HC unseals Kilpauk school that owes ₹13cr rent to Kanchi temple

HC unseals Kilpauk school that owes ₹13cr rent to Kanchi temple

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 17.11.2020

Coming to the rescue of a 40-year-old school sealed by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department for nonpayment of rent to a temple, the Madras high court has ordered the department to remove the seal and permit functioning of the school.

Justice N Anand Venkatesh passed the order while directing the Dharmapuri Rao Bahadur, Calavala Cunnan Chetty's Charities which runs Seetha Kingston Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Kilpauk to pay ₹20 lakh as monthly rent for occupying the land owned by Kanchipuram Arulmigu Ekambaranathar Thirukkoil. The school owed an accumulated rent to the tune of ₹13 crore to the temple. The trust challenged the lock and seal of its premises on July 23, and requested the court to fix the rent as ₹15 lakh per month.

When the plea came up for hearing, the trust submitted that it is not in a financially healthy position and it will not be able to pay ₹25 lakh as rent per month demanded by the department. On its part, the temple wanted the court to consider its loss in revenue due to non-payment of rental arrears to the tune of ₹13 crore by the school.

Recording the submissions, the court said, “this court, while fixing the tentative rent payable by the trust, must come up with some practical solution since if it ultimately becomes impossible of performance, from the point of view of the trust, a situation may arise where the trust will not be able to pay the monthly rent as fixed by this court.”

Again, the parties will come back to this court and there will be more uncertainty in running the school during this academic year, the judge said.

Fixing ₹20 lakh as the tentative monthly payable by the trust, the court added: “In case the trust is not able to come to a settlement with the temple and resolve the dispute, the students and the staff belonging shall be informed latest by March 2021 to look for an alternative school to continue their studies/employment.”

TN State Counselling

 

Good NEET show pushes up cut-offs Many Might Miss Out On Dream Seat As Cut-Offs Jump By At Least 80, Some Play Smart And Wait As NEET 2021 Just 6 Months Away

Good NEET show pushes up cut-offs

Many Might Miss Out On Dream Seat As Cut-Offs Jump By At Least 80, Some Play Smart And Wait As NEET 2021 Just 6 Months Away

Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com

17.11.2020

High scores, fewer seats and new government policies may crush hopes of several medical aspirants this academic year as cut-offs for MBBS is likely to go up by at least 80 marks in most categories during the state counselling.

This year, the state is likely to offer 4,179 seats – 3,032 in government colleges – under the state quota when it opens the seat matrix on Wednesday. While 227 of the 3,032 seats will be taken for government school students, the state will be able to add just 50 more seats this year after the government college in Kanyakumari got the National Medical Commission nod for 50 additional seats.

In 2020, there are 5,119 students with scores above 500 compared to 1,359 students in 2019.

Experts say when the 69% rule of reservation is applied to the state quota seats after reserving seats for special category – quotas for people with disability, sportsmen, children of ex-servicemen and government school students – any students, including those in the scheduled groups, who score below 350 marks may not get a seat in state-run colleges. In 2019, the cut-off for SC, SCA and ST were 360, 301 and 267 respectively. This year, the cut-off for government school students is likely to be around 180 marks.

“We are top heavy this time,” said student counsellor Manickam Arumugam, who has been closely following medical admissions for several years now. This year, there were 968 students with scores above 600 compared to 139 students last year. The open category cut-off in government colleges may be around 600 in government colleges this year compared to 520 last year.

The biggest gap is likely to be among MBC candidates with a difference in cut-off of at least 90 marks. The cut-off for MBC students could be 526 in 2020. While the cut-off for BC is expected to be above 560, for BCM it is likely to touch 528.

Like last year, the seats for general category are likely to be over in the first two days. The schedule may not even call for BC category because by then all BC seats may be exhausted. “It is not a surprise to many students,” said Sundar R, a NEET tutor and counsellor. “This year, many students did not apply because they know the 2021 exams are just six months away. Also, the state has promised 1,600 more additional seats from 11 new medical colleges. Some students with scores as low as 183 have already opted for seats in deemed universities,” he said.

More candidates have scored better in NEET 2020, and will fight each other for the 5,750 MBBS seats TN has to offer

INTAKE BEGINS: Health minister C Vijayabaskar released rank list on Monday

SOME PROFILES

R SRIJAN, 710/720 | Srijan, who topped NEET this year, was offered a seat at any college of choice, including AIIMS Delhi. He chose Jipmer. “New Delhi was too far off and I wanted a central institute. People said Jipmer lecturers are very good,” he said. A native of Vellakoil, he took private coaching and this was his 2nd attempt. He plans to be a cardiologist.

R MOHANAPRABHA, 705/720 | She was second on the TN medical ranklist. She underwent NEET training in Namakkal and was ranked 52nd nationally. She said she wants to become a neurologist and cited the state having relatively fewer neurologists as one of the reasons for it.

N JEEVITHKUMAR, 664/720 | Topper among government school students, he studied in Tamil medium in Theni and secured 1823rd rank nationally. His father K Narayanamoorthi rears goats & mother Parameswari is a daily wager. He was coached in Namakkal, this was his second attempt.

This year, many students did not apply because they know the 2021 exams are just six months away. Also, the state has promised 1,600 more additional seats from 11 new medical colleges. Some students with scores as low as 183 have already opted for seats in deemed universities Sundar R | A NEET TUTOR AND COUNSELLOR

Cut-off score for MBBS admission in TN up by 80 marks

Cut-off score for MBBS admission in TN up by 80 marks

Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:17.11.2020

Be it open or reserved category, the cut-off mark for MBBS/BDS admission for all students this year has gone up by 80 marks, compared to last year. This became clear when health minister C Vijayabaskar unveiled the official NEET rank list for Tamil Nadu on Monday.

About 940 Open Category (OC) candidates with scores of 601 upwards will be in the reckoning for MBBS admission, whereas it will be 560-plus marks for about 1,430 backward community (BC) candidates. Most Backward Community candidates numbering about 750 with scores above 526 too will be in the zone of consideration. For SCs, the cut off will be 453 and for STs it is  348.

This year’s list has several exceptional features. There is nearly a 20% fall in the overall number of applications from eligible candidates from 57,004 last year to 37,983 this year. And at least 313 seats, including 227 in government run colleges, will go to students from government schools.

“The 7.5% seats meant for government school students will be allotted after counselling for people with disability, sports quota candidates and children of ex-servicemen,” said the minister, adding: “Many students from government schools have managed to secure high marks in NEET.”

The face-to-face counselling, delayed by nearly four months this year, will be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium from Wednesday, Vijayabaskar said.

Tirupur-based Srijan R (left) was the state NEET 2020 topper with 710 marks and Jeevithkumar N of Theni scored 664, the highest among government school students

57,215 CLEARED TEST FROM TN 

Counselling to be held with pandemic protocols in place

Counselling will be held in strict adherence to all pandemic protocols, Vijayabaskar said, adding that parents and students must wear masks and maintain distancing at all times.

