Bus-truck collision and fire leave at least 10 dead

U.P. CM announces an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh to next of kin of the deceased

12/01/2020, PRESS TRUST OF INDIA,KANNAUJ (UP)

Tragic ride: People gather near the charred remains of the Jaipur-bound bus, in Kannauj on Saturday. ANIANI

Charred bodies of 10 people have been recovered after a private sleeper double-decker bus burst into flames after colliding with a truck in Uttar Pradesh’s Kannauj district late on Friday, District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar said on Saturday.

Several others suffered serious burn injuries, said the official.

There were 45 passengers, including three staff, in the Jaipur-bound bus travelling from Farrukhabad. The accident occurred on the Grand Trunk Road near Chhibramau, police said. One of the deceased has been identified as Rinku Yadav, 32, the driver of the truck which collided with the bus.

PM offers condolences

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi have conveyed their condolences to the families of the victims.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and ₹50,000 to the injured. He has also sought a report from the district magistrate about the incident.

Kanpur Inspector general, Mohit Agarwal, said both the bus and the truck caught fire after the collision and exact death toll can be established only after DNA tests.

Soon after the incident, the locals rushed to the spot and rescued many passengers by breaking the window panes. The injured are undergoing treatment at the Tirwa Medical college hospital and the district hospital, the IG said.

State Excise Minister Ram Naresh Agnihotri also inspected the site of the accident.

State Congress President Ajay Kumar Lallu met the injured at the hospital and assured them of full support.

Pilot’s licence suspended for runway incursion

12/01/2020,NEW DELHI

Aviation regulator DGCA has suspended the pilot-in-command of an AirAsia India flight for three months for a runway incursion incident at the Mumbai airport on November 5, 2019, an official said on Saturday. The pilot had admitted his lapses, the official said. PTI

Kerala luxury apartments razed using controlled blasts

H2O Holy Faith and Alfa Serene turned to dust; two more buildings to go today

12/01/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,KOCHI

Great fall: (From left) H2O Holy Faith and twin towers of Alfa Serene being pulled down using controlled explosions at Maradu near Kochi on Saturday.H. Vibhu

Sending a strong signal against illegal constructions along the coastline in Kerala, apartment complexes H2O Holy Faith and Alfa Serene in Maradu near Kochi were razed to the ground on Saturday.

The three towers in the two complexes on the banks of Vembanad Lake were brought down using controlled demolition techniques on a Supreme Court directive. The lake site is protected under the Ramsar convention and the towers had been put up in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules.

Two more apartment complexes, Jain Coral Cove and Golden Kayaloram, which were also identified as illegal, are to be demolished on Sunday.

The demolition of two towers of Alfa Serene and H2O was executed according to plan. Structures nearby, including homes, offices and the Kundannoor overbridge remained intact after the powerful explosions.

H2O Holy Faith was the first to be blasted, using controlled implosions that were triggered at 11.18 a.m. Although the explosives were scheduled to go off at 11 a.m., the process was delayed by 18 minutes as a Navy helicopter was on a sortie near the building.

The process was delayed on safety grounds as the aircraft flew past the buildings minutes before the blasts, said officials of Edifice Engineering, the firm that undertook the demolition.

While the implosion at H2O appeared to produce little external impact, the blasts at Alfa Serene rattled the area with loud noise and strong vibrations. Splinters could be seen flying into the nearby water body from the building. Some debris landed in the wetland.

Shock waves travel

The shock waves generated by the explosions travelled across the area for a considerable distance and rattled buildings. The impact was felt in buildings located around 500 metres away.

Huge clouds of dust covered the concrete structures after they came down. It took around 10 minutes for the large volume of dust to settle at the place where Alfa Serene stood tall.

Visibility in the area was reduced significantly for some time, and fronds of coconut trees in the vicinity turned grey with dust. Fire and civic workers sprinkled water over the debris as a measure to contain the dust.

Life in the area returned to normal around 30 minutes after the demolition, when traffic curbs were relaxed.

Collector S. Suhas described it as a “wonderfully executed” implosion with almost zero damage to nearby structures and vegetation. The vibration readings were well within the safety limit, he said.

Pollution level

Predictions on the environmental impact of the demolition appeared to be accurate. In fact, the implosion did not produce dangerous dust or sound levels, officials said. The demolition of the complexes was completed by 11.45 a.m. and the emissions observed were as expected, said an official of the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB).

The PCB will now study the impact to assess the quantum of dust emitted by the demolition. The study will be completed within a week.

It was noticed during the time of the explosion that some debris from the Alfa Serene complex fell into the backwaters but on inspection it was found that the quantum was not significant.

“We had deliberately planned that some portion of the building should fall into the water. That was basically to protect the surrounding buildings. Adjacent buildings have been saved, protected completely,” PTI quoted the Collector as saying.

Music is at the core of Indian culture, says Vice-President

Venkaiah Naidu inaugurates the 173rd Thyagaraja Aradhana in Thiruvaiyaru

12/01/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,THANJAVUR

Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu being felicitated by G.K. Vasan, president of Sri Thyagabrahma Mahotsava Sabha, in Thiruvaiyaru on Saturday. M. MOORTHYM_Moorthy

Music is the core of Indian culture and heritage, said Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu.

Delivering the inaugural address of the 173rd annual Thyagaraja Aradhana at Thiruvaiyaru near here on Saturday, Mr. Naidu said art united hearts and music was one among those elements in Indian culture that had great potential to unite people, to help connect and understand each other. Music in its pure form led to spiritual nourishment of the soul, he added.

‘Tallest figure’

Praising saint composer Thyagaraja as the tallest figure in the world of music, Mr. Naidu said his contribution to the enrichment of Indian cultural heritage could not be quantified.

His compositions cherished over centuries would continue to be treasured by the young and the old for all time to come. Pointing out that share and care was the core of Indian philosophy, Mr.Venkaiah Naidu called upon the people to practice, promote and imbibe this philosophy in children.

Being one of the most ancient civilisations of the world, Indian culture was often described as an amalgamation of several cultures and influenced by a history that was several millennia old, he said. Commending the contributions and dedication of the Moopanar family in organising the aradhana festival, the Vice-President expressed confidence that the annual event would reach greater heights in the years to come.

Tourism Minister Vellamandi Natarajan, Sri Thyagabrahma Mahotsava Sabha president G.K. Vasan, secretaries Arithuvaramangalam A.K. Planivel and V. Rajarao were present.

Pastor allowed to travel abroad

12/01/2020, STAFF REPORTER,MADURAI

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court allowed pastor Gideon Jacob, founder of Mose Ministries in Tiruchi, to travel abroad and meet his wife, who is undergoing medical treatment in Germany.

The pastor had moved the court seeking permission to travel.

Three weeks

Justice S.S. Sundar set some conditions before allowing Mr. Jacob to visit his wife for three weeks.

After the petitioner agreed to submit a surety to this effect, the court directed him to appear before the CBI and produce the necessary documents. The petitioner was also directed to give an undertaking that his stay abroad would not exceed three weeks.

Headmaster beaten up by teachers

12/01/2020, STAFF REPORTER,ERODE

The headmaster of Government Middle School at Sundapur tribal hamlet was allegedly beaten up by his colleagues in Gobichettipalayam on Saturday after he refused to return school documents taken away by him.

During an inspection on January 8 by the Assistant Elementary Educational Officer, Anthiyur, over 10 documents, including the attendance register of teachers and school management council records, were found missing. Despite officials asking the headmaster, Chandran, to return the records, he refused. On Saturday, he tried to escape when his colleagues asked about the records, but was nabbed. He later returned the records and no complaint was lodged.

Those with normal BP should also cut salt intake, says expert

12/01/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Having normal blood pressure (BP) level does not mean one can take more salt with their food. Cutting down salt intake by 10% to 20% could prevent strokes, heart attacks and kidney failure to a great extent, according to Rajan Ravichandran, chairman of Sapiens Health Foundation.

“Everyone knows they should reduce salt once they have high BP. We want to target the normal population. They should reduce salt intake to prevent high BP. Hence, we have shifted our target to students so that they reduce their intake at a young age,” he said while distributing prizes to schoolchildren for an essay writing contest on “Salt in Diet and Health” on Friday.

The foundation that has been campaigning for low salt intake for the last 11 years wrote to nearly 300 food manufacturers to cut down added salt in their products, Mr. Ravichandran said.

He said the world’s number one killer was hypertension and its complications such as heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure. K.N. Ramaswamy, director of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (Chennai Kendra), said extra tax on salt would create awareness on the impact of having excess salt.

“Schools should ensure that children avoid processed food,” he said. Vijaya Bharathi Rangarajan, president of Rotary Club of Madras and P.N. Mohan, ex-president of Rotary Club of Madras spoke.

Mylapore street comes alive with kolams

Contest held as part of Mylapore Festival

12/01/2020, STAFF REPORTER,CHENNAI

Fifteen kolams were selected and participants given prizes at the end of the contest. K.V. Srinivasan

As V. Mythili, a resident of Mylapore, deftly drew an intricate pattern on the road at North Mada Street, a group gathered around her, clicking photographs of her kolam.

The octogenarian was one among over hundred participants of the kolam contest, organised as a part of the Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival, on Saturday evening.

“For many of us here, drawing kolams has gone from an interest to a passion. Every day, I think of a new design and draw it at home,” Ms Mythili said.

For many other participants like V. Raji from Alwarpet, several designs online and video tutorials on how to draw kolams helped develop interest in recent times.

Participants at the contest were given around an hour to complete their kolams, and watching them keenly were several onlookers. Several tourists visiting the Kapaleeswarar Temple too stopped by to see the competition. As many as 15 kolams were selected and the participants given prizes at the end of the contest.

“Having participated in the festival for many years now, I’ve learnt a lot of interesting kolam techniques from other participants here,” said Jayanthi Murugesh, a participant from T. Nagar, who also won a prize at the competition.

Vincent D’Souza, director of the Mylapore Festival, said the festival initially began with the kolam competition as a standalone event, and over the years, had evolved into a much bigger cultural festival. “The festival and events such as the kolam contest are aimed at spreading the message that the temple and its surrounding areas need to be preserved and promoted as a cultural heritage zone,” he said.

The kolam contest will also be held for more participants on Sunday, from 3.30 p.m. As part of the festival, a rangoli competition, for a limited number of participants, will also be conducted on Sunday.

