No place for those who create ruckus before god: Madras HC

The issue is connected to the ongoing tussle between the Vadakalai and Thenkalai sects for the last two years.

Published: 24th January 2020 05:45 AM |

Madras High Court (File Photo | D Sampath Kumar/EPS)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: “Those who create ruckus in front of god do not have a place inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple,” Justice R Mahadevan of the Madras High Court observed on Thursday while hearing a petition filed by the Tenkalai Sect of Kancheepuram seeking to stay the proceedings initiated against them by the District sub-collector.

The issue is connected to the ongoing tussle between the Vadakalai and Thenkalai sects for the last two years. The issue reached the court when petitioners claimed that priests belonging to the Vadakalai sect had obstructed the regular services being rendered by Thenkalai priests. The sub-collector had asked both groups to furnish bonds for Rs 25,000 each recently in connection with the dispute.

“The sub-collector directed both parties to execute the bond to maintain peace and tranquillity among devotees. The rights of parties herein are not being affected for worship and recital of Vedas and Prabandams by the said order,” the court said.

Man’s fingertips reattached
Doctors at the Gleneagles Global Health City reattached the amputated fingertips of a 22-year-old man in a complex surgery.

Published: 23rd January 2020 06:19 AM |

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Doctors at the Gleneagles Global Health City reattached the amputated fingertips of a 22-year-old man in a complex surgery.According to a press release,”The patient injured his right hand while operating a cutting machine. The second and third fingers of his right hand got amputated in the process. The doctors stabilised him in the emergency room before shifting to the operation theatre. Doctors reconfirmed that the tissues and blood vessels were in good shape and then proceeded with reattaching the fingertips.”The release added that the fingers were reattached by a microvascular surgery and lasted for 10 hours.

DVAC justifies non-registration of FIR against Minister Velumani

‘Investigating officer enjoys the prerogative of deciding the depth of inquiry’

24/01/2020, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on Thursday justified its act of having conducted a detailed preliminary inquiry, by recording statements of several witnesses and collecting various other materials, without registering a first information report against Municipal Administration Minister S. P. Velumani on two complaints of corrupt practices lodged against him regarding award of contracts by Chennai and Coimbatore corporations.

Appearing before Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and R. Hemalatha, who were seized of cases filed by R.S. Bharathi of DMK and Jayaram Venkatesan of Arappor Iyakkam seeking registration of FIR against the Minister, State Public Prosecutor A. Natarajan submitted a bulky preliminary inquiry report of the DVAC in a sealed cover. When the judges asked for statements of witnesses, he submitted yet another heavy sealed cover containing the statements.

Verdicts of SC

After opening the sealed covers in the court hall and glancing through their contents, the senior judge in the Bench said it prima facie appeared as if the police had conducted a regular investigation in the guise of conducting a preliminary inquiry. To this, SPP referred to several Supreme Court verdicts on the issue and contended that it was permissible for the police to conduct a detailed preliminary inquiry without registering a FIR.

Case-by-case basis

He cited a latest decision of the apex court delivered in December last in State of Telangana versus Managipet alias Mangipet Sarveshwar and claimed that it had clearly laid down the law that there could not be a set format for conducting preliminary inquiry. He also said, the manner and depth of the inquiry could be decided only on case-by-case basis. There was nothing wrong in conducting a preliminary inquiry like a full fledged investigation, he said. Mr. Natarajan also stated that the investigating officer would have the prerogative to decide how a preliminary inquiry should be conducted.

He also doubted the credentials of Mr. Venkatesan, Managing Trustee of the NGO Arappor Iyakkam, who had lodged the complaint against the minister and said, the complaint appeared to be motivated and made with the intention of maligning the reputation of the Minister.

After hearing him at length, the judges adjourned the cases to February 17 for hearing the arguments of Advocate General Vijay Narayan for the Chief Secretary, senior counsel C.S. Vaidyanathan for the Greater Chennai Corporation and senior counsel AR.L. Sundaresan for Mr. Velumani in his personal capacity.

Now, on-the-go entertainment on Tejas Express
24/01/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,CHENNAI

Passengers of the Tejas Express will now be able to enjoy entertainment during their long travels.

Southern Railway has introduced a WiFi entertainment system in the Tejas Express, operated between Chennai Egmore and Madurai, through Magicbox Entertainment.

A senior official said Tejas Express had gained a premium status among railway passengers, and they wanted to enhance the joy of travelling. Therefore, the facility, on the lines of inflight entertainment, has been introduced, with 500 hours of entertainment available for passengers on their mobile phones.

Earlier, entertainment was provided through its seat-mounted WiFi infotainment systems. As there were several technical issues, the railways removed it.

Passengers can browse various entertainment programmes on their mobiles by connecting to Magicbox WiFi after switching off their mobile data. It offers a bouquet of movies, kids content and music, in different regional languages.

M-sand units come under the scanner

PWD to take action against manufacturers who do not have quality certification

24/01/2020, K. LAKSHMI,CHENNAI

The Public Works Department is considering severe action against m-sand manufacturers who are yet to get approval for quality of material.

With the availability of river sand becoming limited, more consumers are turning to m-sand in the State. It is emerging as an alternative to river sand, and contributes to nearly 70-80% of the supply, according to sources in the PWD.

Though the number of m-sand manufacturing units have proliferated in the past few years, complaints about the sale of substandard quality of sand continues in several places. In a bid to curb the production of poor quality sand, PWD had asked the manufacturers to register themselves for approval.

The State has a demand for about 32,000 truckloads of sand. At present, m-sand is bridging the gap in the shortage of river sand, and nearly 28,000 truckloads of m-sand are being supplied.

So far, PWD’s assessment committee has certified 216 m-sand manufacturing units for the quality of material produced. Manufacturing units must apply for quality approval to the PWD within 30 days of operation. PWD had insisted that m-sand be sold only after certification is obtained. It had announced a few weeks ago that action would be initiated against those manufacturing m-sand without quality approval. However, it has received just 70 fresh applications from the manufacturing units.

The m-sand policy, which aims to promote sales and put in place regulations against production of poor quality m-sand, is under scrutiny by the State government, the officials added.

Crazy Mohan’s Chocolate Krishna has a new hero
24/01/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

The play has Lord Krishna taking a new avatar, with actor K.K. Ravishankar donning the role. S.R. Raghunathan

Actor Crazy Mohan’s play Chocolate Krishna is back to cast its spell on its target audience — children — for the first time after the demise of its writer, director and central character.

Only, this time, the play will have Lord Krishna taking a new avatar, with actor K.K. Ravishankar donning the role that was originally played by Crazy Mohan. The actor, who has been part of Crazy Creations for 40 years, acted as Cheenu from 1979-82.

Actor Madhu Balaji said that Chocolate Krishna (Fresh Innings) was back due to public demand.

“We got hundreds of emails from fans, asking that we continue to stage the play. Ravishankar has practised the dialogues, studied Mohan’s body language and watched videos of the play,” he said.

The play was created in 2008, after Crazy Mohan wanted to write something for children, with humour and stuff, including magic, chocolate and Lord Krishna, that they love.

Director S.B. Khanthan said the troupe was planning to go to the U.S. to perform at the first Crazy Mohan Drama Anniversary Festival.

“We have had more plays because he is blessing us. Ravishankar obviously cannot match Mohan. But his lines will make anyone laugh. They are immortal, it does not matter who delivers them. I went to the rehearsal last week to direct Ravi, but instead, I just happily watched the play and laughed,” Mr. Khanthan said.

Their 1009th show is on Friday for Karthik Fine Arts. This will be followed by three shows on Saturday (7 p.m.) and Sunday (4 p.m. and 7 p.m.), all at the Narada Gana Sabha. They have included an extra scene that was edited out earlier.

CB-CID to probe scam in Group-IV examination

24/01/2020,CHENNAI

The Crime Branch-CID of  the Tamil Nadu police has launched an investigation into allegations that at least 40 candidates indulged in fraud to clear the Group-IV examination conducted by the Tamil Nadu Public  Service Commission.

T.N. rolls out ration card portability

24/01/2020, DENNIS S. JESUDASAN,CHENNAI

Ahead of the ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ scheme expected to be rolled out by the BJP government at the Centre in June, the Tamil Nadu government has accorded administrative approval for the implementation of intra-State portability of ration cards.

The scheme enables ration cardholders to purchase foodgrain from any fair price shop in the State. The intra-State portability would be introduced in Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli districts on a pilot basis and then be rolled out across the State, a G.O. issued by the Cooperation, Food and Consumer Protection Department said.

Presently, there are 35,233 fair price shops run by various agencies such as cooperatives, the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation and women’s self-help groups, among others. A total of 9,635 of them are part-time shops. In all, 2,05,03,379 families have been provided with smart ration cards.

For effective portability of ration cards, the State government has instructed authorities to make a 5% additional allotment of essential commodities than the usual.

“For availing the facility, there should be a minimum distance between the existing shop and the commodity lifting shop. Hence, the existing shop to which the family card is attached and the shop from which the commodity is lifted should not be in the same revenue village in rural areas and not in the same ward in urban areas,” the order specified.

According to the Commissioner of Civil Supplies, the portability will be helpful to migrant labourers.

46 govt colleges get full-time principals

TNN | Jan 24, 2020, 04.56 AM IST

Trichy: The higher education department has appointed principals for 46 government arts colleges and colleges of education across the state.

This includes 14 constituent arts and science colleges functioning under various state universities that were recently converted into government colleges.

So far, the principals of nearby government colleges held additional charge of these colleges. With full additional charge given in July last year, there was a demand to appoint full-time principals to ensure effective administration.

An order issued on January 23 said that a total of 46 associate professors in various colleges have been promoted as principal grade – II in government arts colleges and colleges of education.

Associate professor, Government Arts College, Kumbakonam K Duraiarasan who is presently the controller of examination at Bharathidasan University has been appointed principal of Government Arts and Science College, Manalmedu.

With his appointment, the post of controller of examination has fallen vacant. Similarly, P S Vijayalakshmi, controller of examination, Periyar EVR College, Trichy has now been appointed as principal of Government Arts and Science College, Avinasi.

