What’s the future of management education

What’s the future of management education

B-schools have created courses that cater to the growing need for work-from-home skills, writes Ashish Munjal

31.08.2020 Education Times 

Even though everything may seem to be getting back on track, the pandemic has exposed the inertia towards change among management institutes in India. The COVID-19 effect on higher education, especially B-schools, is obvious and can be seen in terms of all academic processes coming to a halt midway. The impact of the coronavirus crisis on the future of management education can be seen in two aspects. First, what Bschools are doing to incorporate the evolving the situation, and second is how students need to prepare and choose the right B-school for a successful career in the ‘new normal’.

As we move ahead, B-schools and MBA aspirants will need to identify the untapped potential of the IT infrastructure in place. For which the aspirants need to demand and look out for B-schools that cater to a tech-first approach. This would mean a 360-degree advancement of learning and teaching practices, giving us freedom in times where brick and mortar are dormant factors of the education industry’s infrastructure.

Everything with a dash of technology

The initial redundancy check has thrown light on the unprecedented usage of the learning management system (LMS) at B-schools. These online portals have been in place for some years now, however, they were merely being used for projects, distributing reference materials, event calendars and student body updates. The pandemichas propelled the use of the LMS to reach a much wider audience and cater to an array of activities. This includes workshops or pre-courses, workfrom-home certifications, mock interviews and guest lectures. Now, B-schools are looking at online studying as an integral part of every course.

Post-COVID industry skills

Predominantly, there has been a rise in the need for strong networking capabilities, interpersonal leadership skills, digital marketing solutions, assertive communication and Work-from-home skills as per the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) 2020 Corporate Recruiters Survey.

As an MBA graduate, the most daunting question is around the employability factor and skill alignment with the opportunities available in the current job market. Catering to this issue, B-schools have created workshops, webinars and courses that specifically cater to the growing need for work-from-home skills and competencies. The future holds a lot of potential for MBA graduates as professionals in this technology and networking dominant scenario.

(The author is the co-founder of Sunstone Eduversity) Full report on educationtimes.com

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HC asks collector to reconsider plea for compassionate posting

HC asks collector to reconsider plea for compassionate posting

Madurai: 31.08.2020

Granting relief to a woman, Madras high court directed the Madurai collector to reconsider her application seeking compassionate appointment in the wake of her father’s death while in service. The court was hearing the plea filedby KIlayaraniwhosefather VKallanai,whowas a village assistantin Maduraidistrict,died in 2011.Kallanai keft behind his wife and three children including the petitioner.

The petitioner had submitted an application in 2012 seeking compassionate appointment.Itwas rejected by the collector through order dated March 17, 2020 on the ground that her brother Sakthiponnusamy got a government job in 2013. Ilayarani stated the brother got the job on merit and not on compassionate grounds. She stated her brother was living separately and did not support her family.

Justice R Suresh Kumar observed that according to the two GOs, the application for compassionate appointment of a legal heir can be considered if another legal heir who is in service prior to the death of an employee, is not supporting the family. The judge set aside the rejection order and directed the collector to reconsider the application. TNN

Govt can’t thwart higher studies of a doctor, says HC

Govt can’t thwart higher studies of a doctor, says HC

K.Kaushik@timesgroup.com

Madurai:  31.08.2020

Observing that the opportunity for a doctor to pursue further studies cannot be thwarted by anyone including the government, Madras high court directed the state government to accept the resignation of a doctor and return his original certificates so that he can pursue DNB General Surgery (Broad Speciality) course.

Petitioner Samjaison was appointed as assistant surgeon (general) at a primary health centre at Erwadi in Ramanathapuram district in 2019. After clearing the competitive exam, he got admission for the postgraduate course in an institution in Chennai. Though the petitioner tendered his resignation in July, it was not accepted and his certificates were not returned.

The additional government pleader submitted that according to the conditions in the appointment order, the petitioner should serve the government for three years and would not be permitted to pursue a PG course within two years. He further submitted that the petitioner is working at a PHC in a remote area and during the Covid-19 period basic medical facilities are to be given to the needy.

He further submitted that owing to the pandemic, the government is already struggling for want of more doctors and if the existing doctors are leaving, then it would further aggravate the situation. Justice R Suresh Kumar observed that there is no doubt that this was a very difficult period in our life time, where the whole world is struggling against Covid-19 pandemic situation. Doctors, supporting staff and paramedical staff are in the forefront in the fight against Covid-19.

The judge observed that though the services of the petitioner is required, there was a need for more qualified people with updation in the field of medicine since it will help the society at large. So saying, the judge granted relief to the petitioner to pursue further studies.

Fresh cases cross 6K, Coimbatore records most cases after Chennai Chennai Sees 16 More Covid Deaths, Followed By Salem (9) & Chengalpet (8)

Fresh cases cross 6K, Coimbatore records most cases after Chennai

Chennai Sees 16 More Covid Deaths, Followed By Salem (9) & Chengalpet (8)

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 31.08.2020

As a slew of unlock measures were adopted, Covid-19 cases in Tamil Nadu have begun to peak again. On Sunday, Tamil Nadu saw 6,495 cases and 94 deaths.

Fresh infections were crossing 6,000 for the second day in a row after a month. Chennai registered more than 1,200 cases for the third day in a row. Of the 52,721 active cases in the state, the city accounts for a quarter of them (13,472).

Chennai also recorded the most deaths at 16, followed by Salem with nine and Chengalpet eight.

Chennai region, comprising Chennai city , Chengalpet, Thiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts continued to account for most of the deaths

(33), followed by western region (18).

Sunday’s tally of 2,154 new cases increased the total number of active cases in Chennai region to 19,804, while western region with 1,267 cases added on Sunday has 10,316 active cases.

Coimbatore recorded its highest-ever single day tally of 498 cases, remaining the district with the second-highest incidence in Tamil Nadu, next only to Chennai. Even as the total cases in the district inched closer to 15,000, the number of active cases remained at a little over 3,500. The recovery rate too touched a new high with 451 people being discharged. Though there are no new clusters, cases have steadily increased in hotspots such as Selvapuram and Gandhipuram, and spread to neighbouring localities.

