UGC Final year Exam Vs States protest

 

வீட்டு கடன் வாங்கியவர் வங்கி முன் தீக்குளிப்பு

வீட்டு கடன் வாங்கியவர் வங்கி முன் தீக்குளிப்பு

Added : ஆக 27, 2020 23:24 

தஞ்சாவூர்: வீட்டுக் கடன் வாங்கியவர், வங்கி முன் தீக்குளித்தார்.தஞ்சாவூர் மாவட்டம், வல்லத்தைச் சேர்ந்தவர், ஆனந்த், 40; வெல்டர். வல்லம் பஸ் ஸ்டாண்ட் அருகே உள்ள தனியார் வங்கியில், 2015ம் ஆண்டு, வீடு கட்டுவதற்காக, 9 லட்சம் ரூபாய் கடன் வாங்கியுள்ளார்.

அதில், வட்டியுடன் சேர்த்து, கடன் தொகை, 13 லட்சம் ரூபாயை திருப்பிச் செலுத்தியுள்ளார். இந்நிலையில், கடன் தொகையில், 6 லட்சம் ரூபாய் நிலுவை இருப்பதாக, வங்கி நிர்வாகம், ஆனந்துக்கு நோட்டீஸ் அனுப்பியது.நேற்று மதியம், வங்கிக்கு சென்ற ஆனந்த், ''ஏற்கனவே, 13 லட்சம் ரூபாய் செலுத்தியுள்ளேன்.

மேலும், 6 லட்சம் ரூபாய் நிலுவை இருப்பதாக கூறுவதால், அவகாசம் வேண்டும்,'' என வங்கிப் பணியாளர்களிடம் கேட்டுள்ளார். வங்கி பணியாளர்கள், அதற்கு மறுப்பு தெரிவித்ததாக கூறப்படுகிறது.இதனால், வேதனையடைந்த ஆனந்த், வங்கி முன், உடலில் மண்ணெண்ணெய் ஊற்றி தீ வைத்துக் கொண்டார். அருகில் இருந்தவர்கள், அவரை மீட்டு, தஞ்சாவூர் மருத்துவக்கல்லுாரி மருத்துவமனையில் சேர்த்தனர்.வல்லம் போலீசார் விசாரிக்கின்றனர்.

சான்றிதழ்களை மறுபதிவு செய்யச் சொல்வது எதற்கு? டாக்டர்கள் கொந்தளிப்பு

சான்றிதழ்களை மறுபதிவு செய்யச் சொல்வது எதற்கு? டாக்டர்கள் கொந்தளிப்பு

Updated : ஆக 28, 2020 01:32 | Added : ஆக 28, 2020 01:16 

தமிழகம், புதுச்சேரி மற்றும் அந்தமான் நிகோபாரை சேர்ந்த டாக்டர்கள், ஏற்கனவே பதிவு செய்திருந்தாலும், மீண்டும் வரும், 31ம் தேதிக்குள் சான்றிதழ்களை மறுபதிவு செய்ய வேண்டும் என, தமிழக மருத்துவ கவுன்சில் அறிவித்துள்ளது. இதற்காக, மீண்டும் கட்டணம் வசூலிக்கும் அடாவடியில் கவுன்சில் ஈடுபட்டுள்ளதால், மாநிலம் முழுதும் டாக்டர்கள் கொந்தளித்துள்ளனர்.

தமிழகம், புதுச்சேரியில் மருத்துவ படிப்பை முடிந்தோர், முறைப்படி தமிழ்நாடு மருந்துவ கவுன்சிலில் பதிவு செய்ய வேண்டும். அவ்வாறு பதிவு செய்தால் மட்டுமே, மருத்துவ சேவை செய்ய முடியும். இந்த மருத்துவ கவுன்சில், 1914 முதல் செயல்பட்டு வருகிறது. இதன்படி, தமிழகம் மற்றும் புதுச்சேரியை சேர்ந்த 1.25 லட்சம் பேர், மருத்துவ கவுன்சிலில் பதிவு செய்துள்ளனர். இவர்கள் மருத்துவ சேவையிலும் ஈடுபட்டு வருகின்றனர்.

மருத்துவ சேவையை அங்கீகரிப்பதோடு, விதிகளை மீறி செயல்படும் டாக்டர்கள் மீது, நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கும் அதிகாரமும், மருத்துவ கவுன்சிலிடம் உள்ளது.அதிரடி சுற்றறிக்கை கடந்த மே மாதம், தமிழ்நாடு மருத்துவ கவுன்சில் ஒரு சுற்றறிக்கை வெளியிட்டது.

அதில் கூறப்பட்டு உள்ளதாவது: தமிழகத்தில் இந்தாண்டு ஜன., 5 வரை பதிவு செய்து, மருத்துவம் பார்க்கும் டாக்டர்கள் அனைவரும், தங்கள் எம்.பி.பி.எஸ்., சான்றிதழ், ஆதார் எண், மேற்படிப்புச் சான்றிதழ்கள், புகைப்படம் உள்ளிட்ட விபரங்களை, ஆன்லைனில் சமர்ப்பித்து, மின்னணு சான்றிதழ் பெற்றுக் கொள்ள வேண்டும். மின்னணு சான்றிதழ், மின்னணு அடையாள அட்டை, மின்னணு பெயர் பலகை பெற, 500 ரூபாய் கட்டணமும் செலுத்த வேண்டும்.

மின்னணு சான்றிதழ் வழங்கும் நடைமுறை, படிப்படியாக மேற்கொள்ளப்படும். முதற்கட்டமாக, பதிவு எண், 15 ஆயிரம் முதல், 40 ஆயிரம் வரை உள்ளவர்கள், ஆகஸ்ட் 31, 2020க்குள் பதிவு செய்து கொள்ள வேண்டும்.இவ்வாறு, சுற்றறிக்கையில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இது சரிதானா?

இந்தச் சுற்றறிக்கை, டாக்டர்கள் மத்தியில் சந்தேகத்தையும், அச்சத்தையும் ஏற்படுத்தியுள்ளது. இதுகுறித்து, மூத்த டாக்டர்கள் கூறியதாவது: மறு பதிவு என்பது அவசியம் இல்லாதது. கவுன்சில் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ள பதிவு எண்களைப் பெற்றவர்கள், பெரும்பாலும் மூத்த மருத்துவர்கள். அரசுத் துறையில் பணியாற்றி, ஓய்வு பெற்றிருப்பர். இவர்கள், படித்து முடித்த காலத்திலேயே, நிரந்தரப் பதிவு எண் பெற்றவர்கள். அவர்களை மீண்டும் பதிவு செய்ய சொல்வது எந்த வகையில் நியாயம்?

