Wednesday, December 23, 2020
No board exams at least till Feb ’21
No board exams at least till Feb ’21
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: 23.12.2020
The government on Tuesday ruled out the Class X and XII Board exams 2021 at least till February and said dates will be announced later after factoring in the pandemic situation in the country and consultations with stakeholders. Usually, the practical exams are conducted in January and theory exams begin every year in February and conclude in March.
The government is yet to decide on the Class X and XII 2021 Board exams schedule, while ruling out the exams in January (practical) and February in view of the prevailing Covid-19 situation on Tuesday.
Usually the practical exams are conducted in January and theory exams for the vocational courses begin every year in mid-February and conclude in March-end.
In an online interaction with teachers, Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said, ““Keeping the current situation in mind, it has been decided that the board exams for classes 10 and 12 will not be conducted till February next year. CBSE is making necessary preparations for conducting the 2021 examinations. A decision on the exam schedule will be taken later after assessment of situation and more consultations with stakeholders.”
The TOI had on October 10 first reported that the Board exams of 2021 may be shifted by 45-60 days to make up for the academic losses due to the pandemic.
Moreover, assembly polls are slated to be held in four states and Puducherry during April-June next year. With no clarity on board exam dates yet, several schools have already conducted pre-board exams online to keep the students prepared. CBSE had earlier this month announced that 2021 Board exams will be conducted in written mode and not online.
Schools across the country were closed in March to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. They were partially reopened in some states from October
15. However, a few states have decided to keep them closed in view of a spike in number of infections. Most education Boards, including CBSE, CISCE, Telangana and Gujarat have also reduced their syllabus by up to 30% in view of academic losses.
The minister had an interaction with students on December 10 and answered questions about various concerns regarding the conduct of upcoming Board exams. During that interaction Pokhriyal said: “The CBSE is yet to take a decision on the dates for conducting board examinations including practicals. In case, students are not able to do practicals in classes before the examinations, alternatives will be explored.”
HEALTH CONCERN
Docs’ allowance hiked, up to ₹1 lakh a month
PROTEST IMPACT
Docs’ allowance hiked, up to ₹1 lakh a month
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Bengaluru:23.12.2020
In a relief for doctors in the health and family welfare department, the government has issued an order increasing their special allowance.
The allowance varies depending on the doctors’ qualification and experience in government service. Now, it ranges from Rs 30,500 for a newly recruited MBBS/BDS doctor to Rs 1,03,500 for a specialised one with over 25 years of service.
Karnataka Government Medical Officers’ Association members had staged protests in September, demanding a hike in pay scale, on par with that of Central Government Health Services. With this order, a new recruit will get a monthly salary of Rs 91,500 as against the earlier Rs 82,000. The highest monthly pay will be for super-specialist doctors (Rs 2.4 lakh, which includes Rs 1,03,500 as special allowance). According to officials, only 13 doctors in the state get this salary.
However, not all doctors are happy with the order. “The government has not completely agreed to our demands of pay parity with CGHS. It had recruited specialist doctors through a bidding process earlier and paid them Rs 4 lakh per month. Our salaries are still not on par with them. The government has increased allowance at the entry level (MBBS graduate), from the existing Rs 21,000 to Rs 30,500. Just a Rs 9,500 salary hike is not justified,” said KGMOA members.
Tuesday, December 22, 2020
Good & Bad : 60 Important Supreme Court Judgments Of 2020
Good & Bad : 60 Important Supreme Court Judgments Of 2020: In the COVID-19 infected year of 2020, the Supreme Court went through unprecedented experiences,
Job on compassionate grounds is no bar for remarriage, says HC
Job on compassionate grounds is no bar for remarriage, says HC
Prayagraj: 22.12.2020
The Allahabad high court has recently held that a husband’s appointment on compassionate ground will not take away his fundamental right to remarry, reports Rajesh Kumar Pandey. Dismissing a writ petition filed by one Mohammad Haidar from Amroha, Justice Pankaj Mithal said, “The rules nowhere stipulate that any permission is required by a person employed on a compassionate basis for remarriage. It only provides that the person employed on a compassionate basis shall maintain other members of the family of the deceased government servant. It also provides that in case he neglects or refuses to maintain them, his services may be terminated. This does not mean that there is any rider on the right of the employee to remarry,” Justice Mithal said.
It has been observed in a January 21, 2020 order that the right to marry with a person of choice is an integral part of Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Merely because the petitioner has been appointed on compassionate basis, he cannot be forced to sacrifice his/her fundamental right of remarriage after the death of the earlier spouse. A person would not earn any disqualification on this score and warrant any disciplinary proceedings. In this case, the petitioner, Mohammad Haider, was appointed on the compassionate basis after the death of his wife. Thereafter, he wanted to marry the younger sister of his wife. Therefore, he sought permission from Basic Shiksha Adhikari where he is employed to get remarried. When he didn’t get any response, he moved the high court for relief.
Rejecting the petitioner’s plea, however, the court said that no permission was required for remarriage.
Full report on www.toi.in
UK-bound students act relaxed despite flight ban
UK-bound students act relaxed despite flight ban
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Ahmedabad:22.12.2020
Kushal Panchal, a resident of Ahmedabad has secured admission at a London-based university to pursue his MSc with International Finance. He has got his visa and is set to travel to London on January 3. Even though the Union government has temporarily imposed ban on Vande Bharat flight movements to the UK till December 31, Kushal is not so worried about his travel plans. “Since the ban is till December 31 and the vaccination drive has already begun in the UK, I don’t think there should be any hassle. Although I hope it doesn’t get extended. I am already in touch with Indian students who are over there and I have been told that the authorities support students and therefore I am not worried,” he said.
Travel ban to the UK has been imposed in the wake of the mutant strain of Covid-19 infections, which is reported there. Since the vaccination drive has already begun in the UK, some universities are set to begin with the academic session in the UK itself.
Payal Kava, another student who is going to Scotland for postgraduate studies, said, “I am scheduled to travel on January 11 and I hope the situation normalizes by then. My friend went to the UK a month ago for her studies and I am constantly taking updates from her.”
Foreign education experts claim that a number of universities have also shifted their courses online. “Several universities have shifted their courses online and since this has already been done once, students are less hassled as far as their travel is concerned. Universities act supportive towards foreign students. Moreover, many students tend to opt for online sessions in a bid to save costs,” said Hitesh Devaliya, director, Endeavour Careers.
Meanwhile, foreign education consultants have advised students to take stock of the situation before finalizing their travel plans. Consultant Bhavin Thaker, said, “Several students went in the September intake as well, and many are scheduled to go in January. It is best to take stock of the situation before proceeding. All updates are usually available on the website of the British high commission.”