The southern districts reported 953 new cases of Covid-19 on Sunday, and Madurai’s tally crossed the 14,000 mark. Theni district reported the most cases, 176, in the south; Madurai had 134 cases.

The central region recorded its second-highest singleday spike of 754 cases pushing the tally past 31,000 The state, meanwhile, has continued to test aggressively, with more than 83,000 samples tested by RT-PCR method at approved labs on Sunday -- 12,000 more than a week ago on August 23.

The southern districts reported 953 new cases of Covid-19 on Sunday, and Madurai’s tally crossed the 14,000 mark

Fee revision for professional courses unlikely this year

COVID CRISIS

Fee revision for professional courses unlikely this year

A.RaguRaman@timesgroup.com

Chennai: 31.08.2020

Due to the Covid-19 crisis, the fee committee is unlikely to revise the fee structure for professional courses for 2020-21. The students joining professional courses are likely to pay the existing fees for both government quota and management quota seats in self-financing colleges.

As per the existing fee structure, colleges are collecting ₹50,000 for government quota seats and ₹85,000 for management quota. For accredited courses, they can collect ₹55,000 for government quota and ₹87,000 for management quota. “People are suffering due to Covid-19 crisis. There is a view that any fee increase will create more hardships for parents. The fee committee will soon take a decision in this regard,” sources in the fee committee said.

Justice K Venkatraman took over as the head of the fee fixation committee in March.

The fee committee announced that it would revise fees for BE, BTech, BArch, ME, MTech, MArch, MBA and MCA courses for three years from 2020-21. It also invited individual proposals for fee hike from colleges with documents like balance sheet, auditor income, expenditure statements and books of accounts.

More than 500 colleges have applied to the committee seeking fee revision for next three years from 2020-21. The colleges sought fee hike ranging from 25% to 40% for all the courses.

Following the Covid-19 crisis, now several colleges are prepared to run the colleges with existing fee structure for 2020-21.

“I don’t think there is any possibility of a fee hike this year in view of the pandemic,” said M A Maluk Mohammed, director and correspondent of MAM College of Engineering and Technology in Trichy.

The colleges need to honour their commitment and pay salaries to their staffers. Colleges also need to engage students with online classes. It is going to be a challenging year, he added.

Buyers to get ₹52 lakh refund, compensation for unfinished flat

TNRERA ORDER ON UNREGISTERED PROJ

Buyers to get ₹52 lakh refund, compensation for unfinished flat

Yogesh.Kabirdoss@timesgroup.com

Chennai: 31.08.2020

Coming to the rescue of two homebuyers who had booked an apartment in an unregistered housing project, the Tamil Nadu Real Estate Regulatory Authority (TNRERA) has directed the project developer to refund the customer’s payment with interest.

The case pertains to a project titled “Aurum Pride Tower” at Padur, on the outskirts of Chennai, which the TNRERA order states is not registered. It is developed by Pacifica (Chennai) Infrastructure Co. Pvt. Ltd.

In a recent order, TNRERA adjudicating officer G Saravanan said documents furnished by homebuyers proved that the developer failed to complete the construction of the booked flat and handover its possession as promised. Therefore, the complainants (homebuyers) are entitled to get back the payment made with interest and compensation, it added. The developer concerned has been directed to refund the payment of ₹52.2 lakh to the complainants with an interest of 10% per annum till the repayment is made. Besides, the homebuyers have also been awarded compensation of ₹2.2 lakh towards mental agony and litigation expenses.

The order is significant as it gives homebuyers who invested in such unregistered housing projects an opportunity to seek relief from the state’s realty regulator. Such projects, which commenced before the implementation of RERA Act, could not deliver apartments and also failed to register with the TNRERA, after the Tamil Nadu government notified rules for real estate Act in June 2017.

The complainants said they had paid ₹52.2 lakh of the ₹53.9 lakh owed for booking the flat. After a sale agreement was entered between the homebuyer and builder in 2013, the developer executed a sale deed assuring to handover the flat in 2015. But, the construction was not completed and the (apartment) unit has not been handed over till date, the order added.

Despite attempts, Pacifica (Chennai) Infrastructure Co. Pvt. Ltd. did not respond to TOI queries for reaction.

The developer, in 2019, informed the homebuyers that construction of the block in which a unit was booked can’t be completed and urged them to shift the booking to another block. The complainants sought to cancel the booking and sought a refund of the amount paid.

Buses to run half-full after 5 months

Buses to run half-full after 5 months

Masks A Must For Travelling; Offices To Have 100% Staff

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 31.08.2020

Five months after the first lockdown was announced to handle the Covid-19 pandemic, city streets will regain life starting Tuesday as bus services will resume and malls, hotels will reopen. Offices have been permitted to function with 100% staff in attendance. Metro rail services will also resume on September 7 and Chennai will no longer be the city with the most restrictions in the country as only colleges, schools, cinemas and parks will remain closed.

As the city continues to log more than 1,000 fresh Covid-19 cases daily, MTC authorities, malls and hotel managements will take precautions to ensure safety of patrons. Measures — a mix of technology and manual enforcement — will be taken to prevent crowding and ensure social distancing in buses, malls, hotels and metro trains.

Anticipating a huge rush of commuters on the first day, MTC will run its entire fleet of 3,000 buses. A transport department official said due to social distancing restrictions, they will be running more buses. “We will first see the crowd, and based on that, we will increase services in the subsequent days.”

Buses can take in only 50% passengers and none can travel standing, and everyone must wear masks. “Buses have 44 seats, so now only 22 passengers can board and only one person can sit in a two-seater, in order to maintain social distancing,” said a senior official from the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC). The crew will wear masks and gloves, and there will be a hands-free sanitiser dispenser stand at the entrance of every bus for the public to use.