Nirbhaya case: SC to hear plea on Jan. 14
12/01/2020, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

A five-judge Bench led by Justice N.V. Ramana will examine the curative petitions filed by two Nirbhaya gang-rape case convicts, Vinay Sharma and Mukesh, on January 14.

The other judges on the Bench are Justices Arun Mishra, Rohinton Nariman, R. Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan. The judges will examine the petitions in their chambers at 1.45 p.m. and decide to either accept or reject them. The curative petitions were filed by both convicts on January 9, just days after a Delhi sessions court scheduled the execution of all the four convicts for January 22, at Tihar Jail.

Sharma and Mukesh, in separate petitions, said there had been a sea change in the death penalty jurisprudence since their convictions.

Need to reorient syllabus, teaching methods: Venkaiah

TNN | Jan 12, 2020, 04.24 AM IST

Trichy: There is a need to reorient syllabus and teaching methodologies in educational institutions to train students at par with industry requirements, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu has said. Addressing the 21st convocation of Srimad Andavan Arts and Science College, Thiruvanaikoil on Saturday, he said institutions must lay greater emphasis on skill development and establish industry linkages. This would give students first-hand experience of working in an enterprise and at the same time cultivate the spirit of entrepreneurship.

He appealed to students to protect nature and preserve culture for a better future. “When I crossed the river Cauvery, I noticed water flowing on the river. I got down from the vehicle breaching the protocol and went to the bridge side and saw the water and I felt very happy. Because water is our life, rivers are life. Unfortunately, because of neglect all rivers are drying and dying,” the VP said adding that the time has come to rejuvenate and connect all rivers. For the past few decades, people have been seeing the adverse impact of global warming and climate change. People have tinkered with nature for too long and now they are experiencing the impact of nature’s fury. Despite being a perennial river once upon a time, Cauvery is not flowing, he said. “Water problem will be a severe problem for the whole world. So, we have to find ways how to use, reduce and reuse water. Rainwater harvesting system should be part of our education system”, he stressed. Former chief election commissioner of India N Gopalaswami, chairman of national executive committee of Andavan Ashram R Rajagopal, college secretary C A Ammangi, correspondent V Balaji and principal, staff and students attended the event.

At Kappalur toll plaza, rude staff even beat up motorists

TNN | Jan 12, 2020, 04.33 AM IST

Madurai: The Kappalur toll plaza has become notorious for the hostile behaviour of its employees who frequently pick up quarrels with users and even beat them up occasionally. With the plaza witnessing law and order issues, local people have demanded that the district police verify the background of workers employed there and ensure that they wear identity cards.

At least three Ayyappa devotees from Chennai who were travelling on a van suffered injuries on Thursday when a group of toll plaza employees attacked them. Sakthi Sai, Kumaraguru and Madhesh suffered injuries and were treated in a hospital. Based on a complaint from S Baskar, 40, from Broadway in Chennai, a case was registered with the Thirumangalam Town police station.

Four people identified as N Pankaj, 20, from Bihar, S Tejbir Singh, 20, and K Rohit, 22, from Uttar Pradesh and V Vignesh, 26, from Maninagaram in Madurai city were arrested. Police sources said that the accused attacked them using a flag pole and helmet. According to the police, the van carrying 20 devotees wrongly entered FASTag lane. After being told by the toll gate employees that they would be charged twice, the van driver reversed the vehicle. An altercation ensued when the employees gently knocked on the vehicles asking them to make it fast. A quarrel erupted when the occupants of the van questioned it and in no time the employees gathered and started assaulting the devotees.

However, Shankar Raj, toll officer at the toll gate, said they acted only in self-defence as the Ayyappa devotees provoked them by attacking one of the employees. The devotees suffered injuries when they fell down accidentally during the altercation, he said. P K Vembuvendan, coordinator of the committee against Kappalur toll plaza, said that motorists being abused by the toll plaza staff is a regular affair irrespective of whether they are locals or outsiders. This is evident from the peace committee meetings periodically conducted by revenue officials to ensure law and order.

The plaza has been set up at Kappalur, which is within a 5km radius of Thirumangalam municipality, in violation of rules. “People from other states are being employed to threaten users. Police should intervene by checking the criminal antecedents of workers and ensure they wear ID cards. They go into hiding after every assault and the administration washes its hands off saying they were not employees,” Vembuvendan said.

NHAI project director, Madurai, V Saravanan said the issue was the result of the user entering FASTag despite being stopped by employees. A counter-complaint against the occupants of the van has been lodged with the police. “Users always have the mindset that they are being cheated. Things go out of control when the employees are being attacked. They had to retaliate in self-defence,” he told TOI.

Nirbhaya case: Kannada film actor Jaggesh offers Rs 1 lakh to hangman

TNN | Jan 11, 2020, 02.08 PM IST

BENGALURU: Kannada film actor Jaggesh announced on Twitter that he will hand over Rs 1 lakh to the hangman who will execute the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case.

Jaggesh told TOI that as a believer of the Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita, he felt the death sentence was a just decision. "I have watched videos of Nirbhaya's mother pouring her heart out and many a time I too have wept," he said.

Jaggesh said he saw an interview of the hangman, Pavan Jallad, who said hanging the four culprits would fetch him Rs 1 lakh which he plans to use for his daughter's wedding.

"In the video, the hangman said he does not have a proper home but wants to get his daughter married and does not mind hanging the convicts. He said hanging each of them would get him Rs 25,000 and since there are four convicts, he would get Rs 1 lakh," Jaggesh said.

"The money I am giving will be of help to Jallad, who will be ending the lives of the cruel murderers of an innocent girl," he said.

While Tihar Jail has sought for two hangmen to execute the four, Pawan Jallad from Meerut is expected to be one of them.

Jallad through a video on social media expressed joy at Jaggesh's gesture.

New govt medical collegesmay be under PPP model

TNN | Jan 12, 2020, 04.44 AM IST

Sunitha.Rao

Bengaluru: The upcoming government-sponsored medical colleges are likely to be under Private-Public Partnership (PPP). This was discussed at the first meeting with NITI Aayog members to define the process here on Saturday.

The plan is to invite private medical colleges to work with the government and strengthen government hospitals and overcome staff shortage.

“There are 14 districts in Karnataka which don’t have medical colleges, but have government district hospitals. There is scope for starting medical colleges there so that hospitals also benefit,” said officials.

Officials of the health & family welfare and medical education departments were present at the meeting where private medical college managements and entrepreneurs discussed the PPP model.

NITI Aayog wants to build 75 district hospitals across the country under the PPP model. The partnership will differ from case to case, depending on land ownership, infrastructure and hospital. The final list of chosen districts will be published by NITI Aayog in February.

“Educational institutions with experience in running medical colleges, that have run medical colleges with at least 150-200 beds can be given the opportunity to establish medical college in these districts by using existing government hospitals. Detailed discussions are yet to be held,” sources said.

Medical education minister and deputy chief minister CN Ashwath Narayan said the move is to encourage private institutions to work with the government. “Through the PPP model, the hospital running cost can be reduced for the government. We can overcome staff shortage, specialists’ posts get filled, and district hospitals can bring in superspecialties,” he said. He did not specify the modalities and number of medical colleges that will be built under PP model.

Sources said Ramanagara district where RGUHS wanted to build a medical college is likely to be considered for this model. But, Dr S Sacchidanand, VC, RGUHS, said no such matter was discussed. “Currently, the project of the university in Ramanagara is shelved,” he said.

The move has raised concerns about fee structure in colleges under PPP model, sharing of seats between government and private management and cost of treatment in the hospital connected to the college.

Nirbhaya convict allowed to meet mother

TNN | Jan 12, 2020, 04.10 AM IST

NEW DELHI: Jail authorities allowed the family members of Mukesh Singh, one of the convicts in the Nirbhaya case, to meet him as he had started behaving erratically ever since the death sentence was read out to the four men.

Sources said that in an emotional meeting, Singh broke down several times while talking to his mother. The family members, however, assured him about the curative petition and the option of a mercy petition after which he allegedly calmed down.

Jail officials, meanwhile, said that this was not the last meeting between Singh and his family. The convicts would be allowed to meet their family members twice a week, as per the norms. The families would be informed about their last meeting before the hanging well in advance, so that they can prepare for it. During this, they would be allowed to take the personal belongings of the convicts and record a will in the presence of a superintendent.

During the meeting, Singh was learnt to have spoken to his mother about the welfare of his brothers and parents. Jail sources said that the four Nirbhaya convicts on death row had stopped interacting with even the jail staff ever since a court issued the death warrants.

The four men were being kept in solitary cells.

Singh, Akshay Thakur and Pawan Gupta had even shown violent traits and got into arguments with the jail employees on Wednesday, while they were being served food. They were kept on a simple diet of chapatis, daal and vegetable curry that they initially refused to eat. However, jail sources said that later they were calmed down by the counsellor and convinced to eat. The jail officials even shifted the three men to the ‘kasoori ward’, where they are left alone in a cell to introspect, before being convinced.

Vinay Sharma, on the other hand, had confined himself to his cell ever since the verdict. Jail sources said that all of them seem to be restless. Jail counsellors said that this behaviour was common among convicts on death row. The authorities would provide them religious books to read. Jail doctors advised the authorities to keep a check on the health — both mental and physical — of the four men since they had to maintain adequate body weight required for hanging a prisoner.

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

Probation for profs in TN univs not automatic: HC

TNN | Jan 12, 2020, 04.37 AM IST

Chennai: The Madras high court has made it clear that completion of probation for professors appointed to state universities is not automatic, and that in the event of non-confirmation of their service after the expiry of probation period, such candidates cannot claim regularisation as a right. Justice V Anand Venkatesh made the observation while concurring with the submissions of advocate P Sanjai Gandhi, who represented the Tamil Nadu Open University and dismissing pleas moved by professors E Ravi and S Prabakaran.

According to the petitioners, they were originally working as lecturers in Annamalai University. In 2014, Tamil Nadu Open University called for applications for the posts of professor and associate professors. The petitioners applied for the posts and got selected.

On November 28, 2015, they were appointed to their respective posts with two-year probation with a lien for the same period in Annamalai University. However, even after the expiry of the probation period they were not absorbed permanently for the posts. The lien provided for them in Annamalai University also expired. Therefore, they made a representation to the open university to regularise their service. To their shock and surprise, the open university refused to absorb them permanently and passed an order dated February 1, 2018. Aggrieved, they moved the present plea challenging their removal.

They contended that since they were permitted to continue the service even after expiry of probation period, their service had become automatically permanent in view of Tamil Nadu Civil Services [Discipline and Appeal] Rules.

