In a first, TN student among top 10 NEET rankers

In a first, TN student among top 10 NEET rankers

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:17.10.2020

For the first time since the introduction of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for MBBS admissions seven years ago, a student from Tamil Nadu has broken into the top 10. Srijan R got the 8th rank nationally scoring 710 out of 720 marks. Two other candidates from the state, Mohanaprabha Ravichandran and G Swetha, scored 705 and 702 respectively and secured the 52nd and 62nd ranks. Last year, the state topper was Shruthi K, who scored 685 out of 720 marks and secured the 57th rank.

Of 1,21,617 students who had registered for the test from the state, 99,610 took it. Of them, 57,215 students (57.4%) qualified. Last year 48.5% qualified.

In 2019, the cut-off for MBBS admissions in government medical colleges went up by nearly 100 marks in most categories because of a surge in scores. Last year, the cut-off for OC category was 520 marks and for BC it was 470 marks. The cut-off for BCM and MBC was 458 marks and for SC category 360 marks. For SCA it was 301 and ST 267 marks.

Going by the high scores in NEET this year, the cut-off for medical admissions will likely increase.

This year’s state topper R Srijan, a native Vellakoil in Tirupur district, attended a coaching centre in Namakkal. Talking to reporters in Namakkal, Srijan said he has been passionate about medicine and wants to specialise in cardiology. Srijan had attempted NEET last year and appeared again this year to better his scores.

Mohanaprabha Ravichandran, who is also from the same coaching centre, emerged second in the state. Mohanaprabha said she wants to specialise in neurology.

N Jeevithkumar, a student of Tamil medium Government Model Higher Secondary School, Siluvarpatti, Theni district, has scored 664/720. He is the second student pursuing medicine from the school and has scored just over 99% in physics, chemistry and biology. He has secured the 1,823rd rank at the national level. His father K Narayanamoorthi rears goats for a living and his mother N Parameswari takes up work under the MNREGA. He had undergone NEET coaching in Namakkal district and this is his second attempt at NEET.

“Last year, the all-India topper scored 691 marks. This year, one of our students scored 700 out of 720 marks and he was ranked 105. So, it means that 105 students have scored above 700 and we expect more high scorers in NEET,” said Chandan Chand, regional director, Aakash Institute.

With inputs from Madurai and Coimbatore

N Jeevithkumar, government school student, scored 664/720

University of Madras facing an acute resource crunch

University of Madras facing an acute resource crunch

Without the sanctioned strength, many departments are on the verge of losing additional funding from the University Grants Commission

11/10/2020

Pon Vasanth B.A. CHENNAI

With 56% of faculty positions lying vacant, University of Madras (UoM) is facing an acute shortage in terms of human resources and potential decline in academic and research activities.

Data available with The Hindu showed that at least seven departments did not have a single full-time faculty member and 14 departments had more than 70% of their sanctioned posts vacant.

The shortage is acutely felt in the three Centres of Advanced Study (CAS) in Mathematics, Botany, Crystallography and Biophysics, which receive additional grants from the University Grants Commission (UGC), and are at risk of losing them without the minimum required faculty strength and research output.

Moreover, an analysis of National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) data for the university showed that 50% of the roughly 80 professors are in the age group of 56 and above.

“If the vacancies are not filled in the near future, majority of the departments will not have a single Professor with retirements expected in the coming years,” a senior faculty member said. The last recruitment happened six years ago, but faced some allegations of irregularities.

G. Shanmugam, former Head of CAS in Crystallography and Biophysics and former university syndicate member, said the risk of losing CAS recognition by UGC was real. “We already lost it for the Department of Philosophy in the past,” he said.

The Ramanujan Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics, one of the CAS, has a sanctioned strength of five professors, five associate professors, and 11 assistant professors. However, it presently has only seven assistant professors and not a single professor or associate professor.

The CAS in Botany with a sanctioned strength of 22 faculty members now has one professor and five assistant professors. Stating the department needed a minimum strength of six to maintain the CAS status, Mr. Shanmugam pointed out that N. Mathivanan, the professor and head of the department, is now holding the post of Registrar (in-charge) as well.

Similarly, the CAS in Crystallography and Biophysics had eight faculty members, which included a professor and seven assistant professors, against the sanctioned strength of 18. “The three CAS in the university had many stalwarts in the yesteryears. Now, many departments are not even able to fully utilise their research grants,” Mr. Shanmugam pointed out.

The head of one of the departments, said many departments with research potential were not able to apply for CAS status due to lack of minimum number of faculty. “When a university does not have adequate faculty members, it is not doing justice to its students,” he said.

In a competitive environment with rankings and accreditations, the university would not be able to maintain its status if it did not have competent faculty, who formed the core of the university system, he added.

Pointing out that over 50% of the non-teaching staff positions were also vacant, a Syndicate member said the financial crisis faced by the university had to be tackled with a long-term, sustainable solution.

“A key reason for not recruiting is the deep financial crisis with the university not in a position to even honour its commitments to pensioners. However, without enough faculty we are also losing out on grants from the UGC and the State,” he said.

Vice-Chancellor S. Gowri, who took charge in August, said he was studying the issue to explore possible options to address it.

Couple forge own death certificates - The Times Of India

Couple forge own death certificates - The Times Of India

LIC Agent And Wife Got ₹40L In Payouts

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:11.10.2020

In a unique case of cheating registered at Karanj police station on Friday, an insurance agent of LIC, Parag Parekh and his wife Manisha Parekh, both residents of Maininagar East, were arrested for allegedly forging death certificates of each other and obtaining the insurance settlement claims of Rs 15 lakh and Rs 25 lakh.

Inspector D V Tadvi of Karanj police station said that they have arrested both accused after getting their Covid-19 tests done on Saturday evening.

