Court witnesses verbal duel between two investigating officers in CBI bribery case

Aamir.khan2@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:29.02.2020

A war of words broke out in a special CBI court on Friday between two investigating officers (IO) in the bribery case in which former CBI director Rakesh Asthana was given a clean chit recently. While former IO A K Bassi, appearing after a direction, accused current IO Satish Dagar of shielding “big names” despite clinching evidence, Dagar retorted saying Bassi was acting on a “presumption” and never showed up when asked to assist in the probe on multiple occasions.

Appearing before special CBI judge Sanjeev Aggarwal, Dagar accused Bassi of making “personal allegations”. The judge, after hearing both men, intervened and remarked, “Don’t wash your dirty linen in public.” He also said that both officials would be called in future, if required, but not together.

CBI had recently filed a chargesheet concluding that there was no connection between Asthana and the alleged middleman Manoj Prasad, and no evidence to prove that the former CBI director ever demanded or received a bribe to save Hyderabad-based businessman Satish Babu Sana in amoney laundering case related to meat exporter Moin Qureshi.

During the proceedings, however, the court inquired about the status of investigation in the Moin Qureshi case. “Two guardian angels of CBI are involved in the case... How much time will you take to investigate the Moin Qureshi case where the two guardian angels, the two bosses, are involved? That case is Bhagirathi (sic),” the court remarked.

Earlier, Bassi claimed that on the day he handed over the charge of the bribery case, he was accused of filing a false FIR against Asthana. “The clinching evidence present in phone of Rakesh Asthana was never seized. From day one, he (Dagar) is working to give clean chit to Rakesh Asthana… There are WhatsApp messages.”

The former IO also claimed that nothing was asked about the messages lying in Prasad’s mobile phone. “When Sunil Mittal (Prasad’s father-in-law) was examined, he was under the influence of alcohol as per the CFSL report,” he added.

Mittal and Prasad’s brother Someshwar Srivastava are also involved in the case.

Following Bassi’s statements, Dagar responded: “And how does he know about all this? We would definitely like to know. How is he infiltrating the investigation?”

When Bassi said the details were in the newspapers, Dagar countered by saying “it never came out in newspapers”.

Full report on www.toi.in

Fourth Nirbhaya convict files curative plea in apex court
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

29.02.2020

New Delhi: Pawan Kumar Gupta  , one of the four death row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape-cum-murder case, filed a curative plea in the Supreme Court on Friday seeking commutation of his capital punishment to life imprisonment.

Gupta is the only among the four not have exhausted his legal remedies. After the curative plea, he is also entitled to file mercy plea to the President. The apex court had rejected curative pleas of the three other convicts.

The trial court on February 17 issued fresh date for execution of death warrants for March 3 at 6 am for the four convicts -- Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar (31).

The mercy petitions of three convicts -- Mukesh, Vinay and Akshay -- have already been dismissed by the President. The apex court had also dismissed separate pleas filed by Mukesh and Vinay challenging the rejection of their mercy petitions by the President. Akshay has not yet challenged the rejection of his mercy petition.

Dismissing the plea of Mukesh and Vinay against rejection of their mercy plea, the apex court had said that there was no illegality in the decision of the President in rejecting their plea and dismissed their contention that the President was not supplied with all the relevant documents pertaining to the case and that their mercy plea was decided with a ‘pre-determined mind’ and without application of mind.

Man gets death sentence in 2016 triple murder case

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Tenkasi:29.02.2020

A 36-year-old man, who was found guilty of committing a triple murder in 2016, has been awarded death sentence by the Tenkasi additional district court on Friday.

The accused, N Muthuraj alias Andavar of Nettur village near Alangulam in Tenkasi district murdered M Pechithaye, 48, her daughter M Mari, 19, and Pechithaye’s father, Govindasamy, 75, on February 16, 2016.

Additional public prosecutor (APP) S Ramachandran told TOI that Muthuraj, a rowdy element had many cases registered against him. He was in jail in connection with another case and was released only about a week before he committed the brutal murders.

According to him, on February 12, 2016, Muthuraj tried to misbehave with the 21-year-old eldest daughter of Pechithaye. The latter lodged a complaint with the Alangulam DSP. On February 16, at around 3.45pm, when Pechithaye and a few other women who are fellow workers under the Mahatma Gandhi national rural employment guarantee scheme, were returning home on the Thenvadal main road, Muthuraj picked up a quarrel with her for lodging the police complaint.

He then attacked her with a machete resulting in her death. “He also attacked Pechithaye’s younger daughter Mari when she tried to protect her mother. Not content, he went to the village and murdered Govindasamy, who was grazing his cattle, by attacking him multiple times with the machete,” Ramachandran said.

The Alangulam police registered a case under sections 302 (punishment for murder), 341(punishment for wrongful restraint) and 506(ii) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and the case was tried before the Tenkasi additional district court. “Though there were many eyewitnesses, some women turned hostile as the accused threatened them in the court,” Ramachandran said.

However, Pechithaye’s brother Murugan, 25, and his friend Govindasamy testified against Muthuraj.

Salem medical college fined over waste disposal

Shanmughasundaram.J@timesgroup.com

Chennai:29.02.2020

The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has slapped a penalty of ₹1crore on a Salem-based medical college for improper disposal of biomedical waste, and filed a case against another medical college for a similar offence.

The board, in an action taken report, said it had also issued show-cause notices to six educational instituions in the district that had not obtained the mandatory clearances from the TNPCB.

The report was filed before the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal, which had sought it after hearing a petition from Environment Protection and Anti-Pollution Group Trust. The trust had alleged that the two medical colleges were discharging effluents in open drains and not disposing biomedical waste as per norms.

The TNPCB ordered eightyear-old Annapoorna Medical College and Hospital to remit Rs1 crore as performance guarantee and carry out corrective measures within the stipulated period. The TNPCB had directed it in June last year to obtain the necessary approvals within a month. Later, it extended the period for another three months. The hospital shall operate and maintain the effluent treatment plant and sewage treatment plant as per the TNPCB’s prescribed standard, maintain a log book for the operation and maintenance of the treatment plants and disposal of biomedical waste.

TNPCB joint chief environment engineer G Gopalakrishnan said in the report that Kirupananda Variyar Medical College and Hospital, which has 630 beds and generates 300 kilolitres a day of sewage and 5 kilolitres a day of trade effluent, has been functioning without obtaining approval from the pollution control board. It neither obtained authorization under the Biowaste Management Rules, 2016, nor got consent under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1984, and The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. A case is pending in the local judicial magistrate court.

Dean of Annapoorna Medical College and Hospital Dr Shanmugam said that they had moved court to reduce the penalty. Chief of Kirupananda Variyar Medical College Dr Prakasam said they had taken corrective measures and submitted all reports to the TNPCB.

(With input from Senthil Kumaran – Salem)

Former professor booked for making obscene remarks on social media
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Puducherry:29.02.2020

The CB-CID police have booked a retired Pondicherry University professor for posting obscene remarks on a social media site about the chairwoman of the district-level complaints committee (DLCC) probing sexual harassment at workplace. DLCC chairwoman Vidyaa Ramkumar noticed the obscene remarks on Facebook and lodged a complaint with the cybercrime cell of the CB-CID.

The agency booked Pondicherry University retired Tamil professor S Arokianathan under Section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 67 (punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act.

In her complaint, Vidyaa said she was shocked to find derogatory remarks about her posted by the retired professor on Facebook. She said the contents of the post outraged the modesty of a woman. The remarks are sexually coloured, she said urging the CB-CID to initiate appropriate action against him.

TNPSC scam: Govt gives nod to prosecute tainted staff

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:29.02.2020

The Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) on Friday informed the Madras high court that the state government has given sanction to prosecute government servants who are suspects in the Group-I services exam scam.

Counsel for TNPSC made the submission before a division bench of Justice R Subbiah and Justice R Pongiappan on a plea moved by Swapna, a transsexual candidate, alleging irregularities in the recruitment in 2015. The DMK has moved another plea seeking CBI probe into the allegations.

Recording the same, the bench directed the authorities to file their response to the plea moved by the DMK and adjourned the hearing.

Representing the DMK, senior counsel P Wilson said the scam was orchestrated by those in the highest level of the TNPSC in recruitment to 2016-17 Group-I services. The investigation officer was changed three times due to the pressure exerted by high level ministers, he added. Further, jurisdiction of state police over the TNPSC is questionable, he said, pressing for a CBI probe.

CAN ADMIT PATIENTS UNDER CMCHISTN

Hospital that admitted to bribing back on govt panel

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:29.02.2020

The state health department has brought back Gleneagles Global Hospitals into the list of empanelled hospitals under the state health insurance scheme, three months after it suspended the hospital citing “moral hazard” and “publicinterest”. The temporary suspension was following reports that it offered money to ambulance drivers and paramedics for bringing patients to its facility.

Incidentally, an inquiry committee appointed by the state health department in its report said that the hospital admitted to paying money to some drivers and paramedics. The letters to Directorate of Medical Services recommending action under the Clinical Establishments Act andtostatetransplant authority, Transtan for “suspension of transplant licence” are still pending. But more than two weeks ago, the state revoked the “suspension”. “Action based on the inquiry is still pending action,” senior health department official said.

The officials in the health department refused to comment further, but a Global Hospital spokesman said one of the hospital employees was found paying money to get patients into the hospital.

“We have removed him from the company rolls. We told the government he does not work with us anymore. After the inquiry, we were allowed to treat patients covered by the state health insurance scheme,” he said.

In September, former employees of the hospital complained to the government that the hospital was offering money to ambulance drivers and paramedics to bring patients including road accident victims into their emergency room. They told TOI that cash they gave to drivers soon after the drop ranged between ₹700 and ₹5,000 and the hospital transfers a percentage of the total bill as commission after the patient is discharged, they said, showing ‘entries’ of ₹45,000 shown as being deposited into back accounts of some EMRI staff.

A fortnight later, GVKEmergency Management and Research Institute, an agency outsourced by the health department to run 108 ambulances, dismissed10 of its contract employees and placed nine other permanent employees on suspension after an internal inquiry against its drivers and paramedics.

Almost simultaneously, the health department ordered a detailed inquiry by a team of officials and suspended the hospital from empanelled list of hospitals for the chief minister’s comprehensive health insurance scheme of Tamil Nadu (CMCHISTN ).

Docs can’t strike work, says HC, but junks transfer order
Restore 135 City Docs To Original Position: Court

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:29.02.2020

Doctors don’t have the right to go on strike or boycott work under any circumstance, declared the Madras high court on Friday. “Between the demands of doctors and the lives of the patients, it is life that is more important than anything else,” the court said.