மருத்துவ கவுன்சிலில் உள்ள டாக்டர்களின் பதிவேட்டை மேம்படுத்த வேண்டும் என்பதுதான் நோக்கம் என்றால் தவறில்லை. இதற்கு, டாக்டர்கள் சமீபத்தில் உயர்கல்வி பெற்றிருந்தால் அதற்கான சான்றிதழ், இதர அங்கீகாரங்களுக்கான சான்றிதழ்களின் விவரங்கள்; தொடர்ந்து மருத்துவ சேவையில் உள்ளனரா என்பதை தெரிவித்து, ஒரு மின்னஞ்சல் கொடுத்தாலே போதும்; அதை வைத்தே, அவர்களுடைய பதிவேட்டை மேம்படுத்த முடியும். ஆனால் அப்படி நடக்கவில்லை.

அதோடு, தற்போதைய மறுபதிவு நடைமுறையும் மிகவும் சிக்கலாக இருக்கிறது. சான்றிதழ்களை எல்லாவற்றையும், 'ஸ்கேன்' செய்து, அதற்கு உரிய இடத்தில், 'அப்லோடு' செய்ய வேண்டும். இதில் ஆச்சரியம் என்னவென்றால், இந்தச் சான்றிதழ்கள் ஏற்கெனவே, மருத்துவக் கவுன்சிலிடம் உள்ளது என்பதுதான். எதற்கு அவற்றை மறுமுறை அப்லோடு செய்ய வேண்டும்? பதிவு செய்த டாக்டர்கள் உயிரோடு உள்ளனரா, இல்லையா என்பதைத் தவிர, இந்தப் பதிவு நடைமுறையால் வேறொரு பயனும் இல்லை.

போலி டாக்டர்கள், மருத்துவ கவுன்சிலில் பதிவு செய்யப் போவதில்லை; செய்யவும் முடியாது. மேலும், இந்திய மருத்துவக் கவுன்சிலின் அங்கீகாரம் பெறாத பட்ட மேற்படிப்பைப் படித்துள்ளனரா என்று கண்டுபிடிக்க, இது சரியான வழி அல்ல. பதிவு செய்யும் போது கட்டணம் செலுத்தச் சொல்வதில் ஒரு நியாயம் உண்டு. ஆனால், மறுபதிவுக்கு கட்டணம் கோரப்படுவது, அடாவடித்தனம் போல உள்ளது.

ஐந்தாண்டுதான்!

மருத்துவ கவுன்சிலின் கோரிக்கையை ஏற்று, ஒருசில மூத்த டாக்டர்கள், தங்கள் விவரங்களைக் கொடுத்து, மறுமுறை பதிவு செய்து கொண்டுள்ளனர். அவர்களுக்கு மின்னணு சான்றிதழ் கிடைத்தபோது ஆச்சரியப்பட்டனர். நிரந்தர பதிவு எண்ணை ஏற்கெனவே பெற்ற டாக்டர்களுக்கு, தற்போது வழங்கப்படும் மின்னணு சான்றிதழ், ஐந்து ஆண்டுகள் வரை மட்டுமே, மருத்துவ சேவை செய்ய அனுமதி அளிக்கிறது. இத்தகைய நடவடிக்கையின் நோக்கம் என்ன?

'டாக்டர்களை ஏதோ ஒருவகையில் கட்டுப்படுத்த வேண்டும்; தமிழ்நாடு மருத்துவ கவுன்சிலை அண்டியிருக்க வைக்க வேண்டும்' என்பதுதான் நோக்கமா என்று தெரியவில்லை. மக்களுக்கு சேவை என்ற நோக்குடன், பல ஆண்டுகளாக பணியாற்றி வரும் மூத்த டாக்டர்களுக்கு, மருத்துவக் கவுன்சிலின் இந்த நடவடிக்கை, அவமானம் அளிக்கும் வகையில் உள்ளது. இதுபோன்ற செயலை மருத்துவ கவுன்சில், மறு பரிசீலனை செய்ய வேண்டும். இவ்வாறு, அவர்கள் கூறினர்.

'அப்டேட் தான்!'

தமிழ்நாடு மருத்துவ கவுன்சில் தலைவர், டாக்டர் செந்தில் கூறியதாவது: தமிழ்நாடு மருத்துவ கவுன்சிலில், 1.25 லட்சம் டாக்டர்கள் பதிவு செய்துள்ளனர். தற்போது, டாக்டர்கள் தங்களின் தற்போதைய முகவரி; சிகிச்சை அளிக்கும் மருத்துவமனை, கிளினிக் முகவரி; புதிதாக படித்த பட்ட மேற்படிப்பு போன்ற விபரங்களை சேர்த்து, 'அப்டேட்' செய்து கொள்ளலாம்.

இதன் வாயிலாக, டாக்டர்களும், பொதுமக்களும் பயன்பெறுவர். இது போன்று, கேரளா, கர்நாடகா உள்ளிட்ட பல்வேறு மாநிலங்களில் உள்ள மருத்துவ கவுன்சிலில், டாக்டர்கள் புதுப்பித்தல் பணி நடைபெறுகிறது. இவ்வாறு அவர் கூறினார்.

- நமது நிருபர்-

முழு ஊரடங்கு ரத்தாகுமா? முதல்வர் நாளை முடிவு!

முழு ஊரடங்கு ரத்தாகுமா? முதல்வர் நாளை முடிவு!

Updated : ஆக 28, 2020 02:24 | Added : ஆக 27, 2020 23:32 

சென்னை; தமிழகத்தில், முழு ஊரடங்கு ரத்தாகுமா; பஸ் போக்குவரத்து துவக்கப்படுமா என்ற எதிர்பார்ப்பு, மக்களிடம் ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது. இது தொடர்பாக, நாளை(ஆக.,29), முதல்வர் அறிவிப்பு வெளியிட உள்ளார்.

கொரோனா பரவல் காரணமாக, மாநிலம் முழுவதும் இம்மாதம், 31ம் தேதி வரை, பொது ஊரடங்கு அமலில் உள்ளது. ஊரடங்கு அமலில் இருந்தாலும், மக்களின் வாழ்வாதாரம் கருதி சில தளர்வுகளை, தமிழக அரசு அறிவித்துள்ளது. ஆனால், பொது போக்குவரத்து அனுமதிக்கப்படவில்லை.

மக்கள், மாவட்டம் விட்டு மாவட்டம் செல்ல, 'இ- - பாஸ்' நடைமுறை அமலில் உள்ளது. அதேபோல், ஞாயிறுதோறும், தளர்வில்லாத முழு ஊரடங்கு அமல்படுத்தப்படுகிறது. பஸ், ரயில் போக்குவரத்து இல்லாததால், மக்கள் இன்னமும் இயல்பு வாழ்க்கைக்கு திரும்ப முடியாமல் உள்ளனர். ஏராளமானோர் வேலை இழந்துள்ளனர். எனவே, ஊரடங்கு எப்போது முடியும் என்ற, எதிர்பார்ப்பில் உள்ளனர்.

