Rain continues to lash city, suburbs 
 
Heavy to very heavy showers to continue: IMD

08/09/2019 , Bhumika Pruthi, Mumbai 


 
No respite: Heavy rain on Saturday does not keep these policewomen away from overnight duty on Marine Drive.Arunangsu Roy ChowdhuryArunangsu Roy Chowdhury

Moderate to heavy rains continued in and nearby areas on Saturday, even as Ganapati immersions were conducted on the fifth day. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy to very heavy showers in the next few days.

K.S. Hosalikar, Director-General of Meterology, IMD, tweeted from his official handle, “Latest satellite image indicated intermittent heavy showers to continue. It is Ganpati Visarjan Day in Mumbai and Maharashtra and at other places too. Take care while intense spells (sic)”.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) recorded a total of 6,508 immersions on Saturday, of which 32 were from public Ganeshotsav pandals, 5,540 were household Ganesh idols and 936 were Gauri idols. As many as 1,109 of the idols were immersed in artificial lakes and no untoward incidents were reported despite the heavy rains and unfavourable weather conditions, civic officials said.

Mr. Hosalikar also tweeted that “Model guidance for 24/48 hours indicate enhanced rainfall activity including Mumbai and around, over west coast and Madhya Mah. Vidarbha also, Activity is likely to reduce tomorrow on west coast (sic).” The forecast for Sunday on the IMD Mumbai website, “Generally cloudy sky with heavy spells of rain likely to occur at isolated places in city and suburbs.”

Velankanni car festival draws a huge crowd

08/09/2019 , Staff Reporter, Velankanni

A sea of devotees gathered to witness the grand car procession, an important event of the annual festival at Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Health in , on Saturday.

A row of seven illuminated cars, five shouldered by women while two, including the largest one - of Our Lady of Health, clad in a silk sari -were shouldered by men while devotees tried to get their best view of the procession, all while chanting ‘Mariye Vazhga.’

Bishop of Kottar Most Rev Nazarene Soosai presided over a concelebrated Holy mass earlier in the evening.

The procession started from the entrance of the main shrine around 8 p.m. and ended around 9 p.m. when the procession returned to the basilica, where the benediction was conducted.

Rev. Fr. P. Yagappa Rajarethinam, Procurator; Rev. Fr. S.A. Susaimanickam, Parish Priest and Vice-Rector; Very Rev. Fr. A.M.A. Prabakar; and other priests of the diocese participated in the event.

Coimbatore to get 50 new buses by September end

08/09/2019 , Staff Reporter, Coimbatore 


One of the 50 newly imported buses procured by the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation in Pollachi on Saturday.

The city will receive 50 new buses by the end of September, an official from the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) confirmed here on Saturday.

Painted in bright red, these new buses will replace the semi low floor (SLF) buses currently plying on the roads.

Out of 50, a total of 20 buses have already arrived at Pollachi, the official said.

The buses have been upgraded to meet the Bharat Stage (BS) – VI emission standards as mandated by the Supreme Court of India. The buses will also have air suspension systems.

“All these buses will be equivalent to private buses in terms of quality,” according to the official.

The routes, fixing of number plates and other necessary approvals from the government are yet to be finalised, the official said.

Tripura University V-C resigns 
 
Sting operation by local TV channel showed him taking bribe

08/09/2019 , Syed Sajjad Ali, Agartala

The Vice-Chancellor of Tripura University, Vijaykumar Laxmikantrao Dharurkar, resigned on Saturday two days after a local news channel carried out a sting operation that showed him accepting a bribe to favour contracts. University sources have confirmed his resignation.

The university’s senior-most faculty, Sangram Sinha, who was in Kolkata, has been appointed as interim V-C till the Ministry of Human Resource Development announces permanent selection for the post, sources added.

Registrar’s request

“The Registrar has requested me to return immediately,” Dr. Sinha told The Hindu before boarding a flight for Agartala.

Prof. Dharurkar took over as V-C in July last year and his tenure was for five years.

He replaced Prof. A.K. Ghosh, who too had landed in controversy over corruption charges.

The local news channel had played multiple videos and audio clips showing Prof. Dharurkar negotiating and accepting cash from a representative of a Kolkata-based printing company.

Woman loses jewellery worth ₹10L on flight
 
08/09/2019 , Special Correspondent, Bengaluru

A 40-year-old woman filed a complaint alleging that her jewellery worth ₹10 lakh was stolen from her bag while she was travelling from Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in to Jodhpur via New Delhi on Thursday.

The victim, Shanthi Coni, a resident of Hosur, discovered the theft only after landing at Jodhpur when she found that someone had tampered with the lock on her bag. She filed a complaint with the Jodhpur police who transferred the case to the airport police here. “The theft did not take place at KIA. We have verified footage from CCTV cameras and confirmed that the theft may have occurred at another airport,” said a police officer.

Power shutdown tomorrow

08/09/2019 , Staff Reporter, BENGALURU 

 

There will be an interruption in power supply on Monday from 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. in areas fed by 66/11-kV Kadugodi MUSS owing to “emergency line clear” on transformer 2 for maintenance work. 

According to a Bescom release, the areas to be affected are Nagondanahalli, Immdihalli, Mythri Layout, Dinnur, Vijayanagar, Gandhipura, Immadihalli, ITPL Main Road, Kadugodi Industrial Area, Ambekarnagar, Sai Layout, Prashanth Layout, Upkar Layout, Vinayaka Layout, Byrappa Layout, and Borewell road.

Spurt in IVF queries from elderly couples

08/09/2019 , G. Venkataramana Rao, Vijayawada

In-Vitro Fertility (IVF) centres in have seen a spurt in enquiries from “overaged couples” , putting doctors in a dilemma.

A doctor requesting anonymity told The Hindu that the new found interest may be the result of the successful conception by a 73-year-old woman who gave birth to twin girls at a hospital in Guntur on Thursday.

“The news seems to have kindled hope in the hearts of several elderly couples. Some of them are quite desperate, have started making enquiries again putting specialists in a spot,” said a doctor who runs an IVF centre.

The Indian Society for Assisted Reproduction (ISAR), Indian Fertility Society and the Academy of Clinical Embryologists in a joint statement on the Guntur case, “strongly condemned this act of mindless misuse of IVF technology”.

Between 18 and 45

According to the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill, 2017, “The Assisted Reproduction Technology services shall not be available to a woman below the age of eighteen and above 45”.

IVF specialist at the Nova IVI Fertility Y. Swapna, who has worked at the Jessop Fertility Centre in Sheffield, U.K., said IVF centres needed proper regulation with qualified staff and required equipment.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HEFA) provided clear guidelines and if any centre was caught violating the guidelines, it would immediately be stripped of the licence, she said.

Flight diverted to Madurai

08/09/2019 , Special Correspondent, Thoothukudi

The Chennai – flight was diverted to Madurai after visibility plummeted due to a dust storm that lashed the airport area on Saturday evening.

As severe dust storm hit the airport area, the Chennai – Thoothukudi flight that left for its destination with 71 passengers onboard at 2.40 p.m. was diverted to Madurai.

Consequently, the return flight service to Chennai from Thoothukudi was also cancelled, much to the hardship of 68 passengers waiting at the Thoothukudi airport.

While some of them cancelled their trip, alternative arrangements were made to send other passengers to Madurai from where they took the flight to Chennai.

Rainfall may increase from Tuesday: IMD
 
08/09/2019 , Special Correspondent , CHENNAI

Chances of rainfall over the State, particularly coastal areas may increase from Tuesday, according to the Meteorological Department.

N. Puviarasan, director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, said there was a possibility of upper air circulation forming over the Bay of Bengal next week. It was expected to move westwards towards Tamil Nadu. The system and convective activity may synchronise to bring fairly widespread rainfall across the State from Tuesday or Wednesday. This would mean up to 75% of the weather stations may get light to moderate rains.

Chennai, the Nilgiris and Kanniyakumari are among the districts that have recorded over 20% above average rainfall this southwest monsoon. Tirunelveli and Theni which received 95% and 71% more rains than normal for the season topped the chart of districts with excess rainfall.

HC judge makes his office transparent, literally

08/09/2019 , Mohamed Imranullah S., CHENNAI

Justice S.M. Subramaniam of the Madras High Court has made the functioning of his office transparent, literally. After efforts to get a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera installed in his chamber failed, he has affixed clear see-through glass on doors to his office.