By using strike to resolve issues, doctors, like lawyers, forget the moral worth and dignity of patients and leave them in the lurch, unmindful of the humanitarian consequences of their actions, Justice N Anand Venkatesh said. Patients cannot be a means to an end. They cannot be mere playthings whose lives can be put on the line to achieve other ends through the medium of strikes, he said. “The nature of duty of a doctor is such that the non-availability of the doctor even for a single minute may cost a life,” he said.

The judge, however, quashed the government charge memo to 135 doctors who spearheaded the protest for about a week in October 2019 and cancelled their transfers from Chennai to other locations, and directed the state to restore them to their original positions in the next transfer counselling.

Protests can’t infringe rights of others: SC

After a few judges spoke on the cardinality of the right to dissent and protest peacefully, the Supreme Court on Friday ruled that one’s right to protest could not infringe upon the rights of others as it upheld the Uttarakhand high court verdict initiating stringent action against lawyers boycotting district court work for years, reports Dhananjay Mahapatra.

Uttarakhand lawyers had moved the SC claiming that the HC verdict violated their fundamental right to free speech to go on strike to protest against issues concerning them. They said it was a mode of peaceful representation to express grievances of the lawyer community. Rejecting the arguments, a bench of Justices Arun Mishra and M R Shah said, “Such a right to freedom of speech cannot be exercised at the cost of litigants and/or at the cost of the justice delivery system as a whole.” “To go on strike or boycott courts cannot be justified under the guise of right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution,” the SC bench said. Advocates in the districts of Dehradun, Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar have been boycotting court work on Saturdays for more than 35 years. P10

State govt tried to show its might with orders against doctors: Court

Chennai: “The action taken by the government by picking and choosing certain doctors and issuing them with the charge memos and transfer orders was not done to bring the situation under control but to warn them that anyone who spearhead such agitations will be dealt with iron hands,” the judge said.

The doctors had filed the present pleas challenging the transfer and charge memo. At least 18,000 governmentdoctorswereon strikefrom October 25, 2019 across the state pressing various demands, including wage hike. Subsequently, in view of an announcement made by the state on October 30, 2019, that no punitive actions would be initiated against them, the doctors withdrew the strike on November 1.

It is clear from the facts that the chief minister and health minister had requested the doctors to resume work with a promise that their demands will belookedinto.Immediately,the agitation wascalled off. As a model employer, the government ought to havefollowedup andcomeoutwithsolutionsfor the doctors’ demands.Insteadof resorting tosuch a positive step, the government decided to show its might against the office bearers, the court added.

“The charge memos and the transfer orders issued are clearly tainted with mala fides. If action had to be necessarily taken for the agitation/strike, then it should have been taken against all the doctors who participated in the same. However, the statehaschosen to goonly againsttheofficebearers and hasty transfer orders have been passed and charge memos have been issued,” Justice Anand Venkatesh said.

Before parting, the judge reminded doctors that the chances of going on a strike again is virtually ruled out and said the court makes a fervent request to the government to immediately address the issues/demands made by the doctors and find a solution.

Bhopal: AIIMS doctor held on molestation charge

TNN | Feb 26, 2020, 04.57 AM IST

BHOPAL: A senior resident doctor at AIIMS-Bhopal was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly molesting a medical student working as an intern there.

Anger over the incident swept through the campus and many medical students wrote about the alleged sexual misconduct of the doctor on their WhatsApp status.

According to the complaint, she and the accused went to the canteen for tea after their shifts ended at 3am on Monday. When they were waiting for a lift in the lobby, the doctor allegedly grabbed her hand, dragged her towards himself and molested her, investigation officer ASI Premchandra Dwivedi said.

She shouted in protest and relatives of some patients rushed to help her. At the same time, a senior woman doctor also arrived and the intern told her about the alleged molestation.

Then, she and two of her batchmates approached Bag Sewania police station and filed a complaint.

Policeregistered a molestation case against the accused, arrested him and produced him in court the same day. He was granted bail.

The woman has told police that the accused had been harassing her over phone for the past two days, but she ignored it.

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

Passenger asks vegetable biryani, Shatabdi Express delivers chicken
Various consumer courts have noted in its orders that serving non-vegetarian food to vegetarian passengers amounts to deficiency in service.

Published: 27th February 2020 10:45 AM |

By Karthik K K

Express News Service

MYSURU: A rail passenger was left shocked and hurt when he found meat in a vegetable biryani he ordered during his journey to Mysuru in Shatabdi Express.

Sumanth C V, a resident of Mysuru, who was on his way back to Mysuru from Bengaluru in the Shatabdi Express train on Tuesday was served chicken biryani instead of vegetable one which he had ordered.

"As soon as I realised I was served non-veg food, I raised objection and informed the official concerned in the coach. I was asked to lodge a written complaint on the issue. This is not at all an acceptable mistake! It's harassment and insult to the passenger and they have hurt our sentiments," said the 25-year-old.

Various consumer courts have noted in its orders that serving non-vegetarian food to vegetarian passengers amounts to deficiency in service.

Sumanth also brought the issue to the notice of senior railway official over phone call. "When the train reached Mysuru, a railway official sent by the DRM Mysuru spoke to me and gathered information on the issue. I really appreciate it but I will definitely lodge a complaint with the consumer court on this issue," he said.

This is not the first time such an incident was reported on the same train.

Last month, a passenger named Prashanth, had a similar experience in the same train but he ate the non-veg food given to him, as he was okay with having non-vegetarian.

Many have also raised complaints about the quality of food served and the deteriorating food service in the Shatabdi Express that commutes between Mysuru, Bengaluru and Chennai.

A twitter user @roysashwata2 tweeted, "@IRCTCofficial Sad to see the quality of service deteriorating by the day. Travelling now by 12007 Shatabdi from Bnglr to Mysuru. The meal served had a huge piece of stone in it. Pointed out to the staff also. Is this what we pay for? Disgusting!", (sic)

Another twitter user @srid1963 tweeted, "Very poor quality of food is being served on Shatabdi from Chennai to Mysuru today. It was never so bad on this train."

When TNIE contacted divisional railway manager of South Western Railway, Mysuru division, Aparna Garg said she was aware of the issue.

"IRCTC is handling the foodservice and I will speak to them and send a complaint on this," she said.

‘எந்நேரமும் வாட்ஸ் அப்லயே இருக்கா... இவளை என்னால் கல்யாணம் பண்ணிக்க முடியாது!’ தொடரும் வாட்ஸ் அப் விபரீதங்கள்!

By பரணி | Published on : 10th September 2018 01:44 PM |

உத்தரப் பிரதேசம் அமோராவைச் சேர்ந்த மணமகன் ஒருவர் திருமண நாளன்று தனக்காகக் காத்திருந்த மணமகளை, ‘ஐயே... அந்தப் பொண்ணு எந்நேரமும் வாட்ஸ் அப்லயே குடியிருக்கறா! என்னால அவளைக் கல்யாணம் பண்ணிக்க முடியாது’ என்று குற்றம் சாட்டி திருமணத்திற்காக திட்டமிடப்பட்டிருந்த இடத்திற்கே செல்லாமல் தவிர்த்து நடக்கவிருந்த திருமணத்தை நிறுத்திருக்கிறார். இது மணமகள் வீட்டாரை பெரும் அதிர்ச்சியில் ஆழ்த்தியிருக்கிறது.

உத்தரப் பிரதேசம் நெளகாகான் சதத் கிராமத்தைச் சார்ந்த மணப்பெண் தன் குடும்பத்தினர் மற்றும் சுற்றத்தினருடன் கடந்த புதன்கிழமை அன்று மணமகனுக்காக காத்திருந்த நேரத்தில் மணப்பெண்ணின் தகப்பனார் மணமகன் வீட்டாரை தொலைபேசியில் அழைத்து விவரம் கேட்டிருக்கிறார். அப்போது மணமகன் வீட்டார் ‘உங்கள் பெண் வாட்ஸ் அப்பில் அதிக நேரம் செலவிடுவது எங்களுக்குப் பிடிக்கவில்லை. அதனால் இந்தத் திருமணத்தை நிறுத்தி விட்டோம்’ என அறிவித்திருக்கிறார்கள். பெரும் பொருட்செலவில் தொடங்கப்பட்ட திருமண ஏற்பாடுகளை வெறும் அலைபேசி அழைப்பில் நிறுத்தி விட முடியுமா? என்று அதிர்ந்து போன மணமகள் வீட்டார்... மணமகன் வீட்டாரின் இந்த அவமதிப்பால் கொதித்தெழுந்து அவர்கள் மீது காவல்துறையில் திருமணம் நிறுத்தப்பட்டது தொடர்பாகப் புகார் அளித்தனர்.

மணப்பெண், வாட்ஸ் அப்பில் அதிக நேரம் செலவளிக்கிறார் என்பதெல்லாம் சும்மா! திருமணத்தை நிறுத்தியதின் உண்மையான நோக்கம் அவர்கள் அதிகப்படியாகக் கேட்ட 65 லட்ச ரூபாய் வரதட்சிணைப் பணத்தை பெண் வீட்டார் தரவில்லை என்பதே திருமணம் நிறுத்தப்பட்டதின் உண்மையான காரணம் என்று கூறி மணப்பெண்ணின் தகப்பனார் உரோஜ் மெஹந்தி மணமகன் வீட்டார் மீது குற்றம் சுமத்தியிருக்கிறார். அதையே காவல்துறையினரிடம் அவர் புகாராகவும் அளித்திருக்கிறார்.

ஃபகீபுராவைச் சேர்ந்த ஹுமார் ஹைதரின் மகனுக்குத் தன் பெண்ணை மணமுடித்துத் தருவதாக திருமணம் நிச்சயித்திருக்கிறார் மெஹந்தி. திருமண நாளன்று மணமகள் வீட்டார் மாப்பிள்ளை வீட்டாருக்காக காத்திருந்திருக்கின்றனர். அப்போது அவர்கள் வரத் தாமதம் ஆகிக் கொண்டே இருக்கவே விஷயம் அறிந்து கொள்ள மெஹந்தி தொலைபேசியில் அழைத்த போது தான்... மாப்பிள்ளை வீட்டார் தாங்கள் இத்திருமணத்தை நிறுத்தி விட்டதாக தெரிவித்துள்ளனர். அதையும் கூட அவர்களாகவே தெரிவிக்கவில்லை. தாமதத்தின் காரணமாக மணப்பெண்ணின் தந்தை அழைத்த பிறகு தான் திருமணத்தை நிறுத்திய விவகாரமே வெளியில் வந்திருக்கிறது.