Parcels to New Delhi will be banned for 3 days ahead of Republic Day

TNN | Jan 23, 2020, 04.33 PM IST

SALEM: The Salem division of Southern Railway banned parcels to New Delhi ahead of Republic Day. The ban will be revoked after January 26.

Talking to media persons, the railway officials said that, security beefed up across the country to prevent any untoward incident. “As part of security arrangements, we have banned for parcel services to New Delhi to prevent untoward incidents,” the official said.

Usually, the parcels will be sent to New Delhi and Nijamudin from Salem and its surrounding stations including Erode, Tiruppur and Coimbatore.

The railway officials confirmed that essential commodities will not be covered and they will be sent to New Delhi as usual.

HC notice to state on cop’s petition against conviction

TNN | Jan 23, 2020, 04.13 AM IST

Madurai: Madras high court on Wednesday issued notice to the state government on a plea filed by a suspended sub-inspector of police challenging his conviction and awarding of life imprisonment by a lower court for wrongfully confining a man and shooting him dead with his service revolver in Ramanathapuram district in 2014.

Petitioner A Kalidass stated that he was an SI at S P Pattinam police station in Ramanathapuram district. On October 14, 2014, a person named Aruldass lodged a complaint against Syed Mohammed stating that the latter had tried to kill him for not handing over the bike which was given for repair. A case was registered by the S P Pattinam police and thereafter he instructed three policemen to secure the man from the mechanic workshop situated opposite to the police station.

Kalidass said Syed was under the influence of alcohol when he was brought for inquiry to his room and he attempted to assault him using a knife. He fired three rounds using his service revolver in self-defence and Syed died on the spot. He stated that a case was registered against him which was later transferred to CB-CID.

On November 14, 2019, the Ramanathapuram principal district and sessions court convicted and sentenced him to undergo life imprisonment for the offence under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC and imposed a fine of Rs 2lakh. He stated that currently he has been lodged at the Madurai central prison. He said the lower court had erroneously convicted him even though the prosecution has not proved its case beyond doubt.

City has hundreds of share autos, but only 7 have permits, finds RTI

TNN | Jan 23, 2020, 04.17 AM IST

Madurai: Only seven of the hundreds of ‘share’ autorickshaws running in the city, have been registered with the regional transport offices in Madurai, a RTI (Right to Information) reply has revealed.
General secretary of the Madurai Consumer Protection Centre, G Muniasamy, had filed the RTI to find out how many share autorickshaws of the total 12,223 three-wheel autos operating with permits in Madurai, had permits. 

There are three regional transport offices - Madurai South, Madurai North and Madurai Central - in Madurai, which are authorised to provide numbers starting with TN 58, TN 59 and TN 64. The reply to the RTI on share autos says that Madurai north has one share auto plying with a permit, Madurai south six and Madurai central none.

Founder of Makkal Vizhipunarvu Trust K Hakkim, said the RTI shows that there are only 12,223 autorickshaws in the city, but there should be at least 25000 vehicles operating on the city roads. Many of them are three-wheel ‘share’ autos which carry more than the permitted number of three passengers.

“Just stand in front of the Periyar bus stand, where work is underway. There will not be less than 30 share autos at any given time,” he said. Hence, these unauthorised vehicles are posing a risk to the public who travel in them, he added.

The three-wheel autos have permits to carry only three passengers at a time. But, many of them have been altered in the name of share autos, with a two-tier back seat at two levels and they carry more than 10 passengers at a time. “They are cheaper than mini buses and more convenient as they stop wherever we tell them to. So, I take these share autos regularly for just Rs 10 for a four km journey,” said A Selvarani of Anna Nagar.

RTO officials told TOI that the share autos which were given permits were those with five seats, and permission to carry five passengers at a time. “Many so called share autos are violating the rules when they carry more than three passengers. We impound not less than 50 to 100 vehicles per day, but we are not able to control the menace,” they acknowledged.

No word from Nirbhaya convicts on last meeting with parents

PTI | Jan 23, 2020, 06.59 PM IST

NEW DELHI: The four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape case are yet to inform the Tihar jail authorities about when they want to meet their families for the last time or whom they want to will their property, officials said on Thursday, nine days ahead of their execution date set by a Delhi court.

The four convicts, Vinay Shrama (26), Akshay Kumar Singh (31), Mukesh Kumar Singh (32) and Pawan Gupta (25), who are lodged in separate cells of Jail No 3 where the execution will take place, are scheduled to be hanged at 6am on February 1.

"After the death warrants were issued, the convicts were asked when they would like to meet their respective families for the last time and if so, who all do they wish to meet. But none of them have responded yet," a senior jail official, elaborating about the procedure before executing death row convicts, said.

The official said the convicts were also asked if they would want to prepare their will, but they have not responded yet.

"The family of all the four convicts are allowed to meet them twice a week but the last date of meeting has not been fixed because they still have not responded," he said.

On Wednesday, in a plea filed by the Centre before the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Home Affairs said heinous crime convicts are taking the "judicial process for a ride".

They demanded fixing a seven-day deadline for execution of condemned prisoners after issuance of black warrant, amid the delay in the hanging of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape-murder case.

Dummy execution of the four death row convicts was performed in the prison last week.

The officials recorded the weights of the convicts and then prepared the dummies accordingly with sacks filled with debris and stones, a senior jail official said.

The execution will take place in Jail No 3, the official said, adding that the Uttar Pradesh Prison authority has confirmed that Pawan Jallad from Meerut will be sent to hang the four convicts.

The Tihar authorities had written to the Uttar Pradesh prison officials, seeking the services of two hangmen from the state for the execution.

All the four convicts are likely to hanged simultaneously. The jail authorities were also holding conversations with them on a daily basis to ensure that they were in a good mental state, the official said.

The 23-year-old paramedic student, referred to as Nirbhaya or fearless, was gang-raped and brutally assaulted on the intervening night of December 16-17, 2012 inside a moving bus in south Delhi by six persons before being thrown out on the road.

She died on December 29, 2012 at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.

Ram Singh, one of the six accused, allegedly committed suicide in Tihar Jail. A juvenile, who was among the accused, was convicted by a juvenile justice board and was released from a reformation home after serving a three-year term.

No planes to fly, but smaller airports getting ready in Tamil Nadu

TNN | Jan 22, 2020, 11.54 AM IST

CHENNAI: Though the ministry of civil aviation is pushing a regional connectivity scheme to link Vellore, Thanjavur, Neyveli and Ramnad, authorities have said barring Thanjavur, none of the other airports is likely to be opened for flights.
“That too only if low cost carriers like IndiGo or SpiceJet show interest,” the official said.

Another official of Airports Authority of India (AAI) said as the ministry wants to upgrade infrastructure, Vellore is readying to obtain a licence, Neyveli airport is ready and work is on to equip Thanjavur airport.

“But no thought has gone into the fact that airlines don't have small nine seater planes to fly to Vellore and Neyveli... none of the airlines has expressed their intent to buy such small planes,” he said.

Data from the Rajya Sabha show that AAI has spent Rs 150 lakh to spruce up Vellore and Thanjavur airports in the last three years. Of this, Rs 132 lakh was spent for Vellore though no airline in the country has a 20-seater plane to operate a scheduled service. There is no mention of the money spent for Neyveli. AAI has listed this airport as loss-making.

AAI spent Rs 17 lakh in 2016-17, Rs 22 lakh in 2017-18 and Rs 93 lakh in 2018-19 readying Vellore airport.

Sources said that the “regional connectivity scheme was being promoted by offering airports but there was no incentive to encourage airlines to buy small flights to fly to these small airstrips. Maintenance of a few small aircraft only to fly to airports like Vellore or Neyveli will be unviable for airlines.”

Anna University won’t fall under Centre’s control, says TN higher education secretary

TNN | Jan 22, 2020, 06.44 PM IST

COIMBATORE: Anna University would remain a state university even after bifurcation, said principal secretary to the department of higher education Mangat Ram Sharma on Wednesday. He said there were unfounded fears that the university would fall under the control of the Centre after bifurcation.

The state in December decided to bifurcate Anna University with one section getting the Institute of Eminence (IoE) status and the other giving affiliation to engineering colleges across the state.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the inaugural session of the 33rd Biennial Conference of Home Science Association of India held at Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women here, Sharma said an impression had been created that by getting the IoE status, the university would fall under the control of the Centre.

“These are unnecessary fears. Anna University would remain a state university and all state university laws would be applicable for it,” he said.

Decision on bifurcating Anna University would be finalised after at least two more meetings by the committee of ministers formed for the purpose and after discussions with academicians, he said.

The state formed a team of five ministers to deliberate and decide on the bifurcation. This created apprehensions that there were no academicians in the team.

Sharma said state was doing the process carefully as a bifurcation earlier had created problems. “The team has met once. The next meeting would be held next week. In one or two meetings, they would decide on the bifurcation process. They would discuss the matter with academicians before deciding,” he said.

These two A R Rahman hits were the most listened songs by Ola riders in Chennai in 2019

TNN | Jan 23, 2020, 06.49 PM IST

CHENNAI: Cab aggregator Ola recently did a study in Chennai and other metros to find out travel trends in 2019. As part of this, several parameters like most preferred travel time, mode and payment options were analysed.

Interestingly, the team also studied music preferences of commuters while travelling in their cabs with 'Ola Play' option. The study, titled “Ola Hyperdrive 2019,” has listed the top three most-played songs by Chennaiites.

To the surprise, it was not “Kannana Kanne” from Viswasam or “Single Pasanga” from Natpe Thunai or any other 2019 chartbusters which were heard the most.

Instead, it was “Romeo Attam Pottal” (from Mr Romeo), an A R Rahman song, which was a favourite for many '90s kids. They seemed to have not lost their love for this Prabhudeva-starrer even 23 years after the movie was released

Next in the list was “Hosanna” from Vinnai Thandi Varuvaaya. This too was composed by ARR for a movie directed by Gautam Vasudev Menon, starring Simbu.

