Kurnool remains a worry as AP records 71 new infections

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Vijayawada:1.5.2020

Authorities battling coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh said Kurnool has emerged as the new hotbed after the district reported 43 of the 71new positive cases on Thursday.

So far, 386 cases have been reported in Kurnool, the highest for any district in the state so far. Nine people have also died from the virus there. “So far all these cases seem to be the primary and secondary contacts. But we are watchful,” said a senior district official.

The Covid-19 tally in AP also went up to 1403 but no deaths were reported for the fifth day in a row. The virus has so far claimed 31 lives in the state.

Krishna district reported 10 new cases, Guntur and Kadapa districts four each, Anantapur and Chittoor districts three each and East Godavari and Nellore districts two each. On a positive note, 34 patients recovered on Thursday and officials sent them home. So far, 321 patients have been discharged from hospitals.

Special chief secretary (health) KS Jawahar Reddy said the aggregate number of tests conducted in the state has increased to 94,558 with 6,497 tests in the past one day. Of them, 1,403 tested positive.

Other than Kurnool, Guntur and Krishna districts have so far reported eight deaths each. The virus has claimed four lives in Anantapur district and two lives in the Nellore district The other hotspot districts in AP - Guntur and Krishna - too continued to register fresh Covid-19 cases in double digits for the past few days. Guntur district stood second with 287 cases and Krishna district third with 246 cases. Barring Vizag, Srikakulam, Prakasam and West Godavari districts, other Covid-19 affected districts in the state reported fresh cases on Thursday. Vizianagaram district continued to remain the only Coronavirus-free district in AP with zero cases.

Cops sanitise their hands

Varsities to modify academic schedules

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hyderabad:1.5.2020

State and central universities across the state are set to modify exam and academic schedules, guidelines for which were issued by University Grants Commission (UGC) on Wednesday.

The University of Hyderabad (UoH) announced that they will issue a modified schedule — including pending end semester exams and entrance exams —after May 7. UoH clarified that its attempt will be to align its contingency plans with the UGC guidelines.

“The plan is to stagger the return of students and complete semester work in phases, in a manner that is empathetic to the current situation, even while ensuring that we do not compromise on the high academic standards of the university,” reads a UoH press release.

The Telangana State Council of Higher Education has also sought views of all state universities on the UGC guidelines and is likely to finalise a modified academic calendar by the end of this week.

“As per the report, UGC aimed at central universities and centrally funded colleges. They did not focus on state universities. Different state universities have their own almanacs and common entrance test dates,” said Prof Sriram Venkatesh, controller of examination, Osmania University, adding that state universities may partially follow UGC guidelines, final decision of which shall be taken by TSCHE and state government.

PLANNING AHEAD

‘Fresh varsity session from Sept, pending exams in July’

MPhil And PhD Students Get 6-Month Extension From UGC

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

1.5.2020

New Delhi:

The new academic session will begin in universities from September 1 and from August 1for those already enrolled, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has said in its guidelines on examinations and academic calendar in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. The pending university exams are to be conducted in July.

The admissions for the 2020-21 session will be conducted between August 1-31, according to the guidelines issued on Wednesday. It has also been recommended that universities may adopt alternative and simplified modes and methods of exams to complete the process in a shorter period of time like reducing the time from 3 hours to 2 hours as well as offering flexibility of both online and offline exams. The guidelines, based on the recommendations of two expert committees, are suggestive in nature and universities can adjust as per their requirement and prevailing situation.

The University Grants Commission said in case the situation does not appear to be normal in view of Covid-19, grading of students could be composite of 50% marks on the basis of internal evaluation and 50% marks on the basis of performance in previous semester (if available). In case of unavailability of previous semester marks, it said, “100% evaluation may be done on the basis of internal assessment.” In such a situation, students may be allowed to improve their grades in special exams during next semester.

The UGC has also granted extension of six months to students of MPhil and PhD.

It stated that universities may follow a six-day week pattern, develop virtual classroom and video-conferencing facilities; prepare e-content/ e-lab experiments and upload on their websites; and train faculty in information and communications technology (ICT) for use of online teaching tools so that they complete about 25% of the syllabus through online teaching.

In view of the uncertain situation, higher educational institutions have been given the freedom to adopt/ adapt and implement these guidelines by making alterations, additions or modifications to deal with any particular situations in the best interest of students, the institution and the entire education system.

For the remaining 2019-20 session, it has suggested that teaching would continue through distance learning and online tools like video-conferencing, social media, emails, etc till May 31. Activities like finalisation of dissertation or project work, internship reports, e-labs, completion of syllabus, internal assessment, assignment and placement drive will be conducted between June 1and 15. The examinations will be conducted between July 1 and 31 and results will be declared on July 31 (for terminal exams) and August 14 (for intermediate papers).