காவல்துறை விசாரணையின் போது அதிகாரிகளின் கேள்விகளுக்குப் பதிலளித்த மணமகன் தரப்பினரோ, ‘ஆம் நாங்கள் தான் திருமணத்தைத் தடுத்து நிறுத்தினோம், காரணம் மணப்பெண் எந்நேரமும் வாட்ஸ் அப்பில் தான் குடியிருக்கிறார். எந்த அளவுக்கு என்றால் திருமணம் நெருங்கும் வேளையில் கூட அவர் மணமகனின் பெற்றோரான எங்களுக்கு வாட்ஸ் அப் செய்திகளை அனுப்பும் அளவுக்கு அதில் அடிமையாகிக் கிடக்கிறார். இந்தப் பழக்கம் எங்கள் குடும்பத்துக்கு ஒவ்வாதது. எனவே அந்த மணப்பெண் வேண்டாம். எனத் தாங்கள் கருதியதாகத் தெரிவித்துள்ளனர். திருமணம் தடுத்து நிறுத்தப்பட்டதன் உண்மையான காரணம் என்னவாக இருக்கக் கூடும்?! என தற்போது காவல்துறையினர் தீவிர விசாரணை நடத்தி வருகின்றனர்.

சமூக வலைதள வதந்தியால் பாதிப்பு கறிக்கோழி உற்பத்தியாளர் முறையீடு

Added : பிப் 27, 2020 00:26

பல்லடம் :சமூக வலைதள வதந்திகளால், கறிக்கோழி தொழில் பாதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளதாக, முதல்வர் இ.பி.எஸ்.,யிடம், அதன் உற்பத்தியாளர்கள் மனு அளித்தனர்.கோவை, திருப்பூர் மாவட்டங்களில், கறிக்கோழி உற்பத்தித் தொழில், பிரதானமானதாக உள்ளது. இங்கு, 3,000க்கும் மேற்பட்ட பண்ணைகள் உள்ளன. இவை மூலம், வாரந்தோறும், 10 லட்சம் கறிக்கோழிகள் உற்பத்தியாகின்றன.சீனாவை தாக்கி வரும், 'கொரோனா' வைரஸ், கறிக்கோழிகளைத் தாக்கியுள்ளதாக, சமூக வலைதளங்களில், தகவல் பரவி வருகிறது. இந்நிலையில், நேற்று முன்தினம், நாமக்கல் வந்த, முதல்வர் இ.பி.எஸ்.,யை, பல்லடம் கறிக்கோழி உற்பத்தியாளர் ஒருங்கிணைப்புக்குழு தலைவர் லட்சுமணன், செயலர் சுவாதி கண்ணன் ஆகியோர் சந்தித்து, மனு அளித்தனர்.மனுவில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளதாவது:கறிக்கோழி வளர்ப்பு மூலம், பல ஆயிரம் குடும்பங்கள் பயனடைந்து வருகின்றன. கறிக்கோழிகள், கொரோனா வைரஸ் தாக்குதலுக்கு ஆளாகியுள்ளதாக, எந்தவித ஆதாரமும் இன்றி, சமூக வலைத்தளங்களில் வதந்தி பரவி வருகின்றன. தவறான தகவல்களை பரப்புவோர் மீது, சட்டரீதியான நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும்.இவ்வாறு, அதில் கூறப்பட்டிருந்தது.மனுவை பெற்ற முதல்வர் இ.பி.எஸ்., ''இதுகுறித்து, உரிய நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும்,'' என, உறுதியளித்தார்.

துணை வேந்தர்களுக்கு தலைமை பண்பு பயிற்சி

Added : பிப் 26, 2020 22:36

சென்னை,:'பல்கலை துணைவேந்தர்களுக்கு, தலைமைப் பண்பு பயிற்சி வழங்கப்படும்' என, பல்கலை மானியக் குழுவான, யு.ஜி.சி., அறிவித்துள்ளது.நாட்டில் உள்ள உயர்கல்வி நிறுவனங்களில் கல்வித் தரத்தை உயர்த்தும் வகையில், மத்திய மனிதவள மேம்பாட்டு துறை பல்வேறு நடவடிக்கைகளை மேற்கொண்டுள்ளது.

இதன்படி, சிறந்த நிர்வாகம், உள் கட்டமைப்பு, கல்வித் தரம் உள்ள உயர்கல்வி நிறுவனங்களை தேர்வு செய்து, அவற்றுக்கு சீர்மிகு அந்தஸ்து வழங்கி வருகிறது. உயர்தர கல்வி நிறுவனங்களை வரிசைப்படுத்தி, தேசிய அளவிலான தரவரிசை பட்டியல் வெளியிட்டு வருகிறது. நாட்டில் உள்ள அரசு மற்றும் தனியார் பல்கலைகளின் நிர்வாகிகளுக்கு, தலைமை பண்பை வளர்க்கும் வகையில், சிறப்பு பயிற்சிக்கு ஏற்பாடு செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இங்கிலாந்து நாட்டின் பிரிட்டிஷ் கவுன்சில் உதவியுடன், இந்த பயிற்சி வழங்கப்பட உள்ளது.துணைவேந்தர்கள், பதிவாளர்கள், தேர்வு கட்டுப்பாட்டு அலுவலர்கள், நிர்வாக அதிகாரிகள் போன்றவர்களுக்கு, இந்த பயிற்சி தரப்பட உள்ளது.பயிற்சி பெற விரும்புவோர், யு.ஜி.சி.,க்கு விண்ணப்பிக்குமாறு, பல்கலைகளுக்கு, யு.ஜி.சி., தரப்பில் சுற்றறிக்கை அனுப்பப்பட்டுள்ளது.

சில்லரை நாணயங்களை பயன்படுத்த திருமலையில் புதிய திட்டம் அமல்

Added : பிப் 26, 2020 23:54

திருப்பதி :ஏழுமலையான் உண்டியலில் காணிக்கையாக செலுத்தப்படும் சில்லரை நாணயங்களை சரியான முறையில் பயன்படுத்த தேவஸ்தானம் புதிய திட்டத்தை அமல்படுத்தியுள்ளது.இது குறித்து, தேவஸ்தான கூடுதல் செயல் அதிகாரி தர்மாரெட்டி கூறியதாவது.'திருமலை ஏழுமலையான் உண்டியலில், பக்தர்கள் சமர்பிக்கும் காணிக்கைகளில் உள்ள நாணயங்களை பிரித்தெடுத்து, தனியே பராமரிக்கப்பட்டு வருகிறது.இவை எடையிலும், அளவிலும் பெரியதாக உள்ளதால், வங்கிகள் பெற்றுச் செல்ல மறுக்கின்றன.இவற்றை சரியான முறையில் பயன்படுத்த, தேவஸ்தானம் புதிய திட்டம் ஒன்றை அமல்படுத்த உள்ளது.அதன்படி, திருமலையில் உள்ள அனைத்து வங்கிகளிலும், 200 ரூபாய், 500 ரூபாய் மற்றும் 1000 ரூபாய் மதிப்புள்ள நாணய பாக்கெட்டுகள் இருக்கும்.வியாபாரிகள் இந்த சில்லரை பாக்கெட்டுகளை வாங்கி சென்று பயன்படுத்தி கொள்ளலாம். பக்தர்கள் கேட்கும் பட்சத்தில், இது ஏழுமலையான் உண்டியல் நாணயங்கள் எனக்கூறி, அவர்களுக்கும் தரலாம்.இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.

லாபம் யாருக்கு?

தேவஸ்தானம் மேற்கொண்ட இந்த முடிவால், சில்லரை நாணயங்கள் பயன்பாட்டிற்கு வருவது ஒருபுறமிருந்தாலும், இதை கடைகள் மூலம் அளிப்பதால், வியாபாரிகள் உண்டியல் நாணயங்களை அதிக விலைக்கு விற்க வாய்ப்புள்ளது.இதனால் வியாபாரிகளுக்கத்தான் லாபம். 'தரிசன டிக்கெட் முறைகேடு, லட்டு முறைகேடுகளை கட்டுபடுத்தி வரும் தேவஸ்தானம், காணிக்கை நாணயங்கள் மூலம், புதிய முறைகேட்டை அனுமதிக்கிறது' என, பக்தர்கள் கூறுகின்றனர். இதையும் வெளிப்படையாக கவுண்டர் ஏற்படுத்தி தேவஸ்தானமே அளித்தால், பக்தர்கள் பயன்பெறுவர்.

பிரியாணியை தவிர்ப்பது ஆரோக்கியம்!

பதிவு செய்த நாள் 26 பிப்  2020   00:00

சிறு தானியங்களில் செய்த உணவு, காய்கறிகள், தயிர், பால் என்று எளிமையான உணவுகளை, தினமும் வீட்டிலேயே சமைத்து சாப்பிட்டால், எந்த உடல் கோளாறும் வராது. சுவைக்காக சேர்க்கப்படும், 'அஜினமோட்டோ' உட்பட பல செயற்கையான உப்புகள், நிறமிகள், வேதிப் பொருட்கள், அளவிற்கு அதிகமான மாசாலாக்கள் தான், உள் உறுப்பு செயல்பாடு செயலிழப்பிற்கு அடிப்படை காரணமான சர்க்கரை, உயர் ரத்த அழுத்தம் உட்பட, பல பிரச்னைகளை உருவாக்குகின்றன.

செயற்கை சர்க்கரை

பிரியாணி கடைகள் அனைத்தையும் மூடி விட்டாலே, பாதி பிரச்னை தீர்ந்து விடும். மாநகராட்சி மற்றும் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரிகள், இதற்கு தகுந்த நடவடிக்கை எடுத்தால் நன்றாக இருக்கும் என்பது, என் எண்ணம். இதில் சேர்க்கப்படும் பாமாயில், வனஸ்பதி, மசாலாக்கள், கெட்ட கொழுப்பு அதிகரிக்கவும், பல வியாதிகளை துாண்டவும் செய்கின்றன.
பிரியாணி விற்பவர்களுக்கு, லாபம் மட்டுமே குறிக்கோள். சாப்பிடுவோருக்கு, நாக்கில் ருசி தெரிந்தால் போதும்; வேறு எதை பற்றியும் கவலைப்படுவதில்லை. பிரியாணி சாப்பிடுவது என்பதெல்லாம், நம் தென் மாநில உணவு கலாசாரத்தில் இல்லாத ஒன்று. பிரியாணி எப்படி, நம் நாட்டிற்கு இறக்குமதி ஆனது என்ற வரலாற்றை படித்தால், நான் சொல்வதை புரிந்து கொள்ள முடியும்.