Opposing the same, Sanjai Gandhi contended that the petitioners had given a specific undertaking that they would not claim permanent absorption in the university while seeking extension of lien for one more year and therefore, they are stopped from claiming the relief. Concurring with his submissions, the court dismissed the pleas.

Colleges rush to Anna Univ for nod to offer new engg courses

Jan 12, 2020, 04.36 AM IST

Chennai: To reverse the droopy admission trend of engineering courses, colleges in Tamil Nadu have turned their eyes towards emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, data science and machine learning. More than 35 engineering colleges have applied to Anna University expressing interest to start BTech courses in artificial intelligence and data science, and computer science and business systems for the next academic year.

All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has announced that engineering colleges would be allowed to start new courses in artificial intelligence, data science, cyber security, machine learning and block chain. Anna University had invited application for starting a course in artificial intelligence and data science. It has also began to frame syllabus for the course.

“Colleges must get AICTE’s approval to offer the new programme. The council may allow fresh intake for BTech courses in National Board of Accreditation (NBA)-accredited departments,” officials from Anna University said.

“Artificial intelligence and data analytics hold great future. Information technology will be used in every stream. Students who study these courses will have a bright future,” said K Maran, director of Sairam Institutions.

B Chidambararajan, principal of Valliammai Engineering College, urged the university to work with AICTE to enable colleges to offer these courses from the next academic year.

The university will check whether the colleges have necessary infrastructure to offer the courses and accord permission. “We have to train our engineering graduates in all emerging streams such as artificial intelligence, internt of things (IoT) and block chain to make them employable. Even cyber security has a good demand for engineers. After proper inspection, the university will allow colleges to start such courses,” said M K Surappa, vice-chancellor of Anna University.

But university professors also cautioned against offering the specialised course at undergraduate level saying courses such as agriculture engineering, geo informatics and mining, which had initial attraction, have lost steam. They said specialised courses should be offered only at the postgraduate level.

Meanwhile, many engineering colleges have sought to discontinue traditional courses such as civil engineering and electrical and electronics engineering due to poor enrolment.

Chennai: Buses to run from 6 stations for Pongal

TNN | Jan 12, 2020, 06.48 AM IST

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu state transport corporation (TNSTC) and state express transport corporation (SETC) will be functioning from six locations in the city from January 12 to 14 to facilitate smooth movement of vehicles at the Koyembedu bus terminus.

Traffic police have banned omni buses from going towards Vadapalani from Maduravoyal bypass and have banned heavy vehicles from entering the city limits.

Vehicles heading to Mayavaram, Nagapatinam, Velankanni, Tiruchi, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Sengottai, Tuticorin, Tiruchendur, Nagarkoil, Kanyakumari, Trivandrum, Villupuram, Karaikudi, Pudukottai, Tiruppur, Ooty, Coimbatore, Salem, Ramanathapuram, Ernakulam and Bengaluru will operate from Koyambedu. Buses bound to AP will operate from Madhavaram. Buses headed to Puducherry via ECR will start from K K Nagar. For bookings, the transport corporation have opened 30 special counters.

Hit by high court order, 92 Tamil Nadu engineering colleges may close

TNN | Jan 12, 2020, 06.13 AM IST

CHENNAI: Close to 100 engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu, with more than 25% discrepancies in infrastructure, could lose affiliation to Anna University and be closed following a Madras high court order.

The order, issued on December 20, 2019, after Anna University reduced student intake by 25% to 50% in 92 engineering colleges in 2019-20 for lack of faculty and infrastructure following an inspection by a team from IIT Madras, IISc Bangalore and NIT Trichy, said the university had no legal authority to reduce student intake fixed by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). “It goes without saying that the university can either affiliate or disaffiliate or suspend the affiliation as per the statutes if found to be appropriate...” said the order on a writ appeal filed by Infant Jesus College of Engineering in Tuticorin.

A division bench of Chief Justice A P Sahi and Justice Subramonium Prasad said the university can submit a report for taking action within a reasonable period of time.

Even minor issues taken seriously, say private colleges

“The AICTE should endeavour and make efforts to take a decision before the cutoff date of admissions as prescribed by the apex court,” the HC bench had said.

An Anna University official said, “The university took action against the engineering colleges with more than 25% deficiency in labs, library, faculty members and classrooms. Now, the university may suspend the affiliation for colleges which have deficiencies.”

With more than 100 engineering colleges in the state functioning without proper infrastructure, Anna university plans to rope in more experts from IIT Madras, IISc Bangalore and NIT Trichy this year. “One or two faculty members from these institutions will be part of inspection committees.”

Last year, 170 faculty members from these three institutions inspected more than 537 engineering colleges in the state.

But, the consortium of private colleges said the committees viewed even minor errors like absent of faculty members seriously. “… We have submitted representation totheuniversity.Asfar as court order is concerned, the university still recommended to the AICTE for action against colleges with poor infrastructure,” said P Selvaraj, secretary of Consortium of Self-Financing Professional, Arts and Science Colleges.

Anna University former vice-chancellor E Balagurusamy suggested disaffiliating particular programmes in collegeswith poor infrastructure, saying it would be more harsh than reducing seats.

He further urged the university to disaffiliate colleges found functioning in violation of affiliation norms. “It istimefor Anna University to takesevere action againstcolleges which do not follow norms. AICTE is only reason for the poor quality of technical education in the state. It is responsible for opening so many colleges and allowing them to continue without proper infrastructure…,” he added.

மருந்து நிறுவனங்களிடம் லஞ்சம் வாங்கிய மருத்துவர்கள் மீது எடுக்கப்பட்ட நடவடிக்கை என்ன?- மத்திய அரசு, மருத்துவ கவுன்சிலுக்கு உயர் நீதிமன்றம் நோட்டீஸ்

சென்னை

மருந்து நிறுவனங்களிடம் லஞ்சமாகப் பொருட்களைப் பெற்ற மருத்துவர்கள் மீது என்ன நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது என மத்திய அரசு, மருத்துவ கவுன்சில் பதிலளிக்க சென்னை உயர் நீதிமன்றம் உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது.

மருந்து விற்பனை நிறுவனங்கள் தங்களின் மருந்து விற்பனைக்காக மருத்துவர்களைக் கவர பல வகைகளில் அவர்களுக்கு சகாயம் செய்வார்கள். அது பணம், வெளிநாட்டுச் சுற்றுலாப் பயணம், பரிசுப் பொருட்கள், வாகனங்கள், கிளினிக்கைத் தயார் செய்து தருவது உள்ளிட்ட பல வகைகளில் விருந்தோம்பல் இருக்கும்.

இவ்வாறு தங்கள் தொழிலுக்காக மருத்துவர்களுக்கு விருந்தோம்பலுக்குச் செலவழித்ததாக கூறப்பட்ட தொகையான ரூ.42 லட்சத்து 81 ஆயிரத்து 986-க்கு வரி விதிக்கக் கூடாது என ஃபோர்ட்ஸ் லேப் இந்தியா லிமிடெட் தொடர்ந்த விண்ணப்பத்தைப் பரிசீலித்த வருமான வரி மேல்முறையீட்டு தீர்ப்பாயம், வருமான வரித் துறைக்கு ஆதரவாகத் தீர்ப்பளித்தது.

அந்த உத்தரவை எதிர்த்து ஃபோர்ட்ஸ் மருந்து நிறுவனம் சென்னை உயர் நீதிமன்றத்தில் வழக்குத் தொடர்ந்தது. அந்த வழக்கை விசாரித்த நீதிபதிகள் என்.கிருபாகரன், பி.வேல்முருகன் ஆகியோர் மருந்து விற்பனைக்காக மருந்து நிறுவனங்கள் கையாளும் லஞ்ச முறைக்குக் கடும் கண்டனம் தெரிவித்ததுடன், மத்திய அரசுக்கு அடுக்கடுக்கான கேள்விகளை எழுப்பியுள்ளனர்.


நீதிபதிகள் அமர்வு பிறப்பித்த உத்தரவு:

''இந்தியாவில் தினமும் 50 மில்லியன் நோயாளிகளுக்கு 1 மில்லியன் டாக்டர்கள் சிகிச்சை அளித்து வருகின்றனர். நவீன மருத்துவத்தில் இந்தியா சிறந்து விளங்குவதால் வெளிநாட்டினரும் கூட நம் நாட்டிற்குக் குறிப்பாக, சென்னைக்கு மருத்துவச் சுற்றுலா என சிகிச்சை பெற வருகின்றனர்.

ஆனால், தரமான மருத்துவ சிகிச்சை குறைந்த செலவில் நம் நாட்டிலுள்ள ஏழை, எளிய மக்களுக்குக் கிடைக்கிறதா? என்றால் இல்லை. உலக அளவில் இந்திய மருந்து நிறுவனங்களின் பங்கு மிகவும் அதிகமாக உள்ளது. இந்திய மருந்து நிறுவனங்கள் 33 மில்லியன் டாலர் (ரூ.234 கோடியே 27 லட்சத்து 19 ஆயிரத்து 500) மதிப்பில் இயங்கி வருவதாக கடந்த 2017-ம் ஆண்டு வெளியான அறிக்கையில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

கடந்த 2017-ம் ஆண்டு ரூ.1 லட்சத்து 16 ஆயிரத்து 389 கோடியாக இருந்த மருந்து நிறுவனங்களின் ஆண்டு வர்த்தகம் கடந்த 2018-ம் ஆண்டு ரூ.1 லட்சத்து 29 ஆயிரத்து 015 கோடியாக உயர்ந்துள்ளது. இத்தகைய மருந்து நிறுவனங்களின் தேவையில்லாத மருந்துகளை அதிக விலைக்கு பொதுமக்களிடம் விற்பனை செய்வதற்காக, டாக்டர்களுக்குத் தங்க நகை, ரொக்கப் பணம், கிரெடிட் கார்டு, இன்பச் சுற்றுலா எனப் பல வழிகளில் லஞ்சம் வழங்குவதாக ஒரு நிறுவனம் நடத்திய ஆய்வில் தெரியவந்துள்ளது.

