1,000s of fish ‘poisoned’ to death in Chennai's Tiruneermalai lake

Locals who spotted the fish said the lake water had turned deep black in colour due to release of industrial waste

Published: 17th November 2019 06:35 AM 

Catla fish were found floating dead in Tiruneermalai lake on Saturday | Express

By OMJASVIN M D

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Rampant pollution, allegedly caused by industries in the vicinity, resulted in the death of thousands of fish in the Tiruneermalai Lake on Saturday. Catla fish, varying from two to four feet, were found floating dead in the lake early in the morning. Residents who spotted the fish said the water in the lake had turned deep black in colour due to the release of industrial waste.

“Water has been deep black for the last two days, and there’s sludge,” said Vinoth Gajendran, a local resident. “It has now spread all across the lake.” Vinoth, who is also a pharmacist, did a test to find the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in the water. The level was 818 mg/l, much higher than the permissible limits for drinking water.

The dead fish weighed 1-3 kg. Since the lake is spread across 167 acres, it’s difficult to estimate the actual number of the dead fish, said residents. “From Durga Nagar side alone, more than a thousand fish died. But if we look at LakshmiPuram and Thiruneermalai side, the number will be in five digits,’’ claims Vinoth.

The Catla Fish is an important source of livelihood for the local residents of Tiruneermalai. “While these fish are used only for consumption, the lake water is important for agriculture. But now, if we get into the water, it feels itchy and the stench has become unbearable,’’ says Pugazhventhan V of Tiruneermalai Nanbargal Kuzhu, a water-body conservation group.

By Saturday afternoon, most of the fish were in a decomposed state, further polluting the lake. The Public Works Department, the custodian of the lake, and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, who are responsible for holding the polluting industries accountable, turned a blind eye.

TNIE had reported twice in 2018 and 2019 about how chemical water filled up the lake. Only temporary measures were taken up to plug sewage while a permanent solution is awaited. In a similar incident in July, the lake turned completely green in colour after the continuous discharge of industrial effluents. After a TNIE report, officials inspected the spot and the pipe was disconnected.

While the Kancheepuram Collectorate recently gave permission for the lake restoration groups to clear Seemai Karuvellam, an invasive species growing in the lake bund, it’s water resources department that has to block sewage inflows and desilt the lake to save it from turning completely unusable.

When contacted by Express, officials with the WRD department said they would send people to clear off the dead fish by Saturday evening. ‘’Strict action will be taken against offenders once we find source of pollution,’’ said a WRD official.

`மந்திரம்கூட சொல்லமாட்டீங்களா?'- தட்டிக்கேட்ட பெண்ணை தாக்கிய சிதம்பரம் தீட்சிதர்!

ஜி.சதாசிவம்எஸ்.தேவராஜன்

சிதம்பரம் நடராஜர் கோயிலில் பூஜை செய்ய வந்த பெண்ணை தாக்கிய தீட்சிதர் மீது வழக்கு பதிவு செய்து போலீசார் விசாரணை நடத்தி வருகின்றனர்.

சிதம்பரம் நடராஜர் கோயில் தீட்சிதர்

கடலூர் மாவட்டம் சிதம்பரம் வ.உ.சி தெருவை சேர்ந்தவர் செல்வகணபதி மனைவி லதா(51). இவர் காட்டுமன்னார்கோயில் அடுத்த ஆயங்குடி அரசு ஆரம்ப சுகாதார நிலையத்தில் தலைமை செவிலியராக பணியாற்றி வருகிறார். இவர் நேற்று மாலை தனது மகன் பிறந்த நாளை முன்னிட்டு சிதம்பரம் நடராஜர் கோயில் வளாகத்தில் உள்ள முக்குருணி விநாயகர்கோயிலுக்கு அர்சனை செய்ய வந்துள்ளார்.

போலீசார் விசாரணைஎஸ்.தேவராஜன்

அப்பொழுது கோயிலில் பணியில் இருந்த தீட்சிதர் தர்ஷிணியிடம் பூஜை பொருட்களை கொடுத்துள்ளார், ஆனால் லதா தனது மகன் பெயரை கூறுவதற்குள் தீட்சிதர் உள்ளே சென்று வெறும் தேங்காயை மட்டும் உடைத்து அர்சனை செய்து கொடுத்ததாக கூறப்படுகிறது.

பின்னர் வெளியே வந்த தீட்சிதர் தர்ஷிணியிடம் ராசி, நட்சத்திரம், பெயர் என எதையும் கேட்காமல் எப்படி அர்சனை செய்தீர்கள் எனக் கேட்டுள்ளார். அதற்கு தீட்சிதர் ஏன் நீ வந்து உள்ளே செய்யேன் எனக் கூறியுள்ளார்.

பாதிக்கப்பட்ட பெண் லதாஎஸ்.தேவராஜன்

இதில் இருவருக்கும் வாய்தகராறு ஏற்பட ஆத்திரமடைந்த தீட்சிதர், லதாவை தாக்கி கீழே தள்ளியுள்ளார். மேலும் லதாவை தகாத வார்த்தைகளால் திட்டி தீட்சிதர் கன்னத்தில் அறைந்ததால் கோயில் வளாகத்தில் மயங்கி விழுந்தார். அங்கிருந்த பக்தர்கள் தீட்சிதரை தட்டிக்கேட்டு வாக்குவாதத்தில் ஈடுபட்டனர்.

இதில் காயமடைந்த லதா சிதம்பரம் அரசு மருத்துவமனையில் சேர்கப்பட்டு சிகிச்சை பெற்றார். இது குறித்து சிதம்பரம் நகர காவல் நிலையத்தில் கொடுத்த புகாரின் பேரில் போலீசார் வழக்கு பதிவு செய்து தீட்சிதரை தேடி வருகின்றனர்.

போலீசார் விசாரணைஎஸ்.தேவராஜன்

கோயிலுக்கு பூஜை செய்ய வந்த பெண்ணை தீட்சிதர் தாக்கிய சம்பவம் சிதம்பரதில் பெரும் பரபரப்பை ஏற்படுத்தியுள்ளது.

`ஈ.பி.எஸ் கனவில்கூட நினைத்திருக்கமாட்டார்.. ஆனால், அற்புதம் நடந்தது.. நாளை..!’- கமல் விழாவில் ரஜினி

பிரேம் குமார் எஸ்.கே.  vikatan

`நடிப்பு, பாட்டு, எழுத்து, ஒரே படத்தில் 10 கதாபாத்திரத்தில் நடிப்பது என 60 வருடமாக திரையுலகத்தில் ஒரு தனி சாம்ராஜ்ஜியத்தையே நடத்தியவர் கமல். அதனால்தான் அவர் உலக நாயகன்’- ரஜினி
ரஜினி


மக்கள் நீதி மய்யம் கட்சித் தலைவரும் நடிகருமான கமல்ஹாசனின் 65வது பிறந்தநாள் விழாவை நேற்று சென்னை நேரு உள்விளையாட்டு அரங்கில், கமல்ஹாசனின் 60 ஆண்டுக்கால திரைப்பயணத்தைச் சிறப்பிக்கும் விதமாக `உங்கள் நான்' என்னும் `கமல் 60' நிகழ்ச்சி நடந்தது.

கமல்

ரஜினிகாந்த், இளையராஜா, ஏ.ஆர்.ரஹ்மான், பிரபு, வடிவேலு, விஜய் சேதுபதி, கார்த்தி, விக்ரம் பிரபு என திரையுலக நட்சத்திரங்கள் பலர் இந்த விழாவில் கலந்துகொண்டனர்.

விழாவில் பேசிய இசைஞானி இளையராஜா, ``கமல் இன்னும் 60 ஆண்டுகள் திரையுலகில் இருக்க வேண்டும்" எனக் கூறினார். பின்னர் பேசிய நடிகர் விஜய்யின் தந்தை இயக்குநர் எஸ்.ஏ.சந்திரசேகர், ``ஒருகட்டத்தில் ரஜினி அரசியலுக்கு வர வேண்டும் என நினைத்துக்கொண்டிருந்தேன்.

கமல் - ரஹ்மான் - இளையராஜா

அந்த நேரத்தில் கமல் துணிச்சலோடு அரசியலில் இறங்கினார். அரசியலில் இறங்குவது சாதாரண விஷயம் கிடையாது. நிச்சயமாக கமல் அரசியலில் விஸ்வரூபமெடுப்பார். கமலைப்போல் ரஜினியும் அரசியலுக்கு வர வேண்டும். தயவுசெய்து எங்களை ஏமாற்றிவிடாதீர்கள் ரஜினி.
இங்கு சிலர் தமிழன் இல்லை என்று பேசுகிறார்கள். தமிழகத்தின் தண்ணீரை குடித்துவிட்டாலே அவர் தமிழர்தான். நீங்கள் இருவரும் அரசியலில் இணைந்து பயணித்து தமிழகத்தில் நல்லாட்சி அமைக்க வேண்டும். இருவரும் முதலில் அரசியலுக்கு இறங்கி பிறகு அடுத்த தம்பிகளுக்கும் அரசியல் வாய்ப்பை வழங்க வேண்டும். அரசியலில் அடுத்த தலைமுறைக்கு மூத்தவர்கள் வழிவிட வேண்டும்” என்று கூறி அதிர வைத்தார்.

கமல் - விஜய் சேதுபதி

நிகழ்ச்சியில் பேசிய கமல், தனது திரைப் பயணத்தில் முக்கியமானவர்களை குறிப்பிட்டார். ``எனது 60 வருட திரைப் பயணத்தில் முக்கியமானவர்கள் பலர் உள்ளனர். அதில் கே.பாலசந்தர், ரஜினிகாந்த், கருணாநிதி, எம்.ஜி.ஆர், சந்தானபாரதி, ஷங்கர், சுஜாதா, அனந்து, ஜெமினி, கிரேசி மோகன், நாகேஷ், வி.கே.ராமசாமி, ஸ்ருதிஹாசன், அக்ஷராஹாசன், அம்மா, அப்பா, தமிழர்கள் என பலர் உள்ளனர். இவர்கள் எல்லோரும் என் வளர்ச்சியில் முக்கியமானவர்கள்” என்றார் நெகிழ்ச்சியோடு.


தொடர்ந்து ரசிகர்களின் உற்சாகக் குரல்களுக்கு இடையே பேச ஆரம்பித்த நடிகர் ரஜினிகாந்த், ``என் நண்பர் கமல்ஹாசனுக்கு வாழ்த்துகள். அவர் நடிப்பு, பாட்டு, எழுத்து, ஒரே படத்தில் 10 கதாபாத்திரத்தில் நடிப்பது என 60 வருடமாக திரையுலகத்தில் ஒரு தனி சாம்ராஜ்ஜியத்தையே நடத்தியவர். அதனால்தான் அவர் உலக நாயகன். இந்த உயரத்தை கமல் பிடிக்க கொடுத்த உழைப்பு, செய்த தியாகங்கள் அபாரமானது.