அடுத்தது, 'ஆன் லைனில்' ஆர்டர் செய்து, வீட்டிற்கே டெலிவரி செய்யும் உணவுகள். இந்த இரண்டையும் தவிர்த்தாலே போதும். இப்போது இருக்கும் சர்க்கரை நோயாளிகளின் எண்ணிக்கையில், பாதிக்கும் அதிகமானவர்களுக்கு, தானாகவே சர்க்கரை அளவு கட்டுக்குள் வந்து விடும்.
செயற்கையாக சர்க்கரை கோளாறை உருவாக்குவது, பிரியாணி, பேக்கரி அயிட்டங்களில் சேர்க்கப்படும் மைதா, வெள்ளை சர்க்கரை, செயற்கை நிறமிகள், பதப்படுத்த பயன்படுத்தப்படும் ரசாயனங்கள் போன்றவை தான். இதனால் தான், மக்கள் தொகையில் பாதிக்கும் மேற்பட்டோர், ரத்த அழுத்தம், கொழுப்பு என்று, ஆயுள் முழுவதும் மருந்துகளுடன் அலைகின்றனர்.

முன்னோர் உணவு

ஆண்டிற்கு ஒரு முறையோ, இரண்டு முறையோ, கோவில் கொடை, பொங்கல், பண்டிகை என்று வரும் நாட்களில் மட்டும், ஆடு, கோழி என்று விதவிதமாக சமைத்து சாப்பிட்டனர் நம் முன்னோர்.
மற்ற நாட்களில், தங்களைச் சுற்றி கிடைக்கும் சிறு தானியங்கள், காய்கறிகளை சமைத்து சாப்பிட்டனர். அவர்களின் உணவு, எளிமையானதாக இருந்தது. அதுவும், ஒரு நாளில், ஒரு வேளை மட்டுமே சாப்பிட்டனர். மற்ற இரண்டு வேளையும், பழைய சாதம், கேழ்வரகு கூழ், கம்மஞ்சோறு என்று தான், அவர்களின் உணவு இருந்தது.

எளிமையான உணவு, அதிகப்படியான உடல் உழைப்பு என்று இருந்ததால், அவர்களுக்கு எந்த உடல் கோளாறும் வரவில்லை.நம் முன்னோர் போல், நம்மால் இருக்க முடியாவிட்டாலும், மாதத்திற்கு ஒரு முறை, விரும்பியதை வீட்டிலேயே, விதவிதமாக சமைத்து சாப்பிடலாம். மாதம் ஒரு முறை, வெளியில் சாப்பிட்டுக் கொள்ளலாம்; தவறில்லை.

மற்ற நாட்களில், எளிதில் செரிமானம் ஆகக் கூடிய, நமக்கு, 100 கி.மீ., சுற்றளவில் என்ன விளைகிறதோ, அவற்றை சாப்பிடுவதே நல்லது. நம் மரபணுவில், அந்த உணவு தான் பழக்கமாகி இருக்கும்.தினமும் மூன்று வேளையும், வெளியில் ஆர்டர் செய்து சாப்பிடுவது, இன்னொரு மோசமாக பழக்கம். உணவுப் பழக்கத்தில் மாற்றத்தை ஏற்படுத்தாமல், எந்த பிரச்னையும் தீராது என்பதை புரிந்து கொள்ள வேண்டும்.

அரசு மருத்துவமனைக்கு, என்ன உடல் பிரச்னைகளுடன் வந்தாலும், வரும் அனைவருக்கும், ரத்த அழுத்தத்தை பரிசோதிக்க வேண்டிய நிலை தான் உள்ளது. காரணம், பாகுபாடு இல்லாமல், அனைவருக்கும் உயர் ரத்த அழுத்தம் இருக்கிறது. அதோடு சேர்த்து, மது பழக்கம், பாக்கு போடுவது, உடற்பயிற்சியின்மை... இப்படி, உயர் ரத்த அழுத்தம் ஏற்படுவதற்கு காரணமான அனைத்தையும் செய்கின்றனர்.

பொருளாதார நிலையில் பின்தங்கியவர்களே, பெரும்பாலும் இங்கு வருகின்றனர். உணவு பழக்கம், சுகாதாரம், உடல், மன ஆரோக்கியம் என்று எதிலும், இவர்களிடம் ஒழுங்கு முறை இல்லை.அரசு மருத்துவமனையில், அனைத்து நவீன வசதிகளும், சிறப்பு மருத்துவர்களும், 24 மணி நேரமும் செயல்பட்டாலும், பிரச்னை வந்ததும் இங்கு வருவதில்லை. அருகில் உள்ள தனியார் மருத்துவர்களிடம் செல்கின்றனர்.

அங்கு, ஸ்கேன், மருந்து, மாத்திரைகள் என்று, கையில் உள்ள பணம் முழுவதையும் செலவு செய்தபின், வேறு வழியில்லாமல், கடைசியில் இங்கு வருகின்றனர். அதற்குள், பிரச்னை பெரிதாகி விடுகிறது.கூட்டம் அதிகம் உள்ள இடங்களில், காத்திருக்கத்தான் வேண்டியிருக்கும். அதைவிட முக்கியம், சரியான மருத்துவ ஆலோசனையும், சிகிச்சையும் தேவை என்பதை புரிந்து கொள்ள வேண்டும்.

டாக்டர் ஆர்.எம். பூபதி,
நரம்பியல் சிறப்பு மருத்துவர்,
அரசு பல்நோக்கு மருத்துவமனை, சென்னை
044 - 2566 6000

Summons issued to Prakash Raj 

27/02/2020 , Special Correspondent , CHENNAI

A court here has issued summons against actor-turned-politician Prakash Raj in connection with a cheque bounce case.

Judicial Magistrate of Fast Track Court-III, Saidapet, issued the summons on two complaints against the actor and his production company. Akshay Communication Private Limited advanced loans to him for production of the film Tadka.

Mr. Raj issued cheques for over ₹5 crore towards repayment which returned unpaid due to lack of funds.

Maran complains to Union Minister about long queues at Chennai airport 

MP seeks direction to AAI to speed up modernisation work

27/02/2020 , Staff Reporter, CHENNAI

DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran has written to Union Minister for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri, raising concerns about passenger congestion at Chennai airport.

In a letter to Mr. Puri on Wednesday, he said, “I would like to bring to your attention the terrible passenger congestion at the Chennai airport and how many passengers are suffering because of the long periods they have to wait during security checks in both domestic and international terminals.”

He highlighted how, during peak hours, passengers were having to stand in long queues to go through security checks.

Officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) have previously said they have been taking steps to address the problem, but given the limited space and increasing passenger traffic, the issue can only be mitigated and cannot be resolved entirely till the new terminals are put to use on completion of the phase II modernisation work.

Mr. Maran asked Mr. Puri to direct AAI to expedite the modernisation work.

Special courts for hearing graft cases not entitled to grant anticipatory bail: HC 

‘Only sessions courts and the High Court have the power to do that’
 
27/02/2020 , Legal Correspondent, CHENNAI

The Special Courts constituted across the State to try Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) cases are not empowered to entertain anticipatory bail applications filed by the accused since such power have been conferred only on the Sessions Courts and the High Court under the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Madras High Court has held.

Justice M. Dhandapani passed the ruling after differing with a majority view taken on the issue by two judges of a Full Bench (comprising three judges) in Patna High Court and concurring with a minority view of the third judge in the Bench.

He observed that the majority decision of the Full Bench was “erroneous” and so he was not agreeing with it.

minority view

“This court, with great respect to the learned judges on the Bench, is unable to accept the said view expressed therein. This court, holistically, is in agreement with the minority view expressed by the learned Judge on the Full Bench who has given his dissent holding that the special court is not vested with jurisdiction to take on board an advance bail application,” he said.

The judge also directed the Registrar (Judicial) M. Jothiraman of the High Court to place his present judgment, on the issue of entertaining anticipatory bail petitions, before Chief Justice Amreshwar Pratap Sahi for being circulated to all trial courts in the State as well as those in the Union Territory of Puducherry to be followed henceforth.

The orders were passed on a petition filed by V. Sridharan who had been booked by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) under PCA. Though the accused initially filed an anticipatory bail petition before the Principal Sessions Court in Tiruvallur, it was returned with an endorsement to move it before an appropriate forum.

Plea refused

Thereafter, he moved the Chief Judicial Magistrate court, designated as a Special Court for PCA cases, but the latter refused to entertain his plea. Hence, the accused had moved the High Court with the present petition seeking a direction to the special court to entertain his anticipatory bail plea and dispose it of on merits.

Refusing to issue such a direction, Justice Dhandapani said, Section 438 of the Cr.P.C. makes it clear that advance bail petitions could be filed only before a Court of Sessions or a High Court. Since a special court acts as a Magistrate court during initial stages of taking cognisance of a case and performs the duty of a Sessions Court only during trial, it was not empowered to entertain a plea for anticipatory bail, he held.

Scam surfaces in 2018 NEET; medico held 

Youth engaged a proxy to write the exam in Hindi at Gaya 

27/02/2020 , S. Vijay Kumar , CHENNAI

The CB-CID is already investigating a scam in the 2019 NEET, conducted by the National Testing Agency, in which 16 persons, including 7 medicos, have been arrested.

The Crime Branch CID of the Tamil Nadu police on Wednesday arrested a second-year medico on the charge of fraudulently securing admission in the Madras Medical College (MMC) by paying ₹20 lakh to a broker.

The suspect engaged a proxy to write the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) held at Gaya in Bihar in 2018 to get the seat.

Acting on a complaint lodged by the MMC Dean suspecting foul play in the admission of D. Dhanush Kumar, 20, a special team of the CB-CID called for documents from CBSE, which conducted the test that year, and found that the student had engaged a proxy writer. His father K. Devendra had paid ₹20 lakh to facilitate the fraud.

Investigation revealed that Kumar joined a coaching centre in Bengaluru to prepare for NEET. He was approached by a broker who promised to get him seat by arranging the proxy. After paying an advance of ₹3 lakh, he followed the instructions on how to fill the application and other formalities.

Hindi medium

Kumar, a native of Hosur in Tamil Nadu, opted for Gaya as the examination centre and also chose to write the examination in Hindi. He “cleared” NEET with a good score and got into MMC, which is usually the first choice of toppers in the State.

“His score in Plus-Two was very poor. Had the staff/invigilators at the examination centre verified the photograph in the hall ticket and the person who appeared for the examination, the fraud could have been detected on the spot. Kumar is said to have failed in some subjects in first year MBBS,” a CB-CID official told The Hindu.

Manhunt on

After ensuring that he got a good score in NEET, Kumar and his father paid the balance of ₹17 lakh to the broker.

“Efforts are on to apprehend the broker who is a native of Bengaluru. There seems to be no link between Rashid, the prime suspect in the 2019 NEET scam, and the suspects in the 2018 NEET scam.

Kumar is not able to confirm whether like him more students engaged proxy writers but the modus operandi points to a suspicion that more students would have been involved in the scam,” the official said.

When investigators questioned Kumar about his ability to write NEET in Hindi, the suspect, who initially refused to cooperate, later confessed that he had no knowledge of Hindi and opted the centre and language going by the instructions of the broker. Kumar and his father were arrested and remanded to judicial custody. Police were trying to locate the proxy writer in Gaya.

