Train services between Chennai and Tirupati set to resume after nearly seven months

Train services between Chennai and Tirupati set to resume after nearly seven months

The fully reserved daily special will leave Chennai at 6.25 am and reach Tirupati at 9.40 am. In the return direction, the train will leave Tirupati at 10.15 am and reach Chennai at 1.40 pm.

Published: 17th November 2020 07:30 PM 

By B Anbuselvan 

Express News Service

CHENNAI: After nearly seven months, train services between Chennai and Tirupati will resume from Thursday. Southern Railway has decided to operate a special train daily and the railway board too has given approval. The special train will be operated in the time slot of the regular Sapthagiri Express.

Interestingly, the Tirupati bound special train from Chennai will stop at Ambattur station. However, the halt has not been authorised during the return journey from Tirupati to Chennai

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According to a press statement, the Chennai Central – Tirupati fully reserved daily special will leave Chennai at 6.25 am and reach Tirupati at 9.40 am. In the return direction, the train will leave

Tirupati at 10.15 am and reach Chennai at 1.40 pm.

The maiden service from both ends will commence on Thursday and the trains will be operated till further advice. Reservation for the trains was thrown open on Tuesday.

The trains will stop at Tiruvallur, Arakkonam, Tiruttani, Ekambarakuppam, Puttur and Renigunta in both directions.

Meanwhile, Southern Railway announced that three fully reserved specials will be introduced on the Chennai – Ahmedabad, Nagercoil – Shalimar and Thiruvananthapuram – Shalimar routes.

The Chennai – Ahmedabad fully reserved daily superfast special will start on November 22. The first service of the train from Ahmedabad will commence on November 23.

Similarly, the maiden service of the Nagercoil – Shalimar fully reserved weekly special will start from Nagercoil on November 22. The first service from Shalimar will start on November 25.

The Thiruvananthapuram – Shalimar fully reserved biweekly specials will start from Thiruvananthapuram on November 28 and from Shalimar on December 1, said the statement. All the trains will be operated till further orders, added the railways.

MTC renumbers 16 buses across Chennai, alphabets dropped in 5 routes

MTC renumbers 16 buses across Chennai, alphabets dropped in 5 routes

The Chennai Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has recently altered bus numbers in over 16 routes. Services have also been extended without changing the number in a few routes. 

Published: 18th November 2020 03:05 AM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Chennai Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has recently altered bus numbers in over 16 routes. Services have also been extended without changing the number in a few routes. 

According to official sources, route 5A, which was operated between T Nagar and Tambaram, has been renumbered as 51A. Similarly, route number 248, which ran from Vallalar Nagar to Pudur, has been changed as 48B. 

Many buses operated from Thiruvanmiyur, Broadway, Poonamallee and Tambaram have undergone the number change in the last few days. Route 588ct (Thiruvanmiyur - Mahabalipuram) has been renumbered 588 and 99ct (Tambaram East - Shozhinganallur) has become 99A. Similarly, route 99S operated between Thiruvanmiyur and Kovalam has become 99B.

Route 51C (Tambaram West - Semmancheri S C B) has been renumbered 99C and route number 11A, which plied between Broadway and T Nagar, is now 11. Similarly, 54A (Poonamallee - Thirunindravur Rly Stn) has become 597C and M7 (T Nagar - Thiruvanmiyur via Taramani) has now been changed as ‘3’. Route 7B (Broadway - Korattur) bus, which was popular among college students, has now become 35. The G70 (Vadapalani - Guduvanchery) has been renumbered as 70 G. 

Interestingly, English alphabets attached with the numbers have been dropped in five bus routes. Route 592A (Red Hills - Uthukottai), 72C (T Nagar - Thiruverkadu), 15 B (Broadway - MGR Koyambedu), 25G (Anna Square - Poonamallee) and 37 G (Vallalar Nagar - Poonamallee) have been renumbered as 592, 72, 15, 25 and 37 respectively.

Meanwhile, Siruseri - Tambaram East buses 105 and 105A had been extended up to Tambaram West. “The numbers are changed as per the operational and administrative convenience. Based on the commuters demand, route destinations are altered,” an official said.

வெளிநாடுகளில் மருத்துவம் முடித்தோர்: நிபுணர் குழு கோரிய வழக்கு நிராகரிப்பு

வெளிநாடுகளில் மருத்துவம் முடித்தோர்: நிபுணர் குழு கோரிய வழக்கு நிராகரிப்பு

Added : நவ 18, 2020 00:52

சென்னை:வெளிநாடுகளில் மருத்துவ படிப்பு முடித்தவர்களுக்காக நடத்தப்பட்ட தேர்வு வினாத்தாளை ஆய்வு செய்ய நிபுணர்கள் குழுவை அமைக்கக் கோரிய மனுக்களை சென்னை உயர் நீதிமன்றம் நிராகரித்தது.

வெளிநாடுகளில் மருத்துவ பட்டம் பெற்றவர்கள் இந்தியாவில் 'பிராக்டீஸ்' மேற்கொள்ள வேண்டும் என்றால் அவர்களுக்காக நடத்தப்படும் தேர்வில் தேர்ச்சி பெற்று மருத்துவ கவுன்சிலில் பதிவு செய்ய வேண்டும். ஜூன் டிசம்பர் மாதங்களில் இந்த தேர்வு நடத்தப்படும். கொரோனா வைரஸ் அச்சுறுத்தலால் இந்த ஆண்டு தேர்வு ஆகஸ்ட் 31ம் தேதி நடந்தது.

மொத்தம் 300 மதிப்பெண்களில் தேர்ச்சி பெற குறைந்தபட்சம் 150 பெற வேண்டும். மறு கூட்டல் மறு மதிப்பீடு கிடையாது.சீனா உக்ரைன் ரஷ்யா உள்ளிட்ட நாடுகளில் மருத்துவ படிப்பு முடித்தவர்கள் ஆகஸ்ட்டில் நடந்த தகுதி தேர்வை எழுதினர்.