மத்திய அரசு, 'இ- - பாஸ்' நடைமுறையை ரத்து செய்ய உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது. அதை ஏற்று, கர்நாடகா, புதுச்சேரி போன்ற மாநிலங்கள், 'இ- - பாஸ்' நடைமுறைக்கு, விடை கொடுத்துள்ளன. அதேபோல் தமிழகத்தில், ஊரடங்கு மற்றும் இ -- பாஸ் நடைமுறை முடிவுக்கு வரும் என எதிர்பார்க்கப்படுகிறது.

இதுகுறித்து முடிவு செய்வதற்காக நாளை, அனைத்து மாவட்ட கலெக்டர்கள் மற்றும் மருத்துவ நிபுணர்களுடன், முதல்வர் இ.பி.எஸ்., ஆலோசனை நடத்த உள்ளார். அதன்பின், அரசின் முடிவை முதல்வர் வெளியிடுவார் என தெரிகிறது.

நீலகிரிக்கு 'இ - பாஸ்' எளிதில் கிடைக்காது

நீலகிரிக்கு 'இ - பாஸ்' எளிதில் கிடைக்காது

Added : ஆக 27, 2020 23:11

ஊட்டி: நீலகிரி மாவட்டத்திற்கு, சுற்றுலா பயணியர் அதிகம் வருவதால், 'இ -- பாஸ்' விண்ணப்ப பரிசீலனை கடுமையாக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.தற்போது உள்ள ஊரடங்கு தளர்வின் அடிப்படையில், விண்ணப்பித்த அனைவருக்கும், அரசு இ -- பாஸ் வழங்குகிறது.

இதனால், நீலகிரி மாவட்டத்துக்கு, ஒரு வாரத்தில் மட்டும், 5,000க்கும் மேற்பட்டவர்கள் வந்துள்ளனர். காட்டேஜ், சொகுசு விடுதிகளில் பலர் தங்கியுள்ளனர்.இங்குள்ள சுற்றுலா தலங்கள் மூடப்பட்டாலும், சீதோஷ்ண நிலையை அனுபவிக்க, இ- - பாஸ் தளர்வை சாதகமாக்கி, ஏராளமானோர் நுழைய வாய்ப்புள்ளது

. இரண்டு வாரங்களாக, மாவட்டத்தில் தொற்று அதிகரித்து வருவதால், இ -- பாஸ் நடைமுறையை கடுமையாக்க, மாவட்ட நிர்வாகம் முடிவு செய்துள்ளது.கலெக்டர் இன்னசென்ட் திவ்யா கூறுகையில், ''காரணமின்றி மக்கள் வருவதை தடுக்கும் வகையில், உண்மை தன்மையை ஆராய்ந்தபின் தான், இ - பாஸ் அனுமதி வழங்கப்படும். சுற்றுலா பயணிரை தங்க வைக்கும், காட்டேஜ்கள் மீது கடும் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும்,'' என்றார்.

15k ‘ghost beneficiaries’ of PM-KISAN scheme in UP

PROBE LAUNCHED

15k ‘ghost beneficiaries’ of PM-KISAN scheme in UP

Deepak.Lavania@timesgroup.com

Agra:  28.08.2020

The district administration in UP’s Firozabad has launched a probe after a survey done by the agriculture and revenue departments couldn’t find at least 15,000 farmers who have been availing benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme. The Centre’s ambitious scheme provides farmers a financial assistance of ₹6,000 per year in three equal installments. All those farmers whose total cultivable holding is up to two hectares are eligible. Recently, the Centre had decided to extend the benefit of this scheme to all 14.5 crore farmers, irrespective of the size of their landholding.

During a routine checking of accounts of the beneficiaries, some government officials in Firozabad grew suspicious as a lot of the “farmers” hadn’t given their Aadhaar card details. A probe followed and hundreds of employees of the agriculture and revenue departments hit the streets to meet these beneficiaries at the addresses given in the records. To their shock, the officials could not find 15,000 beneficiaries at their given addresses. And every one of them had already availed the three installments of ₹2,000 each. According to agriculture department officials, there were 2 lakh beneficiaries of the PM Kisan scheme in Firozabad by the end of March 2020.

To get the money, farmers were required to first make an online application. They also had to submit copies of land records, passbook and Aadhaar card. Farmers not having Aadhaar card were also allowed to apply for the scheme.

District agriculture officer Ravikant said, “Around 15,000 beneficiaries of the PM Kisan scheme were found missing during the physical verification process. They have been blacklisted. Bank details of all these people are being investigated. Legal action will be taken against those found involved in malpractices.”

Bank fined for not providing AC facility

Bank fined for not providing AC facility

Tirunelveli:  28.08.2020

The district consumer grievances redressal forum in Tirunelveli has imposed a fine of ₹20,000 on a private sector bank for deficiency in service by failing to provide airconditioned facility to consumers. The forum has directed the bank to pay ₹15,000 as compensation to A Brammanayagam, 46, and ₹5,000 towards expenses for fighting the case.

Petitioner Brammanayagam, a consumer activist, stated that the Tirunelveli branch of IDBI Bank had assured airconditioned facility for consumers at the bank and this was one reason why he opened a savings bank account there. Stating that the centralised AC had been defunct for a few weeks, he added that he faced hardships in the bank on June 21while waiting for 30 minutes to obtain a demand draft. The closed windows caused further discomfort. In his petition, the man said the bank manager had informed him that he had taken it up with his higher-ups. But the faulty AC had not been replaced as it would cost ₹4.5 lakh.

Accusing the bank officials of humiliating him and not redressing his grievance, the man moved the district consumer grievances redressal forum. TNN

Move to retain e-pass is well thought out: CM

Move to retain e-pass is well thought out: CM

Bosco.Dominique@timesgroup.com

Cuddalore: 28.08.2020

Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday said the e-pass system is necessary to monitor the movement of people in the present pandemic scenario and to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the state.

A few days ago, the Centre directed states and Union territories to abolish the e-pass system for inter-state and intra-state travel. Tamil Nadu brought in relaxations to epass issuance instead.

“The government issues epass to all those who apply for it. But people must apply only in case of emergencies and for absolutely necessary reasons. E-pass will help in contact tracing and test and treat all of them. It (continuing e-pass system) is a decision taken after careful consideration and discussion with experts. Covid-19 is a deadly disease, it is a matter of life and death. Several people have lost their lives to the infection,” Palaniswami said while speaking to reporters.

He was in Cuddalore on Thursday to review the pandemic situation and healthcare infrastructure.

The CM said the government will decide on several relaxation measures, including reopening places of worship in the state, during the meeting of district collectors on August 29.

