru hospital in 2017. Later, I recovered. Unfortunately, I continued the habit. Now, I am hit by the malignant disease on the other cheek,” he said.

Sugunamma, a worker at the flower gardens in Kuppam, said surgery for cancer caused by chewing tobacco had left her disfigured. “I quit the habit. But the cancer has done its damage, and I am yet to recover fully. My daughter inherited this vile habit from me. But after counselling, she has given it up for good,” she said.

The incidence of oral cancer is also found to be high among the youth from Kuppam. Working away from home in hard conditions, many take to chewing tobacco and smoking.

Medical camps

Alarmed by the high rates of cancers, the district medical authorities have been holding medical and awareness camps in recent months.

District Medical and Health Officer B. Ramagiddaiah told The Hindu that the number of victims in the rural pockets was very disquieting. In addition to oral cancer, cases of lung, throat and intestinal cancers were also detected.

“In recent months, we had arranged surgeries for about a dozen cases from Kuppam area,” the DMHO said.

No heavy vehicles on Mumbai-Goa highway during Ganapati festival
30/08/2019, AJEET MAHALE,MUMBAI

High demand: Eco-friendly clay idols from Mylapore in Chennai on display at Mumbai’s Matunga market on Thursday, ahead of Ganesh Chathurthi. Prashant Nakwe

No heavy vehicles carrying goods or freight will be allowed on the -Goa highway during the period of Ganapati festival to ease the congestion as a large number of people travel to their home towns.

The State government announced on Thursday that trucks or large trailers carrying bulky goods will not be permitted on the road. Only essential goods such as milk, petrol, fruits and vegetables, and liquid oxygen for medical use will be allowed.

The ban on heavy vehicles will be in force in three phases spanning 10-day-long festivities.

The first phase will start at 8 p.m. on Friday and go on till noon on September 2, which is the first day of the festival.

The ban will also be in force from September 7 to September 8 and from September 12 to September 13. On the other days — September 3 to September 6 and September 9 to September 11 — heavy vehicles will not be allowed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“Given the number of people who go to their home towns during the festival, we have taken this decision to make their journey easy and safe. We will also run more State transport buses on the route to clear the extra rush,” State Transport Minister Diwakar Raote said.

Railways to pay ₹20,000 for serving contaminated food

30/08/2019, STAFF REPORTER,NEW DELHI

A district consumer disputes redressal forum here has directed the Northern Railway to compensate a complainant by paying ₹20,000 after an insect was spotted in the food provided to the complainant during his journey to Delhi.

The directions came when complainant Pankaj Bansal moved the consumer forum alleging deficiency in services on the part of the railways.

Noting that despite the man lodging a complaint, no action was taken, the consumer panel observed, “We find that [Northern Railway] was deficient in its services as despite having a grievance cell and maintaining a complaint book, no action on the complaint was taken. Therefore, having a grievance call and maintaining a complaint book seems to be farce and eye wash for the public at large.”

Free travel for women gets Cabinet nod

30/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

The Delhi Cabinet on Thursday accorded in-principle approval to free travel for women aboard Delhi Transport Corporation and cluster buses beginning October 29, the State government said in a statement.

Alliance Air, AI Express ban single use plastics

30/08/2019,NEW DELHI

Air India subsidiaries Alliance Air and Air India Express have stopped usage of single use plastics from Thursday, including the use of 200 ml water bottles. Plastic cutlery and tea cups served on-board will also be replaced with eco-friendly options.

Patna HC withdraws judicial work from judge
Bench suspends order issued by him
30/08/2019, , SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,PATNA

Justice Rakesh Kumar ANI

The High Court has withdrawn all judicial work from a sitting senior judge of the court, Rakesh Kumar, who had in the course of hearing a corruption case against a former IAS officer on Wednesday highlighted the state of corruption in the judicial system. A 11-judge bench also suspended Justice Kumar’s order and ruled that no action ordered by him would be taken.

‘No jurisdiction’

“All the matters pending before Hon’ble Mr. Justice Rakesh Kumar, sitting singly including tied up/part heard or otherwise stand withdrawn with immediate effect,” read a notice issued by the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court on August 28. “The registrar will implement the order forthwith subject to further orders with regard to the formation of the bench,” the bench said in the notice. The bench also observed that their fellow judge had no “jurisdiction to pass such an order on a case that had been closed.”