இவர்களில் தேர்ச்சி பெறாத 17 பேர் உயர் நீதிமன்றத்தில் தாக்கல் செய்த மனுக்களில் கூறி இருப்பதாவது:தேர்வில் கேட்கப்பட்ட கேள்விகளில் 100க்கு மேற்பட்டவை முதுநிலை நுழைவு தேர்வு தரத்தில் இருந்தன; சில கேள்விகள் தவறாகவும் விடைகள் தவறாகவும் இருந்தன. 17 ஆயிரத்து 198 பேர் தேர்வு எழுதியதில் 1999 பேர் தான் தேர்ச்சி பெற்றுள்ளனர்.

எனவே வினாத்தாள்களை மதிப்பீடு செய்ய நிபுணர்கள் குழுவை நியமிக்கும்படி மத்திய சுகாதார அமைச்சகம் தேசிய மருத்துவ ஆணையம் மற்றும் தேசிய தேர்வு வாரியத்துக்கு உத்தரவிட வேண்டும். கருணை மதிப்பெண்கள் வழங்கவும் உத்தரவிட வேண்டும்.இவ்வாறு மனுவில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

மனுக்களை விசாரித்த நீதிபதி ஆனந்த் வெங்கடேஷ் பிறப்பித்த உத்தரவு:நிபுணர்களின் வரம்புக்கு உட்பட்ட விஷயங்களில் பொதுவாக நீதிமன்றம் தலையிடாது.மருத்துவத் துறை நிபுணர்களின் வரம்புக்கு உட்பட்டது.தேர்வு முடிந்த பின் கேள்வி மற்றும் விடைத்தாள்களை ஆய்வு செய்ய 20 நிபுணர்கள் அடங்கிய குழு நியமிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

கேள்வித்தாளை ஆய்வு செய்ய நான்கு நாட்கள் இந்தக் குழு செலவிட்டுள்ளது.தவறான கேள்வித்தாள் 'கீ' விடைத்தாள் இடம்பெற்றதாக குழு கண்டறியவில்லை. தொழில்நுட்ப குழுவும் எம்.பி.பி.எஸ். அளவை மீறி கேள்விகள் கேட்டதாக தெரிவிக்கவில்லை.நிபுணர்கள் குழு மீது மனுதாரர்கள் எந்த குற்றச்சாட்டையும் கூறவில்லை.

எனவே ஏற்கனவே 20 நிபுணர்கள் குழு நியமிக்கப்பட்டு ஆய்வு செய்த பின் மீண்டும் ஒரு குழுவை நியமிக்க முடியாது.அடுத்த தேர்வில் மனுதாரர்கள் நன்கு தயார் செய்து எழுத வேண்டும். மனுதாரர்கள் கோரியநிவாரணத்தை அளிக்க முடியாது.இவ்வழக்கில் தகுதி இல்லை. மனுக்கள் தள்ளுபடி செய்யப்படுகின்றன.இவ்வாறு நீதிபதி உத்தரவிட்டார்.

DNA test most authentic way to prove if wife unfaithful: HC

DNA test most authentic way to prove if wife unfaithful: HC

Rajesh Kumar Pandey TNN

Prayagraj:18.11.2020

The Allahabad high court has ruled that a DNA test to establish a child’s paternity is the “most legitimate and scientific means” that can be used by a man to assert claims of his wife’s infidelity. The court added that the test is also the wife’s “most authentic way to establish that she had not been unfaithful, adulterous or disloyal”.

The ruling came while the court was hearing a plea regarding whether a husband, in a divorce petition, can ask the court to direct the wife to undergo a DNA test or refuse to undergo one himself. In case she elects to undergo a DNA test, then the findings of the DNA test will determine conclusively the veracity of the accusation levelled by the petitioner husband against her.

“The DNA test is the most legitimate and scientifically perfect means which the husband could use to establish his assertion of his wife’s infidelity. Further, the DNA test should simultaneously be taken as the most authentic, rightful and correct means also with the wife for her to rebut the assertions made by the husband and to establish that she had not been unfaithful, adulterous or disloyal,” Justice Vivek Agarwal observed while hearing a petition filed by one Neelam that challenged an order (dated September 22, 2018) passed by the additional principal judge, family court, Hamirpur under Section 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act,1955.

The marriage between Neelam and Ram Asrey took place on April 28, 2004. Admittedly, three daughters were born from this wedlock. According to the husband-respondent, he has not been living with his wife(the petitioner) since January 15, 2013, and there has been no resumption of cohabitation since then.

Further, on June 25, 2014, he (husband) had given customary divorce to the petitioner and had been paying maintenance to her since then. A male child was born to the petitioner on January 26, 2016 in her paternal house. Hence, the ground for the divorce was adultery.

Full report on www.toi.in

Woman can use RTI for info on husband’s income: CIC

Woman can use RTI for info on husband’s income: CIC

Ajay Parmar TNN

Jodhpur:18.11.2020

A wife is entitled to know about her husband’s gross income and can seek information about the same through RTI, the Central Information Commission has ruled. Such information cannot be considered as pertaining to a third party or beyond the definition of disclosable information under the RTI, the commission clarified while rejecting the denial of information to a wife seeking data about her husband’s gross and taxable income besides directing the Income Tax department of Jodhpur to provide her with the same within 15 days of the order.

The petitioner had filed an RTI application with the department seeking a copy of her husband’s I-T return, following which an officer of the department issued a notice to the husband, apprising him about the data sought by his wife as it belonged to a third party.

“The husband refused to share the information terming it as personal, following which the I-T officer stated that the information couldn’t be provided citing section 8(1) (J) of the RTI Act,” the petitioner’s counsel said. The first appellate officer also upheld the decision of the I-T officer and rejected her first appeal.

“We then moved the CIC stating there was a dispute between the petitioner and her husband and an application was already moved at a court for appropriate maintenance,” the counsel said.

Thavasi gets aid from MLA P Saravanan

Thavasi gets aid from MLA P Saravanan

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Madurai:18.11.2020

After a video of actor Thavasi seeking financing help for cancer treatment went viral on social media, Thiruparankundram MLA Dr P Saravanan reached out to help him. The actor was admitted to Saravana Multispeciality Hospital in Madurai, run by the MLA. He is being treated free of cost in the hospital.