According to the FIR lodged by senior manager Kaushik Shah of LIC at Jivan Prakash Building on Relief Road, Parekh had taken a term insurance policy in the name of his wife Manisha on January 1, 2012 for Rs 15 lakh and used to pay the premiums regularly.

On May 5, 2016, Parag produced a bogus death certificate of his wife and after primary investigation he was given the benefit of Rs 15 lakh.

Inspector Tadvi said that meanwhile Parag transferred his own policy of Rs 25 lakh to Gandhinagar branch in March 2017 and put his wife’s name as nominee.

“Here also his wife obtained a forged death certificate of his husband and produced the forged documents in the LIC office to obtain the benefits. According to our information his wife too has obtained the benefit of Rs 25 lakh,” added Inspector Tadvi.

According to the FIR, in the audit conducted in July 14, 2020 it came to light that after the faked death of his wife, Parag had put his wife’s name as nominee in his own LIC policy.

“Later an internal inquiry was ordered and the whole scam came to light. Based on the internal inquiry, LIC has registered a complaint with us. We have arrested the accused and produce them at the judge’s bungalow on Sunday,” said Inspector Tadvi.

Parag Parekh produced the bogus death certificate of his wife in 2016 and received Rs 15 lakh. He then transferred his policy to the Gandhinagar branch and named his wife as the nominee, and she submitted his ‘death certificate’

Doctors move HC for in-service quota in super-specialty courses -

Doctors move HC for in-service quota in super-specialty courses - 

The Times Of India

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:11.10.2020

Citing a most recent constitution bench judgment of the Supreme Court, a group of Tamil Nadu government doctors has moved the Madras high court for notification of 50% of vacancies for in-service candidates for admission to super-speciality medical courses this year.

G Sankaran, counsel for assistant professors of Royapettah government hospital M Syed Fahrudeen and G Kumaravel, wanted the court to restrain the authorities from conducting first round online counselling for admission to DM/MCh courses in the academic session 2020-21 without earmarking 50% of seats for inservice candidates.

When the plea came up for hearing, advocate general Vijay Narayan submitted that a decision will be taken by the state government in this regard at the earliest. He further informed the court that the director general of health services has issued a circular dated October 8 postponing the online counselling till further orders.

Recording the submissions, Justice N Anand Venkatesh adjourned the plea to October 16 for the state to inform its stand.

Earlier, Sankaran contended that as per a Supreme Court order dated August 31, the state has legislative competence and authority to provide them a separate source of entry for in-service candidates seeking admission to PG degree courses. “Hence, the Tamil Nadu government is requested to revive the allotment of 50% seats in PG medical courses and superspeciality courses for in-service candidates to enable government doctors in the state to acquire higher qualification by getting admission under in-service quota,” Sankaran said.

According to the petitioners, in 2017 all the states including Tamil Nadu stopped providing in-service quota in PG medical courses in view of a Supreme Court order which held that states cannot provide such quota as the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000 does not even remotely indicate that a separate channel for admission into in-service candidates must be provided and 50% of seats are earmarked for PG diploma courses for in-service candidates.

Subsequently, the issue was referred to a larger bench which has now held that the state has power to provide in-service quota.

HC imposes cost on officials

HC imposes cost on officials

11/10/2020

Staff Reporter Madurai

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has imposed a cost of ₹10,000 each on the incumbent Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine T. S. Selvavinayagam and the earlier incumbent K. Kulanthaisamy for filing misleading statements before the court.

Justice R. Suresh Kumar observed that the judicial time of the court was considerably consumed due to the misleading statements and if the Health Secretary had taken a decision to initiate disciplinary proceedings, the same shall be taken immediately.

The court was hearing the petition filed by B. Dinesh Kumar of Vadamadurai in Dindigul district. He sought appointment to a post of Health Officer that was lying vacant, through direct recruitment, following the resignation of an appointee.

The judge took cognisance of the fact that contradictory communications were made to the Health Secretary and the High Court. It was submitted before the court that the petitioner was not included in the list for consideration to the post, though he was on the list. The court directed the authorities to fill up the post of the Health Officer by issuing the order of appointment to the petitioner within two weeks. The Health Secretary shall inquire into why misleading statements were filed, the court said.

HC comes to rescue of Karnataka student

HC comes to rescue of Karnataka student

It tells CBSE to declare result; Board had asked her to reappear for Biology paper

11/10/2020

An extreme penalty violates the rule of proportionality, the High Court ruled.

Special Correspondent Bengaluru

Observing that “a tender age student, even when delinquency is established, cannot be treated as an offender of the war crime,” the Karnataka High Court has directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to immediately announce the result of a student of Class XII, who was asked to reappear for an exam in one of the subjects, without announcing the result, for carrying a mobile phone inside the examination hall on March 14.

Justice Krishna S. Dixit passed the order while allowing a petition filed by Shuchi Mishra, who had appeared for the CBSE Class XII main examinations in Bengaluru.

The court directed the CBSE to immediately announce the results for the Biology exam.

The court, from the records, found that the petitioner had inadvertently carried a mobile phone inside the exam hall and had handed it over to the invigilator just before commencement of the exam, but the CBSE had treated her case as “unfair means” for “using mobile phone during examination”.

“The student’s assertion that she had deposited the mobile at 9.55 a.m., that is prior to commencement of examination, to the centre invigilator becomes evident by the fact that it was sent to her school, which in turn delivered it back to her after examination and on the same day,” the court observed.

The court also noted that the CBSE committee had not made any effort to view video footage of the exam hall, with every hall under electronic surveillance, and had denied a personal hearing to the student.

Pointing out that there was no allegation that the petitioner had clandestinely stored the examination material in the said phone for making “unfair use” of the same, the court said, “though a student is expected not to carry such instrument into the exam hall but human fallibility, more particularly in case of children going to exam with associated anxiety, needs to be kept in mind, as an extreme penalty cancelling exam violates the rule of proportionality and it shakes the consciousness of the court, to say the least.”

