The Role Of The University

The Role Of The University

Nation needs it, and it can only thrive with academic freedom and institutional autonomy

C Raj Kumar

23.03.2021 

Universities have been forums of knowledge creation and exchange, and they continue to play an instrumental role in transforming nations into knowledge societies. Over time, their academic freedom has been curtailed, and their significance as tools of social change has diminished. The Academic Freedom Index established by the Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi) has demonstrated that academic freedom has been challenging for universities in several nations. Albert Einstein famously observed, “By academic freedom, I understand the right to search for truth and to publish and teach what one holds to be true. This right also implies a duty: One must not conceal any part of what one has recognised to be true.”

Recent events that have taken place in a reputed Indian university are only a reflection of the more significant public concern across the world relating to academic freedom, institutional autonomy and regulatory stringency. While many issues of academic freedom are being debated in the public domain, we need to engage in a deeper and more nuanced analysis of these issues, which will shape the future of universities in India and across the world.

At the outset, it needs to be mentioned that academic freedom is fundamental to any university in the world. Democracies take pride in the fact that they’ve precious spaces in society where freedom of speech is duly protected and promoted. In a democracy that celebrates freedom of expression of diverse views, ideological dogmatism of any kind, either from the Left or from the Right, will not help universities. At the heart of academic freedom is preserving democratic ideals consistently, promoting pluralism and nurturing democratic institutions.

Our challenge as educators is to recognise the complex role universities play as social organisations. No unique circumstances favour or disfavour a public or private university to promote academic freedom within its institutional context. However, there’re undoubtedly historical, social, political and economic factors contributing to institutionalising academic freedom in some societies more than others.

The fundamental objectives of university governance are based on the following three principles to promote academic freedom, while ensuring institutional autonomy. First, all recruitment, appraisal and assessment of faculty and staff ought to be entirely undertaken within the university. They must be performance-based, following the policies, rules and regulations of the university. The powers for decision-making to implement these processes must be vested in the university’s leadership, which includes the faculty and staff. Outsiders, including the most generous donors, should be excluded from this process. Internal governance of a university is central to protecting academic freedom, and it has to be led by the faculty and not anybody from outside the university.

Second, all decisions relating to the formulation of programmes, curriculum, courses, pedagogy and establishment of schools/ departments ought to be determined within the university as per established policies, rules and regulations of the university with all powers of decision-making vested within the faculty and staff of the university. While these decisions are taken in consonance with the laws, rules, regulations and guidelines given by the various government and regulatory bodies and based on international best practices, nobody from outside the university should exercise control or influence in these decisions.

And third, all decisions relating to the research that’s undertaken by the faculty members, including their publications ought to be based upon the principles of academic freedom and intellectual autonomy. Those faculty members who’re involved in academic research ought to have full autonomy to determine the type of research projects and initiatives, including the topics of research that they undertake, and the outcomes of the research. While the faculty members will be engaging in research and publications that’ll speak truth to power, it should be based upon evidence, especially when the intention of the research is to inform policy-making.

Going forward, we need to recognise the importance of two central aspects of university governance for academic freedom to be meaningfully institutionalised in Indian universities. One, regulatory freedom. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has envisaged substantive regulatory reforms to empower Indian universities.

Regardless of their public or private character, universities in India are hugely dependent on multiple stakeholders for effective internal governance. These stakeholders are internal and external to the institution. Without achieving substantive regulatory freedom, no university can function in a genuinely autonomous manner and protect the academic freedom of faculty and students. I believe that this is the intention of NEP 2020 as well, which promotes “a ‘light but tight’ regulatory framework to ensure integrity, transparency, and resource efficiency … while encouraging innovation and outof-the-box ideas through autonomy, good governance, and empowerment.”

Two, universities need to develop a culture of transparency in which important decisions are taken after proper consultation with all stakeholders. The need for consultation, communication and consensus-building is imperative. However, for decisions to have legitimacy and acceptance, there ought to be the fundamental and foundational aspect of trust, respect and collegiality among all stakeholders. Only then will disagreements not lead to acrimonious engagements that can vitiate the academic and intellectual ecosystem, and universities must guard against that.

The vision and imagination of NEP 2020, if implemented in letter and spirit, will enable Indian universities to provide world-class education, while promoting excellence and contributing to nationbuilding. ‘Atmanirbharta’, for the nation, institutions, especially universities, is intertwined with the fundamental principles of freedom, autonomy and governance.

The writer is founding Vice-Chancellor of OP Jindal Global University

NEP 2020 has envisaged substantive regulatory reforms to empower Indian universities ... Internal governance of a university is central to protecting academic freedom, and it has to be led by the faculty and not anybody from outside the university

Colleges told to go back to online mode from Tuesday

Colleges told to go back to online mode from Tuesday

The State government on Monday ordered all colleges to conduct online classes from March 23, due to rising Covid cases.

Published: 23rd March 2021 05:37 AM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The State government on Monday ordered all colleges to conduct online classes from March 23, due to rising Covid cases. The order also directed colleges to finish pending practical classes and exams by March 31.

Chief Secretary Rajeev Ranjan, in a statement, said that the decision was reached after discussion with officials from the Higher Education Department and Health Department. Classes for all higher educational institutions, including colleges and polytechnic, will be held online for six days a week.

Exceptions will be made for Science, Engineering and Polytechnic students, who can complete their practical classes and exams by March 31. The order further said that all semester exams will be held online. However, instructions are pending on whether hostel facilities will remain open for residential students.

50% medicos in DK dist not vaccinated due to hesitancy

50% medicos in DK dist not vaccinated due to hesitancy

Kevin.Mendonsa@timesgroup.com

23.03.2021 

Mangaluru: Close to half the medical and nursing student community in Dakshina Kannada district is yet to be vaccinated. Officials say this is due to misinformation and influence of social media.

M Venkatraya Prabhu, dean, Kasturba Medical College, Mangaluru, said about 70% of medicos including postgraduates in his college have been vaccinated.