Dr P Saravanan said the actor was recovering after undergoing a procedure to place an oesophageal stent. All his treatment costs would be borne by Saravanan’s Surya Trust.

In the video, actor Thavasi said, “From Kizhakku Cheemayile movie to the latest Rajinikanth’s Annaatthe, I have acted in many films for around 30 years. I never thought that I would get such a disease and my health would deteriorate like this. I am unable to even speak properly. To the many actors who I have worked with, please help me so I can work with you again,” he said. Thavasi’s recent noteworthy performance was with actor Sivakarthikeyan in his hit comedy film, “Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam” released in 2013.

Irked over Centre’s nod for INI-CET, Stalin demands abolition of NEET

Irked over Centre’s nod for INI-CET, Stalin demands abolition of NEET

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:18.11.2020

DMK leader M K Stalin on Tuesday slammed the NDA government at the Centre for excluding educational institutions that come under the central government from NEET. Questioning the exemption, he demanded the abolition of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

“The Centre betrayed Tamil Nadu by refusing to exempt the state from NEET,” Stalin said in a statement, while questioning the rationale behind the Centre allowing AIIMS and other central government institutes to conduct their own entrance examination (INI-CET) “Why this contradiction,” he asked.

He further criticised the Centre for setting up an INICET centre for Tamil Nadu students at Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh. Stalin also found fault with the exam fee, dubbing the disparity between fee of ₹2,000 for OBC (BC and MBC) students and ₹1,500 for students under the new economic weaker sections the “epitome of social injustice”.

Stalin also demanded that the Union government permit 69% reservation in admission of students to medical colleges in Tamil Nadu and urged chief minister Edappadi K Palanniswami to take appropriate efforts to ensure the same.

Meanwhile, AMMK leader T T V Dhinkaran took to social media to register his protest against the Modi government for adopting different yardsticks in conducting entrance exams for institutues run by the state and Union governments. “It is not appropriate to conduct a separate entrance exam for postgraduate medical courses for Centre government-run institutions,” he tweeted and said it was “unjustifiable” when it arbitrarily allocates seats in state-run institutes. He added that the Centre's approach, suppressing the state’s rights and acting against federalism, would be a “historic blunder”.

DMK chief M K Stalin accused the Centre of betraying Tamil Nadu by refusing to exempt the state from NEET and questioned the exemption granted to central government institutes

Numbers don’t add up for MTC users

Numbers don’t add up for MTC users

Bus Routes Renamed Unannounced

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:18.11.2020

An unannounced change in MTC bus route numbers has left a lot of passengers confused.

In the last three weeks, MTC Chennai has changed the nomenclature of at least 15 bus routes. These include prominent routes like M7 (T Nagar-Thiruvanmiyur), 7B (Korattur-Parry’s Corner), 522 (Adyar-Sholinganallur-Acharavakkam) and 5A (Tambaram-T Nagar). From now on, these routes will be known as 3, 35, 102M and 51A respectively.

Besides this, MTC has changed prefixes and suffixes of certain routes like G70 (Vadapalani-Guduvanchery) and 37G (Poonamalle to Vallalar Nagar) “The general public is kept in the dark regarding such changes... this will lead to a further drop in MTC’s patronage. What stops them from releasing a press statement on the changes?” asked Rama Rao from Traffic and Transportation Forum, Chennai.

People not used to names of areas in Chennai might avoid unfamiliar bus route numbers assuming it to be a detour (even if the destination and source are mentioned with key bus stops in the board). They end up using share autos after waiting for long, said Ravi Kumar, a regular MTC-user from Tambaram.

SA Vijayakumar, a retired transport corporation staff, explained a brief history of the MTC’s penchant for numbers. He said in the early 1950s, buses were chosen based on sectors. For example, buses plying via Triplicane were numbered ‘1’ while ‘3’ series were operated via Parry’s Corner. Later as the city expanded, double-digits were introduced and prefixes and suffixes were added as routes were extended. “At one point, it got all messed up,” said Vijayakumar.

Politicians too renamed buses plying to their assembly constituencies with their initials. For instance, routes like 56J and M45K or K18 plied across RK Nagar and Saidapet — constituencies from which late chief ministers J Jayalalithaa and M Karunanidhi were elected in the past.

When contacted, MTC officials said that they were renaming bus routes based on the transport zones they belong to, as originally conceptualised.

K Sathapriyan, founder of TNSTC Enthusiasts, said it is good that MTC is trying to make its bus nomenclature uniform again.

A pamphlet pasted on an MTC bus showing route number 522 has been changed to 102M

Revenge porn latest social evil: Court

Revenge porn latest social evil: Court

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:18.11.2020

Boys video graphing intimate moments with their partners and later using them to threaten and exploit them continuously are part of the latest social evil, said a city court while sentencing a 24-year-old to ten years rigorous imprisonment on charges of rape and criminal intimidation.

According to the prosecution, the accused, M Suresh, first came to know the survivor in early 2014 when he visited the factory in Ambattur where she worked.

Suresh was working as a representative of a private bank and visited the factory to collect details of the workers to open a bank account, including that of the survivor. The prosecution submitted that after acquiring the phone number of the woman, Suresh began harassing her, forcing her to talk with him.

“If the survivor did not talk to him, he would threaten to consume poison,” the prosecution stated and also submitted that he promised to harm her family members. As the woman gave in to his threats, he took her to his house one day and forcibly had sex with her, the prosecution submitted.

He demanded that she visit his house often and when she refused, he further threatened to release the video of their intimate moments on the internet and show it the same to her family.

The woman attempted suicide after learning that she was pregnant and was saved by her maternal uncle after which the family came to know about her ordeal and a complaint was lodged.

In response, counsel for the accused argued that it was a foisted case and that the two of them were in a physical relationship that was consensual.

After perusing all the evidence including the statement by the survivor, sessions Judge M Rajalakshmi held the accused guilty under Section 376 IPC (rape). The court noted that the fear of a girl who lost her chastity in an unforseen circumstance is unimaginable, if she is threatened by the man that he will release a video of their private moments and held the accused guilty for criminal intimidation.

