You can earn dual degree from Indian, foreign edu institutions

You can earn dual degree from Indian, foreign edu institutions

UGC’s Draft Regulations Also Provide For Joint Degrees

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:21.02.2021 

Now Indian students will be able to earn a dual degree conferred by Indian and foreign higher education institutions, separately and simultaneously. Students will also get the benefit of credit transfer and joint degrees offered under academic collaborations between Indian and foreign higher education institutions.

The University Grants Commission has finalised the draft regulations for these programmes, which will be notified soon.

According to the draft UGC (Academic Collaboration between Indian and Foreign Higher Education Institutions to offer Joint Degree, Dual Degree and Twinning Programmes) Regulations, 2021, “any degree or diploma awarded based on these collaborations “shall be equivalent to any corresponding degree or diploma awarded by the Indian higher education institution; there shall be no further requirement of seeking equivalence from any authority”.

As per the regulations, higher education institutions of India can collaborate with foreign counterparts for credit recognition and transfer and twinning arrangement for offer of degrees. However, the regulations will not be applicable to programmes offered in online and open and distance-learning mode.

As per the newly framed regulations, any Indian institution accredited by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with a minimum score of 3.01 or in the top 100 in University category of National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) or an Institution of Eminence can collaborate with any foreign institution in top 500 of Times Higher Education or QS World University ranking automatically.

Other Indian institutions and any foreign institution accredited by an assessment and accreditation agency in their homeland will have to seek approval of UGC.

The partnerships would be allowed for four types of academic collaborations, which include credit recognition and transfer, joint degree programme, dual degree programme and twinning arrangement.

Under the twinning arrangement, while a student enrolled in an Indian institution may undertake their programme of study partly in the foreign higher education institution, the degree or diploma offered shall be awarded by the Indian higher education institution only.

The joint degree will be a single certificate bearing the crests and logo of both collaborating institutions. The regulations stated that no franchise arrangement will be allowed under these collaborations.

“A franchise arrangement, whether overtly or covertly, by whatever nomenclature used, between a foreign higher education institution and an Indian higher education institution shall not be allowed under these Regulations,” says the draft.

DOUBLE BENEFIT: As per the UGC’s draft regulations, higher education institutions of India can collaborate with foreign counterparts for credit recognition and transfer and twinning arrangement for offer of degrees

PG medical student of MMC died of COVID-19: DME panel

PG medical student of MMC died of COVID-19: DME panel

He was found dead in his hotel room on October 26 while under quarantine

21/02/2021

N. Lokesh Kumar

Serena Josephine M.CHENNAI

The Directorate of Medical Education (DME), which formed a special committee to look into the cause of the death of 24-year-old N. Lokesh Kumar, a postgraduate medical student of Madras Medical College/Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), has concluded that his death was due to COVID-19.

The Directorate has initiated the process of granting financial assistance to the doctor’s family.

Dr. Kumar, a first-year PG student of RGGGH, was found dead in a hotel room where he was under quarantine following COVID-19 duty on October 26, 2020. The Hinduhad reported on February 17 that his family, which had received no information on what caused his death for more than three months, had accessed autopsy reports that indicated the cause of death as “complications of pneumonia”.

They obtained the post-mortem, histopathological and viscera analysis reports.

Consolidated report

E. Theranirajan, dean of RGGGH, had sought the opinion of the Directors of Pathology, Forensic Medicine and Radiology on the autopsy reports, and submitted a final consolidated opinion to the DME.

R. Narayana Babu, Director of Medical Education, said he received the report from the dean following which a special committee comprising the head of the departments of radiology, pathology and forensic medicine of the hospital was formed on February 18.

“We included experts in the committee. Head of the Department of Forensic Medicine of Government Kilpauk Medical College and the head of the Department of Medicine, RGGGH were part of the committee. We held a discussion on the same day,” he said.

“As per the autopsy reports, there were no external and internal injuries. He had bilateral pneumonia with right lower lobe consolidation. The clinical features are suggestive of COVID-19. So, we have concluded that his death may be associated with COVID-19. We have sent a letter to the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services, which is the claim authority, for grant of financial assistance for COVID-19 warriors. The report has been submitted to the Health Secretary,” he said.

Erode medical college fee reduced

Erode medical college fee reduced

21/02/2021

Special CorrespondentCHENNAI

The Health Department has issued a government order to reduce the fee structure for the medical and nursing courses at the Government Erode Medical College and Hospital, Perundurai, and the School of Nursing attached to it, bringing it on a par with other government medical colleges. Under the revised structure, MBBS students will pay ₹13,610 a year.

The order came after students demanded that the fee structure of the college — formerly IRT-Perundurai Medical College and Hospital run by the Institute of Road Transport and later handed over to the Health and Family Welfare Department — be brought on a par with other government medical colleges. Earlier, MBBS students had to pay ₹3.85 lakh a year. Thirty medical seats were allotted to children of transport employees.

The Health Department had earlier reduced the fee structure of Rajah Muthiah Medical College and Hospital, now Government Medical College Hospital, Cuddalore.

Biology study must for MBBS admission’

Biology study must for MBBS admission’

Court says subject should have been taken in Plus 2

21/02/2021

Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court has held in a judgment that prior knowledge of senior secondary level biology or biological sciences along with practical knowledge of the English language is at “the heart of eligibility” for MBBS admission.

A Bench of Justices L. Nageswara Rao and S. Ravindra Bhat declared the eligibility criterion based on an appeal filed by the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences challenging a decision of the Telangana High Court. The High Court had allowed a student’s contention that the institution illegally denied her admission to the MBBS course for the 2020-21 academic year on the ground that she did not produce records of her study in the required subjects.

Setting aside the High Court order, the apex court upheld that “MBBS primarily if not predominantly, involves prior knowledge — both theoretical and practical, of senior secondary level in biology or biological sciences”.

Justice Bhat, who wrote the recent judgment, referred to Regulation 4 of the Medical Council of India Regulations on Graduate Medical Education of 1997, which stipulates that the eligibility criteria for admission to MBBS course stipulated that a candidate should have “undergone study at the 10+2 stage, [or in the Intermediate course] in the subjects of physics, chemistry and biology/Bio-technology”

“The substance of the eligibility requirement indeed is that the candidate should have qualified an Intermediate level examination or first year of a graduate course, and studied the subjects of physics, chemistry and biology at this level, along with practical testing in these subject areas, and the English language. This subject matter requirement is at the heart of eligibility to be admitted into the medical course,” the court said.