2 TN men drive 3,450km to take youth’s body to his Mizoram home

Aditi R & Shilarze Saha Roy TNN

Chennai:1.5.2020

At midnight on April 24, when he began his 3,450km journey from Tamil Nadu to Mizoram, carrying the body of 28-year-old Vivian Remsanga, ambulance driver S Chinnathambi did not dare tell his family where he was going. “I lied saying I was driving to Tirunelveli. I knew they would not understand why I was taking such a risk in the middle of a pandemic,” says Chinnathambi. “But for me, all I wanted was to give a family the chance to bury their son.”

On April 23, Vivian had died of a heart attack in his apartment, and with the city in lockdown, transporting the body to his hometown looked next to impossible, especially with air routes shut down. But that’s when Chinnathambi and fellow driver P Jeyendhran stepped up to take on the four-day-long journey nobody else was willing to.

After the Chennai Mizo Welfare Association coordinated the paperwork and state permits with health workers at the Royapettah GH mortuary, the two drivers, along with Vivian’s friend Raphael AVL Malchhanhima, began their arduous journey across six states — Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam and Meghalaya. “We had to pass through countless checkposts. We were interrogated by policemen particularly at the Tamil Nadu and West Bengal borders, and screened for Covid-19 before we were allowed passage,” says Jeyendhran.

Along the near-deserted highways, says Raphael, most restaurants were shut because of the lockdown.

The three had to travel for long hours before they would spot an eatery that was open.

Raphael AVL Malchhanhima flanked by ambulance drivers S Chinnathambi and P Jeyendhran

MHA gives broad hints of extending lockdown period

New Delhi:1.5.2020

The Centre on Wednesday gave clear indications that the ongoing nationwide lockdown will be extended beyond May 3 but with ‘considerable relaxations’ to people and services in ‘many districts’.

The ministry of home affairs, however, said there was a need to maintain a strict lockdown till May 3 so that the gains are not squandered away. The nationwide lockdown was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 in a bid to combat the coronavirus threat. It was further extended till May 3.

In a series of tweets, the Union home hinistry said it has held a comprehensive review meeting on the lockdown situation in the country and has found that there have been tremendous gains and improvement in the Covid-19 situation due to the lockdown till now.

“New guidelines to fight #Covid-19 will come into effect from 4th May, which shall give considerable relaxations to many districts. Details regarding this shall be communicated in the days to come,” the home ministry spokesperson tweeted.

The first guidelines were issued on March 24 immediately after the prime minister announced the lockdown for 21 days. The guidelines, issued under the Disaster Management Act by the Union home secretary, specified the people and services exempted from the lockdown.The home ministry spokesperson also said to ensure that these gains are not squandered away, the lo down guidelines should be strictly observed till May 3.

The home ministry's tweets tagged the Prime Minister's Office, Home Minister's Office and the Ministry of Health with a hashtag “#StayHomeStaySafe”.

The Telangana government has already extended the lockdown till May 7 while the Punjab government extended it for two more weeks beyond May 3.

Several chief ministers, who attended a meeting convened by the Prime Minister on Monday, have sought the extension of the lockdown as coronavirus cases continue to rise in the country.

The number of Covid-19 hotspot districts in India on Wednesday has come down to 129 from 170 a fortnight ago, but in the same period the number of infection-free districts or green zones too decreased from 325 to 307. AGENCIES

The ministry of home affairs, however, said there was a need to maintain a strict lockdown till May 3 so that the gains are not squandered away

41 doctors retire, but will continue for 2 more months

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Thiruvananthapuram:1.5.2020

As many as 41 doctors retired from the government medical college hospitals on Thursday.

The retired doctors and other health workers, however, will continue for two more months on an ad hoc basis.

This is the first batch of doctors who are retiring from the medical education service after the retirement age was increased to 62 from 60 in 2017.

There was hefty lobbying to extend the retirement age for the second time but the state government did not approve the proposal. More number of doctors who retired are from Thiruvananthapuram medical college: 13. In addition to this, joint director of medical education has also retired.

From Kottayam medical college hospital 11 doctors, from Kozhikode MCH five doctors, Alappuzha MCH two doctors, Kollam MCH two doctors, Thrissur MCH seven doctors and from Idukki MCH one doctor got retired.

The retirement age of doctors was increased to 62 from 60 in 2017 when the same bunch of senior doctors were due for retirement that year. However, a proposal was mooted to increase the retirement age to 65 along with the pay revision for the medical college doctors.

The finance department had opposed the proposal to increase the retirement age. The finance department had made it clear that it would affect the prospects of several junior doctors. The health department was also against increasing the retirement age further. The Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA) was also against increasing the retirement age.