T.N. top priority for Central govt., says Union Minister
Gowda asks CIPET students, staff to adopt villages and make them plastic-free

30/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Union Minister Sadananda Gowda inaugurating the boys hostel on CIPET campus in Chennai on Thursday. G. Sribharath

Tamil Nadu is a top priority for the Central government and the demands from the State will be attended to promptly, said Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers D.V. Sadananda Gowda.

He inaugurated the nine-storey boys hostel at the Central Institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology (CIPET) on Thursday.

The facility, built on 9,750 square metres, can accommodate 950 students in a total of 191 rooms. In addition, 25 more hostels will be constructed in CIPET centres across the country.

Addressing the gathering, the Minister requested people of Tamil Nadu to actively participate in making the country free from single use plastics.

He asked the students and staff of the CIPET to adopt a few villages near Chennai on October 2 and make them free of single use plastics.

The proposal to establish a technology centre at CIPET Chennai at a cost of ₹88.25 crore with advance machinery worth ₹4.35 crore was under consideration, he added.

Following the decision to make country free of single use plastics, his Ministry got many representations. Subsequently, an expert committee, comprising researchers and industrial members, was formed.

“They have done a detailed study on how to eradicate single use plastic and their alternatives among other factors. They have already submitted a draft and it is currently being examined along with the Union Ministry of Environment,” he said.

The Minister said plastic waste management centres will be set up in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Patna and Varnasi at a cost of ₹six crore each.

Packaged food

Saidapet MLA Ma. Subramanian said that when he was the Chennai Mayor he banned use of plastic in beaches and hill stations. “Many food industries use coated plastic for packaging. The Central government should direct such industries not to use coated plastic and promote biodegradable plastic,” he said.

Judge explains right usage of legal terms

30/08/2019, STAFF REPORTER, ,MADURAI

A session on the conduct of criminal cases was held on the District Court premises here on Tuesday. Principal District Judge A. Nazeema Banu addressed the panel advocates of the District Legal Services Authority.

Speaking at the event, she said that under Section 304 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, it was the bounden duty of the State to provide legal aid to those who could not afford legal representation. Similarly Article 39A of the Constitution ensured free legal aid to the needy.

Elaborating on various procedures under the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Penal Code on the conduct of criminal cases, she said that the usage of the terms ‘Private Complaint’ and ‘Charge Sheet’ were colloquial in nature.

For Private Complaint under Section 244 of the CrPC, the right term was warrant case initiated otherwise than on a police report.

The right usage for the term charge sheet under Section 173 of CrPC was Final Report, she said.

While framing a charge under Section 211 of the CrPC, the contents must include the time, place and date of the occurrence, which should be mentioned in the language of the court, she said.

The fine amount payable for petty cases could be made through post,the Judge added.

Doctors advise against practice of giving mercury to children
Infant, reportedly administered the substance, is under treatment in Thanjavur

30/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,THANJAVUR

Doctors at the Rajah Mirasdar Government Hospital have cautioned people against administering mercury to infants under the misconception that it would cure a swollen belly in newborns. The practice is believed to be prevalent in some of the rural areas of the delta region.

A two-week-old infant, who was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition apparently after being administered mercury to reduce the swelling, is still under treatment at the hospital. The infant reportedly had a slight belly bulge at the time of delivery at the Government Hospital, Mayiladuthurai and was treated by the doctors. After discharge of the mother and child, its relatives had reportedly administered a bit of mercury dipped in betel leaves thinking that it would help clear the stomach of the child.

‘Natural remedy’

When the child was brought back to the Mayiladuthurai hospital, the mother, Sumithra complained that the infant was not taking milk and was crying very often. An X-ray of the stomach was taken where the doctors found some stone like objects in its intestine. Further, enquiries with the child’s relatives reveal that the infant had been administered with mercury as a “natural remedy.”

Subsequently, the infant was referred to the Rajah Mirasdar Government Hospital, Thanjavur, where the doctors put the infant under IV fluids. The Resident Medical Officer, RMGH, Usha Devi, said on Thursday evening that the child’s condition was stable and the heavy metal present in the body had moved a few inches away from where it was located in the first X-ray. Since it was advisable to allow the foreign object to slide out naturally from the intestine, the doctors treating the child have decided not to feed the child for next one or two days as the IV fluid support had ensured normal condition of the baby, she said.