CIC Raps UGC For Not Disclosing Course Details Sought As Genuine Academic Queries

CIC Raps UGC For Not Disclosing Course Details Sought As Genuine Academic Queries 

Arunima Bhattacharya

13 Oct 2016 12:31 PM

The CIC held that the UGC being an academic regulatory has statutory duty to inform/educate the people about the courses/degrees and their validity. It was agreed by the CIC that any conclusion without reading the enactments of the RTI and UGC together would lead to undue denial that amounts to abdication of UGC’s duty to inform, which was prescribed by two statutes that being its basic function.

The Central Information Commission (CIC) in Ram Kishan Sharma v. PIO, UGC, has directed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to make available information sought by a petitioner regarding a course offered by IGNOU, as it refused to do so under the garb of section 2 (f) of the RTI Act, 2005.

Central Information Commissioner Prof M Sridhar Acharyulu (Madabhushi Sridhar) said he was surprised by how public authority UGC refused to clarify the doubt of the petitioner by taking shelter under technical interpretation of right, according to section 2(f) of RTI Act and iterated that the RTI Act must be read with the UGC Act.

Ram Kishan Sharma had sought for the following directions:

(a) details and list of appropriate education programmes of comparable quality specified or approved by the UGC for the purpose of career advancement scheme etc, and

(b) whether training programme for ‘script development for preparing audio video tapes’ conducted by IGNOU, New Delhi, is specified or approved by the UGC as appropriate continuing education programme of comparable quality as mentioned in career advancement scheme of the UGC.

Under Secretary and PIO Mr. Satish Kumar stated that the information couldn’t be provided and shielded this response under section 2(f) RTI Act. After not getting relief from either the PIO of First Appellate Authority, Ram Kishan Sharma approached the Commission.

The CIC observed that the clarification sought could be done by UGC or IGNOU, but they did not write to each other on this question. Section 12 of UGC Act read with RTI Act 2005 clarifies that the UGC has a duty to collect and provide information to the citizens seeking it.

The CIC reminded that the UGC emblem contains a motto sentence in Sanskrit, “jnaan vijnaan vimukthaye (Knowledge liberates)’, thus imposing a duty to provide at least information, if not the ‘knowledge’. It observed that ‘information’ in the form of ‘clarification’ also liberates those asking for information under RTI Act from certain doubts. The CIC held that the UGC being an academic regulatory has statutory duty to inform/educate the people about the courses/degrees and their validity. It was agreed by the CIC that any conclusion without reading the enactments of the RTI Act and UGC Act together would lead to undue denial that amounts to abdication of the UGC’s duty to inform, which was prescribed by two statutes that being its basic function. Such lapses were considered as a policy-deficit in public authority exposed by such RTI applications.

The RTI Act mandates the UGC under section 4(1)(c)&(d) to voluntarily disclose such aspects of their educational policy to the people affected, including interested parties such as Ram Kishan Sharma in this case. Further reflecting on the duties of the UGC and its efficiency in handling these, the Commission said:

“…the UGC has to understand the doubts of such students or parents and recognize the need for clarification arising out of such RTI applications and prepare the FAQs accordingly. The increase in the number of RTI applications seeking such clarifications reflects on the public authority leading to an inference that the UGC is not properly communicating to the people about the validity of courses and degrees.”

The Commissioner also warned that refusal to provide the clarifications would compel the Commission to initiate penal proceedings and also direct the public authority to pay compensation because appellant’s RTI request was a necessity arising out of non-performance of its duty under section 4(1)(c) & (d) of the RTI Act.

It was noted that public authorities generally plead that section 4 is not directly enforceable by the Commission. However, the Commission emphasised upon the fact that information sought in this appeal was supposed to be voluntarily disclosed under Section 4 of RTI Act. The CIC iterated that a citizen’s RTI request necessitates enforcement of right by the Commission. Thus, the UGC or any public authority could not have refused to give clarifications, if it is part of their duty. Under such circumstances, the Commission held that the Section 4(1)(b),(C) and (d) will become enforceable and it has every authority to initiate penal proceedings under Section 20, as the information was disclosable under these three sub clauses of Section 4 in this RTI application.

The CIC said that dutifully, the policy of the UGC must include providing clarifications for such genuine academic doubts. The CIC pointed out that although technically section 2(f) is held true, sheltering such doubts of petitioners under this section will leave the student community in confusion regarding validity of a course. The Commission said not informing the validity of a course amounts to abdication of their duty to inform, as that duty was prescribed by the statute and that is their basic function.

The Commission issued the following direction after hearing the case:

The Commission directs the respondent authority not to refuse to give clarifications. The information sought not is not prohibited by any exemption and refusal to respond to these would attract penal proceedings under section 20.

PIO Mr. Satish Kumar was issued a show-cause as to why penalty should not be imposed against him for refusing to inform and abdication of responsibility both under the UGC Act and the RTI Act

Directed the UGC to explain why it should not be ordered to pay compensation/costs to Ram Kishan Sharma, within 21 days from date of receipt of this order.

The PIO was directed to file a compliance report complying with the directions in this order within 30 days from date of receipt of this order.

Thus, with these directions, the second appeal was disposed of accordingly.

University Bound To Provide Answer Sheets Under RTI: Madras HC Akshita Saxena

University Bound To Provide Answer Sheets Under RTI: Madras HC

Akshita Saxena

18 Oct 2019 2:34 PM

The Madras High Court on Monday held that evaluated answer sheets are `information' under the Right to Information Act, 2005 and Universities are bound to provide them to the Respondent-students.

In this regard, the court said,

"why should any public authority shy for providing public informations to the information seekers. Undoubtedly, confidential files are protected under the provisions of the Act itself and therefore, the officials should not shy about providing all informations to the public domain, enabling the citizen to understand the manner in which the Public Institutions are administered."

The order was passed by Justice S. M. Subramaniam while disposing of a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University (Petitioner), through Advocate V. M. G. Ramakkannan, assailing the order of the Tamil Nadu State Information Commission, whereby the Petitioner was directed to supply the copies of answer-sheets sought by the Respondent-students, under the RTI Act.

The Petitioner-University contended that it had not rejected the students' claim but had only insisted them to follow the procedures prescribed under the Rules and Regulations of the University, as per which, certain charges had been prescribed.