கமல் - ரஜினி

அவர் ஒரு ஜீனியஸ். அவர் சொல்ல நினைப்பதை அவரது சினிமாக்கள் மூலம் மக்களுக்கு கற்றுக்கொடுத்திருக்கிறார். அவர் பேசுவது புரியாது என பலர் சொல்லுவார்கள். தூங்குபவர்களை எழுப்பலாம்... தூங்குவதைப் போல் நடிப்பவர்களை எழுப்ப முடியாது.

கமலுக்கும் எனக்குமான நட்பை யாராலும் உடைக்க முடியாது. எங்கள் இருவரின் கருத்துகளில் வேறுபாடு இருக்கலாம். சித்தாந்தங்களில் வேறுபாடு இருக்கலாம். ஆனால், எங்கள் நட்பில் மாற்றம் வந்ததில்லை. நான் அரசியலுக்கு வந்த பிறகும் நாங்கள் சண்டை போட்டுக்கொள்ளமாட்டோம் இந்த மேடையிலே பேசிய பலரும் அரசியல் குறித்துப் பேசினார்கள்.

கமல் ரஜினி

எல்லோர் வாழ்க்கையிலும் அற்புதங்கள் நிகழும். இரண்டு ஆண்டுகள் முன்னர் தமிழகத்தின் முதல்வர் ஆவேன் என எடப்பாடி பழனிசாமி கூட நினைத்துப் பார்த்திருக்க மாட்டார். ஆனால், அவர் முதல்வரானார். அதுக்கு அப்புறம் கூட இந்த அரசாங்க 20 நாள் தாங்காது, 2 மாசம் தாங்காது என்று சொன்னார்கள். அற்புதம் நடந்தது... இன்று வரையிலும் ஆட்சி கவிழாமல் தொடர்கிறது. நேற்றும் அற்புதம் நடந்தது. இன்றும் அற்புதம் அதிசயம் நடக்கிறது... நாளையும்...... அற்புதம் நிகழும்” என்றார் அதிரடியாக!

`போனை பிடுங்கி எறிந்து விடலாமா?'- ராமதாஸை சோதிக்கும் பிஎஸ்என்எல்!

மலையரசு

vikatan 

``லேசாக மழை தூறினாலும் அவற்றுக்கு காய்ச்சல் வந்து செயலிழந்து விடும். எத்தனைமுறை சரி செய்தாலும் நிரந்தமாக குணமாகவில்லை. எத்தனையோ தொழில்நுட்பம் வந்தாலும் இவ்வளவு மோசமாக சேவை செய்தால் எப்படி முன்னேறும்"
ராமதாஸ்

கடந்த நிதியாண்டில், பிஎஸ்என்எல் நிறுவனம் ரூ.13,804 கோடி நஷ்டத்தைச் சந்தித்தது. அதிக நஷ்டத்தைச் சந்தித்த அரசு நிறுவனங்களில் பிஎஸ்என்எல் முதலிடத்தில் இருந்தது. கடந்த சில வருடங்களாகவே இப்படி பிஎஸ்என்எல் நிறுவனம் கடும் நிதி நெருக்கடியில் சிக்கி தவித்து வருகிறது. எனினும் ஓரளவுக்கு நிதி நெருக்கடியை சமாளிக்கும் வகையில் நிறுவனத்தில் பணிபுரியும் 50 வயதைக் கடந்த ஊழியர்களுக்கு விருப்ப ஓய்வுத் திட்டம் அறிவிக்கப்பட்டு செயல்படுத்தப்பட்டு வருகிறது. இதுவரை பல ஆயிரம் ஊழியர்கள் விருப்பு ஓய்வுக்கு விண்ணப்பித்துள்ளதாக செய்திகள் வந்த வண்ணம் உள்ளன.

பிஎஸ்என்எல் சிம் ஆக்டிவேசன்: காவல்துறைக்கே இந்த கதின்னா..?!

ஆனால் இதுவல்ல இப்போதைய செய்தி. பா.ம.க நிறுவனர் ராமதாஸ் பிஎஸ்என்எல் நிறுவனத்தால் தனக்கு ஏற்பட்ட சோகத்தை மூன்று பாயிண்டுகளாக டுவிட்டரில் பதிவிட்டிருக்கிறார். ராமதாஸுக்கு சொந்தமான தைலாபுரம் தோட்டத்தில் கடந்த மாதம் பிஎஸ்என்எல் சேவை பாதிக்கப்பட்டதாக கூறப்படுகிறது. இதனை அப்போதே தனது ட்விட்டர் மூலம், ``எனது தைலாபுரம் தோட்ட இல்லத்திற்கு இரு BSNL தரைவழி இணைப்புகள் உள்ளன. லேசாக மழை தூறினாலும் அவற்றுக்கு காய்ச்சல் வந்து செயலிழந்து விடும். எத்தனைமுறை சரி செய்தாலும் நிரந்தமாக குணமாகவில்லை. எத்தனையோ தொழில்நுட்பம் வந்தாலும் இவ்வளவு மோசமாக சேவை செய்தால் எப்படி முன்னேறும் பிஎஸ்என்எல்" என்று கேள்வி எழுப்பியிருந்தார்.

அதன்பின் சேவை சரிசெய்யப்பட்ட நிலையில் தற்போது மீண்டும் சேவை பாதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதையடுத்து பிஎஸ்என்எல் நிறுவனத்துக்கு எதிராக தற்போது கடுமையான விமர்சனத்தை முன்வைத்துள்ளார் ராமதாஸ். அவர் வெளியிட்டுள்ள ட்விட்டர் பதிவில், ``தைலாபுரம் தோட்டத்திலுள்ள பிஎஸ்என்எல் தொலைபேசி இணைப்பு அடிக்கடி பழுதடைந்திருப்பது குறித்து சில நாட்களுக்கு முன் டுவிட்டரில் பதிவு செய்திருந்தேன். அதை தொடர்ந்து வந்த அதிகாரிகள் சரி செய்தனர். அடுத்த சில நாட்களிலேயே மீண்டும் பழுதாகிவிட்டது. பழுதடைவதில் வேகம் என்றால் அது பிஎஸ்என்எல் தான்.

உலகில் மாற்றம் ஒன்று தான் மாறாதது என்பார்கள். அந்த வரிசையில் பிஎஸ்என்எல் சேவை மட்டும் தான் மாறாதது.... தேறாதது என்பதையும் சேர்த்துக் கொள்ளலாம். அந்த அளவுக்கு வாடிக்கையாளர்களை வெறுக்க வைக்கும் வகையில் மோசமான சேவைகளை வழங்குகிறது பிஎஸ்என்எல். நான் தரைவழி தொலைபேசியை நேசிப்பவன். ஆனால், எனது இல்லத்தில் உள்ள பிஎஸ்என்எல் தரைவழி இணைப்புகள் அனைத்தையும் பிடுங்கி எறிந்து விடலாமா? என்ற அளவுக்கு அதன் சேவை என்னை சோதிக்கிறது. இதே நிலை நீடித்தால் பிஎஸ்என்எல் ஊழியர்களுக்கு மட்டுமின்றி, பிஎஸ்என்எல் நிறுவனத்திற்கும் கட்டாய ஓய்வு நிச்சயம்!" என்றுக் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார்.

Uncle gets life for sexually assaulting 1-year-old in 2012

Aamir.Khan2@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:18.11.2019

In a rare conviction in the rape of a survivor who was just one year old when she was attacked in 2012, the accused, her uncle, has been awarded a life term behind bars. The court held that he did not deserve any leniency for he not only “betrayed the family’s trust” but also displayed “extreme perversity and monstrosity”.

Given the nature of the social setting and the relationship of the survivor and the accused, special judge Dr Saurabh Kulshreshtha called it an “abhorrent act” on the child. “The accused not only betrayed the trust of the child’s family but also displayed extreme perversity and monstrosity,” said the court, which deals with cases of sexual assaults against children.

The accused and the child’s family hailed from the same village and the accused was regarded as the child’s paternal uncle according to village tradition. On December 1, 2012, the child’s father had returned home after drinking with the accused. The child’s mother claimed that the accused took her daughter out for a stroll but when her daughter did not return, she became suspicious.

The child was crying inconsolably when the mother found her with the man. On checking her body, the mother found injuries on her private parts. On hearing the mother’s cries for help, locals thrashed the accused and handed him over to the police.

In court, counsel for the survivor advocate Chandra Suman pointed out that the survivor’s medico-legal report suggested five signs of injuries indicating sexual assault. Besides, the forensic reports showed the presence of the DNA of the accused on the child’s clothes, he submitted. The accused was also found to have161mg/100 ml alcohol in his blood stream at the time of incident.

The advocate relied on Section 106 of the Evidence Act to argue that the burden of proving the fact that the accused was not guilty or had not committed rape was upon him. Judge Kulshreshtha observed that medical evidence clearly pointed towards rape.

The age of the survivor was crucial in determining a compensation of ₹4 lakh.

Nirbhaya gang rape: Court admits plea seeking transfer of case to another judge

A Delhi court has admitted a plea filed by the parents of 2012-gangrape victim, seeking transfer of the case to another judge.

The victim’s parents have sought court’s direction to Tihar Jail authorities to expedite the execution of the rape convicts. The court will hear the matter on November 25. They moved the application since the earlier two judges hearing the matter got transferred and the matter is getting adjourned continuously, the plea said.

The special fast track court, set up to hear cases of sexual harassment cases exclusively, of Patiala House Court is currently vacant and no judge has been appointed till now. PTI

UAE citizens can now get visa on arrival

New Delhi:18.11.2019

India has granted visa-on-arrival facility to the citizens of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with an aim to enhance people-to-people contacts and trade relations, officials said on Sunday.

The visa-on-arrival facility for the nationals of the UAE came into effect from Saturday. It will be available for a period of up to 60 days with double entry for business, tourism, conference and medical purposes, a government official said.

This facility is aimed at further strengthening people to people contacts and trade relations as well as strategic ties between the two countries. The international airports where the facility will be available are in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

The visa-on-arrival will be available only to those UAE nationals who have earlier obtained an e-visa or a normal paper visa for India, irrespective of whether the person actually visited India or not. PTI

IndiGo to operate London direct on wide-body aircraft: CEO
Saurabh.Sinha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:18.11.2019

IndiGo will not have one-stop flights to Europe and will operate those routes as direct services using the recently ordered Airbus A321 XLR (extra-long range) and wide-body aircraft. The low-cost carrier (LCC), which last month ordered 300 A320 Neo family single aisles worth about $33 billion (₹2.34 lakh crore), says ordering widebody aircraft is on the cards to operate routes like Mumbai/ Bengaluru-London, which the A321 XLR cannot fly.

While the wide-body product would have a business class, IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta said single-aisle aircraft, including the XLRs, would not offer inflight entertainment (IFE) and hot food. Instead, the airline was looking at minor changes for the narrow bodies in terms of slightly better cushioned seats and a wider food variety.