Any person walking through the corridor that leads to his chamber, on the second floor of the heritage building of the High Court, can now see everything that happens inside.

On February 14 he passed a judicial order directing the Registrar (Administration) of the High Court to install a CCTV camera inside his chambers in two weeks. The direction was issued before making a “strong recommendation” to install similar cameras inside the chambers of all bureaucrats.

Recalling the words of Mahatma Gandhi that “an ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching,” the judge said he would want a CCTV camera to be affixed in his chambers first before making a similar recommendation to the government to avoid complaints of sexual harassment.

Disposing of a batch of writ petitions related to a complaint of sexual harassment lodged by a woman Superintendent of Police against her superior in the rank of an Inspector General of Police, Justice Subramaniam said CCTVs inside the chambers of bureaucrats would help safeguard the interest of women employees. Though nearly seven months had elapsed since that order was passed, the High Court administration did not affix a CCTV camera. When he called for an explanation, the Registry told the judge that his verdict on the writ petitions had been taken on appeal to a Division Bench. Hence, there was a delay in implementing the directive.

Not wanting to wait any more, he instructed the PWD, which renovated his chambers recently, to avoid tinted glasses on the doors to his chambers and sought see-through glass sheets.

High Court lawyers rally behind Tahilramani
She resigned after being transferred
 
08/09/2019 , Legal Correspondent, CHENNAI 


 
Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani

Scores of lawyers practising in the principal seat of the Madras High Court in Chennai as well as its Madurai Bench have rallied behind Chief Justice Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani, who has tendered her resignation in protest against her transfer from the chartered High Court to the relatively new and smaller High Court of Meghalaya.

While one section of lawyers has decided to stage a demonstration outside the High Court campus on Monday to impress upon the Supreme Court collegium to withdraw its decision to transfer her, many others decided to convene the general body meeting of their associations to discuss the further the course of action to be taken.

The Madras High Court Advocates Association (MHAA) in Chennai as well as the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court Bar Association (MMBA), represented by its secretary N. Ilango, have individually convened extraordinary general body meetings of their respective associations on Monday afternoon to discuss the issue.

“An unprecedented situation has arisen in the country with the Chief Justice putting in her papers in protest against her transfer.

“A majority of our members want to express solidarity with her and impress upon the Supreme Court collegium to reconsider its decision on transfer. However, a final decision will be taken by the general body,” Mr. Ilango said.

‘Liver transplantation to begin at GRH in 6 months’
Work on to set up a wing to treat transgenders: Dean

08/09/2019 , Staff   Reporter, MADURAI

The Government Rajaji Hospital will begin liver transplants in the next six months, according to Dean K. Vanitha.

Speaking at a press conference here on Saturday, she said several patients were coming to the hospital with liver-related problems.

Since the start of the new Surgical Gastroenterology department at the Super Speciality Ward in the GRH, S. Padmanabhan, Head of the department, said that they had dealt with over 400 cases.

“One such case was of a 60-year-old patient from Bodi, who came after consulting at several private hospitals in and around Madurai after complaining of abdominal pain, hunger and weight loss. After performing tests, we discovered that the patient had a tumour in his liver through preoperative diagnosis. The tumour was indeed large and successfully removed eight days ago,” Dr. Padmanabhan said.

He said the operation which lasted over six hours saw usage of expensive and technically advanced equipment.

“Through a 3-D laparoscopic surgery, we could detect and remove 60% of the liver and the gall bladder. The rest is healthy. The tumour weighed 6.5 kg,” he said. He said that such cancer was caused because of excessive drinking, obesity, the presence of fatty liver disease as well as Hepatitis B and C.

“Usually, chemotherapy and radiology are not effective. Only surgery works,” he added. Dr. Vanitha said the anaesthesiology department worked in tandem with the surgical gastroenterology department to ensure the operation was successful.

She added that works were under way to set up a wing to treat transgenders and a skill development unit near the trauma care centre.

Smiles vanished, tension took over

08/09/2019 , Praveen S., Bengaluru

The anticipation across the country to watch Chandrayaan-2’s lander Vikram set down on the moon was akin to the feverish wait of a sports fan prior to a big game.

By nightfall on Friday, #Chandrayaan2 was on top of the India Twitter trends with about 1,00,000 tweets every hour. National Geographic had roped in a former NASA astronaut for its live telecast of the event.

Celebrities across the world — including astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and entrepreneur Jeff Bezos — cheered for India in its second lunar exploration mission.

Some 400 journalists gathered at a makeshift media centre in an expansive lawn at the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru.

Television reporters and camera persons jostled to get the best shots. A few others were mining information from a few scientists and science writers present.

Defining moment

Four hundred metres away, at the Mission Operations Complex (MOX), ISRO scientists, headed by Chairman K. Sivan, were awaiting the defining moment of their years-long work. As the space vehicle approached its destination, the women and men who had toiled on it, were hoping and continuing to work for its successful soft-landing. Accompanying the scientists at the MOX were Prime Minister Narendra Modi, government officials and 60 students from classes 8 to 10, who had won an online quiz of the ISRO.

“The entire world awaits the data from Chandrayaan-2,” Dr. Sivan had said on the eve of the landing.

But the soft-landing itself, Dr. Sivan had hinted, was usually a suspense thriller. “[It] is extremely complex, and we will experience approximately 15 minutes of terror,” he had said after offering prayers at Tirumala on July 13.

Expectant silence

As Chandrayaan-2’s lander Vikram (named after Vikram Sarabhai) began its descent, an expectant silence prevailed on the ISTRAC campus, with a hush falling over the voluble media centre. Even the Prime Minister’s hitherto beaming face suddenly grew solemn.

Around 1.50 a.m. on Saturday, when Vikram began its vertical descent phase, Dr. Sivan conveyed a message to the Prime Minister.

Ten minutes later when Mr. Modi left his seat, the media guessed something was wrong.

But there was no official announcement. Suspense mounted. At 2.16 a.m., Dr. Sivan, with a slight shake in his voice, said, “Vikram lander descent was as planned and normal performance observed up to an altitude of 2.1 km. Subsequently, communications from lander to ground station was lost. The data is being analysed.”

Tamilisai to be sworn in as Governor today

08/09/2019 , CHENNAI

 

Tamilisai Soundararajan will be sworn in as Governor of Telangana on Sunday. Telangana High Court Chief Justice R.S. Chouhan will administer the oath of office to her. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and others will be present.

Metrowater driver gets 5 years’ jail for running over three girls
Four pedestrians were injured; truck cleaner let off
 
08/09/2019 , R. Sivaraman, CHENNAI 


 
The victims were at the Guindy bus stop and were heading to Chellammal College.File Photo

A Mahila court sentenced the driver of a water tanker that mowed down three students of the Chellammal College in 2016 on Anna Salai to five years of imprisonment.

R. Rajendran, 42, the driver of the tanker that was contracted to Metrowater, was found guilty and convicted for culpable homicide not amounting to murder punishable under Section 304 Part-II IPC and sentenced to undergo five years’ imprisonment.

According to the chargesheet filed by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Traffic Investigation Wing, Ashok Nagar, in the afternoon of October, 13, 2016, Rajendran of Virudhunagar got his tanker filled from the station in Thiru.Vi.Ka. Industrial Estate, Guindy, and started driving rashly on Anna Salai.

The tanker ran over L. Chitra, 20, and C. Asha Shruthi, 20, third year B.Com students, and M. Gayathiri, 19, a second year B.Com student. They were standing at the Guindy bus stand to go to their college.

Two students, Jayshree and Meena, and two others who were walking on the road, Savararaj, 65, and Omanakutttan, 40, were injured.

After knocking them down, the tanker crashed into an autorickshaw and two two-wheelers near the SPIC building.

“Earlier, the truck’s cleaner Mayakannan goaded Rajendran to drive faster so they could get two additional trips to make more money,” the chargesheet read. The cleaner was also charged.

Fine imposed

The trial was conducted before the Mahila court on the Madras High Court campus.

At the end of the trial, judge R.N. Manjula held the driver guilty for offences cited by the prosecution but held that the cleaner was not guilty.

A fine of ₹20,500 was imposed on the driver.