Rejecting this claim, Justice Subramniam said that the Apex Court had in unequivocal terms held that evaluated answer sheets are "information" under the RTI Act. (CBSE & Anr. v. Aditya Bandopadhyay & Ors., (2011) 8 SCC 497)

In this view he held,

"When the evaluated answer books are construed as an information, the same cannot be denied and therefore, the second respondent is entitled to get the evaluated answer scripts as per the application submitted by him under the provisions of the Right to Information Act, 2005."

Reinforcing the overriding nature of the Act, the court said,

"the Regulations formulated by the University cannot override the provisions of the Right to Information Act, 2005. If any such Guidelines, Rules or Regulations running counter to the provisions of the Right to Information Act, 2005, the spirit of the Right to Information Act alone would prevail and all these Regulations and the procedures adopted by the writ petitioner-Law University are to be kept aside."

However, the court clarified that an applicant was at liberty to follow the procedures contemplated under the University Regulations and could file an application as per its guidelines.

With these observations, the court directed the Petitioner-University to provide the information sought by the Respondent-students and further directed it to dispose all such similar applications, as expeditiously as possible.

Emphasizing on the significance of the RTI Act, the court lastly remarked,

"…accountability in the public administration is of paramount importance, as 'We, the People of our Great Nation' are sandwiched between corrupt and non-corrupt. Identification of corrupt and non-corrupt may be difficult in the event of non-transparency in public administration."

RTI Application Not To Be Rejected Merely For Not Annexing Proof Of Citizenship: CIC

RTI Application Not To Be Rejected Merely For Not Annexing Proof Of Citizenship: CIC: The Central Information Commission has observed that an RTI application cannot be rejected merely for not annexing proof of identity of the applicant.The authority can demand such proof only in rarest...

Banks Duty-Bound To Exercise Due Diligence In Maintaining And Operating Their Locker Facility: Supreme Court Issues Guidelines

Banks Duty-Bound To Exercise Due Diligence In Maintaining And Operating Their Locker Facility: Supreme Court Issues Guidelines

LIVELAW NEWS NETWORK

19 Feb 2021 5:16 PM

The Supreme Court observed that the banks owe a duty of care to exercise due diligence in maintaining and operating their locker or safety deposit systems and that they cannot contract out of the minimum standard of care in this regard.

The banks cannot wash off their hands and claim that they bear no liability towards their customers for the operation of the locker. the bench comprising Justices Mohan M. Shanthanagoudar and Vineet Saran said while directing the Reserve Bank of India to lay down Rules and Regulations mandating the steps to be taken by banks with respect to locker facility/safe deposit facility management.

Until such regulations are framed and issued by the RBI, the bench observed that the following guidelines have to be followed by the bank

Irrespective of the value of the articles placed inside the locker, the bank is under a separate obligation to ensure that proper procedures are followed while allotting and operating the lockers:

(a) This includes maintenance of a locker register and locker key register.

(b) The locker register shall be consistently updated in case of any change in allotment.

(c) The bank shall notify the original locker holder prior to any changes in the allotment of the locker, and give them reasonable opportunity to withdraw the articles deposited by them if they so wish.

(d) Banks may consider utilizing appropriate technologies, such as block chain technology which is meant for creating digital ledger for this purpose.

(e) The custodian of the bank shall additionally maintain a record of access to the lockers, containing details of all the parties who have accessed the lockers and the date and time on which they were opened and closed. 

(f) The bank employees are also obligated to check whether the lockers are properly closed on a regular basis. If the same is not done, the locker must be immediately closed and the locker holder shall be promptly intimated so that they may verify any resulting discrepancy in the contents of the locker.

(g) The concerned staff shall also check that the keys to the locker are in proper condition.

(h) In case the lockers are being operated through an electronic system, the bank shall take reasonable steps to ensure that the system is protected against hacking or any breach of security.

(i) The customers' personal data, including their biometric data, cannot be shared with third parties without their consent. The relevant rules under the Information Technology Act, 2000 will be applicable in this regard.

(j) The bank has the power to break open the locker only in accordance with the relevant laws and RBI regulations, if any. Breaking open of the locker in a manner other than that prescribed under law is an illegal act which amounts to gross deficiency of service on the part of the bank as a service provider.

(k) Due notice in writing shall be given to the locker holder at a reasonable time prior to the breaking open of the locker. Moreover, the locker shall be broken open only in the presence of authorized officials and an independent witness after giving due notice to the locker holder. The bank must prepare a detailed inventory of any articles found inside the locker, after the locker is opened, and make a separate entry in the locker register, before returning them to the locker holder. The locker holder's signature should be obtained upon the receipt of such inventory so as to avoid any dispute in the future.

(l) The bank must undertake proper verification procedures to ensure that no unauthorized party gains access to the locker. In case the locker remains inoperative for a long period of time, and the locker holder cannot be located, the banks shall transfer the contents of the locker to their nominees/legal heirs or dispose of the articles in a transparent manner, in accordance with the directions issued by the RBI in this regard.

(m) The banks shall also take necessary steps to ensure that the space in which the locker facility is located is adequately guarded at all times.

(n) A copy of the locker hiring agreement, containing the relevant terms and conditions, shall be given to the customer at the time of allotment of the locker so that they are intimated of their rights and responsibilities.

(o) The bank cannot contract out of the minimum standard of care with respect to maintaining the safety of the lockers as outlined supra.

The bench issued these directives while disposing an appeal against a judgment of National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. In this case, the complainant filed a consumer complaint before the District Consumer Forum seeking a direction to United Bank of India to return the seven ornaments that were in the locker; or alternatively pay Rs. 3,00,000/­ towards the cost of jewelry, and compensation for damages. The Forum directed the bank to return the entire contents of the locker, or alternatively pay the complainant Rs. 3,00,000/­ towards cost of the jewelry and, Rs. 50,000/­ as compensation for mental agony, harassment, and cost of litigation. In appeal, the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, though accepted the District Commission's findings on the question of deficiency of service, reduced the compensation from Rs. 50,000/­ to Rs. 30,000/­ and further observed that the dispute on the contents of the locker can only be decided upon provision of elaborate evidence. NCDRC upheld this order of the State Commission.

The appeal before the Apex Court filed by the appellant raised these issues: First, Whether the Bank owes a duty of care to the locker holder under the laws of bailment or any other law with respect to the contents of the locker? Whether the same can be effectively adjudicated in the course of consumer dispute proceedings? Second, irrespective of the answer to the previous issue, whether the Bank owes an independent duty of care to its customers with respect to diligent management and operation of the locker, separate from its contents? Whether compensation can be awarded for non­compliance with such duty?