He said the government’s stand is to hold the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (Neet) only after the infection is brought under control. “I had written to the Prime Minister on July 8 requesting him not to hold Neet until the infection is controlled. Our health minister has also written to the Union health and family welfare minister about it,” he said.

TN only state to bag investments after Covid struck: EPS

Nagapattinam:

Tamil Nadu was the only state in the country to attract investments even during the Covid-19 period, CM Edappadi K Palaniswami said in Nagapattinam on Thursday. As a result, the state’s gross domestic product is at 8% against the countr y’s GDP of 4%, he said. He was speaking at a meeting with farmers, industrialists and self-help group members while reviewing Covid-19 preventive measures. “We are creating more jobs by attracting investments. When the GDP rate is remaining 4% in the country, it stands at 8% in Tamil Nadu”, the chief minister said. TNN

Justice Lakshmanan, ex-judge of SC & prolific writer, dead at 78

1942-2020

Justice Lakshmanan, ex-judge of SC & prolific writer, dead at 78

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 28.08.2020

Former Supreme Court judge and chairperson of law commission of India Justice A R Lakshmanan passed away on Wednesday in a private hospital in Trichy. He was 78.

Juctice Lakshmanan’s wife Meenakshi Aachi also died in Trichy just three days ago. He is survived by sons A R L Arunachalam and A R L Sundaresan, a designated senior counsel, and daughters Umayal and Saravanavalli.

Justice Lakshmanan, who was also a prolific writer and author of several books in English and Tamil, was born in Devakottai. He started his career as an advocate in 1968.

In 1990, Justice Lakshmanan was appointed a judge of the Madras high court. During the J Jayalalithaa regime, a false ganja case was slapped on Justice Lakshmanan’s son-in-law, kicking up a nationwide row.

In 1997, he was transferred to the Kerala high court and later made the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan high court and then to the Andhra Pradesh high court. In December 2002, he was elevated to a judge of the Supreme Court, where he served till March 21, 2007.

“As a judge, he had delivered more than 1.3 lakh judgments, many of them landmark ones,” said senior advocate and former additional solicitor-general of India M Ravindran.

Around 9pm on Wednesday, Justice Lakshmanan was rushed to a private hospital in Trichy following cardiac complaints. According to hospital sources, his vital signs were weak when he was brought to the hospital. A few hours into hospitalisation, his health deteriorated, and he died.

His body was taken to his house at Devakottai. Later, the mortal remains were cremated at a crematorium near Virusuzhi river in Devakottai on Thursday afternoon.

CM Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday expressed anguish over the former judge’s death. “The death of justice Lakshmanan has caused an irreparable loss to Tamil Nadu and to the field of judiciary,” he said, hailing the excellent work of Justice Lakshmanan when he was secretary of Madras Bar Association and later as chairman of National Law Commission. Lakshmanan was a member of the Supreme Court’s empowered committee to resolve Mullaperiyar dispute.

The chief minister extended his deepest condolences and sympathies to the family and the legal fraternity.

City couple loses ₹4L, gets ₹55L in fake notes as loan

City couple loses ₹4L, gets ₹55L in fake notes as loan

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

28.08.2020

A Chennai-based couple was duped of ₹4 lakh by a man from Avinashi near Tirupur, who had promised to arrange them a loan of ₹1 crore.

The man escaped with ₹4 lakh cash received from the couple as ‘documentation charges’ in exchange of arranging a tranche of the loan amount of ₹1 crore, which eventually turned out to be fake currency.

Police said Alwin Rai, a resident of Perumalpuram extension in Tambaram in Chennai, wanted to expand his truck transport business and was looking for a loan. His wife Jennifer was told by one of her friend, Kiruba, about an advertisement in a newspaper that promised financial assistance for business purposes.

Jennifer contacted the mobile number in the advertisement. The person who spoke to her gave her the contact number of one Acharya, and asked her to approach him for loan.

“As per the complaint, Acharya agreed to arrange a loan of ₹1 crore, but said the document charges would amount to ₹4 lakh, which needed to be paid upfront. He also asked Alwin Rai to come to Avinashi on August 26,’’ said a police officer. Acharya had told the couple that he would give ₹55 lakh in person and the remaining would be transferred online.

Accordingly, the couple reached Avinashi on Wednesday and met Acharya at a hotel near the national highway on the outskirts of the town. The couple gave ₹4 lakh cash to Acharya, who then handed them a briefcase which, he said, had ₹55 lakh cash, the first tranche of the loan.

After he left the place, the couple opened the briefcase and to their shock, found that the notes were fake.

It was then that the couple realised that it was a racket to dupe them of ₹4 lakh given as documentation charges. The police have booked a case and have launched a hunt for Acharya. Police suspect that there is a bigger gang operating the racket.

One of the fake currency notes given to the Chennai-based couple by the deceiver

Acharya agreed to arrange a loan of ₹1 crore, but said the document charges would amount to ₹4 lakh, which needed to be paid upfront. He also asked Alwin Rai to come to Avinashi on August 26, police said

[Breaking] Students vs UGC : SC To Pronounce Judgment Tomorrow On Pleas Against Final Semester Exams

 [Breaking] Students vs UGC : SC To Pronounce Judgment Tomorrow On Pleas Against Final Semester Exams

LIVELAW NEWS NETWORK

27 Aug 2020 7:03 PM

The Supreme Court will pronounce verdict tomorrow in a batch of petitions which challenged the direction issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC) on July 6 to hold final semester examinations by September 30.

A bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy and M R Shah had reserved the judgment on August 18, after elaborately hearing various parties in the case.

The main arguments from the students' side are :

Compelling students to appear for physical exams when the COVID-19 pandemic is intensifying exposes them to serious health risks, affecting their right to life.

The uniform direction issued by the UGC without taking into account local situations will put several students to grave prejudice, as several areas are containment zones and local lockdown is in prevalence in many regions.

The pandemic and the lockdown have disrupted the classes, and conducting exams without requisite number of classess is arbitrary and unreasonable.

There are many students of final semester who have either cleared job interviews or secured admission for higher courses. So granting them degree certificates at the earliest based on past performance is the best course available to protect the future of the students.

The option of online exams is also not viable given the stark digital divide, and the lack of uniform access to the internet across the spectrum.

Examination is not the only mode of evaluation. UGC follows the concept of 'continuous evaluation' of the student from day 1. Hence, internal assessments and performance of past semesters can be reckoned to award final degrees.

The UGC stated that the direction was issued in the best interests of the students. The Ministry of Home Affairs told the Court that it has given an exemption for opening educational institutions for the purpose of conducting exams.

Disaster Management Act vs UGC Act

The case also threw up the issue of conflict between Disaster Managment Act and the UGC Act. This was in the context of the State of Maharashtra acting on the decision of the State Disaster Management Authority to direct the cancellation of final term exams. Hence, an issue arose in the case as to whose directions will prevail - whether that of the SDMA or the UGC.