Until further government orders, MTC buses will not ply in Chengalpet, Arakkonam, and areas outside the corporation limits.

Metro rail, which has already readied a standard operating procedure, is expected to finetune it based on fresh guidelines from the Centre. An official said issuing of tokens will be dispensed with and QR code-based ticketing will be introduced in addition to the smart cards to ensure contactless entry and exit at the stations. The services were suspended at the end of March.

Sources said services may be stopped earlier than usual. “We are yet to take a decision on what all SOPs to follow,’ said an official.

Making the most of the opportunity to resume business, star hotels have started to reassure its customers about their safety standards. Zubin Songadwala, general manager of ITC Grand Chola, said, “Our safe practices start with prearrival check-in, safe car ride, security personnel in PPE, hand sanitisers at touchpoints, luggage sanitisation, remodelled receptions with WelcomSeparators, deepcleaned and sanitised room allotment.” He also said restaurants will follow contactless dining while food will be delivered to rooms on sanitised IRD trolleys.

India becomes 1st country to cross 80k cases in a day

India becomes 1st country to cross 80k cases in a day

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:31.08.2020

India added a record 80,092 fresh Covid cases on Sunday, becoming the first country in the world to cross the 80,000-mark in a single day since the outbreak of the pandemic, even as the week ending August 30 turned out to be the worst week of the month. The growth rate in both fresh cases and fatalities in this week not only increased after a dip, but more than doubled compared to the preceding week.

The highest peak of 80,000-plus cases comes on a Sunday when the number of fresh infections have been lower than other days of the week because of a lull in testing during the weekends. The highest peak of fresh cases on a Sunday was last recorded on August 9 with 63,851fresh cases.

However, more alarming than the new peak in fresh infections is the growth rate of both fresh cases and fatalities shooting up in the last week of August after a dip which was seen in the earlier weeks of the month.

India’s first woman cardiologist dies at 103

India’s first woman cardiologist Dr S I Padmavati died of Covid-19 on Saturday. The 103-year-old was admitted 11 days ago to the National Heart Institute, which she founded in 1981. A severe infection in both lungs caused the death. P 8

Covid-19: AP emerges as second worst-hit state, pushes TN to 3rd

With more than 76,000 fresh cases being registered daily for five consecutive days, the growth rate this week at 13.1% was almost three times the 4.7% growth registered the previous week. This was 5.9% in the preceding week and 10.9% in the first week of the month (Aug 3-9).

Similarly, with 1,000-plus fresh deaths recorded for four consecutive days, the growth rate in fatalities this week, at 3.9%, was more than double of 1.7% recorded in the previous week.

Sunday’s peak of fresh cases came on the back of Maharashtra recording its second highest surge with 16,408 infections – more than 16,000 cases for the second consecutive day – as well as five other states registering their highest peaks. Maharashtra registered its highest peak with 16,867 new cases just a day ago.

On Sunday, the states/ UT which registered their highest peak were Uttar Pradesh (which crossed the 6,000-mark for the first time with 6,233 new cases), Rajasthan (1,450 fresh cases), Madhya Pradesh (1,558), Chhattisgarh (1,471), and Jammu & Kashmir (786).

With 970 fresh deaths on Sunday, India’s toll inched closer to the 65,000-mark at 64,550. Maharashtra, the worst affected state, registered 296 fresh deaths on Sunday, taking the toll to 24399, which is nearly 38% of the country’s total fatalities.

While the cumulative caseload of the country crossed the 36-lakh mark on Sunday at 36,16,730, the number of patients who have recovered is 27,67,412. The number of active cases is close to the 8-lakh mark at 7,84,768.

Andhra Pradesh emerged as the second worst affected state in the country, with 10,603 new infections in the country taking the state’s caseload to 4,24,767, thereby pushing Tamil Nadu to the third place with a caseload of 4,22,085.

TOUGH TESTING: A woman gives sample at mobile Covid testing bus at ENT hospital in Visakhapatnam on Sunday

› Nashik currency press stops ops over Covid, P 8

TN scraps e-pass, allows buses within dists, opens up shrines Edu Institutes, Cinemas Will Remain Shut

TN scraps e-pass, allows buses within dists, opens up shrines

Edu Institutes, Cinemas Will Remain Shut

D.Govardan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:31.08.2020

In line with the Centre’s unlock 4.0 norms, the Tamil Nadu government on Sunday announced that from September 1 e-passes would not be needed for travel within the state, buses could ply within districts, and malls, hotels, resorts, clubs and places of worship were free to open. The intense lockdown on Sundays, which had little meaning with people crowding market places on Saturday, too will go.

Schools, colleges and cinema theatres, including multiplexes in malls, will, however, remain closed.

In Chennai, metro rail services will resume operations from September 7, while suburban train services will remain shut. Passengers arriving by domestic and international flights, as well as those entering the state in private vehicles and trains would still need to apply for e-pass, which will be sanctioned to all automatically.

Parks and sports stadia will be open for undertaking training, but members of the public will not be allowed inside stadiums. Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said the relaxations were to boost overall economic activity and growth and had been decided after discussions with officials and health experts.

While Section 144 that prevents unlawful assembly of more than five persons will remain in force, no relaxations of any type will be applicable for containment zones.

No public meetings or religious gatherings or processions will be permitted. All industries as well as IT/ITeS sector can have their operations with 100% employees.

State government offices to function with all employees

But the IT sector is being advised to encourage WFH for most, barring the critical areas of operations. State government offices will function with 100% employees from September 1, while skill development centres and ITIs will function from September 21.

People visiting hill stations such as Nilgris, Kodaikanal and Yercaud should apply for e-pass from the respective district collector.

Film shootings are permitted to resume, but with a maximum of 75 people. Members of the public will not be allowed to be present at shooting spots. “It has come as a breather for an industry bogged down by inaction for five and half months. While challenges remain, production houses will resume shooting in a couple of days,” said S R Prabhu, vice president, Tamil Film Active Producers Association said.