The bench did not answer the first issue conclusively. It upheld the NCDRC finding that the complainant must file a separate suit before the competent civil court for seeking this relief and for proving that the missing items were actually in the custody of the bank. The court said that all questions of fact and law are left open before the civil court to decide on the merits of the case, including as to whether the law of bailment is applicable, or any other law as the case may be.

On the second issue, the bench observed that Banks as service providers under the earlier Consumer Protection Act, 1986, as well as the newly enacted Consumer Protection Act, 2019, owe a separate duty of care to exercise due diligence in maintaining and operating their locker or safety deposit systems

"It appears to us that the present state of regulations on the subject of locker management is inadequate and muddled. Each bank is following its own set of procedures and there is no uniformity in the rules. Further, going by their stand before the consumer fora, it seems that the banks are under the mistaken impression that not having knowledge of the contents of the locker exempts them from liability for failing to secure the lockers in themselves as well. In as much as we are the highest Court of the country, we cannot allow the litigation between the bank and locker holders to continue in this vein. This will lead to a state of anarchy wherein the banks will routinely commit lapses in proper management of the lockers, leaving it to the hapless customers to bear the costs. Hence, we find it imperative that this Court lays down certain principles which will ensure that the banks follow due diligence in operating their locker facilities, until the issuance of comprehensive guidelines in this regard.", the court said.

While disposing the appeal, the bench also observed that the banks cannot wash off their hands and claim that they bear no liability towards their customers for the operation of the locker. It observed:

Before concluding, we would like to make a few observations on the importance of the subject matter of the present appeal. With the advent of globalization, banking institutions have acquired a very significant role in the life of the common man. Both domestic and international economic transactions within the country have increased multiple folds. Given that we are steadily moving towards a cashless economy, people are hesitant to keep their liquid assets at home as was the case earlier. Thus, as is evident from the rising demand for such services, lockers have become an essential service provided by every banking institution. Such services may be availed of by citizens as well as by foreign nationals. Moreover, due to rapid gains in technology, we are now transitioning from dual key operated lockers to electronically operated lockers. In the latter system, though the customer may have partial access to the locker through passwords or ATM pin, etc., they are unlikely to possess the technological know­how to control the operation of such lockers. On the other hand, there is the possibility that miscreants may manipulate the technologies used in these systems to gain access to the lockers without the customers' knowledge or consent. Thus the customer is completely at the mercy of the bank, which is the more resourceful party, for the protection of their assets. In such a situation, the banks cannot wash off their hands and claim that they bear no liability towards their customers for the operation of the locker. The very purpose for which the customer avails of the locker hiring facility is so that they may rest assured that their assets are being properly taken care of. Such actions of the banks would not only violate the relevant provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, but also damage investor confidence and harm our reputation as an emerging economy.

The court also directed RBI to lay down comprehensive directions mandating the steps to be taken by banks with respect to locker facility/safe deposit facility management.

Thus it is necessary that the RBI lays down comprehensive directions mandating the steps to be taken by banks with respect to locker facility/safe deposit facility management. The banks should not have the liberty to impose unilateral and unfair terms on the consumers. In view of the same, we direct the RBI to issue suitable rules or regulations as aforesaid within six months from the date of this judgment. Until such Rules are issued, the principles stated in this judgment, in general and at para in particular, shall remain binding upon the banks which are providing locker or safe deposit facilities. It is also left open to the RBI to issue suitable rules with respect to the responsibility owed by banks for any loss or damage to the contents of the lockers, so that the controversy on this issue is clarified as well.

CASE: Amitabha Dasgupta vs. United Bank of India [CIVIL APPEAL NO. 3966 OF 2010]

CORAM: Justices Mohan M. Shanthanagoudar and Vineet Saran

CITATION: LL 2021 SC 101

Banks Duty-Bound To Exercise Due Diligence In Maintaining And Operating Their Locker Facility: Supreme Court Issues Guidelines

Banks Duty-Bound To Exercise Due Diligence In Maintaining And Operating Their Locker Facility: Supreme Court Issues Guidelines: The Supreme Court observed that the banks owe a duty of care to exercise due diligence in maintaining and operating their locker or safety deposit systems and that they cannot contract out of the...

ரத்தான இரு எம்.டெக்., படிப்புகள் தொடர்ந்து நடத்த ஐகோர்ட் உத்தரவு

ரத்தான இரு எம்.டெக்., படிப்புகள் தொடர்ந்து நடத்த ஐகோர்ட் உத்தரவு

Added : பிப் 20, 2021 00:02

சென்னை:ரத்து செய்யப்பட்ட, இரண்டு எம்.டெக்., படிப்புகளை தொடர்ந்து நடத்தவும், மாணவர் சேர்க்கையில், மத்திய அரசு இட ஒதுக்கீட்டை பின்பற்றவும், அண்ணா பல்கலைக்கு, சென்னை உயர் நீதிமன்றம் உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது.

அண்ணா பல்கலையில் நடத்தப்பட்டு வந்த, 'எம்.டெக்., பயோடெக், எம்.டெக்., கம்ப்யூட்டேஷனல் பயாலஜி' படிப்புகளில், இந்த ஆண்டு மாணவர் சேர்க்கை ரத்து செய்யப்பட்டது.இந்தப் படிப்புகளில், 49.5 சதவீத, மத்திய இட ஒதுக்கீட்டை பின்பற்ற மத்திய அரசும், 69 சதவீத ஒதுக்கீட்டை பின்பற்ற மாநில அரசும் வற்புறுத்தியதால், மாணவர் சேர்க்கை ரத்து செய்யப்பட்டதாகவும், இரு படிப்புகளையும் தொடர்ந்து நடத்தக் கோரியும், மாணவியர் இருவர் வழக்கு தொடர்ந்தனர்.

இம்மனுக்கள், நீதிபதி புகழேந்தி முன் விசாரணைக்கு வந்தன. மனுதாரர்கள் சார்பில், வழக்கறிஞர் சரவணன்; அண்ணா பல்கலை சார்பில், வழக்கறிஞர் விஜயகுமார்; தமிழக அரசு சார்பில், சிறப்பு பிளீடர் மனோகரன்; மத்திய அரசு சார்பில், வழக்கறிஞர் பிரகதீஷ் ஆஜராகினர். வழக்கறிஞர்களின் வாதங்களுக்கு பின், இரண்டு எம்.டெக்., படிப்புகளையும் தொடர்ந்து நடத்தவும், மத்திய அரசின் இட ஒதுக்கீடு அடிப்படையில் மாணவர்களை சேர்க்கவும், அண்ணா பல்கலைக்கு, நீதிபதி புகழேந்தி உத்தரவிட்டார்.

