I give you the absolute freedom to choose me as your supreme leader

STORYBOARD

I give you the absolute freedom to choose me as your supreme leader

ARUN RAM

12.04.2021

On Saturday, four days after the Tamil Nadu assembly election, the Madras high court made some interesting observations on a public interest litigation seeking an instruction to political parties to conduct their internal elections before the assembly election. “The petitioner’s sentiment has to be respected as it revealed the highest regard for democratic principles,” the court said, disposing of the petition which was now infructuous since the election had been conducted.

Nothing may come out of such petitions, but they come as occasional reminders of how autocratic our political parties are; they hold a mirror to the reality that the parties that wax eloquent about democracy do not practise it internally. And this is not to say that only those parties accused of practising dynasty politics (and there are plenty of them) are autocratic. In fact, the Congress, which still cannot think beyond the Nehru-Gandhi family for leadership, has a much more liberal intra-party democracy than the BJP. But members of the Congress have used this liberty to foster factionalism that has systematically eaten the innards of the organisation.

The BJP, on the other hand, takes pride in not promoting dynastic succession (though close to 15% of its MPs since 2009 come from BJP families) but its leadership is often handpicked by the RSS or a handful of seniors in the party. The same is the case with virtually every party, where the lowerlevel units and cadres have no say in the selection of the leadership. The communist parties in the 1980s and 1990s conducted internal polls to select committees, but it turned out to be a farce as often the incumbents introduced ‘official panels’ and those comrades who voted for someone outside the panel were shown the door.

In Tamil Nadu, the DMK, AIADMK, PMK, VCK, MDMK, DMDK and all those katchis and kazhagams were born and grew around personalities and most of them have a strong dynastic culture. The MNM, that came three years ago with the promise of change, has anointed founder Kamal Haasan as the ‘supreme leader’ and ‘perennial president’. It is only incidental and by force of circumstances that the AIADMK of late ceased to be entirely unipolar.

A leader who commands respect and shows conviction and direction is not just a prerequisite for a robust party, but also an inspiration for the public, but the problem is we often confuse a strong leader with an autocrat (an autocrat is always strong, but all strong leaders need not be autocrats). While hearing the recent petition, the Madras high court alluded to the US presidential form of leadership, but was silent on the fact that the US president is all-powerful once he attains the post, but the process has several layers of democratic checks and balances. The US and Germany have laws that mandate secret ballots for internal party elections.

It was not the first time the Madras high court had heard a plea for internal democracy in parties. In November 2019, the high court dismissed (as withdrawn) a writ petition from an AIADMK member who sought party polls. The court said it could not entertain the case and asked the litigant to file a civil suit if he so wished. The Election Commission of India said the law did not permit it to interfere with the internal affairs of a political party.

In an earlier column on dynasty politics, I argued that selecting a political progeny is the internal matter of a party; this one is to argue that the internal matter does not follow the democratic process. Am I complaining? If this is how the political circus is conducted, pass the popcorn, please.

arun.ram@timesgroup.com

toi_arunram

There is no anti-incumbency. I had set up teams of 10 members each to canvas 100 voters and get them to booth on polling day — K P Anbalagan, TN HIGHER EDUCATION MINISTER POKER FACE We have enough masks after the result

TNPSC to conduct exams online

TNPSC to conduct exams online

Chennai:12.04.2021

The Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) will conduct the departmental examinations, which are held twice a year, through online mode from June this year. "To streamline the conduct of departmental examinations, the TNPSC is introducing online examinations from June 2021," the commission said in a release. While the objective-type tests will be held online, the descriptive tests will continue in the existing model of written examination. The computerbased online test will be conducted from June 22 to 26. The descriptive-type written test will be conducted from June 27 onwards. TNN

Weekend curbs fail as crowds flock to city beaches maskless

Weekend curbs fail as crowds flock to city beaches maskless

Sands, Service Lane Off Limits, Walkers Crowd Pavement

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:12,04.2021

It would be comical if it weren’t so dangerous. The government shut the Marina beach to keep crowds, and thus Covid, away. So morning walkers crowded the pavement along Kamarajar Salai (see photograph). Normally, the crowds would have been divided between the pavement and the service road along the beach and social distancing would have been better observed.

Policemen were posted at MRTS stations and other approach roads to the Marina to dissuade people from going to the beach. But Sunday crowds were in no mood to listen.

Some enterprising souls ventured on to the sands claiming they were there to buy fish. Cops in beach buggies and on horseback chased them away.

Even those who came to the Namma Chennai selfie point in groups were asked to leave.

Similar scenes were witnessed at other beaches in the city including Elliots at Besant Nagar and Thiruvanmiyur. If they were not allowed on the sands, people crowded where they could. Social distancing was no one’s concern.

As the positive cases rose, the state government banned entry of public in all the beaches in Chennai, Chengalpet and Tiruvallur districts on all weekends, and on all government holidays to prevent spread of the second wave.