Courts can’t meddle in food habits: SC

Courts can’t meddle in food habits: SC

13/10/2020

Legal Correspondent NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court on Monday said courts cannot meddle in the food habits of people.

A Bench led by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul was hearing a petition filed by Akhand Bharat Morcha for ban on halal form of slaughter. “Court cannot determine who can be a vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Those who want to eat halal meat can eat halal meat. Those who want to eat jhatka meat can eat jhatka meat,” the court said orally.

The petition raised a challenge against Section 28 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act which allows slaughter of animals in a manner consonant to one’s religion.

The petition argued that halal manner of slaughter is painful and amounts to cruelty. Whereas jhatka — which is a single fatal blow — is painless.

The court said the petition was filed with “mischievous” intention and dismissed it.

E-registration will replace e-pass, govt. tells court

E-registration will replace e-pass, govt. tells court

Passes will still be needed to visit hill stations

14/10/2020

Legal Correspondent CHENNAI

The State government has decided to replace the existing system of issuing e-passes to those travelling from other States or countries with e-registration, Advocate General Vijay Narayan told the Madras High Court on Tuesday.

The Advocate General told the first Division Bench of Chief Justice Amreshwar Pratap Sahi and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy that the restrictions on visits to hill stations alone would continue, since those places were short on medical infrastructure.

After hearing him, the judges directed the State government to write to the Centre seeking a clarification as to whether imposition of such restrictions could continue on visits to hill stations and then publicise the reply through the media.

‘Basic details’

According to the A-G, the e-registration would require travellers to provide only basic details for the purpose of contact tracing.

On the other hand, e-passes to hill stations would be issued only to those who have an address there and not to tourists.

Unlike the plains, the medical facilities in hill stations were very limited. Hence, permitting tourists might lead to a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases and they might not be able to cope with such a situation, he said.

Self-regulation

The A-G also said at present, the only way to contain the spread of the pandemic was through self-regulation. Yet, people did not seem to understand the importance of wearing masks and maintaining physical distance, he said.

He also brought it to the notice of the court that the number of new COVID-19 cases had been limited to 5,000 every day due to effective steps taken by the government, as against Kerala where the numbers had now risen to as high as 10,000 cases a day. Concurring with the A-G, the Chief Justice said people were indeed moving around in public places without masks as if the disease had vanished. He said people could feel safe only when a vaccine comes out.

Congress is a party without mental growth, says Kushboo

Congress is a party without mental growth, says Kushboo

The former Congress spokesperson had joined the BJP on Monday

14/10/2020

New role: Kushboo addressing the media in Chennai on Tuesday. R. Ragu

Special CorrespondentCHENNAI

The Congress is a party that has no thinking capacity and no mental development, former spokesperson of the party Kushboo Sundar, who joined the BJP, said on Tuesday.

Speaking to presspersons at the Chennai airport, Ms. Kushboo hit out at Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K.S. Alagiri for his statement that the Congress had seen her only as an actor and that she did not have any thinking capability.

“One leader [L. Murugan] is trying to build a party convincing people that the BJP alone can do good for the country. Another leader [Alagiri] says I don’t have intelligence. So they came to know after six years of my hard work for the Congress that I don’t have intelligence?” Ms. Kushboo asked.

‘No criticism allowed’

She also said no one could criticise anything within the Congress party. “That’s a party where no one can even make criticisms internally. How can such a party be good for the country?” she asked. When presspersons asked if she would be able to make internal criticisms in the BJP, she said she believed that it was possible. “I have confidence that the BJP will not be like that [the Congress]. I will answer when that sort of a situation [where internal criticism is not allowed] arises,” she said.

Ms. Kushboo also said that her job as the opposition spokesperson was to criticise the government and its schemes as, politically and democratically, having an opposition is good for the country. “But I supported the NEP [National Education Policy] and the abolition of triple talaq. You cannot criticise everything just for the sake of being the opposition,” she said.

She further added that she had carried out her job as opposition spokesperson to the best of her abilities when she was with the Congress. “I was loyal to that party till the last day I was there,” she said.

On Mr. Alagiri’s criticism that she joined the BJP at the behest of her husband, director Sundar C., reportedly due to financial problems, she asked whether people had ever seen him at any of the events with her. “There is no such issue. The fact that they are making all these allegations show how terrible they are,” she said.

Actor says Raghavendra Mandapam has been vacant during the lockdown

Rajinikanth moves HC against tax demand

Actor says Raghavendra Mandapam has been vacant during the lockdown

14/10/2020

Rajinikanth

Mohamed Imranullah S. CHENNAI

Actor Rajinikanth has filed a writ petition in the Madras High Court challenging the demand of property tax to the tune of ₹6.50 lakh for his Raghavendra marriage hall located at Kodambakkam here.

His case against the demand made by the Greater Chennai Corporation for the half-yearly period, from April to September, has been listed for admission before Justice Anita Sumanth on Wednesday.

According to the case filed by the actor, through his counsel Vijayan Subramanian, he had been paying property tax regularly for the marriage hall.

The tax was paid last on February 14.

Subsequently the pandemic broke out, forcing the Centre and State governments to impose a lockdown. As a result, his marriage hall had remained vacant and was not rented to anyone since March 24.

In such circumstances, the actor received a property tax invoice from the Corporation on September 10, asking him to pay ₹6.50 lakh as property tax for the months April through September.

Cancellations

Stating that he had cancelled all bookings for his marriage hall after March 24 and even refunded the advance money in accordance with the government instructions, the actor said he was entitled to vacancy remission on property tax.