Stressing that it would always better to avoid feeding the infant other than breast milk at least for three months, the RMO said such a practice would help the child acquire immunity naturally from the mother.

Government Law College inaugurated near Theni

30/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,THENI

Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam inaugurated a Government Law College, the 14th one in the State, at Upparpatti on Thursday.

He said the government had set up eight law colleges in the State in the last three years.

“It helped in ensuring justice to all,” he said.

Noting that legal studies would provide job opportunities to students, he said they could become lawyers, legal consultants for firms or judges.

He urged law students to be law-abiding citizens and concentrate on studies to achieve greater heights in life and render quick justice to the common man.

Law Minister C.V. Shanmugam said government law colleges were getting good infrastructure, like e-zone and Wi-Fi. Besides, 186 posts of lecturer in law colleges had been filled up.

The students were getting assistance to participate in moot court competitions held abroad and many students had come out with flying colours.

“The number of applications received for admission to government law colleges is an indication of good infrastructure in our institutions,” he said.

The college would temporarily function on a private school premises at Upparpatti. The land for the college was yet to be identified.

HC declines to direct release of Rajiv convicts

Issue pending with Governor: court

30/08/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

The Madras High Court declined to ask the authorities to release Nalini Sriharan and six other life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

The court said the Tamil Nadu Council of Ministers had already recommended the premature release of the seven convicts last year. A direction to release them could be issued only if the authorities had failed to discharge their duties, the High Court said. Dismissing the petition filed by Nalini, the Bench comprising Justice R. Subbiah and Justice C. Saravanan said the recommendation sent by the Council of Ministers representing the Government of Tamil Nadu on September 9, 2018, was pending the consideration of the Governor. “Therefore, it is not as if the respondents herein have failed to exercise the powers conferred under Article 161 of the Constitution of India,” the Bench said.

Dindigul lock, Kandangi saree get GI tag

The two iconic products face similar challenges and have been on the decline over the years

30/08/2019, SANGEETHA KANDAVEL , A. SHRIKUMAR ,CHENNAI/MADURAI

Dindigul artisans make over 50 varieties of locks.G. Karthikeyan

Will granting the Geographical Indication (GI) tag to two iconic, but dying products from Tamil Nadu be able to revive them?

The products — the Dindigul lock and the Kandangi saree — were given the GI tag by the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai on Thursday. While the application for the lock was made by the Dindigul Lock, Hardware and Steel Furniture Workers Industrial Co-operative Society Limited, the Amarar Rajeev Gandhi Handloom Weavers Co-operative Production and Sales Society Limited filed the application for the Kandangi saree.

It remains to be seen whether the GI tag will infuse fresh interest in these two products and improve their performance in the market, and thereby revive the workers dependent on these products.

“Dindigul lock and Kandangi saree were registered today,” Chinnaraja G. Naidu, Deputy Registrar of Geographical Indications, said on Thursday. He added that both these products were losing their sheen in the market, and the GI tag would help them get some recognition.

Lock City

The famous Dindigul locks are known throughout the world for their superior quality and durability, so much so that even the city is called Lock City.

The abundance of iron in this region is the reason for the growth of the lock-making industry.

Though machine-made locks are easily available, government institutions like prisons, godowns, hospitals and even temples use the older pattern locks. These lock manufacturing units are limited to an area of 5 km in and around Dindigul. There are over 50 varieties of locks made by the artisans.

But over the last few years, this industry has been slowly dying due to competition from Aligarh and Rajapalayam. Marketing these locks has also been a challenge. A. Premkumar, a third-generation lock maker, who runs Jegankumar Industries in Nagal Nagar, said, “The lock industry in Dindigul is focussed [more] on quality than production (referring to quantity). Aligarh replicates mechanisms from here but produces in large quantities. The GI tag will help people differentiate Dindigul locks from others.” He added that several people have moved away from the craft due to meagre wages and waning demand.

Currently, this industry is worth over ₹20 crore per annum.

The Kandangi saree, manufactured in Karaikudi taluk in Sivaganga district, is facing challenges similar to Dindigul lock’s. V. Krishnaveni, who runs Sri Mahalakshmi Handloom Weaving Centre in Kanadukathan, said the GI tag for the Kandangi saree will help revive lost patronage. The market is flooded with sarees that are woven in other parts of the State and look like the Kandangi saree.