“Operation of intra-district bus transport will help. But, we urge the government to considering early resumption of suburban train services, since MSME workers will have to shell out more for travel by buses from other parts of same districts. If metro rail is for white-collar jobs, suburban trains are for blue-collared workers and they are important if industrial units have to run with 100% employees,” said M Balachandran, president, AIEMA.

“It will only aid then economy, which has taken a hit,” Hari K Thiagarajan, Chairman, CII Tamil Nadu told TOI. “We are relieved. We are in a state of readiness to open the mall in a couple of days,” Mukrim Habeeb, director, Grand Marina Mall on OMR.

People visiting hill stations such as Nilgris, Kodaikanal and Yercaud should apply for e-pass from the respective district collector

Why women feel worse after breakup sex

Why women feel worse after breakup sex

Canela Lopez 30.08.2020

Breakups come along with a flurry of emotions packed into a small period of time, which can be pretty confusing. It’s no surprise that a little breakup sex may occur in the heat of it all. But sometimes, it can really hard to pinpoint exactly why we do it.

A team of researchers put together a paper published in Evolutionary Psychology, which includes two studies on how men and women differ in their approach to breakup sex — which they defined as sex with your ex two weeks or less after breaking up — and how it makes them feel when everything is said and done.

They found that both genders have breakup sex for vastly different reasons.

The first study in the paper surveyed 212 college students in the Northeast, who were predominantly white and almost entirely heterosexual, and asked how they felt after having breakup sex.

Overall, women typically felt better about their relationship but worse about themselves after breakup sex, while men felt better about themselves.

“It is due to women being more likely than men to express regret over having a one-time sexual encounter as prior research by others has documented,” Dr. T. Joel Wade, Professor of Psychology at Bucknell University and coauthor of the paper, told Insider.

The second study asked a group of 292 college students, predominantly white and entirely heterosexual, to choose from a list of what motivated them to engage in breakup sex and rank the reasons.

According to Wade, men typically had breakup sex for “hedonistic reasons” — like “wanting to feel good, the opportunity occurred, missed having sex, and wanting to satisfy their needs.”

Women, on the other hand, tended to do so for more emotional and loving reasons.

The research hypothesizes there is an evolutionary aspect to why men and women differ in their decisions to have breakup sex. The evolutionary theories for breakup sex that were explored included doing so a mate-retention tool (way to entice your partner to stay) and as a mate-coping strategy (way to give the possible dissolution of your relationship).

While evolution was the main focus of this set of research, the authors said social factors like sexism could also play a role.

One limitation of the data was the sample groups used for the studies. Both groups were predominantly White and almost entirely heterosexual.“The data cannot speak to LGBTQ+ individuals. It is hard to say how queer people would engage,” Moran, lead author of the paper, told Insider. BUSINESS INSIDER.IN

GENDER DIFFERENCE: Men have breakup sex for hedonistic reasons, while women do so for emotional and loving reasons, a new study claims

Your phone knows when you’re drunk

Your phone knows when you’re drunk

30.08.3030

By detecting changes in the way one walks, a smartphone can tell when a person has had too much alcohol, suggests the findings of a new study.

The study was published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

Having real-time information about alcohol intoxication could be important for helping people reduce alcohol consumption, preventing drinking and driving or alerting a sponsor for someone in treatment, according to lead researcher Brian Suffoletto, M.D., who was with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine when the research was conducted and is now with Stanford University School of Medicine.

“We have powerful sensors we carry around with us wherever we go,” Suffoletto says. “We need to learn how to use them to best serve public health.”

But for Suffoletto, this research is much more than academic. “I lost a close friend to a drinking and driving crash in college,” he says. “And as an emergency physician, I have taken care of scores of adults with injuries related to acute alcohol intoxication. Because of this, I have dedicated the past 10 years to testing digital interventions to prevent deaths and injury related to excessive alcohol consumption.”

For the study, Suffoletto and colleagues recruited 22 adults aged between 21 to 43. Volunteers came to a lab and received a mixed drink with enough vodka to produce a breath alcohol concentration of .20 per cent. They had one hour to finish the alcohol.

Then hourly for seven hours, participants had their breath alcohol concentration analysed and performed a walking task. For this task, researchers placed a smartphone on each participant’s lower back, secured with an elastic belt. Participants walked a straight line for 10 steps, turned around, and walked back 10 steps.

The smartphones measured acceleration and mediolateral (side to side), vertical (up and down), and anteroposterior (forward and backward) movements while the participants walked. About 90% of the time, the researchers were able to use changes in gait to identify when participants’ breath alcohol concentration exceeded .08%, the legal limit for driving in the US.

Although placing the smartphone on the lower back does not reflect how people carry their cell phones in real life, the research group plans to conduct additional research while people carry phones in their hands and in their pockets.

And although it was a small investigation, the researchers write that this is a “proof-of-concept study” that “provides a foundation for future research on using smartphones to remotely detect alcoholrelated impairments.” ANI

WALK TELLS ALL: A smartphone can tell when someone has had too much alcohol because of their walk

Govt revives 2-year PG medical diploma course

Govt revives 2-year PG medical diploma course

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:30.08.3030

With an aim to address the shortage of specialists in district hospitals and in rural India, the health ministry has allowed two-year post-graduate (PG) diploma courses that applicants can pursue after completing their MBBS.

This will enable National Board of Examination to start eight post graduate speciality diploma courses in obstetrics and gynaecology, anaesthesiology, paediatrics, tuberculosis and chest disease, family medicine, ophthalmology, radio diagnosis, and ENT.

The health ministry issued the order after consultation with the Board of Governors (BoG) in suppression of the Medical Council of India.

Candidates can pursue these courses by clearing the NEET-PG exam after completing MBBS.

Hospitals with a minimum of 100 operational beds are eligible to seek accreditation with NBE for the diploma courses.

TOI had reported about this proposal being considered by the government in March.