“Deliveries of the A321 XLRs begin from 2023-24. This aircraft can fly nonstop to western Europe but can’t do London (or other destinations in UK) nonstop, apart from maybe Delhi. When we launch London, we will look at places like Mumbai and Bengaluru also. For that, we will need wide-body aircraft, which are certainly not ruled out by the recent 300-aircraft order,” Dutta, or Rono as he is known in the industry, said.

Full report on www.toi.in

WhatsApp identifies new hole, Cert-in advises update

Anam.Ajmal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:18.11.2019

WhatsApp has identified a vulnerability that could have been exploited though a malicious MP4 file. India’s Computer Emergency Response Team (Cert-in) described the vulnerability’s severity rating as “high” and advised users to update to the latest version of WhatsApp.

The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2019-11931, affected both Android and iOs systems but it is unclear if any users were impacted. The company has rolled out a security update.

“WhatsApp is constantly working to improve the security of our service. We make public reports on potential issues we have fixed, consistent with industry best practices. In this instance, there is no reason to believe users were impacted,” WhatsApp said in a statement on Sunday.

With 400 million users, India is WhatsApp’s biggest market. The development comes just weeks after WhatsApp sued the Israeli company, NSO group, over the alleged misuse of their spyware Pegasus, which was installed in the phones of 1,400 users, including at least 120 Indians. Many of those who were spied on were journalists, rights activists and lawyers.

In a post on it’s securities and advisory page, WhatsApp’s parent company Facebook confirmed the vulnerability on November 14. The post describes the vulnerability as “A stack-based buffer overflow could be triggered in WhatsApp by sending a specially crafted MP4 file to a WhatsApp user.”

Although this description is vague, Cert-in website gives more details. It states that the vulnerability can be “exploited by a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the target system.”

“A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted MP4 file to the target system. This could trigger a butter overflow leading to the execution of arbitrary code by the attacker. The exploitation does not require any form of authentication from the victim end...,” the cert-in website elaborates.

According to the emergency team, the successful exploitation of the vulnerability could allow a remote attacker to cause “Remote Code Execution (RCE) or Denial of Service (DoS) condition, which could further compromise the system.

The development comes just weeks after WhatsApp sued Israeli company, NSO group, over the alleged misuse of their spyware Pegasus

‘Need better outreach to attract foreign students’

While 96% of educational institutes use their websites to reach out to potential foreign students, only 47% also use social media

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

18.11.2019

To attract more foreign students to pursue higher education in India, better outreach programmes by the universities are required, according to the 'Study in India' survey. The survey by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in partnership with EdCIL India Limited was conducted to gauge the preparedness of Indian institutions on standard operating processes followed for attracting and on-boarding international student.

According to AISHE 2018-2019 report, there are about 47,000 international students pursuing education in India. The country is targeting to boost this number to around 1.5 – 2.5 lakh international students by 2022. However, the survey reveals that technology is yet to make inroads in handling overseas traffic and meet the targets. While 96% institutions depend on their websites for promotion and reaching out to potential foreign students, only 47% also use social media, mainly Facebook. The survey reveals that Indian institutes handle queries from prospective students from overseas through email. 95% institutions said they get international students through government agencies such as EdCIL and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

A total of 77 higher education institutions that are part of the 'Study in India' programme participated in the survey. Among others, there are 5 IIITs, 11 IITs, 5 NITs, 2 IISERs, 2 IIMs, 4 Central universities and 4 state universities which completed the survey.

The total number of students pursuing studies abroad at a global scale has grown from 2.7 million in 2004 to 4.3 million in 2014, representing 1.8% all tertiary enrolments globally. Since 2004, the education export sector has been growing at 5% per annum. However, India is yet to harness the full potential of its wide education network.

Govt general hospital completes 355 years

Aditi.R@timesgroup.com

Chennai:18.11.2019

The Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital completed 355 years on November 16. Apart from its rich history, the hospital was also the first medical institution in the world to admit women.

“In the British era, women from European countries came here to study medicine since they were prohibited from studying in their own countries,” said Venkatesh Ramakrishnan, novelist and historian.

The hospital was opened on November 16, 1664 by Sir Edward Winter to treat soldiers of the East India Company. It was initially housed at Fort St George but was later moved out after the Anglo-French War to its present place. By 1772, the hospital had begun training Europeans, Eurasians and Indians in allopathic methods of diagnosis, treatment and methods of preparing medicines and assist qualified doctors. A private medical hall run by Dr Mortimar was regularised as a medical school and was opened on February 2, 1835 by then governor Sir Fredrick Adams.

In 1842, the institution began allowing Indian students. The teaching staff increased, senior courses spanning five years was started and from October 1, 1850, it was christened as Madras Medical College. The first batch of students graduated from the college in 1852 with a diploma of graduate.

Mary Scharlieb, the first woman physician and gynaecologist in the world, also graduated from the institution in 1878.

The institution is only four days younger than the Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, established on January 28, 1835, the oldest in Asia.

“Both institutions would have been inaugurated the same day, but it is said that the plaque meant for MMC was not delivered on time, hence the delay,” said Ramakrishnan.

Dr. Sudha Seshayyan, vice-chancellor of the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University who graduated from MMC in 1977, said it was the institution’s history and service that amazed her. “All boys and girls were treated equally. This helped us develop team spirit, we spent more time together, learned life lessons. It’s hard to put my experience in a sentence. I’m sure other alumni would agree.”

NOSTALGIA: A photograph of the hospital in the 1930s

Noida-shocker: Strangers save woman from getting raped, then rape her 

India

Written by

Shalini Ojha

A distressing incident has been reported from Noida, one which will make you sick.

In one of the parks of the city, a 21-year-old woman was on Wednesday allegedly raped by five men, who had earlier "saved" her from being raped by her acquaintance.

While four men have been arrested, two are still at large.

Details of this case will trouble you.

What happened 

Under pretext of job, man tried to rape victim

The illiterate, unemployed survivor had gone to a park in Sector-63 to meet one Ravi, who worked as a peon at an export company.

Ravi was known to her brother and assured her a job, said senior police officer Vaibhav Krishna.

At the park, he tried to rape her, and the woman's screams alerted nearby strangers. They thrashed Ravi and he fled.

Details 

After thrashing Ravi, "saviors" raped her

After Ravi ran, two men identified as Guddu and Shamu raped the victim. They also called three men, Brijkishore, Pitambar, and Umesh, who took turns to violate her.

The men also beat her. The entire episode played out merely 500 meter away from a police post.

Somehow she approached the police and was taken to a hospital for treatment. She is now out of danger.

68 - ம் ஆண்டில் எம்ஜிஆருக்கு ஜோடி ஜெயலலிதா; ஒரே ஆண்டில் எட்டு படங்கள்

வி.ராம்ஜி

68-ம் ஆண்டில் எம்ஜிஆர் நடித்த எட்டுப் படங்கள் வெளியாகின. இதிலொரு சுவாரஸ்யம்... இந்த எட்டுப் படங்களிலும் எம்ஜிஆருக்கு ஜோடி ஜெயலலிதா.
எம்ஜிஆரும் ஜெயலலிதாவும் ‘ஆயிரத்தில் ஒருவன்’ படத்தில்தான் இணைந்து நடிக்கத் தொடங்கினார்கள். பிறகு அடிக்கடி படங்களில், சேர்ந்து நடித்து வந்தார்கள். ஒருபடத்தில் சரோஜாதேவி நடித்திருப்பார். இன்னொரு படத்தில் கே.ஆர்.விஜயா நடித்திருப்பார். இப்படி நடிகைகள் மாறிக்கொண்டே வந்த நிலை, 68-ம் ஆண்டில் மட்டும் ஹீரோயின் ஜெயலலிதா என்றே இருந்தது.

எம்ஜிஆரும் ஜெயலலிதாவும் இணைந்து நடித்த ‘ரகசிய போலீஸ் 115’ திரைப்படம் 1968-ம் ஆண்டு, ஜனவரி மாதம் 11-ம் தேதி வெளியானது. இந்தப் படத்தின் கதையும் திரைக்கதையும் வலுவாக இருந்தன. மேலும் பாடல்களும் பிரமாதமாக இருந்தன. படமும் நூறுநாட்களைக் கடந்து ஓடியது.
இதையடுத்து, பிப்ரவரி 23-ம் தேதி, தேவர் பிலிம்ஸ் தயாரிப்பில், எம்.ஏ.திருமுகம் இயக்கத்தில், ‘தேர்த்திருவிழா’ வெளியானது. இதிலும் எம்ஜிஆரும் ஜெயலலிதாவும் ஜோடியாக நடித்தனர். எம்ஜிஆர் நடித்த படங்களில் சுமாரான படம், சுமாரான வசூல், சுமாரான வெற்றி எனும் பெயரைச் சம்பாதித்த படங்களில் ‘தேர்த்திருவிழா’வும் ஒன்று.



அடுத்து மார்ச் மாதத்தில், 15-ம் தேதி அன்று, இயக்குநர் கே.சங்கர் இயக்கத்தில் ‘குடியிருந்த கோயில்’ வெளியானது. இந்தப் படத்திலும் எம்ஜிஆர் - ஜெயலலிதா ஜோடி. இதில் இரட்டை வேடங்களில் நடித்திருந்தார் எம்ஜிஆர். டபுள் ஆக்‌ஷன் படங்கள் பொதுவாகவே எல்லா நடிகர்களுக்கும் ஹிட் கொடுக்கும் என்பதற்கேற்ப, இந்தப் படமும் எம்ஜிஆருக்கு ரொம்பவே ஹிட் படமாக அமைந்தது. நல்ல எம்ஜிஆர், கெட்ட எம்ஜிஆர் ஃபார்முலா. வில்லனிடம் வளரும் எம்ஜிஆர் , அப்பாவைக் கொன்றவனிடம் வளரும் எம்ஜிஆர். இதுபோதாதா திரைக்கதைக்கு!

பண்டரிபாய் அம்மா கேரக்டரில் நடித்து சிறந்த நடிப்பை வெளிப்படுத்தியிருந்தார். நாகேஷின் காமெடி, படத்துக்குப் பலம் சேர்த்தது. பாடல்கள் எல்லாமே செம ஹிட். ‘என்னைத் தெரியுமா?’, ‘நீயேதான் எனக்கு மணவாட்டி’, ‘குங்குமப்பொட்டின் மங்கலம்’, ‘நான் யார் நான்யார்’ என எல்லாப் பாடல்களும் சூப்பர். முக்கியமாக, எம்ஜிஆரும் எல்.விஜயலட்சுமியும் ஆடுகிற ‘ஆடலுடன் பாடலைக் கேட்டு’ சூப்பர்டூப்பர் ஹிட்டானது.