The original Kandangi saree is manually made using a winding machine, loom, shuttle and bobbin. It is a team effort of the families who live in the town of Karaikudi and it forms part of their livelihood. These sarees are characterised by the large contrast borders, and some of them are known to have borders covering as much as two-thirds of the saree.

The sarees are usually around 5.10 meters – 5.60 meters in length. The Kandangi sarees exude brilliant colours like bright yellow, orange, red and a minimal black in the traditional pattern of stripes or checks with broad borders woven in coarse cotton. Over the years, more interesting colours have been introduced for the saree, which is worn in a particular manner.

What ban? Plastics abound 8 months after they are proscribed
Street vendors and small traders biggest violators of the ban

30/08/2019, DEEPA H. RAMAKRISHNAN , ALOYSIUS XAVIER LOPEZ,CHENNAI

Making the switch: Youngsters using paper straws distributed by students of Sindhi Model Senior Secondary School to drink tender coconut water.R. Ravindran

The city’s garbage dumpyards at Perungudi and Kodungaiyur continue to receive plastics every day from bins, door-to-door collection and street sweeping. This, despite the ban on single-use plastics, in place since January 1.

“Though over 80% of the 140-odd licensed manufacturing units in the State have shifted to manufacturing permissible plastic items and the others have just shut shop and left, banned plastics seem to be available in the market. From where they come, one cannot say. But the ban has led to the shutting down of legitimate units and seems to have facilitated illegal trade,” said B. Swaminathan of the Tamil Nadu Plastics Manufacturers' Association.

This is due to the fact that most of the 27,195 enumerated street vendors and a large number of licensed traders continue to use banned plastics in various parts of the city. After the ban, the bigger shops, including supermarkets, switched to cloth or jute bags. A section of consumers too converted. “It is the small trader and road-side shops that are finding it difficult to switch. If banana leaves were available in place of plastic covers, flower vendors would gladly change back to leaves. But those are not available. Similarly, alternatives that are available in the market are not cheap or easily accessible. MNCs that use multi-layer plastics for packaging have also not been reined in by the ban,” said A.M.Vikramaraja, president, Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangankalin Peramaippu. “Though many residents have switched to carrying cloth bags and associations are working towards reducing garbage going to dumpyards, banned plastics are still being used by street vendors and small shops. This is because alternatives to banned plastics are not affordable and these banned items are still easily available. The government should explore alternatives to plastic bags for customers,” said V.S. Jayaraman, of T. Nagar Residents Welfare Association.

Nungambakkam resident N. Ramesh said the government should advise retail shops to give the customers bags made of newspaper to carry the items they buy. “The retail outlets sell poor quality cloth bags for ₹15, making a profit from the sale of such bags. This is unethical. The shopkeepers refuse to even wrap products in a newspaper. I request the government to intervene and direct the civic agencies to regulate such practices,” said Babu, another resident.

Enforcement on

For its part, the Greater Chennai Corporation’s sanitary inspectors have seized 264 tonnes of banned plastics from 2.63 lakh premises across the city in the past eight months, collecting ₹55.04 lakh as penalties.

Officials in zones such as Kodambakkam, Royapuram, Anna Nagar, Adyar, Perungudi and Valasaravakkam have seized the largest quantities of banned plastic products. Chennai Corporation has claimed that the seized plastics were being shredded for road relaying. But the banned plastics have not been used for relaying most stretches in the city in the past few months, officials said. Inadequate manpower, particularly among sanitary inspectors, has led to challenges in enforcement of the ban, they pointed out.

Officials also estimated the quantum of banned plastics sent to dumpyards had come down. However, there is no study on how much it has come down by. “The quantum of banned plastics reaching dumpyards has reportedly reduced by 50%. We will carry out a waste characterisation study shortly,” said N. Mahesan, Chief Engineer (Solid Waste Management). Former DMK councillor Deva Jawahar said the civic body was unable to enforce the ban on plastics because of the transport of banned plastics from neighbouring States and purchases by small traders.

Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department secretary Harmander Singh said the department was taking steps to implement the ban. “A huge quantity of plastic has been seized and fines imposed. All big fruit and vegetable shops and retail showrooms have changed to non-plastic materials. So it will be wrong to say plastic has come back. It is a big challenge and everyone, including media, has to play a role. Our drive against plastic continues,” he said.