இதனால் டாக்டர்கள் சிபாரிசு செய்யும் மருந்துகளை நோயாளிகள் நிர்ணயிக்கப்பட்ட விலையைவிட அதிக விலை கொடுத்து வாங்க கட்டாயப்படுத்தப்படுகின்றனர். அதேபோல எக்ஸ்ரே, இ.சி.ஜி., என ஆய்வுக்கூடங்கள் மூலமாகவும் அதிக அளவில் டாக்டர்களுக்கு கமிஷன் செல்கிறது. ஆனால் இவ்வாறு தொழில் நடத்தை விதிகளை மீறி டாக்டர்கள் எந்த ஒரு அன்பளிப்பும், லஞ்சமும் மருந்து நிறுவனங்களிடம் இருந்து பெறக்கூடாது என்று இந்திய மருத்துவ கவுன்சில் எச்சரிக்கை விடுத்துள்ளது.

ஆனால், இந்த எச்சரிக்கைக்கு எந்தப் பலனும் இல்லை. நடத்தை விதிகளை டாக்டர்கள் தொடர்ந்து மீறி வருகின்றனர். திரைமறைவில் நடந்து வரும் இந்த மருத்துவ முறைகேடுகளால் பொதுமக்கள் கடுமையாகப் பாதிக்கப்பட்டு வருகின்றனர்.
இந்த வழக்கைப் பொருத்தமட்டில் தங்களின் மருந்து விற்பனையை அதிகப்படுத்துவதற்காக பல வழிகளில் லட்சக்கணக்கில் செலவழித்த தொகையை தங்களின் ஈட்டிய வருமானத்தில் இருந்து கழித்துக்கொள்ள வேண்டும் என்ற மனுதாரர் நிறுவனத்தின் கோரிக்கை அதிர்ச்சியாக உள்ளது.

இவ்வாறு மருந்து நிறுவனங்களிடம் மருத்துவர்கள் லஞ்சம் வாங்கிக்கொண்டு அந்நிறுவனங்களின் மருந்துகளை சிபாரிசு செய்வது என்பது அரசியலமைப்புச் சட்டத்துக்கு எதிரானது. எனவே கடந்த 5 ஆண்டுகளில் மருந்து நிறுவனங்கள் தங்கள் மருந்துகளை, அதிக விலைக்குப் பொதுமக்களிடம் விற்க தங்க நகை, கிரெடிட் கார்டு, ரொக்கப் பணம் எனப் பல வழிகளில் லஞ்சமாகக் கொடுத்ததை வாங்கிப் பலனடைந்த டாக்டர்கள் மீது எத்தனை வழக்குகள் பதிவு செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளன? என்ன நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது?

மனுதாரர் நிறுவனம் தங்களின் மருந்து விற்பனையை உயர்த்துவதற்காக ரூ.42 லட்சத்து 81 ஆயிரத்து 986-ஐ செலவு செய்ததாக கூறுவது ஆச்சரியம் அளிக்கிறது. நடத்தை விதிகளை மீறி மருந்து நிறுவனங்களிடம் லஞ்சமாகப் பெற்ற மருத்துவர்கள் யார்? அவர்கள் மீது என்ன நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது?

மருத்துவ விதிகளை மீறி லஞ்சம் கொடுத்த மருந்து நிறுவனங்கள் மீது என்ன நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது? என்பது குறித்து இந்திய மருத்துவ கவுன்சில், மத்திய சுகாதாரத்துறை செயலர், மருந்து பொருட்களின் விலை நிர்ணய ஆணையம் உள்ளிட்டோர் பதிலளிக்க வேண்டும்''.

இவ்வாறு உத்தரவிட்ட கிருபாகரன் தலைமையிலான நீதிபதிகள் அமர்வு வழக்கை ஜனவரி 20-ம் தேதிக்கு ஒத்திவைத்தது.

பொங்கல் விடுமுறையில் சன் டிவிக்குப் போட்டியாக விஜய் டிவியிலும் ஒளிபரப்பாகவுள்ள புதிய படங்கள்!

By எழில் | Published on : 10th January 2020 02:14 PM



இந்த வருட பொங்கல் விடுமுறை தினங்களின் போது சன் டிவியில் ஏராளமான புதிய படங்கள் ஒளிபரப்பாகவுள்ளன. விஜய் நடித்த பிகில், சிவகார்த்திகேயன் நடித்த நம்ம வீட்டுப் பிள்ளை, விஜய் சேதுபதி நடித்த சங்கத் தமிழன், அஜித் நடித்த விஸ்வாசம், ரஜினி நடித்த பேட்ட ஆகிய படங்கள் ஒளிபரப்பாகவுள்ளன.

இந்நிலையில் சன் டிவிக்குப் போட்டியாக விஜய் டிவியிலும் பொங்கல் விடுமுறை தினங்களில் புதிய படங்கள் ஒளிபரப்பாகவுள்ளன. அவற்றின் விவரம்:

ஜனவரி 15 - காலை 11 மணி - தனுஷ் நடித்த அசுரன்
ஜனவரி 15 - மதியம் 2.30 மணி - சமந்தா நடித்த ஓ பேபி
ஜனவரி 15 - மாலை 6 மணி - தமன்னா நடித்த பெட்ரோமாக்ஸ்
ஜனவரி 15 - இரவு 9 மணி - ஜோதிகா நடித்த ஜாக்பாட்
ஜனவரி 16 - காலை 11 மணி - கார்த்தி நடித்த கைதி
ஜனவரி 16 - மாலை 5 மணி - விஷால் நடித்த ஆக்‌ஷன்

சன் டிவியில் ஒளிபரப்பாகவுள்ள படங்கள்

ஜனவரி 15: மாலை 6.30 மணிக்கு பிகில்
ஜனவரி 16: மாலை 6.30 மணிக்கு நம்ம வீட்டுப் பிள்ளை
ஜனவரி 17: மாலை 6.30 மணிக்கு சங்கத் தமிழன்
ஜனவரி 18: மாலை 6.30 மணிக்கு விஸ்வாசம்
ஜனவரி 19: மாலை 6.30 மணிக்கு பேட்ட

ஹஜ் பயணிகள் தேர்வுக்கான குலுக்கல்

Added : ஜன 10, 2020 21:50


சென்னை: ஹஜ் பயணியரை தேர்வு செய்வதற்கான குலுக்கல், நாளை மறுநாள் நடக்க உள்ளது.

தமிழகத்தில் இருந்து, ஹஜ் பயணம் செல்ல, தமிழ்நாடு மாநில ஹஜ் குழுவிடம், ஏழு குழந்தைகள் உட்பட, 6,028 பேர், 'ஆன்லைனில்' விண்ணப்பித்துள்ளனர். ஹஜ் பயணியரை, குலுக்கல் முறையில் தேர்வு செய்ய, மாநில ஹஜ் குழுவிற்கு, இந்திய ஹஜ் குழு அனுமதி அளித்துள்ளது.அதன்படி, குலுக்கல் நிகழ்ச்சி, நாளை மறுநாள் காலை, 11:30க்கு, சென்னை, ராயப்பேட்டை, புதுக் கல்லுாரியில் உள்ள, ஆணைக்கார் அப்துல் கக்கூர் அரங்கில் நடக்க உள்ளது.

ஹஜ் பயணம் செல்லும், புனிதப் பயணியருக்கு, தமிழக அரசு மானியம் வழங்குகிறது.எனவே, குலுக்கலில் தேர்வு செய்யப்படும் பயணியர், தங்களின் தனிப்பட்ட சேமிப்பு வங்கி கணக்கு புத்தகத்தின் நகலை, தமிழ்நாடு மாநில ஹஜ் குழுவிற்கு, அனுப்பி வைக்க வேண்டும். ஹஜ் பயணத்திற்கு விண்ணப்பித்தவர்கள், குலுக்கலில் பங்கேற்க வேண்டும் என, மாநில ஹஜ் குழு தெரிவித்துஉள்ளது.

நேரடி ஒளிபரப்பில் நிர்பயா குற்றவாளிகள் தூக்கு: மத்திய அரசுக்கு கோரிக்கை

Updated : ஜன 10, 2020 22:34 | Added : ஜன 10, 2020 22:32

புதுடில்லி: நிர்பயா குற்றவாளிகளுக்கு தூக்கு தண்டனை நிறைவேற்றப்படுவதை நேரடியாக ஒளிபரப்பு செய்ய வேண்டும் என, இந்தியாவில் பலாத்காரத்திற்கு எதிரான மக்கள்(people Against Rapes in India(pari) என்ற தொண்டு நிறுவனம், மத்திய தகவல் மற்றும் தொலைதொடர்புத்துறை அமைச்சகத்திற்கு கடிதம் எழுதியுள்ளது.

இது தொடர்பாக அந்த தொண்டு நிறுவனத்தின் தலைவர் யோகிதா பயானா எழுதிய கடிதத்தில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளதாவது: வரும் 22 ல் நிர்பயா குற்றவாளிகளுக்கு தூக்கு தண்டனை நிறைவேற்றப்படுவதை நேரடியாக ஒளிபரப்பு செய்ய தேசிய மற்றும் சர்வதேச மீடியாக்களுக்கு அனுமதி அளிக்க வேண்டும். இது, நமது வரலாற்றில், நீதி மற்றும் பெண்கள் பாதுகாப்பு சர்வதேச தரத்தில் உள்ளது என்பதை உலகிற்கு எடுத்து காட்டும் வகையில், புரட்சிகரமான முடிவாக இருக்கும். இதனால் ஏற்படும் தாக்கம் மிகப்பெரியதாக இருக்கும். பெண்களின் பாதுகாப்பு தொடர்பான புதிய மாற்றத்தை தூண்டுவதற்கு இந்திய மீடியாக்களின் பங்கு பெரிய அளவில் பாராட்டப்படும். இவ்வாறு அந்த கடிதத்தில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதற்கு, மத்திய தகவல் மற்றும் தொலைதொடர்புத்துறை அமைச்சகம் இன்னும் பதிலளிக்கவில்லை.

கடந்த 2013ம் ஆண்டு, டில்லியில் 'நிர்பயா' என்ற மருத்துவ மாணவி, ஓடும் பஸ்சில் 6 பேர் கொண்ட கும்பலால் பலாத்காரம் செய்யப்பட்டு தூக்கி வீசப்பட்டார். இதில், அந்த மாணவி சிகிச்சை பலனின்றி உயிரிழந்தார். இதில் கைது செய்யப்பட்ட 6 பேரில் ஒருவர் சிறுவன் என்பதால், அவனுக்கு 3 ஆண்டு சிறை தண்டனை விதிக்கப்பட்டது. மற்ற 5 பேர் திஹார் சிறையில் அடைக்கப்பட்டனர். அவர்களில் ராம் சிங் என்பவர் தூக்கு போட்டு தற்கொலை செய்து கொண்டார். மற்ற நான்கு பேருக்கும் விசாரணை நீதிமன்றம் தூக்கு தண்டனை விதித்துள்ளது. இதனை டில்லி ஐகோர்ட், சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டும் உறுதி செய்தன. கருணை மனு நிராகரிக்கப்பட, சீராய்வு மனுக்களும் தள்ளுபடி செய்யப்பட்டது. இதனையடுத்து, 4 பேரையும் வரும் 22 காலை 7 மணிக்கு திஹார் சிறையில்தூக்கு தண்டனையை நிறைவேற்ற டில்லி நீதிமன்றம் உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது.