Volunteers distribute food packets in Kottayam on Thursday

The most number of retirements, 13, were from Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. There were 11 from Kottayam, seven from Thrissur, five from Kozhikode, two each from Alappuzha and Kollam and one from Idukki Medical College that retired on Thursday

Guv promulgates ordinance on salary as per govt request

Disbursal Of Govt Employees’ Wages To Begin From May 4

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Thiruvananthapuram:1.5.2020

In a huge relief to the cash-strapped state government, governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Thursday gave his stamp of approval to the request for promulgating an ordinance that gives legal credence to the government decision to defer a portion of government employees’ salary for the next five months.

Though there was lack of agreement among legal experts regarding the legal strength of the ordinance, the governor promulgated the ordinance without out raising questions. The draft ordinance was approved by the cabinet on Wednesday as an emergency measure to circumvent the high court order that questioned the government’s right to defer salary payment on the basis of an executive order.

Welcoming the promulgation of the ordinance as requested by the government, finance minister T M Thomas Isaac said the salary disbursement of government employees would start on May 4. “Priority would be given to the salary disbursal of healthcare workers and police personnel. The approval to employees who fall under various other categories would follow,” Isaac said.

The ordinance gives government the right to set aside up to 25% of the salary of government employees, teachers and others employed in institutions that receive government grant. The government, however, now plans to set aside only 20% of the salary, by deferring six days’ payment from the monthly wages for five months.

Isaac repeated that the government was bound to return the money set aside from the salary of employees. “If the economic condition improves significantly in the coming months, the amount would soon be given back in cash or by merging the same in provident fund. The deferred payment would be kept in a separate account in government treasury and the same would be transferred to CMDRF. A total of Rs 2,500 crore would be thus transferred to CMDRF over the next five months,” he said.

The governor has also given approval to the ordinance that allows the government to deduct 30% of salary/honorarium of people’s representatives including ministers, MLAs and elected members of local bodies.

Meanwhile, employees’ organizations owing allegiance to UDF and BJP are planning to challenge the ordinance in the high court.

Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan with a mask at his press meet on Thursday

Govt sanctions ₹13.78cr for CCTVs in treasuries

KP.Saikiran@timesgroup.com

Thiruvananthapuram:1.5.2020

Despite raising concerns regarding the poor financial condition of the state, the finance department has allotted Rs 13.78 crore for purchasing CCTV cameras and generators as part of the implementation of Information Security Management System (ISMS) in the treasury department.

As per a government order issued on Tuesday, the purchase includes CCTV surveillance system, diesel generator sets, fire extinguishers and queue management and token system equipment.

The ISMS will help obtain ISO 27001certification for the integrated financial management system in the state treasury. The consultancy service for the ISMS was given to M/s Ernest and Young LLP, at a cost of Rs 1.54 crore which was sanctioned in January 2019. The consultant companies considered were Price Waterhouse Coopers Pvt Limited, KPMG and Wipro.

The treasury department’s move to set up additional facilities in its offices comes at a time when bills even to the tune of a few lakh rupees are pending before it and the government is struggling to pay the salaries of the employees. The harsh treasury restrictions that have been put in place due to the financial crunch means only those bills from the administrative departments that are up to Rs 50,000 are being immediately passed.

However, the finance department is of the view that the project cannot wait as it is part of a fool-proof system needed for the treasury going digital.

“As much as 95% of data of financial transactions in our treasury is in the digital mode. The volume is more than that of any commercial bank. So, we need to ensure data security. This project was sanctioned last financial year and 60% of the work has been completed. In order to complete the project, some physical infrastructure need to be set up,” said treasuries director Jafar A M.

A technician installing a CCTV camera in Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala guv OKs ordinance on salary deferment

Thiruvananthapuram:1.5.2020

In a huge relief to the cash-strapped Kerala government, governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Thursday gave his stamp of approval to the request for promulgating an ordinance that gives legal credence to the government decision to defer a portion of government employees’ salary for the next five months.

Though there was lack of agreement among legal experts regarding the legal strength of the ordinance, the governor promulgated it without raising questions. The draft ordinance was approved by the cabinet on Wednesday as an emergency measure to circumvent the high court order that questioned the government’s right to defer salary payment on the basis of an executive order. TNN

RISHI KAPOOR 1952-2020

Mulk Mourns As Kapoors Lose A Son

April has been a cruel month. Now the first family of Bollywood has lost its biggest star. Son of a legendary showman, Rishi Kapoor never allowed the illustrious record of his elders to weigh him down. He was a versatile artiste with a nearly 50-year career

Avijit.Ghosh@timesgroup.com

1.5.2020

In a long, glittering career, Rishi Kapoor acted in romantic thrillers (Khel Khel Mein) and love yarns of different shades (Kabhi Kabhie, Laila Majnu, Sargam, Prem Rog, Tawaif, Saagar, Henna). He danced better (Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahi, Karz) than most contemporaries. A lesser actor would have got lost in masala multi-starrers (Amar Akbar Anthony, Naseeb) but Rishi’s easy charm and comic timing helped him sail through. And yes, his movies were synonymous with chartbusting tracks, generally composed by RD Burman and Laxmikant-Pyarelal.