“Yes, a number of them are refusing to get the shot and the prime reason is misinformation and negative news,” Prabhu said. “We aim to achieve 100% vaccination by the end of May.”

In Nitte (deemed university) about 5,000 students, faculty, and non-teaching staff have been vaccinated. “While this number appears high, many [medical/dental/nursing students] have not come forward to take the jab,” said Dr Satheesh Kumar Bhandary, vice-chancellor. “The big reason is misinformation, pressure from parents urging them not to take the vaccine and psychological fear of side effects.” Dr Satheesh said he took both doses and his antibody count has increased.

However, many who earlier refused the jab are now turning up for the shot. “When the drive began, there were two schools of thought: One who were for the vaccine and the other who were hesitant,” said Ramachandra Bairy, DHO. “Many who were opposed to the vaccine are taking the shot now.”

Govt increases gap between Covishield shots to 4-8 wks

Govt increases gap between Covishield shots to 4-8 wks

‘Shield Enhanced If 2nd Jab Taken After 6-8 Weeks’

New Delhi:23.03.2021 

The health ministry on Monday revised the interval between two doses of the Covishield vaccine to 4-8 weeks, from the existing 4-6 weeks, after evidence showed higher efficacy following a longer gap between the shots.

The revised time interval between two doses is applicable only to Covishield and not to Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin. Raising the interval between two doses is also likely to be an added advantage in covering more people as the AstraZeneca shot has been the mainstay of India’s vaccination drive. TNN

Expert groups recommended a longer window between shots

A longer window between shots can partly address concerns that vaccinations, despite the increase in sessions, are still not proceeding fast enough. The government could focus on ensuring that as many people as possible get the first shot with a longer timeframe for the second dose.

In a letter to states and UTs, health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, “Keeping the existing scientific evidence in view, it appears that protection is enhanced if the second dose of Covishield is administered between 6-8 weeks, but not later than stipulated period of 8 weeks.”

The move is based on recommendation by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) and by National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC) after reviewing the issue in accordance with the emerging scientific evidence. “During this meeting, the recommendation has been revised to provide second dose of Covishield at 4-8 weeks’ interval after the first dose, instead of earlier practised interval of 4-6 weeks,” the ministry said.

›Inoculating bedridden elders a challenge, P 2

‘Lung damage shows virus hasn’t lost sting’

‘Lung damage shows virus hasn’t lost sting’

Sumitra.DebRoy@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:23.03.2021 

Mumbai’s doctors have witnessed a rapid deterioration of the lung in select young Covid patients, prompting them to reiterate that the virus has not lost its sting completely. A subset of these patients has been asymptomatic for the initial few days before going on to have severe disease.

Doctors at SevenHills Hospital in Andheri have treated a 40-year-old who went from mildly symptomatic to high oxygen dependence in four days. Intensivist Dr Rahul Sawalia said she subsequently needed a non-invasive ventilator despite having been detected on the second day of symptoms. It was an unusual case as involvement of 80% of the lung takes a minimum of 10 days. “We have observed this swift progression in a few young patients in the second wave,” he said. In another case, a patient’s lungs developed a fully cloudy appearance in a span of 18 hours that he took to travel from his native place to SevenHills. This patient was a senior citizen and couldn’t be saved.

A similar prognosis has now been flagged by experts at the civic-run BKC jumbo facility too. Here, doctors have not just seen young patients deteriorating fast, they found that many were completely asymptomatic in the initial few days. Civic authorities have been harping that even though cases were rising, a vast majority were asymptomatic. Doctors are worried though that it was sending out a mixed signal as many are delaying tests or seeking care.

A senior doctor from BKC jumbo hospital said 15-20% of the asymptomatic cases are coming with X-ray reports showing an involvement of lungs. “Patients whose X-rays are bad also have high D-dimer levels, indicative of active formation of blood clots,” said the expert, adding that in spite of blood thinners, D-dimer remains high. “The improvement is very slow in these patients, and when they deteriorate, it’s very fast,” he added.

The Covid death audit committee has noted at least five deaths in young patients. “It has been reported to us. We are trying to understand if this quick progression is more common than we know,” said Dr Avinash Supe, the panel chairman, adding that young lives shouldn’t be lost because of late hospitalisation.

Vashi’s MPCT Hospital has treated a 27-year-old who came in critical condition and had to be started on remdesivir and non-invasive ventilator immediately on admission. Doctors found 80% of his lungs were involved by the eighth day. Intriguingly, despite persistent symptoms, he wasn’t advised a Covid test. “We saved him since he came at the right window, but people cannot take it lightly thinking everyone will be asymptomatic,” said MPCT CEO Dr Prince Surana.

Vax crunch in K’taka, B’luru may run out of stock in three days

Vax crunch in K’taka, B’luru may run out of stock in three days

Sunitha.Rao@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:23.03.2021 

Vaccination in Karnataka may have to be paused if the state doesn’t receive its next consignment of 12 lakh doses in the next couple of days.

Several hospitals in Bengaluru have either received very few vials or none at all. At several sites, senior citizens were sent back as there has been no supply from BBPM, Bengaluru’s civic body. While the state has targeted vaccinating 3 lakh persons a day, it may not meet the mark due to the acute shortage.

Health commissioner K V Trilok Chandra told TOI the state has been waiting for 12 lakh doses of Covishield and they could land this week. The state has so far received 31 lakh doses, including 3.9 lakh doses of Covaxin. Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA) president Dr HM Prasanna said some of its hospitals have faced vaccine shortage. “No vaccine was supplied to my hospital for the past two days but we got it on Monday. At this pace, we’ll take years to cover all the vulnerable populations,” Dr Prasanna, who heads Pristine hospital in Bengaluru West, said.

Though BBMP’s target is1 lakh people a day, it records 30,000-35,000 vaccinations. “By that scale, we have stocks for three days,” said BBMP special health commissioner Rajendra Cholan.