Barricades have been erected and police pickets posted in all the beaches to prevent public entry. As many as 250 policemen were posted for security both on sands and service road to avoid people from gathering at the Marina.

“We barricaded the stretches from Napier bridge to Srinivasapuram. The beaches on Sunday had additional deployment. We kept making announcements through the public address system to keep people from gathering at the beaches,” said deputy commissioner, East, V Balakrishnan.

“I came to my sister’s home in Vysarpadi, so I decided to see Marina beach with my family. I did not know the new restrictions until the police stopped me,” says Mariappan, a resident of Villupuram.

Residents complained that they were being kept away from beaches at a time when the summer heat is intensifying. But no one appeared worried about crowding in the midst of a pandemic. Frustrated policemen and policewomen were left to chase after people who really should know better.

IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS: Additional police personnel were posted at the city beaches on Sunday, but walkers and other beachgoers feigned innocence and said they weren’t aware of the new ban to visit beaches. Most weren’t wearing masks either, one year since it was made mandatory

V-C completes tenure; no clarity on his successor

V-C completes tenure; no clarity on his successor

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:12.04.2021

M K Surappa on Sunday completed an eventful three-year tenure as vice-chancellor of Anna University. With no syndicate committee formed to run the routine affairs of the state’s premier technical university in the absence of a head, the state governmentisexpectedtomakealternate arrangements on Monday.

“The government may form a committee to run the routine affairs of the university till the new vice-chancellor is appointed,” an official said.

However, sources said an extension of the tenure for Surappa till the new V-C is appointed also cannot be ruled out.

The governor's office also sought a list of senior professors from the university, which set off rumours that a senior professor would be appointed as an officiating vice-chancellor. However, university officials said there is no provision in the university rules to appoint an officiating vice-chancellor.

Faculty members from the university were expecting that Surappa would get an extension on his last working day. However, no communication was sent to the university till Sunday evening.

A three member vice-chancellor search committee headed by JNU vice-chancellor M Jagadish Kumar has been formed to select the new vicechancellor to Anna University. Madras University former vice-chancellor S P Thyagarajan, former IAS officer Sheela Rani Chungath are the other two members of the committee.

There will be a briefing meeting with the chancellor and a nodal officer will be appointed. Through the nodal officer an advertisement would be given. Giving them around up to 30 days.

“The search committee meeting isyettotakeplace.The committee will need at least five weeks time to shortlist a panel of names for V-C post,” a source said.

As per practice, the nodal officer of thesearchcommittee will give advertisements inviting applications. After that the committee will shortlist ten candidates and conduct an interview before recommending three names to the governor.

During his three year tenure, professor Surappa took several measures to improve transparency in administration and bettered the quality of engineering education.

Pvt colleges seek easing of norms for new courses

Pvt colleges seek easing of norms for new courses

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:12.04.2021

Private engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu have petitioned the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to relax the 50% admissions norm to start new courses. In its approval process handbook for 2021-22, the AICTE stated that new courses will be allowed only in case of more than 50% over all enrollment in the last year.

Consortium of Self-Financing Professional, Arts and Science Colleges in Tamil Nadu has got the interim stay against the new regulation at the Madras high court. The last date to apply for new courses with AICTE is April  13.

With just two days left for applying to new courses, the consortium sent representation to the AICTE to give relaxation as per the court order.

“Most students are aspiring for admission only to employment oriented or emerging areas like artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, cyber security among others. The existing traditional courses do not have demand and they are not attracting students. Due to the poor admission in traditional engineering courses, most of the colleges can't satisfy the new condition imposed in the approval process handbook,” P Selvaraj, secretary of the consortium said in his representation to the AICTE.

He further said the present situation compels the colleges to apply for additional courses in emerging areas for their survival and effective utilisation of infrastructure facilities.

“Without other options, for the benefit of our member institutions, the consortium resorted to legal course and got the interim stay order against the new rule. We request the AICTE to grant exemption from the new condition imposed in APH 2021-22 to our member institutions and to give permission to apply on the web portal for new courses,” Selvaraj said in the representation.

Due to poor admissions, as many as 109 technical institutions, including 88 engineering colleges, in Tamil Nadu have stopped admitting new students in the last three years as running these institutions is no longer feasible for them.

The present situation compels institutions to apply for additional courses in emerging areas for their survival

After 7 mths, new TN cases cross 6,000; 2,124 infections in Chennai on Sunday

After 7 mths, new TN cases cross 6,000; 2,124 infections in Chennai on Sunday

Toll 2nd Highest In Country After Maharashtra

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:12.04.2021

After 225 days, fresh Covid-19 cases in Tamil Nadu crossed the 6,000-mark on Sunday, with the state recording 6,618 new cases on a single day. The state last crossed the figure on August 30,2020. Chennai continued to report the maximum number of new cases (2,124) and deaths (12), with 15,761 cases currently active in the district.