அரசாணைகளில் தமிழ் ஆங்கிலத்திற்கு தடை

அரசாணைகளில் தமிழ் ஆங்கிலத்திற்கு தடை

Added : பிப் 19, 2021 23:30

சென்னை:'தமிழக அரசின் ஆணைகள், பதிவேடுகள் மற்றும் கோப்புகளில், அதிக அளவில் ஆங்கிலம் பயன்படுத்தக் கூடாது; தமிழையே பயன்படுத்த வேண்டும்' என, பள்ளி கல்வி மற்றும் உயர் கல்வித்துறை அலுவலர்களுக்கு அறிவுறுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இது தொடர்பாக, தமிழ் வளர்ச்சி துறை அனுப்பிஉள்ள சுற்றறிக்கை:தமிழகத்தில், தமிழ் ஆட்சிமொழி சட்டம் பின்பற்றப்பட்டு வருகிறது. இந்த சட்டப்படி, ஆட்சிமொழி தமிழ் மட்டுமே என்பதால், விதிகள், விதிமுறைகள், ஆணைகள் மற்றும் விலக்கு அளிப்பட்டவை தவிர, மற்ற உத்தரவுகள், தமிழிலேயே பிறப்பிக்கப்பட வேண்டும்.ஆனால், இந்த சட்ட த்தை மீறி, அரசாணைகள், கோப்புகள், பதிவேடுகள், சுற்றறிக்கைகள், தாக்கீதுகள் மற்றும் பிற ஆவணங்கள் உள்ளிட்டவற்றில், தமிழை விட, ஆங்கிலம் அதிக அளவில் பயன்படுத்தப்படுவதாக, தமிழ் வளர்ச்சித் துறைக்கு புகார்கள் வருகின்றன.

இதுகுறித்து, அலுவலர்கள், துறை பணியாளர்கள் மற்றும் பொறுப்பாளர்கள் கவனமாக ஆவணங்களை கையாள வேண்டும்.அரசாணைகள், சுற்றறிக்கைகள், பதிவேடுகள் உள்ளிட்ட ஆவணங்களில், தமிழ் பயன்படுத்துவதை உறுதி செய்ய வேண்டும். ஆங்கிலக் கலப்பை குறைக்க வேண்டும். இவ்வாறு, அதில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

அலோபதி- - ஆயுஷ் இணைப்பா?

அலோபதி- - ஆயுஷ் இணைப்பா?

Added : பிப் 19, 2021 23:08

சென்னை:அலோபதி -- ஆயுஷ் மருத்துவ முறைகளை ஒன்றாக இணைக்க எதிர்ப்பு தெரிவித்து, பிரதமர் மோடிக்கு, டாக்டர்கள், மனு அளிக்கும் போராட்டத்தை துவக்கிஉள்ளனர்.

சித்தா, ஆயுர்வேதம், ஓமியோபதி, யுனானி ஆகிய ஆயுஷ் மருத்துவ முறைகள் மற்றும் அலோபதி மருத்துவம் ஆகியவற்றை ஒன்றாக இணைப்பது மற்றும் ஆயுர்வேத டாக்டர்கள் அறுவை சிகிச்சை செய்யலாம் என்ற அறிவிப்பை, மத்திய அரசு வெளியிட்டது. இதற்கு, நாடு முழுதும், அலோபதி டாக்டர்கள் எதிர்ப்பு தெரிவித்து வருகின்றனர்.இந்த அறிவிப்பை, ரத்து செய்ய வலியுறுத்தி, பல்வேறு கட்ட போராட்டங்களில் டாக்டர்கள் ஈடுபட்டு உள்ளனர்.

இம்மாதம், 1ம் தேதி முதல், 14 வரை, தமிழகத்தில் எட்டு இடங்கள் உட்பட, நாடு முழுதும், 50 இடங்களில் டாக்டர்கள் உண்ணாவிரத போராட்டத்தில் ஈடுபட்டனர்.இதுகுறித்து, இந்திய மருத்துவ சங்கத்தின் தலைவர் டாக்டர் ஜெயலால் கூறியதாவது:பல கட்ட போராட்டங்கள் நடந்தும், மத்திய அரசிடம் இருந்து எந்த பதிலும் இல்லை.

அடுத்தகட்டமாக, கோரிக்கையை வலியுறுத்தி, பிரதமர் மோடிக்கு பெருந்திரள் மனு அனுப்பும் போராட்டத்தில் டாக்டர்கள் ஈடுபட்டு உள்ளனர். ஒவ்வொரு மாநிலத்திலும் உள்ள, சங்க கிளை டாக்டர்களிடம் மனுக்களை பெற்று, பிரதமருக்கு அனுப்பப்படுகிறது. அடுத்தகட்டமாக பொதுமக்களிடம் விழிப்புணர்வு ஏற்படுத்த திட்டமிட்டு உள்ளோம்.இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.

SC asks United Bank to pay customer ₹6L for opening locker

SC asks United Bank to pay customer ₹6L for opening locker

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:20.02.2021

The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that breaking open a customer's locker by a bank was a serious breach of trust and ordered United Bank of India to pay Rs 6 lakh compensation to an aggrieved person whose locker was broken open at a Kolkata branch more than 25 years ago.

The locker was opened by Amitabha Dasgupta's mother in the 1950s. He became a joint holder of the locker in the 1970s. The bank informed Dasgupta in 1995 that the locker had been broken open and allotted to another person as the rent was not paid for 1993-94.

When Dasgupta proved that he had paid rent for the previous year, the bank admitted its mistake. When the customer wanted back the seven pieces of jewellery deposited in the locker, the bank could return only two.

The district consumer forum awarded Rs 3 lakh as cost of jewellery to Dasgupta and an additional Rs 50,000 for mental agony, harassment and cost of litigation.

PG student shoots at friend in class, later kills girl; held

PG student shoots at friend in class, later kills girl; held

Arindam Ghosh TNN

Jhansi:20.02.2021

A misunderstanding over the relationship between three classmates took a grisly turn on Friday when a 24-yearold postgraduate student of Bundelkhand Degree College in Jhansi first shot at and critically injured his male classmate in a classroom and then shot his woman classmate dead in front of her house. He waslaterarrested.

All the three students, said to be close friends, are students of first year MA.