The move assumes significance in view of the pandemic which has restricted movement because of fear of infection. The dearth of specialist doctors in rural and remote areas have become more challenging for the healthcare system now than ever as critical patients are unable to travel to cities and metros to seek tertiary care.

The Medical Council of India (MCI) had in 2019 converted its diploma courses into degree courses to overcome the shortfall of teaching faculty in the country.

Hospitals with a minimum of 100 operational beds are eligible to seek accreditation with NBE for the diploma courses

3 paediatricians die in a day of Covid-19 in Maharashtra

3 paediatricians die in a day of Covid-19 in Maharashtra

Rapid Health Deterioration A Common Factor

Chaitanya.Deshpande@timesgroup.com

Nagpur:30.08.3030

Three paediatricians from Akola, Buldhana and Bhusawal, who were treating Covid-19 patients at different places, died of coronavirus infection on Friday. Very rapid deterioration of health was the common factor in all the three deaths.

As per central government data, 292 health care workers have died in Maharashtra. According to state figures, 26 government doctors have died due to Covid-19 in Maharashtra till date. According to Indian Medical Association (Maharashtra), more than 90 private practitioners have died of Covid-19 in Maharashtra.

In Vidarbha region, 3 doctors in government service have died of Covid-19. More than 10 private practitioners have died in region due to the virus, according to the IMA.

Dr Vivek Phadke, 55, who died on Friday was the chief medical officer of the Covid care centre in Murtizapur in Akola district since the last five months. He died within 44 hours of admission. The other two were private practitioners.

Dr Phadke got himself admitted to Akola GMCH on August 26 after he developed Covid symptoms. “He was otherwise fit but had some lifestyle-based comorbidities like diabetes. His condition was very good when he got himself admitted. But his health deteriorated suddenly,” said Dr Ranjeet Deshmukh, his long-time companion, from Neighbouring Buldhana district witnessed a death of young private practitioner Dr Gopal Kshirsagar, 37, who used to run a hospital in Janefal town of Mehkar tehsil. Dr Kshirsagar got admitted in a private hospital in Aurangabad on August 5.

Senior paediatrician from Bhusawal, Dr Umesh Manohar Khanapurkar, died on the same day in Mumbai. He was known as ‘garibanche doctor’ (doctor of poor people) in Bhusawal. Family members of Dr Khanapurkar are also reputed doctors in the region. Dr Khanapurkar tested positive on August 11 and was admitted to a private hospital in Mumbai. Dr Deshmukh said that Dr Phadke was one of the “finest in government setup”. “He worked with dedication and never got into private practice. After working for more than a decade in Akola, he was working in Murtizapur for the last several years,” he said.

“He was doing well during initial days of treatment. But his condition suddenly deteriorated,” he added. Dr Khanapurkar, practising since 1988, is credited to have saved hundreds of critically ill babies. “He was providing health services to the poor during lockdown,” said Dr Ashutosh Kelkar from Bhusawal.

Dr Ravi Wankhedkar, treasurer of World Medical Association, said that doctors dying due to Covid is a serious cause of concern. “Over-bureaucratization of Covid-19 crisis and non-involvement of health experts in decision-making has worsened the situation,” he said. He added that health care workers need more protection.

Unnao MP Sakshi Maharaj stopped, quarantined in J’khand

Bokaro:

BJP’s Unnao MP Sakshi Maharaj was stopped by Jharkhand police en route to Dhanbad on Saturday for allegedly violating Covid-19 protocol and put in 14-day institutional quarantine in Giridih. Sakshi Maharaj had arrived early in the morning and spent two hours with his ailing 97-year-old mother.

While the MP accused the JMM-Congress-RJD government of forcibly quarantining him, Giridih DC Rahul Kumar Sinha said there was nothing political about the decision. TNN

2L poor quality engineers to pass out as arrear exams scrapped: Experts

2L poor quality engineers to pass out as arrear exams scrapped: Experts

‘Hard Earned Degrees Will Lose Value’

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:30.08.3030

The cancellation of all arrears exams for engineering students in Tamil Nadu, due to Covid-19, may in one stroke bring down the value of lakhs of hard earned degrees and ensure that at least two lakh students without basic understanding in key subjects become engineers, say experts.

It may also damage the reputation of Anna University and lead to genuine students being overlooked for courses of higher education or employment due to loss of credibility, they add.

The government announced that all students with arrears (except final semester) who have registered and paid fees for exams will be exempted from writing exams and they will be promoted.

There are currently 4,01,226 engineering students with arrears in TN. “Of the two lakh students now set to receive degrees without clearing exams, one lakh have finished college and 10,000 have exhausted all attempts to clear arrears,” a professor said. Currently, one student has been found to have 61 arrears out of 68 papers, he said.

B Chidambararajan, principal of Chennai-based Valliammai Engineering College, said a student can clear 6-10 papers in one semester. “If students with more arrears are promoted without writing exams, the value of degrees will be lost. Even now many companies don’t rely on semester marks to select candidates,” he said.

Almost all private companies have a robust recruitment process and will not take up students without screening them, he said. “If any of such candidates join the public sector, it will have very serious consequences,” he said, suggesting an exit test for students with many arrear.

The concept of getting students to arrear exams is to enable them to acquire sufficient knowledge in a subject, said M A Maluk Mohammed, director and correspondent of MAM College of Engineering and Technology in Trichy. “Citing Covid-19 scenario, we cannot pass all students with arrears. It is making a mockery of the system.” The government can come up with innovative solutions like online exams or open book exams, he said.

E Balagurusamy, former vice-chancellor of Anna University, said universities are not ration shops to distribute free degrees.

“There is no need to declare students with arrears passed with such urgency. Many finished college years ago and have been appearing for arrear exams for several years. They can wait for a few more months.”

All India Council for Technical Education chairman Anil D Sahasrabudhe wondered how a student who failed a course could be given a degree. “Such students will not be valued by industry or other higher educational institutes and would not get jobs. What is the use of such degrees?”