Air India cancels A’bad-London flight
Air India cancels A’bad-London flight
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Ahmedabad:22.12.2020
State-owned carrier Air India, which is operating Vande Bharat flights to London, announced on Monday the cancellation of its flight, AI-1711, for December 22, operating from Ahmedabad to London. The flight is scheduled to depart from Ahmedabad at 3pm. The decision came in the wake of the ban on flights imposed by the aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on flights to/ from the UK till December 31.
Well-placed sources confirmed that even though the flight will be allowed to operate till 11.59pm on December 22, the aircraft will be unable to return the next day and therefore, it has been cancelled. Sources also said that an estimated 200 passengers had made bookings for the flight scheduled on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, an Air India flight from London is set to arrive at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) airport in Ahmedabad on Tuesday at 10.10am. According to sources, some 240 passengers are set to take the flight. However, in the wake of the recent decision, the actual number of passengers arriving may be less.
“In accordance with the DGCA guidelines, RT-PCR test of all the passengers will be done at the city airport and passengers will not be allowed to leave till the airport till their reports are out. Those found positive will be quarantined according to the guidelines of Union ministry of health and family welfare,” said a source. According to the DGCA circular, if a passenger is found positive, the cost of treatment will be borne by the passenger.
Flight AI-1711 was scheduled to leave Ahmedabad for London on December 22. All flights to and from UK are cancelled till Dec 31
Management quota at govt colleges?
MBBS SEATS
Management quota at govt colleges?
PIL Contends 677 Seats Were Wrongly Allotted To Rich Pupils
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Ahmedabad:23.12.2020
The Gujarat high court has been moved with a complaint about wrongful allocation of as many as 677 MBBS seats at government and aided medical colleges to rich students in ‘management quota’.
Last week, advocate K R Koshti made a representation to the government to stop the practice of allocating 677 MBBS seats in the management quota in violation of laws formulated for medical admissions. On Monday, he filed a PIL in this regard in the high court to end this practice and accommodate students on these “government” seats by charging reasonable fees.
He is also seeking re-allocation of these seats during the admission process being undertaken by the admissions committee.
Koshti submitted that there are 5,508 medical seats available in Gujarat in the state’s quota. Of these, there are only 700 seats at unaided colleges and 175 seats are available in the management quotas of the concerned trusts.
The advocate claimed that there are six government colleges, eight GMERS colleges, three municipal corporation-run colleges and eight aided colleges in the state.
All these 25 colleges are termed government colleges and all seats available in these colleges should be treated as government seats and there cannot be any allocation for management quota.
But the admission committee has allocated 677 seats to the management and NRI quotas. The law makes it very clear that management and NRI quotas are available at unaided colleges only.
Koshti claims that by allocating 677 seats to management quota, the rights of students from SC, ST, SEBC and EWS categories are violated. He maintains that aided and GMERS colleges have been wrongly classified as self-financed institutes, whereas they receive government funds.
He also pointed out that by a 2016 government resolution, benefits including financial assistance are provided to brownfield medical colleges at Palanpur, Dahod, Amreli and Bharuch. Hence, these colleges too should not be given the advantage of management quota.
40% of MBBS students in ’20 are passouts of previous years!
40% of MBBS students in ’20 are passouts of previous years!
1,800 Took Drop, Bettered Score To Get Into Colleges With Lower Fee
Bharat.Yagnik@timesgroup.com
Ahmedabad: 23.12.2020
It may come as a surprise but a good 40% of the 4,446 students who were granted admission in medical colleges in the current academic year had actually passed their class 12 board exams in 2019, some dating back to even 2016. The primary reason for these 1,800 students who took a drop and prepared hard to better their National Entrance Examination Test (NEET) score was to get into government quota and save lakhs in fee.
As per data shared by the Admission Committee for Professional Medical Educational Courses (ACPMEC), there are 5,507 under-graduate medical seats in Gujarat. Of these, admission to 4,446 seats was granted through a centralized process by the committee.
In the current academic year, 1,800 students of 4,446 students granted admission are actually old students who took drops to better their admission prospects. Highest 1,560 students had cleared their HSC in 2019 while 198 passed out in 2018, 29 in 2017 while 13 had cleared their class 12 way back in 2016.
Stop allocation of 677 seats in mgmt quota: PIL
The Gujarat high court has been moved with a complaint about `wrongful allocation' of as many as 677 MBBS seats at government and aided medical colleges to rich students in ‘management quota’. Last week, advocate K R Koshti made a representation to the government to stop the practice of allocating 677 MBBS seats in the management quota in violation of laws formulated for medical admissions. TNN P 3
300 got admission in govt colleges
This is one of the highest tally of old students getting admission in the state. Of the 1,800 students, more than 300 students have got admission in government medical colleges where the fee is nominal,” said an official of the ACPMEC.
In fact, a good 27 old students have cracked the NEET with top scores and landed admission in BJ Medical College which is the most sought after college in the state.
Neel Patel is one such student. He had scored 464 marks in NEET 2019 and was getting admission in Banas Medical College & Research Institute in Palanpur. He took a drop and worked hard to better his score. “Neel scored 651 marks this year and has got admission in BJ Medical College. By investing one year in coaching, Neel got into the best college and saved lakhs in fees,” said Neel's father Bhupendra Patel.
Ahmedabad-student Dhruvi Acharya had scored 398 marks out of 720 in NEET 2019 and was getting admission in Gujarat Adani Institute of Medical Sciences (GAIMS), Bhuj. She also took a drop for a year to better her performance and scored 598 marks in NEET 2020.
"Dhruvi was getting admission in government medical colleges in Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar but we chose Sola Civil as we wanted her to stay in Ahmedabad. The decision to take a drop proved a blessing as Dhruvi has saved us a good Rs 60 lakh in fee," said father Pankaj.
WHY BIGGER STORMS ARE BREWING IN THE BAY
WHY BIGGER STORMS ARE BREWING IN THE BAY
Warming Of Oceans Triggered By Climate Change Rapidly Intensifying Cyclones
U.Tejonmayam@timesgroup.com
23.12.2020
When very severe cyclonic storm Nivar made landfall last month, meteorologists and authorities heaved a sigh of relief, as the storm was not as intense as anticipated. But climate scientists observed that it left a recurrent pattern which could lead to something more sinister. The weather system moved two stages up from depression to deep depression and later into a cyclonic storm in about 24 hours. Scientists term this development rapid intensification, driven by climate change and ocean warming. This trend can be deadly as it gives very little time for authorities to prepare for the worst.
Roxy Mathew Koll, climate scientist, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, (IITM), said researchers have observed rapid intensification of cyclones in recent years, such as cyclones Amphan and Ockhi, which strengthened within 24 hours. And with global warming not slowing, there could be more cyclones rapidly intensifying in the future. A cyclone has rapidly intensified if wind speeds increase by 55kmph in 24 hours.