மிகச்சிறந்த நடனக்காரரான விஜயலட்சுமியுடன் ஆடுவதற்கு எம்ஜிஆர் ரொம்பவே தயங்கினார் என்றும் அவருக்காகவே நடன அசைவுகள் கொஞ்சம் இலகுவாக அமைக்கப்பட்டதாகவும் சொல்வார்கள். இன்னொரு ஸ்பெஷல்... இந்தப் படத்தில் முதன்முதலாக, பெண் கவிஞர் ஓர் பாடலை எழுதியிருப்பார். இந்தப் படத்தை எப்போது வேண்டுமானாலும் பார்க்கலாம்.




அடுத்து, ஏப்ரல் 25ம் தேதி, ப.நீலகண்டன் இயக்கத்தில் ‘கண்ணன் என் காதலன்’ படம் வெளியானது. இதிலும் ஜெயலலிதா ஜோடி. சுமாரான படங்களில் இதுவும் ஒன்று. பாடல்கள் நன்றாக இருக்கும்.

ஜனவரி, பிப்ரவரி, மார்ச், ஏப்ரல் என்று வரிசையாக மாதத்துக்கு ஒரு எம்ஜிஆர் படம். மே மாதம் படம் வரவில்லை. ஜூன் மாதம் 27-ம் தேதி சாணக்யா இயக்கத்தில், ‘புதியபூமி’ வெளியானது. இதிலும் எம்ஜிஆர் - ஜெயலலிதா ஜோடியே இணைந்தது. ‘சின்னவளை...’, ‘விழியே விழியே...’, ‘நான் உங்கள்வீட்டுப் பிள்ளை’ என்று பாடல்கள் எல்லாமே சூப்பர். நூறுநாள் படம்தான். ஆனால் ‘படம் கொஞ்சம் ஸ்லோவாப் போவுதுப்பா’ என்றார்கள் எம்ஜிஆர் ரசிகர்கள்.

ஆகஸ்ட் மாதம் 15-ம் தேதியன்று, இயக்குநர் ப.நீலகண்டன் இயக்கத்தில், ‘கணவன்’ படம் வெளியானது. இந்தப் படத்தின் கதையை எம்ஜிஆர் எழுதியிருந்தார். ஆனால் படம் பெரிதாகப் பேசப்படவில்லை.

968-ம் ஆண்டு செப்டம்பர் மாதம் 20 ம்-தேதி எம்ஜிஆருக்கும் அவரின் ரசிகர்களுக்கும் மறக்கமுடியாத வருடம், மாதம், நாள். எம்ஜிஆரின் 100-வது படமான ‘ஒளிவிளக்கு’ அன்றைக்குத்தான் ரிலீசானது. ஜெமினியின் பிரமாண்டத் தயாரிப்பில், சாணக்யா இயக்கினார். ஜெயலலிதாதான் ஜோடி. செளகார் ஜானகியும் நடித்திருப்பார். இவரின் நடிப்பும் கேரக்டரும் பேசப்பட்டது.

எம்ஜிஆரின் 100வது படமான ‘ஒளிவிளக்கு’ம் சிவாஜியின் 100வது படமான ‘நவராத்திரி’யும் பெரிதாக ஓடவில்லை. இதேபோல் கமலின் ‘ராஜபார்வை’யும் ரஜினியின் ‘ஸ்ரீராகவேந்திரர்’ படமும் ஓடவில்லை.

இந்தப் படம் பின்னாளில், பல வருடங்கள் கழித்து மிகப்பெரிய டிரெண்டானது. படம் வந்த போதும் அதற்கடுத்த கட்டங்களிலும் ‘நாங்க புதுசா கட்டிக்கிட்ட ஜோடிதானுங்க’ பாடல் எம்ஜிஆர் ஜெயலலிதா ஜோடியைச் சொல்வதாகப் பேசப்பட்டது. நரிக்குறவர் இன மக்களிடையே எம்ஜிஆரைக் கொண்டாட வைத்தது. சி செண்டர் மக்களிடம் ஓட்டு வங்கியாக பின்னாளில் மாறியது.

மிக முக்கியமாக, எண்பதுகளில் எம்ஜிஆர் உடல்நலம் குன்றி, அமெரிக்காவில் சிகிச்சை பெற்று வந்த போது, ‘இறைவா உன் மாளிகையில் எத்தனையோ மணிவிளக்கு’ என்ற இந்தப் படத்தின் பாடல் எங்கு பார்த்தாலும் ஒலித்தது. தியேட்டர்களில் எந்தப் படம் ஓடிக்கொண்டிருந்தாலும், படம் போடுவதற்கு முன்னதாக, ‘ஒளிவிளக்கு’ படத்தில் உள்ள இந்தப் பாடல் மட்டும் ஒளிபரப்பப்படும். மக்கள் ‘தலைவா’ என்று உணர்ச்சிவசப்பட்டார்கள். இந்தப் பாடலைப் பார்ப்பதற்காகவே, எந்தப் படம் என்பதே தெரியாமல் போனார்கள்.

ஆக, 68-ம் ஆண்டில், எம்ஜிஆர் நடித்த படங்கள் எட்டு. இந்த எட்டுப் படங்களிலும் ஜெயலலிதாதான் ஜோடி.

பயிற்சி மருத்துவர்கள் பிரசவம் பார்த்ததால் குழந்தையின் கைகளில் எலும்பு முறிவு தலையில் காயம் ஏற்பட்டதாக புகார்

2019-11-17@ 01:13:00


தண்டையார்பேட்டை: புதுவண்ணாரப்பேட்டை பூச்சம்மாள் தெருவை சேர்ந்தவர் கோதண்டம் (30). இவரது மனைவி ஆரோக்கிய மேரி (26). நிறைமாத கர்ப்பிணியான இவருக்கு கடந்த அக்டோபர் மாதம் 4ம் தேதி திடீரென வயிற்று வலி ஏற்பட்டதால், ராயபுரத்தில் உள்ள ஆர்.எஸ்.ஆர்.எம். அரசு மகப்பேறு மருத்துவமனையில் அனுமதித்தனர். அப்போது, நீர்ச்சத்து குறைவு காரணமாக 10 நாட்கள் கழித்து பிரசவம் பார்க்க வேண்டும் என்று மருத்துவர்கள் தரப்பில் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இந்நிலையில், அக்டோபர் மாதம் 13ம் தேதி ஆரோக்கிய மேரிக்கு பிரசவ வலி ஏற்பட்டதால் தாய் மற்றும் குழந்தையின் நிலை மிகவும் மோசமாக உள்ளது என்றும், அவரது மாமியாரிடம் கையெழுத்து வாங்கியதாக தெரிகிறது. பின்னர், அறுவை சிகிச்சை மூலம் பிரசவம் பார்த்துள்ளனர். அப்போது, குழந்தையின் உடல் நிலை மிகவும் மோசமாக உள்ளது என்றும், கண்ணாடி அறையில் வைத்து குழந்தைக்கு தீவிர சிகிச்சை வழங்கப்பட்டு வருகிறது என்றும் மருத்துவர்கள் கூறியுள்ளனர்.

குழந்தையின் தாய் 9 நாட்கள் கழித்து, குழந்தையை பார்த்தபோது, குழந்தையின் இரண்டு கைகளிலும் கட்டுப்போட்டு இருப்பதையும், தலையில் காயம் இருப்பதையும் கண்டு அதிர்ச்சி அடைந்தார். இதுகுறித்து டாக்டர்களிடம் கேட்டபோது, குழந்தை எடை அதிகமாக இருந்தால் பிரசவத்தின்போது, குழந்தையை வெளியே எடுக்கும் போது கைகளில் எலும்பு முறிவு, மற்றும் தலையில் காயம் ஏற்பட்டது என தெரிவித்துள்ளனர். இதுபற்றி உறவினர்கள் ஆரோக்கிய மேரியிடம் கேட்டபோது, தனக்கு பிரசவம் பார்த்தவர் பயிற்சி மருத்துவர் என்றும், அவர் குழந்தையை கையில் வாங்கும்போது கீழே தவற விட்டார் எனவும், அதன் காரணமாக குழந்தைக்கு எலும்பு முறிவு ஏற்பட்டு இருக்கலாம் என தெரிவித்தார். இதுகுறித்த புகாரின் பேரில் ராயபுரம் போலீசார் மருத்துவர்களிடம் விசாரணை மேற்கொண்டு வருகின்றனர்.

தேர்தல் பிரசாரம் செய்த அரசு ஊழியரின் பணி நீக்கம் ரத்து சரியானதே: ஐகோர்ட்

Added : நவ 16, 2019 20:10

சென்னை:தி.மு.க., வேட்பாளருக்கு ஆதரவாக தேர்தல் பிரசாரம் செய்த, அரசு ஊழியர் பணி நீக்கத்தை ரத்து செய்த உத்தரவை, சென்னை உயர் நீதிமன்றம் உறுதி செய்தது.

நெடுஞ்சாலை துறையில், திருவண்ணாமலை கோட்டத்தில், விநாயகமூர்த்தி என்பவர் உதவியாளராக பணியாற்றினார்.கடந்த, ௨௦௧௧ல் நடந்த சட்டசபை தேர்தலில், தி.மு.க., வேட்பாளர் பிச்சாண்டிக்கு ஆதரவாக, தேர்தல் பிரசாரம் செய்ததாக, விநாயகமூர்த்திக்கு எதிராகநடவடிக்கை எடுக்க, தேர்தல் மேற்பார்வையாளர் பரிந்துரைத்தார்.விசாரணை நடத்திய துறை அதிகாரிகள், விநாயகமூர்த்திக்கு, மூன்று ஆண்டுகளுக்கான ஊக்க ஊதியத்தை ரத்து செய்து உத்தரவிட்டனர்.

இது குறித்த அறிக்கை, மாவட்ட தேர்தல் அதிகாரியான கலெக்டருக்கு அனுப்பப்பட்டது. வழங்கப்பட்ட தண்டனை போதுமானது அல்ல என, கலெக்டர் தரப்பில் கூறப்பட்டது. அதைத் தொடர்ந்து, விநாயகமூர்த்தியை பணி நீக்கம் செய்து, நெடுஞ்சாலை துறை கோட்டப் பொறியாளர் உத்தரவிட்டார்.இதை எதிர்த்து, சென்னை உயர் நீதிமன்றத்தில், விநாயகமூர்த்தி மனு தாக்கல் செய்தார்.

மனுவை விசாரித்த உயர் நீதிமன்றம், பணி நீக்க உத்தரவை ரத்து செய்தது. மூன்றாண்டு ஊக்க ஊதியத்தை ரத்து செய்ததே போதுமானது என்றும், உத்தரவிட்டது. இந்த உத்தரவை எதிர்த்து, உயர் நீதிமன்றத்தில் தமிழக அரசு மேல்முறையீடு செய்தது.மனுவை, தலைமை நீதிபதி ஏ.பி.சாஹி, நீதிபதி சுப்ரமணியம் பிரசாத் அடங்கிய, உயர் நீதிமன்ற, 'முதல் பெஞ்ச்' விசாரித்தது. பின், தனி நீதிபதி உத்தரவை உறுதி செய்து, மேல்முறையீட்டு மனுவை தள்ளுபடி செய்தது.