India logs 40,000 cases again, in third place after Brazil and US

India logs 40,000 cases again, in third place after Brazil and US

Atul.Thakur@timesgroup.com

23.03.2021 

For the fourth consecutive day, more than 40,000 fresh cases were reported in the country and the steady increase of cases has once again pushed India to become the world’s third-worst affected country in terms of daily cases.

Data compiled by WHO shows that once again the trio of Brazil, the USA and India are leading the world in daily cases. WHO data shows that on March 22, Brazil had reported 79,069 new cases, the highest in the world, followed by the US at 60,228 and India 46,951 cases. Analysis of daily case data for the past few days shows that India reached the third spot on March 19 and since then it has maintained that position.

India reported 40,622 fresh cases, with data from Assam yet to arrive till late at night. An analysis of state-wise data shows that the increase in daily cases was no longer confined to few a states. Despite being a Monday, when cases dip every week, at least 9 states reported the highest case count since January or earlier Gujarat for instance reported 1,640 cases on Monday, the highest ever in the state. Today’s cases were higher than 1,607 cases reported on the earlier peak that the state reached on November 27. Similarly, Monday saw the highest cases this year for Chhattisgarh (1,525), Madhya Pradesh (1,348), Delhi (888) and Himachal Pradesh (200). Tamil Nadu also reported 1,385 cases on Monday which was the highest since December 14. Rajasthan on the other hand reported 602 cases which were the highest since January 1. Similarly, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha too reported the highest cases since January 10 and January 24 respectively.

Meanwhile, Punjab saw a big surge in fatalities on Monday, with 58 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the highest in the country along with Maharashtra, which also recorded 50 fatalities.

So many peaks at the state level suggests that it is highly likely that there is a pan-India resurgence of cases and if cases continue to this level then it might soon breach the 50,000 mark. Although Maharashtra reported 24,645 cases on Monday which is over 60% of the cases reported in the country the disease is no more confined alone in Maharashtra as cases are steadily increasing elsewhere as well. The case count was over 1,000 for Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab.

Deaths too were increasing and the daily toll breached the 200 mark on Sunday.

SPIKE CONTINUES: The daily toll breached the 200-mark on Sunday

Maha may impose lockdown if cases keep rising: Health minister

Maha may impose lockdown if cases keep rising: Health minister

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Pune:23.03.2021 

Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope on Monday urged the public to follow Covid-19 safety protocols if the state is to avoid another lockdown.

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray was of the view that lockdown may become necessary in some cities if new cases continue to climb, Tope told reporters. At the same time, he also defended the state’s response to rising cases and pointed out that in terms of cases per million population, many states have fared worse. “He told me that if the number of daily cases in the state remains in the range of 25,000 to 30,000 for the next some days, then we will have to take some stringent steps. He is of the opinion that if the numbers continue to increase, we will have to impose lockdown in some cities,” the minister said.

He has discussed the latest surge in cases with epidemiologists, the health minister said. “According to their estimate, the graph of Covid-19 cases will remain the same for the next two to three days and after that, it will decline. I think this is a peak and I hope it will go down," said Tope.

The minister said CM Thackeray favoured a lockdown in a few cities if cases continued to rise

67-yr-old retired teacher from IIT-Madras zone cracks GATE

67-yr-old retired teacher from IIT-Madras zone cracks GATE

17-Year-Old From IIT-Kanpur Zone Youngest to Qualify

Yogita.Rao@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:23.03.2021 

A 67-year-old from the IIT-Madras zone and a 17-year-old prodigy from the IIT-Kanpur region were among the only 17.8% candidates who cracked Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) this year.

Ritik Sharma, 17, a thirdyear mechanical engineering student from Dayalbagh Educational Institute in Uttar Pradesh is the youngest to qualify. Usually, BTech graduates or final-year students take the exam.

Sankaranarayanan Sankarapandian is a retired teacher from the IIT-Madras zone and has qualified in both computer science & engineering and mathematics. He had completed his MSc in 1976 from AVVM Sri Pushpam College, Thanjavur. The organising institutes do not impose an age bar on candidates. An 88-year-old was the oldest to register for the test this year but did not appear for it eventually.

GATE is a qualifying exam for those seeking admissions to masters and PhD programmes in science and technology and placements in public sector undertakings. The success rate in the exam is usually below 20%.

Of more than 1.2 lakh candidates who cleared the exam, one-fourth are currently in their final-year, also the highest numbers in any category, said Deepankar Choudhury, from IIT-Bombay, organising chairman of GATE 2021. This could be probably because the final-year students are in their regular studies and GATE is mainly based on undergraduate syllabus, he added. Due to the pandemic, IIT-Bombay, the organising institute for GATE 2021, allowed thirdyear students to appear for the competitive exam too. Close to 10,000 students in this group have qualified in the test. Around 26,000 who qualified, completed their graduation last year and 3,837 candidates graduated in 2015 as well.

GATE, jointly organised by the seven older IITs and IISc-Bengaluru, was conducted in 27 subjects this year, with the addition of humanities & social sciences and environmental science & engineering. Toppers in at least six subjects are from the IIT-Bombay zone, including the linguistics paper under humanities. The institutes had opened the exam to humanities students for the first time. The success rate in each of the subjects varied from 8.4% to 29.5%.

Sankaranarayanan Sankarapandian, 67, has qualified in both computer science & engineering and mathematics. He had completed his MSc in 1976 from AVVM Sri Pushpam College, Thanjavur

CBSE students can now retake exam same year

FOR BETTER SCORES

CBSE students can now retake exam same year

New Delhi:23.03.2021 

Starting this year, Class X and XII students wanting to improve their Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) examination scores not need have to wait a year for another shot at the exam. Rather, they can appear for an improvement paper in the same academic session. Such candidates will have to appear in the compartment exams conducted a few months after the declaration of results.

The change is in compliance with National Education Policy, which suggests giving multiple opportunities to board aspirants to score well. According to the new rule, the better of the two scores obtained in a subject will be considered for

declaration of the results and candidates who improve their performance will be issued a combined marksheet.