The CB-CID is already investigating a scam in the 2019 NEET, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), in which 16 persons, including 7 medicos, were arrested on charges of impersonation and cheating.

The police have written to the National Medical Commission, Director-General of Health Services, Unique Identification Authority of India and others to zero-in on the proxy writers who appeared for the accused persons in different centres.

Anna University to hire retired faculty
Legal issues impede new appointments

 27/02/2020 , R. Sujatha, CHENNAI

The university listed 193 vacancies in 2017-18, with no spots filled that year.M. Karunakaran

Anna University’s Syndicate has decided to appoint retired professors to teach students.

The university has not been able to appoint faculty to vacant posts pending petitions in the court for over two years. The university’s Annual Quality Assurance Report 2017-18 listed 193 vacancies and no posts were filled that year. Professors said vacancies could be over 200 as a few more have retired.

A senior professor said such appointments had been made earlier by the University. Vice-Chancellor M.K. Surappa said such a scheme existed in all universities across the country.

“The scheme is designed to use services of eminent faculty, not from other States but from within the State,” he said.

The appointment would only be for a limited period and the retired faculty would be hired from within the State, he said. Though the Syndicate had approved a salary component of around ₹1.20 lakh, the university had not implemented it yet.

An IIT professor had chosen NIT over the university as the salary was poor here, Mr. Surappa added. But a senior faculty pointed out to a G.O. denying re-employment for university teachers beyond 60 years of age.

Madurai-Delhi AI Express to fly daily

TNN | Feb 27, 2020, 04.32 AM IST

Madurai: Air connectivity between Madurai and New Delhi by Air India Express is set to increase from March as the airline, which is operating its flight for four days per week at present, would be operating it daily, said Madurai MP Su Venkatesan.

Speaking to reporters in Madurai on Wednesday, Venkatesan said the decision was taken during the meeting of the Madurai Airport Consultative Committee. Chairman of the committee, Manickam Tagore presided over the meeting during which developmental activities in connection with the Madurai airport were discussed.

Among other issues discussed were the delay in provision of compensation to the people whose land was acquired for the expansion work. They had taken it up with the district administration after assuming charge in May last year and the process had been expedited with Rs 54.25 crore having been disbursed till date.

Steps are also being taken to stress upon the central government to sign the bilateral treaties needed for launching air services between Madurai and international destinations.

Venkatesan said that the director of the Madurai airport had assured to revamp the airport runway to enhance night landing facility, and work on this would be taken up in June and completed by December.

Madurai’s jigarthanda reaches Singapore for first time

TNN | Feb 27, 2020, 04.38 AM IST

Madurai: While traditional snack items like murukku, kadalai mittai, karachevu and the Geographical Indication (GI) tagged Srivilliputtur palkova have frequently been exported due to their high demand in other countries, it is the first time that Madurai’s famous drink jigarthanda has been flown to Singapore by an Air India flight on Wednesday.

S Thanga Pandian, customs clearance agent, said that traditional Indian sweets were in high demand in other countries and over the past few months, he had seen the exports of not less than 1,000 kg of traditional sweets and snacks being flown from the Madurai airport to various destinations.

The makers of the famous jigarthanda recently received a request from a local trader in Singapore for their jigarthanda. After completion of all formalities, including the FSSAI certification, the first consignment of 135 kg was flown to Singapore on a trial basis on Wednesday.

Pandian said that all the ingredients for jigarthanda including the milk, almond gum, sea algae, sugar and the ice cream for the constitution of the drink were being taken from Madurai. “It is the taste of cow’s milk and the handmade ice cream from Madurai that gives the specific taste to the drink, hence all the ingredients have to be taken from here, only the algae is taken in the dry form and will be soaked once it reaches its destination,” he said. As the fasting season of Ramzan is coming up, jigarthanda is expected to be in demand in Singapore as it is an energizer and also has cooling properties. Pandian said that based on the reception that the drink receives in Singapore, the frequency of export may be enhanced to even daily.

Anna University's move to formalise appointment of emeritus professors faces opposition

TNN | Feb 26, 2020, 01.31 PM IST
 

CHENNAI: To overcome huge backlog of vacancies and dearth in quality faculty members, Anna University has decided to utilise expertise of retired professors from the university, IITs and other eminent institutions. A resolution recently passed by the institute syndicate sought to standardise the quality and experience of faculty members and appoint retired professors on temporary basis.

However, the move now faces opposition from PMK founder S Ramadoss who alleged that it would block the employment of young faculty members. "When the university is having 40% vacancies, it is taking steps to appoint retired professors," he said asking the state government to advise the university to drop the move. Owing to no recruitment in the past six years, the number of vacancies across various departments has reached 320 out of 851 posts on the four campuses.

"There is a dearth of experienced faculty members in most of the departments. The university has been appointing emeritus professors and professors eminence in research centres and departments even before the present vice-chancellor took charge," professors from the university said.

University vice-chancellor M K Surappa said the university is only trying to adopt best practices from top institutions like IITs.

"We are not doing anything new in university. All top institutions like central universities and IITs have emeritus professors in good numbers. The university is only trying to adopt best practices from those institutions," said Surappa. He said the appointment of these professors is only on temporary basis and they are being paid honorarium, not full salary.

Central agencies like All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), University Grants Commission (UGC) and the department of science and technology (DST) have schemes to employ retired professors.

"We have less than 20 professors currently. There was a confusion over their appointment. So, we have adopted guidelines for their appointment. The maximum amount to be paid is 1.5 lakh, which is less than a professor's salary. But, all our existing emeritus professors are receiving much lower amount," he said.

Educationists said the move is common practice among higher educational institutions. "There is nothing wrong in appointing retired professors from eminent institutions like IITs and the university as professors of eminence. It is common practice in higher educational institutions across the world," says E Balagurusamy, former vice-chancellor of Anna University.

Retirement age for Anna University professors is 60 while in institutions like IITs and IISc it is 65.

Remembering the evergreen voice of Madurai Somu

Feb 27, 2020, 04.07 AM IST

Chennai: He was one of the rare Carnatic vocalists who was a musician of the masses. So it comes as no surprise that Madurai S Somasundaram’s birth centenary celebrations are continuing for more than a year, with Sangita Kalanidhi Madurai Seshagopalan paying tributes to the master at Ragasudha Hall in Mylapore this weekend.

But if his parents had their way, rasikas may not have had the pleasure of knowing his mesmerizing voice. Somu, as he was popularly known, was the tenth child, who was initiated into music as a ‘shruti-petti’ accompanist. As a child he showed keen interest in vocal music, but those at home didn’t seem to approve. Belonging to the family of nagaswaram vidwan Srinivasa Pillai, he was expected to take up this instrument. But the headstrong boy, captivated by singing, joined the theatre group "Boys Company" on his own.

Bowing to his preference, his parents took him to veteran vocalists Abhirami Sasthriar and Sesham Bhagavathar. Later in 1930, he began taking lessons from Chitoor Subramaniam Pillai in the gurukulam style for 14 years, at the end of which he debuted on the stage at a concert in Tiruchendur in 1945.

A faithful to the grammar prescribed by music pundits, he never allowed this to imprison his creativity. One could equate the popularity of Somu with that of Madurai Mani Iyer. Somu’s music, his abilities in all domains of Carnatic music — the ‘alapana’, rendering of the ‘kriti’ and ‘swaraprastharam’ — was engrossing. He would explore known ragas to unknown depths.

His concert-framework had special time for Ragam Tanam Pallavi. His pallavis used to be tough on the accompanists who used to dread these. He always demanded the full-bench when it came to supporting (pakka vadhyam) laya artists. The picture of Somu at the centre, as if on a pivot swirling around, encouraging these performers is etched in the memory of those who frequented his concerts. His concerts would follow the pattern of temple nagaswaram concerts, commencing in the evening and extending into the small hours of the day with unflinching vitality. He tried to mimic the nagaswaram and it is well-established that his raga phrases were imitative of the nagaswaram ‘bhani’ (pattern).

During his concerts there was the less heavy phase where he used to sing self-composed Tamil pieces as ‘ragamalika’(in a string of ragas). His evergreen songs are "Enna Kavi Padinalum", "Ullak Kovilil" and "Madumeikkum Kanna". Listeners would not let him go without singing these. After he had made his conspicuous entry into cinema with ‘Deivam’ as a playback singer, requests included the number "Maruthamalai Mamaniye", a song that made him popular instantly among the masses.

In spite of being a star, Somu was easily accessible, amiable and an endearing personality. And probably his goodness of heart also reflected in his voice too. People used to say his voice would improve qualitatively, get stimulated, mellow and attain sweetness as the concert progressed — an eternal experience of rasikas.

Impersonator hired by Chennai medical student wrote NEET in Bihar

TNN | Feb 27, 2020, 05.55 AM IST

CHENNAI: A second-year student of Madras Medical College, who was arrested along with his father on Wednesday in connection with the NEET scam, had used an impersonator who took the entrance exam at a centre in Bihar, investigators have found.

The student was expelled from the college last October, but could not be booked till now because of delay in establishing mismatch of fingerprints on the NEET answer sheet and other documents submitted to the college during admission.

Police said K Deivendran, 53, a businessman who hails from Hosur, had paid 20 lakh to a Bengaluru-based broker to arrange an impersonator for his son. The broker is yet to be apprehended.

Deivendran told police that he met the mediator in Bengaluru through a common friend. A police officer said, "Once we arrest the mediator we may be able to get to many impersonators who wrote NEET on behalf of students from Tamil Nadu," said a police officer.

According to a press release, police arrested Deivendran and his son (name withheld) after scrutinizing documents submitted by the student to the Madras Medical College and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). A magistrate court in the city on Wednesday remanded them in judicial custody.

Police said the student enrolled in MMC in 2018 claiming that he had appeared for NEET at a centre in Gaya, Bihar, though he was born and brought up in Hosur. After the scrutiny found the papers suspicious, the college filed a police complaint which was forwarded to the CB-CID.

In October last year, news about a case of impersonation of a second year medical student in the Madras Medical College came up. College dean Dr R Jayanthi filed a police complaint at the Flower Bazaar police station, which was later transferred to CB-CID. There was so far no other complaint against anyone of the 2018 batch, said director of medical education Dr R Narayana Babu. Earlier he had asked all medical college deans to verify the credentials of first year students in MBBS and PG courses.

‘Madras eye’ is back, with fever, cough

TNN | Feb 27, 2020, 05.20 AM IST
 

CHENNAI: Several people are walking into eye clinics with red, itchy eyes and opthalmologists say the season for conjunctivitis has just begun.

While adults complain of watery eyes, children are showing symptoms of fever, cold and sore throat, along with conjunctivitis.