Dhanush's “Don'u Don'u Don'u” (from Maari), composed by Anirudh, was next on the list.

Commuters can listen to songs of their choice when they book an 'Ola Prime' cab.

As far as genres are concerned, Chennai people preferred romance and soft music over others and that it was mostly in the evening, between 5pm and 8pm.

SRM Institute of Science and Technology signs MoU with Kansas State University

TNN | Jan 23, 2020, 05.23 PM IST

CHENNAI: SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) in Chennai has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Kansas State University (KSU) in the US.

This MoU will facilitate the exchange of students, professors and scientists to conduct research of mutual interest, short-term visits, participation in conferences, symposia and exchange of academic materials between two universities. This can be at undergraduate/ masters/Ph.D.

Ramasamy Perumal and Krishna Jagadish from KSU visited SRMIST for the purpose.

“With the facilities that SRMIST offers, we are also contemplating bringing our own PhD scholars here for research,” said Perumal.

SRMIST vice-chancellor Dr Sandeep Sancheti said this MoU would not just benefit the genetics department but also the clusters around it like agriculture, biotechnology and others.

Departure of three trains delayed as man climbs railway gantry at Chennai Central

TNN | Jan 23, 2020, 07.45 PM IST

CHENNAI: Tension prevailed at the MGR Chennai Central and at least three trains had a delayed departure on Thursday morning as a 30-year-old man climbed the gantry that holds the high-tension overhead power cables and threatened to jump from there.
However, alert railway staff turned off the power supply and alerted the fire and rescue services.

Fire personnel from Kondithope station rushed to the spot, climbed the gantry and rescued the man around 8am.

Shatabdi Express to Coimbatore, the double-decker to Bengaluru and Shatabdi Express to Vijayawada were delayed due to the incident

The man, identified as L Mynathuni, 30 of Assam, appeared to be mentally disturbed, police said.

"He climbed the gantry at the end of the first platform near the parcel office," said a police officer. It was not clear why he came to Chennai, police said. A few people had seen him loitering around in Choolai, police said.

Police admitted him to a home for people with learning difficulties.

Chennai: Anna University faculty to get 280 per cent pay hike

TNN | Jan 24, 2020, 04.15 AM IST

CHENNAI: The state government has increased the monthly salaries of faculty of Anna University, its constituent colleges, government and aided engineering institutes by up to 280% as recommended by the seventh Central Pay Commission (CPC).

An order issued on January 14 by the state higher education department announcing the hike was made public on Thursday.

As per the order, the revised payscale will take notional effect from January 1, 2016, and monetary benefit from October 1, 2017, making the staff eligible for a lump-sum amount as salary arrears soon.

Designations, mode of appointments and pay structure were also revised as per CPC recommendations for all institutions controlled by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

Accordingly, there will be only three designations in engineering colleges — assistant professor, associate professor and professor. The existing pay structure involving pay band (PB) and average grade pay (AGP) has been replaced with a pay matrix involving levels and cells.

AGP of Rs 6,000, Rs 7,000, Rs 8,000, Rs 9,000, Rs 10,0000 and Rs 12,000 has been replaced with academic levels numbered 10, 11, 12, 13A1, 14 and 15 respectively. Each academic level consists of several cells (numbered 1-40) and salaries increase when teachers move to next cell.

For example, let us consider an assistant professor, who is receiving Rs 8,000 as AGP now. His pay band was Rs 15,600-Rs 39,100. The AGP of Rs 8,000 corresponds to academic level 12 in the new pay matrix, with Rs 79,800 fixed as entry pay (cell number 1). Once he moves to the next cell (number 2) within the same academic level, he becomes eligible for an annual increment of 3%. So he will earn Rs 82,200 (rounded off to nearest 100). As he progresses through the matrix, the pay will increase and once he reaches cell 40 (last) of academic level 12, he will receive Rs 2,11,500 as salary.

A formally constituted selection committee will decide on promotions to the next academic level and designations.

Besides, teachers are eligible to get Rs 75,000 professional development grant (on reimbursement basis), research promotion grant from their institutes/universities and engage in consultancy services to generate revenue.

As far as pension, gratuity, leave encashment, health insurance and other terminal benefits are concerned, the present state government rules will continue to be applied.

Genetic analysis of virus suggest role of bats and snakes: Report

Beijing:24.01,2020

A new strain of coronavirus that emerged in China may have originated in bats or snakes, according to genetic analysis of the virus. The theories are based on examination of the genome sequence of the virus released by authorities in the wake of the outbreak.

One study, published on Tuesday in the journal Science China Life Sciences, which is sponsored by Beijing’s Chinese Academy of Sciences, looked at the relations between the new strain and other viruses. It found the virus was closely related to a strain that exists in bats. “Bats being the native host of the Wuhan CoV (coronavirus) would be the logical and convenient reasoning, though it remains likely there was intermediate host(s) in the transmission cascade from bats to humans,” the researchers wrote in the paper.

That study did not speculate about which animal could have been an “intermediate host”, but a second study published on Wednesday in the Journal of Medical Virology identifies snakes as the possible culprit. “Results from our analysis suggest that snake is the most probable wildlife animal reservoir,” the paper says.

Neither study explained how the virus may have been transmitted from animals to humans. But they could offer clues for the source of the outbreak. The food market where the virus surfaced offered a range of exotic wildlife for sale, including live foxes, crocodiles, wolf puppies, giant salamanders, snakes, rats, peacocks, porcupines, camel meat and other game. AFP

They’re asleep, don’t wake them up, kid told about dead parents

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kozhikode:24.01.2020

They all have inhaled a gas which made them go to a deep sleep. They will not wake up again and have gone to be with God. You should not try to wake them up when you see them tomorrow and should give them a parting kiss — two days after the death of his parents and younger brother in the Nepal resort tragedy, seven-year-old Madhav, the lone surviving member of his family, was told about his grievous loss by the teachers and a counsellor from his school on Thursday.

Young Madhav stared at them listless for some time and broke down in tears later.

The four-member team from Silver Hills School, including the principal and the class teacher of Madhav, broke the news to the child at his relative’s house next to Madhav’s maternal house at Mukavoor in the afternoon. Madhav had arrived at his home in the early hours of Thursday and was expecting his parents and brother to arrive on Friday.

“It was a heart-wrenching moment for all of us and we were all moved to tears. Madhav stood silent for some time and later he cried. He seemed to have somewhat understood that he has lost his parents for ever. We all consoled him and made him feel that we are all with him and later brought him a new bicycle to cheer him up,” Nikhil M C, cousin of Madhav’s mother Indu Lakshmi said.

Full report on www.toi.in

TRAGIC: Seven-year-old Madhav, who doesn’t yet understand the concept of death, was upbeat after receiving a bicycle. His parents died in the Nepal gas-leak tragedy

Nirbhaya convicts refuse to prepare will, hope hanging date will be put off
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:24.01.2020

While the second date of hanging is just a week’s away, all the four convicts in Nirbhaya gang-rape case have refused to transfer their assets and prepare a will for their family members. They are hoping that the date of hanging would be deferred further from February 1, said jail officials.

On January 22, the death warrant could not be executed as some of the accused used their remaining legal options. Pawan, Vinay and Akshay, however, still have the option to seek mercy from the President before February 1.

Jail sources told TOI that even though the four men have been placed in solitary cells, they are being allowed to meet their family members twice a week as per the norms. The convicts have not even informed the jail authorities about the date of their last meeting with their family members.

The officials have calculated the amount of wage that each of them has earned from the work done during his stay at the jail. The wages would be handed over to their respective family members after they prepare a will and agree to it.

Sources said that ever since the notice to prepare the will and mention the date of their last meeting was issued to the convicts, Vinay had started behaving aggressively with the jail staffers, while Pawan and Akshay’s behaviour were normal. Mukesh is anxious that he has exhausted all his legal options.

Meanwhile, special care is being taken to maintain the health parameters of the four convicts. Vinay had recently fell unconscious inside his cell. He has been behaving restlessly ever since his curative petition was dismissed by the court. He had even refused to eat food served at his cell and grew aggressive with the jail staffers when they tried to convince him to have food. He was immediately taken to the jail hospital where he recuperated.

Jail officers, however, rubbished the rumour about a suicide attempt by Vinay, that was doing the rounds on social media.

DVAC submits inquiry report against minister

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:24.01.2020

The directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption (DVAC) of Tamil Nadu on Thursday submitted in the Madras high court a preliminary inquiry report against state municipal administration minister S P Velumani, as directed by a division bench earlier.

It was submitted to the bench of Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice R Hemalatha in a sealed cover. It was done in compliance with an interim order on the petitions filed by Arappor Iyakkam, an NGO, and R S Bharathi, organising secretary of DMK, on January 7.

The petitions were filed alleging corruption in awarding contracts for various corporations by Velumani and showing favoritism to his relatives and people very close to him.

Neet aspirants from government schools fall by 10,000 this year

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:24.01.2020

Aspirants for National Eligibility cum-Entrance Test (Neet) from government and government-aided schools have dropped by more than 10,000 students this year. From 17,630 applicants in 2019, the numbers have dwindled to just around 7,000 in 2020.

Only two students from government-sponsored coaching centres in the state got medical seats last year. Four students from government-aided schools who attended private coaching also got MBBS seats in 2019.

Despite elaborate efforts by the school education department, the number of students joining medical courses remained more or less the same.

The number of students attending Neet coaching has come down from 19,355 to 10,000 this year. Students and teachers were disheartened as the cut-off increased over 100 marks and old students grabbed 70% of medical seats in the state, officials said. There has been a decrease in the number of students opting for science stream every year. Pursuing Neet is also providing limited options and this year, the cut-off may increase further. These factors could have discouraged many students, said an official.

Headmasters of some schools said one year coaching for Neet is not sufficient. “Coaching should have been given for two years. Instead of giving coaching at state level, the government should consider coaching at school level,” said the headmaster of a city school. Some headmasters demanded a separate quota for government school students as they could not compete with students who prepare for more than two years for the exam.