“These storms intensify faster than what we expect or the models forecast, so we have less time to be prepared for it. Ockhi didn’t give us the time to respond in terms of disaster management,” Koll said. “Ocean warming may not stop and all climate models show that Indian Ocean is going to warm at the same rate or more in the coming years. There are high chances of rapid intensification of cyclones in future,” he said.
As cyclones draw energy from warm waters, Koll said rapid warming of Indian Ocean in recent decades due to climate change is making the region conducive to cyclones and rapid intensification. Studies have shown that Indian Ocean has experienced rapid warming with an average rise of 1ºC in sea surface temperature during 1951-2015 when the global sea surface temperature warmed about 0.7 ºC.
Bay of Bengal is already in the warm pool region with sea surface temperatures around 28-29 ºC and at times touching 30 ºC. In May 2020, a few days before Amphan, data buoys in north Bay of Bengal measured record high surface temperatures between 32-34 ºC.
“A warm ocean is like a heat engine for these cyclones.
As soon as they make landfall, they lose their source of energy and with friction, they die. When we have warmer than usual waters, it keeps feeding that heat for the cyclones to intensify faster,” Koll said.
While the Bay of Bengal may have seen changes in the intensity of storms, Arabian Sea, cooler than the Bay, is brewing more number of cyclones because parts of the sea are getting warmer. Its western parts are getting as warm as Bay of Bengal.
Cyclones formed par- ticularly in November-end or December, have more chances of hitting Tamil Nadu coast due to the movement of equatorial trough or a belt of low pressure from near the Bengal coast to closer to the equator.
“The track of cyclones can be everywhere during the northeast monsoon. As the equatorial trough makes its southward journey, storms could move towards Tamil Nadu, AP, Odisha, Bengal, Bangladesh or Myanmar during October. But when the northeast monsoon advances, systems form in lower latitudes of the east coast which means they could move towards south AP or TN,” said Y E A Raj, former deputy director general, IMD.
Researchers said incorporating data on ocean sub-surface temperatures in the existing models and strengthening the existing ocean observation systems across the Indian Ocean region could help forecast rapid intensification.
M Rajeevan, secretary, ministry of earth sciences, said the present models occasionally pick up rapid intensification as they are run only with data on atmospheric conditions. Forecasting rapid intensification of cyclones requires incorporating data on ocean conditions into the models. “We now have a regional coupled model called Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting, which uses both atmospheric and ocean parameters, developed with the help of the US. It is operational in IMD. But doing a detailed analysis on rapid intensification and to check if the models are picking it up may take some time. IMD is already on the job,” he said.
HC: We must hang our heads in shame for treatment of SCs
HC: We must hang our heads in shame for treatment of SCs
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Madurai:23.12.2020
Taking suo motu cognizance of a news report according to which a dead body was taken to the graveyard through cultivable land at Marudur village near Melur in Madurai district, Madras high court sought a report from the state government on the availability of basic facilities at places where scheduled caste (SC) community people reside in the state.
In the report, members of adi dravidar colony in the village were seen carrying a body to the graveyard through agricultural land due to absence of pathway. A division bench of Justices N Kirubakaran and B Pugalendhi observed that we must hang our heads in shame for discriminating against people belonging to the SC community. They observed that even now such people were not getting basic amenities and being ill-treated by people of other communities.
The court observed that not only the living but the dead should be given dignity. Saying that every village should have a pathway to the graveyard, the judges sought response from the government on providing a pathway to the graveyard at Marudur village. Taking a larger view, the court sought a report from the state government on the following queries: Number of places where people belonging to the SC community are residing and the availability of basic facilities such as drinking water and road facilities. Number of places which do not have pathways to graveyard, steps taken to provide them and in what time these would materialise. The case was adjourned to December 23 for further hearing.
Madras high court sought a report from the state government on the availability of basic facilities at places where scheduled caste (SC) community people reside in the state
ECR abuzz once again as tourists throng hotspots
ECR abuzz once again as tourists throng hotspots
Footfalls At Muttukadu, Mudaliarkuppam & Mamallapuram Show Significant Appreciation
Yogesh.Kabirdoss@timesgroup.com
23.12.2020
Months after being shut for tourists due to the Covid-19 pandemic, East Coast Road (ECR), the city’s entertainment corridor, is bustling with activity. Tourist attractions dotting the scenic highway between Muttukadu, Mudaliarkuppam and Mamallapuram are witnessing a surge in footfalls, bringing back business and cheering all. While most of the visitors to the first two spots are from Chennai and its outskirts, the shore town is abuzz with travellers from Karnataka at weekends.
Footfalls at the boathouses maintained by the Tami Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) at Muttukadu and Mudaliarkuppam have already reached pre-Covid levels, while the turnout at the Pallava-era monuments at Mamallapuram, reopened a week ago, is 50% of last year’s figures. Hotels in and around Mamallapuram are reporting 80% occupancy during weekends even as theme parks are seeing a revival.
MGM Dizzee World in Muttukadu has been reporting footfalls that are 25% of the numbers in 2019. “There has been a rise in the number of visitors, though it is not on a par with pre-Covid times. During weekends (Saturday and Sunday) in 2019, we used to get 4,000 visitors. Now, we get 1,000 visitors,” said assistant general manager S Krishnamurthy. At the neighbouring Dakshina Chitra museum, there has been a surge in the number of domestic visitors, a museum official said.
Both officials and guides look forward to having international travellers, who form a chunk of visitors at the leisure facilities along ECR till Mamallapuram. The town with the fabled shore temple, which houses several other Unesco-tagged monuments as well, has seen the number of tourists rise since December 14. The guides are smiling. N Yuvaraj, a TTDC-licensed tour guide at Mamallapuram, said at least 20,000 people may have visited the town on Sunday. “We have been seeing Karnataka registered vehicles of late. The numbers spiralled only after the entry to monuments was allowed for the public,” he said.
But, many complain that accessing tickets for the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)- maintained monuments. R Stalin, a guide, said visitors were facing problems in purchasing offline tickets as cash and debit cards are not allowed. “This has inconvenienced visitors some of who are walking off in a huff,” he said.
When contacted, sources in the ASI denied the charges and said that cash transactions at the ticket counters at the various monuments had been made available since Saturday.
No new year bash at TN beaches, hotels
RESORTS, ROADS TOO OFF LIMITS
No new year bash at TN beaches, hotels
23.12.2020
The Tamil Nadu government has banned New Year-eve celebrations in restaurants, hotels, clubs and resorts, in view of the pandemic. Celebrations are also banned on roads and in beaches on New Year’s eve and on January 1.
“There is a need to intensify Covid preventive measures against the backdrop of a fresh wave of infections in foreign countries,” said an official statement. The government, however,allowed dining as usual in restaurants, hotels, clubs, resorts, including beach resorts, and other similar places.