“The viral disease, unlike what we saw last year, isn’t serious. Most people don’t require medication. It settles down in five days. But this time we are seeing many children with flu-like symptoms,” said opthalmologist Dr V Vasumathi of Radhatri Nethralaya. “They may need no medication for the eye, unless there is an associated bacterial infection causing eye inflammation or vision disruption,” she said.

Childcare specialists call the condition pharyngoconjunctival fever. “We see this often in school children. It is caused by a virus, usually the adenovirus, and is contagious,” said Dr S Balasubramanian, medical director of Kanchi Kamakoti Childs Trust. This type of fever peaks in summer, particularly when children are in camps and swimming pools, he said. Some children may also complain of fatigue and and upset stomach.

Most patients are treated as outpatient and advised to stay athome. They are askedto come back if they notice photophobia (unable to see light), swelling of the eye, vision disruption or a cloudy cornea. “The viral disease is contagious and can spread quickly in classrooms or closed office spaces,” said Dr S Soundari, head of medical services, Agarwal Eye Hospital. “We are commonly seeing at least seven to eight people a day, compared to the usual one or two, or none,” she said.

சென்னை - மும்பை மெயில், தாதர் விரைவு ரயில்கள் அதிவிரைவு 

ரயில்களாக இயக்கம்- ஜூலை 1-ம் தேதி முதல் நடைமுறைக்கு வருகிறது

சென்னை 26.02.2020

சென்னையில் இருந்து மும்பைக்கு இயக்கப்படும் தாதர் மற்றும் மும்பை மெயில் ஆகிய இரு ரயில்களும் வரும் ஜூலை 1-ம் தேதி முதல் அதிவிரைவு ரயில்களாக இயக்கப்படும் என அறிவிப்பு வெளியாகியுள்ளது.

சென்னை சென்ட்ரலில் இருந்து மும்பைக்கு இரவு 11.55 மணிக்கு மும்பை மெயில் (வண்டி எண்.11028) இயக்கப்பட்டு வருகிறது. இதேபோல், சென்னை எழும்பூரில் இருந்து தாதருக்கு காலை 6.45 மணிக்கு தாதர் விரைவு ரயில் (வண்டி எண்.12164) இயக்கப்பட்டு வருகிறது. இந்த இரு ரயில்களும் வரும் ஜூலை 1-ம் தேதி முதல் அதிவிரைவு (சூப்பர்ஃபாஸ்ட்) ரயில்களாக இயக்கப்பட உள்ளதாக மத்திய ரயில்வே வெளியிட்டுள்ள அறிவிப்பில் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

மேலும், தாதர் விரைவு ரயில் ஜூலை 1-ம் தேதி முதல் எழும்பூரில் இருந்து இயக்கப்படுவதற்கு பதிலாக சென்னை சென்ட்ரலில் இருந்து இயக்கப்படும். அதேபோல், தாதரில் இருந்து இயக்கப்படுவதற்கு பதிலாக லோகமான்ய திலக் முனையத்தில் இருந்து இயக்கப்பட உள்ளது. அத்துடன், இந்த ரயில் மும்பையில் இருந்து வரும்போது அரக்கோணத்தில் நின்று செல்லாது என அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இதேபோல், மும்பை மெயில் சென்னை சென்ட்ரலுக்கு பதிலாக எழும்பூரில் இருந்து இயக்கப்படும் எனவும் அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. மேலும், இந்த ரயில் திருவள்ளூர், அரக்கோணம், திருத்தணி, புத்தூர் ஆகிய ரயில் நிலையங்களில் இனி நிற்காது என அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. அதேசமயம், மும்பையில் இருந்து சென்னைக்கு வரும்போது மட்டும் அரக்கோணத்தில் நிற்கும்.

இதற்கிடையே, இந்த இரு ரயில்களுக்கும், குறிப்பிட்ட ரயில் நிறுத்தங்கள் ரத்து செய்யப்பட்டிருப்பது ரயில் பயணிகள் மத்தியில் கடும் அதிருப்தியை ஏற்படுத்தியுள்ளது.

இதுகுறித்து, ரயில் பயணிகள் சிலர் கூறும்போது, “மும்பை மெயில் கடந்த 60 ஆண்டுகளாக திருவள்ளூர், அரக்கோணம் ஆகிய ரயில் நிலையங்களில் நின்று செல்கிறது. இந்நிலையில், இந்த ரயில் நிலையங்களில் நிற்காது என அறிவிக்கப்பட்டிருப்பது அதிர்ச்சியாக உள்ளது.

பயணிகள் யாராவது இனி எழும்பூரில் மும்பை மெயிலை தவற விட்டுவிட்டால் அடுத்ததாக ரேணிகுண்டா ரயில் நிலையத்தில் சென்றுதான் ஏற முடியும். முன்புபோல், வழியில் திருவள்ளூர், அரக்கோணம் அல்லது திருத்தணி என எந்த ரயில் நிலையத்திலும் ஏற முடியாது.

இதேபோல், தாதர் விரைவு ரயில் மும்பையில் இருந்து சென்னைக்கு வரும்போது அரக்கோணத்தில் நிற்கும். தற்போது இந்தநிறுத்தம் ரத்தானதால் அரக்கோணம் மற்றும் திருவள்ளூர் பகுதியை சுற்றியுள்ள பயணிகள் இனிமேல் ரேணிகுண்டாவில் இறங்க வேண்டும் அல்லது பெரம்பூரில் இறங்கி செல்ல வேண்டும். இது பயணிகள் அனைவருக்கும் பெரிய சிரமத்தை ஏற்படுத்தும்” என்றனர்.

ஆர்.டி.ஓ., உதவியாளர் லஞ்ச வழக்கில் கைது அடங்க மாட்றாங்கய்யா...!

Updated : பிப் 26, 2020 02:14 | Added : பிப் 26, 2020 01:27

ஈரோடு:இறப்பு சான்றிதழ் வழங்க, 4,000 ரூபாய் லஞ்சம் பெற்ற, ஈரோடு, ஆர்,டி.ஓ., அலுவலக உதவியாளர் கைது செய்யப்பட்டார்.

ஈரோடு மாவட்டம், பெருந்துறை குள்ளம்பாளையத்தைச் சேர்ந்தவர், சத்தியமூர்த்தி, 35; விவசாயி. இவர் மாமனார் முத்து சாமி, 1988ல் இறந்துள்ளார். மாமனாரின் இறப்பு சான்றிதழை, நீதிமன்றம் மூலம், சத்தியமூர்த்தி வாங்க ஆணை பெற்றார்.இது தொடர்பாக, ஈரோடு, ஆர்.டி.ஓ., அலுவலகத்தை அணுகினார். அங்கிருந்த அலுவலக உதவியாளர் கணேசன், 49, சான்றிதழ் வழங்க, 4,000 ரூபாய் கேட்டுள்ளார்.

இது குறித்து, ஈரோடு லஞ்ச ஒழிப்பு துறை அலுவலகத்தில், சத்தியமூர்த்தி புகார் அளித்தார்.லஞ்சஒழிப்பு போலீசார், நேற்று காலை, கணேசனை கைது செய்தனர். மேலும், லஞ்ச பணத்தில், யார் யாருக்கு பங்குஉள்ளது என, விசாரித்து வருகின்றனர்.

மருத்துவ பல்கலையில் மார்ச், 5ல் பட்டமளிப்பு

Added : பிப் 26, 2020 00:09

சென்னை:தமிழ்நாடு டாக்டர் எம்.ஜி.ஆர்., மருத்துவ பல்கலை பட்டமளிப்பு விழா, மார்ச், 5ல் நடைபெற உள்ளது.

சென்னை, கிண்டியில் உள்ள, எம்.ஜி.ஆர்., மருத்துவ பல்கலையின் கீழ், 600க்கும் மேற்பட்ட மருத்துவக் கல்வி நிறுவனங்கள் செயல்பட்டு வருகின்றன. இளநிலை, முதுநிலை மருத்துவம், பல் மருத்துவம், செவிலியர் படிப்புகள், மருத்துவம் சார்ந்த படிப்புகள் என, 100க்கும் மேற்பட்ட படிப்புகள் உள்ளன. அந்த கல்லுாரிகளில், ஆண்டுதோறும் ஆயிரக்கணக்கானோர் படிப்புகளை நிறைவு செய்கின்றனர்.அதன்படி, கடந்த கல்வியாண்டில் படிப்பை நிறைவு செய்தவர்களுக்கு பட்டமளிப்பு விழா, பல்கலையின் வெள்ளி விழா அரங்கில், மார்ச், 5ம் தேதி நடைபெற உள்ளது. இதில், கவர்னரும், பல்கலையின் வேந்தருமான பன்வாரிலால் புரோஹித், சிறப்பிடம் பெற்ற மாணவர்களுக்கு, பதக்கங்கள், சான்றிதழ்களை வழங்கி கவுரவிக்க உள்ளார். இந்நிகழ்வில் நேரடியாக, 724 மாணவர்கள், பட்டங்களை பெற உள்ளனர்.

விண்வெளி ஆராய்ச்சி மையமான, 'இஸ்ரோ' முன்னாள் தலைவர் கஸ்துாரி ரங்கன், அணுசக்தி துறை முன்னாள் இயக்குனர் சிதம்பரம் ஆகியோர் சிறப்பு விருந்தினராக பங்கேற்க உள்ளனர். மேலும், சுகாதாரத் துறை அமைச்சர் விஜய பாஸ்கர், செயலர் பீலா ராஜேஷ், பல்கலை துணை வேந்தர் சுதா சேஷய்யன் பங்கேற்கின்றனர்.

முன்பதிவு டிக்கெட்டுகள் 'கேன்சல்' ரயில்வே வருமானம் ரூ.9,௦௦௦ கோடி

Updated : பிப் 26, 2020 01:50 | Added : பிப் 26, 2020 01:48

கோட்டா : இந்திய ரயில்வேயில் முன்பதிவு டிக்கெட்டுகளை ரத்து செய்வதற்கான கட்டணம் மற்றும் ரத்து செய்யப்படாத முன்பதிவு டிக்கெட்டுகள் மூலம் மூன்றாண்டு காலத்தில் 9,000 கோடி ரூபாய் வருவாய் கிடைத்துள்ளதாக தகவல் உரிமை சட்டம் மூலம் தெரிய வந்துள்ளது.;

ராஜஸ்தானைச் சேர்ந்த சுஜீத் சுவாமி என்பவர் மத்திய ரயில்வே தகவல் அமைப்பிடம் தகவல் உரிமை சட்டத்தின் கீழ் தாக்கல் செய்த மனு மூலம் கிடைத்த விபரங்கள் வருமாறு:இந்திய ரயில்வேயில் 2017 ஜன. 1 முதல் 2020ம் ஆண்டு ஜன. 31 வரை காத்திருப்போர் பட்டியலில் இருந்த 9.5 கோடி பயணியர் தங்கள் டிக்கெட்டுகளை ரத்து செய்யவில்லை. இதன் மூலம் ரயில்வேக்கு 4335 கோடி ரூபாய் வருவாய் கிடைத்துள்ளது. இந்த மூன்றாண்டுகளில் டிக்கெட்டுகளை ரத்து செய்வதற்கான கட்டணமாக மட்டும் 4,684 கோடி ரூபாயை பயணியரிடம் இருந்து ரயில்வே வசூலித்துள்ளது.