ராகிங்' தொல்லை 16 டாக்டர்களுக்கு சிக்கல்

Added : நவ 17, 2019 00:04

மும்பை:மஹாராஷ்டிர மாநிலம் பால்ஹரில், மருத்துவக் கல்லுாரி மாணவியை, 'ராகிங்' செய்ததாக, 16 டாக்டர்கள் மீது, வழக்கு பதிவு செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது.

மஹாராஷ்டிராவில் ஜனாதிபதி ஆட்சி நடக்கிறது. இங்கு, பால்ஹர் மாவட்டத்தில், எம்.எல்.தவாலே நினைவு ஹோமியோபதி மருத்துவக் கல்லுாரி உள்ளது. இங்கு படித்து வரும், 23 வயது மாணவி, டாக்டர்கள் சிலர், தன்னை ராகிங் செய்வதாக போலீசில் புகார் அளித்தார். விசாரணையில், மருத்துவக் கல்லுாரியில் பணியாற்றி வரும் பயிற்சி டாக்டர்கள் மற்றும் சீனியர் மாணவர்கள், 16 பேர், மாணவியை ராகிங் செய்தது தெரிய வந்தது. இதையடுத்து, அவர்கள் மீது வழக்கு பதிவு செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது.

Bharatidasan University student attempts to kill self, accuses teacher of harassment ​

The student, who is pursuing MSc Geology at Bharatidasan University was found unconscious in her hostel room Friday night by her roommates and rushed to the government hospital.

Published: 16th November 2019 03:16 PM |

Image used for representational purpose only
By PTI

TIRUCHIRAPALLI: A girl student of a government university here attempted to commit suicide by consuming floor cleaner as she was reportedly upset for being 'humiliated' by her faculty over her academic performance, police said on Saturday.

The student, who is pursuing MSc Geology at Bharatidasan University was found unconscious in her hostel room Friday night by her roommates and rushed to the government hospital, where her condition was said to be stable, they said.

The teacher had frequently 'harassed' the girl over her performance in class, following which 30 students protested against the faculty.

The teacher has been called in for questioning, they added.

Private Universities Act to be amended to include appointment of administrator
17/11/2019, STAFF REPORTER,BENGALURU

The State government plans to amend the Private Universities Act in Karnataka to appoint an administrator in varsities to oversee the dispute of ownership if any as well as administrative issues.

Deputy Chief Minister and Higher Education Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan on Saturday said while they had tried appointing an administrator in the past, their attempts failed as they needed to amend the legislation.

The move comes after students of Alliance University were affected due to the tussle for ownership between the two brothers in the past. The chancellor, Sudhir Angur, was recently arrested for allegedly hiring to kill former Vice-Chancellor Ayyappa R. Dore.

To fix loopholes in the medical seat counselling process, Mr. Ashwath Narayan said the government would ensure that from the coming year, all medical seats are surrendered before the mop-up round is conducted. This move will curtail instances of seat blocking. “We will have a meeting with private medical college managements and take them into confidence and ensure that we discuss the modalities with them,” he said. The State Medical Education department will coordinate with the Directorate General of Health Services that conducts counselling for all-India quota of medical and dental seats. A scam had come to light during search and seizure operations by the Income Tax department on two medical institutions.

NAAC, NBA accreditation must for engineering colleges: VTU

17/11/2019, STAFF REPORTER ,BENGALURU

The Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) has asked all its affiliated colleges to get accreditation by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

The accreditation process will serve dual purpose, said officials. It will help improve the quality of education imparted in engineering colleges across the State and also enable VTU to identify good engineering colleges. More often than not, a large number of seats go vacant.

Colleges with good infrastructure and teaching faculty will receive good ratings and can attract more students. A senior official of the VTU pointed out while colleges are getting accreditation from the National Board of Accreditation (NBA), which is mandatory, many are not applying for NAAC despite directions from the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) and the University Grants Commission (UGC).

A circular in this regard was issued on November 4 directing all its affiliated colleges to apply for NAAC accreditation. “Accreditation from NBA is mandatory for all programmes offered in your institute. Further, the VTU also strongly recommends that institutional level accreditation be obtained from NAAC,” the circular read.

Heads of engineering colleges also pointed out that obtaining accreditation from these two agencies was a positive development and said that based on these ratings, institutions could get autonomy, deemed-to-be-university status and also funding from different sources. “Getting a good NAAC ranking helps us not only attract students, but improves our chances of getting funding for research work. We made a conscious effort to improve our NAAC ratings and worked on hiring more faculty members,” said a principal of a city-based engineering college.

Police advise women against visiting Sabarimala

17/11/2019

Women police officers at Pampa had, as part of established security protocol, verified the identity proof submitted by the group. They found two women were under the age of 50. The police apprised them of the dispute over the matter.

The police later claimed that the women had “of their own volition” abandoned their plan to trek to the Sannidhanam, and there was no compulsion on the part of the force.

Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran had on Thursday said it was not contingent on the government to escort women activists to the Ayyappa temple unless they arrived with a warrant for the State’s assistance from the Supreme Court.

The government had received the legal opinion that the State was under no juridical requirement to pro-actively ensure that women between the age of 10 and 50 worshipped at Sabarimala in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to form a seven-member constitutional Bench to look into the case further.

State Police Chief Loknath Behera told reporters that he would seek further legal clarification from Advocate General C.P. Sudhakar Prasad on the issue.

Meanwhile, the State police said they were tracking the travel plans of women activists, including that of Trupti Desai who on Saturday reiterated her decision to pray at Sabarimala on Sunday.

Students should feel privileged studying medicine, says Telangana Governor
17/11/2019, STAFF REPORTER,MADURAI

Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan presenting the Velammal Healthcare Innovation Awards 2019 to winners in Madurai on Saturday. R. AshokR_ASHOK

Students studying medicine should feel privileged and blessed as they were taking up the noble profession of saving human lives, said Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan here on Saturday.

Speaking at the Velammal Healthcare Innovation Awards 2019 valedictory function, held at the Ida Scudder Trade Centre, she said that the student community should strive and study hard.

She pointed out that the students should face challenges instead of giving into peer pressures. Problems are part of student life and they should tackle it and not take hasty decisions.

The Governor urged the students to take up research as there were aplenty of opportunities, which would ultimately benefit the society.

Nearly 70 persons from various States took part and presented their innovative inventions, out of which three participants were awarded the VHI awards under each of the three categories of surgical, diagnosis and digital innovations.

The winners were selected based on 10 criteria, including sustainability and affordability by a jury of nine eminent persons from the medical field from across the country.

In his presidential address, Velammal Educational Trust Chairman M.V. Muthuramalingam said that innovation and smartness in approach are the key to success in any field.

Technology and innovation are the reasons behind the massive growth in diagnosis and treatment. Several diseases that were impossible to treat have become treatable only because of technology, said Chairman and Quality Director, Aravind Eye Care System, R.D. Ravindran, who was the Guest of Honour.

Ms. Tamilisai later distributed the awards to all the nine winners.

The first place winners under the three categories were R. Mala, Dr. Senthil Kumar and N. Sunil Vignesh and they were given ₹2 lakh each. The second and third place winners were given ₹50,000 and ₹25,000 respectively.

Velammal Medical College Chief Executive Officer Venkata Phanidhar welcomed. Dean R.M. Raja Muthiah proposed a vote of thanks.

Correspondent of Velammal Educational Trust M. Velmohan and Chief Executive Officer M. Velmurugan were present.

Stalin vows to jail the corrupt when DMK comes to power
Leader terms 3 Ministers ‘corrupt pillars’ of current regime

17/11/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,DHARMAPURI

Pledging to pull back the State from the abyss into which he claimed it had fallen in the last 9 years of AIADMK rule, DMK president M.K. Stalin on Saturday vowed to see to it that “those ruling the State from the Fort [St. George] today [are] locked up inside cells once the DMK comes to power”.

He was speaking at a public meeting organised by the DMK to explain the resolutions passed at the party’s general council meeting and also to thank the constituents for the DMK’s resounding victory in the Parliamentary election.

Listing the allegations of scams against the Cabinet led by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the DMK leader said the first two Ministers who will be arrested for corruption and criminal intimidation alongside Mr. Palaniswami when the DMK comes to power will be S.P. Velumani and P. Thangamani. According to him, they, along with Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar, were the “corrupt pillars” of the Palaniswami government.

The State government had failed to raise its voice against the hydrocarbon project, NEET, the National Education Policy, the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, triple talaq, the imposition of Hindi by stealth, the erosion of State’s rights and many other issues, Mr. Stalin said.

“Usually, raids are conducted by the government. But here, raids are carried out on the government,” he said. Mr. Stalin also hit out at Mr. Palaniswami for his ‘silence’ on an accident involving an AIADMK flagpole in which Rajeshwari, a young woman, lost her leg.

People of all strata had been hit by the “slowdown in money flow” and the BJP-led Centre’s “flawed economic policies”, the DMK leader said, adding, “Today, money flow is only with the Ministers, not with the public.”

Fathima’s father records statement

Probe team spends 3 hours with him

17/11/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,CHENNAI

Abdul Latheef

The special team, which was constituted to probe the unnatural death of IIT-Madras student Fathima Latheef, recorded the statement of her father Abdul Latheef on Saturday.

The death of the first-year MA Humanities student sparked protests from political parties and student organisations.

Mr. Latheef met the Chief Ministers of both Tamil Nadu and Kerala and demanded a thorough probe, besides raising serious allegations against a professor. Following this, a special team, led by Additional Commissioner of Police C. Easwaramoorthy, was entrusted with the investigation. Members of the team met Mr. Latheef at his residence in Thousand Lights and heard his complaint. They recorded his statement for three hours on Saturday. Later, Mr. Latheef met City Police Commissioner A.K. Viswanathan at his office in Vepery. Speaking to reporters, Mr. Latheef said the Commissioner heard him patiently and assured him that the probe will be expedited.

“Mr. Viswanathan told me that the investigation is progressing [by] treating my daughter Fathima as a girl from Tamil Nadu. The investigation will be expedited and appropriate action taken against those responsible in two days,” Mr. Latheef said.

‘Watch what you eat if you are a diabetic’

Chennai:17.11.2019

Neuberg Diagnostics Private Limited on Saturday organised a patient education talk by Dr V Mohan, chairman and chief of diabetology, Dr Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre, on “What’s new in preventing and combating diabetes.”