The government said it has brought under control the infectious disease with the support of people and by its efforts. The state had 9,495 active cases on Monday, while 12 districts reported single-digit cases and Perambalur zero cases.
“As there is a chance of huge crowds for celebrations in restaurants, hotels, clubs, resorts, including beach resorts on new year eve... there is a possibility of a surge in infections, which have been brought under control,” the statement said. TNN
‘New virus strain unlikely to affect India’s vax strategy’
PREPARING FOR THE VACCINE
‘New virus strain unlikely to affect India’s vax strategy’
There Is No Reason To Worry As Of Now: Top Epidemiologist
Sushmi Dey & Durgesh Nandan Jha TNN
New Delhi:23.12.2020
The new variant of coronavirus circulating in the UK is unlikely to impact India’s vaccine strategy as the shots being developed are expected to be effective against the new strain and re-infections, in case they happen, would be milder, experts said.
They added that vaccine candidates under regulatory evaluation in India included shots with various other components apart from spike protein — which is related to this particular strain — and this would help the vaccines maintain their efficacy. Even as the new variant set off an alarm, epidemiologists in India maintained that mutations were common to viruses and people must continue wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing and hand hygiene.
“There is no reason to worry as of now. Every virus changes its genetic structure. This is an RNA virus and is likely to change often but this virus is a better virus compared to others like influenza or HIV. This virus has a very low rate of mutation,” said top epidemiologist Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, formerly head-scientist at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
According to the hypotheses presented by the UK consortium, unusual genetic divergence of lineage B.1.1.7 (one of the mutations) may have resulted, at least in part, from virus evolution with a chronically-infected individual. It has been seen that patients with cancer remain Covid positive for a long time.
“Although such infections are rare, and onward transmission from them presumably even rarer, they are not improbable given the ongoing large number of new infections,” the UK report said. The mutation may well be present in India and tests were needed to check for it, experts said.
According to Dr Suneela Garg, professor of excellence and president of Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine, the mutated virus is 1.7 times more infective.
“It can affect even those who have been exposed to Covid-19 already. But the symptoms are likely to be mild,” she said. Dr Garg added that the mutation may not affect the effectiveness of vaccines under development.
Dr N K Mehra, honorary emeritus scientist at ICMR and former AIIMS dean, said viruses mutated, just like the one causing common cold changed every year. Dr Mehra said changes observed in the Sars-CoV2 were probably caused by the virus’s attempt to escape the immune system and the exact impact of this mutation was yet to be ascertained.
FOLLOW HYGIENE: Epidemiologists in India maintained that mutations were common to viruses and people must continue wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing
More med graduates from abroad clear test
More med graduates from abroad clear test
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Chennai:22.12.2020
Medical graduates from foreign universities have performed well in the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), with 19.4% clearing the test conducted in December 2020. That’s 10% more than the previous test held in August.
Candidates said the better pass percentage was due to easy question paper and increased awareness among the candidates. Of 19,122 candidates who appeared for the exam, 3,722 of them passed. Results of 1,271 candidates have been cancelled for failing to submit required documents.
Students who earn medical degrees abroad need to clear the FMGE to practice in India. Following a single digit pass percentage (9.9%) in the last session, there was much expectation about the latest test.
Keerthana Balasundaram from Coimbatore, who completed her MD (MBBS) in Crimea Federal University in Russia, cleared FMGE in the first attempt scoring 192 out of 300. “The first paper was very easy and the second paper had many clinical questions. Of 30 students from the college who appeared for the screening test from Tamil Nadu, 20 cleared this session,” she said. A tough syllabus and coaching in the university helped her to clear the test, she added.
A Janani from Madukkur in Thanjavur district studied medicine at Xinjiang Medical University in China and cleared the test scoring 164. “The paper was easy compared to the previous session. There were more clinical questions last time,” she said. She is yet to receive her degree as a four-month internship is still pending. “I had to return to India in February due to Covid-19 pandemic. Whenever travel restrictions are eased, I will go back to China to complete the internship and get the degree.”
Increased awareness of the test standards have helped some prepare better.
S Sudesraj from Salem completed his MD in Kazan State Medical University in Russia and passed the exam with 169 marks. “The screening test covers only topics covered in the course. If students paid attention to their classes, it is easy to clear the test in the first try,” he said. Through the Covid-19 pandemic, he stayed in Russia to complete his degree.
R Sureshkumar, managing director of Truematics Overseas Education Consultancy, Chennai, said only students with poor academic performance who have joined foreign medical universities struggle to clear FMGE. He added that most students who cleared the exams were from the current batch. “There is an increased awareness about the screening test among students and they start preparing for it while in college. In the coming years, students who studied abroad too will clear FMGE easily as clearing NEET is now mandatory for them too,” he added.
Graduates who earned their medical degrees abroad have to clear Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) to practise in India
Cancellation of flights from UK leaves transit passengers stranded
Cancellation of flights from UK leaves transit passengers stranded
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Chennai: 22.12.2020
The sudden cancellation of flights to and from the UK, Saudi Arabia and Oman has left several people, including transit passengers, stranded abroad. The Indian government has suspended flights to London while Saudi and Oman have suspended all international flights.
All those who arrive from London will have to undergo RT-PCR test and will have to remain in institutional quarantine till test results arrive in Chennai. The state government has also decided to test all those who have arrived from the UK in the last15days.
So far, people arriving at Chennai with negative certificates were getting exempted from tests and quarantine.
Though transit passengers have time till Tuesday to return from London to Chennai and other cities, there is no clarity on what will happen if they do not get seats in the flights that reach here till tomorrow midnight.
Travel and tour operators have been flooded with calls from people who are already in the UK, London and the Middle East for a short visit or for business travel.
"Many people from Chennai who have flown to Dubai to take transit flights to Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia are now stuck in the UAE for quarantine. Since there were no direct flights from Chennai, many flew to Dubai, spent a week in quarantine and then continued their journey. These people will now have to stay there and then return to India if everything is clear or will have to spend money to travel again. Many have been spending money to stay in quarantine in Dubai," said Basheer Ahmed of Metro Travels.
He also said that the suspension of flights would impact people who were planning their trips from the US to India via London. "Dubai is still open and flights are arriving from the UK. But, it will not be of help for the stranded Indians because the government has said that those from the UK to India should not be boarded," he added.
Nishant Pitti from EaseMyTrip said that many people are stranded in London. "The cancellation will have an impact on travel. But it will not affect leisure travel because it was supposed to resume in summer only."