This year, a total of 57,215 students from Tamil Nadu cleared the test. Of the 24,712 applications received for government quota seats, the selection committee of the Directorate of Medical Education has accepted 23,707 forms. For management quota, applications of 14,276 students, out of 14,511, were cleared. This is more than 19,000 applications fewer than last year.

The selection committee confirmed Tirupur-based Srijan R from the Indian Public School in Erode topped the list with 710 marks in NEET 2020, followed by Namakkal-based Mohanaprabha Ravichandran of Alpine Public School. He had scored 705 marks. Chennai’s G Swetha from Velammal Vidyalaya, Ayanambakkam, who got 701 marks, stood third.

Among government school students, Jeevithkumar N from the Government Model Higher Secondary School in Silvarpatti in Theni district topped the list with 664 marks, followed by Kallakurichibased Anbarasan S from Government Boys Higher Secondary Schools. He has scored 646 marks. Chennai’s Dhivaydharshini S from Government Higher Secondary School in Arumbakkam scored 620 marks. At least 14 government students have scored above 500 marks. The cut-off for the government school students is estimated to be around180 marks.

The state has 26 government medical colleges with 3,650 seats of which 3,031are state quota seats. Among the 15 self-financing colleges affiliated to the state TN Dr MGR Medical University 1,147 of the 2,100 seats will be under the state quota, according to the tentative list released by the selection committee.

Tamil Nadu will add 875 MBBS seats to its medical colleges, including deemed universities this year. Admission for deemed universities and all India quota seats are conducted by the directorate general of health Services. Of additional seats two government Kanyakumari Medical College and ESIC college in KK Nagar have got 50 and 25 additional seats respectively. Two self-financing colleges Indira Medical College and Hospitals in Tiruvallur and permitted Panimalar Medical College Hospital and Research Institute will add150 seats each. With this, the state will have 52 medical colleges with 8,000 seats.

Merit List

 

Medical dental counselling

 

Restarting schools unlikely to trigger surges: Experts

Restarting schools unlikely to trigger surges: Experts

Umesh.Isalkar@timesgroup.com

Pune:16.11.2020

Experts tracking Covid’s spread in the Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR) have said that reopening of schools is unlikely to cause a surge in cases.

They cited data from sero surveys in the PMR, which shows adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age had the second-highest antibody prevalence (35%) after the age group of 51 to 65 (35.5%), meaning the young have had substantial contact with the virus already.

A vaccine, the experts said, is also unlikely to have a major link with reopening of schools as according to global consensus, children could be the last to receive any Covid-19 inoculation. Even for healthy adults, vaccination is at least a year (or more) away due to prioritization.

The experts were reacting to reports that said parents were increasingly hesitant to send children back to school until there was a vaccine in circulation.

“We are not preventing infection in children by closing schools,” said epidemiologist Amitav Banerjee. “This is evident from the results of the Pimpri Chinchwad sero survey which found that scores of adolescents unwittingly contracted the virus and have recovered from it.”

He added, “So since this antibody study has shown that children are already on the same level of immunity as the general population, the reopening of schools will not cause a resurgence of infection in the community.”

Banerjee said the health ministry’s messaging during the pandemic’s early phases had sparked fear among parents. “These initial briefings implied that children were at high risk. But they were not based on evidence. The next eight months showed that the virus hasn’t impacted children much.”

Social scientist and anthropologist Aarti Nagarkar, however, cited a recent ICMR observation that stated children could act as silent spreaders. “In another study, Indian researchers studying data from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, found that children and young adults are efficient spreaders within households, especially in resourcelimited settings. So we have to be careful while reopening schools,” Nagarkar said.

But some experts cited contact-tracing data that suggests children are less likely to be the main transmitters.

Most countries, based on evidence gathered so far, opened primary and lower classes first with no impact on transmission levels in their immediate communities.

Woman wrongly diagnosed with cancer to contest polls

Woman wrongly diagnosed with cancer to contest polls

Sajimon.PS@timesgroup.com  16.11.2020 

Alappuzha: Rejani V  , who was given chemotherapy after a wrong diagnosis of cancer, is contesting local body polls to register her protest against the government authorities for her present plight.

In 2019, Rejani was subjected to chemotherapy at Kottayam Medical College Hospital on the basis of a wrong test report from a private laboratory.

The doctors later realized that the woman was not affected by cancer when the result of the samples to the MCH lab was found negative.

“I don’t know how to explain those days. I am an ordinary woman and mother of a girl child. The shock and my mental depression at that time cannot be expressed in words. I had lost my hair and turned bald. I also experienced physical uneasiness,” said 39-year-old Rejani. Rejani, abandoned by her husband, has an eight-year-old daughter. She worked as a cashier in a textile shop in Pathanamthitta.

“The government has not come forward to help me. I knocked many doors of government departments but none opened for me. So in September 2019, I staged one-day fasting protest in front of Mavelikkara taluk office and BJP supported my agitation. After that, I got Rs 3 lakh from the chief minister’s distress relief fund. I requested the government to give me a job or better compensation as I was unable to work due to the health issues after undergoing chemotherapy. Still I am facing various health issues. The government did not consider my requests. So I have decided to contest in the election as an NDA candidate to register my protest against the government,” she said.

According to Rejani, till the last election, she cast her vote for CPM and her experiences forced her to rethink. Rejani is contesting in Bharanikavu block panchayat from Palamel block division. “I am an ordinary person and I know the problems of the poor. So, I don’t make tall promises. But I will stand with the ordinary people and will try to address their issues,” she said.

DU students find PG dreams in balance

DU students find PG dreams in balance

Mohammad.Ibrar@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:16.11.2020

Delhi University student Nitish Kumar Mishra appeared for the online open book examination in July-August but found himself marked absent when the results were announced on October 27. Despite writing several times to DU, the final-year BCom (H) examinee from Aryabhatta College, and many others like him, are still awaiting to be declared eligible for postgraduate courses.

DU is yet to rectify many such mistakes, though its own PG admission process is to begin from Wednesday. Several students have either got zero or have been marked absent.

“Even after 18 days, the DU examination department has not rectified the results despite many emails to them,” said Mishra. While the PG admission notification states provisional admission will be granted to those whose results are yet to be declared, it doesn’t say anything about those with wrong results, he said.

He is worried that he will miss out on his LLB admissions that starts from Wednesday despite getting a good rank in the entrance.

Aakansha, a student of Dyal Singh College, has cleared the entrance for MA in Punjabi at DU. She got her results only on November 2, but it says she was absent. “The next day, I wrote to my college nodal officer, who told me to send screenshots of the mails.” She said, “I even got a receipt letter from the examination department after uploading my answer sheets.”