Educationist Prince Gajendrababu said apprehensions about common medical entrance tests have been proved correct. “We warned about mushrooming of coaching centres and possibility of spending an extra year for coaching. They have come true and only affluent students can afford coaching as it would cost up to ₹5lakh a year,” he said. “Though government school students have the same aptitude and skills like others, they could not take up the test. The state government should strengthen higher secondary exams and admit students based on higher secondary marks,” he added.

“Poor results for three continuous years has taken away the confidence of government school students. The government also did not give proper training for medical aspirants,” said Dr G R Raveendranath, general secretary, Doctors’ Association for Social Equality. “The state government should reserve seats for government school students in government medical colleges,” he said.

In 2016, before Neet-based admissions for MBBS, 34 students from government schools joined medical colleges. After introduction of Neet for medical admissions in Tamil Nadu, only seven from government schools joined MBBS in 2017, while five joined in 2018, according to the Directorate of Medical Education. So far, only 14 from government schools have aced Neet in the last three years.

Only two students from governmentsponsored coaching centres in the state got medical seats last year

Man loses chance of govt job as his post is delayed

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:24.01.2020

A man from Melnalathur, 30km from Porur, lost an opportunity to work at a Union government-run agency because a newly appointed postmaster was unable to locate the man’s home to deliver the admit card on time.

In September 2013, A Vishnuprasad applied for the assistant sub-inspector (steno) post at Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The pay scale for the post is ₹5,200-₹20,200. He cleared the preliminary written exam and was shortlisted for next round of selection. But, he was unaware that he was even shortlisted as the call letter/admit card informing him of the same and the date for his physical test didn’t reach him on time.

The admit card, sent via post by the CISF on September 30, 2013, reached Vishnuprasad 71 days later, around 3.30pm on December 10 — the date of his interview. He was asked to appear at the CISF premises at 8am. Had the letter reached him just nine hours earlier, Vishnuprasad stood a chance of getting a government job. When the CISF was informed, the agency refused to accommodate him in next batches as it would disrupt the recruitment process.

Vishnuprasad then approached the local consumer grievances redressal forum.

The postal department said P Pannerselvam, the postman who had been working in the area for years, was discharged from duty on September 30 following which the post was vacant for days. M Lhogeshvaree, who replaced him, was an outsider and was unable to locate the petitioner’s house in the area with more than 3,000 homes. She took Pannerselvam’s help in delivering pending mails, it said.

Referring to provisions in the Indian Post Office Act, 1898, the department said they were exempted by law from all responsibilities in case of loss, mis-delivery or delay in postal articles in the course of transmission by post.

The forum ruled that it was the department’s duty to deliver postal covers without delay and it was liable for deficiency of service. The postman concerned, local postmaster, head postmaster and chief postmaster general were told to pay ₹20,000 to Vishnuprasad for causing him mental agony and financial loss and ₹1,000 towards litigation cost.

The admit card, sent via post by the CISF on September 30, 2013, reached Vishnuprasad 71 days later on December 10

500 hours of infotainment for passengers of Tejas Express

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:24.01.2020

Passengers of Tejas Express, a premium superfast train between Chennai Egmore and Madurai, can now access 500 hours of inhouse entertainment options on their mobile phones.

Southern Railway recently began offering ‘magicbox’, a wi-fi infotainment system which lets passengers access pre-recorded shows, movies and sops on their phones, an official release said on Thursday.

The decision follows feedback from passengers who felt that a premium train like Tejas should offer inhouse entertainment to enhance the joy of travelling. Tejas coaches were initially provided with seatmounted infotainment systems which were removed after complaints from travellers about malfunctioning. A railway board fiat had instructed to discontinue all seat-mounted infotainment systems in Tejas.

‘Magicbox’ is pre-installed with movies, content for kids, music and government schemes. It has content in regional languages too.

Tejas Express runs 6 days a week, except Thursday. The superfast train has a run time of six hours, with two halts at Tiruchirapalli and Kodaikanal.


The Chennai Egmore-Madurai Tejas Express runs 6 days a week, except Thursday

Death penalty not open-ended, must have a finality: SC

‘Good Conduct May Not Be Enough To Modify Sentence’

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:24.01.2020

Revealing judicial discomfort over death row convicts exploiting procedural loopholes to avoid or delay execution for years, the Supreme Court on Thursday said “it is extremely important for death penalty to attain finality”.

Indirectly referring to continuous and separate litigations by the four Nirbhaya case condemned prisoners to delay execution, a bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna said, “Many are under the impression that concurrently awarded death penalty (by trial court, high court and the SC) is open-ended and can be argued against as and when one wishes. Finality of death sentence is extremely important. Recent events have shown that. One cannot go on fighting endlessly on this.”

SC reserves order on Art 370 pleas

The Supreme Court reserved order on whether petitions challenging constitutional validity of the Centre nullifying Article 370 be referred to a larger bench. The Centre said the decision was taken in national interest. P 11

‘We must protect innocent & also punish the guilty’

The court also held that postconviction “good behaviour” in jail may not be sufficient to modify a death sentence as any mitigating circumstances are taken into account by courts at the trial stage. While the court was not against reformation, punishment reflected societal expectation and gravity of crime, the bench said.

The CJI-led bench’s observations came during open court hearing of petitions by one Shabnam and Saleem seeking review of their death sentences. Infuriated by constant objections to their relationship, which had resulted in pregnancy at the time of the crime, Shabnam mixed sedatives in tea and served it to her family members. She then held the heads of her parents and four other family members while Saleem slit their throats. A seventh victim, her brother’s 10-month-old child, was throttled to death. The duo wanted to lay claim over the entire family property.

The bench’s remarks assume significance as the Centre on Wednesday, responding to public resentment over Nirbhaya convicts delaying execution, sought a change in guidelines laid down by the SC in 2014 to protect the rights of death row prisoners. The Centre said the rights of victims and society must also be factored in. When solicitor general Tushar Mehta mentioned this during Thursday’s hearing, the SC said it would separately deal with it.

For Saleem and Shabnam, senior advocates Anand Grover and Meenakshi Arora strenuously attempted to convince the bench that the couple’s exemplary post-conviction conduct should be considered for commuting the death penalty to life imprisonment. Arora said as the couple now had a child to look after the court could exercise forgiveness as they had shown enough signs of reform during incarceration.

The bench asked, “Does the couple having a child mitigate the gravity of their crime? Does it mitigate the murder of a 10-month-old child? Does that mitigate the murder of seven innocent family members? We are not against forgiveness. But it is the law which prescribes punishment for crime. A judge awards punishment as per law, which reflects society’s expectations. We must protect innocent and also punish the guilty. Can a judge forgive a murderer brushing aside evidence if he feels an accused appears innocent?”

Responding to mitigating circumstances cited by Grover and Arora, the bench said, “A court examines mitigating circumstances at the time of sentencing. Can postconviction mitigating circumstances be a ground for commuting death sentence? What we understand is that the sentence should be proportionate to the crime. Seven members of a family were killed through meticulous planning and in cold blood. Is the death sentence proportionate to this crime? All three courts have said yes.

“If post-conviction good behaviour is accepted as mitigating circumstances, then there never will be finality to sentences and it will open the floodgates for petitions seeking commutation of all kinds of sentences.”

The bench then reserved its verdict on the review petitions.

Many are under the impression that concurrently awarded death penalty is openended and can be argued against as and when one wishes. Finality of death sentence is extremely important. Recent events have shown that. One cannot go on fighting endlessly on this

— SUPREME COURT

IndiGo mid-air shocker after 22nd engine snag in 2 yrs

Saurabh.Sinha@timesgroup.com

23.01.2020

An IndiGo A320 Neo flying from Mumbai to Hyderabad early on Thursday with 95 passengers and the crew on board experienced severe vibrations and a loud bang at 23,000ft before one of the Pratt & Whitney engines stalled, forcing the pilots to return to Mumbai and make an emergency landing on a single engine. This was the 22nd snag in two years involving P&W engines on IndiGo Neos, sources said.

A spokesperson for the airline said flight 6E-5384 had “an air turn back to Mumbai” after the pilots “observed an engine caution message” less than an hour after taking off at 12.43am. “The pilots followed standard operating procedure and the aircraft returned safely to Mumbai at 1.39am. All passengers were accommodated on another flight to Hyderabad,” the official said.

In the past few days, airlines flying A320 Neos have reported a spurt in P&W engine snags.

IndiGo needs to replace about 137 unmodified P&W engines

While twin-engined planes can land safely on one engine, there is concern over the likelihood of snags recurring till all unmodified P&W engines are replaced with modified ones. The directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) recently gave IndiGo time until May 31— the original deadline was January 31 — to replace unmodified P&W engines on all its Neos.

Besides IndiGo, Neos owned by GoAir run on P&W engines. Airline representatives and officials of the civil aviation regulator said all possible steps were being taken to ensure passenger safety till the transition to modified engines was completed.

“The DGCA has insisted, and ensured, that no A320 Neo flies with two unmodified engines. The Neos in India — 106 with IndiGo and 41with GoAir — have at least one modified engine each. An unmodified P&W engine may stall inflight, but the modified one will ensure the aircraft lands safely,” a source said.

IndiGo needs to replace about 137 unmodified P&W engines on the A320/321 Neos in its fleet. This means that of the 106 Neos IndiGo currently has, about 70 require engine replacement.

“There are around 560-plus Neos belonging to 36 airlines that operate with P&W-1100G engines. Globally, these aircraft have logged over 20 lakh hours and over 10 lakh cycles (flights). New product and design are associated with issues which get manifested in-service. There have been issues with low-pressure turbine stage 3 of Pratt engines. Pratt has identified the root cause and developed a fix with modified low-pressure turbine blades made of Inconel. This fix has been implemented since May 2019. All new engines and spare engines currently being delivered are with modified LPT.”

Besides the existing Neos, IndiGo has over 650 aircraft on order.