ISRO scientists work to decode Chandrayaan-2 lander failure
Increased horizontal velocity may have cast lander away, suggests scientist

08/09/2019 , Madhumathi D.S., BENGALURU 


 
Words of solace: PM Modi consoles ISRO Chairman K. Sivan in Bengaluru after the link with the lander was lost. PTIPTI

Hours after India’s dream of placing a lander spacecraft on the moon crashed on Saturday morning, Indian Space Research Organisation’s teams associated with the still orbiting Chandrayaan-2 mission were looking for clues in the last minutes of data from the lander Vikram.

The lander was to have set itself down on the moon's surface at 1.55 a.m. on Saturday. It had been descending for 12 minutes. However, three minutes before lunar touch down, it lost contact with the earth and went blank. It was 2.1 km above the moon’s surface then, ISRO said soon after it detected the setback around 2 a.m.

Possible causes

On what went wrong, a senior space scientist, who has worked on all three ISRO planetary missions, said an increased horizontal velocity might have cast the lander away from the planned site (shown with red lines on the consoles) causing ISRO to lose its link with the lander. “The search for it may be wider now. Only subsequent visits of the orbiter should tell us where it is,” he said.

He suspected that instead of losing velocity as it came down, the lander may have gained velocity at some point. It may also have lost its orientation or attitude (orientation/tilt) — which then increased its velocity. An attitude loss or tilt can also cause a loss of link or telemetry. Add to it the already working speed and moon's gravity — and it could have crashed to death from a height of 2 km, he said.

Although the terrain between two craters was mapped well, obstruction by hills or sand high rises could not be ruled out, according to him.

CONVERSATIONS

‘God is not for sale’  08.09.2019

President of Shri Ram Chandra Mission and advocate of Heartfulness Meditation DAAJI KAMLESH PATEL tells PRITI AGRAWAL that we need to approach God with love and not greed

How can a seeker differentiate between a genuine spiritual master and someone who is faking it?

God is not for sale. People try to sell the name of God in various ways. There are people who ask money for God-realisation and that’s really funny.There is no ‘paid’ spirituality, it is only greed.There is no need to renounce anything for spirituality.Renouncing must happen naturally. Renunciation is basically non-attachment with your belongings.

One should approach God with love, not with greed to fulfil desires. It does not mean that we should not have any desire to do our duties, which is our dharma towards our family and work.You should perform all your duties in Divine consciousness and submit the result of karma to God.What we do and think repetitively, if we do not offer to God, then it forms an impression.Slowly it hardens and permeates our subconscious and settles down in our causal body, Atman.The same seed we carry with our atman, called samskara, we carry it forward life after life. Every day, we should offer a prayer to God, asking for forgiveness for our wrong deeds and thoughts.

We always talk about our actions and their results, but forget about our inactions. If you are not fully prepared for your exams, then your inaction will haunt you even in your dreams. So the inaction towards your studies troubles you.The consequences of inaction are more painful than performing action.These impressions form by inaction,because you deliberately did not do something.When we deliberately do or don’t do anything then we have different levels of samskara.When I do something casually, I can erase it through yogic practices, but when knowingly or deliberately I do something, it is not easily erased.

You focus a great deal on Heartfulness Meditation.

How does this help strengthen the mind?

Today’s young generation needs wise direction, and in order to inculcate any action, the heart has to be purified first to give correct signals to the mind. Sometimes you feel that this is the right thing to do, but you don’t have the courage to do it. Through Heartfulness Meditation, you receive wisdom to do the right thing,and also inner courage to follow your heart’s feelings.Your brain follows only heart signals. Once we correct the heart, everything gets corrected automatically.

Patanjali describes the fundamental requirements for a spiritual seeker — viveka,power to discriminate between right or wrong, between cause and effect.This viveka comes from the heart only. Sahaj Samadhi has four levels of consciousness — waking, dreaming, dreamless sleep and turiya state.The beauty of the turiya state is that you are in a sleep-like state but yet fully awake.You are relaxed,poised, at peace and you are fully aware of what is happening around you. In this state, the mind has merged with its source, the heart, although some thoughts and senses are still somewhat active.

Most spiritual masters talk about living in the moment — how can this be achieved?

When you always follow your heart, you will be in the now. If you practise the heartful way of meditation, you can be here in your heart and at the same moment, you can do so many things. For instance, a child learning to ride a bicycle, starts with a four-wheel cycle, and slowly tries to master the art of riding.Then, after sufficient practice, he will ride it with two wheels. Initially, you have to support him, but after some days of practise, he becomes perfect and starts taking the bicycle to school and market without any support and guidance.Although riding is not his main activity as he may sing and also observe things around while cycling. Now he is not conscious of his bicycle, now it has become his second nature. If a child can be trained, why not an adult be trained to paddle heart-consciousness, and do things with heartful feelings all the time? You can be busy with what you are doing and at the same time, connect with the inner Self.

Can you describe the state of enlightenment?

The state of being enlightened is when you become one with the Divine.When there is some discrimination between devotee and deity, between a water drop and the ocean, then there is a sense of separateness. When a raindrop falls into the ocean, is there a water drop left to speak about its nature and how it feels to become the ocean? Similarly, when a devotee merges in a deity, there is no devotee left to talk about it, but he is retained at some level to teach others.You feel the nectar or bliss in yourself all the time.

Follow Kamlesh Patel at

speakingtree.in

WHEN A RAINDROP FALLS INTO THE OCEAN, IS THERE A WATER DROP LEFT TO SPEAK ABOUT ITS NATURE AND HOW IT FEELS TO BECOME THE OCEAN? LIKEWISE, WHEN A DEVOTEE MERGES IN A DEITY, THERE IS NO DEVOTEE LEFT TO TALK ABOUT IT

3-year-old mobile addict avoids loo, wets bed

Priyangi.Agarwal@timesgroup.com

Bareilly:08.09.2019

Imagine a threeyear-old addicted to mobile phone being counselled. When a woman brought her three-year-old son to Mann Kaksh, counselling centre at Bareilly district hospital, she complained that her child was suffering from bed-wetting (enuresis) and needed help. Later, though, it turned out that he was not going to the loo because he didn’t want to leave the phone for a few minutes.

And the toddler, who spent around eight hours daily watching ‘Doraemon’ and ‘Motu Patlu’, is not alone. In an eye-opener for parents, Mann Kaksh has received 39 cases of children addicted to mobile phones in two months — most of them belonging to age group of 10 to 18 years, growing up in a virtual world of social media and video games.

Dr Ashish Kumar, psychiatrist at district hospital, told STOI, “In majority of the cases, it came to light that parents provide mobile to their children at an early age to keep the kids busy so that their own work is not affected. This later becomes a cause of addiction and bad behaviour among children.”

On the three-year-old boy’s counselling, Khush Ada, clinical psychologist at Mann Kaksh, said, “In the case of three-year-old addicted to phone, his mother would handover mobile to her child while performing household chores”.

Most parents who visit the counselling centre complain of study-related problems and headache among children. However, after going through case history, they learn that the root cause is mobile addiction.

“Children spend hours on their phones browsing social media sites and playing games. They start living in a virtual world and ignoring studies and sleep. If a phone is taken away from them, they become agitated,” added Ada.

CMO Dr Vineet Shukla said, “Parents should restrict use of phones among children. To keep kids engaged, parents should make them play in the open.”

Dr Kumar said, “Many young people end up spending hours on phones to cope up with anxiety and depression. The long hours on mobile disturb their sleep.”

Govt relaxes NEET PG courses cut-off

Sushmi.Dey@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:08.09.2019

In an attempt to address the large number of vacant seats in super speciality medical courses, the health ministry has approved relaxing of the eligibility cut-off for NEET PG for 2019-20.

With this, the qualifying marks for super speciality in cardiothoracic and vascular surgery, cardiology and pediatric surgery has been reduced to 20th percentile, whereas that for other PG courses it has been brought down to 40th percentile. At present, the cut-off is 50th percentile.

“The Board of Governors reviewed the proposal in terms of the vacant seats and the number of additional eligible candidates to be provided for filing the vacancies in Super Speciality Courses. In principle it was decided that the reduction in percentile should provide at least double the number of vacant seats,” a letter from BoG secretary general R K Vats to health ministry said.

For full report, www.toi.in

9 states, including TN, execute MV Act in toto
Some Others Mull Ways To Ease Penalties
Dipak.Dash@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:08.09.2019

At least nine states and Union territories including Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and Haryana have implemented the amended Motor Vehicles Act in totality by notifying the compoundable offences while the rest are buying time working out ways to see if they can soften the blow somewhat for violators.