The story of Janki Devi Memorial College’s philosophy student, Ruchika Khavatiya, and six of her classmates is no different. “The DU authorities directed me to a phone number that doesn’t work,” said Khavatiya, who aspires to study law in postgraduation. Their faculty had spoken to the principal, who took up the matter with DU, she said. “But there has been no rectification.”

DU dean of examinations D S Rawat told TOI, “We will rectify all results in a couple of days.” He said the authorities had been working on the issues since Sunday.

STUDENT SAYS

Even after 18 days, DU examination department has not rectified the results despite many emails to them

Nov Peak: Covid Taking Four Lives Every Hour

Nov Peak: Covid Taking Four Lives Every Hour

However, Positivity Rate Much Lower Than June

Sidhartha.Roy@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:16.11.2020

Novel coronavirus has been claiming nearly four lives in the capital every hour in the past one week. On Sunday, 95 people succumbed to the infection, the third highest single-day toll till date.

This month, 1,103 fatalities have been reported in Delhi in the last fortnight, which means 73.5 deaths every day on average for the last 15 days (three deaths in an hour). In fact, this week has witnessed nearly 90 deaths every day and recorded the highest single-day death toll — 104 — on Thursday and the second highest of 96 on Saturday. The total number of Covid-19 deaths in Delhi stood at 7,614 on Sunday with an overall case fatality rate of 1.5%.

Delhi reported its first Covid-19 case on March 2. That month, two people succumbed to Covid-19 and, in the next, almost two fatalities were reported every day. May saw 414 deaths — 13.3 on average every day — but June, which saw the first major wave of Covid-19, recorded 2,269 fatalities, which amounts to 75.6 deaths on average every day. The death toll dipped to an average of 39.3 a day in July and 15.5 deaths/day in August as the Covid-19 graph dipped.

The number of Covid-19 fatalities, however, started increasing from September, which saw 917 deaths or 30.5 deaths every day on average. This figure rose to 37 deaths daily on average in October.

“We are trying our best to save every life and the best treatment possible is being provided, including plasma therapy. However, in many cases, patients are arriving at hospitals at a stage when their condition has already deteriorated to severe,” said a senior doctor of a Delhi government hospital.

On Sunday, 3,235 fresh cases were recorded in Delhi as only 21,098 tests were carried out in the last 24 hours compared with the nearly 60,000 tests being carried out daily. While nearly 20,000 RT-PCR tests are being carried out daily of late, the number was 9,221 in the last 24 hours, according to the Delhi government’s health bulletin. The positivity rate rose to 15.3% on Sunday compared with 14.7% on Saturday.

The overall positivity rate in November is 12.8%, which is a significant rise from the previous four months. The overall positivity rate in June was 21.1%, including some days when it went beyond 30%. July, however, saw the overall positivity rate dip to 9.6%, which further decreased to 7.1% in August, 7% in September and 6.6% in October even as the number of tests being carried out increased massively.

The total number of positive cases recorded in Delhi till date is more than 4.8 lakh, while more than 4.3 lakh have recovered, putting the recovery rate at 90.1%. The number of active cases on Sunday came down to 39,990 from 44,456 on Saturday, but the number of containment zones increased from 4,288 to 4,358. Out of the total active cases, 27,089 patients are recuperating under home isolation and 8,741 are admitted in hospital.

While 47.5% Covid beds in hospitals are still vacant, the availability of ICU beds reserved for Covid-19 patients is going down with only 164 or 12.2% of total 1,341ICU beds with ventilators available as per the Delhi Corona mobile application.

A DOCTOR SAYS

We are trying our best to save every life... However, in many cases, patients are arriving at hospitals at a stage when their condition has already deteriorated to severe

BCU VC and syndicate fight over upkeep plans

BCU VC and syndicate fight over upkeep plans

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru: 16.11.2020

The Bengaluru City University vice-chancellor’s plan to lay a foundation stone for redevelopment work of the university has run into rough weather, with some syndicate members saying they have not approved the agency or the proposal.

According to the syndicate members, it was decided to set aside Rs 155 crore for construction, renovation and development activities of the campus. As the university does not have an engineering department, it was decided to entrust it to either the public works department, central PWD or any other PSU after the syndicate approves the masterplan.

On October 23, vice-chancellor S Japhet wrote to the government seeking approval to prepare a masterplan and said the health and family welfare department’s engineering division had quoted Rs 155 crore.

The VC had planned a foundation stone-laying ceremony for the works on November 18. The syndicate, however, objected saying no agency was entrusted with the work or approved by the syndicate. Six members wrote to the governor on Sunday seeking the VC’s suspension for alleged misrepresentation of the syndicate and misuse of his official powers, among other charges.

In his reply to syndicate members, Japhet said, “The syndicate’s decision has been communicated to the government ... the agency’s proposal was forwarded to the government for according administrative approval since the matter was required to be placed before the state cabinet. The government has decided to hold a ground-breaking ceremony for the development work on November 18, and the chief minister is expected to participate.”

Six members wrote to the governor on Sunday seeking the VC’s suspension for alleged misrepresentation of the syndicate and misuse of his official powers, among other charges

Foreign-educated docs demand percentile-based qualifying exam

Foreign-educated docs demand percentile-based qualifying exam

Sunitha.Rao@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:16.11.2020

Thousands of Indians who have studied medicine abroad and are mandated to pass Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) to gain eligibility to work as doctors in their home country, are demanding their scores be put out in percentile form.

According to the Association of MD Physicians (AMD), which is spearheading these medicos’ cause, percentile scoring would help more of the eligible to work in India, which is required given the pandemic scenario.

AMD estimates the number of foreign medical graduates awaiting recognition in the country runs up to 30,000.

FMGE is held twice a year and not more than a couple of thousand candidates end up clearing it. According to AMD, 17,789 doctors appeared for the exam in August 2020, and 1,197 passed. The minimum score to qualify is 150 out of 300.

“We have candidates writing FMGE since 2008. Many miss qualifying by 2-3 marks,” a foreign medical graduate said. Successful candidates have to intern for one year at any general hospital and then apply for medical council registration in respective states.

Foreign medical graduates see a deliberate design in making it impossible for many of them to pass FMGE. They point to Opaque practices like absence of revaluation, lack of provision to see answer script and unavailability of previous question papers.

They also point out that FMGE sticks to percentage-based evaluation, even though most other exams in the country are evaluated through percentile method.

Most of these doctors have passed courses equivalent to MBBS in Russia, the US, Philippines, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, China, Germany, Nepal, Bangladesh and other countries.

A top Indian physician said FMGE mirrors the state of medical education in India. “Over 15 lakh students take undergraduate NEET for only 80,000 medical seats. Many of the rest end up going to countries like China, Mauritius and Russia, where medical education is cheaper. This entire process is only leading to projection of artificial shortage of doctors, which in turn is aiding medical colleges to increase their fee,” he explained.

“Results of so many candidates are withheld every year. If percentile is considered as qualifying criteria, a minimum of 7,000 doctors will get through the exam,” Dr Rajesh Rajan, president, AMD, said.