He pointed out that Section 105 of the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act of 1919 provides for remission of tax if the premises remained vacant for over 30 days and insisted on according the benefit to him. The actor also said he had sent a notice in this regard to the Corporation on September 23 but there was no reply till

Dalit girl from Anitha’s village to study medicine

Dalit girl from Anitha’s village to study medicine

14/10/2020

R. Rajaram TIRUCHI

Three years after S. Anitha of Kuzhumur in Ariyalur district ended her life, unable to get an MBBS seat through NEET, the dream of another girl hailing from the village of studying medicine has become a reality.

Daughter of daily wage earners Shankar and Dhanalakshmi, S. Soundarya will fly to the Philippines to pursue medical education free of cost at Davao Medical Education School Foundation, thanks to a private sponsor. Besides the expenditure for her education, her boarding, food and transport expenses during the period of her study will be sponsored by Transworld Educare Private Limited.

Soundarya’s ambition to become a doctor came to be known to Anitha’s brother S.A Manirathnam, who is running a charitable trust in memory of his sister at the village. “The medical institute’s office at Mahabalipuram near Chennai, which wanted to help a poor girl pursue medicine in memory of Anitha, got in touch with me. That was when I told them about Soundarya’s ambition and her poor economic background,” said Mr. Manirathnam, managing trustee of Dr. Anitha Memorial Charitable Trust.

A representative from the institute in Chennai came to Kuzhumur a few days ago and interacted with Mr. Manirathnam and Ms. Soundarya to ascertain the girl’s wish. Ms. Soundarya had completed Plus Two in a higher secondary school at Kuzhumur with 410 out of 600 marks.

Presumed dead, relatives put aged man in freezer

Presumed dead, relatives put aged man in freezer

He was found alive, rescued

14/10/2020

STAFF REPORTER SALEM

An elderly man who was presumed dead by relatives was put in a freezer for over 12 hours, before being rescued by emergency responders here.

According to police, Balasubramania Kumar (74) lives with his sibling, Saravanan, and the latter’s family near Kandhampatti.

Mr. Kumar was undergoing treatment for various age-related ailments and his health condition had deteriorated on Monday.

Taking him for dead, Saravanan ordered for a freezer box and placed the “body” in it around 9 p.m on Monday and made arrangements for funeral on Tuesday.

However, the persons who came to collect the freezer box on Tuesday found Mr. Kumar’s toes moving and alerted the police and 108 ambulance service.

Medical technicians in the ambulance checked Mr. Kumar’s pulse and found him to be alive.

He was then rushed to Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital and rescued. Sooramangalam police are investigating.

Family members reportedly told the police that they thought he was dead, and, therefore put him in the freezer.

How can govt. seek money to set up PHC in a village: HC

How can govt. seek money to set up PHC in a village: HC

14/10/2020

Special Correspondent Bengaluru

Is the policy the government compelling the villagers to provide two-acres of land and deposit ₹1 lakh if they want a primary health centre (PHC) in their village is justified when the citizens have right to protection of health? The Karnataka High Court posed this question to the State government during the hearing of a a PIL petition, filed by H.K. Ramchanandra and five others. The petitioners wanted a PHC in their village of Jodihocihalli of Kadur taluk in Chikkamagalur district.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Ashok S Kinagi said the policy of the Government villagers requiring to provide two acres of land and deposit ₹1lakh for a PHC appears to be unjust when the citizens right to health care as per the interpretation the apex court’s judgements on the right to protection of life and personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Earlier, Vijayakumar A Patil, a government counsel, in response to Court’s query on whether there exists any policy to establish PHCs, said that the policy framed, in 1987, stated that the residents of a village, having population more than 30,000, were required to deposit ₹lakh and give two acres of land free of encumbrance for constructing a building if they wanted the Government to set up a PHC their village.

The villagers were also required to provide temporary building till permanent building for PHC till permanent building is constructed, it was stated on behalf of the Government while pointing out a sub-centre of PHC is esblished in a place having population of 5,000 and Community Health Centres (CHCs) is established in an having population of one lakh.

Meanwhile, Mr. Patil assured the Court that the Government will reconsider the policy as it was framed several years ago.

Letter to Centre based on my proposal to CM: Surappa

Letter to Centre based on my proposal to CM: Surappa

- The Times Of India  14.10.2020 

Facing fire from opposition parties over his letter to the Centre on Institute of Eminence (IoE) status for Anna University where he had stated that the university can generate ₹314 crore per year (₹1,570 crore for five years) on its own through internal accruals, vice-chancellor M K Surappa on Tuesday told Ragu Raman  that he had presented that proposal to the CM and group of ministers before sending it in a letter to the Centre. “Based on my proposal, the chief secretary sent a letter to MHRD giving in-principle approval for IoE status. I merely followed the implementation of his letter. I am duty bound to follow it,” he said. While the DMK, Congress, AMMK and MDMK demanded the removal of the VC alleging that he had acted without the state’s consent, DMK chief MK Stalin called it an attempt by Surappa and the Centre to saffronise the university. While the opposition said TN had not received any assurances on 69% quota, the VC said the MHRD had assured that IoE status will not change quota policy or the university’s governance structure.

Picture

›Full Q&A: P 4

New cases below 5,000 for second day - The Times Of India

New cases below 5,000 for second day - The Times Of India

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:14.10.2020

Fresh cases in Tamil Nadu dropped below 5,000 for the second consecutive day and deaths too dropped below 60 on Tuesday. The 4,666 new cases pushed the case tally to 6,65,930. The 57 deaths took the cumulative death toll to 10,371. Active cases too dropped to 43,239.

Chennai, the worst affected district, reported 1,164 cases, the highest in the state, followed by Coimbatore (398) and Salem (277). Two other districts that reported cases above 200 were Chengalpet (252) and Tiruvallur (236). Seven districts reported less than 50 cases – Ariyalur and Karur reported 36 cases each, Kallakurichi and Tenkasi 31 each, Ramanathapuram 17, Sivaganga 16 and Perambalur five.