The only rider is that students can apply for improvement in only one subject. TNN

CBSE Class X, XII exams will begin from May 4

Earlier, if students had to improve their performance in board exams, they had to wait for a complete year and appear in the exam with the next batch. “Recently, the government of India has released the national education policy wherein it has envisaged that students must be given multiple opportunities for improving the performances in subjects opted by them. As per the earlier rule, candidates could improve the performance only in the succeeding year. For improving the performance, any student had to wait for complete one year as these candidates were allowed to appear in the examination conducted next year only. Keeping in view the recommendations made in the NEP, CBSE has decided to extend the opportunities,” said Sanyam Bhardwaj, CBSE examination controller.

“This permission will be made available to the candidates appearing in the 2021 examination and if they wish to improve the performance in any one subject, they may again apply in the compartment examination for appearing to improve the performance,” added Bhardwaj. CBSE Class X exams will begin from May 4 and conclude on June 7, while Class XII exams will be held between May 4 and June 11.

ALL FOR IMPROVEMENT

Cutting tricolour cake not an insult to national flag, says HC

Cutting tricolour cake not an insult to national flag, says HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:23.03.2021 

Cutting and consuming a cake with the icing of Indian National Flag would not amount to insult to the National Flag, Madras high court has clarified.

“…there is no doubt that nationalism in a democracy like India is very vital. But hyper and surfeit adherence to it goes against the prosperity of our nation from all its past glory,” Justice N Anand Venkatesh said.

"A patriot is not one who only raises the flag, symbolises his national pride and wears it on his sleeve, but also a person who bats for good governance. The symbolisation of national pride is not synonymous with patriotism, just like how cutting a cake is not unpatriotic,” the court added. Justice Anand Venkatesh made the clarification while setting aside an order passed by a Coimbatore judicial magistrate directing registration of FIR against organisers of a Christmas celebration where a cake bearing the tricolour was cut.

“For proper understanding, let us take a hypothetical case where there is widespread participation in an Independence Day or Republic Day celebrations. During such celebrations, the participants are provided with a national flag to be worn by them. After the participants leave the venue on completion of the celebrations, they do not continue to possess this flag forever, and it becomes part of any other wastepaper,” the court said.

The judge added, “Will this mean that each of the participants has insulted the national flag and should be proceeded against under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act? The obvious answer is ‘no’. If people can give such broad meaning to the word ‘insult’, many will become uncomfortable and hesitant to handle the national flag,” the court said.

“If people can give such broad meaning to the word ‘insult’, many will become uncomfortable and hesitant to handle the national flag,” the court said

Doctors remove brain tumour after 8-hour surgery

REGION DIGEST

23.03.2021 

Doctors remove brain tumour after 8-hour surgery

Doctors at Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Chennai, removed a large tumor from the base of the skull of a four-year-old boy from the Middle East, through a complex surgery that spanned over eight hours. The tumor had caused a blockage in the circulation of fluid in the brain and had also affected the boy’s ability to see in the left eye, an official release said. The child was brought to the hospital with symptoms of headache, impaired vision, appetite loss and vomiting. After performing an MRI scan and other allied tests, the patient was found to have a large ‘tennis ball-sized’ tumor in his skull base, which was compressing the nerves to his eyes. The tumor was a large hypothalamic chiasmatic glioma. These uncommon tumors account for about 3% of childhood brain tumors. Adults almost never have this kind of tumor. The treatment of these tumors is very challenging due to the presence of many vital brain structures in the tumor’s vicinity. A team of doctors at the hospital decided to do a surgery using a complex skull base approach to remove the tumor. This surgery is used in adult patients to treat brain and sinus cancers but is rarely used in children. The patient was wheeled into the operation theatre for an eighthour-long surgery, wherein the tumor was completely removed with the preservation of his vision as well as his pituitary gland. The accumulated brain fluid was also released, thereby abating the need for a shunt surgery.

City hospital receives JCI accreditation: MGM Healthcare announced on Monday that it has received the prestigious Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation, which is considered the gold standard in healthcare worldwide. An extensive on-site audit was conducted at the hospital by a team of international expert surveyors. They assessed the hospital’s patient safety goals, patient assessment and care, anaesthesia and surgical care, medication management, patient and family education, quality improvement, infection prevention and control, among others.

Madras University to offer 12 online courses from 2021-22

Madras University to offer 12 online courses from 2021-22

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:23.03.2021 

University of Madras will offer 12 online degree and diploma programmes in various subjects including economics, psychology, retail management and maths from 2021-22.

The university signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC), an autonomous body of the University Grants Commission, to jointly offer online degree programmes.

Madras University vicechancellor S Gowri, CEC director Jagat Bhushan Nadda and joint director Nageshwar Nat signed the MoU to partner to develop content for eLearning initiatives.

“CEC hosts one of the largest repositories of digitised educational content. The MoU will help the university to fasttrack design, development and deploying of these online degree programmes,” Gowri said.

TN colleges, univs go online again

STATE GOVT BARS PHYSICAL CLASSES

TN colleges, univs go online again

Chennai:23.03.2021 

The Tamil Nadu government on Monday ordered all colleges, universities and deemed universities to stop holding physical classes and conduct only online classes from March 23 due to the rising Covid-19 cases in the state.

An order issued by chief secretary Rajeev Ranjan said colleges should complete all practical classes and practical exams before March 31, and must hold end-semester exams only through online mode.

In view of the recent spike in Covid-19 cases, the chief secretary conducted a videoconference meeting with vicechancellors, director of technical education, director of collegiate education, director of public health and preventive medicine (DPH) and other health officials.

“The DPH said there are reports emerging about clusters in colleges and hostels and considering the trend in many states, these clusters have the potential to contribute spread disease in their place of residence and surrounding community,” the government order said. TNN

Final semester exam to be held online

The government order read: “The vice-chancellors said classes can be conducted online as70%to80%syllabushavebeen covered. For science stream students, practical classes and examination are going on,”

“The government after careful examination directs all higher educational institutions under thecontrolof thehigher education department and deemed universities to conduct online classes six days a week from March 23. All practical classes and practical exams for science, engineering and polytechnic shall be completed before March 31, especially for final semester students. The semester examination will be an online exam,” Rajeev Ranjan said in the order.