According to the website of National Board of Examinations (NBE), which conducts FMGE, 15,663 candidates wrote FMGE in December 2019 and results of 1,606 were withheld. Results of 535 candidates were announced later and 170 were declared ‘pass’.

AMD wrote to the Union ministry of health and family welfare, National Medical Commission, and also the NBE about its demand. NBE said changing qualifying criteria is beyond its purview.

Earlier this week, AMD approached the Delhi high court seeking a stay on the upcoming exam scheduled for December 4.

“When there are plenty of doctors trained in modern medicine around, the government is depending on medical students, Ayurveda and homoeopathy doctors to work in Covid wards. Isn’t this a joke?” said Dr Rajan.

Dr Devi Shetty, chairman, Narayana Health, said foreign medical graduates must be made to take up the final exit exam of Indian medical colleges. “FMGE candidates must be allowed to write the same final exam which students enrolled in Indian medical colleges are writing and the universities concerned can assess them,” said Dr Shetty.

Responding to TOI, NBE executive director Dr Pawanidra Lal said FMGE exam is equivalent to MBBS. “The passing criteria for MBBS students, appearing in first, second, third and fourth-year exams, is to secure 50% marks separately in theory and practicals for each subject. Hence, it is only justifiable that any equivalent exam shall also have the same level.”

“Percentiles are for ranking exams like NEET, postgraduation in medicine or super-speciality courses, where the candidates appearing have already secured 50% marks in the qualifying examination like MBBS or FMGE. The two are therefore not comparable,” he added.

On the allegation of results being withheld, Dr Lal said: “Result is withheld in case of those students, who fail to submit the required certificates prior to the examination. Once those are submitted, their results are declared.”

UGC TO RELEASE PENDING FELLOWSHIP

UGC TO RELEASE PENDING FELLOWSHIP

16.11.2020

The University Grants Commission has announced to release pending fellowships for Junior Research Fellows (JRF) and Senior Research Fellows (SRF) . The disbursal, said UGC Secretary Rajnish Jain, delayed due to technical issues and transition from old system to a new procedure. The JRF scheme of the UGC is for candidates who qualify the National Eligibility Test (NET) and the UGC-Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. The tenure of fellowship is initially for two years. JRF scholars get monthly stipend of Rs 31,000 and SRF scholars get Rs 28,000. CSIR-UGC NET Fellowships are tenable in Universities/IITs/Post Graduate Colleges/Govt. The programme is aimed at National Science & Technology Human Resource Development.

Supreme Court Weekly Round Up

Supreme Court Weekly Round Up: Week commencing November 8 to November 14, 2020

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Pensioners can now get Life Certificate at doorstep

 

பாதுகாப்புடன் பள்ளிகளை திறக்கலாமே!

பாதுகாப்புடன் பள்ளிகளை திறக்கலாமே!

Added : நவ 16, 2020 01:30

குழந்தைகள் துள்ளிக் குதித்து, ஏறி விளையாடிய ஊஞ்சல்கள், பள்ளி மைதானங்களில் துருப்பிடித்து காணப்படுகின்றன. குழந்தைகள் சாப்பிடும் போது, சந்தோஷமாக பங்கிட்டு கொடுக்கும் உணவுகள் கிடைக்காமல், பறவைகள், பள்ளிகளை சுற்றி, ஏக்கமாய் பறந்து திரிகின்றன.

தங்களை சுற்றி சுற்றி வந்து தொட்டு மகிழ்ந்த, உயிரோட்டமுள்ள மலர்களான மழலைச் செல்வங்களைக் காணாமல் மரங்கள் தவிக்கின்றன.பட்டாம் பூச்சிகளாய் சிரித்து, சிறகடித்து வந்த சிறார்களை எதிர்பார்த்து, பள்ளிகள் தவமிருக்கின்றன. கூட்டாக வாய்ப்பாடு ஒப்பிக்கும், அந்த சங்கீதக் குரல்களைக் கேட்காது, வகுப்பறைகள் தவிக்கின்றன. ஆனால், நம் மாநிலத்தில் மட்டும், பள்ளிகள் திறப்பு தேதி இன்னும் முடிவாகவில்லை.ஆனால், பிற மாநிலங்களான உத்தர பிரதேசத்தில், பள்ளி, கல்லுாரிகளை எப்போதோ திறந்து விட்டனர். ஆந்திராவில் கடந்த வாரத்தில் இருந்து, திறந்து நடத்தி வருகின்றனர். அங்குள்ளவர்கள் குழந்தைகள் இல்லையா; அனுப்புவது பெற்றோர் இல்லையா; சொல்லிக் கொடுப்பது ஆசிரியர்கள் இல்லையா?உரிய பாதுகாப்புஅந்த மாநில மக்களை விட, நமக்கு அக்கறை அதிகம் என்றே எடுத்துக் கொள்வோம்.

இந்த அக்கறையை இன்னும் எவ்வளவு காலத்திற்கு எடுத்து செல்லப்போகிறோம்; எத்தனை நாளைக்கு, பிள்ளைகளை வீட்டிற்குள், பொத்தி, பாதுகாக்கப் போகிறோம்?எப்படி எல்லாம் இருந்தால், கொரோனாவை நெருங்கவிடாமல் தவிர்க்கலாம் என்று சொன்ன, உலக சுகாதார நிறுவன தலைவருக்கே கொரோனா எனும் போது, நாமும் நம் பிள்ளைகளும் எம்மாத்திரம்... அதற்காக எல்லாவற்றையும் அலட்சியமாக இருக்கச் சொல்லவில்லை. அரசின் வழிகாட்டுதலுடன், உரிய பாதுகாப்புடன் இருந்தால் போதும். அதுவே நலம்.இரண்டாவது அலை, மூன்றாவது அலை எல்லாம் இன்னும் இரண்டு மாதங்களில் அடித்து முடிந்துவிடும். அந்த அலைகள் எல்லாம் ஒய்வதற்குள், தடுப்பூசியும் வந்துவிடும். ஆகவே, காத்திருங்கள் என்று சொன்னால், இரண்டு மாதம் அல்ல இன்னும் மூன்று மாதம் கூட காத்திருக்கலாம். ஆனால், எதார்த்தம் அதுவல்ல என்பதையும் பார்க்க வேண்டும்.இந்த அலை சமாசாரம் எல்லாம், இப்போதைக்கு ஒய்வது போலவும் இல்லை; தடுப்பூசி வருவது போலவும் இல்லை. இதை அவநம்பிக்கையுடன் சொல்வதாக எடுத்துக் கொள்ளவேண்டாம்.