UNDER THE LENS: All those who arrive from London will have to undergo RT-PCR test and remain in institutional quarantine in Chennai till results arrive
Monday, December 21, 2020
நடிகை திறந்த நகை கடையில் நஷ்டம் ஒரே குடும்பத்தில் விஷம் குடித்த 5 பேர்
நடிகை திறந்த நகை கடையில் நஷ்டம் ஒரே குடும்பத்தில் விஷம் குடித்த 5 பேர்
Added : டிச 21, 2020 00:10
திருச்சி,: நகை வியாபாரத்தில், 15 கோடி ரூபாய் நஷ்டம் ஏற்பட்டதால், கடை உரிமையாளர், மனைவி, மகள், பெற்றோருடன் விஷம் குடித்து தற்கொலைக்கு முயன்றது, பரபரப்பை ஏற்படுத்தியது.திருப்பூர், தாராபுரம் பெரியகடை வீதியில், எஸ்.வி.ஆர்., என்ற பெயரில் பலராமன், 75, என்பவரும், அவரது மகன் ஹரி, 38, என்பவரும் நகை கடை நடத்தி வருகின்றனர்.
கடையை நடிகை ஓவியா திறந்து வைத்தார்.மிகவும் ஆடம்பரமாக திறக்கப்பட்ட நகைக்கடையில் எதிர்பார்த்த வருமானம் இல்லை. 15 கோடி ரூபாய் வரை நஷ்டம் ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது. மேலும், நகைச்சீட்டு கட்டியவர்களுக்கு, நகை கொடுக்க முடியாமல் திணறினர்.சீட்டு கட்டி ஏமாந்த மக்கள், கடந்த, 18ம் தேதி இரவு, கடையை முற்றுகையிட்டு, சாலை மறியலில் ஈடுபட்டனர்.
தாராபுரம் போலீசார் விசாரித்து வந்தனர்.அவமானம் அடைந்த ஹரி, பெற்றோர், மனைவி, மகள் ஆகியோருடன், திருச்சி, மண்ணச்சநல்லுார் அருகே துடையூர் என்ற இடத்தில், லாட்ஜில் அறை எடுத்து தங்கினார்.இவர்களது கார் டிரைவர் அய்யப்பன், தனி அறையில் தங்க, மற்ற அனைவரும் பெரிய அறையில் தங்கி உள்ளனர்.
நேற்று காலை, அவர்கள் தங்கியிருந்த அறைக்கதவு திறக்கவில்லை என்பதால், விடுதி ஊழியர்கள் துணையுடன், கார் டிரைவர் அய்யப்பன் கதவை திறந்து பார்த்தார்.உள்ளே, ஹரி, மனைவி திவ்யா, 34, மகள் அசோக் ராதா, 8, பலராமன், அவரது மனைவி புஷ்பா, 68, ஆகிய ஐந்து பேரும், விஷம் குடித்த நிலையில் மயங்கி கிடந்தனர். திருச்சி கே.எம்.சி., மருத்துவமனையில் அவர்களுக்கு சிகிச்சை அளிக்கப்படுகிறது.
Candidates Belonging To Reserved Categories Eligible For General Category Vacancies Based On Merit: Supreme Court
Candidates Belonging To Reserved Categories Eligible For General Category Vacancies Based On Merit: Supreme Court: The Supreme Court has observed that the candidates belonging to reserved category, are eligible to fill general/open category vacancies also.The bench comprising Justices Uday Umesh Lalit, S. Ravindra...
அரிசி கார்டுக்கு மாற மீண்டும் அவகாசம்?
அரிசி கார்டுக்கு மாற மீண்டும் அவகாசம்?
Added : டிச 21, 2020 05:03
சென்னை: சர்க்கரை கார்டுதாரர்கள், தங்களின் கார்டை அரிசி வகைக்கு மாற்றுவதற்கான அவகாசம், நேற்றுடன் முடிந்த நிலையில், அதை மேலும் நீட்டிக்கும்படி, தமிழக அரசுக்கு பலரும் கோரிக்கை விடுத்துள்ளனர்.
தமிழகத்தில், அரிசி ரேஷன் கார்டுதாரர்களுக்கு வழங்கப்படும் சலுகைகள், சர்க்கரை கார்டுதாரர்களுக்கு கிடைப்பதில்லை. இதனால், 5.80 லட்சம் சர்க்கரை கார்டுதாரர்கள், தங்களின் கார்டை, அரிசி வகைக்கு மாற்ற, தமிழக அரசு அனுமதி வழங்கியுள்ளது.அதற்கு, பொது வினியோக திட்ட இணையதளம் அல்லது சென்னையில் உணவு வழங்கல் துறையின் உதவி ஆணையர்கள்; மற்ற மாவட்டங்களில், வட்ட வழங்கல் அலுவலகங்களில் விண்ணப்பிக்க, இம்மாதம், 5ம் தேதி முதல் நேற்று வரை அவகாசம் வழங்கப்பட்டது.
பணிச்சுமை உள்ளிட்ட காரணங்களால், பல சர்க்கரை கார்டுதாரர்கள், அரிசி வகைக்கு மாறாமல் இருந்தனர். இதனால், மொத்த சர்க்கரை கார்டுதாரர்களில், பாதி பேர் கூட மாறவில்லை. இந்நிலையில், முதல்வர்இ.பி.எஸ்., அரிசி கார்டுதாரர்களுக்கு, பொங்கல் பரிசு தொகுப்புடன், 2,500 ரூபாய் ரொக்கம் வழங்கப்பட இருப்பதாக, நேற்று முன்தினம் மதியம் அறிவித்தார்.இதனால், பெரும்பாலான சர்க்கரை கார்டுதாரர்கள், அரிசி கார்டுக்குமாறும் பணியில் ஈடுபட்டுள்ளனர். கார்டு மாற்றுவதற்கான அவகாசம், நேற்றுடன் முடிந்தது. இந்த அவகாசத்தை நீட்டிக்குமாறு, அரிசி வகைக்கு மாறாத சர்க்கரை கார்டுதாரர்கள், அரசுக்கு கோரிக்கை விடுத்துள்ளனர்.
பொங்கல் பரிசு ரூ.2,500 வங்கி கணக்கில் செலுத்தப்படுமா?
பொங்கல் பரிசு ரூ.2,500 வங்கி கணக்கில் செலுத்தப்படுமா?
Added : டிச 21, 2020 04:48
சென்னை: கொரோனா தொற்று பரவலை தடுக்க, தமிழக அரசு, பொங்கல் பரிசு தொகுப்பில் வழங்கப்பட உள்ள, 2,500 ரூபாய் ரொக்கத்தை, ரேஷன் கார்டுதாரர்களின் வங்கி கணக்கில் செலுத்த வேண்டிய அவசியம் ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது.