The man threatened the woman that he would release the video of their intimate moments on the internet and show it same to her family

Posting of ex-prof facing criminal case stokes controversy

Posting of ex-prof facing criminal case stokes controversy

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:18.11.2020

The recent appointment of a retired professor, facing a criminal case for manipulating marks, as a member of PT Lee Chengalvaraya Naicker Trust by the Tamil Nadu government has stoked a controversy.

The backward classes, most backward classes and minorities welfare department appointed nine persons to the Trust on November 7. From among 42 applications from teachers, N Veerappan, a retired associate professor from Thyagaraya College in Washermanpet, was appointed as member from teaching faculty in the trust.

When contacted, N Veerappan said the case was closed in 2017. "I have submitted all records and based on which I have been appointed as a member of the trust," he said. However, sources in the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Chennai city police said a charge-sheet has been filed in the case number 198/ 2017 under section 468 (forgery), 471 (using forged documents) of Indian Penal Code. The case is still pending before the trial court.

When asked, newly appointed chairman of the trust justice A Kulasekaran said he would call for the records and comment.

Professors said a criminal case has been pending against Veerappan for forging his marks in MSc Botany to get employment in a government-aided college. The case is that he obtained 729 out of 1400 marks in MSc Botany in Annamalai University as per the original records and was not eligible to be appointed as lecturer in government-aided college as he needed 55% of marks. By altering the marks in nine subjects, the total was wrongly increased to 829 out of 1400 marks which made him eligible for the post.

The directorate of collegiate education has filed a criminal case against Veerappan and Meenakshi Sundaram, the then controller of examinations of Annamalai University. Professors argued that the charitable trust running seven educational institutions shouldn't have selected a professor facing a case for manipulation of marks.

Ex-HC judge to begin AU investigation in a few days

Ex-HC judge to begin AU investigation in a few days

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:18.11.2020

The panel headed by Justice P Kalaiyarasan, the retired judge of the Madras HC, is likely to start its inquiry into the allegations of financial irregularities and abuse of power by Anna University vice-chancellor M K Surappa in a few days.

Justice Kalaiyarasan took over as inquiry officer on Monday. "Whoever has any information or evidence of financial irregularities in Anna University can directly give a complaint to the committee in writing. We will inquire about all complaints," the judge told reporters on Tuesday.

He further said the committee will conduct an inquiry about all the appointments made after Surappa assumed charge. As per the government order, the committee needs to submit a report in three months.

The government probe order came after at least three standoffs – one, the dispute over grant of IoE for the university; two, bifurcation of the university; and three, policy regarding grant of blanket pass for arrear-holders --between the government and the university in recent weeks.

Your thallu vandi dosai now a click away

Your thallu vandi dosai now a click away

Harshitha.Kumayaa@timesgroup.com

Chennai:18.11.2020

Craving for some street food following months of lockdown? Things may be looking up for you as your favourite thallu vandis or push cart shops will soon be just a click away, thanks to a new initiative by the Greater Chennai Corporation. Introduced as part of Prime Minister Street Vendor’s Atma Nibhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme, the corporation, in association with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), National Urban Livelihood Mission, and Swiggy, will train 500 street vendors on food safety and hygiene, following which they will be issued certification by FSSAI.

The vendors would then be a part of the onboarding process with Swiggy, where they would be trained on the technical aspects of the job. On a pilot basis, 50 of the trained vendors would get on board by November 25.

“This is part of our Covid-19 relief work with street vendors. Introducing them to the online platform would enable them to take their business to the next level,” said Meghanath Reddy, corporation deputy commissioner (revenue and finance), who held a meeting with the stakeholders and select vendors on November 12 to discuss the project.

The vendors will be equipped with the required safety gear, and branded with a store name to sell their food on Swiggy. “Several vendors have shown interest as they are becoming aware of the changing patterns of the food industry,” said Reddy.

The Food Safety training and certification (FoSTAC) programme has been taking place online for more than a week. “We have trained more than 350 food vendors. Their details would be provided to the Corporation to carry the process forward,” says Dr A. Ramakrishnan, designated officer, TN food safety department, Chennai district.

According to corporation data, there are over 24,000 registered street vendors in the city. Last month, 300 of them were provided FSSAI certification and more than 2,600 have received certification. Most of the vendors are from Marina, Besant Nagar, T Nagar, and Egmore.

For Malathy and Murthy, who have been selling idli, dosa and poori on their push-cart in T Nagar for 25 years, this project is a welcome sign after the lockdown lull. “I am looking forward to enhancing the quality of food,” says Malathy.

Selvakumar M, a vendor from T Nagar who has been trained and certified by the programme, says he could expect fresh customers now. “Looking at us wear masks, gloves, and head caps, we might get more in-person customers, besides the online ones we would get through Swiggy.”

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Lakshmi Vilas Bank to be merged with DBS

Lakshmi Vilas Bank to be merged with DBS

RBI Caps Cash Withdrawal At ₹25k For A Mth

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:18.111.2020

In a joint operation, the Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday announced a plan to merge Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) with DBS Bank India, minutes after the government imposed a moratorium on the beleaguered lender, limiting cash withdrawals to ₹25,000 for a month.

The proposed amalgamation with the Indian subsidiary of Singapore’s DBS Bank marks a shift in the RBI and the government’s stand with a foreign bank being tasked with reviving an ailing old-generation private lender, instead of relying on public sector players to take over a problematic rival.

The terms of amalgamations envisages a complete write off of share capital, reserves and surplus, including share premium account. Besides, on the appointed date, LVB shall cease to exist by operation of the scheme, and its shares or debentures listed in any of the stock exchanges shall stand delisted without any further action. Simply put, the shares will have zero value when the scheme gets operationalised.

Since March, when Yes Bank was placed under moratorium, this is the second instance of a bank requiring RBI intervention. Unlike in the developed countries, in India, the government and the banking regulator avoid letting a bank collapse and step in to avoid any systemic problems.

DBS to invest ₹2,500 crore more to grow LVB: RBI

With the crisis lingering on, the government and RBI decided to step in on Tuesday in what appeared to be a pre-planned exercise.