கொரோனாவிற்கு எதிரான அறிவியல் யுத்தம் போகிற போக்கை கணித்து சொல்கிறேன். 'கொரோனாவை விட கொடிய, பொருளாதார சீரழிவில் இருந்து, மக்கள் மீண்டெழ வேண்டும் என்றால், கொரோனாவுடன் வாழ பழகிக் கொள்ளுங்கள்' என்று, உலகம் முழுவதும் உள்ள தலைவர்கள் எப்போதோ சொல்லி விட்டனர்.அதைத் தான் நாம் அரசு அலுவலகங்களை திறத்தல்; ரயில் விமான போக்குவரத்தை நடத்துதல்; வழக்கம் போல கடைகளில் வியாபாரம் செய்ய அனுமதித்தல் என்பதன் மூலம், வாழப் பழகிக் கொண்டு வருகிறோம். பள்ளிகளுக்கு சென்றால், குழந்தைகளுக்கு தொற்று வராதா என்று அடுத்த கேள்வியை பீதியுடன் எழுப்புவர்.தி.நகர் ரங்கநாதன் தெருவில் இருந்து, பெற்றோர்களால் வீட்டிற்குள் வராத தொற்றை, அரசு பஸ்சில் நெருக்கியடித்து பயணம் செய்யும் போது வராத தொற்றை, மற்றவர்கள் மடியில் உட்காராத குறையாக, ஷேர் ஆட்டோவில் பயணம் செய்யும் போது வராத தொற்றை, குழந்தைகள் மட்டும் பள்ளியில் இருந்து அழைத்து வந்து விடுவர் என்பது எந்த வகையில் நியாயம்?

கற்பிப்போர், கற்போரும் கூடும் இடம் பள்ளிக்கூடங்கள். பாதுகாப்பு நடவடிக்கைகளை எந்த அளவிற்கு அங்கு எடுக்க வேண்டும்; எந்த அளவு சமூக இடைவெளிவிட்டு உட்கார வைக்க வேண்டும் என்பதை அங்கிருப்போர் நன்கு அறிவர்.கொரோனா தொற்றுக்கண்டுபிடிப்பு, டி.பி.ஆர்., 3 சதவீதமும், அதாவது, எடுத்துள்ள மொத்த டெஸ்ட்களில், 3 சதவீதம் மட்டுமே தொற்று பாதிப்பு இருந்தால், புதிய தொற்றுகள், லட்சத்தில், 20 பேருக்கு மேல் இல்லாமல் இருந்தால், அந்த பகுதியில் பள்ளிகள் திறக்கப் படலாம்.தமிழகத்தின் நிலை என்ன... நவம்பர் ஆரம்பித்தது முதல், இந்த, டி.பி.ஆர்., 3 சதவீதம் உள்ளதால், இரண்டு வாரங்களில் பள்ளிகளை திறப்பதற்கான சூழ்நிலைகள் சாதகமாக இருக்கலாம் என்று அரசு அறிவித்துள்ளது.ஆகவே, பள்ளிகளை திறக்கலாம் என்று, அறிவுபூர்வமாக நல்லதொரு முடிவு எடுத்துள்ளனர்.பள்ளிகள் திறக்கப்படும் போது என்ன செய்ய வேண்டும் என்பதை மட்டும் தான் இப்போது பார்க்க வேண்டும்.பள்ளிக்கல்வித் துறையும் ஒரு மாபெரும் மாற்றத்திற்கு தயாராக வேண்டும். மாணவர்கள் கட்டாயம் முக கவசம் அணிந்து வரச் செய்ய, அறிவுறுத்த வேண்டும்.

பள்ளியில் மாணவர்கள் நுழையும் இடத்தில், உடல் வெப்பநிலை பரிசோதிக்கப்பட வேண்டும். குழந்தைகளுக்கு கொரோனா அறிகுறிகளான காய்ச்சல், இருமல், சளி முதலிய ஏதேனும் தொந்தரவுகள் இருக்கிறதா என்பதை கேட்டு, பள்ளிக்கு உள்ளே அனுமதிக்க வேண்டும்.வகுப்பறைகள் நல்ல காற்றோட்டத்தோடு இருக்குமாறு பார்த்துக் கொள்ள வேண்டும். சமூக இடைவெளியை கடைபிடிக்கும் அளவுக்கு, ஒரு பெஞ்சுக்கு இருவர் என்ற அளவில் மாணவர்களை அனுமதிக்கலாம்.மாணவர்கள் பரவலாக உட்காருவதற்கு ஏதுவாக, 'ஷிப்ட்' முறை கொண்டு வரலாம். பள்ளி பாட நேரத்தை பாதியாக குறைக்கலாம். உணவு உண்பதை, வீட்டிலேயே முடித்துக் கொள்ளுமாறு, நேரத்தை சீர் செய்யலாம். குழந்தைகளுக்கு சோப்பு போட்டு, கை கழுவும் வசதியை அமைத்து கொடுக்க வேண்டும்.

முக்கியமாக, கழிப்பறையை நன்கு பராமரிக்கலாம். நிலைமை சீராகும் வரை பிரார்த்தனை கூட்டத்திற்காக கூடுவதையும், சேர்ந்து விளையாடுவதையும் தவிர்க்கலாம்.முழுப் பயிற்சி பெற்ற செவிலியரை பள்ளியில் பணி அமர்த்தலாம். பாதுகாப்பு நெறிமுறைகளையும், வழிமுறைகளையும் பின்பற்றி, பள்ளிகளை வெற்றிகரமாக நடத்தும் மாநிலங்களையும், நாடுகளையும், உதாரணமாக எடுத்து செயல்படலாம்.அதே போல, குழந்தை கள் வீட்டிற்கு திரும்பியதும், வீட்டின் வாசலிலேயே கைகளை சோப்பு போட்டு கழுவி, உடைகளை மாற்றிய பின், வீட்டினுள் பெற்றோர் அனுமதிக்கலாம்.பள்ளியில் உபயோகப்படுத்திய பொருட்களை, கிருமி நாசினியால் சுத்தம் செய்து, பிறகு வீட்டில் உபயோகப்படுத்த வேண்டும். சத்துள்ள ஆகாரங்களை உண்பதற்கும் சரியான அளவு துாங்குவதற்கும் வழிகாட்டலாம்'பள்ளிகளை திறக்க வேண்டாம்' என்று, எந்த மனசாட்சி உள்ள பெற்றோரும் சொல்ல மாட்டார்கள். காரணம், இணையத்தில் படிக்கிறோம் எனச் சொல்லி, தங்கள், எல்.கே.ஜி., பிள்ளைகள் கூட, கண் கண்ணாடி மாட்டிக் கொண்டது தான் கைமேல் கண்ட பலன் என்பது அவர்களுக்கு நன்றாகவே தெரியும்.பள்ளிக்கு சென்று வந்த குழந்தை பகிரும், அனுபவமும், அன்பும் தான் பெரும்பாலான குடும்பங்களை இனிதாக இயக்கிக் கொண்டிருந்தது.