With passing time, he abandoned the mannerisms that came in the way of his growth as an actor. In the coda of his career, when character actor parts were more etched out, Rishi Kapoor found a second wind. A garrulous Bollywood producer (Luck By Chance), a gay dean (Student of the Year), a loathsome trafficker (Agneepath), a spirited grandfather (Kapoor & Sons) and an aging Muslim laywer battling for honour (Mulk) -- he invested each part with a sense of the real.

“My second phase as a character artiste is particularly gratifying because I could disprove certain misconceptions that people have about senior actors,” Rishi wrote in Khullam Khulla, the autobiography he co-authored with Meena Iyer.

Few Bollywood autobiographies – barring those by Dev Anand and Naseeruddin Shah -- are so honest. Rishi spoke about fearing his father before coming to admire him, his bouts with alcohol, depression and chauvinism. He wrote how he had objected to Rajesh Khanna -- whom he initially disliked -- being considered for Raj Kapoor’s Satyam Shivam Sundaram, and admitted to a drunken fight with fellow actor Sanjay Khan. He admitted how he had gone to Javed Akhtar’s home to bait him after Imaan-Dharam scripted by Salim-Javed had flopped and expressed regret at not being able to help RD Burman when the down-and-out maestro asked for work late in his career.

Kapoor was born on Sept 4, 1952 in Bombay’s no. 1 film family. “I have a vault filled with priceless memories, and a unique vantage point since birth. I have seen four generations of Kapoors at work -- from my grandfather, my father, uncles and brothers, to Karisma, Kareena and Ranbir (his son),” he said in his autobiography.

He was a natural. In his debut role as a boy besotted by his school teacher in his father’s Mera Naam Joker, Rishi projected the right degree of infatuation with heartbreak. Bobby was made primarily by Raj Kapoor to tide over the losses suffered after Joker flopped. The love story oozing with teen glamour became a monster hit. Songs such as Hum tum ek kamre mein band hon – now revived in these times of social distancing -- were frowned upon by aging India but lapped up by the young and the loveless. Kapoor and his co-star Dimple Kapadia became the vanilla of the season.

The film shaped his image as a romantic star. He was yoked to the template of youthful entertainers, where he lipsynced to peppy songs in pullovers. He was often paired with debutantes (Shoma Anand in Barood, Kajal Kiran in Hum Kisi Se..., Ranjeeta in Laila Majnu).

Always in step with the times, Rishi Kapoor was a regular on Twitter. He tweeted honestly and, sometimes controversially, to his 3.5 million followers. The actor’s last tweet, posted on April 2 was straight from the heart. He wrote, “An appeal to all brothers and sisters from all social status and faiths. Please don’t resort to violence, stone throwing or lynching. Doctors, nurses, medics, policemen etc… are endangering their lives to save you. We have to win this Coronavirus war together. Please. Jai Hind!”

Trichy doc, assn donate thermometers to PHCs

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Trichy:1.5.2020

Highlighting the use of infrared thermometers instead of conventional thermometers when checking patients to avoid likely Covid-19 infections, Rotary Club Rock City of Trichy and a citybased cardiologist on Wednesday provided 14 infrared thermometers, each worth ₹5,000, to primary health centres (PHCs) in Trichy city.

Dr Senthilkumar Nallusamy, chief cardiologist at Rana Hospital, who organised the project, said the main advantage of infrared thermometers is that it would not require physical contact with the patient. It would not cause discomfort to the individual being assessed and can be used to screen large groups.

A team comprising Nallusamy and club president Rajesh and secretary Thilakchander first handed over an infrared thermometer to Trichy collector S Sivarasu and then disrtibuted the rest to UPHCs in Woraiyur, Gandhipuram, Ramalinga Nagar, Periyamelaguparai, E pudur, Beemanagar, Iruthaiyapurm, Beerangikulam, Airport, Subramaniyapuram, Thennur, Tepakulam and E B Road.

Nallusamy also donated 10 face shields to each UPHC and highlighted the importance of those on teh frontlines using such protective gear.

Wedding gifts through google pay

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  1.5.2020

A home guard personnel, who got married at Thiruvottiyur on Wednesday, received cash gifts from family members and friends through google pay.