இந்த மூன்றாண்டு காலத்தில் இணையதளம் மூலமாக 145 கோடி பயணியரும் ரயில்வே கவுன்டர்களில் 74 கோடி பயணியரும் முன்பதிவு செய்துள்ளனர். இதைத்தொடர்ந்து சுஜீத் சுவாமி தரப்பில் ராஜஸ்தான் உயர் நீதிமன்றத்தில் ஒரு மனு தாக்கல் செய்யப்பட்டு உள்ளது.அந்த மனுவில் 'ஆன்லைன் மற்றும் கவுன்டர்களில் டிக்கெட் முன்பதிவு செய்வதற்கான ரயில்வே கொள்கைகளில் அதிக வேறுபாடுகள் உள்ளன. 'இதனால் பயணியருக்கு நிதிச்சுமை மற்றும் மனச்சோர்வு ஏற்படுகிறது. இதில் பயணியருக்கு நிவாரணம் வழங்குவதுடன் ரயில்வே நியாயமற்ற முறையில் வருவாய் ஈட்டுவதையும் தடுக்க வேண்டும்' என கூறப்பட்டு உள்ளது.

நிர்பயா' குற்றவாளிகளுக்கு தண்டனை நிறைவேறுமா?

Updated : பிப் 26, 2020 05:24 | Added : பிப் 26, 2020 05:23 |

புதுடில்லி: 'நிர்பயா' பாலியல் பாலத்கார வழக்கின் குற்றவாளிகளுக்கு துாக்கு தண்டனையை நிறைவேற்றுவதை நிறுத்தி வைத்து, டில்லி உயர் நீதிமன்றம் அளித்த தீர்ப்பை எதிர்த்து, மத்திய அரசு தாக்கல் செய்த மனுவை, உச்ச நீதிமன்றம், மார்ச், 5ல் விசாரிக்கவுள்ளது.

டில்லியைச் சேர்ந்த மருத்துவ மாணவி நிர்பயா, 2012ல், ஒரு கும்பலால் பாலியல் பலாத்காரம் செய்யப்பட்டு, சித்ரவதைக்கு ஆளானார். மருத்துவமனையில் அனுமதிக்கப்பட்ட அவர், சிகிச்சை பலனின்றி உயிரிழந்தார். இந்த வழக்கில், முகேஷ் குமார் சிங், 32, பவன் குப்தா, 25, வினய் குமார் சர்மா, 26, அக் ஷய் குமார், 31, ஆகியோருக்குதுாக்கு தண்டனை விதிக்கப்பட்டது.

டில்லி திஹார் சிறையில், இவர்களுக்கு துாக்கு தண்டனையை நிறைவேற்ற, இரண்டு முறை, 'வாரன்ட்' பிறப்பிக்கப்பட்டும், சட்ட சிக்கல்களால் நிறைவேற்ற முடியவில்லை. கருணை மனு, மறு சீராய்வு மனு என, நான்கு பேரும் மாறி மாறி மனு தாக்கல் செய்வதால், இவர்களுக்கான தண்டனையை நிறைவேற்றுவது தாமதமாகி வருகிறது.

இதற்கிடையே, 'குற்றவாளிகள் நான்கு பேருக்கும், தனித்தனியாக தண்டனையை நிறைவேற்றக் கூடாது; ஒரே நேரத்தில் தான் நிறைவேற்ற வேண்டும். 'சட்ட சிக்கல் தீரும் வரை தண்டனையை நிறுத்தி வைக்க வேண்டும்' என, டில்லி உயர் நீதிமன்றம் உத்தரவிட்டிருந்தது. இதை எதிர்த்து, மத்திய அரசு சார்பில், உச்ச நீதிமன்றத்தில் மனு தாக்கல் செய்யப்பட்டது.

இந்த மனு, நேற்று பரிசீலனைக்கு வந்தபோது, வழக்கை, மார்ச்., 5ல், விசாரிக்கவுள்ளதாக, நீதிபதிகள், ஆர்.பானுமதி, அசோக் பூஷன், நவீன் சின்ஹா ஆகியோர் அடங்கிய அமர்வு, நேற்று உத்தரவிட்டது. இந்நிலையில், குற்றவாளிகளுக்கான தண்டனையை, மார்ச்., 3ல் நிறைவேற்ற, டில்லி சிறப்பு நிதிமன்றம், புதிய, 'வாரன்ட்' பிறப்பித்துள்ளது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

Blue Star launches premium, affordable residential split ACs

Blue Star on Tuesday, announced the launch of its new range of ‘premium-yet-affordable’ residential air conditioners.

Published: 26th February 2020 06:48 AM 

Blue Star MD B Thiagarajan explaining the features of the new line of inverter ACs during a press meet in the city on Tuesday |

 DEBADATTA MALLICK

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Blue Star on Tuesday, announced the launch of its new range of ‘premium-yet-affordable’ residential air conditioners. These are 3-star inverter split air conditioners, starting from Rs31,990 for a 1 ton-split AC and from Rs37,990 for a 1.5 ton split AC, according to a release.

“Each unit comes with a built-in voltage stabiliser that ensures trouble-free operations across a wide range of input voltage, from 160V to 270V, without the need for an external voltage stabiliser,” the release said. 

Blue Star has not only enabled easy financing options for those looking to purchase these ACs but also has cash-back offers via tie-ups with banks and financing firms. The ACs come with a comprehensive warranty for the first year and a warranty of 10 years for the compressor. There are also options for extended warranty from the second year for the next five years.

KSRTC hikes bus fares by 12 %

26/02/2020, STAFF REPORTER,BENGALURU

There is no increase in fares on passes issued to students and the physically challenged.File Photo

Passengers will have to shell out more to travel by Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses. The KSRTC on Tuesday announced a 12% hike in bus fares. The previous hike in KSRTC fares was six years ago.

A press note issued by the corporation on Tuesday said that for ordinary services, the fare for the first 12 and 15 km was not increased, while for express services, they have not been increased for the first 6 km. “For ordinary services, the fares for the first 3 km has been reduced from ₹7 to ₹5 and the total fare has been reduced by ₹2,” the release stated. It maybe noted that one-third of the ordinary bus services are operated in rural areas.

The corporation further stated that there is no increase in fares on passes issued to students and the physically challenged.

Justifying the hike, the release stated that they had to increase fares due to the steep increase in high-speed diesel rates in the international market. Elaborating further on the need for the hike, KSRTC, in the release, said dearness allowance for their employees is also set to increase by ₹340.38 crore. It has also said that the operational costs due to the fuel hike was ₹260.83 crore. The price of fuel has increased by ₹11.27 per litre since the last revision, and the overall increase in operational cost is ₹601 crore. It further stated that it has taken up initiatives to introduce modern buses, commissioned new depots and bus stations and also adopted new technology.

Huge increase in cases of diabetes in rural Tamil Nadu

One in three has diabetes or is in pre-diabetes stage: study

26/02/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

In a span of 14 years, the prevalence of diabetes in rural settings in Tamil Nadu has increased from 4.9% in 2006 to 13.5% now, a study has found. TREND, a rural diabetes project, that is covering 15,000 adults in 25 villages of Cheyyur taluk has put the prevalence of diabetes at 13.5% (9.8% self-reported diabetics and 3.7% newly detected diabetics) and pre-diabetes at 18.2%.

In fact, 45% of them were overweight or obese, with a mean Body Mass Index of 25 kg/m2, according to V. Mohan, chairman and chief diabetologist, Dr. Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre and director, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF).

MDRF and University of Dundee, Scotland, have taken up a joint research collaboration of which TREND (Telemedicine Project for Screening Diabetes and its complications in rural TN) was a component.

Citing the 2006 rural diabetes prevention project at Chunampet, Kancheepuram district, he said then, the diabetes prevalence was 4.9% and pre-diabetes was 14.6%.

This was followed by ICMR-India Diabetes study in 2011 that put the diabetes prevalence in rural TN at 7.8% and pre-diabetes at 15%.

The latest study has shown a huge increase — in both diabetes and pre-diabetes — while obesity has also increased, he said, adding: “One in three persons in rural TN have diabetes or were in the pre-diabetes stage. Why is there an increase in diabetes among the rural population? People are getting fatter and lack exercise. They are eating too much rice, with no vegetables or fruits,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

“Next, we will be providing diabetic care. We are developing an application through which we can send messages on their mobile phones to keep track of their blood sugar and blood pressure levels,” he said.

As a part of India-Scotland Partnership for Precision Medicine in Diabetes project, the two institutions were capturing retinal images of these persons to explore the possibility of predicting the future risk of diabetic complications, heart diseases, stroke and dementia. Using a low-cost camera that was made in India, they were capturing retinal images and studying it using a special software - Vessel Assessment and Measurement Platform for Images of the Retina, he said.

Colin NA Palmer, associate dean, research and chair of pharmacogenomics, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, said diabetes was quite different in the two countries. “Indians are much more susceptible to diabetes. The real problem is young persons getting type 2 diabetes whereas in Scotland, people do not get diabetes until the age of 60,” he

Nearly ₹19 lakh stolen from bank near Palladam, say police

CCTV cameras within bank damaged by robbers

26/02/2020, STAFF REPORTER,TIRUPPUR

A day after the break-in into the branch of a public sector bank at Kallipalayam near Palladam on the Palladam-Dharapuram Road was reported in the Tiruppur district, senior police officers confirmed to The Hindu that cash of ₹18,97,000 had been stolen from it.

However, the value of jewellery stolen from lockers cannot be ascertained by bank authorities, officers said.

The bank was closed over the weekend. On Monday, bank employees returned to work at the branch to find that a window to the side had been damaged. After realising that a break-in had taken place, they alerted senior officials of the bank, who in turn lodged a complaint at the Kamanaickenpalayam Police Station.

A police officer said that the burglars had entered the bank through the side window. The burglars damaged the CCTV cameras inside the bank and took hard disks prior to stealing cash and jewellery.

Based on footage from the CCTV cameras present in the locality, it was found out that the burglary occurred at around 10 p.m. on February 22. However, the identity of the culprits could not be ascertained from the available CCTV footage, according to the police.

Second attempt

This heist comes after a burglary attempt at the same branch four months ago. On October 9, 2019, miscreants attempted to enter the bank. The break-in then was discovered when employees returned to work after the puja holidays. “They entered through the same window and with the same method this time,” the police officer said, adding that no cash had been stolen in the first attempt.