While the states seem to be in a fix over whether the local government can notify lower fines for the compoundable offences. There are 24 compoundable offences under the revised MV Act, which means in these cases the offender can pay the fine on the spot and doesn’t need to go to court to deposit it. But most of the states have not yet notified the designated officers who can compound the offences on the spot.

“We are waiting see what our neighbouring states are doing and how much compounding fee they are notifying for the offences. This will help us work on parity,” Madhya Pradesh transport commissioner Shailendra Srivastava told TOI while refuting reports of MP not implementing the amended Motor Vehicle Act.

Even the West Bengal government is watching the response to enforcement of the central law. “There is no mandatory requirement to issue a notification.

We will frame rules but there is a six-month-period at hand. The penalties in the Act mention the maximum amount.

The state has powers to frame rules that grade the penalty into sections with lower fines for initial offence,” a transport department official said. Interestingly, BJP-ruled Goa is unlikely to enforce the law till December.

Car driver fined for not wearing helmet

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesgroup.com

Agra:08.09.2019

If you are driving a car in Aligarh, don’t forget to wear a helmet. Surprised? The traffic police recently fined a city-based businessman ₹500 for this purpose.

Peeved by the challan, Piyush Varshney chose an innovative way to express his anger. He reached the traffic police office on Saturday, wearing a helmet inside his car. “I was unaware that I had been issued an e-challan for not wearing a helmet in a car. I came to know last night, when I saw a message sent by traffic police on my mobile phone,” he said.

Traffic police sent a message to the owner of Maruti SCross that a challan has been issued against vehicle number ‘UP 81 CE 3375’ for a traffic violation of not wearing a helmet and directed the driver to pay ₹500. Piyush told TOI that his car is registered in his father’s name, Suresh Chandra Gupta. Showing a copy of the challan, Piyush said, according to this, if the car owner doesn’t pay the fine, legal proceedings would be initiated against him.

Aligarh traffic SP Azizul Haque said he has received a complaint.

“Sometimes such errors occur while feeding numbers to issue e-challans,” he said. Haque added there are provisions in the software to correct mistakes and it can be cancelled too, if found incorrect. “We have corrected many such mistakes earlier too,” he claimed.

Expect good rain from next week & after Sept 15: Experts

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:08.09.2019

The city may have experienced dry weather for the last two days, but going by the weatherman’s forecast, there could be light to moderate rain in some parts for the next two days.

According to the Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, “The sky condition is likely to be generally cloudy. Light to moderate rain is likely to occur in some areas during evening or night.”

Days are cloudy but also a lot warmer. On Saturday, temperature rose to 36.1°C in Nungamakkam and 36°C in Meenambakkam, about 1.6°C and 1.3°C above normal.

Experts said good spells of rain could be expected beginning next week and after September 15, when the southwest monsoon may reach the break period season and eventually begin withdrawing.

If the city’s water crisis eased in the last few weeks, it’s because of the effect of the southwest monsoon that brought convective rain in excess of 21% to the city between June 1 and September 7.

Weather blogger Pradeep John said the rain this season improved groundwater levels.

“With great rains in August, the groundwater has improved in the city except for north Chennai regions of Madhavaram and Thiru-vi-ka Nagar where the rains were less. With good spells of rains expected in city from 9th to 17th September, we can expect further improvement of groundwater.”

Inquiry committee submits report in revaluation scam
Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai 08.09.2019

An in-house inquiry panel formed by Anna University to examine the revaluation scam and procurement of marksheets has completed its inquiry and submitted reports to the university for further action, sources said. Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) had uncovered the revaluation scam wherein candidates’ marks were inflated and students with single digit marks got more than 75 marks after revaluation. Three faculty members, including former controller of examinations, G V Uma, were suspended.

Along with the DVAC’s inquiry, the university formed an internal inquiry panel. “The committee found evidence for 12 cases against the former controller of examinations,” a committee member told TOI.

In one case, using the 15 marks rule, a candidate who scored just seven got 75 marks after revaluation. “The first evaluation awarded seven marks and in revaluation he was awarded 45 marks. As the difference was more than 15 marks, another revaluation was needed. In the second revaluation, 75 marks were awarded,” the member added. The final score was 75 as the difference between the first and second revaluation was less than the difference between first evaluation and revaluation. That is, 45 and 75 are closer than 7 and 48. “The rule was misused,” the member said. Further, there was another case related to purchase of ₹62crore worth marksheets with added security features.

PIL seeks to revoke ineligible admissions of 5 med students
Scored Below Minimum Pass Marks Of 119

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:08.09.2019

Almost a year after admission to MBBS course was completed in the state for the academic year 2018-19, a PIL has been moved in the Madras high court seeking to revoke such admission of five students who scored less than 119 (minimum eligibility) in NEET-2018 through management quota.

Admitting the plea moved by Rajendran Chingaravelu of Pudukottai, a division bench of Justices M Sathyanarayanan and N Seshasayee ordered notice to the directorate of medical education (DME) returnable by September 26.

According to the petitioner, MCI regulations mandate that every candidate seeking admission to MBBS secure minimum marks in the NEET fixed by the authorities every year.

The rules make it clear that no candidate who has failed to obtain the minimum eligibility marks shall be admitted to MBBS course in the said academic year.

The minimum NEET marks fixed for the academic year 2018-19 was 119. However, bypassing the minimum eligibility, PSG Medical College, Coimbatore and SRM, Trichy have admitted a total of five students who scored less than 119 in NEET, petitioner’s counsel PVS Gridhar said.

A reply to an RTI query made by the petitioner revealed that more than 170 MBBS seats allotted under NRI quota were left unfilled till the last day of counselling for MBBS in 2018 which was also not published in the website nor notified.

Subsequent to the counselling, the unfilled NRI seats were allowed to be converted as management quota seats which can be filled by the colleges themselves.

It is under such seats all the five students who scored less than 119 were admitted, he alleged.

The petitioner claimed that such admissions are made in violation of law with impunity and making unjust gain depriving legitimate meritorious candidates of seats leading to deterioration of quality of medical education by admitting unqualified candidates thereby endangering health and life of ordinary citizens.

Centre's RTI Act amen ..

Read more at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/70991320.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Centre's RTI Act amen ..

Read more at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/70991320.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Lack of integrity: Madras high court upholds dismissal of judge

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | J STALIN

Published  Sep 7, 2019, 2:39 am IST

Judicial officer is required to maintain absolute integrity and honesty in discharge of his functions.

Madras high court

Chennai: Pointing out that a judicial officer is required to maintain absolute integrity and honesty in discharge of his functions without giving any room for any complaint, much less complaint touching his integrity and honesty, the Madras high court has upheld an order of the state government, imposing a punishment of compulsory retirement from service on a additional district judge, Dharmapuri, for the proved charge of lack of integrity and corrupt practice (by hurriedly granting bail to an accused despite stiff opposition from the prosecution).

A division bench comprising Justices R.Subbiah and C.Saravanan dismissed a petition filed by R.Anburaj, an Additional District Judge, Dharmapuri, challenging a GO dated March 1, 2017, which imposed the punishment of compulsory retirement from service on him.

The bench said the charges levelled against the petitioner relates to his dishonest motive and lack of integrity in granting bail to an accused on June 24, 2013, in spite of stiff opposition by the additional public prosecutor. The crux of the charges leveled against the petitioner was that when he was in-charge of the court of Principal District Judge in the place of regular Principal Judge between June 21, 2013 and June 24, 2013, on June 21, on the basis of a representation made by an advocate to take up a petition filed on behalf of an accused Dr.Ganesan, he had directed the bench clerk to alter the date of hearing of the petition from June 25 to June 24, so as to enable him to take up the petition, purportedly to show undue favaouritism to the accused therein. Further, the taking up of the bail petition by the petitioner was opposed by the APP to the effect that a similar bail petition has been filed and it was pending before judicial magistrate, Pennagaram, while so a parallel petition need not be entertained. The APP also further opposed the grant of bail on the ground that the investigation in the case was likely to be transferred to CBCID. Despite such objections the petitioner had taken up the petition, called for the records from the judicial magistrate, Pennagaram, and found that the petition was dismissed in the morning and granted interim bail to the accused therein on the same day namely June 24, the bench added.

The bench said, “At every stage, the procedures required to be adhered to in a departmental proceeding has been followed by the respondents (state government, the registrar general and the registrar (vigilance) over which we cannot interfere. To be precise, there is no procedural violation in conducting enquiry against the petitioner and therefore, interference of this court is not warranted”.