While 17 districts reported zero deaths, Chennai reported 13 and Coimbatore five. Three districts, Chengalpet, Tiruppur and Tirupattur, reported four deaths each; three others, Cuddalore, Krishnagiri and Salem, had three deaths each. Five districts reported two deaths each and six districts reported one death each.

The average case fatality rate was 1.6% in the state, but four districts had death rate above 2% -- Tiruppur (2%), Ramanathapuram (2.1%), Sivaganga (2.2%) and Madurai

(2.3%). The lowest rates were in Nilgiris (.6%), Villupuram (.8%), Tuticorin (.9%) and Dharmapuri (.9%).

The 11 districts in the north together reported 49% of the fresh cases and 33% of deaths. They reported 2,311 new cases and 33 deaths including 1,781 fresh cases and 21 deaths in the Chennai region.

The western districts reported 1388 fresh cases, while the south and central zones reported 492 and 475 cases each. The west reported 18 deaths compared to four in the south and two in the central zone.

The eleven northern districts together had 22,237 active cases, including 18,100 in the Chennai region. There were 12,786 patients under treatment in the west, 4,421 in the south and 3,778 in the central districts.

MBBS quota: Guv still awaits legal opinion -

MBBS quota: Guv still awaits legal opinion -

The Times Of India

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:14.10.2020

It is nearly a month since the state assembly unanimously passed a bill carving out 7.5% of available MBBS seats for government school students, and this year’s NEET results are just a couple of days away. Yet governor Banwarilal Purohit is yet to give his assent to the proposal.

Sources told TOI that Purohit is awaiting legal opinion on the matter. “Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami made specific requests to the governor during his recent meeting. The governor is said to be expecting legal opinion from Delhi to enact the law. The government is positive to get assent by this week,” said a source. Palaniswami, his colleagues, C Ve Shanmugam (law) and K P Anbalagan (higher education) along with officials visited Raj Bhavan on October 5 and briefed him about the Bills. Another key academic initiative of the state government — the bifurcation of the Anna University into two institutions — too is awaiting the governor’s nod.

The state has been pushing for the NEET quota for government school students to ensure about 300 seats to them this year. Under the NEET regime only 0.15% seats in the state quota of 4,043 seats went to government school students, bringing enormous discomfiture to the EPS dispensation. The state cabinet had cleared a proposal in June to provide horizontal reservation following retired high court judge justice Kalaiyarasan commission’s report on the huge disparities between private and government school students gaining access to medicine. Due to cognitive gap created by socio economic factors the committee had concluded that “government school students form a separate class and are in a disadvantageous position as compared to private school students.” It recommended 10% of seats in the medical admission on a preferential basis to students who studied from Class VI to higher secondary in government schools. After sending the proposal to the governor to promulgate ordinance, the state cabinet met in July and tweaked the original proposal. The revised proposal allowed RTE students, who studied in government schools from Class XI onwards also eligible to avail the quota. Attempts to contact governor’s secretary Anandrao Vishnu Patil were futile.

12 MBA students of MKU get placement

12 MBA students of MKU get placement

15/10/2020

Staff Reporter

Twelve Masters in Business Administration students of Madurai Kamaraj University got placed in ICICI Bank at a campus recruitment.

A total of 40 students attended the recruitment process. Three levels of evaluation process — an online exam, group discussion and personal interview — were held. Twelve students were selected, a release said.

Vice-Chancellor M. Krishnan congratulated the students and gave away offer letters to them.

V. Chinnaiah, Professor and Head, Department of Management Studies, MKU, thanked the bank for conducting the campus recruitment.

Nodal Placement Officer P. Kannadas and other faculties of MBA department coordinated the conduct of the recruitment process.

HC issues guidelines for conducting post mortem

HC issues guidelines for conducting post mortem

15/10/2020

B. Tilak Chandar MADURAI

Passing a series of directions with respect to conduct of post mortems and issue of certificates, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has ruled that doctors should follow Article 621 of the Tamil Nadu Medical Code by sending the post mortem certificate, as soon as it is over, to the judicial magistrate concerned.

A copy of the certificate should be sent to the head of the department on the same day, failing which departmental proceedings should be initiated against them, the court said, and directed the Health Secretary to issue a circular directing the doctors to strictly follow Article 621.

The court directed the State government to appoint Scientific Officers at all Government Medical College Hospitals for providing assistance. Biometric attendance for staff should be followed at hospitals. A web-based medico-legal examination and post mortem reports system should be followed at all hospitals from January 1, 2021, the court said.

The court was hearing the public interest litigation petition filed by advocate R.M. Arun Swaminathan, who complained of lacuna in the procedures followed in conducting post mortem at government hospitals. There was no transparency and the procedure prescribed under the Tamil Nadu Medical Code was not followed, he said.

A Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and S.S. Sundar took cognisance of the fact that there were several irregularities in the conduct of post mortems, and sometimes even unauthorised people were conducting them. Also, preparation of the certificate was not in the format prescribed by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

The court said there was a failure on the part of the doctors and forensic experts to send the post mortem certificates immediately to the Judicial Magistrate and to the head of the department. These were the reasons to suspect malpractice and meddling with the findings of the autopsy at the instance of third parties.

Besides, these post mortem reports were handwritten and not legible. Unless they were legibly written, it would not be possible for non-medical people to understand the writings of the doctors and forensic experts. The certificates had to be read and understood for conducting investigation and deciding cases.

The court said the NHRC format should be followed in issuing post mortem certificates. The post mortems should be videographed whenever requests were made by families or friends of the deceased, it said.

Minister rules out re-opening of schools anytime soon

Minister rules out re-opening of schools anytime soon

15/10/2020

K. A. Sengottayan

Special CorrespondentDharmapuri

Minister for School Education K.A. Sengottaiyan ruled out the possibilities of re-opening schools anytime soon. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event here, Mr. Sengottaiyan said as long as the pandemic continued there was no possibility of re-opening schools. Citing the Andhra Pradesh experience of re-opening schools causing infection to over 26 students, the Minister said any plan of re-opening schools will be a consultative and a collective decision at a later stage. According to the Minister, 60% of the syllabus was being covered through online classes without any glitches.