Despite the monthly cap on withdrawals, LVB will continue to honour its commitment on various government bonds and other inter-bank payments. RBI also assured depositors that their interests were fully protected and there was no need to panic. Former Canara Bank chairman TN Manoharan has been appointed the administrator.

Although the moratorium is in place till mid-December, RBI has sought feedback on the drat amalgamation plan before Friday with the process expected to be speeded up.

As part of the revival strategy, DBS will invest an additional ₹2,500 crore into LVB to support growth, RBI said. “The proposed amalgamation will provide stability and better prospects to LVB depositors, customers and employees following a time of uncertainty. At the same time, the proposed amalgamation will allow DBIL to scale its customer base and network, particularly in South India, which has longstanding and close business ties with Singapore,” DBS Bank said.

An Employee Who Retired On 31st Of A Month Not Entitled To Increment Which Would Have Fallen Due On 1st Of Next Month: Himachal Pradesh High Court

An Employee Who Retired On 31st Of A Month Not Entitled To Increment Which Would Have Fallen Due On 1st Of Next Month: Himachal Pradesh High Court: The Himachal Pradesh High Court has held that an employee, who has retired on the 31st of a month, cannot claim the benefit of an increment which became due on the 1st of the next month, as on that...

Colleges, varsities reopen to low attendance in Haryana

Colleges, varsities reopen to low attendance in Haryana

Siddharth.Tiwari@timesgroup.com

Gurgaon:17.11.2020

Colleges and universities across Haryana resumed physical classes for the first time in the 2020-21 academic session on Monday. The attendance, however, remained significantly low on the first day. Officials in the education department attributed it to the festive season and the rising number of Covid-19 cases in NCR.

As per the SOPs issued by the higher education department, institutions have drawn up a roster and limited the visit of each student to thrice a week. Online classes, however, are to continue until the Covid situation stabilises and fresh directives are issued by the Centre.

“Colleges and universities across the state resumed their physical classes in a staggered manner on Monday. Due to the festive season, a few colleges are observing holidays but they will reopen soon too. We have had discussions with the deans and the college administrations and asked them to prepare a plan to rationalise the number of students visiting the campus on a single day. A strict compliance with the SOPs is a must and any dereliction will invite action,” said an education department official.

While a few colleges opened on Monday, several others remained shut due to the holiday declared by Gurugram University. A few that did open did not even see 1% attendance. For instance, at Dronacharya Government College, only 20 students turned up. A brief counselling session was held in the open about the government’s plan to roll out a hybrid mode of education — online and offline — and Covid-related protocols to be followed.

“The attendance wasn’t encouraging and will take time to improve. There could be several reasons, like the ongoing festive season.We have issued rosters and daywise plans to the faculty and the students,” said Pooja Khullar, the principal of Dronacharya Government College.

Colleges have chalked out plans to ensure staggered entry of students on the campus to ensure physical distancing and make monitoring manageable. Some colleges are also planning to roll out the odd-even formula, in which students would be called on the basis of their roll numbers.

“As and when the strength increases, we will divide the students in sections, with not more than 20 in each. Also, the classroom sessions are being planned in a way that each student visits the campus only twice a week,” she added.

Google removes 5 rogue lending apps

Google removes 5 rogue lending apps

Anam.Ajmal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:17.11.2020

Several digital lending applications, unauthorised by any financial regulator, were available for download on Google Playstore for over three months. These apps, whose names resembled legit companies, offered users short-term credit at very high interest rates and then, in some cases, harassed or abused the borrowers for repayment. Following queries sent by TOI to Google, the technology giant took down at least five of them.

“Such unauthorised apps grew during the lockdown when people needed quick cash. The apps’ names resembled legit companies. Many people did not know how to distinguish between the two. They were downloaded by at least 400,000 to 1million people,” said fintech researcher Srikanth L, who studied at least 10 such apps.

TOI tried reaching out to the numbers listed on the nowdefunct apps, but they were unreachable. Those taken down by the technology giant include Ok Cash, Go Cash, Flip Cash, ECash and SnapItLoan.

“Our Google Play Developer Policies are designed to protect users and keep them safe, and we recently expanded our Financial Services policy to help protect people from deceptive and exploitative personal loan terms. When violations are found, we take action,” a Google spokesperson told TOI on Friday.

According to Google’s policies, if any app “contains or promotes financial products and services”, it must comply with state and local regulations for any region or country. However, Srikanth’s research showed these apps had their servers hosted on Alibaba cloud, a Chinese company.

“A common feature among these apps is that they have no legal entity in India. It is possible some money is laundered through this as all these transactions will be outside RBI’s regulatory purview,” said Srikanth, a coordinator at citizen led collective Cashless Consumer, which raises awareness about digital transactions.

Full report on www.toi.in

Times View: Such rogue apps bring misery to the financially needy and the unsuspecting. They must be brought under regulation. Google too should monitor their functioning and take suo moto action against them.

CRACKING DOWN

Admission headache: Students asked for certificates though final yr results not out

Admission headache: Students asked for certificates though final yr results not out

Ramendra.Singh@timesgroup.com

Bhopal:  17.11.2020 

Several students seeking admission to B.Ped, M.Ped, B.Ed, M.Ed and other such courses are in a strange situation. While their final year results are yet to be announced, they have been asked to get their documents verified. Students said there is still one more round to be organized and it will put their entire year in trouble.

As per the notification, students have been asked to get their documents like TC, migration and others from November 18 to 25. Incidentally, universities like Ujjain’s Vikram University and a few others have announced their final year results recently but BU’s students are still waiting for their results.

Students will lose their admission if they fail to get their documents verified. Students said when results are not announced, from where would they get TC and migration? “I am seeking admission in B.Ped. I am waiting for my results. I have contacted Barkatullah University several times, but they are not telling me any date. How to get TC and migration when I do not have results in my hand,” said Bipin Jha, a final year student.

Another student demanded that the dates of the document verification be extended. “We are already in trouble due to the Covid pandemic. In such a situation, it is even more frustrating to see such notifications,” said another final year student, Vinita Sharma.