தமிழக அரசு பொங்கலை முன்னிட்டு, ஆண்டு தோறும், அரிசி ரேஷன் கார்டுதாரர்களுக்கு, தலா, 1,000 ரூபாய் ரொக்கத்துடன், பொங்கல் பொருட்கள் அடங்கிய பரிசு தொகுப்பை வழங்கி வருகிறது. இந்தாண்டு பொங்கல் பரிசு தொகையாக, 2,500 ரூபாய் வழங்கப்படும் என, முதல்வர் இ.பி.எஸ்., அறிவித்துள்ளார்.அவரது அறிவிப்பில், 'பொங்கலை முன்னிட்டு, 2.06 கோடி கார்டுதாரர்களுக்கு, தலா, 2,500 ரூபாய்; தலா, 1 கிலோ பச்சரிசி, சர்க்கரை; தலா, 20 கிராம் முந்திரி, திராட்சை; 5 கிராம் ஏலக்காய், முழு கரும்பு வழங்கப்படும்.'ஜன., 4 முதல் இத்திட்டம் செயல்படுத்தப்படும். அதற்கு முன், எந்த தேதிக்கு கடைக்கு வர வேண்டும் என்ற விபரம்அடங்கிய டோக்கன், கார்டுதாரர்களின் வீடுகளில் வழங்கப்படும்' என, தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டு உள்ளது.
அனைவருக்கும் ரொக்கப்பணம் வழங்கப்பட உள்ளதால், பொங்கலுக்கு சொந்த ஊருக்கு செல்லும் அவசரத்துடன், 'முதலில் வாங்க வேண்டும்' என்ற எண்ணத்துடனும், பலரும்,கடைகள் முன் கூட்டம்சேருவர். இதனால், கொரோனா தொற்று பரவ வாய்ப்புள்ளது.தங்கள் முன்னிலையில் தான், பணத்தை வழங்க வேண்டும் என, ஆளுங்கட்சியினரும், கடைகள் முன் கூடுவர். அதற்கு எதிர்ப்பு தெரிவித்து, எதிர்க்கட்சியினரும் வர வாய்ப்புள்ளது. இதனால், சட்டம் - ஒழுங்கு பிரச்னை ஏற்படலாம்.இதை தவிர்க்க, 2,500 ரூபாய் ரொக்கத்தை, ரேஷன் கார்டுதாரர்களின் வங்கி கணக்கில் செலுத்த வேண்டிய அவசியம் ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது.
இது குறித்து, கூட்டுறவு மற்றும் உணவு துறை அதிகாரி ஒருவர் கூறியதாவது:ரேஷன் கடைகளில், ஒவ்வொரு கார்டுதாரருக்கும், பொங்கல் பொருட்களுடன், 2,500 ரூபாயை வழங்க, அதிக நேரமாகும். பலரும், பணம் வாங்கவே முன்னுரிமை தருவர். மத்திய அரசின், 'ஆதார்' எண் அடிப்படையில், ரேஷன் கார்டுகள் வழங்கப்பட்டுள்ளன.பிரதமரின், 'ஜன்தன் யோஜனா' திட்டத்தின் கீழ், அனைத்து மாவட்டங்களிலும், பெரும்பாலான ஏழை மக்கள், வங்கி கணக்குகளை துவக்கியுள்ளனர். வங்கி கணக்கும், 'ஆதார்' எண்ணுடன் இணைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.
எனவே, ரேஷன் கடைகள் வாயிலாக, கார்டுதாரர்களிடம் இருந்து, அவர்களின் ரேஷன் கார்டு மற்றும் வங்கி கணக்கு புத்தக நகலை பெறலாம். பொது வினியோக திட்ட இணையதளம் வாயிலாகவும், வங்கி கணக்கு விபரங்களை பெறும் வசதி உள்ளது. இந்த பணியை, ஐந்து நாட்களுக்குள் முடிக்கலாம். பின், கார்டுதாரரின் வங்கி கணக்கிற்கு, பொங்கல் பரிசு தொகையான, 2,500 ரூபாயை நேரடியாக வரவு வைக்கலாம். இந்த முறையால், கடைகளில் கூட்டம் சேருவது தடுக்கப்படும். பணம் வழங்குவதிலும் முறைகேடும் நடக்காது.இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.
ஜன., 1 முதல் இதெல்லாம் மாறுது
ஜன., 1 முதல் இதெல்லாம் மாறுது
Updated : டிச 21, 2020 00:00 | Added : டிச 20, 2020 22:35 |
புதுடில்லி:அனைத்து நான்கு சக்கர வாகனங்களுக்கும், 'பாஸ்டேக்' கட்டாயம் உட்பட, பல புதிய நடைமுறைகள், வரும், ஜன., 1 முதல் அமலுக்கு வர உள்ளது.வரும், ஜன., 1 முதல் அமலுக்கு வர உள்ள புதிய மாற்றங்கள்:
* மின்னணு முறையில், சுங்க கட்டணம் செலுத்துவதற்கான, 'பாஸ்டேக்' ஸ்டிக்கர் இருப்பது, அனைத்து நான்கு சக்கர வாகனங்களுக்கும் கட்டாயமாக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது
* இனி, 50 ஆயிரம் ரூபாய்க்கு மேற்பட்ட தொகைக்கான காசோலைக்கு, 'பாசிடிவ் பே' என்ற புதிய முறை கட்டாயமாகிறது. அதன்படி, அந்த காசோலையின் எண், யாருக்கு வழங்கப்பட்டுள்ளது உள்ளிட்ட விபரங்களை, வங்கிக்கு முன்னதாகவே தெரிவிக்க வேண்டும்
* கிரெடிட் மற்றும் டெபிட் கார்டுகளை, 'ஸ்வைப்பிங் மெஷினில்' செலுத்தாமலேயே, பரிவர்த்தனை செய்வதற்கான வரம்பு, 2,000 ரூபாயில் இருந்து, 5,000 ரூபாயாக உயர்த்தப்படுகிறது. இது சுய விருப்பத்தில் அவரவர் பதிவு செய்து கொள்ளலாம்
* ஜி.எஸ்.டி., எனப்படும் சரக்கு மற்றும் சேவை வரி கணக்குகளை தற்போது, மாதந்தோறும் தாக்கல் செய்ய வேண்டும். 5 கோடி ரூபாய் வரை விற்பனை செய்யும் நிறுவனங்கள், இனி, காலாண்டுக்கு ஒருமுறை கணக்கு தாக்கல் செய்தால் போதும். இதனால், 94 லட்சம் பேர் பயன் பெறுவர்
* வரும், ஜன., 15ம் தேதி முதல், தொலைபேசிகளில் இருந்து, மொபைல் போன்களை அழைக்கும்போது, அந்த எண்ணுக்கு முன், பூஜ்ஜியம் சேர்க்க வேண்டும்
* 'வாட்ஸ்ஆப்' சமூக வலை தளம், சில குறிப்பிட்ட மொபைல் போன்களில் செயல்படாது
* பெரும்பாலான கார் தயாரிப்பு நிறுவனங்கள்,ஜன., 1 முதல், கார்களின் விலையை உயர்த்தப் போவதாக அறிவித்துள்ளன. இடுபொருள் செலவு அதிகரித்துள்ளதால், இந்த விலையேற்றம் செய்யப்படுவதாக அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.