The bench said when the charges leveled and proved against the petitioner goes to the root of the honesty and questionable integrity in discharge of his duties, “We are not in a position to appreciate the submission made by the counsel for the petitioner that the punishment imposed on the petitioner is unwarranted and excessive”.

Chennai doctors give new lease of life to Afghan

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

PublishedSep 7, 2019, 3:19 am IST

I feel like I have been born again.

Patient Ahmad Ulla Poya flanked by his uncle Mohammed Poya and Dr K.M.Cherian

CHENNAI: For Ahmad Ullah Poya, now 28, of Afghanistan, life was not a bed of roses. After escaping the Taliban, he was working as a school bus driver when he was transferred to Karachi, Pakistan in 2014, due to the threat of the Taliban.

However, life did not get any better for Ahmad in Pakistan as he was soon diagnosed with 'Shone's complex', a rare congenital heart disease, consisting of multiple left heart obstructive defects. After he failed to get treatment in Pakistan, he turned towards India. With his uncle's help, a building construction contractor, based in Melbourne, Australia, he got in touch with Ms Florence Gough who recommended Dr K. M. Cherian, CEO and Chairman of Frontier Lifeline Hospital, Chennai. He had had to face difficulties in obtaining a visa. Nephew and uncle landed in Chennai on 15th August and Ahmad's surgery was successfully performed on August 25. He is now doing well, informed doctors at Frontier Lifeline Hospital.

"I feel like I have been born again. I can never thank Dr Cherian for all that he has done for me. He's given me back my life and every little thing that I feel now, feels new to me. My heart is beating and sometimes I place my hand on it to see if it is real, because all this feels like a dream. The people here, my doctors -

Dr Anto and Dr Ayyappa, have been so supportive throughout the surgery and after it. The nurses and each and every other staff member has given a lot of priority to my uncle and I," said an emotional Ahmad after surgery.

"Ahmad has been through a lot and it is very unfortunate that he had to encounter such difficulties. With the success of this surgery, he not only has another shot a life but also the chance to live a healthy one," said Dr.Cherian, who drafted a letter to the visa officer at Afghanistan on his behalf. Ahmad's next check up has been scheduled six months from now.

A few years ago, two Afghani children, Zamzama and Zarif underwent cardiac surgeries at Frontier with the help of Seema, a UK-based citizen and Dr Cherian.

Woman’s plea against Kilpauk hospital for transfusion of HIV+ blood rejected
When the matter came up for hearing last week, Kumar told Justice P D Audikesavalu that the government had constituted a panel, which conducted a detailed enquiry on the complaint of the petitioner.

Published: 07th September 2019 05:09 AM |

For representational purposes

By Express News Service

CHENNAI : Accepting the arguments of Additional Advocate-General A Kumar, the Madras High Court has rejected a plea from a pregnant woman, who alleged that HIV-contaminated blood was transfused to her when she went to the Government Hospital in Kilpauk for a medical check-up and sought to punish the doctors, including the Dean, besides payment of compensation towards damages.


When the matter came up for hearing last week, Kumar told Justice P D Audikesavalu that the government had constituted a panel, which conducted a detailed enquiry on the complaint of the petitioner. The panel came to the conclusion that there was no evidence to prove that the petitioner – S Vedavalli (28) of Mangadu near City – had contracted the HIV infection secondary to the blood transfusion performed at the KMC hospital.

In fact, she was detected to have already afflicted the disease for the first time at the KMC hospital alone and was provided all necessary treatment and ensured that she gave birth to a healthy baby. Her child was also given necessary treatment to prevent HIV infection and now the child is free from any infection. Hence, the judge dismissed the writ petition.

University of Madras revokes admission of Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle leader

The student Kirubamohan T, currently pursuing a course in MA Buddhism at the University, said the administration cited "non-possession of eligibility certificate" as the reason for revocation of admis

Published: 05th September 2019 10:19 PM 

A protest organised by Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle at Madras University premises (File Photo | P Jawahar, EPS)

By PTI

CHENNAI: Some students of the University of Madras on Thursday protested against the revocation of admission offered to a student allegedly for "organising protests" in his capacity as secretary of Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle, a student group, during a course he pursued at the university previously.

The Vice-Chancellor P Duraisamy, Registrar R Srinivasan and Head of the Department of Philosophy M Venkatachalapathy could not be reached for comments.

The student Kirubamohan T, currently pursuing a course in MA Buddhism at the University, said the administration cited "non-possession of eligibility certificate" as the reason for revocation of admission.

He said it has been a month since he started attending classes.

"But my HOD told the administration had problem with my association with Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle and for organising protests during my previous course, MA Journalism, from which I graduated in 2018," he told PTI.

During admission, he said he was informed that an eligibility certificate would not be necessary as he had been a student of the university.

Terming it a "flimsy" reason, a political science student and member of APSC Valarmathi, who took part in the protest, said there were many students who continued attending courses without the eligibility certificate.

"This is an attempt to gag voices of politically-active students on the campus," she said.

DMK President M K Stalin condemned the move saying "The party condemns such acts that are intended to crush freedom of expression and right to education that are in accordance with the Indian constitution."

Kirubamohan said he has sought intervention of Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K P Anbalagan and Principal Secretary Mangat Ram Sharma into the issue.

Upload staff vacancy by Sept 20: UGC

It mandated universities and colleges to initiate and complete the selection process to fill up vacant posts within a period of six months.

Published: 07th September 2019 05:05 AM 

By Express News Service

COIMBATORE: University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed universities and affiliated colleges to upload details of staff vacancies and recruitment process on the University Activity Monitoring Portal (https://www.ugc.ac.in/uamp/) by September 20. In June, the UGC has come up with guidelines for recruitment of faculty in universities, colleges and institutions deemed to be universities.

It mandated universities and colleges to initiate and complete the selection process to fill up vacant posts within a period of six months. It also asked colleges to follow the selection process as per their acts and statutes in accordance with the UGC Minimum Qualification for Appointment of Teachers and other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and other measures for maintenance of standards in higher education regulation 2018.

The guideline also said that the Human Resource Development Ministry and UGC will monitor filling up of vacancies and directed higher education institutions to upload details of vacant posts and reservations on the portal.

It may be noted that the UGC had earlier asked universities and colleges to upload the details of all vacant posts, along with the reservations and advertisement details, on National Higher Education Resource Centre website.

PC’s day one in Tihar jail: Walking, reading, porridge & visit from son

New Delhi:07.09.2019
After a restless night spent on a wooden plank in his prison cell, former Union minister P Chidambaram began his day in Tihar jail on Friday with a walk in the courtyard, some reading and then a meeting with his son Karti, sources said.

The senior Congress leader, who was taken to Tihar on Thursday evening, remained on edge the entire night, they said. His morning, which began with a walk in the jail courtyard and a light breakfast of tea and porridge at 6am, was spent reading religious scriptures and the day’s newspapers, they said.

Later in the day, the senior Congress leader got a visit from his son. His advocate was also expected to meet him. The veteran politician, who is lodged in Jail No.7 which usually houses those accused in Enforcement Directorate cases, asked for a cot to sleep on but will get it only after a medical examination by a jail doctor finds he needs one, sources said.

The Congress leader, who was also the home minister during UPA-2, was sent to judicial custody for 14 days on Thursday in a corruption case related to the INX Media group. Chidambaram, who will be 74 on September 16, could well spend his birthday in jail if he doesn’t get bail before that.

He has been given no special facilities, except a separate cell and a western toilet as specified by the court, prison officials said. Like other inmates, he has access to the prison’s library and can watch television for a specified period. Before being given his cell, Chidambaram underwent a mandatory medical checkup. His son Karti was also lodged in this cell for 12 days in the same case last year. PTI

Cong leaders not allowed to meet PC
New Delhi:

A team of Congress leaders which went to meet former finance minister P Chidambaram in Tihar Jail on Friday was denied permission to meet him.

The jail authorities told them that only Chidambaram’s family and his lawyers were permitted to meet him.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had delegated party leaders Mukul Wasnik, P C Chako, Tamil Nadu MP Manickam Tagore and Avinash Pande to visit Chidambaram in jail.

The leaders who went in the afternoon were, however, turned away.

On Friday, the former finance minister was allowed visits by his son Karti and his lawyers in the afternoon.