Giving an introduction to diabetes, Mohan said, “Glucose is a key source of energy to the body and its metabolism is highly regulated by hormones like insulin and glucagon. Diabetes is a condition that impairs the body’s ability to process blood sugar, leading to persistently high levels of glucose in the blood (hyperglycemia). There are different types of diabetes. The diagnosis of each one is based on tests. The advantage of knowing which type of diabetes one has is that the treatment can be tailored accordingly.” He said nutrition and physical activity are key to a healthy lifestyle for diabetics. “If you have diabetes, you need to keep an eye on what you eat, how much you eat and when you eat, and how active a lifestyle you lead. By making healthy food choices and understanding ‘good’ and ‘bad’ carbohydrates, it can become easy to control your blood glucose levels.” TNN

Soon, get metro rail timings at bus stops
Display Systems To Be Set Up In Six Months
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:17.11.2019

Metro train or MTC? Soon, large electronic display boards — similar to those at airport terminals — would help passengers decide the quickest mode of transport to their destination, as Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) will install display systems with train timings and platforms at all MTC bus stops near metro stations.

The facility is part of efforts for an intermodal transport system which would provide commuters information on the fastest and comfortable commuting options. Two passenger information display systems were installed at the Chennai Airport by CMRL and the Airports Authority of India on Saturday.

“In six months, bus stops near metro stations will have these passenger information systems with real-time information on metro train time and the platforms they would arrive,” an official said.

Once the systems are set up in the MTC stands, passengers heading to a metro station or alighting buses may decide on the mode of transport to their destination by checking the arrival time of the next train. Almost all of the 32 metro stations have been built closer to bus depots like Saidapet or major bus stops like DMS where buses to southern suburbs halt. The display system is also a step towards syncing both metro and MTC bus timings.

On Saturday, CMRL installed two such electronic passenger information display systems in the walkalator linking airport metro with the international and domestic terminals. Similar systems have been planned in other metro stations as well.

“The system will display metro timings on a real-time basis. It will help international and domestic passengers arriving at the airport to plan their journey by metro train,” said a release from CMRL. The installation of the display systems was the result of an extensive survey CMRL conducted with its passengers on the facilities they would require, to make commuting easy and comfortable. “During the survey, passengers suggested the kind of information and the best location for putting up these boards,” an official said. “For instance, our passengers wanted these boards to be put up right outside the entry points of Central metro, so that those leaving Central railway station or alighting an MTC bus would know the next train available.”

While the information displayed in these systems may be similar to those shown on the platforms of metro stations, officials said the systems to come up in other stations and at bus stops will follow a different format with information on all routes, trains, time and platform.

As part of providing seamless connectivity with a multimodal transportation, CMRL will also launch a uniform app-based feeder share cab service before mid-2020 where commuters may book a cab, reserve a seat, mark their pick up location and either pay online or swipe their smartcards.

SHOWING THE WAY: Passenger information display systems (left) with metro train timings and platforms installed near the walkalator connecting Airport metro with international and domestic terminals to assist air travellers who use the metro service

NEWS DIGEST

Candidates asked to upload certificates 17.11 2019

Candidates who have been admitted provisionally to the certificate verification (phase–II) for the posts of assistant training officer (stenography-English) (post code 1733) / assistant training officer (secretarial practice) (post code 1740) 2014-19 included in Tamil Nadu Employment and Training Subordinate Service (service code 028) are directed to upload the scanned original documents for the certificate verification between November 18 and 22 only through the listed E-Seva centres run by TACTV as mentioned in the commission’s website www.tnpsc.gov.in.

Tamilisai to be felicitated: Freedom from Cancer Relief and Research Foundation in collaboration with Tamil Nadu Doctor’s community supported by the Indian Medical Association will felicitate Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundararajan. The event will be held on Sunday at 4.15pm at hotel GRT Grand, T Nagar.

Chettinad Players to stage Dronacharya: Chettinad Players, a theatre house of Chettinad Vidyashram, will present Dronacharya, a play on the greatest guru of all time. The English play will be held on Wednesday at 6pm at Kumararajah Muthiah Hall (school auditorium) Chettinad Vidyashram, RA Puram. Entry to the auditorium will close at 5.30pm.

HC notice to Tangedco on regularisation of helpers’ jobs

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:17.11.2019

Twenty-five contractual helpers engaged by the North Chennai Thermal Power Station (NCTPS)for morethan 11 years has moved the Madras high court seeking to regularise their jobs and retain them in the newly created post of gangman.

“It is well settled that continuous employment of 480 days confers the right to demand regularisation on the workmen. In the present case, workmen have worked without break from 1998 to 2009 for 11years and thereafter from August 10, 2010 till date without break. Therefore, the petitioners are entitled to a claim of regularisation and cannot be termed a back-door entry,” senior counselP Wilson said representing the petitioners.

Admitting the plea, Justice S M Subramaniam ordered notices to the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited (Tangedco) and the NCTPS, returnable by November 21.

While10,000 such contract labourers are engaged presently by NCTPS, Tangedco issued two notifications which stated that the post of gangman is newly created with additional 5,000 posts on abolition of equivalent number of posts which were lying vacant for more than three years, the petitioners alleged.

The petitioners and other similarly situated people are mostly from local areas and many of them have voluntarily parted with their land for the construction of the power plant. Therefore, in the interest of equity and justice as well, it is only fitting that the corporation gives them the first preference while recruiting gangman, Wilson said.

Sabarimala opens; Kerala cops close door for women under 50
10 AP Women Turned Back From Pamba

Anantha.K1 TNN

Sabarimala:17.11.2019

As the Sabarimala temple opened on Saturday evening for the two-month annual festival amid tight security, the Kerala police, in defiance of the Supreme Court order, stopped women pilgrims at Pamba, 5km from the hilltop temple of Lord Ayyappa, checked their documents for age proof and allowed only those above 50 to proceed. Police said 10 women from Andhra Pradesh “who were below 50” were turned back.

In September last year, the apex court had held the centuries-old ban on women and girls aged 10 to 50 unconstitutional. On Thursday, it referred the issue to a larger seven-member bench for detailed examination, without staying its 2018 verdict.

The LDF government, which was proactive in implementing 2018 Supreme Court order, had indicated on Friday that it wasn’t in favour of young women going to Sabarimala, despite Thursday’s verdict making it clear that there was no stay on allowing women to have darshan of Lord Ayyappa.

Though police refused to reveal details of the women who were forced to turn back, TOI managed to identify two of them as Manthayaru, 49, and Sati Anasooya, 38kk, both natives of Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh. The two women reached Pamba as part of a group of around 30 people who are on a pilgrimage tour of Kerala.

PILGRIMS’ PROGRESS: Mandhyaru and Sati Anasooya at Pamba after police deny them permission to climb hillock

Will uphold gender justice: Politburo

C PM politburo is learned to have reiterated the party’s commitment to uphold ideals of gender justice in religion. The two-day meeting of politburo that began in New Delhi on Saturday discussed the November 14 verdict of the SC on woman’s entry into Sabarimala, and said the LDF government must take steps to clear the ambiguities in the verdict.

Kerala deploys 1,400 policemen near the sanctum at Sabarimala

The Renaissance Protection Committee, a LDFbacked organization, said it was outraged by Saturday’s developments and criticised the ruling LDF government, saying it had “gone soft” on its stand on the issue and this would only help “weaken the cause”.

Heavy security arrangements arein place at Sabarimala. Around 1,400 police personnel have been deployed at the Sannidhanam (the area near the sanctum), led by a superintendent-rankofficer and10deputy SPs. At Pamba and Nilackal, there are around 720 and 700 police personnel respectively on duty, and this includes around 250 women police officers. In addition, separate teamsof QuickReaction Force, Rapid Action Force, police commandos and National Disaster Response Force are also deployed at theSannidhanam. At Pamba, metal detectors and X-ray scanners have been installed. More than 50 women police personnel have been entrusted with verifying women pilgrims’ ID cards.

A senior police officer told TOI that they have been instructedby the government not to permit women from the “barred age group” from climbing the hillock. “We are checking the ID cards of all women at Pamba itself to avoid further confusion at Sannidhanam. Women police officers havebeen deployed atPamba to ensure that,” he said.

Manthayaru said that they reached Pamba hoping that they could have Ayyappa darshan but the police blocked them. “We could not climb the hill as the police said we cannot go there because we are aged below 50. So, we are waiting here for others from our team to return from the temple,” she told TOI near the Ganapathi temple at Pamba.

“After finding them to be in the barred age-group, we advised them to go back. They cooperated with us and did not proceed further. Around eight other women who were part of the group also returned with them,” a policeofficer toldTOI.

As the temple opened on Saturday, thousands of devotees from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and other neighbouring states offered prayers at the temple. At 5 pm, Kandararu Mahesh Mohanararu opened the sanctum sanctorum of the temple and performed poojas.AK Sudheer Namboodiri took charge as Sabarimala ‘melshanti’ (chief priest), while MS Parameswaran Namboodiri is likely to take charge as chief priest of the adjacent Malikappuram devi temple by November 23.


FULL FAITH: Women devotees at the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple that opened for the two-month long annual pilgrimage on Saturday

785 surplus staff of Annamalai University may get salary cut
HC Dismisses Plea Against Notice

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:17.11.2019

The Madras high court has dismissed a batch of appeals moved by Annamalai University employees, grade I and II special officers, challenging showcause notices issued to them seeking an explanation why their pay scale should not be reduced to that of assistant section officers to reduce the financial burden of the university.

All the 785 officers were appointed pursuant to orders of vice-chancellor without sanction of the finance committee or the syndicate and they became surplus in terms of workload, causing a loss of ₹60 crore per annum.

The appeal challenged the orders passed by a single judge assailing the showcause notices. Dismissing the appeals, a division bench of Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice N Seshasayee said, “This court is of the opinion that challenge to the impugned showcause notice is pre-mature. This court, on an independent application of mind to the entire materials, is of the view that there is no error apparent or infirmity in the reasons assigned by the learned judge in the impugned common order passed in the writ petitions and finds no merit in these writ appeals.”

According to the showcause notice dated August 13, 2018, the continuance of these 785 surplus officers in employment without no work but with full pay, cripples the financial situation of the university causing huge deficit every year and posing imminent threat to the very existence of the university.

“With the intent of striking a balance between the deteriorating financial position of the university and avoiding retrenchment of these surplus officers, who have no work, the university has been exploring the possibility of accommodating these surplus officers against some other cadre for the time being namely, assistant section officers in the pay scale of ₹9,300-₹34,800 + GP ₹4,600,” the notice read.

The university is of the view that the proposal, although might reduce your present scale of pay of ₹15,600- ₹39,100 + GP ₹5,400, would contribute to a certain extent to the financial stability of the university. The university intends to process this proposal after taking your remarks/explanation in this regard, it said.

Madras high court throws out TN quota in promotions

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | J STALIN

PublishedNov 16, 2019, 2:50 am IST

The Roster Point System in Tamil Nadu has its own distinctiveness involving its unique characteristics.

Madras High Court.

Chennai: In a major setback to the Tamil Nadu government, the Madras high court has declared as ultra vires and unconst ice) Act, 2016, which fixed seniority through roster point (reservation) in the state government services.