Notice on MBBS seats for Tamil medium kids

Petitioner said out of 5400 seats available in Tamil Nadu medical colleges, even five per cent of candidates who had studied in Tamil medium are unable to get admission.

Published: 10th January 2020 06:44 AM

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Madras High Court on Thursday issued notices to Directorate of Medical Education and Principal Secretaries of Health and Tamil development departments on a PIL seeking reservation of a minimum five per cent MBBS seats in State government medical colleges to candidates who have studied Tamil medium and passed NEET from academic year 2019-20. A division bench comprising Justices M Sathyanarayanan and R Hemalatha passed the order on a petition by N Murugesan of Harur in Dharmapuri district.

Petitioner said out of 5400 seats available in Tamil Nadu medical colleges, even five per cent of candidates who had studied in Tamil medium are unable to get admission. As per an RTI reply received by petitioner, the total number of Tamil medium candidates who were admitted for 2018-19 academic year were only 106, which is only two per cent out of the total 5400 seats in Tamil Nadu medical colleges. Petitioner also said Karnataka had reserved five per cent seats for candidates who had studied in Kannada medium. The case has been adjourned to February 20.

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Tamil medium candidates who were admitted for 2018-19 academic year were only 106, which is only two per cent out of the total 5400 seats in Tamil Nadu medical colleges

6 months on, temp election staff yet to receive salary

Despite a HC order, district officials allegedly refused to pay 61 temporary employees

Published: 11th January 2020 06:58 AM

By KV Navya

Express News Service

CHENNAI: It has been six months since 61 temporary employees deployed for election duty in Chennai, received their daily wages.

Despite a High Court order stating that the employees must be allowed to work till March 2020, the District Election Commission officials allegedly refused to pay them claiming that their work period ended in May. “However, the officials made us work till November,” the workers said.

The 61 employees, working as ‘section writers’ assist in election data entry apart from preparing electoral roles and voter id cards.

“We have been working since 2007 and were paid `480 per day. Every financial year, a government order is passed clarifying on the daily wages to be paid that year. Last year the services of section writers working in Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram were extended for one year, but for section writers in Chennai, it was only extended for three months -- April 1, 2019 to June 31, 2020,” said one of the section writers in the city.

This, they allege, was because the Election Commission wanted to start recruiting section workers on contract basis and the workers were against it. “If we begin to work under a contractor, our wages will get cut by half. We opposed the plan, and since our services are indispensable and they needed our help for the local body elections, they extended our services for three more months,” said the section writer.

Following this, the section writers association approached the Madras High Court, which passed an order on July 9 that the workers in Chennai too must be allowed to work till March 2020. The temporary employees said though they stopped receiving salaries after June they still go to work. “When we go to office now, some officials act like they do not know us,” said another bereaved worker.

When contacted, a senior official from the Chennai Corporation said they would look into the High Court order and take necessary action.

Changes to Prevention of Corruption Act does not apply to the prosecuted’

11/01/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,BENGALURU

The High Court of Karnataka has held that the amendments made to the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, making it mandatory to take prior sanctions, both to conduct investigation as well as prosecution, of even retired public servants is “prospective” in nature.

The benefit of the amendments, which were notified on July 26, 2018, is not available to retired public servants who were already prosecuted as per the earlier provisions of the Act, which did not prescribe requirement of prior sanction for prosecuting retired public servant as mandatory, the court said in two separate judgments.

The court passed the verdicts while dismissing petitions filed by retired public servants, who were investigated and prosecuted by the CBI, the Lokayukta police or the ACB. The petitioners had filed applications before the respective jurisdictional courts claiming that the amended provisions of Section 17A (prior sanction for investigation) and Section 19 (prior sanction for prosecution) are applicable “retrospectively” and hence the prosecution against them cannot be continued as there was no prior sanction obtained for investigation or their prosecution.

Justice P.S. Dinesh Kumar, while dismissing a petition filed by T.N. Bettaswamaiah, retired engineer who was prosecuted for possessing assets disproportionate to his known source of income, said that amended provisions can’t be interpreted as “retrospective.”

“A statute, which not only changes the procedure but also creates new rights and liabilities, shall be construed to be prospective in operation unless otherwise provided either expressly or by necessary implication. A careful reading of Section 17A as also Section 19 do not contain any express provision to show that they are retrospective in nature nor it is discernible by application,” the court said.

Pointing out that apex court had laid down that anti-corruption law has to be interpreted in such a fashion as to strengthen fight against corruption and where two constructions are eminently reasonable, the courts have to accept the one that seeks to eradicate corruption, the court said.

Justice B.A. Patil held that non-applicability of amended provisions to the petitioners would not amount to violation of Article 21 (protection of life and personal liberty) as they were prosecuted applying the provisions of the PC Act.

Referring to the apex court’s verdicts and the notification has enforced the amendments with effect from July 26, 2018, the xourt said that “it is not open to the court by way of interpretation to give retrospective effect to such provision.”

KSRTC to accept DigiLocker documents

11/01/2020, STAFF REPORTER,BENGALURU

Passengers booking online tickets for travel in KSRTC buses can now produce Aadhaar, PAN card, and Driving Licence stored in DigiLocker for verification along with the soft copy of tickets. Passengers can contact KSRTC call centre 9449596666 (24x7) or AWATAR cell 7760990034/35 (7 a.m. to 10 p.m.) for reservation-related queries.

Spl trains to Rameswaram for Pongal

11/01/2020, STAFF REPORTER,COIMBATORE

To meet the rush during Pongal, Southern Railway on Friday announced unreserved special trains from Coimbatore to Rameswaram via Pollachi.

There will be four train services between Coimbatore and Rameswaram, comprising two services of Train No. 06031 from Coimbatore on January 14 and 16 and two services of Train No. 06032 from Rameswaram on January 15 and 17. These will depart from Coimbatore at 9.45 a.m and arrive in Rameswaram at 6.45 p.m. Similarly, trains will depart from Rameswaram at 8.40 a.m and arrive in Coimbatore at 5.30 p.m.

The trains will halt Podanur, Pollachi, Udumalpet, Palani, Oddanchatram, Dindigul, Kodaikanal Road, Madurai, Manamadurai, Paramakudi, Ramanathapuram, Uchipuli and Mandapam. Coimbatore MP P.R. Natarajan, who placed the demand for train services to Rameswaram during a meeting with Southern Railway officials on January 7, welcomed the announcement. In a statement, he said that this train service will help the public celebrate Pongal in their respective hometowns.

Rail activist S. Ravi said the services would have substantial patronage. Members of Pollachi Train Passengers Welfare Association also welcomed the introduction of the special trains.

IRCTC launches group tours

11/01/2020, STAFF REPORTER,COIMBATORE

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) has announced the launch of group tours by flight and train in February.

According to a press release, the domestic group tour by air to Hyderabad will depart from Coimbatore International Airport on February 21 and return on February 23.

The package comprises visits to famous locations in Hyderabad including the Golconda Fort, Lumbini Gardens, Birla Mandir, Ramoji Film City, Salarjung Museum and Charminar.

The package cost, which starts at ₹13,670 per person, comprises flight ticket in economy class, three-star hotel accommodation with breakfast and dinner, sightseeing in air-conditioned buses and services of the IRCTC tour manager.

The ‘Aastha Teerth Yatra’ package train tour with visits to Puri, Konark, Kolkata, Gaya, Varanasi and Prayag will depart from Madurai on February 5 and return on February 14.

Passengers may board the train from Palakkad, Podanur, Erode and Salem Junctions.

The package costs ₹9,450 per person and includes train ticket, food, accommodation, transport facility for sightseeing and services of tour escorts, according to the release.

Its food and festivity at Taste of Coimbatore

11/01/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,COIMBATORE

Children from one of the orphanages in the city, who were invited by the organisers, at Taste of Coimbatore in the city on Friday. 

S. Siva Saravanan

Three evenings of music, shopping, and delicious food is what Taste of Coimbatore offers this year.

Inaugurated on Friday evening, the three-day food festival organised by the Coimbatore District Hoteliers Association has 130 stalls. Well-known brands, home-made food servers, and some of the new food outlets have set counters at the festival, held near Codissia as part of Coimbatore Vizha.

Spread over 4.5 acre, with two entry points and lot of vehicle parking area, the food festival took off with youngsters and children from three orphanages, invited by the organisers, walking in from 5 p.m.

Many of the stalls offer food at nearly 30 % lesser price compared to the price at their restaurants. “The idea is to help more people taste more food at the festival,” said D. Srinivasan, president of the Association.

There are vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, chaats, fast food, ice creams and more. “This is a plastic-free zone and food safety officials will check the kitchens regularly on all the three days,” Mr. Srinivasan said.

Hotels and restaurants in the city had come together on a common platform. The stalls promoted their brands in different ways. It was their choice, said Jegan Damodarasamy, executive committee member of the Association.

Chithirai Selvan, a Class X student and inmate of one of the orphanages, came to the food festival last year and has come this year too. He preferred to have a plate of chicken biryani. Jeeva, a Class IX student, also from the same orphanage decided to start with an ice cream.

Mohamed Asan, director of Courtallam Border Rahmath Kadai, said he had set up stall at Taste of Coimbatore for the second year.

The event gave improvement in visibility to the brand, which had two outlets in the city.

The food festival will be open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Traditional dances and music concerts will be organised in the evening.

Anuradha Sriram will perform on Saturday and on the last day, it will be Diwakar and team.

The music concerts will be held from 7.30 p.m. for two hours. There are stalls selling eco-friendly products and packaged food items too.

Government college students in Karnataka to get free laptops

More than one lakh first-year students will benefit

11/01/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,BENGALURU

The Karnataka government has decided to give free laptops to over a lakh students of first grade government colleges from Sunday.

Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa will launch the free laptop distribution programme on the day of Swami Vivekananda Jayanthi at the Sri Kanteerava Indoor Stadium, Bengaluru, by symbolically presenting laptops to a few students.