Chidambaram was sent to judicial custody for 14 days for his alleged involvement in the INX Media corruption case, a charge he has denied. — Swati Mathur

Rajini’s daughter loses luggage at Heathrow, recounts ordeal

New Delhi:07.09.2019

Superstar Rajinikanth’s daughter Soundarya Rajinikanth has raised concerns about passenger security and safety at airports and in flights after a harrowing experience she faced at London’s Heathrow Airport.

Soundarya and her husband Vishagan Vanangamudi lost their luggage at the London airport as they waited at a lounge for their chauffeur. She took to Twitter to share her ordeal.

“How secure are passengers and their belongings at an international airport? Our hand luggage got stolen on 1/9/19 at the Heathrow airport Emirates chauffeur lounge as we waited for our car. We immediately filed a complaint with the local Heathrow patrol. We were asked to wait to hear back from the cops via email,” she wrote slamming the airlines.

“The next day we received an email from them that the CCTV cameras in the Emirates chauffeur lounge were faulty and didn’t record anything on the day of the theft. This is shocking and absolute irresponsibility from the airline and airport we trust as International passengers. We lost valuables and my husband lost his passport. This has been a very traumatic experience,” added Soundarya, known for helming films such as “Kochadaiiyaan” and “VIP 2”.

Raising question about the safety assurance of the passengers, she said: “Authorities and airlines should be accountable! This should not happen to us and certainly should not happen to anyone else.” IANS

Kerala doctor quits IMA panel over silence on doctor’s detention in J&K

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Thiruvananthapuram:07.09.2019

Upset over the studied silence of the Indian Medical Association’s national leadership against the detainment of Dr Omar Salim in Jammu & Kashmir, a Kerala doctor quit from the IMA’s national standing committee. However, the IMA has condemned his stand and said that a team of IMA will be in Kashmir in the coming week to meetthedetaineddoctor tofind out the real facts of the matter.

Dr K V Babu from Kannur resigned from the national standing committee on media of IMA on Thursday. Dr Omar Salim of government medical college, Srinagar was detained by armed forces, alleging that he had talked to media. He was released on August 28.

However, the national leadership of the IMA has objected to the claims made by Dr Babu. “The IMA has a state unit in J&K andwewereunabletocontact them due to communication hurdles. If we want to react on an issue, first, we will have to know what exactly happened. For this our team is reaching this region this week and will be meeting the doctors there. Only then can we give a clear picture,” said IMA secretary general Dr R V Ashokan.

Dr Babu said despite several pleas made to the national leadership,they were not ready to come out in support of the doctor. “Hence, I felt there is no point in continuing in the standing committee on media of the IMA. I have no voice to speak to the media now when the leadership itself has taken such a stand. I cannot justify the detainment,” said Dr Babu.

Earlier, the IMA national leadership had come out in open against The Lancet editorial which flayed the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

The editorial had said, “Militant presence raises serious concerns for the health, safety, and freedom of Kashmiri people. Prime Minister Narendra Modi vows that his decision to revoke autonomy will bring prosperity to Kashmir. But first, the people of Kashmir need healing from the deep wounds of this decade-old conflict, not subjugation to further violence and alienation.”

Dr K V Babu from Kannur said despite several pleas made to the national leadership, they were not ready to come out in support of Dr Omar Salim of government medical college, Srinagar, who was detained by armed forces, alleging that he had talked to media

NCTE Notification toi 07.09.2019

HC refuses to stop tax recovery action against tech giant
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.09.2019

The Madras high court on Friday upheld an order dismissing a plea moved by information technology major Cognizant, challenging the recovery proceedings initiated by the income tax department for non-payment of ₹2,912.25 crore dividend distribution tax (DDT).

A division bench of Justice M M Sundresh and Justice M Nirmal Kumar also confirmed the interim order directing the company to deposit ₹490 crore, 15% of the total tax demand to be kept in a suspense account by the department pending disposal of appeal to be moved by the company before the appellate authority.

“We do not find any error in the order of the single judge with respect to the deposit made during the pendency of the interim order as erroneous. It is only an interim arrangement directed to be made pending the appeal,” the bench said.

The court, however, set aside the findings of the single judge on the nature of transaction and the scope under Section 115-O of the Income Tax Act.

The issue as to whether the tax demand order should be preceded by a procedure involving adjudication and the requirement of violation of principles of natural justice are also left open to be decided in the appeal, the bench added.

The issue pertains to the order passed by a single judge of the court dated June 25 dismissing the plea moved by Cognizant challenging the tax demand for remitting ₹19,415 crore to its nonresident shareholders in the US and Mauritius towards buyback of 94,00,543 of its equity shares in May 2016.

The dismissal was passed on the ground that the company has not exhausted all other available legal remedies before approaching the high court. Aggrieved, the company has moved the present appeal.


The court dismissed a plea moved by software giant Cognizant challenging action initiated by I-T department over ₹2,912 crore of unpaid tax

TN law univ students win sports meet

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.09.2019

Students from Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University (TNDALU), Chennai, won the overall championship at the recently concluded SPIRITUS 2019-2020 all India inter-law schools sports meet.

Around 25 law schools and universities from various states participated in the meet held at National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, from August 31 to September

2. TNDALU students won gold medals in table tennis (women), throw ball (women), volleyball, chess, tennis and football (men) and bagged the overall championship and athletics championship awards. They also emerged runners up in swimming events (men & women).

Applications called for post of physiotherapist

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.09.2019

The state government has invited applications for direct recruitment to the post of physiotherapist (grade - II) on temporary basis in Tamil Nadu medical and subordinate service. There are 77 vacancies for the post with a pay scale of ₹36,200 to ₹1,14,800.

Interested candidates with a degree in physiotherapy and less than 30 years old can apply on or before September 11. Age relaxation is applicable for those belonging to reserved communities, ex-servicemen and people with disabilities categories. Application forms are available on Medical Services Recruitment Board’s website (www.mrb.tn.gov.in). Applicants will be shortlisted based on a written test to be conducted on November 3.

HC faults labour court in sexual harassment case

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.09.2019

Pulling up a labour court here for ordering the reinstatement of an employee of a citybased private company who was accused of sexual harassment by a subordinate, the Madras high court has observed that such award would communicate a wrong message to society at large.

“All such allegations of sexual harassment in the present-day circumstances are to be viewed seriously and all suitable actions both under the criminal law as well as under the Sexual Harassment Act are to be initiated against persons, who are involved in such offences or misconducts,” Justice S M Subramaniam said.

This being the factum, the judge said he had no hesitation in coming to the conclusion that the award of the labour court is infirm and legally unsustainable. “Consequently, the award dated September 15, 2017, is quashed and the writ petition stands allowed,” the judge added.

The issue pertains to an appeal moved by a private company in Poonamallee challenging the order of the labour court directing reinstatement of the accused in the sexual harassment complaint, D Kannan, with full benefits from the date of his termination. The labour court passed the order solely on the ground that the complainant had withdrawn her complaint in the middle of an inquiry.

Censoring the labour court judge for the award, Justice Subramaniam said, “Violence against women is perhaps most shameful human rights violation and it is perhaps the most pervasive. It knows no boundaries of geography, culture or wealth. As long as it continues, we cannot claim to be making real progress towards equality, development and peace.”

Laptop taken away from magistrate’s car at HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.09.2019

A laptop of a chief judicial magistrate was allegedly stolen on Thursday from her car parked on the Madras high court campus, a high-security area.

The incident has officials worried.

The high court is under the security cover of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the city police. Security personnel do not allow any person on to the high court campus without identity proof.

On Thursday, police said Tiruvallur district chief judicial magistrate M Shirijha had come to the court in connection with some official work.

Her driver Manmadhan, 42, parked the car in the designated area and went to have tea. After an hour, when the judicial officer returned to the car she found that the laptop kept on the rear seat was missing. After searching for the same in the car, she questioned the driver. However, Manmadhan appeared to be clueless about the missing device and joined her in the search.

Other drivers present at the spot said that they did not notice any suspicious activity near the car.

Following that Shirijha lodged a complaint with the high court police who collected footage from a few CCTV cameras on the premises and are examining them.

The records that the CISF personnel maintained about the visitors are also being checked.

Madras HC CJ quits protesting transfer to Meghalaya court
Move After SC Collegium Rejects Her Plea

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:07.09.2019

Miffed by the Supreme Court collegium’s decision to reject her reservations against transfer to the Meghalaya high court, Madras high court Chief Justice V K Tahilramani on Friday tendered her resignation to President Ram Nath Kovind. She sent a copy of the resignation letter to CJI Ranjan Gogoi.