Cops register case against brother of man kept in freezer

FAMILY ISSUES

Cops register case against brother of man kept in freezer

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Salem:15.10.2020 

A day after 73-yearold man was rescued at Old Housing Board at Kandhampatty in the city, the Suramangalam police on Wednesday registered a case against the man’s younger brother for keeping him in the freezer presuming that he was dead. However, police did not arrest Saravanan, 70. Balasubramaniya Kumar,

73, was rescued by police and health officials after they found him alive but kept in a freezer by his brother at their residence on Tuesday.

According to the Suramangalam police, Balasubramaniya Kumar was working in a private company and was retired 15 years ago. His wife Usha died of age related ailments two years ago. He doesn't have any children and he moved to his brother Saravanan’s house.

“Saravanan has been living with his sister’s daughters including Jayasri and Sudha,” a police officer said.

Saravanan was mentally ill and a bachelor. Similarly, his sister’s daughters Jayasri and Sudha were spinsters. Two days ago, Sudha went to Coimbatore for her treatment and she got admitted in a private hospital while the other three were in the house.

The Suramangalam police registered a case against Saravanan under sections of IPC including 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery) and 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others).

“We will take necessary action against Saravanan after inquiry,” the police officer added.

Salem government Mohan Kumaramangalam medical college and hospital dean Dr R Balajnathan said condition of Balasubramaniya is stable. “He's responding to treatment and cooperating,” he said.

Khushbu in soup over Cong remark, apologises

Khushbu in soup over Cong remark, apologises

Shanmughasundaram.J@timesgroup.com

Chennai:15.10.2020  

Actor-turned-politician Khushbu Sundar on Wednesday apologised for using the words “mentally retarded”.

On Wednesday, a day after joining the BJP, Khushbu called the Congress a “mentally retarded” party, which cannot think for itself. Mental health activists criticised her for denigrating psychosocial disabilities while criticising the Congress.

“Apologies. I should not have said that,” the actor told TOI. “It was a response to the Congress to what they said about me being non-brainy and thus easily brainwashed by my hubby,” she explained.

She had made the remark when reporters at Chennai airport asked her about Congress leaders’ allegation that she was brainwashed by her husband to join the saffron party.

On Wednesday, the Tamil Nadu Association of the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers filed a complaint with the St Thomas Mount police station against the actor for her remark denigrating people with disabilities. TARATDAC issued a statement condemning the for her statement. “We have filed a complaint in St Thomas Mount police station today. The actor is residing in Raja Annamalaipuram police station limit. So, we will file a complaint against her in that police station. We have also asked the office bearers of our district units to file complaints in their respective area,” general secretary of the association S Nambirajan told TOI.

“In her attempt to portray her political opponents in a poor light and to humiliate them, she has intentionally insulted persons with disabilities,” S Nambirajan said in a statement Such an intentional insult constitutes an offence under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. “We request police to register a case under the act and take suitable action,” he further said. December 3 Movement has demanded that the actor tender an apology for her remark and asked her to refrain from using such terminology.

Stating that she had struggled with mental health concerns in her own family, Khushbu said, “I am terribly sorry for the incorrect use of a couple of phrases in a moment of hastiness, deep distress and anguish. I am disappointed by the inadvertent distress that I have caused many, equally I am now determined to ensure that I do not repeat this ever, whatever the motivation. I also dedicate myself to ensure that the voices of those with psychosocial disability are valued and heard, as they should be.”

FEELINGS OFFENDED

State govt asks Surappa to explain proposal to Centre

State govt asks Surappa to explain proposal to Centre

‘How Will Anna Varsity Make Money For IoE Tag?’

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

Chennai: 15,10.2020

The Tamil Nadu government has sought an explanation from Anna University vice-chancellor M K Surappa on his proposal to the Centre that the university would be able to meet easily the requirement of ₹314 crore a year (₹ 1,570 crore for five years) to get Institute of Eminence (IoE) status.

The VC triggered a controversy by writing directly to the Centre when the state government had concerns that the IoE tag would affect the reservation policy. Sources in the state government said it has still not received a ‘proper response’ from the Centre on its request to continue existing 69% reservation. “The government pointed to the revised proposal written by the vice-chancellor to the Union HRD ministry on June 2, in connection with the IoE. It has asked him to specify the resources under which the amount could be generated and report to the government at the earliest,” said a source.

The letter seeking an explanation was sent on Tuesday after the Union government wrote to the state government in early October again seeking an assurance that it would make good any revenue shortfall from the internal resources of the university. The Centre’s correspondence follows an expert empowered committee considering the proposal sent by the vicechancellor and suggesting that the state government be requested to give an assurance.

On June 2, Surappa had told the Centre that chief secretary K Shanmugam had accepted IoE status for the university but indicated inability to commit the expected contribution of ₹1,000 crore. The TN chief secretary had told the ministry that the state would implement the project if the Centre provided the entire amount. “But the vice-chancellor conveyed to the Union ministry that the requirement could be easily met by the internal resources, including its reserves, examination fee, tuition fee, affiliation fee. He had said that the university generates revenue of Rs580 crore every year, and it will not be indenting for additional funds from the government, other than its annual block grants and additional grants,” another source said.

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மத்திய அரசு ஊழியர்களுக்கு சலுகை!

Updated : அக் 12, 2020 23:23 | Added : அக் 12, 2020 22:34 

புதுடில்லி : பண்டிகை காலம் நெருங்குவதால், நுகர்வை அதிகரிக்கும் வகையில், பல்வேறு சலுகைகளை, மத்திய நிதி அமைச்சர் நிர்மலா சீதாராமன் அறிவித்துள்ளார்.