The newly-married couple gave food packets to the poor people gathered at the Angala Parameshwari temple, the venue of their marriage which was witnessed by limited family members.

The home guard personnel Ram Ganapathy, 26, attached to the Thiruvottiyur police station, was engaged to Roopavathi in February this year.

As per their earlier plan, their marriage was fixed on April 29 in the city.

Due to the state-wide lockdown, they cancelled their plan to conduct marriage at a kalyana mantapam, which they had booked soon after the engagement.

Kovilpatti’s kadalai mittai gets GI tag after 5-yr delay

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:1.5.2020

After a five-year wait, Kovilpatti kadalai mittai (chikki or a jaggery with peanuts) has finally got Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

Now, members of the Kovilpatti Regional Kadalai Mittai Manufacturers and Retailers Association, based out of Kovilpatti and some towns and villages in Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu, will have an exclusive right over the tag.

GI tags are granted for produce or products originating from and having unique qualities corresponding to a geographical area. The tag gives exclusive right to its holders over the uniqueness of the product. This also ensures that none other than the right holders to claim or use the product name attributing to its geographical origin. The GI tag has been granted to the groundnut sweet by the Geographical Indications Registry recognising the uniqueness of the ingredients used for its manufacture procured from the geographical area of Kovilpatti. The ingredients include groundnuts grown in the native black soil of Kovilpatti, organic jaggery and water sourced from the Thamirabarani river, said IPR attorney and the associations counsel P Sanjai Gandhi.

The other recognised uniqueness includes the production process which is done using ‘veragu aduppu’ (firewood stove), he added.

Though the application seeking GI tag for the sweet was made by the Kovilpatti Regional Kadalaimittai Manufacturers and Retailers Association on July 3, 2014 the same was published in the official GI journal only on November 29, 2019 inviting objections if any.

“Once the publication is made in the official journal, objections must be made within a maximum of four months from the date of publication. Since no objection has been received by the GI registry till the expiry of the said period, GI tag has been granted for Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai,” IP attorney K Muthu Selvam said

Kashmiri students stranded in city, want to return home

Aditi.R@timesgroup.com

Chennai:1.5.2020

Kashmiri students in city colleges including professional institutions are stranded due to the shutdown and are struggling to access essentials.

A group of students living in Selaiyur said that their parents are slowly finding it difficult to send them money because they have not earned any income from their businesses since the lockdown was imposed in their state. And by the day the essential supplies in their locality too are becoming expensive which the students are unable to afford.

“A packet of instant noodles whose MRP is Rs. 10 is now sold at not less than 20. This is the same for all other food and grocery items,” said Owais, a college student from Kashmir who is pursuing a professional course in a private institution in the city. He added that the store is open only for a few hours in the morning, but every time they go there they are charged higher rates. “If we question, the shopkeeper asks us to find another store. But no other grocery store is open here. This is the only one and we have no option to buy it from here,” he said.

Owais and his four friends, who are also from Kashmir but came to the city to study, moved to a flat at Selaiyur, near Agaram main road, after their universities closed the campus and declared that all students must vacate the hostels, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, over a month ago. The students were all living in their respective college hostels before.

“We had already paid the hostel fees but then were suddenly asked to leave,’ said Qasim, another student from Kashmir. “We wanted to go home, but couldn’t since no transportation was available at that time. So we moved to a flat, temporarily, hoping that the lockdown will be lifted soon, but it’s only getting extended,” he said.

The students said that apart from spending on their daily essentials, they also have to pay their monthly rent. “My father has been sending me money, but since there is no business happening back home, he is also struggling. I have three siblings there, who are also studying. He needs to look after them too,” said Owais.

The students said that they had a hard time during the four day shutdown. “Our gas cylinder got over and despite several requests, the agency kept delaying. We were surviving on biscuits and whatever food we had during this time because all restaurants were also shut,” he said.

All their classes are now being held online, the students said that they were also told that their colleges will not reopen until August.

A few state governments like Kerala have started registering their students who are currently stuck in different parts of the country and abroad, to bring them back home. The government of Jammu and Kashmir has been circulating forms to bring back Indian nationals from the state, who are working or studying abroad, back home.

Several students living in Selaiyur said that their parents were slowly finding it difficult to send them money because they had not earned any income from their businesses since the lockdown was imposed in their state

HC imposes ₹10,000 cost on lawyer for PIL on bank EMIs

Chennai:1.5.2020

Madras high court imposed Rs 10,000 as cost on a lawyer who wanted the court to direct the Union government and the RBI to extend the EMI moratorium granted for all types of bank loans till July without interest.