The UGC maintained that in matters related to higher education, it remains the final word and the SDMA cannot interfere in that domain. On the other hand, the State of Maharashtra submitted that in the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic, which has been notified as a 'disaster' within the meaning of the DMA, the State Disaster Management Authority posseses vast powers to take appropriate decisions to deal with the situation to protect the lives of people.

State Autonomy

Another crucial issue in the case was whether State Governments possess autonomy in the matter. The Governments of the National Capital Territoriy of Delhi, West Bengal, Odisha, Maharashtra etc, have issued directions to cancel final term exams. Therefore, the question was whether UGC can override the State Governments in that regard.

It was argued by the State Governments that the UGC has only the power to lay down standards or education and cannot issue peremptory directions to universities. It was further argued that the UGC can only lay down guidelines, that too after consulting the Universities as per Section 12 of the UGC Act. The States contended that the UGC took the decision without consulting them and without taking account of the local situations.

Senior Advocates Dr AM Singhvi (for petitioner Yash Dubey), Syam Divan(for petitioner Yuva Sena), Arvind P Datar (for Maharashtra), K V Vishwanathan (for Delhi), Jaideep Gupta (for West Bengal), Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava(for petitioners), Solicitor General Tushar Mehta (for UGC) etc made arguments in the case.

Reports about various submissions in the hearing may be read below :

How Can There Be Exams Without Teaching? UGC Directions Arbitrary': Singvhi Seeks Cancellation Of Exams

'When Exams Can't Be Held In April With 1137 COVID-19 Cases, How Can They Be Held Now With Lakhs Of Cases?' Shyam Divan Tells SC In Students v UGC

[Students vs UGC] UGC Cannot Compel That Exams Be Held; Can Only Lay Down Standards: Datar For Maharashtra In SC

[Students vs UGC] Impossible To Hold Exams In Bengal; UGC Hasn't Taken Into Account Ground Realities: Jaideep Gupta Tells SC

[Students vs UGC] Poor, Downtrodden And Those Without Access To Technology Will Be Hard Hit: Vishwanathan Tells SC For Delhi Govt

[Students vs UGC] Universities Cannot Confer Degrees Without Exams; UGC Directions In Students' Interests: Solicitor General Tells SC

Breaking] UGC final year exams: Supreme Court to pronounce its judgment tomorrow in petitions seeking cancellation of exams

Breaking] UGC final year exams: Supreme Court to pronounce its judgment tomorrow in petitions seeking cancellation of exams

The UGC guidelines require universities to conclude their final year examinations by September 30, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shruti Mahajan

Aug 27, 2020, 7:07 PM IST

The Supreme Court will tomorrow pronounce its judgment in a batch of petitions challenging the revised guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC) mandating the conduct of final year exams by September 30.

On August 18, the Bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subshash Reddy, and MR Shah had reserved its judgment in the matter after a detailed hearing spanning over two days.

SC hears pleas challenging UGC Guidelines mandating final year University exams by September 30 [LIVE UPDATES]

In its revised guidelines, the UGC has mandated that all final year exams be conducted amid the COVID-19 pandemic, while following the Standard Operating Procedure.

However, in the wake of the consistently worsening situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, some state governments had already cancelled university exams, while asking universities to consider adopting an alternative marking system.

The UGC's guidelines prompted not just students, but also teachers' associations and youth wings of political parties to the Supreme Court.

Before the Court, the power of the UGC to lay down a direction of this nature while overriding the provisions of the Disaster Management Act was called into question. Another question that was put before the Court was whether state governments can declare against holding of exams when it is the UGC which is empowered to confer degrees on students.

A host of Senior Counsel including Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Shyam Divan, and Arvind Datar argued in favour of the interests of the students. They pointed out that the decision taken by some state governments to cancel the exams was only on account of the COVID-19 figures. Under normal circumstances, a deferment or cancellation of exams would not be stipulated.

Singhvi said that the UGC's initial guidelines displayed an element of sensitivity and flexibility. However, the same was completely absent in its revised guidelines which fixed a deadline of September 30 without taking into consideration the ground situation in different places.

He also questioned the UGC's rationale behind refusing to hold exams in April when the COVID-19 pandemic was still at its nascent stages.

Divan argued that Union Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines direct for educational institutions to be closed and that the guidelines may be made stricter by the states if required, but cannot be diluted. The holding of exams would essentially lead to the dilution of these guidelines, Divan said.

"The supreme irony is that the guidelines talk about the rising COVID-19 cases", and 10 other arguments made during the UGC case before SC

Datar explained to the Court the availability of option to adopt an alternative marking system as per the UGC's provisions.

Senior Advocates KV Vishwanathan and Jaideep Gupta raised pertinent points as regards disparity in access to resources for students to give the exams in online mode. Datar also added that the students with special needs have been left out of consideration.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the UGC is not equipped to confer degrees without exams and the decision to conduct exams has been taken keeping in view the interests of the students, many of whom have applied for jobs and further studies.

Mehta argued that the guidelines have a statutory mandate and that they are mandatory in nature. States do not have the power to unilaterally decide that exams will be cancelled, considering it is the UGC that has the governing power in this domain, Mehta submitted.

The Supreme Court, after concluding the arguments in the case, had directed the parties to submit their written submissions if any, and had reserved the judgment on August 18.

[Breaking] Students vs UGC : SC To Pronounce Judgment Tomorrow On Pleas Against Final Semester Exams

[Breaking] Students vs UGC : SC To Pronounce Judgment Tomorrow On Pleas Against Final Semester Exams: The Supreme Court will pronounce verdict tomorrow in a batch of petitions which challenged

2 IGMC students suspended for ragging, abuse

2 IGMC students suspended for ragging, abuse

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Shimla: 27.08.2020

The police have registered a case against two students of the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla for allegedly ragging a third-year MBBS student. The accused senior students were also suspended after a decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the Anti-Ragging Committee of the medical college on Wednesday.

In his complaint to the police, the third-year student has alleged that the two seniors in inebriated condition manhandled him near the hostel gate and the entire incident was recorded in the CCTV cameras installed there. The complainant also accused his seniors of ragging him.

Sources said that the CCTV footage shows two groups of students clashing with each other during the night hours. The Anti-Ragging Committee has submitted its report to the Shimla police, who are investigating the matter.

Shimla SP Mohit Chawla said based on the student’s complaint, a case under sections 323 (causing hurt on provocation) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC and Section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Education Institutions Prohibition of Ragging Act has been registered at the Sadar police station.

He said the police are investigating the matter and a report has been sought from the principal of the college. As of now, a prima facie FIR has been registered on the complaint of the aggrieved MBBS student and his medical examination has been conducted.