With 22 people succumbing to the infection in 24 hours, the state’s death toll increased to 12,909 — second highest in the country after Maharashtra (57,638). Twenty of the 22 victims had comorbidities such as diabetes or hypertension. Tamil Nadu had targeted to vaccinate 1.3 crore people since inception of the drive on January 16, but as on Sunday, only 37,80,070 have been vaccinated across 4,328 centres. On Sunday, 47,205 people got their shots. At present, there are 41,955 Covid-19 patients undergoing treatment across the state.

NO ENTRY: The Marina was out of bounds for visitors on Sunday

Adverse events guidelines soon

The Centre is expected to soon issue guidelines on adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) to help identify and treat unusual signs and symptoms in cases of ‘serious and severe’ instances like rare blood clots. Some of these events were reported in European countries after administration of AstraZeneca-Oxford University’s Covid-19 vaccine. In India, the national committee on AEFI is re-examining 700 ‘serious and severe’ AEFIs reported after people received Covid-19 jabs. Results of the study will be part of the guidelines that may be out this week, report Sushmi Dey & Durgesh Nandan Jha. P9

Cases on rise in city’s neighbouring districts

With 2,314 people walking out of home quarantine or being discharged from hospitals in one day, TN’s recovery rate has dropped from 98% in March 1, to 97.66% on April 1 to 95.78% to 94.5% on Sunday.

At present, there are 41,955 Covid-19 patients undergoing treatment across the state, and beds in government hospitals are getting occupied fast. Of the 4,300-odd beds in five major government hospitals in Chennai including the Rajiv Gandhi GH and Omandurar hospital, around 2,300 were occupied by Covid-19 patients, according to official data.

Though Marina was out of bounds for visitors in the city, Royapuram fish market was overcrowded. Welfare camps set up by political parties in the city were no exceptions, either. Cases were on the rise in Chennai’s neighbouring districts of Chengalpattu (631), Kancheepuram (206) and Thiruvallur (296).

Following Chennai and Chengalpattu, Coimbatore (617 ) stood third in the state’s daily infection chart. As a result, checks have been intensified at the interstate border with Kerala (Walayar) in the district. In other road borders, railway stations, ports and airports too, covid teams were deployed to collect samples of suspected cases. So far, 38.8 lakh people were screened before entry into the state and 7,446 had tested positive. In Madurai (173) and Trichy (154), the cases have grown by an average of at least 0.5% over the past two weeks. In central and northern Tamil Nadu, too, the situation has turned worse. At least 16 districts have reported 100 cases or more.

Man lights cig after using sanitiser, injured in fire

Man lights cig after using sanitiser, injured in fire

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:12.04.2021

A 50-year-old carpenter is being treated for severe burns he suffered at his Ashok Nagar residence on Saturday night. Ruban had lit a cigarette minutes after cleaning his hands with a sanitiser and a spark fell on his shirt and triggered a fire, police said.

A senior officer, based on a statement from the man’s family members, said Ruban had reached his house at Pudhur in Ashok Nagar late after work and immediately used a sanitiser to clean his hands. A few drops spilled on his shirt and a family member informed him of this, but Ruban said he would change his shirt anyway after a bath and went to the washroom. There he lit a cigarette, some sparks fell on his shirt and he was soon enveloped in flames, the officer said.

He cried out for help and his family members rushed in and took him to the Government Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital where his condition is said to be critical. The man suffered burns to the face, neck, chest, abdomen and both hands, the officer said.

Doctors said a sanitiser evaporates 2-3 seconds after application and so poses little direct threat, but added that creating a flame or lighting a cigarette immediately after using it can be risky.

Dr Sivalingam of a private hospital in Porur stressed that hand sanitisers, though absolutely essential at this time, need to be handled with care. “The high ethyl alcohol content of up to 62% makes a hand sanitiser highly flammable. Never use sanitisers near a fire or a heated place. It is always advisable to use a limited quantity and allow it to dry,” he said.

Alcohol-based sanitisers pose no great risk on the skin because they evaporate in seconds, he said. “People can cook or use a sanitiser near a flame, but need to be careful,” he pointed out.

Pass order on seats of nursing college: HC

Pass order on seats of nursing college: HC

K.Kaushik@timesgroup.com

Madurai:12.04.2021

The Madras high court has directed the state government to pass final orders allowing Christian College of Nursing in Kanyakumari district to seek approval to enhance intake of students in its undergraduate course, as the director of medical education had approved the same in 2017. The court further directed Nursing Council of India to grant necessary approval to the college for enhancement of students intake.

Justice V Parthiban observed it was incomprehensible as to how the university could insist on the petitioner college to obtain ‘No Objection Certificate’ and permission from the state government as its own statute provides adequate power to deal with such claims. “The university appears to have not appreciated its own power vested in it under the regulations.”