Later, laptops will be distributed to all first-year degree students at government first grade colleges.

Addressing presspersons on Friday, Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan, who also holds the Higher Education and IT/BT portfolios, said a total of 1.09 lakh students would get laptops. The estimated expenditure is ₹300 crore.

Empowerment centres

He said youth empowerment centres, one in each district, would be established in lead government first grade colleges.

The centres will function under the guidance of a committee chaired by the Deputy Commissioner and with senior officers of 21 government departments as members.

These centres will disseminate information on job openings, opportunities in higher education, scholarships, education loans, schemes for the youth, hostel facilities, and employability-related issues.

Mr. Yediyurappa will inaugurate the Bengaluru centre on Sunday. The other district centres will be inaugurated on the same day.

In the second phase, centres will be established in all 224 Assembly constituencies, he said.

The Chief Minister will also inaugurate the programme ‘Arivina Daari’ on career and skill development, which will be telecast on DD Chandana.

Official conducts inquiry into ‘exam irregularities’

TNPSC Secretary seeks list of officials on exam duty

11/01/2020, STAFF REPORTER,RAMANATHAPURAM

K. Nanthakumar, Secretary, TNPSC, coming out of the district treasury in Ramanathapuram on Friday.

Secretary of Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission K. Nanthakumar visited the District Treasury here on Friday. Sources in the TNPSC said that the commission had deputed its secretary to conduct an inquiry into alleged irregularities in examinations held in the district in 2019.

According to sources, it was found that about 40 of the first 100 ranks in the group IV examination were secured by candidates who appeared for the exam in the two centres of Rameswaram and Kilakarai. In addition, the candidates were found to be from other districts as well.

This discrepancy led to suspicion and as a repercussion to that, Mr. Nanthakumar was deputed to visit the coastal district for inquiries.

Sources said that the district administration and the police here were told to furnish the list of officials from the respective departments who were involved in the examination duties.

It is expected that the Secretary may conduct inquiry with all those officials on Saturday also. Candidates, who appeared for the exam in the Kilakarai and Rameswaram centres, may also be summoned for inquiry.

When contacted over phone, Mr. Nanthakumar remained unavailable for a comment.

Power shutdown

11/01/2020

There will be a power shutdown from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday due to maintenance works at Vadipatti, Alanganallur and Ayyankottai substations: Rajakkalpatti, Maravarpatti, Chathiravellapatti, Valayapatti, Errampatti, Palamedu, Manickampatti, Senthamangalam, Pondhugampatti, Alanganallur, Kuravankulam, Siruvalai, Ambalathadi, Alagapuri, A. Puthupatti, Vaikasipatti, Muduvarpatti, Aathanur, Achampatti, Vairavanatham, Nagari, Kattakulam, Kutladampatti, Mettuneerathan, Semminipatti, Ramanayakkanpatti, T.Mettupatti, Ramagoundanpatti, Vadugapatti, C. Pudur, Thanichiyam, Melachinnanampatti, Alankottaram, Thirumalnatham, Rishabam and Nedungulam.

Teacher gets five years’ jail for humiliating Dalit student

Punished for making child clean human waste in 2015

11/01/2020, STAFF REPORTER,NAMAKKAL

A government schoolteacher who made a class II student clean human waste manually was on Friday sentenced to undergo five years’ imprisonment under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, by a special court in Namakkal.

The judge also imposed a penalty of ₹1,000 on her.

According to the prosecution, in 2015, when R. Vijayalakshmi was working as a teacher at the Government Middle School in Ramapuram, near Namakkal, she asked a Dalit student to manually clean the waste of a classmate. The boy did as the teacher told him to and later informed his parents. Following this, protests were held outside the school demanding action against the teacher.

The boy’s parents also filed a complaint at the Namakkal police station and a case was registered against the teacher under provisions of the Act. She was suspended from the school thereafter. The case was investigated by T. Manoharan, Namakkal DSP, and a chargesheet filed before the Special Court for trial of cases registered under the SC/ST Act. After hearing the arguments by public prosecutor Madheshwaran and the defence counsel, sessions judge K. Dhanasekaran sentenced the teacher to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of ₹1,000 under Section 3(1)(x) of the SC/ST Act.

“The teacher has asked a student from the Scheduled Caste community to clean human waste of another student manually. The court has awarded the highest punishment to the accused under the Act,” said Mr. Madheshwaran.

The accused would have to serve a further six months of prison time if she failed to pay the fine.

Nirbhaya case: plea calls for organ donation

11/01/2020, PRESS TRUST OF INDIA,NEW DELHI

A Delhi court on Friday dismissed a plea by an NGO, RACO, requesting a meeting with the four death row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, to persuade them to donate their organs.

Additional Sessions Judge Satish Kumar Arora dismissed the plea on the grounds of “being devoid of any merit” and the the applicants having no locus to meet the convicts. The court also noted: “As per record available, two of the four accused have moved petitions before SC.”

Girl plays truant to keep High Court date

She complained about lack of infrastructural facilities at her school in Ponneri

11/01/2020, MOHAMED IMRANULLAH S.,CHENNAI

R.B. Adhigai Mutharasi with her lawyer father A.E. Baskaran on Friday.

Six-year-old R.B. Adhigai Mutharasi, a Class II student, played truant from school on Friday to visit a most bizarre place for kids — the Madras High Court.

The girl walked into the court buildings right royally, and not even the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), guarding the court campus, could prevent her entry, as she was a litigant, and thereby rightfully entitled to follow the proceedings in her case.

What’s more is that the girl had filed the case against the headmistress of her own school — the Minjur Panchayat Union Primary School in Ponneri Taluk of Tiruvallur district — complaining about the lack of infrastructural facilities.

The girl sought for a direction to carry out all repair works in the school buildings, evict encroachments on the school property and keep the institution neat and clean at all times.

On finding the girl wait for long in the litigants’ gallery, along with her lawyer father, Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and R. Hemalatha called her to the dais and had an interesting chat. After asking her name and other details, when the judges wanted to know why she hadn’t gone to school, the uninhibited child did not hesitate to tell the judges that she had bunked her classes to come to court.

Amused by her answer and appreciative of her confidence, the senior judge in the Bench told the little litigant that it was wrong to avoid going to school.

“How will you study well if you don’t go to school regularly. You should not avoid school like this,” the judges told the girl, before she ran back to her father and asked: “Appa (father), is the case over, can we go home now?”

In response to her writ petition, School Education Department officials filed a status report, along with certain photographs, to claim that most of the concerns raised by her had been addressed, and the school was being maintained well. However, the girl’s counsel contested the claim, and contended that the school continued to be in a bad shape, despite having been an institution established way back in 1964.

After advising the officials to take sincere action to rectify the defects pointed out by the petitioner, and not to turn egoistic just because a lawyer had filed the case in the name of his daughter, the judges said if funds were a reason for poor maintenance, then it could be arranged through CSR activities.

After asking the petitioner’s counsel to peruse the status report fully, the judges adjourned the case. “So, should I come back again,” Mutharasi asked her father A.E. Baskaran, who smiled and reminded her of the judge’s advice.

Link buses to operate for Pongal

11/01/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,CHENNAI

The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) will be operating special link buses from various parts of the city for facilitating access for commuters to the six bus termini.

The State Transport Department will operate over 16,000 buses for Pongal, from six locations. MTC will be operating link buses round-the-clock.

In a press release, the MTC said 310 special link buses would be operated for three days, from January 12 to 14.

After over a year, AC buses to ply again

MTC purchases 48 buses at ₹36 lakh apiece; minimum ticket price fixed at ₹15

11/01/2020, R. SRIKANTH,CHENNAI

Travelling in style: Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami inspecting an air-conditioned bus.Special Arrangement

The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has reintroduced air-conditioned buses in the city, after a gap of nearly one-and-a-half years.

The AC buses have been launched on two routes — Dr. MGR Bus Terminus in Koyambedu to Siruseri via Velachery (Bus no. 570) and Thiruvanmiyur to Tambaram (Bus no. 91), a senior MTC official said.

The MTC has purchased 48 AC buses from Ashok Leyland at a cost of ₹36 lakh each, and plans to operate them on five more routes. The routes are: Central Railway Station to Thiruvanmiyur (A1), T. Nagar to Kelambakkam (19B), Koyambedu to Vandalur (70V), East Tambaram to Thiruvanmiyur (95) and Broadway to Kelambakkam (102). The AC buses were introduced after they were showcased to Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Thursday.

The minimum ticket price has been fixed at ₹15 and maximum is ₹60 till Siruseri, MTC officials said. The Volvo AC buses, operated earlier, were stopped around July 2018. The minimum price of a ticket then was ₹28.

97.5°F, not 98.6°F, likely new normal body temp

Since 1851, Average Human Body Temperature Has Decreased By 0.05°F Per Birth Decade

Nicholas Bakalar 11.01.2020

We seem to be getting cooler. Since 1851, when the standard was set at 37°centigrade (or celsius), or 98.6°Fahrenheit, the average human body temperature has steadily declined. Researchers studied three databases: 23,710 readings obtained between 1862 and 1930 in veterans of the Civil War; 15,301 records in a national health survey from 1971 to 1975; and 150,280 entries in a Stanford University database from 2007 to 2017. The analysis is in eLife.

The researchers observed that the body temperature of men born in the 2000s is on average 1.06°F lower than that of men born in the early 1800s.

Similarly, researchers observed that the body temperature of women born in the 2000s is on average 0.58°F lower than that of women born in the 1890s. Overall, the average body temperature decreased by 0.03°C, or about 0.05°F, per birth decade.

Differences in measurement techniques and equipment do not explain the effect. The decline was evident even within each database, year by year, and the drop between the two modern databases, when equipment and techniques were presumably the same, was identical.

Why this is happening is unclear, but scientists suggest that improvements in sanitation and improved dental and medical care have reduced chronic inflammation, and the constant temperatures maintained by modern heating and air conditioning have helped lower the resting metabolic rates. Today, a temperature of 97.5°F may be closer to “normal” than the traditional 98.6°F.

“Physiologically, we’re just different from what we were in the past. The environment that we are living in has changed, including the temperature in our homes, our contact with microorganisms and the food that we have access to. All these things mean that although we think of human beings as if we are monomorphic and have been the same for all of human evolution, we are not the same,” said the senior author, Dr Julie Parsonnet, a professor of medicine at Stanford.