Telangana govt gets EC nod to implement pay revision

Telangana govt gets EC nod to implement pay revision

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had reportedly assured employee unions that fitment in their pay would be two to three percent more than what the AP government was paying.

Published: 21st March 2021 05:25 PM 

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao

By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Decks have been cleared for the announcement on implementation of the Pay Revision Commission (PRC) report with the Election Commission of India (ECI) giving the go-ahead to the state government.

The state government has sought a clarification from the Election Commission on announcement of pay revision for the employees in view of the by-election for Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly seat on April 17.

In reply, the ECI said that it has no objection from the Model Code of Conduct angle, subject to the condition that no undue publicity in this regard may be done by anyone anywhere for attaining political mileage through it particularly in the district where the election is underway. The letter was signed by Avinash Kumar, secretary, Election Commission of India.

When contacted Chief Electoral Officer Shashank Goel said that they had received the clarification from the State government on Saturday which they had sent to Election Commission which in turn gave the go-ahead signal on Sunday.

A few days before the elections to two graduates’ constituencies of the State Legislative Council, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao reportedly assured employee unions that fitment in their pay would be two to three percent more than what the AP government was paying. Since AP government had announced 27 per cent, the Telangana employees unions expect that it would be about 29 per cent of their basic pay.

Leaders of TGOs and TNGOs - V Mamatha and M Rajender - then claimed that the Chief Minister had promised them to make an announcement in the Assembly after March 19. When he makes the announcement, they may also include enhancement of employees’ retirement age from 58 to 61 years. The employees were elated since the PRC in its recommendations recommended only 7.5 per cent fitment.

Earlier in the day, Tourism Minister V Srinivasa Goud said that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will make an announcement of the implementation of the Pay Revision Commission.

"Very soon, the chief minister will come out with a statement that would please the employees," he said, at a function organised by the Telangana Teachers' Union. He said the chief minister will keep in mind the role employees had played in the Telangana movement while making the announcement, he said.

World’s longest railway platform in Hubballi in its final stage of construction

After completion of the works, Hubballi railway station, which has presently five platforms, will be upgraded to eight platforms that will ease the movement of trains.

Published: 21st March 2021 10:38 PM 

View of SSS Railway Station, Hubballi. (Photo | D HEMANTH/EPS)

By Arunkumar Huralimath

Express News Service

HUBBALLI: The construction of the world’s longest railway platform at Shri Siddharoodha Swamiji Railway Station, Hubballi is in its final stage and it will likely be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon.

Soon after commissioning of lengthening of Platform No 1 to 1,505 meters, it will unseat Gorakhpur station, under North Eastern Railway Zone, which has a platform length of 1,366 meters. After completion of the works, Hubballi railway station, which has presently five platforms, will be upgraded to eight platforms that will ease the movement of trains.

The existing 550-meter platform has been extended to 1,505 m with 10-m width. The longest platform has been designed to accommodate two trains at a time. On this longest track, there will be two platforms that are platform No.1 and platform No.8. To facilitate the passengers to platform No.8 third entry point will be opened. With this Hubballi railway station will be one among a few stations in the country having three entry gates.

Being the headquarter of the South Western Railway zone, Hubballi junction had not seen any developments. In the last decade, many developmental works have been initiated. The main entrance of the station has been constructed as a model railway station. The railway station connects many passenger and goods trains every day from many states. Due to lack of platforms, the trains were supposed to wait in Hubballi South Station and on the Dharwad line.

SWR chief public relations officer E Vijaya said to address the platform issue and to take up electrification and other civil works, the SWR has already completed remodelling the railway station at the cost of Rs 90 crores. Construction of longest platform, building full yard, signalling, electric works, the third entry and other civil works were part of the the project.

“The world’s longest platform construction work is in the finishing stage which will take a week-long time. Soon after the completion, the head office will take a call on the inauguration of the platform,” she added.

Key features

The total length of the platform will be 1,505 meters

The longest track will have two platforms no.1 and no.8

Hubballi will have eight platforms

PM Modi is expected to inaugurate the platform virtually

Rs 90 crore has been spent on various developmental works

Hubballi railway station will be having three entry gates, with this the station will be a few stations in India to have three entry points. At the present main gate, Gadag entry points are facilitating the passengers to the station. The new entry point will help the passengers to reach directly to platform no.8.

Residents of Selaiyur blame lack of co-ordination for delay in bypass

Residents of Selaiyur blame lack of co-ordination for delay in bypass

The construction of the Tambaram Eastern Bypass (TEB) has made travel through the stretch unsafe, say residents of Selaiyur and its neighbouring areas.

Published: 22nd March 2021 03:06 AM |

The poor condition of the road that is laid till Selaiyur | Express

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The construction of the Tambaram Eastern Bypass (TEB) has made travel through the stretch unsafe, say residents of Selaiyur and its neighbouring areas. The reasons cited are poorly-illuminated and dug-up roads.

The TEB connects Rajakilpakkam with Peerkankaranai on the GST Road. The road has been laid till Selaiyur. Most of the residents blame lack of coordination between the different agencies involved in the project for their hardship. E Varathan, a resident of Madipakkam, said there are a lot of lapses. “Work is not happening at Mappedu Junction. Service road has not been properly completed for the entire stretch from Rajakilpakkam to Mappedu Junction. Road widening is also pending for a small stretch in Thiruvanchery,” he said.

Street lights are missing between Camp Road junction and Mappedu junction. “When we complained to the CM cell saying the stretch is risky for travel, the Highways Department replied that road works have been completed in the Selaiyur stretch. It said queries like service lane, street lights and center medians must be diverted to the divisional office,” said Dayanand Krishnan, a resident. He further added, “All the components in road works should be undertaken by a single agency.