The judge said the contention of the government regarding a GO passed in 2018, which requires its permission for enhancing seats, may not be a legally acceptable argument for the simple reason that a GO cannot be allowed to override a statutory provision of the university. TNN

பட்டா மாறுதல் மனுக்களை நிராகரிக்க அதிகாரிகள் புது வழி

பட்டா மாறுதல் மனுக்களை நிராகரிக்க அதிகாரிகள் புது வழி

Added : ஏப் 10, 2021 20:45

சென்னை:'வேறு பெயரில் பட்டா உள்ளது' என்ற காரணத்தை கூறி, பட்டா மாறுதல் விண்ணப்பங்களை, வருவாய் துறையினர் நிராகரிப்பதாக புகார் எழுந்துள்ளது.

தமிழகத்தில் சொத்து வாங்குவோர், பத்திரப்பதிவுக்கு பின், பட்டா பெயர் மாறுதலுக்கு விண்ணப்பிப்பது வழக்கம். 'இ - சேவை' இவ்வாறு விண்ணப்பிப்பவர்களை அலைக்கழிப்பதையே, வருவாய் துறையினர் வழக்கமாக வைத்துள்ளனர்.'இ - சேவை' மையங்கள் வாயிலாக, பட்டா பெயர் மாறுதலுக்கான விண்ணப்பங்களை பதிவு செய்யலாம்.

இவ்வாறு பதிவு செய்யப்படும் விண்ணப்பங்கள், நில அளவையாளர் மற்றும் கிராம நிர்வாக அலுவலருக்கு செல்லும். இந்த சமயத்தில், தரகர் வாயிலாகவோ அல்லது நேரடியாகவோ, சம்பந்தப்பட்ட அலுவலரை அணுகி உரிய முறையில், 'கவனித்தால்' மட்டுமே, சம்பந்தப்பட்ட விண்ணப்பங்கள், அடுத்த கட்டத்துக்கு செல்லும். தவறினால், விண்ணப்பங்கள் நிராகரிக்கப்படும்.

இந்நிலையில், பட்டா மாறுதல் கோரும் விண்ணப்பங்களை நிராகரிக்க, புதிய வழியை அதிகாரிகள் கண்டு பிடித்துள்ளனர். இதன்படி, 'வேறு பெயரில் பட்டா உள்ளது என்பதால், இந்த விண்ணப்பத்தை நிராகரிக்கிறோம்' என்று, பதில் அனுப்பப்படுகிறது.இது குறித்து, பாதிக்கப் பட்ட மக்கள் கூறியதாவது:பட்டாவில் வேறு பெயர் இருக்கிறது என்றால், அதை எப்படி புரிந்து கொள்வது என்று, தெரியவில்லை. சொத்தை கடைசியாக விற்றவர் பெயரில் பட்டா இருக்கும்.

குளறுபடி

சில சமயங்களில், சொத்தை விற்றவருக்கு முந்தைய உரிமையாளர் பெயரில் பட்டா இருக்கும். இவ்வாறு இருந்தால், அதற்கான கூடுதல் ஆவணங்களை கேட்க வேண்டும்.சொத்துக்கு தொடர்பில்லாத நபரின் பெயரில், பட்டா இருக்கிறது என்றால், அது யாருடைய தவறு என்பது, வருவாய் துறை அதிகாரிகளுக்கு தெரியாதா? அரசு தலையிட்டு, இது போன்ற குளறுபடிகளை தீர்க்க வேண்டும்.இவ்வாறு, அவர்கள் கூறினர்.

அனுப்புனர் முகவரி வேண்டாம் அஞ்சல் துறை அறிவுறுத்தல்

அனுப்புனர் முகவரி வேண்டாம் அஞ்சல் துறை அறிவுறுத்தல்

Added : ஏப் 10, 2021 22:33

சென்னை:'மத்திய ஊழல் கண்காணிப்பு ஆணையத்துக்கு அனுப்பப்படும் தபால்களில், அனுப்புனரின் பெயர், முகவரியை எழுத கட்டாயப்படுத்த வேண்டாம்' என, தபால் பதிவு ஊழியர்களுக்கு, அஞ்சல் துறை அறிவுறுத்தியுள்ளது.

'பொதுநலன் சார்ந்த புகார்' என்று கடித உறையின் மேல் தலைப்பிட்டு அனுப்பப்படும் தபால் களை பதிவு செய்வதற்கான வழிமுறைகளை, அஞ்சல் துறை வெளியிட்டுள்ளது. இதன்படி, 'மத்திய, தலைமை ஊழல் கண்காணிப்பு கமிஷனருக்கு அனுப்பப்படும் புகார் தொடர்பான பதிவு அல்லது விரைவு தபால்களை, அனுப்புனரின் பெயர், முகவரி, மொபைல் எண் மற்றும் மின்னஞ்சல் முகவரியின்றி பதிவு செய்யலாம்.