இதன்படி, மத்திய அரசு ஊழியர்கள், பண்டிகை முன்பணமாக, வட்டியில்லாமல், 10 ஆயிரம் ரூபாயை பெறலாம். எல்.டி.சி., எனப்படும், விடுமுறை பயணப் படியை, 'கேஷ் வவுச்சர்' எனப்படும், பணக் கூப்பன்களாக பெறும் புதிய திட்டமும் அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. கொரோனா பரவலை தடுக்க பிறப்பிக்கப்பட்ட ஊரடங்கு உத்தரவால், நாட்டின் பொருளாதாரம் கடுமையாக பாதிக்கப்பட்டு உள்ளது. பொருளாதார பாதிப்பில் இருந்து மீள்வதற்காக, 20 லட்சம் கோடி ரூபாய் மதிப்புள்ள திட்டங்கள், சலுகைகளை, மத்திய அரசு ஏற்கனவே அறிவித்திருந்தது.

இதில், பல்வேறு துறைகள் மற்றும் தனிநபர்களுக்கு கடன்கள் உள்ளிட்ட சலுகைகள் வழங்கப்பட்டன.

ஊரடங்கு உத்தரவு பெருமளவு தளர்த்தப்பட்டுள்ளதால், தொழில்கள் மீண்டும் இயங்கத் துவங்கியுள்ளன. இந்நிலையில், அடுத்தடுத்து பண்டிகைகள் வர உள்ளன. வழக்கமாக இந்தப் பண்டிகை காலத்தில், மக்கள் பல்வேறு பொருட்களை வாங்குவர்; நுகர்வு அதிகம் இருக்கும்; இது, பொருளாதார வளர்ச்சிக்கு பெரிய அளவில் உதவும்.ஊரடங்கால் ஏற்பட்டுள்ள பாதிப்பில் இருந்து பல்வேறு துறைகள், தனிநபர்களால் இன்னும் மீண்டு வர முடியவில்லை.இதையடுத்து, நுகர்வை அதிகரித்து, பொருளாதார வளர்ச்சியை ஊக்குவிக்க, பல்வேறு புதிய சலுகைகளை, பா.ஜ., மூத்த தலைவர்களில் ஒருவரான, மத்திய நிதி அமைச்சர் நிர்மலா சீதாராமன்,

டில்லியில் நேற்று அறிவித்தார்.

அவர் கூறியதாவது: மத்திய அரசு ஊழியர்களுக்கு, பண்டிகை முன்பணம் வழங்கப்பட உள்ளது. இதன் வாயிலாக, 28 ஆயிரம் கோடி ரூபாய் பணம் நுகர்வுக்கு வரும். எல்.டி.சி., எனப்படும், விடுமுறை பயணப் படியை, பயணம் செய்யாமலேயே, பணக் கூப்பன்களாக பெற்றுக் கொள்ளும் புதிய திட்டம் அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இதன் வாயிலாக, 8,000 கோடி ரூபாய் புழக்கத்துக்கு வரும். இதைத் தவிர, மத்திய, மாநில அரசுகள் வாயிலாக, அடிப்படை கட்டமைப்பு வசதிகளுக்கான மூலதன செலவினம் மூலம், 37 ஆயிரம் கோடி ரூபாய் புழக்கத்துக்கு வரும்.இந்த நடவடிக்கைகளால், அடுத்தாண்டு, மார்ச், 31க்குள், 73 ஆயிரம் கோடி ரூபாய் பணம் நுகர்வுக்கு வரும். அதனால், பொருளாதாரம் மேம்படும்.இன்றைய தீர்வுகள், நாளை பிரச்னைகளுக்கு காரணமாகி விடக் கூடாது. அதனால் தான், மிகவும் எச்சரிக்கையுடன் திட்டமிட்டு, இந்த திட்டங்களை அறிவித்து உள்ளோம்.

இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.

என்னென்ன சலுகைகள்?

சலுகைகள் குறித்து, மத்திய நிதி அமைச்சர் நிர்மலா சீதாராமன் கூறியுள்ளதாவது:பண்டிகை முன்பணம்ஏழாவது சம்பள கமிஷனில், பண்டிகை முன்பணம் வழங்கும் முறை ரத்து செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. இருப்பினும், தற்போதைய நெருக்கடியான காலத்தை கருத்தில் வைத்து, வட்டியில்லாமல், 10 ஆயிரம் ரூபாய் பண்டிகை முன்பணம் வழங்கும் திட்டம், ஒரு முறை செயல்படுத்தப்படுகிறது. அடுத்தாண்டு, மார்ச், 31ம் தேதிக்குள், இதை மத்திய அரசு ஊழியர் பயன்படுத்தலாம். இந்தத் தொகை, 10 மாதத் தவணைகளில் பிடித்தம் செய்யப்படும்.இதற்காக, 'ரூபே கார்டு' வழங்கப்படும். அதில் இருந்து, 10 ஆயிரம் ரூபாயை செலவிடலாம். இதற்காகும் வங்கிச் செலவை அரசு ஏற்கும்.இதன் மூலம், மத்திய அரசு ஊழியர்களுக்கு, 4,000 கோடி ரூபாய் செலவிடப்படும் என, எதிர்பார்க்கிறோம்.

எல்.டி.சி., சலுகை

வழக்கமாக, மத்திய அரசு ஊழியர், நான்கு ஆண்டு களில், எல்.டி.சி., திட்டத்தின் கீழ், ஒரு முறை நாட்டின் ஏதாவது ஒரு பகுதி மற்றும் ஒரு முறை தன் சொந்த ஊருக்கு பயணம் செய்யலாம். அல்லது இரண்டு முறை சொந்த ஊருக்கு பயணம் மேற்கொள்ளலாம். அவரவர் பணி நிலையைப் பொறுத்து, விமானம் மற்றும் ரயில் கட்டணம் திருப்பித் தரப்படும்.