The teaching faculty were also of the view that students are in a catch-22 sitution after such notification. “Undoubtedly, this is a matter of concern for the students. What to verify when they do not have any documents? This is a situation which is frustrating for anyone,” said a senior professor of BU on condition of anonymity.

When contacted, BU’s registrar Ajeet Shrivastava admitted that a few results of final years are yet to be declared. “We are in process of declaring the results soon. We are hoping that we will be able to declare all final year results before November 25,” said Shrivastava.

Asked about the courses in which results are to be announced, Shrivastava said, “I can’t tell the names of the courses in which results are yet to be announced as I am outstation.”

Students fear losing admission if they fail to follow the order

Air of uneasiness at oath-taking, CM doesn’t get up to greet his deputies

Air of uneasiness at oath-taking, CM doesn’t get up to greet his deputies

17.11.2020 TOI     

The ceremony was attended by home minister Amit Shah, BJP chief JP Nadda and former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. Nitish, who insisted on leveraging his higher numbers in previous terms to secure bigger share of departments and the post of speaker, has seen BJP playing by the same playbook to demand bigger share in the government.

The saffron party has kept its commitment to make Nitish the CM despite BJP winning more seats, but has also been firm on getting a share which is commensurate with its new-found muscle. While BJP has 74 members, JD(U) is 30 short of them with current strength. In the previous government, JD(U), with 71 members, had 18 ministers other than Nitish as CM. BJP, with 52 legislators, had 13 ministers, including deputy CM Sushil Modi. While Prasad and Renu Devi are set to be designated as deputy CMs, the party has staked its claim for the post of Speaker, with Nand Kishore Yadav being seen as the likely choice. Name of Yadav, who has been part of every NDA government in Bihar since 2005, was conspicuously missing from the list of ministers who took oath.

With BJP flexing its muscle and demonstrating its intent to rework the terms of trade with JD(U) by dropping its biggest face in Bihar Sushil Modi as deputy CM because of his perceived proximity to Nitish, the ceremony had an air of uneasiness hanging on it. The audience at Raj Bhavan closely looked at the “body language” of the dramatis personae and many eyebrows were raised when Nitish did not get up to receive Prasad and Renu Devi when they greeted him with folded hands after having been appointed ministers.

BJP also tried to soften the buzz about Sushil Modi’s unhappiness. “Sushil Modi Ji is not at all upset. He is an asset to us. Party will think about him, a new responsibility will be given to him,” Fadnavis said. On Sushil Modi not returning as his deputy, Nitish said, “It is the decision of BJP to not field Sushil Modi as deputy CM. They should be asked about this.”

Full report on www.toi.in

Bihar deputy CMs Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi during the oath-taking ceremony at Raj Bhawan in Patna, on Monday

As Cong bristles, RJD distances itself from ‘picnic’ remark

As Congress bristled over RJD national vice-president Shivanand Tiwari’s remarks about Rahul Gandhi and why the Mahagathbandhan lost the Bihar polls, his party on Monday distanced itself from what it said were entirely his “personal views” and insisted all was well with the grand alliance, reports Sheezan Nezami. RJD’s national spokesperson Manoj Jha said Tiwari accusing Rahul of “picknicking” ahead of the polls and blaming Congress for the alliance falling short of the majority should not be construed as the party’s official statement. He said a proper analysis was required to pinpoint the reasons why the Mahagathbandhan lost.

Full report on www.toi.in

›Continued from P 1

TN Health minister releases rank list for MBBS, BDS admissions, counselling to be conducted at Jawaharlal Nehru outdoor stadium

TN Health minister releases rank list for MBBS, BDS admissions, counselling to be conducted at Jawaharlal Nehru outdoor stadium

Time slots and dates will be allotted to the students and per day 500 students will be called for the counselling.

Published: 16th November 2020 01:23 PM 

Health minister Vijayabasker releases MBBS AND BDS counseling rank list, in Chennai on Monday. (Photo |EPS / R.Satish Babu)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Health Minister C Vijayabaskar released rank list for MBBS and BDS admissions 2020-2021 at the Directorate of Medical Education office here on Monday. Counselling will be conducted from November 18 at the Jawaharlal Nehru outdoor stadium here.

The minister also released a separate rank list for 7.5 percent quota for government school students, government quota seats in government medical colleges and self-financing medical colleges and management quota seats for self-financing colleges. First copy of the rank list was received by Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan and Selection Committee Secretary G Selvarajan.

Under the 7.5 percent reservation for government school students this year, N Jeevithakumar from Government Model Higher Secondary School, Silvarpatti, S Anbarasan from Government Higher Secondary School in Kallakurichi and S Dhivyadharshini from Government Higher Secondary School in Chennai secured first three ranks in the top 10 list.

R Gunasekaran who studied in Government Adi Dravidar Higher Secondary School in Vellore districts secured fourth rank in the 7.7 percent reservation for government schools students. 

Among the top 10 candidates for government quota seats, R Srijan from Erode, Mohanaprabha Ravichandran from Namakkal, and G Swetha from Chennai secured first three ranks in the top 10 list.

The Selection Committee received 24,714 applications for MBBS and BDS seats, among them 23,707 were accepted. The committee received 15,885 applications from the State board students, 7,366 from CBSE and SSCE students, 285 from Indian School Certificate Examination and 171 from other boards.

According to the Selection Committee data, 9,596 students applied were passed out in the current year and 14,111 students were from previous years.

Total 972 applications were received from students for 7.5 percent reservation, among them 951 were accepted.

Speaking to the press after releasing the rank lists, the Health Minister said, the counselling will begin from November 18 at the Jawaharlal Nehru outdoor stadium due to Covid-19 this year to maintain physical distance. Time slots and dates will be allotted to the students and per day 500 students will be called for the counselling. After special counselling, counselling for 7.5 percent special reservation will be conducted.

The minister said, there are chances of government schools students getting 405 seats, 313 MBBS and 92 BDS seats, under 7.5 percent reservation. There are 3,650 MBBS seats in 26 government medical colleges. Among them 227 MBBS seats and 12 BDS seats are reserved for 7.5 percent special reservation.