'இந்த புகார் தபால்களை பதிவு செய்யும்போது, அனுப்புனரின் தகவல்களை கட்டாயமாக எழுத, ஊழியர்கள் நிர்ப்பந்திக்க வேண்டாம். தபால்களை, சாப்ட்வேரில் பதிவு செய்யும் போது, அனுப்புனரின் பெயர், முகவரிக்கான பகுதியில், பொதுநலன் சார்ந்த தகவல் உள்ள தபால் என்பதை, பி.ஐ.டி.பி.ஐ., என, பதிவிட வேண்டும்' என, அஞ்சல் துறை அறிவுறுத்திஉள்ளது.

வீடு கட்ட முன்பணம் புது விதிகள் வெளியீடு

வீடு கட்ட முன்பணம் புது விதிகள் வெளியீடு

Added : ஏப் 10, 2021 20:46

சென்னை:அரசு ஊழியர்கள், வங்கிகள், நிதி நிறுவனங்களில் வாங்கிய வீட்டு கடனை, வீடு கட்டுவதற்கான முன்பண திட்டத்துக்கு மாற்ற, சில கூடுதல் விதிமுறைகள் அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன.

தமிழகத்தில், அரசு ஊழியர்கள் வீடு வாங்க, வீட்டுக்கடன் முன்பணம் வழங்கப்படுகிறது. மாநில அரசு ஊழியர்களுக்கு, 40 லட்சம் ரூபாயும், அகில இந்திய பணி அதிகாரிகளுக்கு, 60 லட்சம் ரூபாயும் வழங்கப்படும்.வங்கிகள், தனியார் நிதி நிறுவனங்களில், அரசு ஊழியர்கள் பெற்ற வீட்டுக் கடன்களை, வீடு கட்டும் முன்பணம் திட்டத்துக்கு மாற்ற அனுமதி வழங்கப் பட்டு உள்ளது. இதற்கான விதிமுறைகள் இடம் பெற்ற அரசாணை, பிப்., 2ல் வெளியிடப்பட்டது.

இதில், சில கூடுதல் விதிகள் சேர்க்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. இதன்படி, வங்கிகளில் வாங்கிய வீட்டுக் கடனை, முன்பண திட்டத்துக்கு மாற்றும் போது ஒப்புதல் வழங்கும் அதிகாரிகள், சில குறிப்பிட்ட விஷயங்களில், கூடுதல் கவனம் செலுத்த வேண்டும்.அதாவது, சம்பந்தப்பட்ட வீட்டு கடன் முழுமையாக வீடு வாங்க அல்லது கட்டுவதற்கு மட்டுமே பயன்படுத்தப்பட்டதாக இருக்க வேண்டும்.

அரசு வழங்கும் முன்பண தொகைக்கு, உரிய அளவில் தான், நிலுவை இருக்க வேண்டும். அரசு ஊழியர்கள், வங்கி, நிதி நிறுவனங்களில் வீட்டு கடன் பெற்ற போது, வீடு கட்டும் முன்பணம் சலுகை பெற தகுதி உடையவராக இருக்க வேண்டும். இது போன்ற சில விதிமுறைகள் சேர்க்கப்பட்டுள்ளன.இது குறித்து, வீட்டு வசதி மற்றும் நகர்ப்புற வளர்ச்சி துறை செயலர் டி.கார்த்திகேயன், அனைத்து துறைகளுக்கும் கடிதம் எழுதி உள்ளார்.

He sold fish, worked as a mason to earn PhD

He sold fish, worked as a mason to earn PhD

- The Times Of India

Kevin.Mendonsa@timesgroup.com

Mangaluru:

When he was admitted to class one, Niyaz Panakaje’s parents were too poor to afford even his schoolbooks and a bag. But instead of getting disheartened, the little boy went over to a neighbour and offered to work as a domestic help to arrange the money for school.

Ever since, he has been juggling odd jobs to stay the course. The journey ended well and glorious on Saturday when Niyaz, now a 29-yearold confident youth, was awarded the PhD in Commerce at the 39th convocation of Mangalore University. Poverty has been the only constant companion of Niyaz’s family.

His father, despite ailments, worked as a daily wager while his mother Zubaida rolled beedis to look after the couple’s eight children —four girls and four boys. “I was the youngest child. I had a strong will to get educated and become a teacher. And I knew poverty was going to stand in my way. I realised early on that going out and working was the only option I had,” said Niyaz, a resident of Panakaje in Madanthyar of Belthangady taluk.

From selling fish to working as a mason and driver, there are quite a few jobs that Niyaz has done to keep himself afloat. “In class one, I worked as a domestic help in a neighbour’s house. Later, I worked as a daily wager and mason, and took up work related to building rings for wells,” he recalled. In high school and PU, Niyaz worked in paddy fields and delivered newspapers.

Niyaz completed his M.Com at St Agnes College. He enrolled for PhD in 2016 under Abbokar Siddiq, associate professor and coordinator at the Department of PG Studies in Commerce, University College, Mangaluru.