CRASH-LANDING: Security personnel stand beside an aircraft used by the NCC which made an emergency landing on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway in Ghaziabad following engine failure on Thursday

25 Indians trapped in Wuhan; virus reaches S’pore, Vietnam
2 Admitted To Mumbai Hosp As Precaution
TNN & AGENCIES 24.01.2020

Twenty-five Indian students, of whom 20 are from Kerala, are trapped in Wuhan after the Chinese city of 11million was locked down to contain the spread of a new strain of a coronavirus, while 14 students interning at a hospital in Yichang, about 300km from Wuhan, planned to fly to Kolkata from Kunming airport on Thursday night or Friday.

Two of five travellers who have returned to Mumbai from Wuhan and other parts of China have, meanwhile, been admitted to Kasturba Hospital in Chinchpokli, the city’s main isolation facility, as a precautionary measure as the virus, first reported in China, spread to Singapore and Vietnam. It has killed 18 people and affected over 600 in different parts of the world. Officials in Mumbai said that barring a mild cold and cough, the two people admitted to hospital didn’t have any sign of the infection.

A nurse from Kerala working in Saudi Arabia who the Indian government said on Thursday had contracted the new strain of a coronavirus that has started to spread from China turned out not to have been infected.

Indian students at College of Medicine, Wuhan University

1,323 passengers have so far been screened at Mumbai airport

Junior foreign minister V Muraleedhraran rewteeted a tweet from the Indian consulate general in Jeddah to correct his earlier post and said the nurse, who works at Al-Hayat Hospital in Khamis Mushait, was “suffering from MERSCoV & not 2019-NCoV(Wuhan). We request everyone to refrain from sharing incorrect info”. MERS-CoV stands for Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus. The information about the nurse’s health came from Dr Tarik Al Azraqi, chairman, Scientific Regional Infection Control Committee, Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia.

Singapore confirmed that a 68-year-old man, who had come from Wuhan, had contracted the infection and had been isolated for treatment. His travelling companion, too, had been admitted to a hospital for treatment. In Mumbai, officials said the five passengers were put under surveillance soon after they returned from China in the last 48 hours. While three of them are residents of Jogeshwari, Kalyan and Nala Sopara, two are from Pune. “Since the passengers from Kalyanand Nalasopara have shown signs of a mild cold and cough, we have asked them to come and get admitted to Kasturba Hospital so that we can run some checks and rule out any infection,” said the BMC executive health officer, Dr Padmaja Keskar.

Epidemiologist Dr Pradeep Awate said none of them had exhibited any coronavirus symptoms. Two of the five passengers had been to Wuhan, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak. The virus has spread to several countries, including the US, Thailand, Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia. “Those two passengers are also currently asymptomatic, like the other three who had been to other parts of China,” said Dr Awate.

The local health officer said that the Nala Sopara traveller, a woman who had stayed in China’s Foshan city — almost 1,000 km south of Wuhan — for six days, had complained of a bodyache and cold when health department officials contacted her but didn’t have fever, a sore throat, abdominal pain or any other symptom.

The Kalyan resident was in Guangzhou — also about 1,000 km south of Wuhan — for six days. Officials said the 36-yearold had a cold and cough even before he travelled to China. He developed fever on January 18, which subsided due to medication by January 20, but he did not fully recover from the bout. “Even a complete blood count test showed normal results. None of his family members showed any symptom,” said an official. Dr Ramesh Bharmal, director of BMC’s major hospitals, said samples taken from them would be sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, for testing.

A total of 1,323 passengers returning from China and other affected countries have so far been screened at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) since January 18.

Asked how the identified passengers are being tracked, Awate said: “The passengers are aware of the virus spread and how contagious it can be and hence are cooperating. Our health staff visited them at their homes and now we are keeping track of their health status telephonically.” Usually, any airborne virus has an incubation period of seven to 14 days. “But since this is a new variant of the coronavirus, we don't have conclusive information about its incubation period. Therefore, we have doubled the passenger tracking period to 28 days,” Awate said.

On Monday (January 20), Maharashtra health authorities issued an advisory for the identification, isolation and monitoring of passengers returning from China and other coronavirus-affected Asian countries. “A person with a travel history to the affected countries, mainly China, in the last 14 days or more and presenting an influenza-like illness or severe, acute respiratory illness (SARI), is a suspected patient of the virus. The symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, fever and respiratory problems,” Awate said.

In Wuhan, with airports and rail and road traffic shut down, the students have enough food to last a few days but are worried about how long their enforced isolation will last. “We are sitting in the hostel room, unsure of our future. We are scared and helpless. We need immediate help from our country,” Faisal Nazer, from Karunagapally in Kollam, a final year medical student at Wuhan University’s College of Medicine, told TOI over phone on Thursday evening.

These students were advised by Chinese authorities on January 22 night to vacate the campus by 10 am (7.30 am IST) on January 23. However, they couldn’t leave as all of them had booked tickets from Wuhan airport and had no time to make alternative arrangements. “It is not fear of hunger that worries us at the moment. We are scared that with no air, train or bus tickets from Wuhan to other destinations in China, we are trapped with no help or support. We can’t go out as the Chinese authorities have warned us against moving out of the premises. There is constant inspection by the authorities,” Nazer said.

Aswanth Krishnan of Kottarakkara, Kollam, in his final year at the College of Medicine, was among the students who managed to leave Wuhan for Changsha airport, nearly 340 km from Wuhan, to take a flight to India. He said it was difficult getting out of Wuhan. He and his friends left the hostel on Wednesday, as soon as the advisory to leave was issued, taking with them the bare essentials.

Krishan added that a group of 10-15 students, mainly from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, had left for Guangzhou airport. “At present we have Chinese New Year holidays. Our decision to return to the campus will be based on further developments,” he added.

Full report on www.toi.in

UNDER SCANNER: Thermal screening is being done at the international airports of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin

[Breaking] CAA Challenge : SC Grants Four Weeks Time To Centre For Reply

[Breaking] CAA Challenge : SC Grants Four Weeks Time To Centre For Reply: The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted four weeks time to the Central Government to respond to about 140 writ petitions which challenge the constitutional validity of the controversial Citizenship...

Kerala HC Allows Advocate Commissioner To Serve Notice Through Whatsapp/Email [Read Order]

Kerala HC Allows Advocate Commissioner To Serve Notice Through Whatsapp/Email [Read Order]: In a notable development, the High Court of Kerala has allowed an Advocate Commissioner to serve notice on the parties through Whatsapp/E-mail, Fax whichever is practicable.This happened in a case...

வேலம்மாள் கல்வி குழுமத்தில் வருமான வரி சோதனை

Added : ஜன 22, 2020 01:56

சென்னை: தமிழகம் முழுவதும், வேலம்மாள் கல்வி குழுமத்திற்கு சொந்தமான, 50 இடங்களில், வருமான வரி துறையினர், நேற்று அதிரடி சோதனை நடத்தினர். மதுரை மாவட்டத்தை சேர்ந்தவர், எம்.வி.முத்துராமலிங்கம். இவர், 1986ல், சென்னை, முகப்பேரில், தன் தாயார் பெயரில், வேலம்மாள் மெட்ரிக் பள்ளியை துவக்கினார். பின், வேலம்மாள் அறக்கட்டளை துவங்கி, சென்னை, மதுரை, திருவள்ளூர், காஞ்சிபுரம், சிவகங்கை, தேனி மற்றும் கரூர் மாவட்டங்களில், பள்ளிகள், பொறியியல் மற்றும் மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகளை துவங்கினார்.தற்போது, இந்த அறக்கட்டளையின் கீழ், 56 பள்ளி, கல்லுாரிகள் செயல்படுகின்றன. இவற்றில், ஒரு லட்சத்திற்கும் அதிகமான மாணவர்கள், 10 ஆயிரம் ஆசிரியர்கள் பணியாற்றுகின்றனர். இந்த கல்வி குழுமம் மீது, வரி ஏய்ப்பு தொடர்பாக, வருமான வரித்துறைக்கு தகவல்கள் கிடைத்தன.இதையடுத்து, சென்னை, மதுரை உட்பட, ஏழு மாவட்டங்களில், குழுமத்திற்கு சொந்தமான, 50 இடங்களில், 250 வருமான வரி அதிகாரிகள், நேற்று காலையில், அதிரடி சோதனையில் ஈடுபட்டனர்.வருமான வரி அதிகாரிகள் கூறியதாவது:வேலம்மாள் கல்வி குழுமத்தின் மீது, வரி ஏய்ப்பு தொடர்பாக புகார்கள் வந்துள்ளன. இதைத் தொடர்ந்து, குழுமம் தாக்கல் செய்திருந்த, பல ஆண்டு வருமான வரி கணக்குகள் ஆய்வு செய்யப்பட்டன. அவற்றில், சொத்து விபரங்களில், பல்வேறு முறைகடுகள் செய்திருப்பது கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டது.இதையடுத்து, அந்த கல்வி குழுமங்களில், சோதனை நடத்த திட்டமிடப்பட்டு, நேற்று துவங்கப்பட்டது. சோதனையின் முதல் நாளில், கணக்கில் காட்டப்படாத பல்வேறு சொத்து ஆவணங்கள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளன. அவற்றின் மதிப்புகள், சோதனை முடிவுக்கு பின் தெரிய வரும்.இவ்வாறு, அவர்கள் கூறினர்.

'மிட் நைட்'... 'மிடில் பெர்த்'...'டமார்' 'பரிதாப' ரயில் பயணி காயம்

Added : ஜன 22, 2020 00:10

மதுரை, சென்னை தாம்பரம்- நாகர்கோவில் விரைவு ரயிலில் இரவில் மிடில் பெர்த் கழன்று விழுந்து பயணி ஒருவர் காயம் அடைந்தார்.

ஜன. 20 இரவு 7:20 மணிக்கு தாம்பரத்தில் புறப்பட்ட விரைவு ரயில் மதுரை நோக்கி வந்து கொண்டிருந்தது. 'எஸ் 10' பெட்டியில் பயணிகள் துாங்கிக்கொண்டிருந்தனர். அப்போது 'மிடில் பெர்த்' ஒன்று கழன்று விழுந்தது. இதில் இருந்த பயணி கீழே விழுந்ததில் 'லோயர் பெர்த்'தில் துாங்கிய பயணி கடம்பூர் தர்மராஜ் தலையில் காயம் ஏற்பட்டது. சக பயணிகள் அவரை மீட்டனர். 