A special bench of Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice M Nirmal Kumar imposed the cost while dismissing the plea moved by advocate B Ramkumar Adityan. The court also wondered whether the petitioner, who is a lawyer, himself has personally contributed anything towards Covid-19 relief measures. According to the petitioner, everyone irrespective of profession has suffered financially in this nationwide lockdown. TNN

Colleges may use online classes post lockdown

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:1.5.2020

With majority of students and faculty members familiarising themselves to online learning, city colleges may use online classes to avoid crowded classrooms and to maintain social distancing post Covid-19 lockdown.

Some colleges are also thinking of starting next the semester early with online classes in case the start of the academic year is delayed further due to Covid-19 spread in the city. Though online classes started as contingency plan to finish portions, many faculty members and students are accustomed to the new mode of learning and plan to integrate them with the regular mode of learning.

Thomas Amirtham, principal of Loyola College said online classes would be handy to maintain social distancing when colleges reopen.

"We have nearly 10,000 students studying in both the shifts in our college. Covid-19 is expected to be dormant and there are chances for a second and a third wave. If we conduct classes for entire students that would be risky for students as well as faculty members," he said. "We have to think new ways of facilitating teaching and learning. We can allow students to learn through online platforms wherever it is possible and schedule contact classes once or twice in a week," he said.

P Duraisamy, vice-chancellor of Madras University, said colleges may have to shift to online classes to avoid crowded classrooms post Covid-19. "Online classes would be useful at the start of the academic year. Faculty members may upload video lectures and later conduct classes by splitting them into small groups to clarify doubts," he said.

Many colleges said online learning would be integral part of teaching and learning post Covid-19.

"Online classes will be an integral part of teaching learning process post Covid-19 lockdown," says R Ganesan, principal for DG Vaishnav College. "The online platforms can be useful to give assignments to students, can be helpful to students who cannot attend classes and to take extra classes," he said adding that poor students may not have facilities like smart phones, computers and internet connectivity and colleges need to consider them as well while shifting to online classes.

Engineering colleges say except analytical subjects, they can take online classes for other subjects and it could supplement the regular classes.

"If next semester is delayed, then we may start with online classes," said B Chidambaranathan, principal of Valliammai Engineering College. He further said colleges may ask their faculty members to take online classes one day in a week if working days extended to six days a week.

While many colleges use tools like Google Classroom, IT companies are also open to offer their online platforms to colleges to take classes and conduct tests.

"Accenture, one of our recruiters offered to share online platform to conduct online classes and tests. Companies also using online platforms for onboard training," he said.

K Maran, director of Sri Sairam Engineering College said webinars and online faculty development programmes are increasingly getting popular among faculty members besides online classes.

Cases re-emerge in Salem, Madurai

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  1.5.2020

Health authorities in Salem hoped the district would soon join neighbouring Erode and Nilgiris which reported zero Covid-19 cases for the past several days.

But there was disappointment on Thursday when a person from Salem tested positive for the virus after a gap of five days. It is not just Salem that has reported a fresh case after a lull. Madurai, which did not have a positive case, for two consecutive days, reported five new cases on Thursday. Similar is the case of Ramanathapuram, where three people tested positive after a gap of three days. So were Perambalur and Ariyalur districts which had two and one positive cases respectively when they were showing signs of hope without cases for consecutive days.

The Salem patient is an employee of a sub-court in Mettur. “He is from Kottagoundampatty village near Omalur. We have traced his source of infection to a woman patient from Suramangalam,’’ R Balajinathan, dean of the Salem Government Mohan Kumarmangalam Medical College and Hospital. He said that the woman had tested positive at the Kerala border when she was heading to the neighbouring state for work a few days ago. Health officials have sealed the street along which the patient was residing and have disinfected the locality.

There was slight disappointment among health officials, particularly in Madurai, because of the unexpected spike in cases when they were hoping to flatten the curve. Nevertheless, they say it is not alarming. Among the five positive cases in Madurai, for instance, two were frontline workers and one was from a containment zone, officials said.

Among those who tested positive is a 26-year-old man, a native of Tuticorin, who is serving in the disaster management team. He had been working in Chennai and was deployed to Madurai. Another Covid positive patient, a 42-year-old woman, was a health worker from the Government Rajaji Hospital.

In Ramanathapuram, all the three who tested positive were frontline workers - a 30-year-old traffic police constable, a 29-yearold fireman and a 33-year-old domestic breeding checker. The southern district reported the last Covid case on April 26.

“The police station and fire station have been closed following the test results. The traffic police station is now functioning just outside the station building as a temporary measure. We are screening all the personnel in the police station and fire station,” said a health official.

Health authorities said the number of people testing positive would drop in the coming days.