IGMC principal Dr Rajnish Pathania said both senior students, against whom allegations have been made, have been suspended from the medical college. He said the action came on the basis of the report submitted by the Anti-Ragging Committee.

Covid patient stopped from boarding flight

Covid patient stopped from boarding flight

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Amritsar:

The medical staff at Sri Guru Ramdas International Airport, Amritsar, prevented a Covid-19 patient from boarding a flight to Sharjah on Wednesday.

Sources at the airport said Sarabjit Singh (31), a resident of Sarhala Kalan village in Garhshankar tehsil of Hoshiarpur district, was found with high fever during thermal screening of passengers.

When his medical report was checked, he was found positive for Covid-19.

Covid-19 nodal officer at the airport Dr Lalit Singhania said Sarabjit was sent to the isolation ward of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital.

Masks for Covid may end up eliminating TB by 2025 target

Masks for Covid may end up eliminating TB by 2025 target

Better Cough Etiquette Also A Covid Impact

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai:  27.08.2020

The simple face mask — mandatory in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic — may just help India’s fight against one of the oldest pestilence: tuberculosis. “If masks become routine in India, just like they are in Japan, then we could well meet our target of eliminating TB by 2025,” said pulmonologist Dr Sanjeev Mehta.

The World Health Organisation has set a deadline of 2030 to eliminate TB, but the Indian government announced an earlier deadline of 2025. As India is home to 25% of all TB patients in the world, public health experts felt the 2025 deadline was ambitious.

“But if we continue using masks and remember to follow cough etiquette, the deadline no longer seems ambitious,” added Dr Mehta.

TB has been one of the most discussed topics during the pandemic because of the “protection” provided by the TB vaccine (BCG) against the novel coronavirus.TB patients, though, have suffered due to lack of medicines and the difficulty in travelling to treatment centres during the lockdown. TB detection rates dropped in the early phase of Covid in March, but health officials said the services are now inching back to normalcy.

A private sector doctor said there are fewer new cases because of the lower risk of transmission.

“People are staying home or moving out with masks, resulting in a lower risk of transmission. Moreover, families are now likely to pay attention to a cough that lasts more than two weeks and seek tests and scans that will detect TB early,” he said.

A senior Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation official associated with the TB programme refused to comment on Covid’s impact on TB detection and treatment. The official said that as both the diseases spread via droplets, the use of masks should benefit the TB drive as well. “But we haven’t had time to study Covid’s impact on TB,” the official added.

Compared to the Covidspreading coronavirus, the tuberculosis mycobacterium is big. “The TB bacillus spreads through droplet released when a person coughs or sneezes. The microbe travels at the speed of a Ferrari across the room, but even a handkerchief (as against face masks that have tinier pores and have two- to threeply material) can stop it instantly,” said Dr Lalit Anande, medical supervisor of a BMC-run TB hospital.

No passes needed to enter Noida from Delhi

No passes needed to enter Noida from Delhi

Shikha.Salaria@timesgroup.com

Noida:  27.08.2020

Commuters between Delhi and Noida-Ghaziabad no longer need to show passes to cross the border, a rule that had been in place for the past three months and led to severe inconvenience among those who needed to travel between the cities regularly. A green status on the Aarogya Setu will be enough to allow entry into the UP cities from Delhi.

The move follows a UP government directive doing away with every restriction on movement of people and goods across state borders. The state order is in line with a central government directive a few days earlier. Officials, however, clarified that the restrictions on movement would resume on the two days of weekend lockdown in UP. Noida district magistrate Suhas LY confirmed that anybody wanting to enter the UP city must have a green status on the Setu app.The DM said the requirement of a travel permit or a pass to enter Noida had been done away with a few days ago.

NEET test centres doubled, frisking of students banned JEE (Main) From Sept 1 To Sept 6

ROW RAGES OVER GOVT’S DECISION TO HOLD JEE AND NEET EXAMINATIONS

NEET test centres doubled, frisking of students banned

JEE (Main) From Sept 1 To Sept 6

Ramendra.Singh@timesgroup.com

Bhopal:  27.08.2020

In order to follow the Covid norms and keep the students away from unnecessary contact, physical frisking of the NEET aspirants before entering the exam centre will not be done. Instead, candidates will have to go through a metal detector. In Madhya Pradesh there will be 144 NEET centres this year where 58,860 students will appear.

There were 84 centres last year where 54,445 students had appeared. This year the number of centres in Bhopal has been doubled. Last year, there were 15 exam centres across the state capital.

Several students in Bhopal on Wednesday downloaded their admit cards for the NTA NEET 2020, which is scheduled to be held on September 13.

Like previous years, this year also the majority of the centres in the state capital are in CBSE schools. Some of the exam centres in Bhopal are IES Public School, Red Rose School, Gyan Ganga School, Campion School and Sharda Vidya Mandir. On the condition of anonymity, owner of a school whose school has been made an exam centre told TOI that there will be around 35 centres in Bhopal where 18,000 students are expected to appear. Notably, last year around 12,000 students appeared in 15 centres.

“National testing agency (NTA) has not left a single stone unturned when it comes to the safety of the students appearing for exams at these centres,” said a school owner without quoting his name.

Nearly 16 lakh candidates across the country had registered for the medical-based entrance exam.

Last week, the Supreme Court had refused to entertain a plea seeking the postponement of the entrance exam. However, several political leaders have objected to it and have demanded the cancellation of exams. JEE (Main) will be held from September 1 to 6 and the hall ticket can be download at the website- jeemain.nta.nic.in.

Medical, paramedical students can pay fees in 4 instalments

Medical, paramedical students can pay fees in 4 instalments

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:  27.08.2020

Students pursuing medical, dental and paramedical courses can pay annual fees in four instalments, the state government said on Wednesday. The decision was taken to provide them relief amid the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak.

This will be applicable to students studying in the 515 government, grant-inaid and self-financed colleges of the state. Students will have to pay the first instalment (25%) of annual fees in September, followed by three instalments in the subsequent three months.

However, those who are financially well-off can pay the entire fees at once, a government statement said.

Deputy CM Nitin Patel said that a total of 35,151 students will get relief as they can now pay fees in four instalments.

Of these, 12,307 students are from medical and dental courses, while 22,844 are from paramedical courses like nursing, BSc Nursing and physiotherapy.

The annual fees for MBBS students in Gujarat range from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 15 lakh.

A total of 5,360 MBBS students of six government medical colleges, eight GMERS colleges, three colleges run by municipal corporations and 11 self-financed colleges can avail of the relief, a government release said.

The statement added that students can pay the first instalment of fees by September 30, the second by October 31, the third instalment by November 30 and the fourth instalment of fees by December 31.