A division bench comprising Justices M.M.Sundresh and RMT. Teekaa Raman declared sections 1 (2), 40 and 70 of the Tamil Nadu Government Servants (Conditions of Service) Act as ultra vires and unconstitutional. The bench passed the order on a batch of petitions and appeal from the aggrieved government servants. The bench said a roster point system qua seniority deprecated by the court brought back with anterior date, tracing the power in Article 16 (4) of the Constitution of India and thus, removing the basis was under challenge before it.

The Roster Point System in Tamil Nadu has its own distinctiveness involving its unique characteristics. The 200 point roster was being followed at present leading to mandatory 69 percent vertical reservation on communal basis. Reservation includes Horizontal and Internal while adopting 69 percent reservation.

Vertical Reservation was with respect to adequate representation on the basis of community, while Horizontal Reservation would include sub-sects and special categories, such as, women, destitute widows, ex-serviceman, physically handicapped and persons studied in Tamil Medium etc. Incidentally, the state does not choose to follow the mandate of the Apex Court in eschewing creamy layer, the bench added.

The bench said there was yet another facet in the roster point system. A roster fixed was also taken for the fixation of seniority. A person selected under the roster will get his seniority determined accordingly as against merit in a single selection process. This was put to challenge in the earlier round of litigation.

A division bench of the court in Santhosh Kumar case has held that the selected candidates were to be conferred seniority based upon merit and not the roster point. This was taken on appeal by way of SLP, which were also dismissed. To remove the basis of the judgment of the division bench as confirmed by the Apex Court, Section 1 (2), 40 (1) and 70 and 71 of the TNGS (Conditions of Service) Act, 2016 were introduced, the bench added.

The bench said a meritorious reserved category candidate accommodated against ‘general turn’ should not be made to suffer despite being more meritorious. Rule 35 (a) cannot be read as resorted to by the government overthrowing merit as against roster point qua seniority. The 200 point roster was nothing but a mechanism to fill up vacancies in the respective quota and therefore, cannot be elevated to that of merit when it comes to seniority, the bench added.

The bench said in the case on hand, the state government took umbrage under Article 16 (4) of the Constitution of India to get over the dictum of the Court.

“We may note that the Constitutional bench of the Apex court has already held and which was taken note of by other decisions, that Article 16 (4) does not authorise such an action unless there is an express provision like the one introduced by way of 77th and 85th amendments in Article 16 (4A) of the Constitution.

As it is an express statement of law, we are constrained to hold that the state of Tamil Nadu does not have the power, authority or cachet to introduce the impugned provisions tracing Article 16 (1) and 16 (4) of the Constitution as their source of power, we are constrained to note that we are dealing with a case involving all sort of reservations at the level of seniority when there is no material available nor produced before the court”, the bench added.

The bench said, “We hold that the impugned provisions do not have the legal sanctity under Article 16 of the Constitution of India. Even assuming that the same is in existence, the adequacy and the need for reservation have not been supported by requisite materials. Therefore, on both these grounds, the provisions are to be declared as ultra vires and unconstitutional”.

Kerala University marklist seized from accused

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

PublishedNov 16, 2019, 3:17 am IST

The university has ordered an inquiry into the incident after the DRI submitted a report to the higher authorities.

Kerala University

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala University marklists are easily available to even smugglers. Unfilled marklists of the university were seized by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence recently from the residence of Vishnu Somasundaram, the key accused in a gold smuggling case and an associate of the late musician Balabhaskar.

The university has ordered an inquiry into the incident after the DRI submitted a report to the higher authorities claiming that they had confiscated seven unfilled marklists with signatures and seal from the residence of Vishnu during the raids conducted on June 14. Vishnu, on bail in the gold smuggling case, is absconding. Sources said that the DRI will soon submit a letter to Higher Education Principal Secretary Usha Titus to launch a probe. At present, the marklists are in the possession of the DRI.

Vishnu and Prakash Thampi, another associate of Balabhaskar, had smuggled in 720 kilograms of gold through the Thiruv-ananthapuram airport.

The DRI had nabbed beautician Sareena and KSRTC conductor Sunil on May 13 while they were trying to smuggle in 25 kg of gold through the airport.

Others, including Vishnu and Prakash Thampi, were arrested later and Vishnu absconded when they were released on bail. As Customs Superintendent Radhakrishnan was among the accused, the DRI handed over the probe to the CBI.

Kerala University Vice-Chancellor V.P. Mahadevan Pillai, who ordered a probe into the incident, asked the DRI to provide him the details of the confiscated marklists. The university was issuing digital marklists for various examinations for the past many years, said Mr Pillai.

Chennai: Students demand safer academic space

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

Published  Nov 16, 2019, 2:44 am IST

The body should include psychologists, mental health experts, sociologists, educationists, faculty of IITM and other professional stakeholders.

Students of IIT Madras stage a protest in front of the Central Lecture Theatre demanding an external expert panel to carry out a mental health study among the students on campus. (Photo: DC)

Chennai: Students of the IIT on Thursday staged protest in front of the Central Lecture Theatre in the institute, demanding among other things an external expert panel to carry out a mental health study among the students on campus.

While the tragic death of Fathima has come as a shock to the student community, “the inaction of the administration regarding the structural issues that have led to more and more suicides is appalling and must be protested against”, the students said in a petition to the Director.

Fathima’s father Abdul Latheef speaking to media

The students sought a “safer academic space” for the students amid some allegations that the Institute is dominated by an elite class and the commoner student is looked down upon. They reminded the administration of the resolution of the Student Legislative Council last semester remains unattended and must be implemented at once “to set up a body of outside experts to study the overall mental wellbeing of the students in the institute and on the effectiveness of the existing platforms and mechanisms to tackle all the issues faced by students in the campus”.

The body should include psychologists, mental health experts, sociologists, educationists, faculty of IITM and other professional stakeholders and must look into the pressures faced by students, especially those from marginalised social backgrounds including SC/ST, women, and queer communities. “The recommendations of the body should be acted upon.” They said.

Their petition to Director also called for the setting up of a ‘complaints and grievances redressal committee in all departments at the earliest to provide any needed assistance to the friends and classmates of Fathima.

Drugs worth Rs 1,081 crore seized in the last 19 months: RTI

PTI | Nov 15, 2019, 08.53 PM IST

MUMBAI: The Mumbai police has seized narcotic drugs worth Rs 1,081 crore in the last 19 months and arrested 1,073 people for drug-related crimes, an RTI query revealed.

The number of people arrested in drug-related cases more than doubled as of September 2019 compared to the previous year, the information obtained from the Anti- Narcotics Cell revealed.

The RTI query filed by activist Anil Galgali sought information regarding the number of drug-related cases, arrests, seized drugs and their value.

The police has provided the data from January 1, 2018 to September 2019.

"We have recovered narcotics worth Rs 1,081 crore in the last 19 months (between January 2018 to September 2019) and arrested more than 1,000 people, which includes drug peddlers," said Shivdeep Lande, deputy commissioner of police (ANC).

As per the data shared by the police, a total of 1,363 kg of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, MD and LCD were seized in the whole of 2018.

The drugs seized last year are valued at Rs 1,016 crore and 395 accused were arrested for drug-related crimes of which 194 were marijuana users, the RTI query stated.

From January 1 to September 30, 2019, around 169.4 kg of narcotic substances, worth Rs 64.64 lakh were recovered by the police, the data revealed.

The number of accused has doubled this year with 678 arrests, the query stated

"The ANC has been working relentlessly to curb drug menace in the city and it is because of our team's efforts that the number of arrests have increased this year compared to last year," Lande said.

HC to Bihar govt: Submit report on steps taken by panel formed for setting up para-medical council

TNN | Nov 7, 2019, 07.23 PM IST

PATNA: The Patna high court on Thursday granted four weeks to the state government for filing report on action taken by a four-member committee for formulating the rules and regulations for establishing a para-medical council at state level. The court also observed that enough time had already been granted to the state for formation of the council.

The direction was given to the state after it submitted a supplementary counter-affidavit apprising the court about a four-member committee which was formed by the health department on October 3 for preparing draft notification for constituting the para-medical council.

The state government also submitted that the committee was working actively to finalise the necessary draft for constitution and functioning of the council and four weeks be granted to file a reply.

The order for submitting a report on action taken by the committee was given by a division bench of Chief Justice Amreshwar Pratap Sahi and Justice Ashutosh Kumar while hearing a batch of four PILs including one filed by Indian Association of Pathologists and Microbiologists, where court was urged to direct the concerned officers for taking action against all those pathological laboratories which were running against the rules and regulations under Clinical Establishment (central government) Rules, 2012, which was amended last year.

It was during hearing on this issue that court had asked the state government over the situation for forming a council which would act as a regulating body for para-medical staffs as well as technicians working in such laboratories.

The four-membered-committee was formed by the health department only after the same division had asked the state government that what actions were taken for formation of the state para-medical council on September 19. The court had granted six-week time to the government for filing a reply on the matter.

Along with submitting action taken report, the court on Thursday also directed state government to file reply within four weeks on an interlocutory application (IA) filed by a private pathological laboratory at Gaya that how it was declared as one running illegally.

The petitioner had pleaded that the report submitted by the state government over legal and illegal laboratories was not in accordance with the Centre’s guidelines and they were not provided opportunity to produce any document proving that laboratory was running in accordance with the law

MBBS student, MBA graduate among three suicides reported

TNN | Nov 16, 2019, 04.58 AM IST

Nagpur: Three suicides, including one of an MBBS student and another of an MBA graduate, were reported at different locations in the city on Thursday. 

After registering the cases as accidental deaths, police have started investigations.

In the first incident, Jajzlan Kazi, 21, who was a second year student of MBBS at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMCH), hanged himself from a hook on the wall in his study room at his Ayappa Nagar residence on Thursday.

This was the second case of suicide by an MBBS student in the recent past.

On Friday, the atmosphere at the IGMCH mortuary was emotionally charged with classmates and teachers offering their condolences to Kazi’s relatives.

After returning from namaz in the afternoon, Kazi went straight to his room around 2pm and took the extreme step, a relative told TOI.

Kazi’s father Jawed Hussain, a lab assistant at a college in Gandhibagh, said, “I left for work in the morning and after that, went to IGMCH to deposit Kazi’s fees. As the clerk was not in his seat, I went home and learnt that Kazi is in his room since afternoon. I knocked at his door, but he didn’t respond. I peeped from the rear window of his room and saw something suspicious. My wife thought that he was sleeping but I insisted that the door be broken and when we did that, we found our son lying dead. I still can’t understand why he took such a drastic step. He should have at least spoken to us if he was going through any problem. My son was a bright student.”

Kazi’s last rites were performed on Friday in the presence of his family, relatives and friends.

In another incident, Mrunali Dongre, 24 committed suicide on Thursday by hanging herself just days after her parents started looking for a groom for her.

Mrunali, an MBA in finance and marketing, was found hanging from the ceiling fan in her bedroom in Bhilgaon.

Cops said when Mrunali’s parents asked her for her preference regarding the groom, she did not respond. Though no suicide note was found at the spot, cops have taken Mrunali’s phone into custody to investigate the case thoroughly.