Justice Tahilramani was appointed judge of the Bombay HC on June 26, 2001 at the age of 43. She became chief justice of the Madras HC on August 12, 2018. Justices Tahilramani and Gita Mittal were the only women CJs in the 25 HCs dominated by men. Justice Tahilramani was to retire on October 2, 2020, which means she forgoes more than a year of chief justiceship, and a possible elevation to the SC, because of her resignation.

Trigger for Justice Tahilramani’s resignation was the August 28 decision of the CJI-led collegium, which comprises Justices S A Bobde, N V Ramana and Arun Mishra, proposing the transfer of Justice A K Mittal, CJ of the Meghalaya HC, which has a sanctioned strength of four judges, to the Madras HC, which has a sanctioned strength of 75 judges.

Though “in the interest of better administration of justice” was the reason given by the collegium to transfer Justice Tahilramani to the Meghalaya HC, according to sources, “her punctuality was an issue with the collegium.”

CJ of J&K high court only woman in higher judiciary

The Madras high court, on the other hand, is one of the three oldest HCs and was established on June 26, 1862. When the collegium sought her response to the proposal to transfer to Meghalaya HC, Justice Tahilramani on September 2 requested reconsideration and expressed unwillingness/ difficulty in going to the northeastern state’s nascent HC.

The collegium considered her representation on September 3 and reiterated its decision to transfer her to Meghalaya HC. “The collegium has carefully gone through the aforesaid representation and taken into consideration all relevant factors. On reconsideration, the collegium is of the considered view that it is not possible to accede to her request. The collegium, accordingly, reiterates its recommendation dated August 28 for transfer of Justice V K Tahilramani to Meghalaya HC,” it said.

With Justice Tahilramani’s resignation, Justice Gita Mittal will be the lone woman chief justice in a male-dominated higher judiciary. Justice Mittal, whose parent HC is Delhi, has been heading Jammu and Kashmir HC since August 11, 2018, and is scheduled to retire on December 8, 2020.

Justice Mittal heading Jammu and Kashmir HC since August 11, 2018, is the only woman CJ left and is scheduled to retire on December 8, 2020

A proud moment for Salem ticket examiner 

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | ZAKEER HUSSAIN

Published Sep 6, 2019, 3:47 am IST

Ms. Uma Maheswari was given a cash award and certificate of merit by the divisional officers. 


 
D. R. Uma Maheswari (far left) travelling ticket examiner and N. Gurunathan (far right), travelling Ticket Inspector hand over the retreived suitcase to the passengers. (Photo: DC)

SALEM: Ms D R Uma Maheswari, travelling ticket examiner, Erode and N Gurunathan, travelling ticket inspector, Erode (batch-in-charge of train), did the Salem railway division proud by quickly restoring valuable gold and cash kept in an unlocked suitcase, which a passenger had absent-mindedly left behind in the Karaikal-Ernakulam Tea Garden express on Wednesday.

The passenger, K Jeyaanandan and family, travelling in S4 coach in the train alighted at Thirussur, leaving their suitcase in the train itself. When they realised their mistake, they immediately informed the RPF staff at Thrissur, Mr. Omanakuttan, stating that their suitcase had valuables including 168 grms of gold and Rs 14,000 in cash.

Omanakuttan immediately flashed a message to the coach ticket checking staff on duty in that train, Ms. Uma Maheswari, and N Gurunathan, TTE inspector, Erode.

On receipt of the message, the coach TTE Ms. Uma identified the suitcase in the said berth and it was handed over to the passenger concerned, a railway press release here on Thursday said.

Congratulating the ticket checking staff, Uma Maheswari and Gurunathan (batch-in-charge of the train), the Salem divisional railway manager, U Subba Rao, appreciated them for their 'exemplary duty'. Further Ms. Uma Maheswari was given a cash award and certificate of merit by the divisional officers.

A proud moment for Salem ticket examiner
DECCAN CHRONICLE. | ZAKEER HUSSAIN
Published Sep 6, 2019, 3:47 am IST
Updated Sep 6, 2019, 3:47 am IST
Ms. Uma Maheswari was given a cash award and certificate of merit by the divisional officers.

D. R. Uma Maheswari (far left) travelling ticket examiner and N. Gurunathan (far right), travelling Ticket Inspector hand over the retreived suitcase to the passengers. (Photo: DC)

SALEM: Ms D R Uma Maheswari, travelling ticket examiner, Erode and N Gurunathan, travelling ticket inspector, Erode (batch-in-charge of train), did the Salem railway division proud by quickly restoring valuable gold and cash kept in an unlocked suitcase, which a passenger had absent-mindedly left behind in the Karaikal-Ernakulam Tea Garden express on Wednesday.

The passenger, K Jeyaanandan and family, travelling in S4 coach in the train alighted at Thirussur, leaving their suitcase in the train itself. When they realised their mistake, they immediately informed the RPF staff at Thrissur, Mr. Omanakuttan, stating that their suitcase had valuables including 168 grms of gold and Rs 14,000 in cash.





Omanakuttan immediately flashed a message to the coach ticket checking staff on duty in that train, Ms. Uma Maheswari, and N Gurunathan, TTE inspector, Erode.

On receipt of the message, the coach TTE Ms. Uma identified the suitcase in the said berth and it was handed over to the passenger concerned, a railway press release here on Thursday said.

Congratulating the ticket checking staff, Uma Maheswari and Gurunathan (batch-in-charge of the train), the Salem divisional railway manager, U Subba Rao, appreciated them for their 'exemplary duty'. Further Ms. Uma Maheswari was given a cash award and certificate of merit by the divisional officers.

Thanjavur: Surgery done to remove mercury from baby in GH 

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | G.SRINIVASAN

Published Sep 6, 2019, 3:56 am IST

The baby was kept under observation as the mercury administered accumulated in a portion of the large intestine. 


 
The baby is on the ventilator now. (Photo: Representational/Pixabay)

THANJAVUR: Doctors of the Rajah Mirasudhar Government Hospital here performed surgery to remove mercury accumulated in the large intestine of a 20-day-old baby girl who was admitted to the hospital on August 17 from Mayiladuthurai. She was given a mercury coated betel leaves by her grandmother to cure 'cradle cap'.

"The baby was kept under observation as the mercury administered accumulated in a portion of the large intestine. Finally we decided to perform surgery and remove the mercury. Colostomy, a surgical procedure that brings one end of the large intestine out through the abdominal wall, was done. During this procedure, one end of the colon is diverted through an incision in the abdominal wall to create a stoma. A stoma is the opening in the skin where a pouch for collecting feces is attached. The baby is on the ventilator now. When she is off the ventilator after normalcy, the large intestine will be pushed back into the stomach," explained Dr Kumudha Lingaraj, dean of Thanjavur Medical college, speaking to DC over phone on Thursday.

UoM student set to move court against termination

T Kirubamohan, a University of Madras student, whose admission has been cancelled, will soon move the court against the varsity’s action.

Published: 06th September 2019 06:33 AM |

University of Madras

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: T Kirubamohan, a University of Madras student, whose admission has been cancelled, will soon move the court against the varsity’s action.

“The manner in which my admission has been cancelled is unfair and illegal. The authorities have targeted me because I am a member of the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle (APSC). I will fight against the injustice,” Kirubamohan said on Thursday, adding that he was consulting lawyers in this regard.

He alleged that the varsity authorities had terminated his admission citing the reason that he had not submitted eligibility certificate, a certificate mandatory for students to submit, who pursued undergraduation in other university. “Prior to taking admission in the M.A(Buddhism) this year, I had studied Master’s in Journalism in 2016-18 in the University of Madras and then I had submitted my eligibility certificate. I don’t understand why I need to submit it again,” he said. However, denying Kirubamohan’s claim, Vice-Chancellor P Duraisamy said his admission was cancelled because he had not submitted important documents. The student’s allegations are completely false, the V-C added.

74-year-old ‘barren’ Guntur woman gives birth to twins

Samdani.MN@timesgroup.com

Guntur:06.09.2019
A 74-year-old woman from a village in East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh became perhaps the oldest ever to become a mother when she gave birth to twin girls at a private hospital in Guntur on Thursday. The woman, who married her farmer husband 57 years ago, opted for in vitro fertilisation (IVF). A team of four doctors performed a caesarean section on her, after which the twins were born.