There is a lot of confusion and delay in execution.” The TEB, once completed, will ease traffic in Perungalathur and reduce travel time to Southern districts. It is a boon for those living in South Chennai including Velachery, Nanganallur, Madipakkam, Thiruvanmiyur and Adyar among others, as they can directly reach the bypass via Medavakkam. Now, since these vehicles pass through Perungalathur, traffic jams have become inevitable.

The bypass for Tambaram was proposed in the CMDA first Master Plan 1979 to help vehicles from outside the city avoid the railway line and the Irumbuliyur junction, infamous for accidents then. The State government sanctioned `1 crore as a token amount for land acquisition in 2004 for the 9.3-km road that runs from Peerkankaranai on the GST Road and ends at Rajakilpakkam on the Velachery-Tambaram Road. However, tackling the encroachments and issues in land acquisition have delayed project.

Protesters at Madras University undeterred by students’ suspension

Protesters at Madras University undeterred by students’ suspension

Protest at the varsity enters fifth day, complainant hurt herself but later joins stir

Published: 22nd March 2021 03:06 AM 

File photo of a decked-up Madras University during its 160th Graduation Day celebration

By Sushmitha Ramakrishnan

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The protest by University of Madras students, alleging that a senior faculty sexually harassed one of the students, entered the fifth day. The student who filed the sexual harassment complaint had hurt her wrist on Sunday morning, but returned to the protest scene after receiving first aid at a government hospital. This comes a day after the university suspended five students, including the complainant and some of the witnesses, on grounds of “disciplinary action.” Speaking to Express, the complainant said that the head of her department (HOD) had molested her in the middle of a heated argument among students and the teacher in a class room.

Top university officials told Express that the students did not show up for many discussions they tried organising and that they had “violated the code of conduct by staging demonstrations before formally writing a complaint to the administration and misusing the campus space.” The protesters however paint a different picture. Students of the social science department had approached the HOD on March 16, to discuss discrepancies in their internal marks. They had charged that some students were failed in the exams deliberately as they had staged demonstrations against the management earlier in the year.

“Sir (HOD) was sitting on the chair and he got up and pushed me on my chest. Then he pushed other students also. First I thought he did it accidentally,” said the complainant narrating the altercation between the students and the teacher on March 16. “But then he pushed me three times in total, but at all times he pushed me on my chest. In fact one of my classmates asked him why he was doing that and I even held his shirt and asked him to stop doing that,” she added.

She said that after the incident, she asked the faculty to apologise for “manhandling” her and other students. “He walked off asking us to do whatever we can. The only recourse we have is protest,” she said.

The complainant explained that the reason she hurt herself was because the “University staff asked me questions about my character. They asked what kind of a girl I should be to stay up with boys to protest all night. It was very embarrassing.”

A witness who was suspended concurred with her and added that students had fought with the teacher as a handful of them who were failed by the faculty, passed with much higher marks on reevaluation. “So we were asking him to disclose our internal marks on the notice board as per procedure,” he said. University officials told Express that they suspended the students only after students refused to show up for discussions. “If they had a problem with the HOD, they should have written to the campus director or registrar. Instead, they directly entered protests. They did not attend any meetings we tried to organise,” a top official said.

The witness however argued that students were summoned by a committee that was enquiring the allegations submitted by the HOD against the students and not the other way around. The witness also showed the summon letter to this reporter. The complainant told Express that when the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) had summoned the students, she showed up. “However they asked very little about the harassment and sent me off,” she said.

The varsity official responding to this allegation said that while summoning the HOD, he was informed about the students’ allegations. “We want the interests of the students protected,” the official added. A member of the ICC, on condition of anonymity, said that the suspension had nothing to do with the complaint itself and was not issued by the ICC. “The ICC is yet to sign the official findings of the enquiry committee. So, I cannot comment on the sexual harassment yet,” the member said on Saturday night.

Hyderabad biryani comes to Mambalam

Hyderabad biryani comes to Mambalam

Amidst a range of delicious kebabs and heaps of soulful biryani (not to mention copious amounts of brinjal gravy), the chain’s 34th restaurant came to be.

Published: 22nd March 2021 01:18 AM 

The SS Hyderabad Biryani outlet in Brindavan Street is SS Biryani’s 34th branch. | Debadatta Mallick

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: In a no-fuss, no-frills ceremony reminiscent of a close-knit family affair, the SS Hyderabad Biryani clan on Saturday welcomed guests to their brand new outlet at Brindavan Street, Mambalam. Amidst a range of delicious kebabs and heaps of soulful biryani (not to mention copious amounts of brinjal gravy), the chain’s 34th restaurant came to be.

S Abdul Samad, the brand’s owner who was present at the launch, attending to each and every guest who showed up, commented that the outlet was strategically positioned to cater to the hungry shoppers who are left with few good options in the area.

“There are not many restaurants in this area. So, people finish shopping and leave. It is for them that we opened this outlet here. So that they can finish their shopping and stop here to get good food,” he explained.

Besides their usual biryani and meat fare, the outlet also has a range of options for vegetarians. You’ll also find the welcome addition of an assortment of beverages and loaded milkshakes. Like most of his outlets, this one too bears an array of antique pistols and daggers on display as part of the decor. Ask him why this peculiar choice for a biryani chain and he goes, “Usually people have pictures of food.

But, the food we put on the table would be good enough to make you smile; that’s what we focus on. As you wait for the food to arrive, we thought these vintage weapons may draw your interest.” Samad plans to instal a food bank that will offer free food for those in need soon after Easter, he shared.

Can you eat meat, drink or smoke after getting the jab?

Can you eat meat, drink or smoke after getting the jab?

As the vaccination drive gains popularity, manifold post-vaccine care instructions, scientific and otherwise, are fed to the people.