In the third incident, Priya alias Avni Chudaman alias Deshmukh, 32, committed suicide by hanging herself at her home when she was alone. Priya took the extreme step when her father-in-law had gone to bring his grand children from school.

Cops said the reason behind the suicide is still unknown. No note was found from the spot.

2012 batch KGMU intern sexually harasses junior in library, booked

TNN | Nov 16, 2019, 06.43 AM IST

LUCKNOW: An MBBS intern of 2012 batch in King George's Medical University (KGMU) was booked on charges of sexually harassing a junior in the central library of the university. Though the incident took place on Tuesday, the FIR was lodged by the university chief proctor on Thursday. 

This is the third incident of harassment or violence involving KGMU students in which a complaint with the police was lodged in this academic session so far.

According to the FIR, the accused harassed a group of juniors in the 24-hour central library study hall at around 9.40pm on Tuesday by misbehaving with them and throwing away their belongings. One of the juniors, a 2014 batch girl student, alleged that the accused also touched her inappropriately. She said that the accused first made an attempt to talk to her but when she refused, he touched her with wrong intentions. The group then informed senior faculty members and chief proctor. They also claimed that the accused had harassed them and other batch mates earlier as well.

The junior students also lodged a written complaint with the chief proctor, who later registered an FIR.

Chief proctor RS Kushwaha said, "Both female and the male students complained about how the accused harassed or assaulted them. Since the behaviour of the accused person was inappropriate, we have lodged the complaint with the police who will investigate the case and based on their findings, will take necessary action. The accused is currently working in the forensic department and his entry in hostels and library has been barred."

"The librarian has been instructed to allow entry to only those who have a valid pass," he added. SHO, Chowk, Pankaj Singh said, "We are recording the statements of the eyewitness of the incidents and the victim, following which we will take action against the accused."

(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)

சென்னை பல்கலை பட்டமளிப்பு விழா

Added : நவ 15, 2019 23:06

சென்னை : சென்னை பல்கலையின், 162வது பட்டமளிப்பு விழா, வரும், 19ம் தேதி, பல்கலையின் நுாற்றாண்டு விழா அரங்கில் நடக்க உள்ளது. பல்கலை வேந்தர் பன்வாரிலால் புரோஹித் தலைமையில் நடக்கும் விழாவில், உயர்கல்வி அமைச்சர் அன்பழகன் பங்கேற்கிறார்.மத்திய தோல் ஆராய்ச்சி நிறுவனத்தின் முன்னாள் இயக்குனர் ராமசாமி, சிறப்பு விருந்தினராக பங்கேற்கிறார் என, பல்கலை செய்திக் குறிப்பில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

High Court rules quota cannot outweigh merit in govt job promotion

Thus, the contention raised that neither the rule nor the Act has been challenged cannot be countenanced because they do not provide for such a procedure.

Published: 16th November 2019 06:38 AM 

Madras HC (File | EPS)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: A division bench of the Madras High Court on Friday ruled that a reserved candidate having secured lesser marks than other meritorious ones, cannot supersede them by getting into the general turn, for which procedure is not even contemplated either in rules or in the law.

Article 16 of Constitution cannot be invoked to justify the case of a less meritorious candidate being fitted into a general turn though others are in queue. Such a procedure is totally arbitrary to say the least. 

Holding that the roster point system adopted by government in fixing seniority of government servants is nothing but an indirect way of providing reservation even beyond 69 per cent, a bench of Justices M M Sundresh and RMT Teekaa Raman declared Sections 1(2), 40 and 70 of the Tamil Nadu Government Servants (Conditions of Service) Act, 2016 as ultra vires and unconstitutional.

The bench was passing final orders on a batch of writ petitions from engineers in State service praying, among other things, for a directive to authorities to prepare the seniority list for promotion only as per merit and marks obtained in the exams by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, without following the rules of reservation.

The bench said a procedure, which is being followed contrary to rule, cannot be approved by the court, especially when it affects the rights of the citizen. Section 27(d) of the Act and Rule 22(b) merely provide for meritorious reserved candidates to adopt for reserved category when it confers better benefit. However, a reserved candidate, having secured lesser marks than other meritorious ones, cannot supersede them by getting into the general turn.

Thus, the contention raised that neither the rule nor the Act has been challenged cannot be countenanced because they do not provide for such a procedure.

In this case, the State has taken umbrage under Article 16 (4) of Constitution to get over the court dictum. However, the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had already held, which was taken note of by other decisions, that Article 16 (4) does not authorise such an action unless there is an express provision like the one introduced by way of 77th and 85th amendments to Article 16 (4A). As it is an express statement of law, the judges said they are constrained to hold that the State does not have the power, authority or cachet to introduce the impugned provisions tracing Article 16(1) and 16(4) as their source of power.

HC modifies directions on bribe as advisory 

Case relates to a charge against Kanniyakumari policeman

16/11/2019 , B. Tilak Chander , Madurai

The Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday modified a single bench order giving a series of directions to the Home Department and Director General of Police with regard to taking action against police personnel who indulged in collection of mamool or bribe.

A Division Bench of Justices T.S. Sivagnanam and R. Tharani modified the directions as an “advisory,” which shall be taken in the right spirit.

The court said that the directions were passed in a writ petition pertaining to a service matter and not a public interest litigation petition. The observations made were beyond the scope of the prayer in the writ petition, the court said.

The single bench had directed the Home Department and the DGP to issue consolidated instructions to authorities competent, to register criminal cases against the demand and acceptance of bribe under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code.

The single bench passed the set of directions while hearing the petition filed by a policeman M. Ramasamy. He was issued a charge memo after a complaint was made against him for collecting bribe during a routine vehicle check on a highway in Kanniyakumari district.

An inquiry was conducted and the charges against him were proven. However, he claimed that he was innocent and sought to quash the order. The single bench refused him the relief. He filed an appeal against the single Bench order. Refusing him the relief, the Division Bench modified the order of the single Bench.

‘Govt. not to entertain women in Sabarimala’ 

It has decided to wait for verdict by larger SC Bench on review pleas

16/11/2019 , N.J. Nair , THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Awaiting opinion: The Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala will open on Saturday for the annual pilgrim season.LEJU KAMAL

The Kerala government has decided not to allow women in the menstruating age group to visit the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple and to wait till a seven-member Bench of the Supreme Court takes a final call on a batch of review petitions referred to it for final scrutiny.

The government decision on Friday came after legal opinion offered by Advocate General C.P. Sudhakara Prasad.

The Supreme Court decision on Thursday to refer major components of its September 28, 2018, verdict granting unrestricted entry for women of child-bearing age to the temple for another review, has offered the government the leeway to defer imposition of the earlier judgment.

While hearing the review petitions in October 2018, the Supreme Court explicitly stated that the verdict stands and has not been stayed, but no such specific mention has been made as part of the latest decision. Hence, it has been resolved to wait for a final decision, government sources said.

The CPI(M) State secretariat that met here on Friday adopted a complementary stance and resolved against granting entry to women to the temple. Since many crucial components of the September 28, 2018 verdict had been referred for review, it was felt that the government should not allow women to the hill shrine, party sources said.

It has been clarified that the party has not diluted its stance on gender equality and will stick to its stand to abide by the court decision on the issue. The latest decisions of the government and the political leadership have eased the pressure on the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the Sabarimala temple.

At this station, dog looks out for passengers 

Abandoned pet joins forces with the security personnel at the Chennai Park station
 
16/11/2019 , Dennis S. Jesudasan, CHENNAI 


 
Duty beckons: Chinnaponnu barking at footboard travellers at the Chennai Park Railway Station. B. Jothi Ramalingam

It’s the most ubiquitous sight across the country — a dog curled up on a railway platform — and would hardly merit a second look.

But the black-and-tan dog asleep under an old fan near the Station Master’s room at the Chennai Park Railway Station in Tamil Nadu is no ordinary canine but an active volunteer with the Railway Protection Force (RPF) unit deployed at the busy commuter hub in the city.

On the job

Chinnaponnu, who was abandoned at the station over two years ago, has seriously taken up the job of assisting the RPF in warning commuters illegally crossing the railway tracks and those travelling on the footboard of the suburban trains.

“She is not a trained dog but after watching us warning people crossing the tracks and travelling on the footboard, Chinnaponnu has learnt the drill. As we do our duty, she joins us and does her ‘duty’,” says RPF head constable G.C.D. Chiranjeevi.

When some passengers discreetly attempt to cross the tracks behind the back of the policemen on duty, Chinnaponnu barks and alerts them.

She also makes sure that nobody travels on footboard.

V. Senthamizhan, who works at a kiosk at the station, says the dog keeps to herself but is watchful of the surroundings.

“She once helped the police catch a man who was running away after snatching the mobile phone of a commuter,” recalls S. Sureshbabu, who works at another kiosk.

“I saw her owner from Tiruvannamalai, who said the family had to abandon her because their landlord did not allow them to keep a pet at home. But, they visit her once a month. It was from them we got to know her name is Chinnaponnu,” says Sureshbabu.

(See video at http://bit.ly/ChinnaponnuDog)

Govt. seeks nod for medical colleges in three more districts

16/11/2019 , Special Correspondent, CHENNAI

After getting the nod for six government medical colleges last month, the State government has applied for three more at Krishnagiri, Nagapattinam and Tiruvallur, and is set to make a presentation to the Technical Evaluation Committee of the Union Ministry for Health and Family Welfare. A senior official of the Health Department said they submitted applications nearly three weeks ago.

“We have already identified lands for the colleges in Tiruvallur, Krishnagiri and Nagapattinam. We will be presenting our case to the committee on Monday,” the official said. Health Secretary Beela Rajesh will be part of the meet.

After flagpost accident, victim’s leg amputated

 16/11/2019

Rajeswari

Strapped for funds, the family was turning to relatives and friends for help.

A relative had also sought support online to meet expenses.

Commenting on the development, DMK Singanallur MLA N. Karthik said that the AIADMK government’s silence on the issue only showed how "insensitive and inhumane" it was.

"It is not that the government is unaware of the issue. Journalists in Coimbatore had posed a question about the accident to none other than the Chief Minister. My party had also staged a protest on Thursday. Despite being aware of the issue, the government has done nothing. No official or ruling party member met the family. This only shows how inhumane the government is,” he said.

Earlier this week, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said he was unaware of the accident. He said there was no court order against flagposts. A few weeks ago Subasri, a young techie, died in a road accident caused by the fall of a hoarding installed by an AIADMK functionary in Chennai.

Stalin seeks resolution against NEET

16/11/2019 , Special Correspondent, CHENNAI

DMK president M.K. Stalin on Friday urged the AIADMK government to convene the winter session of the State Assembly to adopt a fresh resolution to do away with NEET.

“The government should not resort to the meaningless argument that it had sought reasons behind the Centre rejecting the earlier resolution. The new resolution should be sent to the President for assent before the commencement of NEET,” he said.