அதேபோல், 10 நாட்கள் சம்பளத்துடன் கூடிய விடுமுறையும் எடுத்துக் கொள்ளலாம்.தற்போது, ஊரடங்கு கட்டுப்பாடு உள்ளதால், எல்.டி.சி.,க்கு பதிலாக, பயணம் செய்யாமலேயே, 'கேஷ் வவுச்சர்' எனப்படும், பணக் கூப்பன்களாக பெற்றுக் கொள்ளும் திட்டத்தை செயல்படுத்த முடிவு செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. இந்த கூப்பன்களை கொடுத்து, கடைகளில் பொருட்களை மட்டுமே வாங்க முடியும்; இதற்கு முழு வரிச் சலுகை உண்டு.இந்த திட்டத்தை தேர்ந்தெடுக்கும் ஊழியர்கள், அவர்களுக்கு தகுதியுள்ள தொகைக்கு ஏற்ப, பொருட்களை வாங்க வேண்டும். ஜி.எஸ்.டி., எனப்படும், சரக்கு மற்றும் சேவை வரி விகிதம், 12 சதவீதம் மற்றும் அதற்கு மேலுள்ள பொருட்களை வாங்கிக் கொள்ளலாம்.மத்திய அரசு ஊழியர்களுக்கு, 5,675 கோடி ரூபாயும், பொதுத் துறை நிறுவனங்கள் மற்றும் பொதுத் துறை வங்கிகள் மூலம், 1,900 கோடி ரூபாயும் செலவாகும் என, எதிர்பார்க்கப்படுகிறது.

மாநில அரசுகளுக்கு கடன்

மத்திய பட்ஜெட்டில், மூலதன செலவீனத்துக்கு, 4.13 லட்சம் கோடி ரூபாய் ஒதுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. சாலை வசதிகள், குடிநீர் வசதி உட்பட பல்வேறு மூலதன செலவீனத்துக்காக, கூடுதலாக, 25 ஆயிரம் கோடி ரூபாய் ஒதுக்கப்படுகிறது.இதைத் தவிர, மாநில அரசுக்கு வட்டியில்லாமல், 50 ஆண்டுகளில் செலுத்தக் கூடிய, 12 ஆயிரம் கோடி ரூபாய் சிறப்பு மூலதன செலவின கடன் வசதி அளிக்கப்படுகிறது. இதில், 1,600 கோடி ரூபாய் வட கிழக்கு மாநிலங்களுக்கும், 900 கோடி ரூபாய், உத்தரகண்ட் மற்றும் ஹிமாச்சல பிரதேச மாநிலங்களுக்கும் வழங்கப்படும். ஏற்கனவே ஒப்புக் கொண்ட சீர்திருத்த நடவடிக்கைகளை மேற்கொள்ளும் மாநிலங்களுக்கு, 2,000 கோடி ரூபாய் வழங்கப்படும். மீதமுள்ள தொகை, மற்ற மாநிலங்களுக்கு, நிதி கமிஷன் பரிந்துரைப்படி வழங்கப்படும்.இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.

On 15th anniv of RTI Act, report card shows massive backlog

On 15th anniv of RTI Act, report card shows massive backlog

Ambika Pandit@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:12.10.2020

A report card on the performance of the Information Commissions in India shows that over 2.21 lakh appeals and complaints were pending as on July 31 in 20 information commissions. What is more worrying is that 9 out of 29 information commissions (31%) are functioning without a chief information commissioner. Even the Central Information Commission has been without a chief since August 27 this year.

Currently, the CIC is functioning with only five commissioners as besides the post of the chief, five posts of commissioners are also vacant. The backlog of appeals/complaints has been steadily increasing and currently stands at more than 36,500 cases in case of CIC, says a report by voluntary organisation Satark Nagrik Sangathan and Centre for Equity Studies. It is pointed that the State Information Commissions of Jharkhand and Tripura are defunct in the absence of any information commissioners. Monday marks 15 years since the implementation of the Right to Information Act. The report shows that 1,78,749 appeals and complaints were registered between April 1, 2019, and July 31, 2020 by 21 information commissions. During the same time period, nearly two lakh cases (1,92,872) were disposed of by 22 commissions for whom information could be obtained. When TOI sought a response on appointments and pendency, a senior govt functionary said that the process of appointment of the Central Information Commissioner (CIC) and ICs is in the conclusive stages. The PM-led selection committee had met on October 7 to consider the names recommended by the search committee for the posts of CIC and five vacant IC posts. However, the meeting was inconclusive and a second round of meeting is expected soon.

What is more worrying is that 9 out of 29 information commissions are functioning without a chief information commissioner. The Central Information Commission has been without a chief since August 27 this year

Trains running at 130kmph will now have AC coaches only

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:12.10.2020

Railways will phase out sleeper coaches on mail and express trains that will run at130kmph or above on its tracks. Such trains will have only AC coaches as it plans to upgrade the network.

While railway ministry officials said trains running at less speed will continue to have the sleeper coaches, the railways has set the December 2023 deadline to complete the upgradation of Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah to enable trains to run at 160kmph. This means most of the future long distance trains on these corridors won’t have sleeper coaches.

Sources said though the railways have had this plan for quite some time, this has gained pace recently and more particularly when the Indian Railways is finalising the zerobased time table for future trains.

A railway ministry spokesperson said the ticket prices of such trains will be affordable and it should not be “misconstrued” that all non-AC coaches will be made into AC coaches.

He added AC coaches have become a technical necessity wherever the speed of the train is going to be above 130kmph. “Non-AC coaches will continue to run in trains running at 110kmph…It will be ensured that while the price of tickets of modified AC coaches remains very affordable for the passengers, the comfort and conveniences increase manifold and there is substantial reduction in travel time,” he said.