Teacher breaks ranks over 4-year UG prog
Teacher breaks ranks over 4-year UG prog
Bats For More Multidisciplinary Courses Instead
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: 21.12.2020
Discontentment has begun at Delhi University over the implementation of National Education Policy. A teacher at Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) resigned after the implementation committee stressed upon the four-year undergraduate programme.
However, other members of the panel said that the programme was a part of NEP, so the university didn’t have many options regarding it.
In a letter to the chairperson of the committee, the teacher, Rajiv Jha, said there should be efforts to provide greater multidisciplinary under NEP instead of batting for a four-year degree as the flagship programme. “Even the students who want to pursue an MA degree may prefer a multidisciplinary three-year BA with a two-year MA. We do not have to completely ape the American system; a modified and comprehensive three-year degree would probably serve the interests of the undergraduate students just as well,” he added.
Jha stressed for more participation by undergraduate teachers and that reforms should not be pushed through a small panel. The NEP implementation committee consists of 42 members. Earlier, too, when the four-year programme was implemented in DU in 2013, teachers had alleged hasty implementation without consultation. It was ultimately scrapped in 2014.
SP Agarwal, principal of Ramanujan College, a member of the committee, said, “The panel is only devising a way to implement the four-year programme that has been specified by NEP. The committee is looking at the course structure to ensure flexibility with multiple entry and exit options.”
“After the completion of the first year, students will get a certificate degree, diploma degree after two years, bachelors’ after three and an honours or major degree after four,” added Agarwal.
Another member of the committee had the concern if students would even stay for four years. “In NEP, there are both one-year and two-year masters courses. So, why would a student stay for four years to get an honours’ degree,” she said on the condition of anonymity. “With the kind of structure now being suggested, there will be an issue with the workload and academic rigor that will affect the current students due to changes in the core papers,” she added.
She also highlighted that with the changes in the structure, language courses like Sanskrit and Bengali may not find many takers.
Cold as ice: Mercury slips to season’s fresh low of 3.4°C
Cold as ice: Mercury slips to season’s fresh low of 3.4°C
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: 21.12.2020
With the cold wave continuing, the season’s lowest minimum temperature of 3.4 degrees Celsius, which was five notches below normal, was recorded on Sunday. India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials said the minimum temperature may rise on Monday and Tuesday.
The minimum temperature was the lowest at Lodhi Road at 3.3 degrees Celsius. Last year, the mercury plummeted to below 4° Celsius only in the last week of December. In 2019, the lowest minimum temperature was recorded on December 28 at 2.4° Celsius. The all-time record of lowest minimum temperature was recorded on December 27, 1930 at zero degree Celsius.
IMD officials said a cold wave is recorded when the minimum temperature is 4 degrees or more below normal. Sunday was the third cold wave recorded in the city. The base observatory at Safdarjung recorded a maximum temperature of 22.4 degrees Celsius, which was normal at this time of the year.
Kuldeep Srivastava, scientist at IMD and head, Regional Weather Forecasting Centre, said, “The minimum temperature dropped mainly due to clear sky and Delhi receiving cold winds from the mountains where snow has fallen. Absence of cloud cover is making the days warm, while the heat has been quickly dissipating at night, leading to fall in temperature.”
The forecast for Monday says the minimum temperature is likely to rise to six degrees Celsius, while maximum temperature may remain around 22 degrees Celsius. Partly cloudy sky along with shallow fog or mist is also predicted. “However, the minimum temperature is likely to start dipping from Wednesday and may hover around 4 degrees Celsius from December 23 to 26. Moderate to dense fog along with cold wave conditions are forecast for the same period,” said an official.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality deteriorated to the “very poor” category on Sunday. Air Quality Index (AQI) was 321 against 290 on Saturday.
System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research, the forecasting body under Union ministry of earth sciences, said, “The overall air quality is at the lower end of the very poor category. Surface-level winds are moderate and west-southwesterly. Cold day conditions are forecast to intensify in the region and surface winds are likely to slow down. The current better dispersion conditions are likely to decrease. Hence, AQI is forecast to deteriorate to the middle end of the very poor category on Monday and further deteriorate to the higher end of very poor on December 22 and 23.”
DELHI’S AIR QUALITY INDEX ON SUNDAY, RECORDED IN THE ‘VERY POOR’ RANGE
Middle name missing from bail order, man spends 8 mths in jail
Middle name missing from bail order, man spends 8 mths in jail
Rajesh Kumar Pandey TNN
Prayagraj:21.12.2020
The Allahabad HC has warned the superintendent of Siddharthnagar district jail to remain careful in future in the matter of release of applicants on orders passed by it. The jail superintendent had kept a man in illegal confinement for eight months after he was granted bail by the HC as his middle name, Kumar, was missing in the bail order.
As per an earlier direction passed by the court, Siddharthnagar district jail superintendent Rakesh Singh appeared before it and filed an affidavit stating the applicant had been released from the prison on December 8. Justice J J Munir said, “The explanation furnished for non-compliance of this court’s order, and, in consequence, delaying release of the applicant is reluctantly accepted.”
The applicant’s name in bail order was mentioned as ‘Vinod Baruaar’, whose bail application was earlier rejected by Siddharthanagar additional sessions judge on September 4, 2019. Hence, he filed a bail application before the high court. On April 9, the high court directed his release on bail. But he was not released as the jail authorities refused to comply with the release order passed in this case because the name mentioned in the order was ‘Vinod Baruaar’, whereas in the remand sheet his name was ‘Vinod Kumar Baruaar’.
The court came to know about his confinement when he moved an application for name correction. While hearing the application, the court took serious note of his confinement due to small technicality and directed the release of the applicant.
The court then summoned the jail superintendent of Siddharthnagar district jail observing, “It is on small technicality that the jail superintendent has flouted the bail order of high court .”
The jail authorities refused to comply with the HC order on bail because the name mentioned in it was ‘Vinod Baruaar’, whereas in the remand sheet his name was ‘Vinod Kumar Baruaar’
Congress demands fee waiver in med colleges
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Ahmedabad: 21.12.2020
The Congress on Sunday pressed for its demand for a fee waiver in medical courses and a hike in the stipend amount given to medical students in Gujarat attending Covid-19 duties.
In a letter to Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said that the colleges and institutions in the state have been shut down from March 21 due to Covid-19 pandemic and keeping in view the financial crisis undergone by the middle-class in this period, the government should announce a fee waiver for the ongoing academic year.
In the case of government-run medical colleges, the annual fees is Rs 25,000 while in the case of GMERS and self-financed colleges, it is Rs 3.5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh and Rs 8 lakh to Rs 28 lakh respectively.