Free dialysis centre opened in Perungudi

30/08/2019, STAFF REPORTER,CHENNAI

Tamil Nadu Kidney Research (TANKER) Foundation opened its eighth free dialysis unit at Chennai Corporation’s Urban Community Health Centre in Perungudi. Corporation Commissioner G. Prakash inaugurated the unit on Thursday. This was TANKER’s third unit in collaboration with the Greater Chennai Corporation.

King’s College Hospital of London may set up branches in T.N.
Pacts inked for upgrading skills of medical professionals, disease control
30/08/2019, STAFF REPORTER,CHENNAI

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami after signing an MoU with King’s College officials in London.

The Tamil Nadu government has signed a memorandum of understanding with King’s College Hospital, London, to establish branches in the State.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who is on an official visit to the U.K.

A senior health department official confirmed that the State government would help facilitate the setting up of such hospitals in Tamil Nadu.

Other than the U.K., the CM will visit the U.S. and Dubai as part of a tour that started on August 28 and will go on till September 10.

Pacts on skill development of doctors and nurses in the State as well as control of infectious diseases were also signed. Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar and Health Secretary Beela Rajesh were present.

Tamil Nadu government is partnering with U.K.-based International Skills Development Corporation (ISDC) to improve skills of healthcare professionals.

Mr. Palaniswami also visited the London Ambulance Service to see how the 108 ambulance service in T.N. can be improved. The State has 942 ambulances as of now, and the service handles 3,300 emergency cases on an average daily. The purpose of the visit was to see how certain features of the London Ambulance Service could be implemented in the State to reduce fatalities in road accidents.

RTI QUERY REPLY

K’taka govt says no bar on people sitting cross-legged in its offices

Kiran.Parashar@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:30.08.2019

Is sitting cross legged in government offices banned? No, says the Karnataka chief secretary’s office in reply to an RTI query.

After a police constable asked his advocate-friend not to sit cross-legged in front of a police officer’s chamber at a police station, activist T Narasimha Murthy sought from the state’s top bureaucrat “any order, guideline, notification, directive or announcement” that restricts citizens from sitting cross legged in government offices, including police stations.

The chief secretary’s office has replied in the negative and instead attached an answer available online to a similar question raised on Quora.com, a citizen-centric platform.

According to the online information shared by the chief secretary’s office, a boss, who is unmindful of a junior sitting before him or her cross-legged, is high on self-esteem. If a superior officer takes exception to a junior sitting cross-legged, then it exposes his insecurities. Murthy and his advocate-friend Sudha had recently visited Hennur police station in Bengaluru.

SIT AS YOU LIKE

What crossing one’s legs means

While there is something about raised blood pressure and poor posture in crossing your legs while sitting, across cultures, it is seen as disrespectful and rude or casual at the very least. Body language wise, crossing the legs in front of someone is seen as establishing dominance and displaying confidence. Coupled with crossed arms, though, it projects being closed to the conversation or interaction at hand.

Non-Hindu workers of Tirumala temple must quit: Jagan govt
Tirupati:30.08.2019

The Andhra Pradesh government has ordered that employees of the Tirumala temple who converted to non-Hindu religions should quit as they can’t continue in their posts.

Authorities were directed to check the antecedents of all the employees of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the affairs of the world’s richest Hindu temple atop Tirumala.

Chief secretary L V Subrahmanyam, during his visit to the temple early this week, said if necessary surprise checks would also be conducted at the houses of the employees to ensure that they are not practising non-Hindu religions. “There are employees who have converted to other religions. It’s their choice. Nobody can stop them from doing so but they can’t continue in their jobs in the TTD. Nobody should hurt the religious sentiments of others,” he said.

Subrahmanyam said while every individual was free to follow and practice the religion of his choice, no non-Hindu can continue to serve in the TTD. “Such people should come out and speak with courage and leave,” he added.

There are an estimated 48 non-Hindu employees in TTD and they came under scanner amid concerns being expressed in some quarters over increasing proselytization in Tirumala.

Last year after a video of a TTD official praying at a church had gone viral, the higher-ups had removed some non-Hindu employees.

The chief secretary also assured measures to strictly implement orders issued in the past banning propagation of other religions in Tirumala. The latest move by the Jagan Mohan Reddy government comes amid controversies and mounting criticism by the opposition, especially Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which dubbed him “anti-Hindu”. IANS

Chief secretary L V Subrahmanyam said while every individual was free to follow and practise the religion of his choice, no non-Hindu can continue to serve in the TTD