‘Unfair to those who couldn’t pay fee’

The state government’s decision to scrap arrear exams and promote students who have paid the arrears exam fees, received criticism from those who didn’t make the payment. “Payment of fees alone cannot be the criteria for the promotion. If all students cannot avail of this benefit, the exams should be postponed,” said G Kavita, a BSc Maths student at a Madurai college. Colleges state that those intending to write the exam would have paid when the fee was being collected before the lockdown in February and March. “In this uncertain period, several students with just one or two arrears could not pay the fees,” said S Vel Deva, Madurai district secretary, Students’ Federation of India (SFI). Questioning the cancellation of the arrears exams on a large-scale basis, he added that there should be equality in this process. TNN

Unlock 4.0: States, UTs barred from declaring local lockdown Metro From Sept 7; Schools & Colleges To Remain Closed

Unlock 4.0: States, UTs barred from declaring local lockdown

Metro From Sept 7; Schools & Colleges To Remain Closed

Bharti.Jain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: 30.08.2020

In a bid to curb restrictions like “weekend lockdowns” seen to be hurting the economy still reeling under Covid, the Unlock 4.0 guidelines released by the Centre on Saturday make it mandatory for states and Union territories to consult the Centre before imposing any local lockdown in areas other than containment zones.

This guideline, according to home ministry sources, was necessary to ensure that supply chains are not disrupted by “arbitrary” lockdowns imposed at the district or city level, which tend to adversely affect free inter-state and intra-state movement of goods. Traders’ associations have also been up in arms over the weekend curbs in particular, protesting that it adversely impacts business. In important relaxations, city Metro trains will operate with services resuming in a graded manner from September 7, while bars and restaurants can serve liquor to customers from September 1itself.

Starting September 21, social, religious, academic, sports, entertainment, religious and political functions with a maximum congregation of 100 people will be permitted in non-containment areas, subject to norms. Marriage functions and funerals, which at present can have maximum 50 and 20 attendees, respectively, will also have a raised ceiling of 100 attendees after September 20. Schools and colleges will remain shut until September 30.

More relaxations in TN likely soon

As TN tally surpassed four lakh Covid cases and 7,000 deaths, chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, who held a review meeting with collectors on Saturday, directed them to give priority to elderly and those with co-morbidities in conducting RT-PCR tests. Sources said the CM was considering more relaxations to revive the economy. P 5

MHA norms will be effective from September 1-30

However, there is an easing for Class IX to Class XII students who can visit schools for guidance from teachers but with the written permission of parents, while 50% teaching and other staff can be called by schools from September 21.

Post-graduate students and those who need to conduct research and use labs will be allowed to attend higher education institutions. However, all this will be subject to standard operating procedures to be issued by the health ministry.

The norms will be effective from September 1-30. The advisory on local lockdowns may not go down well with some opposition-governed states that have been following their versions of containment, which vary across cities and districts in terms of extent of curbs.

“The home ministry received representations from industry associations like Ficci and CII against ‘local’ lockdowns citing their adverse impact on supply chains and resumption of economic activity on full scale. The guidelines don’t bar the state from imposing local lockdowns, they only require the Centre to be consulted before imposing them,” said an official.

While cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment marks and theatres will stay shut, open-air theatres can resume from September 21.

With guidelines lifting the ban on public consumption of liquor, tobacco products and gutka, bars can finally open their counters and restaurants can serve liquor from September 1.

Allowing up to 100 people at a public function will help physical campaigning and holding of rallies and public meetings for the upcoming Bihar polls and other bypolls, expected to be announced next month.

Full report on www.toi.in

23 அரியரில் பாஸ்: முதல்வருக்கும், கொரோனாவுக்கும் திருச்சி மாணவர் நன்றி

23 அரியரில் பாஸ்: முதல்வருக்கும், கொரோனாவுக்கும் திருச்சி மாணவர் நன்றி

Updated : ஆக 29, 2020 04:16 | Added : ஆக 29, 2020 04:13 |

திருச்சி;முதல்-அமைச்சரின் உத்தரவால் திருச்சியை சேர்ந்த என்ஜினீயரிங் கல்லூரி மாணவர் 23 அரியர் பாடங்களிலும் பாஸ் ஆகி உள்ளார். அதனால் எல்லையில்லா மகிழ்ச்சி அடைந்ததாக அவர் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.கொரோனா தொற்று பரவல் காரணமாக ஊரடங்கு அமல்படுத்தப்பட்டது. தேர்வு நேரத்தில் பஸ் உள்ளிட்ட வாகன போக்குவரத்தும் தடைபட்டது. பள்ளி மாணவர்களின் நலன்கருதி எஸ்.எஸ்.எல்.சி. பொதுத்தேர்வு எழுதாமலேயே அனைத்து மாணவ-மாணவிகளும் தேர்ச்சி பெற்றதாக அரசு அறிவித்தது.

அடுத்ததாக கல்லூரிகளில் இறுதியாண்டு செமஸ்டர் தவிர, இதர ஆண்டுகளில் பாடங்களில் அரியர்ஸ் வைத்திருந்த அனைத்து மாணவ-மாணவிகளும் தேர்ச்சி பெற்றதாக முதல்வர் பழனிசாமி அறிவித்தார். இது கல்லூரிகளில் சரிவர படிப்பு வராமல் இருந்த மாணவ-மாணவிகளுக்கு பெரும் அதிர்ஷ்டம் அடித்தாற்போல மகிழ்ச்சியில் திளைக்க தொடங்கினர்.

திருச்சி கிராப்பட்டி பகுதியை சேர்ந்த என்ஜினீயரிங் கல்லூரியில் 3-ம் ஆண்டு படித்து வரும் மாணவர் சஞ்சய்நேரு , 23 பாடங்கள் அரியர் வைத்திருந்தார். தமிழக அரசு அரியர் வைத்துள்ள அனைத்து பாடங்களும் 'பாஸ்' என அறிவித்ததும் மகிழ்ச்சியில் பெருமையுடன் கூறினார்.