Manthan Singh Senger entered the classroom carrying a pistoland shotathisfriend Hukmendra Singh Gurjar, 22, from behindon hisheadwhile he was attending class. He went on to the blackboard and wrote ‘Manthan Finished’.

He then went to the house of his classmate Kritika Trivedi

(22), who was sitting in front of her house with her grandmother. Hearing gunshots, her neighbours overpowered the accused, tied him up and called the police, reports added.

Police arrested Manthan while both the victims were rushed to hospital where Kritika succumbed. Hukmendra is in a critical state. He was later shifted to Delhi.

Unconfirmed reports said Manthan was in a relationship with Kritika and unhappy over Hukumendra’s interference.

SSP Jhansi Dinesh Kumar P said, “The accused and the victims were close friends. They had developed some misunderstanding over relationship issues.”

Officials at the site in Unnao on Friday where bodies of two minor girls were found

Cops say spurned lover poisoned Unnao girls; 2 held

Claiming it to be a diabolic act of a spurned lover, police on Friday said the three minor Dalit girls found unconscious in their field at Baburha village of UP’s Unnao on Wednesday were poisoned by a Dalit youth from a neighbouring village. They arrested Vinay Kumar

(25) and his 15-year-old accomplice, also a Dalit, as the two accused in the case.

While two girls, aged13 and15, died on way to hospital, the third one, aged 17, is battling for life. IG Lakshmi Singh said Vinay said he wanted to kill the third girl and made her drink water spiked with insecticide, but the other two also drank from the same bottle. TNN

Three more trains to be back on tracks

Three more trains to be back on tracks

Indore:20.02.2021

Three more long-distance trains are set to resume from Indore from February last week & March first week.

The trains include Indore-Delhi Sarai Rohilla Express, Indore-GandhiNagar Express and Dr Ambedkar Nagar-Indore-Yeshwantpur Express. While Indore-Delhi Sarai Rohilla and Indore Yeshwantpur will resume from February 28 as weekly special trains, Indore-Gandhi Nagar will start operating from March1 on a daily basis.

Indore-Delhi Sarai Rohilla Special train will depart from Indore every Sunday at 07.20pm, and reach Delhi Sarai Rohilla the next day at 12.05pm. The train will depart from Delhi every Monday at 03.00pm, and reach Indore at 08.30am on Tuesday. With this, the total number of trains operating to and from Indore would go up to 24. TNN

Official showcaused after CM spends uneasy night with mosquitoes

Official showcaused after CM spends uneasy night with mosquitoes

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bhopal:20.02.2021

A PWD executive engineer has been showcaused after mosquitoes and an overflowing water tank gave chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan a sleepless night at a circuit house during his visit to Sidhi to meet families of those killed in the bus tragedy.

The notice, issued by Rewa divisional commissioner Rajesh Kumar Jain, asks Davendra Kumar Singh to explain why two years’ salary increment shouldn’t be withheld.

When TOI contacted Jain, he initially denied having taken any action against the engineer, but when told that his notice was already doing the rounds on social media, he said: “The letter has been written but (there’s) no action so far.”

Chouhan had on Wednesday met families who lost their loved ones in the bus accident in Banganga canal. He went village to village to reach out to the bereaved and said all possible relief would be provided by the government.

After a long and tiring day, the CM decided to stay for the night in Sidhi. Room number 1 of the circuit house was opened for him. Officials learnt the next morning that the CM spent an uncomfortable night. Apart from the swarms of mosquitoes, someone forgot to switch off the pump and the tank kept overflowing.

Caretakers tried to convince officers that mosquitoes had got in as the room remained open for hours due to a steady stream of visitors. Night halt was not on the CM’s schedule, so the rooms were not prepared, say sources.

This isn’t the first time that mosquitoes landed officials in trouble. In 2015, two engineers in Shivpuri were suspended by the then animal husbandry minister Kusum Mehedele over defunct air-conditioners and mosquito bites at the circuit house.

Masked men break into bank’s strongroom, thwarted by lockers

Masked men break into bank’s strongroom, thwarted by lockers

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bhopal:20.02.2021

Two unidentified masked accused barged into a nationalised bank located in Sukhi Sewania after breaking the window grill in the early hours of Thursday morning. They broke the strong room lock and attempted to open the lockers, but could not break them and fled the scene. The accused were caught on the CCTV cameras fitted at the bank. Sukhi Sewania police registered a break-in case and started the investigation.

Investigating officer SI Swati Godre said, complainant Mahendra Banode, 57, is posted as branch manager at a nationalised bank in Chopda Kalan village of Sukhi Sewania.

On Wednesday around 7.15 pm, Banode locked the bank and went home. Next day, on Thursday morning around 10.20 am, when he went to open the bank, and found that the iron grill of the window had been cut. He immediately informed police and senior bank officials. When he entered , he found that entire bank was ransacked and thieves had tried to break the lockers.

When police checked the CCTV camera footage, they found two masked men barging into the bank breaking the window grill and attempting to break the lockers. There was no security guard deployed at the bank nor was there any alarm system. Cops suspect that accused may have come from the forest area behind the bank to commit theft.

The incident took place in the early hours of Thursday. There was no security guard deployed at the bank nor was there any alarm system

LIC employees not exempt from civic poll duties, HC says

LIC employees not exempt from civic poll duties, HC says

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:20.02.2021

The employees of the Life Insurance Corporation Ltd (LIC) will have to render election duty as the Gujarat high court on Friday refused to stay the State Election Commission’s (SEC) order requisitioning their services for poll duty.

The court, however, has admitted LIC’s petition challenging the SEC’s powers to order LIC to deploy its employees in the civic elections. The HC will hear this issue further on April  28. LIC has claimed that although its employees fall within the ambit of Section 159 of the Representation of People Act and they can be deployed for poll duty for the Parliament and state assembly elections, but SEC does not have jurisdiction to requisition their services.

During the hearing, LIC proposed to spare 20% of its staff for poll duty, but the high court found the proposal “unreasonable”. It said that this would disrupt smooth functioning of the election at the last moment and this cannot be allowed. The Election Commission told the court that total 4.19 crore voters are to cast their votes in civic elections and it required 2.85 lakh polling staff.

Why you should not rub your eye

Why you should not rub your eye

20.02.2021

If there is a foreign object that gets lodged in your eye, you should take care to not rub it. Most people assume, incorrectly, that doing so will produce tears which could wash out the foreign substance. However, it may also cause damage to the eye, such as scratches or abrasions.

What you should do instead is wash or repeatedly rinse your eye with clean running water. If this doesn’t work, cover the eye with a loose bandage and visit a doctor.