“I was entitled for a scholarship of ₹25,000 but it was never credited on time. For the first two years of my PhD, I sold fish in Madanthyar and also transported fish to Kerala. I also worked as a mason. I never felt ashamed of the work I had to do to realise my dream,” he beamed.

He was regular in his PhD studies and completed it in five years. In college, he worked as an auto driver from 7-9am and then 4-8pm. During his MCom days, Niyaz took up a part-time job as a receptionist in two lodges. He even got a free stay in one of the lodges.

He guides PhD candidates on course work. Niyaz was awarded a PhD for his work ‘Role of Co-operative Banking in Socio-Economic Development of Rural Muslim Communities- A study in DK District of Karnataka’. He is currently working as an assistant professor of commerce at Srinivas University.

Picture

For the first two years of my PhD, I sold fish in Madanthyar and also transported fish to Kerala. I also worked as a mason. I never felt ashamed of the work I had to do to realise my dream

NIYAZ PANAKAJE

PhD student

Beaches closed on weekends

Beaches closed on weekends

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

11.04.2021 

All beaches in Chennai, Chengalpet and Kanchipuram districts will be off limits to the public on weekends and all government holidays from April 11.

The government said religious places can stay open up to 10 pm provided they follow all norms. But they cannot conduct fairs or hold religious congregations Cinema halls and multiplexes can hold an additional show besides the permitted four but occupancy remains capped at 50 %, an official release said.

The civic body was confident about managing crowds at the city’s 80 markets apart from Koyambedu. Corporation commissioner G Prakash said the challenge remains regulating the crowded Kasimedu fishing harbour. “The big challenge is to achieve balance between public health and livelihood and we have to consider the livelihood of 24,000 fishermen there,” Prakash said.

On Saturday, few people wore masks or maintained social distancing at several markets in the city such as Kothavalchavadi, Broadway, Zam Bazaar.

Retire nine IAS officers who led TRB: Info panel - The Times Of India

Retire nine IAS officers who led TRB: Info panel - The Times Of India

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:11.04.2021 

In an unprecedented order, the state information commission has recommended that the state government compulsorily retire nine IAS officers who had headed the Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB) from 2011 to 2019. This is for "not discharging their duty with accountability and transparency", said an order passed by Information Commissioner S Muthuraj on March 25.

Muthuraj wrote to the state chief secretary recommending action against Surjit K Chaudhary, Vibhu Nayar, Kakarla Usha, D Jagannathan, K Srinivasan, K Nandakumar, S Jayandhi, N Venkatesh and G Latha. When TOI asked chief secretary Rajeev Ranjan about the order, he said: "We will examine and take appropriate suitable action after getting the recommendations." However, officials said information commission do not have powers to recommend compulsory retirement of IAS officers. "This is a very, very weird order. It was passed without any application of mind," said Surjit Chaudhary, who was the chairman of TRB from 2011to 2014. The board has recruited around 40,000 teachers during his tenure and he retired five years ago.

"The information commission can recommend disciplinary action against only the information officers designated as per the RTI Act if they do not provide information. Further, they cannot prescribe the punishment as it is the prerogative of the state government. In the case of IAS officers, the disciplinary authority is the Government of India," he said. "Despite holding powers, the chairmen failed to correct the wrong questions and answer keys and did not provide relief to the candidates. Due to the lack of accountability from the subject experts, professors, and higher officials of TRB, the recruitment exams are cancelled, thereby wasting the resources of the government," Muthuraj said in his order. Further, the commission as per the RTI Act has added the TRB chairman as the public information officer and directed him to provide the information sought by the petitioner within 20 days.

11new TN med colleges await NMC inspection

11new TN med colleges await NMC inspection

- The Times Of India

Panel Visit Likely In A Few Weeks

Chennai:11.04.2021 

The Tamil Nadu government is awaiting approval from the National Medical Commission (NMC) to launch from 2021, undergraduate medical programmes in the 11newly constructed medical colleges, the directorate of medical education said here on Saturday. If the state gets the approval, TN will add 1,650 seats to the undergraduate seat matrix, taking the tally to 5,200 seats in government medical colleges.

On Saturday, director of medical education Dr R Narayanababu said that the state is expecting an inspection committee from NMC, the apex medical body regulating medical education, to visit these colleges in the next few weeks.

As part of the mission to increase the number of medical colleges across the country, the Centre had granted permission to Tamil Nadu to launch 11 new medical colleges in the districts of Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar, Dindigul, The Nilgiris, Ariyalur, Nagapattinam, Kallakurichi, Tiruvallur, Tirupur, Namakkal and Krishnagiri. TNN

The move will help expand tertiary care

Chennai: “We are confident of getting nod for all colleges because we have fulfilled all requirements,” Narayanababu said.

The construction of the academic blocks has been nearly completed. “Though the NMC demands only a 350-bed hospital, we have a functioning 700-750 bed hospital in each of these colleges. Deans, doctors and faculty have joined duty. We now have the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University affiliation for all colleges,” Narayanababu said. The anatomy, physiology and biochemistry labs, library, hostels — required for first year students — have been completed. “Some minor civil work such as electrical lines and plumbing is being carried out now. It will be completed soon,” he said.