இது குறித்து மாணவர் சஞ்சய்நேரு கூறியது:நான் எஸ்.எஸ்.எல்.சி. பொதுத்தேர்வில் 427 மதிப்பெண்களும், பிளஸ்-2 வில் 905 மதிப்பெண்களும் எடுத்திருந்தேன். என்ஜினீயரிங் படிக்க எனக்கு ஆர்வம் இன்றி இருந்தேன். ஆனால், கட்டாயத்தின்பேரில் திருச்சி-திண்டுக்கல் சாலையில் உள்ள தனியார் கல்லூரி ஒன்றில் கடந்த 3 ஆண்டுக்கு முன்பு எலக்ட்ரானிக் அன்ட் கம்யூனிகேஷன் என்ஜினீயரிங் (இ.சி.இ.) பாடப்பிரிவை எடுத்து படித்தேன். பள்ளியில் மனப்பாடமாக படித்ததுபோல கல்லூரியில் படிக்க முடியவில்லை. கல்லூரியில் இருந்து இடையில் நின்று விடலாமா? என யோசித்து கொண்டிருந்தேன்.

முதலாம் ஆண்டில் முதல் செமஸ்டரில் ஒரு அரியர் பேப்பரும், 2-வது செமஸ்டரில் 5 அரியர் பேப்பரும் இருந்தது. 2-ம் ஆண்டில் 3-வது செமஸ்டரில்-5, 4-வது செமஸ்டரில்-6, 3-ம் ஆண்டில் 5-வது செமஸ்டரில்-6 என மொத்தம் 23 அரியர் இருந்தது. மேலும் அத்தனை அரியர் பாடங்களை மீண்டும் எழுதும் நோக்கில் கட்டணமும் செலுத்தினேன்.

இந்த நிலையில்தான் முதல்வர் பழனிசாமி, கல்லூரி மாணவ-மாணவிகளின் அரியர் பாடங்கள் அனைத்தும் பாஸ் என அறிவித்தார். இதற்காக அரசுக்கு நன்றி தெரிவித்து கொள்கிறேன். தற்போது நான் எல்லையில்லா மகிழ்ச்சியில் உள்ளேன். இதற்கு காரணமான கொரோனாவுக்கும் நன்றி. இனி இறுதியாண்டில் எப்படியாவது எஞ்சிய செமஸ்டர் பாடங்களை நன்றாக படித்து தேர்ச்சி பெற முயற்சி மேற்கொள்வேன்.இவ்வாறு அவர் தெரிவித்தார்.

SC: Final year exams must for judging students’ competence

SC: Final year exams must for judging students’ competence

Justifies UGC Decision To Hold Exams For Awarding Degrees

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:29.08.2020

The Supreme Court on Friday justified the UGC’s insistence on final examinations for undergraduate and postgraduate courses for award of degrees and said this was an important process to seek evidence of students’ knowledge and evaluate it.

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R S Reddy and M R Shah said, “Final year/ terminal semester examinations are important because the learning process is a dynamic interaction where the only way to figure out what students know is to seek evidence of their knowledge and to evaluate it. Performance in examination, especially final year/ terminal semester examination, are a reflection of competence of the students.

“Terminal semester/final year examination also provides an opportunity to students to improve upon their overall score/marks which are very crucial for academic excellence and opportunities of employment. Final year/terminal semester examination of undergraduate or postgraduate is an opportunity for a student to show his optimum calibre which paves his future career both in academics and employment.”

Maharashtra government, drawing support from West Bengal and Delhi, had questioned the rationale behind UGC fixing a September 30 deadline for completion of final examinations without taking into account the dynamic Covid-19 situation in different states. The bench said, “UGC had rightly fixed a date for completion of terminal semester/ final year examination throughout the country to maintain uniformity in the academic calendar.”

The court said UGC fixed a uniform deadline as students, who look forward to admission in higher courses or take employment, require final degree for their career prospects and for this, there has to be to uniformity in dates by which final examinations are over.

Maharashtra government had decided on June 19 that final year examination of professional courses could not be arranged during the pandemic.

With regard to non-professional (traditional) courses, the state had decided to declare results by adopting a suitable formula after obtaining in writing from students that they intended to get degree without appearing in examinations.

The states had argued that UGC could not have taken a unilateral decision to fix September 30 deadline for completion of final examinations without consulting states and universities. The bench said, “Whether for collecting information relating to university education in India, if UGC has to consult all 900 or more universities and whether without consultation with the universities, it cannot perform its functions under Section 12 of the UGC Act, the answer would be obviously that it is not necessary for UGC to consult all universities while collecting information relating to university education in India.”

LAYS DOWN THE LAW

The businessman who became a brand himself

The businessman who became a brand himself

D.Govardan@timesgroup.com

29.08.2020

TNCC working president and Congress Lok Sabha MP from Kanyakumari, H Vasanthakumar, passed away on Friday at a city hospital, where he was admitted on August 10, after developing symptoms of Covid-19. He was 70. He leaves behind his wife, who is also undergoing treatment for Covid and an actor son, Vijay Vasanth.

On August 9, he participated in a virtual meet, organized by TNCC, for freedom fighter Chinna Annamalai’s centenary, which turned out to be his last public appearance. “I spoke to him over phone on August 11. He was sounding cheerful and said there was only mild symptoms for him and his wife. Since their grandson was at home, they got themselves admitted to hospital as a precautionary measure,” recalls K Chandrasekharan, secretary, TNCC arts wing. “With God’s blessings, I will be back home in a few days,” Vasanthakumar had told him.

Born on April 14, 1950 at Agastheeswaram in Kanyakumari, he was the younger brother of former TNCC president Kumari Ananthan. Vasanthakumar started his career as a salesman in VGP & Co selling ‘Murphy’ transistors door-todoor on instalment basis on a bicycle. After gaining some experience, he was keen to open his own shop.