Delaying entrance tests indefinitely will further disadvantage the batch of 2020

Conduct NEET, JEE

Delaying entrance tests indefinitely will further disadvantage the batch of 2020

27.08.2020

A campaign has begun demanding postponement of the medical and engineering entrance exams – NEET and JEE – slated for September, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to surge. However, there is no knowing how long this situation will continue; recall the Spanish flu took two years to abate. Keeping qualifying examinations in abeyance isn’t in the interest of nearly 2.5 million enrolled candidates.

The National Testing Agency, which conducts both exams, has announced social distancing measures such as more testing centres, fewer students per room, more shifts for the JEE (main) computer test, and staggered entry and arrival. NEET and JEE are the culmination of two years of intense study by higher secondary pass outs. Interminable delays blunt their preparedness. Moreover, note the wholly voluntary nature of the exercise – one can skip a round of exams to take the next one if one wishes, which is much harder to do for, say, board exams. It’s also common for a candidate to repeat an exam, perhaps to get admission to more preferred streams.

Despite all this Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, and several others have joined a populist chorus demanding postponement. Union education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal must not buckle before the protesters, as that would enable a vocal minority to override the interests of the silent majority that wants to enrol in college soon. Further delay would be self-defeating as herd immunity could be a long time away. By then the next batch would be ready to sit for these examinations, creating an untenable situation. Minimising tech glitches in generating online admit cards etc – as had happened in other recent exams – is important, lest they cause more stress and chaos on exam day.

Onus also rests on the Centre and states to restore transport services so that students can travel without difficulty to venues. Railways services and bus transport remain greatly restricted. Metro and local trains are yet to restart. By now it is accepted that well-ventilated rooms – a common enough feature of college and school classrooms – and wearing masks greatly retard Covid spread. Authorities must amplify the reassuring messaging to students and parents that safe conduct of the exams is in their interest, especially with politicians and even an international teen activist joining the cancel bandwagon. China’s gaokao and Germany’s abitur entrance tests were conducted overcoming Covid fears. India must not dither either.

7 oppn CMs want NEET, JEE put off, will seek SC rethink

7 oppn CMs want NEET, JEE put off, will seek SC rethink

AAP & BJP Ally AIADMK Oppose Sept 1 Date Too

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:  27.08.2020

Five states and a Union territory where Congress and its allies are in office, as well as West Bengal, will petition the Supreme Court against the holding of NEET and JEE examinations from September 1, flagging concerns of Covid infection risk and seeking a postponement till the situation improves.

In a virtual meeting chaired by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday, Congress CMs of Punjab, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Puducherry; CMs of Maharashtra and Jharkhand — where the party is in alliance — and Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee felt while the SC okayed the holding of exams, it had in the past shown consideration for students in sensitive situations.

While Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal didn’t attend the meet, his government said the tests shouldn’t go ahead now.TN government, led by BJP ally AIADMK, has been asking for the exams to be deferred.

The 7 CMs interact with Cong chief Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday

Will go ahead with NEET, JEE: K’taka govt

Deputy CM CN Ashwath Narayan dismissed students’ appeal for postponement of NEET and JEE 2020 due to the pandemic and said, “Certain groups want seats to be allocated through an opaque system rather than merit. Some vested interests have been trying to disrupt NEET and JEE.” He said the Karnataka government will go ahead with NEET and JEE following the experience of conducting CET for 1.9 lakh students without a glitch. TNN

If Centre can’t go to SC, we can: Mamata

The debate on whether the entrance exams to engineering and medical colleges should be held or deferred has become a polarising one with the opposition also wading in. On social media, comments flew thick and fast, including allegations of hashtags and trends being manipulated. The discussion appeared to have split opinion even as the government and the National Testing Agency said arrangements have been made keeping the needs of social distancing and sanitation in mind. The Supreme Court had recently dismissed appeals against holding of the exams noting that “life should move on. We have to go ahead. Precious one year of students will go waste”.

Banerjee said she has written two letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking for the Centre to approach the Supreme Court to defer the exams. “If the government of India cannot go to court, we, as elected state governments, can approach the court on behalf of lakhs of students whose future is at stake,” she said. Punjab CM Amarinder Singh said, “I endorse Mamata Banerjee’s view that we should collectively approach the Supreme Court again.”

On Tuesday, Sonia Gandhi reached out to Banerjee and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray among other leaders to hold a meeting of opposition chief ministers.

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren said, “Exams must happen but we are in too much hurry. In my state, we have very few centres. To accommodate these students, we will have to open all hotels and buses.”

The meeting was politically significant as the CMs of three key regional parties— Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) and JMM (Hemant Soren)— and Congress (Ashok Gehlot, Amarinder Singh, Bhupesh Baghel, V Narayanasamy) decided to forge a common platform to fight “injustice” at the hands of BJP and also resolved to meet the President and PM.

JEE aspirants wonder how to reach, how safe will it be Covid, Curbs, Floods & Lack Of Transport Worry Students

JEE aspirants wonder how to reach, how safe will it be

Covid, Curbs, Floods & Lack Of Transport Worry Students

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

27.08.2020

After months of uncertainty over when they will finally be able to get done with their careerdefining exams, JEE and NEET aspirants are still unsure of two things — how they will get to their exam centre and how safe it will be.

Calls to postpone the exams have been trending on social media for two days now — climate activist Greta Thunberg and actor Sonu Sood are among those who have amplified the demand. Students, meanwhile, are concerned. “I live in Idaratganj and my centre is in Varanasi, nearly 130km away. Where I live is a containment zone. How am I supposed to get there? Will it be safe?” asked Shriyansh Jaiswal, a NEET-UG aspirant.

Parents from outside Chennai, have urged the Tamil Nadu government to ask hotels to open bookings for those travelling for the exams. They also want a transport plan. “The NTA and state transport departments could coordinate a plan for the day,” said N Vijayan, principal of a Chennai school. The process could be streamlined.

But this is a limited possibility in some cities. In Telangana, incessant rain for the past two weeks has damaged road connectivity to many districts. It’s the same in the flood-hit areas of Assam and Bihar. “Many students who take the exam in Bengal come from Bihar and Jharkhand,” Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee told the media. The state has kept the exam dates out of the total lockdown schedule.

As for safety, the broad guidelines have been laid down by the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the exams — fresh masks at the entrance, thermal screening, sanitisers, social distancing and separate rooms for those with Covid-19 symptoms. But those appearing are still worried, and not all states have notified any. The Assam health department, for instance, is yet to announce rules for applicants from containment zones. Goa has not come up with specific guidelines either. UP, too, will follow the central directives.

And space remains a concern. Odisha has exam centres in just seven cities, bound to lead to larger gatherings. Assam, too, is facing a challenge in finding more exam centres.