RISHI KAPOOR | Sept 1952 – April 2020

Man of easy charm & comic timing bids adieu

Avijit.Ghosh@timesgroup.com

1.5.2020

Rishi Kapoor, who stormed into young hearts and stardom with the bubblegum blockbuster Bobby (1973), and who reinvented himself in the new millennium deftly navigating fluctuating popular trends and fickle public taste, passed away in a Mumbai hospital on Thursday. The actor, who was battling leukemia, was  67. “He remained jovial and determined to live to the fullest right through two years of treatment across two continents,” his family said in a statement.

Rishi arrived at a time when Rajesh Khanna’s reign of romance was fast on the fade. Amitabh Bachchan and action were the new box-office currency. With his chocolate looks and red lips, Raj Kapoor’s second son appeared to be on the wrong side of vogue. But Rishi didn’t fight the tide; rather he found ways to survive and thrive.

Rishi acted in romantic thrillers (Khel Khel Mein) and love yarns of different shades (Kabhi Kabhie, Laila Majnu, Sargam, Prem Rog, Tawaif, Saagar, Henna). He danced better (Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahi, Karz) than most of his contemporaries. A lesser actor would have got lost in masala multi-starrers (Amar Akbar Anthony, Naseeb) but Rishi’s easy charm and comic timing helped him sail him through these megahits. And yes, his movies were synonymous with chartbusting tracks, generally composed by R D Burman and Laxmikant-Pyarelal.

With passing time, he abandoned the mannerisms that had prevented his growth as an actor. In the coda of his career, when character actor parts were more etched out, Rishi Kapoor found a second wind. A garrulous Bollywood producer (Luck By Chance), a gay dean (Student of the Year), a loathsome trafficker (Agneepath), a middle-class maths teacher who dreams of buying a car (Do Dooni Char), a spirited grandfather (Kapoor & Sons) and an aging Muslim laywer battling for honour (Mulk) — he played each part with gusto investing them with a sense of the real.

Always in step with the times, Rishi was a regular on Twitter

Rishi wrote in Khullam Khulla, the autobiography he co-authored with Meena Iyer, “My second phase as a character artiste is particularly gratifying because I could disprove certain misconceptions that people have about senior actors.”

Few Bollywood autobiographies — barring those by Dev Anand and Naseeruddin Shah — are so unsparingly honest. Rishi spoke about fearing his father before coming to admire him, his bouts with alcohol, depression and chauvinism. He wrotehowhehadobjectedtoRajeshKhanna —whom heinitially disliked — being considered for Raj Kapoor’s Satyam Shivam Sundaram, and admitted to a drunken fight with fellow actor Sanjay Khan. He admitted how he had gone to Javed Akhtar’s home to bait him after Imaan-Dharam scripted by Salim-Javed had flopped and expressed regret at not being able to help R D Burman when the down-and-out music maestro asked for work late in his career.

Kapoor was born on Sept 4, 1952 in Bombay’s no. 1 film family. “I have a vault filled with priceless memories, and a unique vantage point since birth. I have seen four generationsof Kapoors atwork—from my grandfather, my father, uncles and brothers, to Karisma, Kareena and Ranbir (his son),” he said in his autobiography.

Hewas a natural at acting.In his debut role as a boy besotted by his attractive school teacher in his father’s Mera Naam Joker, Rishi projected the right degree of infatuation with heartbreak. Bobby was made primarily by RajKapoor totideover the lossessuffered after theflopping of Joker. The love story, which sloshed the eternal rich vs poor theme with a bunch of irresistible numbers and teen glamour, became a monster hit. Songs such as Hum tum ek kamre mein band hon — now revived with gleein thesetimesof social distancing — were frowned upon by ageing India butlappedup by the young and the loveless. Kapoor and his co-star Dimple Kapadia became the vanilla of the season. The film shaped Rishi’simageof a romanticstar. In a career spanning nearly five decades, the actor starred in over 150 films forming a trendy romantic pair with Neetu Singh, who later became his wife. He also directed the flop, Aa Ab Laut Chalen.

Always in step with the times, Rishi Kapoor was a regular on Twitter.

Panel says TN can’t open up fully on May 3

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:1.5.2020

A state health experts committee on Covid-19 that met the chief minister on Thursday has advised a staggered exit from the lockdown and said Tamil Nadu cannot open up completely when the nationwide lockdown ends on May 3.

The committee met Edappadi K Palaniswami and senior government officials at the secretariat in Chennai over precautions to be followed during partial relaxation of the lockdown. “Lockdowncannot be lifted fully in the state. The situation is such that it cannot be done… Lockdown can be lifted in a phased manner,” said Prabhdeep Kaur, deputy director, national institute of epidemiology, and expert member of the panel. The committee took note of the hike in number of people being tested and jump in positive cases in TN over the past 15 days.