In 15 self financing colleges there are 2,100 MBBS seats are there, among them 1,061 are reserved for State quota and 86 are for 7.5 percent special reservation.

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami is likely to hand over seat allotment for government school students secured seats under 7.5 percent reservation, according to the officials.

The candidates can access the full rank list at www.tnmedicalselection.org website, the officials said.

Chennai girl secures third rank in NEET-UG “It’s the 7.5 per cent reservation for the government school students which has helped me move closer to getting a seat in Madras Medical College.

Chennai girl secures third rank in NEET-UG

“It’s the 7.5 per cent reservation for the government school students which has helped me move closer to getting a seat in Madras Medical College.

Published: 17th November 2020 05:41 AM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: “It’s the 7.5 per cent reservation for the government school students which has helped me move closer to getting a seat in Madras Medical College. It has been my dream and I thank the government for this opportunity,” says S Dhivyadharshini from Chennai, who secured third rank in the merit list released by Health Minister C Vijayabaskar, for 7.5 per cent reservation for government school students, on Monday.

Dhivyadharshini secured 620 marks in NEET-UG this year, after two earlier attempts. “I took NEET in 2018, but managed to get only 145 marks. In my second attempt in 2019, I could get only 466 marks. But this year, I am so happy to be a rank holder,” she says.

A student of Government Higher Secondary School, Arumbakkam, Dhivyadharshini passed Class 12 in 2018. Her father, B Shivakumar, is running a catering service and mother K Tamilselvi is a Corporation school teacher. “I want to be a gynaecologist and I aspire to help students like me. I sailed through because of my determination,” she adds.

‘This reservation is a timely help for students’

Cuddalore: Sarathkumar J, son of a farmer in Cuddalore district secured 515 marks in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). He is one among the top ten students who made it to the Tamil Nadu NEET merit list released on Monday. Thestudents will be given medical seats as per 7.5 percent reservation for government school students. Sarathkumar a native of Veppur in Cuddalore district completed his education from Nallur Model School in 2019. He said, “ I could not pass NEET in the first attempt. This was my second attempt and has been possible only due to timely reservation announced by the State government.”

Son of daily wage labourers secures fifth rank 

Chandhini R @ Erode: A tiny village named Kundamallanayakanur in Kanjikovil panchayat gets its first ‘doctor-to-be’ after K Boopathy secured fifth place in the rank list for admissions to undergraduate medical courses under 7.5 per cent horizontal reservation for government school students who have cleared NEET. K Boopathy, a student of Kavindapadi Boys Higher Secondary School got 559 marks out of 580 in the NEET this year. He hails from a poor family -- father Kumar and mother Parvathy -- are daily wage labourers who earn less than ‘300 per day.Speaking to TNIE he said, “One thing this achievement taught me was -- It doesn’t matter where you are from, what matters is where you want to go.” After finishing school in 2019, Boopathy enrolled in the free NEET coaching classes offered by the government and prepared for 40 days. 

Rank lists for MBBS, BDS released

Rank lists for MBBS, BDS released

Separate rank lists for the 7.5 per cent reservation for govt school students was released by the health minister

Published: 17th November 2020 05:42 AM |

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Health Minister C Vijayabaskar released the rank lists for MBBS and BDS admissions 2020-2021 at the Directorate of Medical Education office here on Monday. Counselling will be conducted from November 18 at the Jawaharlal Nehru outdoor stadium here.

The minister released rank lists for the 7.5 per cent quota for government school students, government quota seats in government medical colleges and self-financing medical colleges, and management quota seats for self-financing colleges 

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The first copy of the rank list was received by Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan and Selection Committee Secretary G Selvarajan. A total of 972 applications were received from students for 7.5 per cent reservation, among which 951 have been accepted.

Speaking to reporters, the Health Minister said, “Counselling will begin from November 18 at the Jawaharlal Nehru outdoor stadium. Only 500 students will be called per day. Counselling for 7.5 per cent special reservation will begin after the special category counselling.”As many as 405 seats -- 313 in MBBS and 92 in BDS -- are reserved for government school students under 7.5 per cent reservation. There are 3,650 MBBS seats in 26 government medical colleges.

Among them, 227 MBBS seats and 12 BDS seats are reserved for 7.5 per cent reservation. In 15 self-financing colleges there are 2,100 MBBS seats, among them 1,061 are reserved for State quota and 86 MBBS are for the 7.5 per cent quota, said the minister.

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami is likely to hand over seat allotment for government school students, said officials. The candidates can access the full rank list at www.tnmedicalselection.org website, the officials said.

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There are 3,650 MBBS seats in 26 government medical colleges. Among them, 227 MBBS seats and 12 BDS seats are reserved for 7.5 per cent reservation

Vasan Eye Care founder A M Arun passes away at 51

 Vasan Eye Care founder A M Arun passes away at 51

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  17.11.2020 

Fifty-one-year old A M Arun, the founder of Vasan Eye Care, passed away in Chennai on Monday. Arun is survived by his wife Meera, son Yuthish, 23, and daughter Sarana, a Class XII student.

He was declared dead by doctors in a private hospital in Alwarpet. Since the cause of death could not be ascertained, the Teynampet police registered a case under unnatural death and his body was sent to Omandurar Multi specialty Hospital for postmortem. Police said Yuthish told them that he saw his father lying motionless on the floor at 7.30am on Monday and rushed him to Kauvery Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. A team of forensic experts performed the autopsy and handed over the body to his family around 3pm.

Family members told police they last saw Arun on Sunday night when he walked to his room on the first floor of the house on J J Road off Kasturi Rangan Road at Teynampet. Police said Arun who has been taking medicines for blood pressure and a few ailments, had recently quit drinking.

In a message on the hospital webpage, Arun said, "I ventured into the healthcare business by taking over a small medical shop in Trichy. It had a reputation of over 60-years of being a trustworthy and very reliable pharmacy for sourcing medicines and medical supplies. From that very day in 1999 to this day, each foot I have put forward and each path I chose to tread have been with the support, courage and motivation of my team....". The government of Singapore picked up a stake in the eye care chain to ride the healthcare wave in India. But the fall of the eye care chain was also dramatic after he was accused of money laundering.