There is uncertainty about when these medical colleges will start and in these circumstances, when medical education is completely discontinued for 10 months, institutions including medical colleges have not incurred administrative expenses, laboratory expenses, maintenance costs and electricity costs, and a fee cut should be announced, according to Doshi.
He said that according to a Gujarat high court order, the state government was to take a decision regarding fee waiver in colleges. However it has been pending for some time now.
Junior doctors to call off strike
Ahmedabad: The Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA) at Civil Hospital on Sunday released a video stating that the scheduled strike on Monday is cancelled. The strike was called to draw attention to various pending demands. In a video message, a group of doctors said that they had a meeting with Dr J P Modi, medical superintendent, and other senior officers on the issue. After assurance from the authorities, they decided to revoke the call unconditionally. The doctors’ demands included benefits of one-year bond and senior residentship, work in respective specialties and not to allot work as medical officers.. TNN
Profs vs patriarchy: Academia has a sexism problem
Profs vs patriarchy: Academia has a sexism problem
Last week, Dr Biden’s title became a flashpoint but bias goes beyond honorifics Many doctorates say they have to deal with condescension and gender stereotypes
Ketaki.Desai@timesgroup.com
21.12.2020
You’d think there are some positives to studying in a women’s college –– a sense of liberation perhaps, and of existing outside the confines of the male gaze ––but often there is no running away from gender stereotypes. That was what Dr Naina Bose*, an assistant professor at an Indian university, discovered when she went to do her masters. “We had a class on conflict resolution and the professor was asking us to visualise a harmonious setting, like where the man is sitting on a couch and the woman is happily cooking in the kitchen. In those moments, you feel reduced to your gender identity,” she says. Now, a professor in the social sciences herself, she is bothered by how female professors get treated –– being introduced as someone’s “young colleague” in a professional setting, being expected to organise food for every conference or dealing with male students who feel your expertise is not a given, but something you need to prove via verbal sparring.
Sexism in academia isn’t restricted to India or humble college professors. Last week, an op-ed published by the Wall Street Journal chastised the soonto-be First Lady Dr Jill Biden for using the title “Dr.” since her doctoral degree in education was deemed inadequate by the author Joseph Epstein who, in a tone dripping in condescension, referred to Dr Biden as “kiddo”. The social media reaction was fast and forceful –– many women with doctorates began to affix their titles on their social media accounts and spoke up about their brushes with bias.
Dr Vidita Vaidya, neuroscientist and Professor at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, says people tend to think of academia as evolved. “It’s as though you expect that anyone who spends time in the higher pursuits of learning should evolve to incorporate value systems associated with equity but that’s not a given. You will find some of the most egalitarian people here and others who are incredibly patriarchal.”
While misogyny exists in various fields, there are certain systemic issues in STEM that make it more of an uphill climb for women. Hansika, a biology student who dropped out of her PhD last year, says, “The major issue with science academia is that your data belongs to the institute,” she says. “If you encounter a problem and report it against a post-doc or principal investigator (PI), you’re losing access to years of data. Five-six years of work can disappear overnight.”
While a few years ago, the crowdsourced list of sexual harassers in academia led to some conversation in academic spaces, not much has changed. Kamala* has been applying for PhDs in Delhi after completing two masters degrees. “The ideology is simple ––what can you give us? Once I had gone to a department for an interview and the professor told me to ‘stay available’ and to come visit him to spend time. They touch female student’s shoulders and, at first, I thought it was innocent, but it’s not,” she says. A friend of hers had a similar experience where a professor asked her to come to his guesthouse to discuss admissions but when she went to see him at the college, he denied ever calling her.
For some, their careers are derailed before they can even begin because of marriage pressures and academia’s reputation. Jyoti Gupta, 23, who recently completed her MCom from Delhi University, just got the first rank in the UGC NET JRF exam. “I want to do an MPhil or PhD but my parents are not allowing me to. They have heard that there are many sexual harassment cases against professors by girls at the PhD level. They want me to go for civil services but I’m not interested in that,” she says. “They also feel a PhD will take too long so when will I get married and settle down.”
Even decisions about the research topic can be rooted in gender, says Dr Bose. “In the distribution of research agendas, women are meant to be concerned only with feminist theory ––which I am –– but no man feels the need to work on masculinity. They focus on things like war and government.”
And when it comes to titles, Dr Bose has noticed how very often she’s called Dr Naina, instead of her last name being used. Aashima Dogra, science writer and co-founder of feminist science media collective The Life of Science, points out that if you google “doctor shrimati” today, many results come up. “A lot of websites of institutions use “shrimati” or “kumari” or in English, they use “Dr (Mrs.)”. This sends out the signal that it matters if female scientists are married or not.”
Dogra brings up a 1990 letter written by Dr Veronica Rogrigues of TIFR that illustrates how much more work needs to be done. It reads: “I feel that appending (Kum) or (Ms) to the names of women scientists in official correspondences is not only unnecessary, but also unacceptable. This practice should be stopped unless you consider qualifying men scientists with (Shri) or (Kumar).”
*Name changed on request
In the distribution of research agendas, women are meant to be concerned only with feminist theory but no man feels the need to work on masculinity. They focus on things like war and government
Why companies are looking beyond premier institutes while hiring
Why companies are looking beyond premier institutes while hiring
c-Puniti.Pandey@timesgroup.com
21.12.2020
The pandemic and the consequent economic disruption did not completely dampen the placement season in most institutes. However, companies that have been on a hiring spree mostly headed towards the top institutes with offer letters. E-commerce company Flipkart noticed an increase of 30% in the overall campus hiring as compared to last year. The candidates were, though, appointed from reputed colleges only.
“We are always on the lookout for the best talent. We generally engage with numerous reputed colleges to create a strong talent pool. Besides IITs, we connected with several reputed business and engineering schools across the country, to onboard fresh talent,” a spokesperson from Flipkart tells Education Times. “ At Max Life Insurance, we hire executives only from reputed B-schools. The company does not reach out to the tier 2 and tier 3 colleges as we are more focused on the talent from cities that are easily accessible,” says Shailesh Singh, director and chief people officer, Max Life Insurance.
Expertise over institute
While top companies have always been driven to hire candidates from premier institutes, a gradual rise in the demand for freshers from tier 2 and tier 3 colleges is seen in the recent times.
Talent500 which assists corporates in hiring engineering graduates highlights the changing trend. Several companies focus on hiring talent irrespective of the colleges branding. These companies are expanding their horizons and head to colleges in tier 2 and 3 cities or to those which may not be placed in global rankings.
Full report on educationtimes.com
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கொலுசு அணிந்த சரஸ்வதி * நாகப்பட்டினம் மாவட்டம் கடலங்குடியில் உள்ள சிவன் கோவிலில் வளையல், கொலுசு அணிந்தபடி சரஸ்வதிதேவி காட்சியளிக்கிறாள். ச...
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