Published: 22nd March 2021 03:21 AM | Last Updated: 22nd March 2021 

Health workers advising people before taking swab samples at Rajiv Gandhi GH | DEBADATTA MALLICK

By Sushmitha Ramakrishnan

Express News Service

CHENNAI: As the vaccination drive gains popularity, manifold post-vaccine care instructions, scientific and otherwise, are fed to the people. Given that many of these instructions seem extremely common, separating disinformation from official guidelines has become hard.

Rajendran, a 62-year-old farmer who got his first jab of vaccination at a rural Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Chengalpattu, a week ago was advised not to drink after he got his second jab. “I was told the vaccine won’t work if I drink,” he said. Meanwhile, in the heart of Chennai, Kalyan*, a journalist in his thirties was informed by the nurse administering the vaccine that he should not drink, smoke or eat meat for 48 hours. His friend, who was vaccinated at an affluent private hospital, was advised to not drink or “eat any non-vegetarian food,” for a week.

So, which advice is right and what should people follow? First things first, there are no dietary restrictions advised by the government along with the vaccine so far. “There are no tangible scientific studies that have shown that non-vegetarian food makes the vaccine ineffective. So people need not stop eating meat to get the vaccine,” said State Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan. Also, there are no approved scientific studies that quantifies the effect of alcohol or smoking on vaccination either.

However, this does not mean it is advisable to get drunk to celebrate getting the first jab. Here’s why: Vaccinations often cause mild flu-like symptoms including fever, chills, headache and nausea. Alcohol tends to aggravate and worsen these symptoms making the experience unpleasant for those getting vaccinated. “Alcohol also affects the body’s immune system negatively and there is a chance that the immune response to the vaccine may not be as effective if there is excessive alcohol in the system,” said Dr P Kuganantham, senior epidemiologist and a member of the State Special Task Force against Covid-19.

“One may feel less sick if they avoid drinking and smoking a week before and after getting the vaccine,” he recommended. The same is true of tobacco consumption. It tends to affect the immune system and therefore may render the vaccine relatively less effective. While the correlation has not been scientifically studied, it is known that smoking does worsen the risk associated with Covid-19 itself.

Kuganantham said that scientifically, there is few pre- and post-vaccination care some people should take. “People on steroids and blood thinners can stop their medications for two days before and two days after the jab to prevent adverse side-effects. If someone has had an anapholatic shock to a vaccine, they should inform their physician and be more careful,” he said. He added that the most important thing to do post-vaccination is to continue wearing masks, maintaining social distance and avoid touching surfaces.

தந்தையின் இரண்டாவது திருமணத்தை மகள் எதிர்க்கலாம்' - மும்பை உயர் நீதிமன்றம்

தந்தையின் இரண்டாவது திருமணத்தை மகள் எதிர்க்கலாம்' - மும்பை உயர் நீதிமன்றம்

மு.ஐயம்பெருமாள்

புகுந்த வீட்டுக்கு வரும் மனைவியைப் பாதுகாப்பது கணவனின் முழுபொறுப்பு என்று மும்பை உயர் நீதிமன்றம் தெரிவித்துள்ளது.

மும்பையைச் சேர்ந்த சுக்ராம் என்பவர் தன் மனைவியை வரதட்சணை விவகாரத்தில் கொலை செய்துவிட்டார். இது தொடர்பான வழக்கை விசாரித்த கீழ் கோர்ட், குற்றவாளிக்கு 10 ஆண்டுகள் சிறைத்தண்டனை விதித்து உத்தரவிட்டது. இதை எதிர்த்து சுக்ராம் மும்பை உயர் நீதிமன்றத்தில் மேல் முறையீடு செய்தார். இவ்வழக்கு நீதிபதிகள் ஜாதனா ஜாதவ் மற்றும் போர்க்கர் ஆகியோர் அடங்கிய டிவிஷன் பெஞ்ச் முன்பு விசாரணைக்கு வந்தது.

இவ்வழக்கு விசாரணையின்போது கருத்து தெரிவித்த நீதிபதி ஜாதனா ஜாதவ், 'பெண் திருமணமாகி கணவன் வீட்டுக்கு வந்துவிட்டால் அப்பெண்ணின் பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் நலன் ஆகிய இரண்டுக்கும் கணவனே முழுப்பொறுப்பு ஆவார்.

தன்னைத் திருமணம் செய்துகொள்பவரின் மீது முழு நம்பிக்கை வைத்துதான் தன் பெற்றோர் வீட்டைவிட்டு பெண் கணவன் வீட்டுக்கு வருகிறார். அப்படிப்பட்டவரை பாதுகாப்பது கணவனின் பொறுப்பு.

ஆனால், திருமணமாகிச் செல்லும் வீட்டில் வரதட்சணை மரணங்கள், தற்கொலைகள் போன்றவை நடக்கின்றன. இந்த வழக்கிலும் கணவன் தன் மனைவியை பாதுகாக்க வேண்டியது தனது கடமை என்பதை உணரவில்லை. மனைவியை கொலை செய்திருக்கிறார். மேலும், இதன் மூலம் அவர்களின் குழந்தைக்கும் தாயின் அன்பு கிடைக்காமல் போய்விட்டது.

இக்கொலையை மறைக்கவும், கொலை செய்யப்பட்ட மனைவியின் வீட்டாரை சமாதானம் செய்யவும், மனைவியின் அம்மாவுக்கு ஒன்றரை ஏக்கர் நிலம் கொடுப்பதாகக் கூறி, விசாரணையை திசைதிருப்பப் பார்த்துள்ளார்' என்று கண்டனங்களைத் தெரிவித்துள்ளார். அதோடு, கீழ் கோர்ட் கொடுத்த 10 ஆண்டுகள் சிறைத்தண்டனை தீர்ப்பை உறுதிசெய்து நீதிபதிகள் உத்தரவிட்டனர்.

தந்தையின் இரண்டாவது திருமணத்தை மகள் எதிர்க்க முடியும்!