ரயில் மதுரை வந்ததும் 'பெர்த்'தை பயணிகள் சரி செய்ய முயன்றனர். ஆனால் முடியவில்லை. தர்மராஜுக்கு முதலுதவி அளிக்கவும் யாரும் வரவில்லை. இதனால் அரை மணி நேர தாமதத்திற்கு பிறகு அந்த ரயில் நாகர்கோவில் சென்றது.'இச்சம்பவம் குறித்து எந்த தகவலும் இல்லை' என ரயில்வே கோட்ட அதிகாரிகள் மற்றும் போலீசார் தெரிவித்தனர்.

தெற்கு ரயில்வேயில் இயங்கும் சில ரயில்களில் பராமரிப்பு இல்லாத பழைய பெட்டிகள் இணைக்கப்படுகின்றன. அந்த பெட்டிகளில் கொக்கியை இணைத்து 'மிடில் பெர்த்'தை தொங்கவிடுவது சிரமமாக உள்ளது. இரண்டு கொக்கிகளில் ஒன்றைத்தான் இணைக்க முடியும். அந்த பகுதியில் 'சீட்' கிழிந்தும் இருக்கும்.பயணிகள் கூறுகையில், 'ஓரிரு நாட்களுக்கு முன் சிதம்பரம் அருகே ஒரு ரயிலில் ஜன்னல் தானாக கீழே இறங்கி பயணியின் கைவிரல் துண்டானது. மயிலாடுதுறையில் அவருக்கு முதலுதவி அளிக்கப்பட்டது. பராமரிப்பு இல்லாத பழைய பெட்டிகளை அகற்ற வேண்டும்' என்றனர்.

'அவரே முட்டிக்கிட்டார்''மிடில் பெர்த்' விழுந்தது குறித்து ரயில்வே சார்பில் வெளியிடப்பட்ட விளக்கம்:'மிடில் பெர்த்' உடையவில்லை; அது அப்படியே உள்ளது. அந்த பயணி கவனக்குறைவாக 'பெர்த்'தில் உள்ள குமிழில் மோதிக்கொண்டார். இதுகுறித்து அறிந்தவுடன் தனியார் மருத்துவமனை ஊழியர் மூலம் முதலுதவி அளிக்கப்பட்டது. பயணிக்கு வெளிக்காயம் இல்லை. இவ்வாறு அதில் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

மணமகன் தந்தை மணமகள் தாயுடன் ஓட்டம்: குஜராத்தில் நடந்த கூத்தால் மணமக்கள் அதிர்ச்சி

Added : ஜன 21, 2020 22:16

சூரத்: குஜராத்தில், ஓர் இளம் ஜோடிக்கு திருமணம் நிச்சயிக்கப்பட்டிருந்த நிலையில், மணமகனின் தந்தைக்கும், மணமகளின் தாய்க்கும் திடீரென காதல் மலர்ந்ததால், இருவரும் வீட்டை விட்டு ஓடினர். இதனால், இளம் ஜோடியின் திருமணம் ரத்து செய்யப்பட்டு உள்ளது. காதல் கைகூடவில்லைகுஜராத்தின், சூரத் மாவட்டத்தை சேர்ந்தவர், ராஜேஷ், 48. தொழில் அதிபரான இவரது மகனுக்கு, அதே மாவட்டத்தை சேர்ந்த ஒரு இளம் பெண்ணுடன், சமீபத்தில் திருமணம் நிச்சயிக்கப்பட்டது. இவர்களுக்கு, அடுத்த மாதம் இரண்டாவது வாரத்தில், சூரத்தில் திருமணம் முடிக்க ஏற்பாடு செய்யப்பட்டிருந்தது.இந்நிலையில், ராஜேஷை, கடந்த ஒரு வாரத்துக்கு மேலாக காணவில்லை. இது குறித்து, அவரது உறவினர்கள் போலீசில் புகார் அளித்தனர். அப்போது தான், மணமகளின் தாய் ஸ்வாதியையும், ஒரு வாரமாக காணவில்லை என்ற தகவல் தெரியவந்தது. இது குறித்து விசாரணை நடத்திய போலீசார் கூறியதாவது:ராஜேஷ், ஸ்வாதி ஆகியோர், இளம் வயதில், அருகருகே உள்ள வீடுகளில் வசித்துள்ளனர். இருவரது குடும்பத்துக்கும் நல்ல பழக்கம் இருந்திருக்கிறது.

அப்போது, இருவரும் ஒருவரை ஒருவர் காதலித்துள்ளனர். கால சுழற்சியில், அவர்களது காதல் கைகூடவில்லை. மீண்டும் மலர்ந்ததுஇருவரும், வேறு வேறு நபர்களை திருமணம் முடித்தனர். இந்த நிலையில் தான், நண்பர்கள் மூலமாக, அவர்களது பிள்ளைகளுக்கு திருமணம் முடிக்க ஏற்பாடு நடந்தது. இதற்கிடையே, ராஜேஷ் - ஸ்வாதி இடையே, இளமைக்காதல் மீண்டும் மலர்ந்தது. இதையடுத்து, இருவரும் வீடுகளை விட்டு வெளியேறி, தலைமறை வாகி விட்டனர். பெற்றோரின் திடீர் காதலால், இளம் ஜோடியினர் அதிர்ச்சி அடைந்துள்ளனர். அவர்களது திருமணமும் ரத்து செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. இவ்வாறு, அவர்கள் கூறினர்.

புத்தக கண்காட்சி கோலாகல நிறைவு; ரூ.20 கோடிக்கு புத்தகங்கள் விற்பனை

Added : ஜன 22, 2020 02:17

சென்னை : தமிழர்கள் வாழும் நாடுகளில் எல்லாம், புத்தக கண்காட்சி நடத்த, 'பபாசி' நிர்வாகத்திற்கு, துணை முதல்வர் பன்னீர்செல்வம், 5 லட்சம் ரூபாய் வழங்கினார்.

சென்னை, நந்தனம், ஒய்.எம்.சி.ஏ., அரங்கில், சென்னை புத்தக கண்காட்சி, கடந்த, 9ம் தேதி துவங்கி, நேற்று நிறைவடைந்தது.நிறைவு விழாவில், துணை முதல்வர் பன்னீர்செல்வம் பேசியதாவது:தமிழர்கள், கல்வெட்டுகளிலும், பனை ஓலைகளிலும், அதன் தொடர்ச்சியாக ஏடுகளிலும், தமிழை எழுதி வளர்த்தனர். தமிழர்கள், படிப்பதிலும், எழுதுவதிலும் எப்போதுமே சிறப்புடன் இருந்துள்ளனர்.

புதிய எழுத்தாளர்கள்,நாட்டின் பழமை, வரலாறு, சமூக நீதி, நாட்டு பற்று உள்ளிட்டவற்றை வளர்க்கும் வகையில் எழுத வேண்டும். தங்களின் எழுத்துகளுக்கு வரவேற்பு கிடைக்காவிட்டாலும், தொடர்ந்து முயற்சித்து, சமூகத்தை முன்னேற்ற வேண்டும். தென்னிந்திய புத்தக விற்பனையாளர் மற்றும் பதிப்பாளர் சங்கமான, 'பபாசி' அமைப்பில், தொடர்ந்து நுால்களை பதிப்பித்து வரும், அனைவரையும் பாராட்டுகிறேன். பதிப்பு பணி, தொழில் அல்ல; சமூக பணி. 25 ஆண்டுகள், தொடர்ந்து பதிப்பு துறையில் உள்ளவர்களுக்கு, விருது வழங்குவதில், பெருமை அடைகிறேன்.

சென்னையில், புத்தக கண்காட்சி நடத்த, ஒவ்வொரு ஆண்டும், 75 லட்சம் ரூபாய் வழங்குவதாக, முதல்வர் அறிவித்தார். தமிழர்கள் வாழும் நாடுகளில் எல்லாம், புத்தக கண்காட்சி நடத்தும் வகையில், பபாசி நிர்வாகத்தினர், மூலதன நிதியை உருவாக்க வேண்டும். அதற்கு ஆதாரமாக, 5 லட்சம் ரூபாய் நிதியை வழங்குகிறேன். இந்த சிறு தொகை, முதல் ஆதாரம் தான்; தொடர்ந்து வழங்குவேன்.இவ்வாறு, அவர் பேசினார்.

புத்தக கண்காட்சி குறித்து, 'பபாசி' நிர்வாகத்தினர் கூறுகையில், '13 நாட்கள் நடந்த புத்தக கண்காட்சிக்கு, 13 லட்சத்துக்கும் மேற்பட்டோர் வந்தனர். 800 புத்தக அரங்குகளில், 20 கோடி ரூபாய் மதிப்பிலான புத்தகங்கள் விற்பனையாகின. இவை, கடந்தாண்டை விட, 20 சதவீதம் அதிகம்' என்றனர்.

'நீட்' பயிற்சியை கைவிட அரசு தீவிர ஆலோசனை

Updated : ஜன 22, 2020 00:34 | Added : ஜன 21, 2020 23:44 |

சென்னை, 'நீட்' தேர்வை எதிர்த்து வழக்கு தொடரப்பட்டு உள்ளதால் இந்த தேர்வுக்கான பயிற்சியை கைவிடுவது குறித்து பள்ளி கல்வித்துறை அதிகாரிகள் ஆலோசனை நடத்தி வருகின்றனர்.

எம்.பி.பி.எஸ். மற்றும் பி.டி.எஸ். படிப்புகளில் சேர பிளஸ் 2 முடித்த மாணவர்கள் மற்றும் அறிவியல் பிரிவில் இளநிலை படிப்பு முடித்தவர்கள் நீட் நுழைவு தேர்வில் தேர்ச்சி பெற வேண்டும்.தமிழகத்தில் அரசு பள்ளி மாணவர்கள் நீட் தேர்வில் குறைந்த மதிப்பெண்களுடன் மட்டுமே தேர்ச்சி பெறுகின்றனர். அதனால் அவர்களால் தரவரிசை பட்டியலில் முன்னிலைக்கு
வந்து மருத்துவ படிப்பில் சேர முடியவில்லை.