Despite this incident, no full-time security guard had been posted at the bank premises. s“Some rural branches do not have security guards at all,” the police officer said. Customers of the bank staged a dharna on the Palladam-Dharapuram Road on Monday and Tuesday. They were pacified by bank officials, police said. The branch’s personnel could not be reached for comments on the incident.

Six teams

Tiruppur District Superintendent of Police Disha Mittal said that the police have formed six special teams to nab the accused at the earliest. Kamanaickenpalayam Police have registered a case under Sections 457 (lurking house-trespass or house-breaking by night) and 380 (theft in a dwelling house, etc.) of the Indian Penal Code.

Release pension benefits to centenarian, says High Court Bench

26/02/2020, STAFF REPORTER,MADURAI

Bringing relief to a centenarian, who served as a Tamil Pandit from 1944 to 1964, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court directed the State government to release his pension benefits within two weeks so that he could enjoy the fruits in his lifetime.

Hearing the petition filed by K. Srinivasan of Virudhunagar who served as a Tamil Pandit in various aided schools till the post was abolished in 1964, Justice J. Nisha Banu directed the State to release the pension benefits of the 100-year-old man.

The petitioner moved the court after several of his representations seeking disbursement of pension were rejected by the State.

The stumbling block for him was the fact that he was unable to produce relevant records to prove his employment except for Service Certificates provided by schools where he worked.

The court observed that under the Tamil Nadu non-Government Teachers Pension Rules, a teacher was eligible for pension if he/she was discharged from service due to abolition of the post.

Taking into account that the petitioner was a centenarian and the documents relating to his service were not traceable, the court directed the authorities concerned to consider the case of the petitioner sympathetically based on the documents produced by him.

Students complain about old bicycles to Collector

26/02/2020, STAFF REPORTER,MADURAI

A set of students from Class 11 of the American College Higher Secondary School arrived at the Collectorate here, complaining about being given broken and old bicycles on Tuesday.

In the academic year 2001-2002, former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa launched the free bicycle scheme for girl students and those from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) communities to augment education.

The scheme was subsequently extended to all categories in government and government-aided schools.

One of the students pointed to the slashed tires and the broken basket on his bicycle.

A resident of Therkku Street in Melur, the student said that he had to cycle nearly 10 km to get to school.

While in some cycles the chain was broken, others did not seem to have any seats. One cycle’s mudguard was bent.

Another schoolmate asked how the students were expected to ride on these broken cycles to class.

“We are not from affluent families. We want a solution from the school and the government which has given us these bicycles,” he said.

He added that around 250 bicycles were distributed of which 1/5th was broken. The students submitted a petition to the Collector.

SC defers hearing in Nirbhaya case

Separate execution of convicts sought

26/02/2020, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred to March 5 the hearing of an appeal filed by the Centre for permission to separately execute the death sentence of the four Nirbhaya case convicts.

A three-judge Bench led by Justice R. Banumathi was informed at the beginning of the session that the trial court had fixed the execution of the four convicts for March 3 at 6 a.m.

The court decided to watch the unfolding of events over the next few days rather than start hearing arguments on the legality of executing convicts separately before the legal and administrative remedies available to their co-convicts are exhausted.

If the four convicts are indeed executed on March 3, the appeal would become infructuous on March 5, the court reasoned.

End of legal remedies

Except for Pawan Gupta, the other three Nirbhaya convicts — Vinay, Mukesh and Akshay — seem to have come to the road’s end of legal and administrative remedies available to them.

Pawan is yet to file a curative petition in the Supreme Court. He has also not filed a plea for clemency with the President. Earlier Solicitor General Tushar Mehra had highlighted how the convicts were trying the patience of the nation.

Five Supreme Court judges infected with swine flu
CJI meets Bar Association chief on steps to prevent spread

26/02/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Five judges of the Supreme Court have been affected by swine flu, caused by the H1N1 virus, the Union Health Ministry confirmed on Tuesday.

“Five judges were kept in home isolation as soon as the infection came to light and, of these, three judges have already resumed their duty; two continue to be under home isolation/observation and are recovering. The court rooms and residences are being sanitised,” a release issued by the Ministry said.

On Tuesday, Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde met with the Supreme Court Bar Association president Dushyant Dave to discuss urgent measures to prevent the spread of infection among judges, advocates, staff and litigants.

Mr. Dave later confirmed that some judges had been taken ill in the past few days. He, however, said he did not know their exact number.

The court itself assembled half an hour late on Tuesday. Some of the judges were on leave. Justice Sanjiv Khanna was seen wearing a mask in the courtroom. Justices Hemant Gupta, A.S. Bopanna and Abdul S. Nazeer did not attend court.

The public relations division of the Supreme Court confirmed that some of the judges had been unwell, but maintained that all of them had recovered fully.

Justice D.Y. Chandrachud expressed concern about the infection spreading. Justice Arun Mishra was heard cautioning people against coming to court if they exhibited traces of infection.

Elderly to get rations at doorsteps in Karnataka

26/02/2020,BENGALURU

The Department of Food,

Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs of Karnataka has decided to provide home delivery of ration to 1.4 lakh elderly people across the State in a few days. Minister for Food and Civil Supplies

K. Gopalaiah reviewed the programmes of the department and said food inspectors in the city limits and revenue inspectors in rural areas would be given the responsibility of delivering rations from the PDS shops to homes.

Another feeder service to link Airport Metro to MEPZ

Facility will be available every half hour, at ₹20 per trip

26/02/2020, STAFF REPORTER, CHENNAI

To cater to more passengers, the Chennai Metro has now decided to operate an additional air-conditioned tempo traveller from Chennai Airport Metro station to MEPZ (Madras Export Processing Zone) from Tuesday, according to a press release.

The service will be available every half hour and passengers would have to pay ₹20 for a trip.

The Chennai airport is one of the busiest stations with 10,000 passengers travelling through it every day and there are share-cars and tempo traveller facilities already from this station to Pammal besides four cars running from the station to MEPZ.

Hundreds of passengers from locations like Pammal, Pallavaram, Tambaram and MEPZ travel to the airport station and then take a metro to various locations in the city.

This apart, Chennai Metro have also been running share cars to several stations across the city.

Technical snag delays 2 international flights

TNN | Feb 26, 2020, 04.38 AM IST

Trichy: Nearly 200 passengers were stranded at the Trichy Internation Airport after two outbound international flights developed technical snags early on Tuesday. Following the issue, the Kuala Lumpur-bound Air Asia and Dubai bound Air India Express were grounded at the airport.

The scheduled arrival time for Air Asia flight from Kuala Lumpur is 11.40 and it will return at 12.10 am. When the flight was about to take off as per the schedule with 127 passengers, the flight developed a technical snag.

After intimating the air traffic control room, a technical team started to rectify the snag. Though the team took hours to fix it, the problem remained unsolved. Then the service was cancelled and the passengers waiting at the airport were shifted to a private hotel. Later a technical team was called in from Kuala Lumpur and engaged in rectifying the fault.

Though it was declared that the plane would depart at 10.30 am on Tuesday, technical team kept resolving the issue, forcing passengers to remain at the hotel till the evening.

Airport sources said that the terminal officials have been intimated that the flight would take off at 4 pm. However, that too did not happen. According to officials, the flight may leave Trichy probably at 9 in the night, adding some passengers were accommodated with 8.55-morning flight while others were waiting.

In another development, the Air India Express from Dubai, which was supposed to arrive at Trichy at 12.10 am on Tuesday landed at Trichy airport at 4.10 am a 4 hours delay. The flight should have departed from here at 1 am. However, it took off at 5.20 am, airport sources said.

Air France to launch Chennai - Paris flights

TNN | Feb 25, 2020, 07.05 PM IST

CHENNAI: Air France will operate direct flights from Chennai to Paris starting June 14.

Flight AF 107 will depart from Chennai international airport at 1.05am and arrive at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris at 8am.

Flight AF 108 will depart from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport at 10.10am and arrive at Chennai at 11.30pm.

The flights will be on Wednesdays, Fridays and Mondays from Chennai and on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from Paris.

The B787-9 Dreamliner plane would have 30 seats in business class, 21 in premium economy and 228 in economy class, said a press release.

Jet Airways was operating on the route. The flights were discontinued after the airline was grounded.

சென்னை ஸ்டான்லி உட்பட 5 மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி முதல்வர்கள் பணியிட மாற்றம்: முதல்வர்களாக 6 பேராசிரியர்களுக்கு பதவி உயர்வு

சென்னை 25.02.2020

சென்னை ஸ்டான்லி உட்பட தமிழகத்தில் 5 மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி முதல்வர்கள் பணியிட மாற்றம் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளனர். 6 பேராசிரியர்கள் மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி முதல்வர்களாக பதவி உயர்வு பெற்றுள்ளனர்.

பணியிட மாற்றம் குறித்த விவரம்: (ஏற்கெனவே மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி முதல்வராக இருந்த இடம் அடைப்புக் குறியில்):

செங்கல்பட்டு மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி - ஆர்.சாந்திமலர் (ஸ்டான்லி), ஸ்டான்லி மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி- பி.பாலாஜி (செங்கல்பட்டு), கள்ளக்குறிச்சி மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி -ஆர்.முருகேசன் (கோவை இஎஸ்ஐ), கோவை இஎஸ்ஐ மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி - ஏ.நிர்மலா (திருப்பூர்), அரியலூர் மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி - ஹெச்.முத்துகிருஷ்ணன் (விருதுநகர்).

முதல்வராக பதவி உயர்வு பெற்றுள்ளோர் விவரம்: (ஏற்கெனவே பேராசிரியராகப் பணியாற்றிய இடம் அடைப்புக் குறியில்)

நாமக்கல் மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி - கே.சாந்தா அருள்மொழி (மயக்கவியல் துறை, கோவை), திருவள்ளூர் மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி - அரசி வத்சன் (பெண்கள் நலன், மகப்பேறியல் துறை, சென்னை), திருப்பூர் மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி - வள்ளி சத்தியமூர்த்தி (மயக்கவியல் துறை, கீழ்ப்பாக்கம்), கிருஷ்ணகிரி மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி - ஆர்.முத்துச்செல்வன் (பொது மருத்துவத் துறை, சென்னை), விருதுநகர் மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி - சி.ரேவதி(நுண் உயிரியல் துறை, திருநெல்வேலி), நாகப்பட்டினம் மருத்துவக்கல்லூரி - வி.விஸ்வநாதன் (கதிரியக்க சிகிச்சை, சென்னை).

சுகாதாரத்துறை செயலர் வெளியிட்டுள்ள அறிவிப்பில் இத்தகவல் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டு உள்ளது.