இந்நிலையில் மும்பை உயர் நீதிமன்றத்தில் மற்றொரு வழக்கு, நீதிபதிகள் தனுகா மற்றும் ஜி.பிஜித் ஆகியோர் அடங்கிய டிவிஷன் பெஞ்ச் முன்பு விசாரணைக்கு வந்தது. 66 வயதாகும் வத்சலா என்ற பெண், தன் தந்தையின் இரண்டாவது திருமணத்தை எதிர்த்து மனு செய்ய தனக்கு உரிமை இல்லை என்று குடும்ப நீதிமன்றம் தெரிவித்த உத்தரவை எதிர்த்து தாக்கல் செய்திருந்த மனு அது. அம்மனுவில், 'என் தந்தை 2003-ம் ஆண்டு இரண்டாவது திருமணம் செய்துகொண்டார். 2016-ம் ஆண்டு என் தந்தை இறந்துவிட்டார். அவரின் இரண்டாவது மனைவி, தனது முதல் திருமண கணவரை முறைப்படி விவாகரத்து செய்யாமல் என் தந்தையைத் திருமணம் செய்து இருக்கிறார். எனவே, இத்திருமணத்தைச் செல்லாது என்று அறிவிக்க வேண்டும்' என்று கேட்டு இருந்தார்.

இதை விசாரித்த நீதிபதிகள், 'மனுதாரர் தந்தையின் இரண்டாவது மனைவி, முறைப்படி தன் முதல் திருமணத்தை விவாகரத்து மூலம் முறித்துக்கொள்ளாமல் இரண்டாவது திருமணம் செய்துள்ளார். அது குறித்து தெரிய வந்தவுடன் உடனே கோர்ட்டை அணுகி இருக்கிறார் மனுதாரர். இதுபோன்ற சூழ்நிலையில் தந்தை இறந்திருப்பதால், அவரின் மகள் தந்தையின் இரண்டாவது திருமணத்தை எதிர்த்துக் கேள்வி கேட்க உரிமை இருக்கிறது. எனவே, மனுதாரரின் மனுவை புதிதாக பரிசீலிக்கும்படி குடும்ப நல நீதிமன்றத்துக்கு உயர் நீதிமன்றம் உத்தரவிடுகிறது' என்று தீர்ப்பளித்தனர்.

Six booked for forging community certificates in Salem

Six booked for forging community certificates in Salem

The alleged forgery came to light when revenue officials conducted an inquiry following several petitions at the Madras High Court.

Published: 20th March 2021 03:15 PM 

By Express News Service

SALEM: Six persons including a medical college student and a government staffer were booked for allegedly faking ST community certificates on Friday.

The alleged forgery came to light when revenue officials conducted an inquiry following several petitions at the Madras High Court. The pleas were filed separately by R Suseela and S Jayanthi, both residents of Kolathur, seeking ST community certificates for their children claiming that they were part of the Konda Reddi community.

After the court directed the district administration to look into the matter, revenue officials found that the documents were allegedly faked. While Suseela’s community certificate did not match government records, Jayanthi had allegedly produced a fake ST certificate to secure a medical seat for her daughter. Meanwhile, V Saranya, a resident of Thokkanampatti, allegedly created a fake ST certificate to secure a government job. Based on complaints from VAOs, the Salem rural police filed cases against the women and their family members.

Meanwhile, members of the community claim that they were wrongfully denied community certificates by revenue officials as they were mistaken for the Reddiar community, who belong to the BC category. Speaking to Express, Sanjeev of Kolathur Block Konda Reddis Welfare Association said that the community members had been denied ST certificates since 1989. "Tahsildars issued the certificates until 1989, after which the power was transferred to RDOs. Since then, revenue officials who come for field inspection, mistake us for the Reddi community,” he said, adding that Kondi Reddi people live in Salem, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri and Tirunelveli districts. Around 100 people from the community have also planned to contest in the Mettur Assembly constituency to highlight the issue, out of which 38 have filed their nominations so far.

As the certificates were denied to the community, the members had to approach the Madras HC. "Since 1989, ST community certificates have been issued to only 42 persons after approaching court,” he said. In 2019, although the court had ordered the issue of community certificates for 38 people, the revenue department has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against that High Court order, he added. “The certificates were not faked. They were issued by revenue officials only."

Daughter Has Every Locus To Question Validity Of Father's Second Marriage: Bombay High Court

Daughter Has Every Locus To Question Validity Of Father's Second Marriage: Bombay High Court: On Wednesday, the Bombay High Court authoritatively ruled that a daughter could present a petition challenging the validity of her parent(s)' second marriage. A Division Bench of Justices VG...

‘Can’t donate blood for two months after first vax shot’

‘Can’t donate blood for two months after first vax shot’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai  20.03.2021 

Those who take the Covid-19 vaccine cannot donate blood for nearly two months. The National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC) has recently released guidelines stating that one cannot donate blood from the day of taking the first dose of the vaccine till 28 days after the second dose.

Since there is a minimum gap of 28 days between the two doses, the period one cannot donate blood stretches up to a minimum of 57 days. The NBTC issued a notification on March 5 stating, “28 days post vaccination deferral after the last dose of Covid-19 vaccination, irrespective of the type of vaccine received”.

Dr Sunil Gupta, director of NBTC, told TOI a technical research group has taken the decision based on existing recommendations concerning blood donation and vaccination. “The group has studied the donation gap that exists after one is vaccinated with an inactivated as well as live attenuated virus and thought 28 days was a safe window,” he said. He added while none of the vaccines currently given in the country are live, the 28-day gap was decided since there have been reports of fever, body pain, among other post vaccination after-effects.

Covaxin is an inactivated vaccine that contains the killed coronavirus virus, while Covishield is a recombinant vaccine that has a small piece of the virus’s DNA.

A senior blood transfusion expert questioned the deferral period saying if none were live vaccines why stop people from donating blood. “In the US, there is a deferral time of 2 weeks only for those vaccinated with a live attenuated virus and not an inactivated one such as Covaxin,” he said. Dr Gupta said the deferral period may be reviewed as and when more evidence emerges.