While no one came forward to lend him money, a customer advised him to approach Indian Bank for loan. He met senior branch manager M Gopalakrishnan, who later went on to become CMD of the bank, who sanctioned him a small loan. Starting from scratch in 1978, he established Vasanth & Co. It later became TN’s largest consumer durable retail chain. It has over 80 branches in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.

Vasanthakumar was elected to the Tamil Nadu assembly from Nanguneri assembly segment for the first time in 2006, when the Congress was part of the DMK alliance. He lost in the 2011 assembly elections.

He lost to BJP’s Pon Radhakrishnan in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Kanyakumari. In the 2016 assembly elections, when Congress was back in the DMK alliance, Vasanthakumar got elected from Nanguneri to the assembly for the second time. But he contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Kanyakumari and defeated Pon Radhakrishnan. Later, he resigned the MLA post.

“He was a man without contradictions. Even if he differed with what I said, he would put across his views with a smile and convince me. A complete family man, he took every decision only after discussing it threadbare with his wife and son,” recalls TNCC president K S Alagiri.

Vasanthakumar had spoken to former TNCC president and Trichy Lok Sabha MP S Thirunavukkarasar on August 14 and invited the latter to visit TNCC headquarters for the Independence Day flag hoisting ceremony. “Vasanthakumar was a pure nationalist and had a bright future for himself in the TNCC. In a short duration as MP, he proved himself as a very good parliamentarian,” Thirunavukkarasar said.

“His self-confidence was supreme. He was a businessman who made himself the brand for his trade. He connected with the customers and built an empire from scratch,” said former Congress MP Peter Alphonse.

3.5 lakh entered city after e-pass norms relaxed

3.5 lakh entered city after e-pass norms relaxed

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  29.08.2020

Ever since the epass restrictions were relaxed, Chennai has witnessed an influx of 3.25 lakh people, Greater Chennai Corporation commissioner G Prakash said on Friday. This had led to an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases but Prakash said it “was expected and the civic body is prepared for it”.

Prakash said every day around 30,000-35,000 people were entering the city. “Home quarantine is a method of controlling the spread. We don’t know if those entering have been tested earlier or not. Keeping them in a confined space for 14 days and testing if they get symptoms is a correct method,” he said.

Prakash said Chennai and Tamil Nadu’s focus has now shifted to reduction of Covid deaths. “We can’t stop the inflow or outflow of public or the spread of cases. We can only scientifically control it,” Prakash said.

Health secretary J Radhakrishnan said people must get tested for Covid if they have symptoms. “We are getting many cases where people complain of breathlessness and come in at the last minute. They die within a day. These are avoidable deaths,” he said.

“Instead of getting tested, people were getting CT scans and wasting three to four precious days, which can cost them their lives,” Radhakrishnan said. People were avoiding tests as they were worried about being quarantined for a fortnight, he said. Radhakrishnan said using masks, physical distancing and regular handwashing should be rigorously practised. Prakash said such regulations will continue till the end of 2020.

The commissioner said there were rumours on social media that about Rs 15,000 award to be given to those who would help authorities find Covid-19 patients. “People spreading such rumours would be dealt with severely,” said Prakash.

SC: Final exams must for degrees, states can delay, but can’t nix them

SC: Final exams must for degrees, states can delay, but can’t nix them

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: 29.08.2020

Ending the suspense for 1.5-crore final-year undergraduate and postgraduate students, the Supreme Court on Friday said final examinations are a must to get degrees but ruled that in a pandemic situation, states had power under the Disaster Management Act to postpone examinations beyond the September 30 deadline set by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The court said the state or the disaster management authority could delay the final exams but not scrap them. They will need to be rescheduled in consultation with the UGC, the court said, upholding the regulator's mandate to set the rules for award of degrees. In doing so, the SC said it recognised the importance of the evaluation process. The SC said UGC guidelines had taken the pandemic situation into account and had given three options to universities for conducting final examinations — offline, online and a mix of both.

‘States have no power to pass students sans exams’

There was nothing unreasonable about the guidelines as it also provided another opportunity to students, who, for some reason, may miss the final examinations, it said.

Maharashtra has decided to cancel final-year examinations, citing rising Covid-19 cases. It found support from West Bengal and Delhi, who termed the UGC guidelines an advisory and not mandatory. In support of the Maharashtra government’s decision, Shiv Sena’s youth wing ‘Yuva Sena’ had moved the SC challenging UGC’s July 6 guidelines mandating completion of final examinations by September 30.

Disagreeing with their stand, a bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R S Reddy and M R Shah said states and universities had no power to “promote students in the final year or terminal semester” without holding final examinations. It said UGC was the sole authority to take a decision on this count.

“Decision of the state or State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) to promote students in the final year/terminal semester on the basis of previous performance and internal assessment being beyond the jurisdiction of Disaster Management Act, 2005, has to give way to the UGC’s July 6 guidelines directing to hold examination of final year/terminal semester,” it said.

However, the court said if the state or SDMA has decided that it cannot hold final examinations by September 30, then the state shall approach UGC for fixing a new schedule for final examination for undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Full report on www.toi.in

‘For extension, states must approach UGC’

New Delhi: All centrally funded higher education institutions have been asked to comply with the UGC’s notification to conduct final-year exams by September-end, higher education secretary Amit Khare said, adding that if any state wanted an extension, they should apply to the UGC.

Professor R C Kuhad, who headed the expert committee of UGC on examination and academic calendar, said the SC ruling had put an end to the uncertainty around final exams. TNN

[Breaking] NEET-JEE : Cabinet Ministers From 6 States File Review In SC Against Dismissal Of Pleas To Postpone Exams

[Breaking] NEET-JEE : Cabinet Ministers From 6 States File Review In SC Against Dismissal Of Pleas To Postpone Exams: 'The advice of 'Life Must Go On' may have very sound philosophical underpinnings but cannot be a substitute for valid legal reasoning and logical analysis of the various aspects involved in the...