இப்போது அது அத்தனையும், முடிவிற்கு வந்தது போல பெற்றோர்களும், பெற்றோர்களை விட குழந்தைகளும், அதிக மன உளைச்சலில் இருக்கின்றனர் என்பது தான் வாழ்வியல் நிஜம்.பாதுகாப்பு அம்சம்அடுத்தடுத்த அலைகளால் அதிகம் பாதிக்கப்படுவதாக கூறப்படும், அமெரிக்க தேர்தல் களத்தில், மக்கள் முன் எப்போதும் இல்லாத அளவிற்கு ஒட்டுப்போட்டுள்ளனர் என்றால், சகஜமாக வாழ விரும்புகின்றனர் என்றே அர்த்தம்.'மாஸ்க் எனப்படுவது யாதெனில், அது இரு காதுகளுக்கு இடையே நாடிப்பகுதியில் தொங்கவிடப்படும் ஒரு துண்டு துணி' என்ற நிலையில் தான், பீஹார் மாநிலத்தில் மேடையில் தோன்றிய அரசியல்வாதிகளும், திரளாக கூடிய தொண்டர்களும், தங்களது கொரோனா பாதுகாப்பு அம்சத்தை வெளிப்படுத்தினர்.

நிச்சயம், அந்த அளவிற்கு நமது மாநிலம் இருக்காது. மாணவர்களும் இருக்க மாட்டார்கள். பெற்றோர்களே உங்கள் பிள்ளைகளை பள்ளிக்கு அனுப்ப தயராகுங்கள். நான் ஒரு பெற்றோராக இருந்து, என் இரண்டு பிள்ளைகளை இப்போதே தயார் செய்துவிட்டேன்.உயிர் இருந்தால் தான் உடலுக்கு மரியாதை. அது போல கல்வி இருந்தால் தான் மாணவர்களுக்கு மரியாதை.தொடர்புக்கு:இ-மெயில்: doctorjsharma@gmail.com

11 மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகள் கட்டுமான பணி தீவிரம்

11 மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகள் கட்டுமான பணி தீவிரம்

Added : நவ 16, 2020 00:16

திருவள்ளூர்: ''தமிழகத்தில் புதிதாக, 11 மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகள்அமைக்கும் பணிகள் வேகமாக நடந்து வருகின்றன,'' என, சுகாதார துறை முதன்மை செயலர் ராதாகிருஷ்ணன் தெரிவித்தார்.

திருவள்ளூர் அரசு மருத்துவமனையில், கொரோனா தொற்று தடுப்பு நடவடிக்கை பணிகள் மற்றும் புதிய மருத்துவ கல்லுாரி கட்டட பணிகள் ஆகியவற்றை, அரசு சுகாதாரத் துறை முதன்மை செயலர்ஜெ.ராதாகிருஷ்ணன், திருவள்ளூர் கலெக்டர் பா.பொன்னையா ஆகியோர் ஆய்வு செய்தனர்.அப்போது, முதன்மை செயலர் ராதாகிருஷ்ணன் கூறியதாவது:முதல்வர் இ.பி.எஸ்.,உத்தரவின்படி, கொரோனா தொற்று தடுப்பு பணிகள் துரிதமாக மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டு உள்ளன.

கொரோனா தடுப்பு சிகிச்சைக்காக, அரசு மருத்துவமனைகளில், 920; தனியார் மருத்துவமனைகளில், 846 படுக்கைகள் என, மாவட்டத்தில் மொத்தம், 1,766 படுக்கை வசதிகள் ஏற்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளன.தொற்று கவனிப்பு மையங்கள், ஆறு இடங்களில் ஏற்படுத்தப்பட்டு, அங்கு, 2,470 படுக்கை வசதிகள் உள்ளன.பிற மாநிலங்களை விட, தமிழகத்தில் நோய் தொற்று கட்டுக்குள் உள்ளது. நடமாடும் வாகனம் மற்றும் மருத்துவ முகாம்களில், மக்கள் தாமாக முன்வந்து, கொரோனா தொற்று பரிசோதனை செய்து கொள்ள வேண்டும்.திருவள்ளூரில், கட்டப்பட்டு வரும் புதிய மருத்துவ கல்லுாரியில், 165 கோடி ரூபாயில், படுக்கை வசதிகள், 220 கோடி ரூபாயில் கல்லுாரி, தங்கும் விடுதிகள் என, மொத்தம், 385 கோடி ரூபாய் மதிப்பில், மருத்துவ கல்லுாரி கட்டுமான பணிகள் நடக்கின்றன.

இப்பணிகள், ஒராண்டுக்குள் நிறைவடையும்.மேலும், நடப்பாண்டில்புதிதாக, 11 மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகள் கட்டுவதற்கு, முதல்வர் இ.பி.எஸ்., அடிக்கல் நாட்டி, பணிகளை துவக்கி வைத்துள்ளார். அனைத்து மாவட்டத்திலும், மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகள் உள்ள மாநிலமாக, தமிழகம் விளங்குகிறது. பொதுமக்கள், சமூக இடைவெளி கடைப்பிடித்து, முக கவசம் அணிந்து, கூட்ட நெரிசல்களை தவிர்க்க வேண்டும்.இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.

'இரண்டாம் அலைக்கு சாத்தியக்கூறு இல்லை

''தமிழகத்தில், கொரோனா பரவலில், இரண்டாம் அலைக்கான வாய்ப்பு இல்லை,'' என, சுகாதாரத் துறை செயலர் ராதாகிருஷ்ணன் கூறினார்.திருத்தணியில், அரசு பொது மருத்துவமனை மற்றும் நகர ஆரம்ப சுகாதார நிலையத்தை,நேற்று ஆய்வு செய்த பின், ராதாகிருஷ்ணன் கூறியதாவது:தமிழகத்தில், கொரோனா வைரஸ் தொற்று, இரண்டாம் அலைக்கான சாத்தியக்கூறுகள், தற்போது இல்லை. இருப்பினும், தொற்று பரவுவதை முழுமையாக தடுப்பதற்கு முக கவசம், சமூக இடைவெளி அவசியம்.

இதுதவிர, அடிக்கடி கைகள் கழுவும் பழக்கம் தொடர்ந்து இருக்க வேண்டும். திருத்தணி நகரில், 40 சதவீதம் பேர் முக கவசம் அணியாமல் உள்ளனர். வாகனங்களில் செல்பவர்கள், நடந்து செல்பவர்கள், முக கவசம் அணியாமல் செல்வது வேதனைக்குரியது. கொரோனாவின் தாக்கம் குறித்து, மக்கள் இன்னும் முழுமையாக அறியாமல், அலட்சியத்துடன் செல்கின்றனர்.

குழந்தைகள் மற்றும் முதியவர்கள், இன்னும் இரு மாதத்திற்கு வெளியில் நடமாடுவதை தவிர்க்க வேண்டும். தமிழகத்தில், இதுவரை, முக கவசம் அணியாமல், சமூக இடைவெளி கடைபிடிக்காமல் இருந்த நிறுவனங்கள் மற்றும் பொதுமக்கள், என, மொத்தம், 11 லட்சம் பேரிடம் இருந்து, 9 கோடி ரூபாய் அபராதம் வசூலிக்கப்பட்டு உள்ளது.இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.