Some have come up with workarounds. “We will separate outstation students so that the post-exam exit strategy is in place,” said a principal at a school in Nagpur. In Kerala too, all applicants will have to contact their exam centre before time and inform them if they are coming from a containment zone, a hotspot or are yet to finish quarantine. Rajasthan — where all six districts which will host NEET and JEE exams have been witnessing a surge in Covid cases — has mandated buffer areas near exam centres.

Don’t postpone JEE & NEET, say parents

Don’t postpone JEE & NEET, say parents

Farheen.Hussain@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:  27.08.2020

“Enthusiastic children will suffer the most if competitive exams like the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) Main and National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) are postponed. They will lose focus and interest. Kids like my child will end up joining other institutions rather than missing out on a year. They will give up their dream to join IIT and IITs will miss out on some good talent,” Swaroopa (name changed), mother of an SSLC and CET topper said.

Like Swaroopa, several parents and students are anguished over the demand for postponement of the exams.

There have been widespread protests and demand on virtual platforms to shelve the two crucial exams, with hashtags trending.

JEE Main is for admission to IITs and NITs and NEET (undergraduate) is for entry to medical colleges. While the former is scheduled to be held between September 1 and 6, the latter is expected to be held on September 13.

Manohar (name changed), a parent, said the pandemic must be dealt with tact and the exams, which are important stepping stones for students, must not be put off any further. “The world has understood how to deal with it (pandemic). We can follow the guidelines, maintain distance and go ahead with this,” he said, adding: “The solution cannot lie in avoiding important things. We never know what will happen next year.”

An open letter written by a group of parents in support of the exam says with so much media and political uproar over the issue, they would like to highlight the fact that there are people who think differently. As per the letter, all students applying for exams are adults “who can make a decision best for them”.

The letter goes on to say that the decision to write the test must be left to the examinees, but the matter should not be forced on everyone. Social media platforms too are abuzz with messages favouring conduct of the exams.

Good news on vaccine by early 2021, says WHO chief scientist

Good news on vaccine by early 2021, says WHO chief scientist

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru:  27.08.2020

“By early 2021, we should have some good news (about Covid vaccine),’’ said Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist, World Health Organisation.

At the valedictory of the international conference on public policy and management hosted by the Centre for Public Policy at IIM-Bangalore on Wednesday, she said: “Then, there is the challenge of being able to scale and distribute it fairly around the world without letting the rich countries corner the limited doses. But India is in a good position because many companies are working on vaccine development, either on their own or in collaboration, and the nation is a manufacturing hub for vaccines.”

Responding to a question on how long the pandemic will last, she said eradication is not possible so development of a vaccine can protect vulnerable populations.

“The mortality rate is not going up in the second wave of the pandemic. This is probably related to demographics and other factors – we do not yet know why South Asia and Africa have lower mortality rates than Europe and the Americas,” she said.

“There have been warnings for health emergencies. Unless we have a system of strong surveillance, it can quickly go out of hand. What we do not have is public health cadre that is devoted to not just detection but also prevention, management, training and capacity building,” she said.

Recruitment of staff in varsities on hold

Recruitment of staff in varsities on hold

Shrinivasa.M@timesgroup.com

Mysuru: 27.08.2020

Following a warning from the University Grants Commission (UGC) that it would withhold grantin-aid if vacant posts are not filled in universities affiliated to it, varsities across the state had planned to roll out a recruitment process. To ensure transparency, the government had asked Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) to prepare a merit list and send it to universities concerned so that they could pick the best. KEA had even planned to write up dedicated software for the process.

However, in a big jolt to universities just ahead of a new academic year, the finance department has asked them to put the recruitment process on hold till further orders. Sources in the state higher education department say the diktat is for all universities.

Universities in the state are plagued by a crippling shortage of teaching — by as much as 60% in several varsities. Data shows that in 19 state universities, 838 assistant professors, 536 associate professor and 354 professor posts are vacant.

“All universities have been asked not to go ahead with the hiring process due to the prevailing Covid- 19 crisis,” a source said. Additional chief secretary (higher education) EV Ramana Reddy said there is a general ban on recruitment across the state.

An official in the higher education department said, “The Covid-19 crisis requires huge resources. Universities have been directed to continue with the old system of guest faculty to teach and conduct practical classes. The government is likely to move towards a centralised recruitment process for all universities, once the situation returns to normal.”

G Hemantha Kumar, vicechancellor, University of Mysore, said: “We are sure that once the Covid-19 crisis blows over, we will get permission to continue with the recruitment process. All formalities including necessary approvals for recruitment have been obtained.”

Institutional quarantine for int’l travellers returning to UP waived, but with riders

Institutional quarantine for int’l travellers returning to UP waived, but with riders

Lucknow: 27.08.2020

The Uttar Pradesh government has waived seven-day mandatory institutional quarantine under certain conditions for international travellers coming to the state for more than seven days. It has also relaxed Covid-19 protocol for its natives travelling to other states for work for up to five days.

Speaking on revised guidelines for international travellers, additional chief secretary, health and family welfare, Amit Mohan Prasad said: “Earlier, anyone coming to the state from abroad for more than a week had to be quarantined for 14 days — seven days under institutional and remaining under home.”

However, under new protocol, pregnant women, people visiting the state in case of a death in the family, those suffering from serious illness and parents whose children are below 10, can avail full 14 days of home quarantine. TNN

‘Postpone or find another way to hold JEE, NEET’

‘Postpone or find another way to hold JEE, NEET’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:  27.08.2020

With the dates for Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) and National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) nearing, deputy chief minister and education minister Manish Sisodia has again asked the Centre to reconsider its decision of holding the exams in the prevailing pandemic situation. Sisodia urged the Central government to either postpone the exams or find an alternative way of conducting them.

“The Centre has closed its eyes to the Covid-19 ground reality. Why is it forcing 28 lakh students to sit for the exams? They are saying that they will make all the necessary arrangements. But despite the arrangements, so many people have tested positive,” Sisodia said while talking to reporters on Wednesday.

“The arrangements that we live in are much better. Our health minister still got infected. Chief ministers of several states have been affected. How can we be assured that the students will not get infected?” asked Sisodia.

“The government can easily find an alternative. In times like this when countries across the world have come out of the entrance system model, we should not be stuck,” added the deputy CM.

“We have to accept that the country is still in the grip of Corona. In Delhi and a few other states, situation may be better but in other states, the Covid-19 is on the increase," Sisodia wrote in a letter to Minister of Education, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank. He even asked Nishak to think not as minister, but as a parent.

Earlier on August 21, Sisodia had asked the Centre to find an alternative to the examinations. JEE (Main) is scheduled to be held from September 1-6, while NEET is scheduled for September 13.

SISODIA SAYS

The Centre has closed its eyes to the Covid-19 ground reality. Why is it forcing 28 lakh students to sit for the exams?