“We have looked at the US,” said Parsonnet, “and we have to see if this holds true elsewhere. We are evolving physiologically. But what does it really mean? I don’t know. I haven’t figured out exactly how to look at that.”

With input from agencies

WE’RE STEADILY GETTING COOLER

‘PERSONAL LIBERTY’

Govt staff can join rallies, post views on social media: HC

Biswendu Bhattacharjee TNN

Agartala:11.01.2020

Dismissing an inquiry against a retired employee of the state fisheries department, the chief justice of Tripura high court on Friday said that government employees can take part in political programmes, including meetings, and freely post their opinions on social media platforms, without attracting punitive measures under Rule 5 of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules.

Justice A Kureshi said attending a political rally would not be considered as involvement in politics and government employees should have the personal liberty to post their opinions on social media.

Lipika Paul was dismissed from service on April 25, 2018, four days before her retirement, for taking part in a political programme in December 2017 and making a social media post against BJP.

“During election times, as is well-known, political parties and their leaders as well as nominated candidates take out rallies and address public gatherings. Every person who is present in the audience during such addresses cannot be stated to have participated in the rally. The presence of a person does not either establish his or her political affiliation.

“A student of politics, an enthusiastic young man, a reporter or just a curious bystander — all are likely to be present in any political gathering. Even an opponent or a critic of a political party may also attend the gathering. Her mere presence at a gathering, therefore, without any further allegation, would not amount to her participation in such political gathering,” the court order stated.

“I have taken note of the contents of the said post which originally was in Bengali and has been translated and presented before me. Nothing contained in the said post suggests canvassing for or against any political party. It only expresses certain beliefs of the petitioner in general terms. As a government servant the petitioner is not devoid of her right of free speech, a fundamental right which can be curtailed only by a valid law. She was entitled to hold her own beliefs and express them in the manner she desired of course subject to not crossing the borders laid down in sub-rule (4) of Rule 5 of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules.”

Lipika Paul was dismissed from service on April 25, 2018, four days before her retirement, for taking part in a political programme in December 2017 and making a social media post against BJP

20-yr-old woman in Bihar seeks divorce as hubby avoids regular shave and bath

Ramashankar@timesgroup.com

Patna  11.01.2020

 In a bizarre case, a 20-year-old woman from Vaishali district has sought divorce claiming that her husband stinks as he does not shave, take bath and brush his teeth regularly. She also complained that her husband doesn’t follow etiquette and manners.

The state women’s commission (SWC) listened to Soni Devi’s complaint and asked her husband Manish Ram, 23, to mend his ways within two months. Or else, the commission would take appropriate action on the complaint.

SWC member Pratima Sinha said on Friday that Soni, a resident of Nayagaon village under Desri block in Vaishali district, approached the commission on Thursday seeking divorce from her husband. “I was taken aback by her silly reasons cited for seeking divorce,” Pratima said.

In her petition, the woman said she was married to Manish, a plumber by profession, in 2017. “My husband stinks as he won’t shave and bathe for nearly 10 days at stretch. Moreover, he doesn’t brush his teeth. He also doesn’t have manners and follow etiquettes,” the petitioner alleged.

The SWC member said the complainant was adamant on her demand for separation from her husband. “I don’t want to live with my husband anymore. I can no longer bear the humiliation. Kindly get me rid of this man (read husband); he has ruined my life,” Pratima quoted Soni as saying.

Soni also insisted on her husband return the jewellery and other valuables, which her father had given as dowry at the time of marriage. “We have no children. Even our relationship as a husband and wife is not cordial. Life has no meaning. It’s worthless,” she told the commission.

The SWC member said Soni tried to convince the couple not to break their marriage. “I have given her husband two months’ time to mend his ways. If his behaviour is not found satisfactory even after that, we will take appropriate action and refer the matter to the family court for separation,” Pratima told TOI.

Pratima said that Soni belonged to a lower middle class scheduled caste family and was aware of her rights. When asked whether the commission was empowered to do anything in such a case, the SCW member said, “We mainly play the role of an arbitrator on such issues.”

Full report on www.toi.in


The state women’s commission (SWC) listened to Soni Devi’s complaint and asked her husband Manish Ram, 23, to mend his ways within two months

Kannan gets bail in hate speech case

K.Kaushik@timesgroup.com

Madurai:11.01.2020

The Tirunelveli principal sessions court on Friday granted conditional bail to writer and orator Nellai Kannan, 75, for his provocative speech against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah.

Kannan had delivered the provocative speech during a public meeting organised by the SDPI to condemn the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at Tirunelveli on December 29, 2019. Based on the complaint by a BJP functionary, the Melapalayam police in Tirunelveli district registered a case against him under Sections 504, 505(1)(b), 505(ii), 153 A, 506 (i) of the IPC.

Following protests by BJP cadres, Kannan was arrested at a guest house in Perambalur and was produced before the Tirunelveli judicial magistrate court. The court remanded him in judicial custody till January 13 and he was lodged in the Salem Central Prison.

Teacher who made boy clean faeces jailed

Namakkal:11.01.2020

A 40-year-old government school teacher was on Friday sentenced to five years imprisonment for forcing a Class II student to clean human excreta from the classroom. The special court for SC/ST cases in the district combined court that heard the case also slapped a fine of ₹1000 on her. A court source identified the convict as R Vijayalakshmi, who was employed with the Namakkal Municipality Middle School in Ramapuram Pudur.

“When she entered the classroom on November 12, 2015, she found human excreta there. When she inquired, someone informed her that it was the doing of a Class III student the previous evening after school hours. Vijayalakshmi forced V Sasidharan, a Class II student, to clean the human excreta using his bare hands,” the source said.

Sasidharan informed his parents, who along with their relatives and neighbours, laid siege to the school the next day, demanding stern action against the teacher. TNN

New scan facility at city hospital

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:11.01.2020

An upgraded Cone Beam Computerized Tomogram, a cutting-edge technology in head and neck radiology, was inaugurated at Balaji Dental and Craniofacial Hospital by K Vijay Kumar, senior security advisor, Union home ministry, on Friday.

In a conventional CT scan, a patient is often exposed to an equivalent of 120 x-rays. The older version of the CBCT reduced this to a tenth of that and the latest version has minimized it to 3-4 ordinary x-rays. CBCT can be used multiple times ,even in children, without fear of excessive exposure to radiation. In 2010, Balaji Dental and Craniofacial Hospital was the first to introduce CBCT scan in south India, said director Dr S M Balaji. “This state-of-art technology further allows accurate visualization of nerves, arteries and veins in a three dimensional format,” said Dr Balaji who represents TN in the Dental Council of India.

Thieves a pain for sellers at book fair

Yogesh.Kabirdoss@timesgroup.com

Chennai:11.01.2020

They are casually dressed and act like eager bookworms desperately looking for their favourite title among the thousands on display. What they actually want is just a few seconds of attention away from them so that they can tuck a couple of books under their arms and saunter away.

Such thieves, regulars at almost every such gathering, have become a nightmare for sellers and publishers at the ongoing the 43rd Chennai Book Fair at YMCA in Nandanam. Several stall owners have increased the manpower to ensure nothing is lost. R Vijayakumar, a city-based book dealer who has stocked 20,000 books under 500 titles, says people stealing books is a regular phenomenon. “This year, we have added two more people to keep a close watch on such individuals,” said Vijayakumar, who has set up his stall in the first row.

This year, with nearly two crore books under 15 lakh titles on display in nearly 800 stalls, the threat of theft is high, say sellers. Inquiries made by TOI revealed that those who participated in last year’s edition together lost books valued between ₹3,000 and ₹10,000. S Ravi, an associate with a publication, said that 200 to 300 books were stolen during the fair in 2019. “We are clueless about the theft and come to know only during the final accounting. It is difficult to control the menace because our entire concentration will be on assisting genuine buyers and completing the billing process at the cash counters,” he said.

There has been no report of any incident of books being stolen in the current fair, which began on January 9 and is set to continue till January 21, said Ravi.

The usual targets of thieves, say representatives at the various stalls, are the books of leading authors and children’s books. Some sellers stressed that introducing barcodes on book covers and scanning books are sorely needed to prevent theft and to ensure that no book can exit the venue without being billed.

When contacted, R S Shanmugam, president of Booksellers and Publishers’ Association of South India (BAPASI), said that 50 CCTV cameras had been installed at vantage points at the venue and that several volunteers had been tasked with looking out for thieves.

“There have been instances of book thieves being caught and handed over to the police in the past,” he added.


BEWARE: This year, with nearly two crore books under 15 lakh titles on display in nearly 800 stalls, the threat of theft is high, say sellers

Pongal exodus begins, buses in high demand

Huge Crowd Creates Traffic Jam At CMBT

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:11.01.2020

The great Pongal-time migration of city residents to southern and western districts began on Friday evening.

While nearly one lakh passengers left by government special buses and trains on Friday, at least 20% of Chennai’s population are expected to move to their native villages in the next three or four days.

Bookings for special buses on Friday increased by 350% over the normal 4,000 bookings done everyday. But on Friday, close to 18,000 seats were reserved in advance. Of this, 10,200 boarded buses from Chennai Moffusil Bus Terminus (CMBT) at Koyambedu.

Though special arrangements were made by the state transport department, a larger-than-anticipated crowd thronged the bus stand, leading to traffic congestion outside.

Pending flyover work, near the entrance worsened the situation. “Though we reached Arumbakkam in 30 minutes, it took us equal time to cross the 1km stretch after that to reach CMBT,” said Sudarashan who was travelling from Madipakkam to Koyambedu.

Too many vehicles started driving on the wrong side near the traffic signal forcing others to wait for longer than usual, he added.

However, on reaching the terminus, it wasn’t that chaotic except for longer waiting time for buses travelling to Tirunelveli and Nagercoil.

Unlike buses to Madurai or Trichy, frequency to these faroff places was not high and online booking rate was also high for these buses. Only rear seats and those near driver cabins were available, said passengers waiting on platforms 7 and 8.

As far as trains are concerned, Central and Egmore stations were overcrowded and unreserved compartments in all trains were packed. This left passengers, boarding trains at Tambaram, in the lurch and many had to stand near footboards all night to reach their destination.

Exploiting the situation, many private buse operators charged thrice than the normal fare. Since police didn’t allow them to park near CMBT they reached Tambaram and Perungalathur right from 6pm.