— DAILY MIRROR

50% vaccine unused, nears expiry date in many states

50% vaccine unused, nears expiry date in many states

Chethan.Kumar@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:20.02.2021

With only about 50% of the 2.2 crore vaccine supplied doses used so far, states are awaiting the Centre’s instructions on inoculating senior citizens and those over 50 years with comorbidities.

While officials of many states are concerned about stocks nearing expiry date, some are comfortable with the numbers. They said there’s no clarity about how beneficiaries of the 3rd phase will enrol for vaccination with self-registration an option. “We’ve been told that Phase 3 will begin in March and there’ll be clarity next week,” Arundathi Chandrashekar, mission director-Karnataka, National Health Mission, said.

5.8 lakh of 7 lakh vaccine doses used in Karnataka

All vaccines received will expire in May, just as in other states, and we should be able to use them when the third phase kicks off,” Arundathi Chandrashekar added. According to the Union health ministry, India has vaccinated 1,01,88,007 people so far, which means about 47% of the over 2.2 crore doses supplied to states have been used.

In Karnataka, 5.8 lakh doses of vaccines have been used of the 7.1 lakh doses received. While more than 50% of targeted healthcare workers have received the first dose, only 36% frontline workers have got it. This means the number of people needing the second dose before May — when vaccines at storage facilities will cross the expiry date — will not be enough to exhaust the existing supply.

Tamil Nadu, which received 12.3 lakh doses from the Centre, has so far inoculated 3.2 lakh people, including the second dose given to a few thousands. Health secretary J Radhakrishnan told TOI: “It would be prudent to give vaccines to those eager to take it. Even seniors and others with comorbidities come from the same pool as healthcare workers. There’ll be hesitancy there too, so the earlier we start, the better the chances of using the vaccines.”

As of Thursday, Maharashtra vaccinated 8.3 lakh people, while the number of doses it got is over 19 lakh. Similarly, Delhi has given the jab to over 2.4 lakh people, including about 7,000 second doses, while the Centre supplied more than 7.1 lakh doses.

Along with Delhi and Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Puducherry are among states with less than 50% coverage. While both Punjab health secretary and NHM director were unavailable for comment, Puducherry health secretary T Arun said: “Given that we have to include poll workers as part of frontline workers for vaccination, we’ll be able to use available doses.”

Punjab and Puducherry received 4.3 lakh and 31,000 doses respectively. An NHM director spearheading the vaccination drive said: “The situation is similar across many big states. The Centre needs to take a decision soon.”

Odisha NHM director Shalini Pandit said: “We don’t have a problem of low turnout. We need more doses to cover the first two rounds.”

EVERY DOSE COUNTS

All vaccines received will expire in May, just as in other states, and we should be able to use them when the third phase kicks off

Arundathi Chandrashekar

NHM MISSION DIRECTOR-KARNATAKA

Maternity leave law common for all staff: HC

Maternity leave law common for all staff: HC

Bengaluru:20.02.2021

The Karnataka HC has said the 26-week maternity benefit, which came into force through an amendment to the Maternity Benefit Act in 2017, does not classify or qualify a mother to be a government servant, temporary employee, employee on contract or an employee on daily wages, reports P Vasantha Kumar.

The HC made the observation while coming to the rescue of BS Rajeshwari, who was contracted to work as project information officer in the directorate of municipal administration.

Directorate told to reinstate employee, pay her 50% wages

Rajeshwari had approached the court after she was denied maternity leave and terminated from service on the ground of absence from work in August 2019.

The court directed the directorate to immediately reinstate the employee in the same post, pay her 50% of wages from day of termination to that of reinstatement, besides giving her Rs 25,000 in cost, which will be recovered from the officer who issued the termination notice.

Justice M Nagaprasanna said despite Rajeshwari’s requests to consider her case on humanitarian and legal grounds — both before and after delivery of her child on July 23, 2019 at Bhadravati, Shivamogga district — the authorities failed to consider the position of law. The judge described her plight thus: “I chose motherhood, the state chose to terminate me. The pendulum of (her) fate swung from the buoyance of hope to despair.” The judge said men who hold such offices “become insensitive to the (the kind of) issues alleged in the petition. It would become ‘power in the wrong hands’.”

Rajeshwari was hired on annual contract in November 2009 for a pay of Rs 17,000 and Rs 2,000 as monthly travel allowance. Latest renewal of contract allowed her to work till March 31, 2020. The employee sought to proceed on leave on June11,2019.Instead,she received a notice on June 25, 2019, asking her to report to duty since maternal benefits were not mentioned in the contract and office work was seriously hampered by her absence.

To protect bird’s nest, Thanjavur farmer leaves crop unharvested

To protect bird’s nest, Thanjavur farmer leaves crop unharvested

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Trichy:20.02.2021

A farmer hailing from a village near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur has earned the appreciation of people for leaving a portion of his paddy field unharvested after spotting the nest and eggs of a sparrow. He went on to strengthen the nest with sticks and harvesteed the rest of the crop.

J Ranganathan alias Raghu, 40, had raised paddy on his three-acre plot in Sathanur village. As the crops completed their 120-day cycle and were ready for harvest, Ranganathan used a harvester machine. As he was operating the harvester, he spotted a bird’s nest over the paddy crop at at a height of three feet in a portion of his field. After alerting the harvester operator to stop, Ranganathan checked the nest and found four eggs of a sparrow. “Since the mother bird may come back to see the chicks once they hatch, I was not interested in moving the nest from the field. We let that portion as it was and harvested the rest of the field,” Ranganathan said. He also propped up four sticks around the crop holding the nest to ensure the nest and eggs did not fall. Ranganathan added that he did not expect that his act may attract such appreciation. As the farmer shared the incident on social media platforms, villagers and environmental activists appreciated Ranganathan for his humane gesture. Meanwhile, Trichy-based wildlife biologist Q Ashoka Chakkaravarthy said that habitat loss for birds due to rapid urbanisation and felling of trees was the major reason for sparrows to build nest in paddy fields. “Sparrows normally build a nest on trees at a significant height above the ground. The paddy field might have been chosen by the bird due to low human interference,” Ashoka Chakkaravarthy added.