TN has allotted ₹2,470.93 crore in the 2021 interim budget for the colleges. With this, most districts in the state will have at least one government medical college. Besides increasing seats, the colleges would help expand tertiary care. “We will now be able to provide quality medical training at affordable cost and offer specialty and super specialty care to people living in the areas free of cost,” said health secretary J Radhakrishnan.

Compassionate Employment Cannot Be Granted After A Lapse Of Reasonable Period: Supreme Court

Compassionate Employment Cannot Be Granted After A Lapse Of Reasonable Period: Supreme Court: The Supreme Court observed that compassionate employment cannot be granted after a lapse of reasonable period.Consideration of such employment is not a vested right which can be exercised at any...

ஓட்டளிக்காத 1.70 கோடி பேர் தேர்தல் கமிஷன் பட்டியல்

ஓட்டளிக்காத 1.70 கோடி பேர் தேர்தல் கமிஷன் பட்டியல்

Added : ஏப் 09, 2021 23:05

சென்னை:தமிழகத்தில் நடந்த சட்டசபை தேர்தலில், 1.70 கோடி பேர் ஓட்டளிக்கவில்லை; அவர்களின் பட்டியலை, தேர்தல் கமிஷன் தயாரித்து உள்ளது.

தமிழக சட்டசபை தேர்தல், 6ம் தேதி நடந்து முடிந்தது. தமிழகத்தில், 3.09 கோடி ஆண்கள்; 3.19 கோடி பெண்கள்; 7,192 மூன்றாம் பாலினத்தவர் என, மொத்தம், 6.28 கோடி வாக்காளர்கள் உள்ளனர். சட்டசபை தேர்தலில், 72.81 சதவீதம் ஓட்டுகள் பதிவாகின. அதாவது, 2.26 கோடி ஆண்கள்; 2.31 கோடி பெண்கள்; 1,419 மூன்றாம் பாலினத்தவர் என, மொத்தம், 4.57 கோடி பேர் ஓட்டளித்தனர். ஒரு கோடியே, 70 லட்சத்து, 93 ஆயிரத்து, 644 பேர் ஓட்டளிக்கவில்லை.

கடந்த, 2016 சட்டசபை தேர்தலில், 74.26 சதவீதம் ஓட்டுகள் பதிவாகின. அப்போது, 4.28 கோடி வாக்காளர்கள் ஓட்டளித்தனர். கடந்த, 2016 தேர்தலை விட, இந்த தேர்தலில், 29.02 லட்சம் வாக்காளர்கள் கூடுதலாக ஓட்டளித்துள்ளனர். இம்முறை வாக்காளர்கள் எண்ணிக்கை அதிகரித்ததால், ஓட்டு போட்டவர்கள் எண்ணிக்கை அதிகரித்தாலும், ஓட்டுப்பதிவு சதவீதம் குறைவாக உள்ளது. தேர்தலில் ஓட்டு போட்டவர்கள் விபரம் பதிவு செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இதன் வழியே, ஓட்டளிக்காதவர்கள் விபரம், தேர்தல் கமிஷனுக்கு கிடைத்துள்ளது.ஓட்டுப்பதிவு சதவீதம் குறைந்ததற்கான காரணம் குறித்து, தமிழக தலைமை தேர்தல் அதிகாரி சத்யபிரதா சாஹு கூறுகையில், ''ஓட்டுப்பதிவு சதவீதம் குறைவுக்கு காரணம் என, எதையும் கூற முடியாது. பல காரணங்கள் இருக்கலாம். கொரோனா முக்கிய காரணமாக இருக்கலாம் என, நினைக்கிறோம்,'' என்றார்.

மாவட்ட வாரியாக பதிவான ஓட்டுகள் விபரம்: மாவட்டம் - மொத்த வாக்காளர்கள் - ஆண்கள் - பெண்கள் - மூன்றாம் பாலினத்தவர் - பதிவான மொத்த ஓட்டுகள் - ஓட்டுப்பதிவு சதவீதம்