Panel advises against allowing public transport in TN for a month

A source said, “The state cabinet will decide on Saturday. Some corporations such as Chennai, Coimbatore and Tirupur where cases are high will maintain status quo. An expert panel on exit strategy will make a presentation before the CMon Friday and moresector-specific relaxations are expected.”

According to sources, the health committee has made zone-specific recommendations to the government: Partial relaxation in orange zones, status quo with a few more exemptionsin redzones, andtotal relaxation in green zones. The committee has told the government not to allow public transport, public gathering, and opening of cinemas and places of worship across the state for at least a month. According to Kaur, while positive cases were on the rise in certain districts, many also recordeddecline. “We have suggested indicators from epidemiological and health system point of view. The government could relax lockdown in certain areas based on surveillance and data analytics,” she said.

Even if the state decides to relax thelockdown,certain measuressuch as social distancing, personal hygiene and wearing masks in public places must be adhered to. “We have to change our lifestyle. The virus is going tostayfor a long time,” shesaid.

Elderly people, who are most vulnerable, must be protected and interactions with them by young people must be restricted. Similarly, people with co-morbidities should get proper treatment to reduce Covid-19 risk. The expert said the state should continue measures such as surveillance, contact tracing, isolation of detected cases and quarantine. Only with communitysupport, the situation could be brought under control.

Epidemiologist Dr G Kuganantham said the government should ensure 25 districts where cases have seen a decline should progress to green zones. “Private hospitals should have a separate wing for ILI/SARI/Covidcaseswith adequate protective equipment,” Kaur said.

As state awaits lockdown exit, cases hit 161 in 1 day; 138 in city

Asymptomatic May Be Moved Out Of Hospitals

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 01.05.2020

Tamil Nadu and Chennai recorded their highest daily increase in Covid-19 positive cases on Thursday and, as demand for hospital beds in the city went up, pressure mounted on public health authorities to move asymptomatic patients out of them.

The state recorded 161 fresh cases, the count crossing three digits for the third day in a row, and Chennai accounted for 138 of them. Several other districts too reported cases after a gap of several days.

By evening, all four city government hospitals had more than 150 patients, and deans were pushing the state health administration to move asymptomatic patients and those with mild symptoms out of hospitals to Covid care centres for isolation and treatment, with enough nurses and doctors. “It is a protocol suggested by the ICMR. We are examining it,” a senior official said. Increase in cases is expected in an epidemic, said health minister C Vijayabaskar. “We are testing at least 7,000 people statewide daily, including 2,000 in Chennai. We are looking for cases and getting them.” However, the state has high recovery rates and low mortality , the minister said.

Health officials said Chennai’s expanding clusters were now impacting the neighbouring districts of Chengalpet, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram.

HOTSPOT: Visitors washing their hands before entering Koyambedu market

98% cases asymptomatic, 22k beds in city

Chennai corporation commissioner G Prakash on Thursday said 98% positive cases in the city are asymptomatic, and work has begun to convert rooms in schools and colleges into Covid-19 care centres to set up 22,000 beds. Three weeks from now, all positive patients with ‘mild’ symptoms will be taken to these centres and not government hospitals for intensive care, the officer said. P 3

Vegetable markets are feeding clusters

For instance, a cancer patient discharged from the Adyar Cancer Institute a week ago tested positive with four family members in Chengalpet.

“We are seeing similar trends in Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram as well. Most of them had visited hotspots such as markets in Chennai,” said a senior official at the directorate of public health. While Chengalpet recorded five cases, Kancheepuram recorded three and Tiruvallur had one case on Thursday.

Vegetable and fruit vendors in Koyambedu and markets and grocers across Chennai are feeding the clusters.

On Thursday, even as a large section of the Koyambedu market complex closed for disinfection, 10 vendors tested positive. Less than 3km away, seven family members of a vendor residing at Ayyappa Nagar near Chinmaya Nagar in Virugambakkam tested positive.

“We are telling people not to visit markets and grocers every day. The elderly and vulnerable should take help from neighbours,” said Greater Chennai Corporation joint commissioner, health, Madhusudan Reddy.

Health workers fanned out into crowded areas of Teeds Garden in Perambur, Thattankulam in Choolai and Adam Street in Triplicane. One the largest clusters was in one lane in Thattankulam – 11 people who caught the virus from a fever surveillance officer, who was infected in the line of duty.

On Thursday, 48 people were discharged from various hospitals across TN taking the total number of people discharged to 1,258. However, the number of active cases – people in hospital with Covid-19 infection -- has been steadily increasing. From 809 on Monday, it touched 1,035 on Thursday.

Several districts reported cases on Thursday after a lull. A person from Salem tested positive after a gap of five days.

Madurai reported five new cases after two days. Ramanathapuram recorded three cases after a gap of three days.