இந்நிலையை போக்கும் வகையில் அரசு பள்ளி மாணவர்களுக்கு இலவசமாக நீட் பயிற்சி அளிக்கும் திட்டம் இரண்டு ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன் துவங்கப்பட்டது. தனியார் மையங்கள் வாயிலாக இந்த பயிற்சிகள் வழங்கப்பட்டன. நடப்பு கல்வி ஆண்டில் பயிற்சி அளிக்கும் தேர்வு மையத்தை முடிவு செய்வதில் தாமதம் ஏற்பட்டது.

இதையடுத்து அரசு பள்ளி ஆசிரியர்களுக்கு நீட் தேர்வுக்கான கற்பித்தல் பயிற்சி அளிக்கப் பட்டது. அவர்கள் வழியாக நீட் சிறப்பு பயிற்சியை நடத்த பள்ளிக்கல்வித்துறை முடிவு செய்தது.இந்நிலையில் இந்திய மருத்துவ கவுன்சில் மற்றும் பல் மருத்துவ கவுன்சிலின் சார்பில் நீட் தேர்வை கட்டாயமாக்கி சட்ட திருத்தம் செய்யப்பட்டது.

இதையும் நீட் தேர்வையும் எதிர்த்து இரண்டு வாரங்களுக்கு முன் உச்சநீதிமன்றத்தில் தமிழக அரசு புதிதாக வழக்கு தொடர்ந்துள்ளது.தற்போது நீட் தேர்வுக்கு எதிரான நிலைப்பாட்டில் தமிழக அரசு வழக்கு தொடர்ந்து இருப்பதால் அரசின் சார்பில் தேர்வுக்கான பயிற்சி வழங்கப்பட்டால் அது கொள்கை முரண்பாடாக இருக்கும் என பள்ளி கல்வித்துறைக்கு சட்ட வல்லுனர்கள் ஆலோசனை தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.

இதையடுத்து நீட் பயிற்சியை நடத்தாமல் கைவிடுவது தொடர்பாக தமிழக பள்ளி கல்வித்துறை ஆலோசனை நடத்தி வருவதாக தகவல்கள் வெளியாகியுள்ளன.

ரூ.1,000 லஞ்சம் கொடுக்காததால் குழந்தைகளின் வயது 102, 104

Updated : ஜன 22, 2020 04:48 | Added : ஜன 22, 2020 04:46

பரேலி : உத்தர பிரதேசத்தில், 1000 ரூபாய் லஞ்சம் கொடுக்காததால், ஆத்திரம்அடைந்த, வி.ஏ.ஓ., வழங்கிய பிறப்பு சான்றிதழ்களில், இரண்டு குழந்தை களின் தற்போதைய வயது, 102 மற்றும் 104 ஆக குறிப்பிடப்பட்டிருந்தது. இதைக் கண்டு, பெற்றோர் அதிர்ச்சி அடைந்துள்ளனர்.

உத்தர பிரதேசத்தில், முதல்வர் யோகி ஆதித்யநாத் தலைமையில், பா.ஜ., ஆட்சி நடக்கிறது. இங்கே, பரேலி மாவட்டம் பேலா கிராமத்தை சேர்ந்த பவன் குமார், தன் மகன்கள், சுப், 4,சங்கெட், 2, இருவருக்கும் பிறப்பு சான்றிதழ் கேட்டு, இரு மாதங்களுக்கு முன், இணையத்தில் விண்ணப்பித்தார். இருவருக்கும் பிறப்பு சான்றிதழ் வழங்க, வி.ஏ.ஓ., சுஷில் சந்த் அக்னிஹோத்ரி, கிராமத் தலைவர் பிரவீன் மிஸ்ரா ஆகியோர், பவன்குமாரிடம், 1000 ரூபாய் லஞ்சம் கேட்டுள்ளனர். லஞ்சம் கொடுக்க பவன்குமார் மறுத்துள்ளார். இதனால், ஆத்திரம் அடைந்த, வி.ஏ.ஓ.,வும் கிராம தலைவரும், குழந்தைகளின் பிறந்த வருடத்தை, தங்கள் விருப்பத்திற்கு மாற்றம் செய்து, பிறப்பு சான்றிதழ் அளித்து உள்ளனர்.

அவர்கள் அளித்துள்ள சான்றிதழில், ஜூன், 13, 2016 என்ற, சுப்பின் பிறந்த தேதி, ஜன., 6, 1918 என்றும், ஜன., 6, 2018 என்ற, சங்கெட்டின் பிறந்த தேதி, ஜூன், 13, 1916 என்றும் குறிப்பிடப்பட்டுஉள்ளது. அவர்கள் வழங்கிய பிறப்பு சான்றிதழ்களின் அடிப்படையில், குழந்தைகளின் தற்போதைய வயது, 104 மற்றும் 102 ஆகிறது. இதனால் அதிர்ச்சி அடைந்த பவன் குமார்,நீதிமன்றத்தில் வழக்கு தொடுத்தார். முடிவில், கோர்ட் உத்தரவின் கீழ், வி.ஏ.ஓ., மற்றும் கிராம தலைவர் மீது, போலீசார் வழக்கு பதிவு செய்துள்ளனர்.

For this Tiruchy govt school headmaster, discipline is a walk of life

It was about to be break time at the Government Higher Secondary school in Papanasam. There were some papers and leaves lying on the ground.

Published: 22nd January 2020 05:39 AM |

Students cleaning their school premises at Papanasam on the motivation of their headmaster | Express

By Sowmya Mani

Express News Service

TIRUCHY: It was about to be break time at the Government Higher Secondary school in Papanasam. There were some papers and leaves lying on the ground. As soon as the bell rang for lunch, the boys stepped out of their classes and started picking up the garbage and throwing it in the dustbin, leaving the ground spick and span.

The man behind the routine is V Maniarasan, headmaster of the all boys school, which has 522 students from class 6-12. Maniarasan, who came to this school 2.5 years back, believes that cleanliness begins at home. “If we teach our students to keep their school clean, they will learn a life lesson. By taking ownership of their surroundings, they learn leadership qualities,” said Maniarasan.

The school was recognised as one of the cleanest schools in the State by the government. Maniarasan was presented with a ‘Gnanachooda Award’. At the morning assembly, the students are taught about cleanliness. The headmaster has also coined the slogan ‘Your cleanliness, your duty’ for his students. 

The teachers said that besides cleanliness, the school has improved on other fronts as well in the past 2.5 years.

“From infrastructure to attendance and to the results, the school has really improved. I have been teaching here for more than 10 years and I see real change now. He has instilled the idea of cleanliness in every child. Drop out rates have reduced and the attendance has improved,” said K Vijayalakshmi, a teacher at the school.

In his latest endeavour, the headmaster got funds from the ONGC worth `6 lakh. He utilised the money to build a 4,000-litre capacity water tank. The school already had a borewell and with the tank, all water requirements of the students and teachers would be sufficiently met.

“The headmaster has got all infrastructure requirements covered. With new benches, new paint and new walls, it is an absolute 360-degree improvement. He even painted the school at his own expense,” added Vijayalakshmi.

The attendance of students has gone up from 70% to 95% in 2 years. Drop outs, which used to be 10% of the students, has come down to 1 or 2 students in the current year. “When I came here, I started visiting the student’s house if he didn’t come to school for 2 days. We also arrange parent teacher meetings every month. This has greatly improved the attendance,” said Maniarasan.

For the headmaster, this school is even more special as it is the same school that he studied in. He wants to make it one of the best schools in the country. “We will now focus on results. Everything will fall in line if they are disciplined. We are working on it, one step at a time,” said Maniarasan.

Here is the list of areas in Chennai facing power shutdown on January 23
Here are the areas where power suppy will be suspended from 9 am to 5 pm on January 23.

Published: 21st January 2020 11:53 PM 

Image for representational purposes (Express Illustration)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: In view of maintenance works, power supply will be suspended from 9 am to 5 pm on January 23 in the following areas.

Nolambur: NNS, HIG, MIG, Chinna Nolambur, Adayalampet, Kongu Nagar, Mogappair West Block 1 to 8, Rajan Kuppam, Panneer Nagar, Mohanram Nagar, Jaswanth Nagar, Reddy Palayam area AIBEA Nagar, Vellalar St, Eri Scheme, Gangai Amman Nagar, Ponniamman Nagar, Keel Ayanambakkam.

Besant Nagar: Kakkan colony, Lotus colony, 1 st avenue, 3rd avenue part, 16th cross st, Food World, 29th and 30th cross sts, Tiger Varathachari Road, 1st main road, 6th to 15 th cross sts, 7th avenue.

Manjambakkam: North Telephone Colony, Ramana Nagar, Kamban Nagar, MMC, AVM Nagar, JJ Nagar, Perumal Koil St, Venkateswara Nagar, Mandaveli 1st to 7th st., Eswari nagar, Telugu Colony, Chelliyamman Koil st, VGK Nagar, ACC Nagar 5th to 10th sts, Thirumurgan Nagar.

Mangadu: Full areas of Mangadu town panchayat , Rangunathapuram, Kollumanivakkam , Sivanthangal, Chikkarayapuram and Pattur, Bathirimedu, Then Colony, Srinivasa nagar, Nellithoppu, Mahalakshimi Nagar, Chakra Nagar, Sadhik Nagar, Sakthi Nagar, KK Nagar, Melma Nagar.

Avadi Kamaraj Nagar: Lazar Nagar, Kumaran Nagar, Barathi Nagar, Ram Nagar, Periyar Nagar, Kamaraj Nagar 4th , 6th & 9th sts, Salavaiyalar Colony.

Madhavaram: KKR Nagar, Ambedkar Nagar, Kannabiran Koil st, Thiruvalluvar st, Micetic Colony, Sathiya Raj Nagar, RC Queens Appartment, Jambuli Colony, KKR Estate, Kalkatta shop.