Arun's last rites will be performed on Tuesday.

13.75L voters in TN above 80 years, largest electorate in Sholinganallur

13.75L voters in TN above 80 years, largest electorate in Sholinganallur

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:17.11.2020

Woman voters continue to outnumber men in Tamil Nadu, according to the draft electoral rolls released on Monday. The total electorate in the state is 6.1 crore. There are 3.01 crore male voters, 3.09 women voters and 6,385 third gender voters.

“In terms of largest electorate, Sholinganallur assembly segment tops the state with 6.5 lakh voters. Kilvelur in Nagapattinam district has the smallest electorate with 1.7 lakh voters,” chief electoral officer Satyabrata Sahoo said. Except districts such as Kallakurichi, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri and Kanyakumari, the remaining 34 districts have more women voters than men.

In Chennai, there are 19.99 lakh woman voters and 19.39 lakh men, taking the tally to 39.4 lakh. The numbers may vary when the final roll is published in January, which would be the final for the assembly polls. Claims and objections can be made from November 16 to December 15.

The election department also listed out 13.75 lakh voters in the state above 80 years, who may be given the option of postal ballot due to Covid-19. The election commission has facilitated postal ballot facilities for those who are 80 years and above and people with disabilities for the first time.

In TamilNadu,Chennai(1.12 lakh), Salem (71,220) and Coimbatore (69,835) topped the districtsin termsof highelectorate in the age group of 80 years and above. “The election commission conveyed about postal ballot facility to these special category voters. It will be confirmed during elections,” said a source.

The election department will hold special camps in designated locations on November 21, 22 and December 12 and 13. Forms for inclusion, deletion, modification and transposition of entries will be available in these locations and filled in forms could be submitted there.

For inclusion, proof of address and age should be submitted along with the form. Aadhaar card may be submitted as proof of age. Proof of age is compulsory for applicants below the age of 25 years. Online filing can also be done on www.nvsp.in and https://voterportal.eci.gov.in. All those who will complete 18 years as on January 1, 2021, and those whose names are not included on the roll can apply for inclusion by filing Form 6.

7.5% quota may help 300 from govt schools

2ND, 3RD TRY FOR A FEW CANDIDATES

7.5% quota may help 300 from govt schools

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

17.11.2020

More than 300 students from humble backgrounds could enter medical colleges in the state this year thanks to the 7.5% special reservation for government school students. Of the 5,750 seats, 313 will be filled by these students.

N Jeevithkumar, a government school student from Siluvarpatti in Theni district, topped his category with 664 of 720 marks.

His father K Narayanamoorthi rears goats for a living, while his mother N Parameswari works in the 100-day job guarantee scheme. His teachers helped him join a private coaching institute.

Suryalakshmi S M of Government Girls Higher Secondary School at Porur in Chennai scored 368 marks in her first attempt. “With the help of mentors from KMC and my school teachers, I prepared for a whole year and was able to score 536 out of 720 in my second attempt,” said the daughter of a casual worker at a flour mill.

Even then, she may not have got a seat as the cut-off for BC students is likely to go up to 550 marks. But, thanks to 7.5% reservation, she is now expected to get into the prestigious Madras Medical College.

Hari Krishnan S of the Government Higher Secondary School in Lalgudi, Trichy, with 423 marks and ranked 38th in his category, is likely to get into one of the top three government colleges. “In the beginning I didn’t have the confidence to do well in NEET. My confidence grew along with practice,” he said. His only coaching was the state government’s online test series and video lectures. His father works in a grocery store.

“Without the 7.5% reservation, only 15 students would have got MBBS admissions from government schools. Though the reservation is justified, there is a huge gap between government school students and others as the cut-off may differ at least by 200 marks in all the categories,” said career consultant Jayaprakash Gandhi.

“We need to train government school teachers to prepare students for exams such as NEET,” said Dr Prasad Mane, secretary, Kilpauk Medical College Alumni Association, adding that they are willing to help government school students in the first and second year of MBBS too.

Post Diwali return by govt buses hell: Passengers

 Post Diwali return by govt buses hell: Passengers

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai: 17.11.2020

Returning to the city from their native places after Diwali on government mofussil buses was risky and tough, complain passengers.

Windshields of several new blue/sandal-coloured buses turned foggy in the interior side more frequently than usual during heavy rains.

Some passengers were told to leave the side windows open to avoid fogging. But this led to window seats getting completely wet.

Drivers, who halted at least once in 30 minutes, eventually had to travel much slower due to poor visibility from inside.

T R Pandian, who travelled in a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Villupuram (TNSTC) bus from Kancheepuram to Chennai on Sunday evening, said that it took almost three hours to reach Koyambedu in a point-to-point (PP) service. For most parts of the journey, the driver couldn’t accelerate beyond 10-15 km an hour.

“This could happen when glasses meant for A/C buses were fit in these non A/C buses. Visible Light Transmission (VLT) of each glass is different and TNSTC needs to relook into whether appropriate ones were used while manufacturing windshields,” said Pandian, who is also an industry expert.

TNSTC drivers, who fear facing repercussions from higher-ups in case they complain against this, agree that it was an extra risk because their resting time will be cut if they travelled very slow.

Managing director of TNSTC Villupuram Muthukrishnan rejected these allegations and said such phenomenon was possible during the rainy season in one or two buses but not a common issue which is applicable to all new buses.

A senior technical staff at TNSTC said usually temperature outside the bus is less compared to inside during rains. Therefore, air inside the bus (with windows shut) carries moisture, which condenses when it comes in contact with the cold windshield.

“Foggy glasses can be cleaned easily using cloth. By opening the window for a few minutes, the dryer outside air can enter inside and set it right. There was no need to panic,” he added. However, official data suggests that at least 2,700 road accidents happen every year in the state during rains. Over 450 get killed in it and more than 3,500 get injured.

Besides the issue of foggy windshields, roofs of some of the new buses turned leaky forcing many passengers to cancel trips.