Anna university supplementary exam schedule for final year out

NOV 17-21

Anna university supplementary exam schedule for final year out

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:16.11.2020

Anna University has released the time-table for online supplementary exams to be conducted from November 17 to 21. The exam will be conducted in four slots from 10am to 5pm.

Around 21,000 engineering students who missed their final year online exams due to technical glitches and absentees will sit for the supplementary exams.

Around 1.5 lakh final year students took an online proctoring test that was held from

September 24 to 29. After getting permission from state disaster management authority, the university informed candidates that supplementary online terminal semester exams for all university departments and degree programmes will be held from November 17.

The 60-minute online tests will likely have the same 30% weightage as the main exams held earlier and will have more choices as well.

A mask-maker who has sold none since March

A mask-maker who has sold none since March

MT.Saju@timesgroup.com

Chennai:16.11.2020

Here’s a mask maker who couldn’t sell even one during the lockdown. E Vengadessin designs and makes all kinds of masks, headgear and dolls for theatre groups in Tamil Nadu. But there have been no takers for the last eight months.

A gold medallist from Pondicherry University (MA in theatre arts in 2000), Vengadessin trained as a theatre trainer and doll-and-mask maker. Having been in the business for the past 18 years, he says he never expected the pandemic would hit so badly.

“There were some extra orders from theatre groups in the last January and February. I was in a hurry and somehow finished making the masks and other costumes in March. But then the pandemic hit. I couldn’t sell even a single mask since March,” said Vengadessin, who lives in Puducherry.

“The pandemic is global, but the suffering is personal. I lost grip, and started struggling in the initial months during lockdown,” he said. When many of his colleagues started doing parttime jobs to make a living, Vengadessin had no idea how to survive. “I spent a lot of time looking at the masks out of frustration and disappointment. My wife’s job as a teacher was the only ray of hope. But survival is still difficult,” he said.

However, this 46-year-old artist hasn’t lost hope. Despite the hardships, he strives to learn more about mask-making. “I struggled in the beginning, but now I have got used to it. I study more about theatre and costume. I have started making use of this time productively by adapting modern methods in the style of making masks. I am trying to reinvent my style techniques,” said Vengadessin, who has conducted mask-making workshops and seminars on acting in schools and colleges across Tamil Nadu.

Vengadessin believes that things will change, and his masks will soon find faces. “I am trying to convince myself that the worst is over. Things will change, and my masks will soon find proper faces on the stage,” he said.

NO TAKERS: A mask resembling an elephant head made by Vengadessin, a trained doll-and-mask maker

‘Covaxin III phase results by Feb’

‘Covaxin III phase results by Feb’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:16.11.2020

The results of the third phase of trials of Covaxin, India's indigenous Covid vaccine will be known only by February, said A Ravikumar, pro vice-chancellor of SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (SRM MCHRC).

SRM MCHRC is one of the few hospitals in the country to undertake Covaxin vaccine trials. Itis now in the processof conducting the third phase of the Covaxin shot which will be administered to 1500 volunteers.

"The third phase will see how people are able to withstand the vaccine and its efficiency," he told reporters here.

The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) is collaborating with Bharat Biotech for the development of the Covaxin.

After getting the nod from the drugs controller general of India, the first phase human trials began in July with 30 volunteerswhilethesecond phase was done in August where 45 volunteers received the Covaxin shot. The hospital has so far treated 1400 Covid patients since April and it uses both Allopathy and Siddha to battle against the pandemic.

Aspirants asked to write AIIMS entrance in Covid-hit Chittoor

Aspirants asked to write AIIMS entrance in Covid-hit Chittoor

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 16.11.2020

Many medical aspirants in the city who have applied for the combined entrance test conducted by All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) were surprised on Saturday as many of them were allotted exam centres in Covid-hit Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh, some 160km from Chennai.

AIIMS is conducting Institute of National Importance Combined Entrance Test (INICET) for admission to PG courses (MD/MS/MCh/DM/ MDS)in AIIMS-NewDelhi and other new AIIMS, Jipmer, PGIMER Chandigarh, NIMHANS-Bengaluru. For January 2021 intake, a computerbased test is being conducted on November 20 across the country.

Hundreds of MBBS doctors apply for the exam to join these prestigious medical institutions.

“The admit cards were released on Saturday for the online exam. Most doctors from Chennai had been allotted various centres at Chittoor. Chittoor has recorded a greater number of Covid cases recently and it would be a big risk for parents and candidates,” said Shameem, a parent in the city.

More than 10 cities in Tamil Nadu including Chennai, Coimbatore, Salem, Erode, Dindigul are conducting the exam this year.

“There is no bus or train transport from Chennai to Chittoor. Doctors are advising us to stay at Chittoor. We are not sure whether to write the exam or skip it,” said Kaleemudeen, another parent.

He said the parents of PG aspirants are mostly senior citizens and cannot afford to travel during the pandemic.

“Usually, students from smaller towns used to come and write the exams in bigger cities. But this time it is reversed. Chennai has several colleges in and around the city which can host the exam. AIIMS should change the venue for PG medical aspirants and allotthem tothecitiesin which they preferred,” he said.

Another parent, Lakshmi, said her daughter registered on the first day and gave option as Chennai city. But she got an exam centre in Chittoor. “During the pandemic, the exam centres have been allotted in faraway places for the students. A candidate from Cuddalore got an exam centre in Dindigul and another candidate from Ariyalur got an exam centre in Thiruvannamalai,” she said.

AIIMS is conducting INI-CET for admission to PG courses in AIIMS, Jipmer, PGIMER Chandigarh, NIMHANS-Bengaluru

How upskilling is essential in every age

EDUCATION TIMES 

How upskilling is essential in every age

Learning that is experiential and combines real-world knowledge and research enables us to have a strong grounding in whatever skill we set out to learn, writes Rajesh Panda

16.11.2020

In January 2020, the World Economic Forum announced that the world is facing an upskilling emergency. We live in a fast-paced age. From the turn of the 21st century, as applied learning gained prominence, the need has emerged to be hands-on with the skills. About a billion people need upskilling by 2030 across all ages.

The underlying message for schools, organisations, governments and the society is to work together towards bringing in a learning environment that is agile and enables people to live a good life and contribute at the workplace.

Why upskill at all

As the world becomes our university, ‘learning how to learn’ is the need of the hour –focussed on continuous reskilling. In this age of continuous disruption, individuals, teams and organisations

ISTOCK are required to prepare for a super-learning future, centred on upskilling. These are the reasons for disruption: Change in nature of work due to technological innovation Rising demand for new competencies Altering employee expectations in the organisation Changing labour demographics Diversity strategies Evolving business environment with its regulatory changes Reskilling and upskilling are the answers to these problems, however, the problem extends beyond the workplace. The challenge lies in the ability to learn, cope up with their fast-changing demands at the workplace.