HC allows Ramaswamy trust’s horses to race

Sureshkumar.K@timesgroup.com

Chennai:11.01.2020

In a reprieve to industrialist A C Muthiah, the Madras high court has permitted the trust (Dr M A M Ramaswamy Chettiar of Chettinad Charitable Trust) managed by him to field horses in upcoming races organised by Madras Race Club (MRC). Earlier, the club management had restrained the trust from participating in the races citing a dispute over ownership and registration of horses bequeathed by the late M A M Ramaswamy.

The court directed the race club to collect necessary entry and other fees to enable participation of the horses of the trust in the classic races conducted by it in the 2020-21 season. The court also made it clear that the trust shall not be prevented from using the gold brown racing jersey which was originally allotted to M A M Ramaswamy.

Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy passed the interim order, after refusing to accept the contention of the club management that a public trust cannot own horses and participate in races.

Citing the case of the Hyderabad Race Club in this connection, the judge said, “Statute might provide exemption from tax to buildings used for religious, educational and charitable purposes and is, therefore, not an authority for the broad proposition that a public trust cannot be a horse owner or cannot participate in horse races.”

The issue pertains to an order passed by the stewards of the club dated December 27, 2019, directing the trust to apply to the club for ownership/usage of racing colour in the appropriate form, with the necessary supporting documents and fee.

It further ordered that the trust is ineligible to race the horses pending registration of ownership and to use the racing colours pending registration. All entry of horses by the trust made as on the date were also cancelled.

The order was passed on the basis of a representation made by M A M R Muthiah, foster son of Ramaswamy, alleging that the trust was unfounded and that his father Ramaswamy was not stable in the fag end of his life and using it some people had attempted to grab his assets, including the horses owned by him, illegally.

Challenging the order, the management of the trust moved the high court, contending that Ramaswamy had disowned his foster son even during his life time and that the entire properties owned by him, including the horses, had been transferred to the public trust only as per his will.

வேலியே பயிரை மேயலாமா?

By முனைவர் என். பத்ரி | Published on : 10th January 2020 03:15 AM |

அரசு வேலைக்காக இந்தியாவின் ஒவ்வொரு மாநிலத்திலும் லட்சக்கணக்கான படித்த இளைஞர்கள் வேலைவாய்ப்பு அலுவலங்களில் தமது பெயர்களைப் பதிவு செய்துவிட்டு, எதிர்பார்க்கும் வேலை கிடைக்காத நிலையில், கிடைத்த ஏதோ ஒரு வேலையில் தமது வாழ்வை ந(க)டத்திவருவது நாம் அனைவரும் நன்கு அறிந்ததே.

இந்த நிலையில், லஞ்ச ஒழிப்புத் துறை ஆய்வாளர் ஒருவரே லஞ்சம் வாங்கியதாக குஜராத் மாநிலத்தில் அண்மையில் கைது செய்யப்பட்டுள்ள செய்தி பொது நல உணர்வு கொண்டோர் அனைவரின் மனத்திலும் வேதனையை ஏற்படுத்தியுள்ளது. வேலியே பயிரை மேய்கிறதே' என்ற புலம்பலும் மேலோங்குகிறது.

அரசு நிர்வாகமும் அரசுப் பணியாளர்களும் 24 மணி நேரமும் பொதுமக்களின் நலனுக்காக தம் நேரத்தையும் உழைப்பையும் தரவேண்டும் என்பது அடிப்படை எதிர்பார்ப்பு ஆகும். அவர்கள் தமது பணிகளைச் சரியாக செய்வதை உறுதிப்படுத்த பல்வேறு பணிநிலைகளும் பதவிகளும் அரசின் அனைத்துத் துறைகளிலும் ஏற்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளன.

லஞ்சம் கொடுப்பதும், வாங்குவதும் அநேகமாக அனைத்து அரசுத் துறை செயல்பாடுகளிலும் காணப்பட்டாலும் வெளிச்சத்துக்கு வருபவை வெகுக் குறைவே. தமது வேலையில் சரியான வழிமுறைகள் கடைப்பிடிக்காமை, காலதாமதத்தைத் தவிர்க்க விரும்புதல், சார்ந்த அதிகாரியின் பக்கத்தில் எதிர்பார்க்கப்படும் உடனடி பணியிட மாற்றம், உடனடி பணப்பலன் போன்றவை லஞ்சம் கொடுப்பதற்கான காரணங்களாகக் கருதப்படுகின்றன.
லஞ்சம் பெறுபவர்கள் கண்ணோட்டத்தில் பணத்தின் மேல் உள்ள பேராசை, குடும்ப வறுமை, பெரிய குடும்பத்தை வழிநடத்த ஏற்படும் கூடுதல் செலவுகளை சமாளிக்கவேண்டிய பொறுப்பு, குடி போன்ற கெட்ட பழக்கங்களுக்கு அடிமையாகுதல் போன்றவை காரணங்களாகக் கூறப்படலாம்.

எது எப்படி இருப்பினும், லஞ்சம் கொடுப்பவர்களைத்தான் நாம் முதல் குற்றவாளிகளாகக் கருத வேண்டியிருக்கிறது. கொடுப்பதற்கு மனதளவில் தயாராகிவிட்டு தமது வேலை முடிய காலதாமதமாகும்போது தூண்டிலில் மீன்களைச் சிக்க வைப்பதுபோல, கையூட்டு வாங்குபவர்களை மட்டும் சட்டத்தின் மீது நிறுத்துவது பாரபட்சமான அணுகுமுறையாகவே தெரிகிறது.
லஞ்சம் கொடுப்பதும் பெறுவதும் தவறு என்ற நிலையில் இருசாராரும் சட்டத்தின் முன் நிறுத்தப்படுவதுதான் குறையைக் களைவதற்கான சரியான அணுகுமுறையாக இருக்கும். லஞ்சம் வாங்கும் அலுவலர்கள் மீது சட்ட ரீதியான, துறை ரீதியான நடவடிக்கைகள் எடுக்கப்படவேண்டும் என்பதில் யாருக்கும் மாற்றுக் கருத்து இருக்கமுடியாது. அவர்களுக்குப் பொதுவாழ்விலும் அலுவலகத்திலும் ஏற்படும் அவமானமே பெரிய தண்டனையாகும்.

ஊடகங்களும் சமயத்தை எதிர்பார்த்துக் கொண்டிருந்தவர்களுக்கும் இது வெறும் வாய்க்கு அவல் சேர்ப்பது போலாகும். எனவே, இரு சாராரும் சட்டத்தின் முன் நிறுத்தப்படுவது மேலும் இப்படிப்பட்ட நிகழ்வுகள் நடப்பதைத் தவிர்க்காவிட்டாலும் ஓரளவேனும் குறைக்கும் என்று எதிர்பார்க்கலாம்.

மேலும், அனைத்து அரசு அலுவலங்களிலும் எல்லா இருக்கைகளிலும் கண்காணிப்பு கேமராக்கள் பொருத்தப்பட்டு அவை இணையத்தின் மூலம் உயரதிகாரிகளால் கண்காணிக்கப்படும் முறை பிரச்னையை ஓரளவு குறைக்கும். உயர் அதிகாரிகள் அடிக்கடி கீழ்நிலை அலுவலகங்களை திடீரெனப் பார்வையிட்டு, ஆவணங்களைப் பரிசோதனை செய்வது தீவிரமாக்கப்படவேண்டும்.

அனைத்து அரசு அலுவலகங்களிலும் பள்ளிகளில் ஆய்வுகள் மேற்கொள்ளப்படுவதுபோல், ஆண்டுக்கு இரு முறையாவது தேவைக்கு ஏற்ப ஆய்வுகள் மேற்கொள்ளப்பட வேண்டும். ஒவ்வொரு கோப்பினையும் பரிசீலித்து முடிக்க குறிப்பிட்ட குறைந்தபட்ச கால அவகாசம் கொடுக்கப்பட்டு, அதை மனுதாரருக்குத் தெரிவிக்க வேண்டும்.
ஒவ்வொரு அரசு அலுவலகத்திலும் பணிபுரியும் அலுவலர்களின் விவரங்கள் வெளிப்படைத்தன்மையுடன் பெயர்ப்பலகையில் இடம்பெற வேண்டும்.சில அலுவலங்களில் இவை கடைப்பிடிக்கப்பட்டாலும் விவரங்கள் அவ்வப்போது சுணக்கம் காரணமாக புதுப்பிக்கப்படுவதில்லை என்ற புகாரும் உள்ளது. லஞ்சத்துக்கு அதிக வாய்ப்புகள் உள்ள அலுவலகங்கள் எவை என்பதை அரசு நன்றாக அறியும். அவ்வாறான அலுவலகங்களில் அரசு உளவுத் துறை அதிகாரிகளை திடீர் மேற்பார்வை செய்ய வைக்கலாம்.

அரசுப் பணியில் சேரும்போது எந்த நிலையிலும் லஞ்சம் பெற மாட்டேன் என்ற உறுதிமொழியை தகுந்த நிபந்தனைகளுடன் எடுத்துக்கொள்ளச் சொன்னால், ஊழியர்கள் மனச் சான்றுடன் பணிபுரிய வாய்ப்புகள் ஏற்படும். எல்லாவற்றுக்கும் மேலாக பணியமர்த்தப்படுபவர்கள் லஞ்சம் கொடுத்து பணியமர்த்தப்படக் கூடாது. பணம் கொடுத்து வேலைக்கு வருபவர்கள் போட்ட முதலீட்டை எப்படி மீள எடுப்பதில் கவனம் செலுத்துவது தவிர்க்க முடியாது. எனவே, அரசின் அனைத்துப் பணியிடங்களும் தகுதி, திறமையின் அடிப்படையில் அரசின் விதிகள் முறையாகப் பின்பற்றப்பட்டு வெளிப்படைத்தன்மையுடன் நிரப்பப்பட வேண்டும்.

எந்த நிலையிலும் பரிந்துரைகளும் பண ஆதிக்கமும் பணி நியமனங்களின்போது முற்றிலும் தவிர்க்கப்பட வேண்டும். இது தொடக்கத்திலேயே பல பிரச்னைகளைத் தவிர்க்கும். ஊழல் என்பது சமூகத்தின் அங்கீரிக்கப்பட்ட செயலாக மாறிவிட்டது என்றே கருதத் தோன்றுகிறது. சமூகத்தில் புரையோடிவிட்ட இந்தப் பாவத்தைத் தொலைக்க அனைவரும் ஒன்று சேர்ந்து மனசாட்சிப்படி செயல்பட்டால்தான் சாத்தியமாகும். முயற்சி முதலில் நம்மிடமிருந்து தொடங்கட்டுமே...