CONSIDERATE ACT: The undisturbed nest of a sparrow in the paddy field of J Ranganathan near Kumbakonam

HC pulls up finance dept official for contempt of court

HC pulls up finance dept official for contempt of court

K.Kaushik@timesgroup.com

Madurai:20.02.2021

Taking a serious view for not complying with a court order to reimburse medical expenses to a government employee, the Madras high court has sought an explanation from the secretary to government, finance (salaries) department, S Krishnan, as to why he should not be punished for his wilful disobedience of the orders of this court. The court was hearing a contempt petition filed by S Dhanalakshmi, who was working as BT Assistant in a corporation middle school in Madurai and is covered under the new health insurance scheme. The petitioner had undergone surgery in February 2018 and paid 1,22,454 towards medical expenses. The district-level empowered committee sent a proposal in September 2019 to disburse the medical expenses to the petitioner. Since, the amount was not reimbursed, Dhanalakshmi moved the HC Madurai bench and the court in its order in November 2019, had directed the secretary to disburse the eligible amount as per the Tamil Nadu Medical Attendance Rules.

Since the earlier order was not complied with, the petitioner filed the present contempt petition.

Justice M S Ramesh said that in order to give an opportunity to the contemnor, the court had directed the government advocate to get instructions by an order during March 2020. Thereafter, the contempt petition was adjourned on seven occasions. Ultimately, when the matter was listed on January 7, 2021, it was submitted that the authorities had not chosen to instruct the government pleader’s office. The judge said that the court has issued statutory notice for the secretary’s personal appearance on February 18. However, the secretary did not appear before the court. On the other hand, the additional government pleader produced a copy of GO dated January 19, 2021 and submitted that the earlier order of the court dated has been complied with. The judge said that GO reads to the effect that the petitioner may not be entitled for the claim made by her on certain heads and had ultimately derived the eligible amount at 2,570.

The judge observed that on a prima facie view, the contemnor has wilfully disobeyed the order on two counts - not complying with the statutory notice which was issued for his appearance, and not complying with the earlier order of this court and instead re-appraised and arriving at contrary conclusions with regard to the petitioner’s entitlement.

“All these callous and careless attitude in dealing with the order of the high court shows the utter disregard the contemnor has, to the sanctity of law,” observed the judge. Hence, the judge called upon the secretary to render his explanation within a period of 15 days.

The court was hearing a contempt petition filed by S Dhanalakshmi, who was working as BT Assistant in a corporation middle school in Madurai

DMK submits 2nd petition to guv against CM, mins

DMK submits 2nd petition to guv against CM, mins

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:20.02.2021

The DMK, on Friday, submitted yet another petition to governor Banwarilal Purohit, levelling corruption charges against chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and several of his cabinet colleagues. This is the second petition the party is submitting to the governor against the CM and ministers in the last two months.

DMK general secretary S Duraimurugan, after submitting the 38-page petition to Purohit, told mediapersons that charges were levelled against ministers K C Karuppannan, K T Rajenthra Bhalaji, P Thangamani and S P Velumani and Anthiyur MLA K R Rajakrishnan. “We will not have to give one more petition to the governor as this government will not be there for long,” said Duraimurugan, expressing unhappiness over the governor not acting on the earlier petition submitted by the party. The first petition was submitted to governor by DMK president M K Stalin on December 27. Duraimurugan said when the DMK delegation comprising himself and senior leaders T R Baalu and R S Bharathi asked Purohit about the action taken on the first petition, the governor said he had forwarded it to the Union ministry of home affairs. However, governor added that he would take suitable action as per the powers vested with him, said Duraimurugan.

The DMK, in the first petition, had levelled charges against the CM, his deputy O Panneerselvam and ministers S P Velumani, P Thangamani, D Jayakumar, R B Udhayakumar and C Vijayabaskar.

BJP: Stalin cheating people of Tamil Nadu

Thanjavur:

BJP’s Tamil Nadu in-charge C T Ravi on Friday accused DMK president M K Stalin of ‘cheating’ the people in the name of Dravidianism. The BJP leader sought to project their party as a “friend of people of Tamil Nadu” and the Congress and DMK as enemies. In this regard, he referred to the ban on jallikattu by the Congress government, backed by the DMK, and its revocation by the BJP-led Union government. TNN

AC bus services back, but not for elderly

AC bus services back, but not for elderly

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:20.02.2021

Tamil Nadu government has allowed all state transport undertakings and private bus operators to resume air conditioned bus services. AC bus services were suspended in March 2020, when the nation-wide lockdown to combat Covid-19 was first announced. A government order issued by state chief secretary Rajeev Ranjan on Thursday, however, asked operators to not allow citizens aged above 65 years and those with comorbidities to travel in AC buses.

State transport corporations had suffered financial losses as they did not operate the 702 AC buses they collectively own.

Private bus operators, who transport employees to workplaces and students to schools and colleges, had also urged that the state government revoke orders restricting AC bus services.

Given the decline in the number of Covid-19 cases in recent days, the state has finally allowed resumption of AC services. Bus operators have, however, been strictly told to follow all standard operating procedures, including maintaining the temperature inside buses between 24°C and 30°C and to encourage fresh air circulation as much as possible.

DVAC slaps assets case against ex-VC of Bharathiar univ

DVAC slaps assets case against ex-VC of Bharathiar univ

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:20.02.2021

Five-and-a-half years after he demitted office as vice-chancellor of Bharathiar University in Coimbatore, James Pitchai was booked for disproportionate assets by Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption on Wednesday.

According to the FIR registered by the Tirupur deputy superintendent of police of DVAC, Pitchai and his family members had amassed Rs 6.17 crore during his three-year term at the helm of the university, which was 135% of their income during the period.

Checks by DVAC found that along with his family members, Pitchai had bought properties and land in Chennai, Madurai and Kodaikanal which were disproportionate to his known sources of income. DVAC’s case sheets show that Pitchai entered government service in December 1978 as an assistant professor in the department of agriculture at the TN Agriculture University in Coimbatore. He was elevated as associate professor 10 years later and another decade later became a professor.

Pitchai was appointed dean in November 2009 in TNAU and became the vicechancellor of Bharathiar University on September 21, 2012. His tenure ended on September 20, 2015.

DVAC said Pitchai’s wife is a doctor who runs a hospital and they have a daughter and a son, both doctors and working in the same hospital. DVAC’s check period for calculating disproportionate assets was Pitchai’s tenure as vice-chancellor. Assets at the start of check period were Rs 3.21crore and assets acquired in his and family members’ names were worth Rs 8.75 crore at the end of the check period. The family earned Rs 4.57 crore in the three years and incurred expenditure of Rs 5.2 crore. The assets disproportionate to their known sources of income was found to be Rs 6.17 crore, DVAC said.