Science of learning

Learning has four

stages – know, practice, perform and reflect. However, skilling focusses on two of these – practice and perform. The more you practice and perform, the better you are at executing a particular job with perfection.

Learn by doing

It is essential that whatever we know is practised and performed well so that it gets ingrained into our psyche and we can turn to that skill whenever the job at hand demands it.

This form of learning is also called the ‘learningby-doing’ model, which is a key driver to upskilling across all ages. The user learns from one’s experiences and applies theoretical knowledge in real-world to generate tangible outcomes.

This includes - learn by applying, trial-and-error learning, discovery versus instruction, experiential learning, practical experience versus bookish learning and practice-theorypractice dialectic.

How to learn

As children, we learn how to manage self because our learning happens in the real-world through our five senses – touch, smell, see, hear and feel. We imbibe the information from our surroundings using our senses and then understand what is what.

As we move to the formal classroom, learning is restricted to books and instruction. The yardstick of our performance suddenly changes from real-world to performance in the classroom. The skill-gap starts here. We struggle in managing self, family and work (at school). This continues in universities and well into adulthood. We do not have the skills to manage in realworld – self, family, team or tasks work etc.

An approach that combines experiential, hands-on learning with real-world knowledge and research will enable us to have a strong grounding in whatever skill we set out to learn. .Learning and upskilling is a lifelong process and one should reflect on what and how to skill up and stay relevant in the dynamic workplaces.

(The author is founder & CEO, Corporate Gurukul)

Should universities reserve seats for government school students Tamil Nadu government recently passed a bill providing 7.5% reservation in medical colleges to government school students who have cleared NEET

EDUCATION TIMES 

TALKING POINT

Should universities reserve seats for government school students

Tamil Nadu government recently passed a bill providing 7.5% reservation in medical colleges to government school students who have cleared NEET

16.11.2020

Need for pre-NEET coaching

Scheme of horizontal reservation of 7.5% seats is in the interest of students from rural areas but this could not be a long-term solution for the government schools. The state governments should have a pre-NEET/ other competitive exam coaching programmes as being done in civil services in some states. The government school reservation quota should be reviewed in a time frame. Quotas are not the solutions to produce good professionals for medical and related jobs.

CS DUBEY

VICE CHANCELLOR,

SANSKRITI UNIVERSITY

Against the spirit of competition

Government school students are meritorious enough to secure a seat without a special reservation. School-based reservations are against the spirit of competition. A student’s success in a competitive exam is not dependent on school but his/her capabilities. In the information age, the study material is easily available to everyone. Since government schools have fewer resources; these students are determined to clear competitive exams and often go the extra mile.

VENUGOPAL KR

VICE CHANCELLOR,

BANGALORE UNIVERSITY

Beneficial for EWS category students

It is a welcome move as it only applies to those who have studied in a government school from class VI-XII.

Adulteration or loopholes in the process becomes difficult because of the condition.

Most often, students who are socially and economically disadvantaged opt to study in government schools. This will help students from the backward sections of the society to have a fair chance at securing admission in reputed colleges.

SAJIN KUMAR

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR,

KERALA UNIVERSITY

May increase enrolment in government schools

Government school students must get access to quality education and fulfil their dreams. Those who qualify NEET prove their mettle. If implemented properly, the reservation policy may also help in increasing the enrolments in government schools. The schools may also work harder to attract more students. It may be a win-win situation for both students and schools.

DR PRATHMESH BHUJBAL

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DR DY PATIL MEDICAL COLLEGE, HOSPITAL & RESEARCH CENTRE, PUNE

– As told to  Sheetal Banchariya

The VC doesn’t suck up? Order an investigation

STORYBOARD

The VC doesn’t suck up? Order an investigation

ARUN RAM   16.11.2020

Last Wednesday, the Tamil Nadu government ordered an inquiry into charges of corrupt practices by Anna University vice-chancellor M K Surappa. Retired judge P Kalaiyarasan will inquire into complaints the government said it had received from different people. Here are the allegations:

The vice-chancellor and some others collected ₹80 crore as bribe while recruiting temporary teaching fellows for the university’s constituent colleges

Corruption and forgery in the promotion of office assistants

The vice-chancellor appointed a director without the university syndicate’s approval

Surappa wrongly informed the AICTE that all final year students were promoted without holding examinations

He appointed his daughter in the university by misusing his powers

Misappropriation in procurement of machinery

Malpractices in semester examinations and revaluation All these are serious charges. While we wait for the inquiry report, it is hard not to suspect the timing of the government order, especially since many of these complaints had come in months ago. Barely a week before the order, the state government had informed the Centre, after a noisy wrangle with Surappa, that Anna University does not want the Institute of Eminence (IoE) status. The government said it was withdrawing a proposal it had made in 2017 seeking the status. Surappa had argued for the IoE status which would bring in Union funds of ₹200 crore per year for five years besides enabling the university to vie for global ranking such as the Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings and the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

The Edappadi Palaniswami government was angry that the vice-chancellor had been communicating with the Union government over the IoE proposal, circumventing the state. It wasn’t just that the state government’s inflated ego was pricked; it feared that the IoE status would diminish its control over the premier institution of engineering education in Tamil Nadu. While government officials will continue to be in the university syndicate even after getting the status, the real concern for some politicians was that their ‘recommendations’ for postings and contracts in the university — a substantial source of illegal income for power brokers and the powers that be — may not be taken seriously. Many of these ‘beneficiaries’ have been feeling the pinch since Surappa took over in April 2018.

TOI correspondent A Ragu Raman asked a cross-section of faculty members and others of the university on what they thought about their vice-chancellor, and here is what he got:

Cancelled discretionary quota in PG admissions and removed discretionary powers of the VC in admissions. Abolished honorarium paid to VC and other higher functionaries for being in the university’s committees

Cut down unnecessary expenses. Convocation expenditure was brought down from ₹70 lakh to ₹20 lakh and introduced the practice of giving real gold medals to students

Took action against those involved in exam malpractices and introduced digital evaluation

Fixed minimum marks in entrance test for PhD

Increased qualification for faculty promotions and introduced Career Advancement Scheme for fair and objective promotion

Drafted faculty members from IIT Madras, IISc and NIT to inspect engineering colleges

Research publications of Anna University increased by 15% (300) a year after he took over

Established an ecosystem for nurturing startups in the university No academician or administrator of some standing told our correspondents that Surappa is corrupt. In fact, former Anna University vice-chancellor E Balagursamy went on record that the investigation is to harass Surappa for not toeing the state government’s line. I wouldn’t hazard a guess on what Justice Kalaiyarasan’s report would read like, but I can see two words writ large on the government order: Witch hunt.

arun.ram@timesgroup.com