Multi-modal complex at Broadway soon?

According to the report, UG floor and lower ground (LG) floor will be allotted for parking buses.

Published: 22nd January 2020 06:16 AM |

By KV Navya

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Broadway may soon house a 21-floor multi-modal facility complex, that will have 97 bus bays, and parking space for 1,904 cars and 1,820 two-wheelers, to be constructed at a cost of `900 crore, according to the feasibility report submitted by Greater Chennai Corporation to State Government. The first-of-its-kind facility will spread across 9.98 lakh sq feet. It will act as an interchange hub for intra-city buses, Metro Rail, MRTS and para-transit modes of transportation in Public- Private Partnership mode. It will also have a commercial space of more than 90,000 sq m.

“The proposed facility will be integrated on upper-ground (UG) floor level with Metro Rail and people who come to Broadway bus terminus or High Court Metro station can park their vehicles here. With over 40 lakh two-wheelers and more than eight lakh cars in the city, parking issue is getting worse by the day and this is a move to address that,” a corporation official said. Currently, Metropolitan Transport Corporation operates more than 650 services on 70 routes to several parts of the city from Broadway.

According to the report, UG floor and lower ground (LG) floor will be allotted for parking buses. While 53 buses can be parked in LG 44 can be parked in UG. Parking for two-wheelers and four- wheelers will be in the basement and rest of 21 floors will be ultilised for commercial purpose, which is the main mode of revenue. The revenue share from bus operation is only around one per cent. For four wheelers, the parking fee may be fixed at `50 for the first hour and `15 for every additional hour. Similarly, for two-wheelers, it is `20 for the first hour and `10 for every additional hour. City corporation has also proposed three other options with seven floors each.

According to the proposal, the number of bus bays will be anywhere between 80 and 120, parking space for about 1,800 four-wheelers and more than 2,500 two-wheelers.A few years ago, the civic body had planned to build a multi-level car parking at Broadway, but dropped the plan owing to underground Metro Rail works.“Once the government approves the plan, we will call for tenders and works will begin, soon after that,” the official said.

Apollo hospitals group launches ‘health EMI card’

The Apollo Hospitals Group has launched ‘Health EMI card’ in association with Bajaj Finance Limited.

Published: 22nd January 2020 06:16 AM |

Apollo Health EMI Card launched in the city on Tuesday | p jawahar

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Apollo Hospitals Group has launched ‘Health EMI card’ in association with Bajaj Finance Limited. According to a release, “Users of this card will be able to convert medical expenditure into easy no cost equated monthly installments (EMIs) that can be repaid over a period of 12 months. The card also offers easy EMI financing and quick loan processing with minimal paperwork.”

Patients who do not have health insurance or whose insurance limit is lower than the treatment cost can also avail themselves of the card benefits. The card will be accepted across the entire Apollo Hospitals network.

Special counters have been set up across all Apollo Hospitals where patients and their families can sign up for the card by submitting KYC documents as per RBI guidelines, such as PAN card, Aadhaar card, cancelled chequie and duly signed ECS mandate, the release said.

The emerging face of employment

The gig economy is nascent in India, but growing at a steady pace; and the time may just be right for professionals to prepare themselves for it

22/01/2020, LIFFY THOMAS

The gig economy is sometimes reduced to convenient terms — “project-based work” or “freelance employment” come up often in discussions about it. These terms are however too narrow in focus to do the concept any justice.

Gig economy suggests a paradigm shift in how organisations and their teams work.

Born in the cradle of technology, flexibility is its key defining feature, as it allows employers the option of cobbling together a distributed time-bound team, with the best talent from different parts of the world. For the employee, there is the advantage of moving quickly new pastures.

How developed is the gig economy in India?

Though nascent in India, it is growing at a steady pace. The Global Gig Economy Index report — drawn from a sample of three lakh freelancers, service providers and outsourcing professionals in the Payoneer network — has ranked India among the top 10 countries.

The report says there has been an increase in freelancers in India from 11% in the third quarter of 2018 to 52% in the second quarter of 2019, thanks to various initiatives including Startup India and Skill India.

Freelancing is said to be effective in improving the rate of participation from women in India’s labour-force.

From a talent-acquisition point of view, gig workers supplement skills provided by the existing workforce, reduce hiring costs and can be a viable solution in filling temporary vacancies in teams.

On the disadvantages side, though the gig economy has been growing in India, it is largely unregulated, which means there are no rules on how much a worker should be paid, how many hours they can work every day, on an average; and the social benefits they are entitled to.

Who can regulate the gig economy?

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has been working on a Social Security Code code to ensure labour benefits for gig-economy workers.

“Currently, these workers are not covered under health, ESI, PF or any other scheme as gig economy is not yet defined as a way of life,” says Neeti Sharma, senior vice-president, TeamLease Services, a staffing company that provides human resource services to various industries.

Regulation will help all stakeholders.

“Regulation will ensure fairness as well as accountability,” says Neeti, adding that when it is formalised, gig economy will draw more professionals.

How does one operate in the gig economy?

Networking is essential to getting good assignments. It is important to get the terms of the agreement right before signing up for a project. Freelancers should read through the agreement carefully, and look for clauses about payment timeliness, the time period and deliverables. A recent research by Flexing It, a platform for ‘on demand’ business consultants, says that some of the best practices followed by companies to develop a strong “Freelancer Value Proposition” include creating a technology-based solution, either internally or in partnership with a leading platform, to gain access to a trusted talent pool; and having a dedicated HR resource team to manage external talent; and having an on-boarding structure. With regard to compensation, the research says, more than 25-30% premium is paid as compensation. Some forward-looking companies also offer some benefits to gig workers.

Calls for V-C’s removal now unreasonable: HRD Minister
22/01/2020, PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Calls for the removal of JNU Vice-Chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar are now unreasonable as the basic demand of students on hostel fee hike has been met, said Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’.

The situation in the university is turning normal and students who want to study should not be disturbed, the Minister said.

Last year in October, JNU administration announced a hike in hostel fee, including introduction of service and utility charges. Following this, students took to streets demanding a roll back, prompting the HRD Ministry to form a panel to mediate between the agitating students and the administration.

“The basic demand of students about the hostel fee hike has been met. The calls for JNU V-C’s removal now are unreasonable,” Mr. Pokhriyal said.

8 tourists from Kerala found dead in Nepal hotel room

They are believed to have died of asphyxiation from 

malfunctioning gas heater

22/01/2020, STAFF REPORTER,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Tragic holiday: Hospital staff shifting the bodies of tourists into an ambulance at Kathmandu on Tuesday. At right, Praveen Krishnan Nair and his family who were among the victims.AP

A holiday in Nepal turned tragic for a group of friends from Kerala and their families, as eight of them, including four children, were found dead, presumably due to asphyxiation caused by a malfunctioning gas heater in their hotel room.

The deceased have been identified as Praveen Krishnan Nair, 39, his wife Saranya, 34, their children Sreebhadra, 9, Aarcha, 8, and Abhinav, 7, Renjith Kumar, 39, his wife Indu, 34, and son Vaishnav, 2.

They were part of a group of 15 members belonging to four families who had travelled to Nepal last week.

They were staying at a hotel in Daman, located in Makwanpur district, on their way back from Pokhara to catch a flight back to India. They checked in at the hotel on Monday night. Two of the families shared one room, while the others stayed in the second room. Gas heaters were switched on due to the cold weather. The room was bolted from inside and there was hardly any ventilation.

On Tuesday morning, all the eight in the first room were found unconscious. They were airlifted to the HAMS hospital in Kathmandu, where they were pronounced dead on arrival. The deaths are presumed to have been due to carbon monoxide poisoning, caused by a gas leak in the heater.

According to Kannan, Praveen’s cousin, the trip was a sort of get-together for four college friends and their families. Praveen, Renjith Kumar, Jayakrishnan and Ramkumar were batchmates at the Sree Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering, Pappanamcode, from where they passed out in 2004.

Praveen, hailing from Chenkottukonam on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram city, was working at a private firm in Dubai. Saranya, his wife, had shifted back to Ernakulam a few years back to complete her M.Pharm, which she would have done in March.

Renjith Kumar, hailing from Kunnamangalam in Kozhikode district, was running an IT company, while his wife Indu was working at a co-operative bank. Their son Madhav, who was sleeping in the other room, survived.

After post-mortem, the bodies are expected to be brought here by Wednesday.

‘Rajini must watch what he says about Periyar’

Actor’s comment draws flak, support

22/01/2020, STAFF REPORTER,CHENNAI

With actor Rajinikanth standing firm on his comment on Periyar, it has attracted criticism and support from different quarters. DMK president M.K. Stalin on Tuesday said that the actor must watch what he speaks about Tamil leaders. “Rajinikanth is not a politician. He is just an actor. Thanthai Periyar fought for the Tamil people for 95 years. Rajinikanth should be mindful of what he says about him,” said M.K. Stalin.

Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar said that comments against leaders who are not alive should not be allowed in the society. “I condemn his statement. Rajinikanth shouldn’t rake up old issues and create controversies,” he said. Dravidar Kazhagam president K. Veeramani said that Rajinikanth has said something that was ‘false’. “In his eagerness to praise Thuglak editor Cho, Rajinikanth has spoken about something that Cho didn’t write about in Thuglak and Thuglak didn’t publish. Who is making him speak like this?” asked K. Veeramani.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi Chief Thirumavalavan on Tuesday urged Rajinikanth to fully know the facts before speaking about Periyar. “What Rajinikanth spoke about Periyar was false. This is why we asked him to apologise. We are not forcing him to do it. We hoped that he would apologise. We hope that once he realises that he was wrong, he would come forward to apologise,” said Mr. Thirumavalavan. He said that Rajinikanth has fallen into the trap of Sangh Parivar forces.

Thuglak’s editor and a close associate of Rajinikanth, S. Gurumurthy, on Tuesday posted on social media that the actor’s comments are a reflection of his ‘Spiritual Politics’. BJP MP Subramanian Swamy said that he was on the side of Rajinikanth on this issue.