Yaramati Sitarama Rajarao, a farmer from Nelaparthipudi village, had married Mangayamma in 1962. They were not able to conceive a child despite consulting several doctors and temples.

Mangayamma says not bearing a child had been a heavy burden that she carried all these years. “People looked at me with accusing eyes as if I had committed a sin,” she told TOI. “Neighbours would call me ‘godralu’ (a curse-word for a childless woman). However, my husband stood by me.”

“We are the happiest couple on earth today. We have our own children,” said an ecstatic Rajarao who is confident that they will be able to bring up the girls well.

In fact, the couple had given up on becoming parents until they consulted IVF expert Dr Sanakkayala Umasankar in Guntur about a year ago.

Keeping Mangayamma’s age in mind, Dr Umasankar constituted a board of cardiologists, gynaecologists and paediatricians before deciding on treatment. Mangayamma conceived in the very first cycle of the IVF procedure.

The doctors convinced the couple to take the IVF route since Mangayamma had crossed the menopausal stage. However, Umasankar refused to divulge the details. “Keeping in view the confidentiality clause in the agreement with the patient, we can’t disclose certain details. But we followed all rules,” he told TOI.

Mangayamma was admitted to the hospital in January and stayed under the observation of the medical team. The 74-year-old’s sound physical health also made the job of the doctors easier. She was also subjected to several rounds of psychological counselling to ensure she remained mentally strong throughout the procedure. “Both the mother and babies are doing fine. Ten doctors worked for nine months to keep a close watch on her health. This is a medical miracle,” Dr Umasankar told reporters after the operation.

“It’s due to the grace of God and doctors that I have now become a proud father of two baby girls,” said a jubilant Rajarao, who celebrated the occasion by distributing sweets at the hospital. “I am very happy. After 54 years, God has answered our prayers,” Mangayamma said.

Meanwhile, a debate has been triggered in the medical fraternity on whether it is wise to make a woman undergo IVF at Mangayamma’s age. Many gynaecologists in Guntur and Vijayawada said they were against it. “The doctors should not have considered the case even if the couple pleaded with them,” said a gynaecologist, who didn’t wish to be quoted.

Full report on www.toi.in 



Mangayamma is probably the oldest woman to give birth

SC disapproves of HC judge ‘copy-paste job’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:06.09.2019

Responding to P Chidambaram’s allegation that the high court judge did a copy-paste job by relying blindly on an “unsubstantiated” note handed over by CBI/ED after the hearing had concluded, the Supreme Court on Thursday disapproved verbatim quoting of the sealed envelope note in the judgment.

A bench of Justices R Banumathi and A S Bopanna said there was nothing wrong on the part of the judge to go through the sealed envelope report but said, “We do not endorse the approach of the single judge in extracting the note produced by the Enforcement Directorate. “Of course, while considering the request for anticipatory bail and while perusing the material/note produced by ED/CBI, the single judge could have satisfied his conscience to hold that it is not a fit case for grant of anticipatory bail. On the other hand, the single judge has verbatim quoted from the note produced by ED. The single judge was not right in extracting the note produced by ED/CBI which in our view, is not a correct approach for consideration of grant/ refusal of anticipatory bail.”

The bench further said, “But such incorrect approach of the single judge, in our view, does not affect the correctness of the conclusion in refusing to grant anticipatory bail to the appellant in view of all other aspects considered herein. Though we do not endorse the approach of the single judge in extracting the note produced by the Enforcement Directorate, we do not find any ground warranting interference with the impugned order.”

PRODUCTION COSTS FUDGED
Unaccounted income of two raided TN distilleries may be highest in country: I-T
Sivakumar.B@timesgroup.com

Chennai:06.09.2019

The unaccounted income assessed by the income tax department following seizure of several bank documents during searches in SNJ Distilleries and Kal’s Distilleries in Tamil Nadu in early August could well be the highest in the country.

The searches in the two distilleries began on August 6 in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Goa and continued until August

9. A spokesman from the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) confirmed that the unaccounted income of these two distilleries was the highest so far in the country.

Efforts to reach S N Jayamurugan of SNJ distilleries proved futile. There was no response to calls and messages to Jayamurugan’s two mobile numbers on Wednesday.

I-T official said searches in SNJ distilleries resulted in the unearthing of similar tax evasion by another business group, Kal’s. Consequently, the department launched search operations in the premises of Kal’s distilleries on August 9. About seven premises of this group in Chennai and Karaikal were covered in the second phase of the search. “We did not realise that the unaccounted income from the distilleries would be so high. But after collating data from all the bank documents seized, we found that the total unaccounted income totalled several crores of rupees,” an I-T official, seeking anonymity, told TOI. “We found evidence of the modus operandi that involved over-invoicing of purchase of raw material and bottles, which constituted a major portion of the cost of production,” said the official.

Suppliers received payments by cheques at inflated value or RTGS, but paid back the excess in cash to ‘confidante’ employees. The search teams gathered evidence of such over-invoicing and return of cash. Over-invoicing led to suppression of taxable income over six years. Documents are being checked to see if the case can be filed under the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, 1988.

Madras HC asks girl to study till lover turns 21 to marry

TNN | Updated: Sep 6, 2019, 13:08 IST

 

Picture used for representational purpose only

MADURAI: The Madras high court has directed an 18-yearold girl to complete her graduation and then decide on her marriage when the man she is in love with turns 21, the legal age for men to wed. The directive came on a habeas corpus petition filed by a resident of Tirunelveli before the Madurai bench of the court, saying his daughter was detained by two people. 

The petitioner stated that his daughter had just joined college and therefore must complete her graduation before taking any decision on her marriage. However, the girl said she was in love with a boy and wanted to marry him. She also contented that she had joined a college and is willing to continue her studies but is not willing to go with her father. 

A division bench of Justices S Vaidyanathan and N Anand Venkatesh observed that the relief sought by the petitioner could not be granted as the girl was a major. “We cannot go against her wishes and force her to stay with the petitioner,” the court said.
The judges also took cognizance of the man’s submission that his parents had accepted their relationship and were willing to allow the girl to continue her education. However, the judges observed that he was 19 years old and could not marry the girl until he was 21. Hence, the court directed the girl to complete her studies by staying in the college hostel and on completion of graduation an appropriate decision can be taken on her marriage.

In memory of her son, she returns with sweet tributes

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:06.09.2019

Teachers’ day celebrations in educational institutions are usually marked by special programmes organised by students to cherish contribution of teachers in making their lives better and gifts with messages of gratitude.

On most occasions, alumni of the school or academicians are invited are chief guests. But this institution in Chennai has a very different way of celebrating September 5 and they have a unique guest speaker, a daily wage labourer from Kilpauk.

Chandra, no way connected to teaching, has been the guest speaker at this government-run teacher training institute for the past 12 years. A widow, her only connect to the said District Institute for Education and Training (DIET) near Lady Wellington College is her son Saravanan.

Saravanan, who studied in the same college from 2004 to 2006, committed suicide due to personal reasons. He would often ask her to prepare sweets for all his friends on teachers’ day, said Chandra. “This was the last thing I remember him asking me,” she said. Since his demise, Chandra makes it a point to arrive at the premises every September 5 and distribute sweets among students studying there in her son’s memory.

After distributing sweets, she speaks to teaching aspirants about suicide prevention and motivates them to achieve the dream of teaching young kids which her son couldn’t do. Hearing this, students on Thursday broke into tears and later thanked her for all her efforts, said V Usharani, principal of DIET. 


Chandra with aspiring teachers at DIET, Chennai on Thursday

6 hours after surgeons fix broken hip, 93-year-old walks on hosp corridors

Chennai 06.09.2019

Aravamudhan who fell down by accident, was brought to Fortis Malar Hospital with severe pain in the hip. Doctors knew the fracture could immobilize him. So, they counselled him to undergo a 35-minute surgery, minimally invasive Proximal Femoral Nail (PFN). Besides old age, Aravamudhan had cardiac failure, renal failure, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hypothyroidism. “We had a good team and we decided helping him stay mobile will give him a better quality of life,” said senior surgeon Dr Nandkumar Sundaram. Increasingly, doctors are able to do successful surgeries on hips and knees to keep senior citizens alive, he said. A smiling Aravamudhan said, “I was nervous about the operation. I was expecting a long recovery but I walked the same day.” TNN