திருவள்ளூர் - 35,11,557 - 12,34,675 - 12,06,426 - 132 - 24,41,233 - 70.64

சென்னை - 40,57,061 - 12,09,458 - 11,89,794 - 129 - 23,99,381 - 59.15

காஞ்சிபுரம் - 13,13,714 - 4,69,318 - 4,64,963 - 8 - 9,34,289 - 72.04

வேலுார் - 12,71,132 - 4,60,104 - 4,80,228 - 43 - 9,40,375 - 74.07

கிருஷ்ணகிரி - 16,05,280 - 6,27,775 - 6,07,294 - 48 - 12,35,117 - 77.40

தர்மபுரி - 12,67,798 - 5,30,938 - 5,14,029 - 55 - 10,45,022 - 82.53

திருவண்ணாமலை - 20,77,440 - 8,14,187 - 8,26,944 - 38 - 16,41,169 - 79.09

விழுப்புரம் - 16,89,095 - 6,64,921 - 6,62,340 - 31 - 13,27,292 - 78.65

சேலம் - 30,15,469 - 12,06,952 - 11,79,915 - 83 - 23,86,950 - 79.15

நாமக்கல் - 14,44,893 - 5,61,508 - 5,94,406 - 58 - 11,55,972 - 80.04

ஈரோடு - 19,63,032 - 7,51,766 - 7,57,888 - 38 - 15,09,692 - 77.07

நீலகிரி - 5,86,950 - 2,02,463 - 2,07,557 - 4 - 4,10,024 - 69.92

கோவை - 30,82,028 - 10,49,395 - 10,55,412 - 125 - 21,04,932 - 68.67

திண்டுக்கல் - 18,77,077 - 7,10,013 - 7,30,379 - 14 - 14,40,406 - 76.83

கரூர் - 8,99,236 - 3,64,626 - 3,90,464 - 14 - 7,55,104 - 83.9

திருச்சி - 23,38,745 - 8,41,318 - 8,78,817 - 67 - 17,20,202 - 73.79

பெரம்பலுார் - 5,76,153 - 2,12,565 - 2,43,053 - 5 - 4,55,623 - 79.13

கடலுார் -21,47,295 - 8,05,534 - 8,42,244 - 75 - 16,47,853 - 76.71

நாகப்பட்டினம் - 13,43,569 - 4,88,619 - 5,20,073 - 8 - 10,08,700 - 75.37

திருவாரூர் - 10,54,618 - 3,86,710 - 4,18,326 - 8 - 8,05,044 - 76.35

தஞ்சாவூர் - 20,61,867 - 7,31,884 - 7,91,725 - 46 - 15,23,655 - 74.10

புதுக்கோட்டை - 13,52,702 - 4,92,184 - 5,37,800 - 20 - 10,30,004 - 76.23

சிவகங்கை - 11,87,115 - 3,81,669 - 4,37,657 - 8 - 8,19,354 - 69.14

மதுரை - 26,97,682 - 9,40,542 - 9,59,009 - 51 - 18,99,602 - 70.33

தேனி - 11,25,638 - 4,00,533 - 4,16,687 - 44 - 8,17,264 - 72.65

விருதுநகர் - 16,70,996 - 5,98,935 - 6,33,199 - 24 - 12,32,158 - 73.81

ராமநாதபுரம் - 11,65,160 - 3,78,551 - 4,32,067 - 7 - 8,10,625 - 69.60

துாத்துக்குடி - 14,87,782 - 5,08,025 - 5,31,505 - 42 - 10,39,572 - 70.20

திருநெல்வேலி - 13,58,148 - 4,40,831 - 4,63,226 - 29 - 9,04,086 - 66.67

கன்னியாகுமரி - 15,71,651 - 5,33,371 - 5,48,582 - 10 - 10,81,963 - 68.72

அரியலுார் - 5,30,983 - 2,12,857 - 2,24,957 - 2 - 4,37,816 - 82.46

திருப்பூர் - 23,59,804 - 8,26,457 - 8,17,217 - 29 - 16,43,703 - 70.27

கள்ளக்குறிச்சி - 11,16,706 - 4,40,186 - 4,54,930 - 11 - 8,95,127 - 80.14

தென்காசி - 13,36,956 - 4,66,526 - 5,04,904 - 6 - 9,71,436 - 72.70

செங்கல்பட்டு - 27,27,528 - 8,88,919 - 8,68,864 - 62 - 17,57,845 - 67.76

திருப்பத்துார் - 9,65,307 - 3,68,315 - 3,73,681 - 27 - 7,42,023 - 76.88

ராணிப்பேட்டை - 10,31,788 - 4,00,506 - 4,05,174 - 18 - 8,05,698 - 77.96

மொத்தம் - 6,28,69,955 - 2,26,03,156 - 2,31,71,736 - 1,419 - 4,57,76,311 - 72.81

பெண்கள் ஓட்டு அதிகம்

தமிழகத்தில் மொத்தம், 6.28 கோடி வாக்காளர்கள் உள்ளனர். ஆண் வாக்காளர்களை விட, 10 லட்சத்து, 15 ஆயிரத்து, 461 பெண் வாக்காளர்கள் அதிகம். ஓட்டு போட்டதிலும், ஆண் வாக்காளர்களை விட, ஐந்து லட்சத்து, 68 ஆயிரத்து, 580 பெண் வாக்காளர்கள் கூடுதலாக ஓட்டளித்து உள்ளனர்.

திருமண அழைப்பிதழில் மணமக்களின் வயது

திருமண அழைப்பிதழில் மணமக்களின் வயது

Added : ஏப் 09, 2021 21:27

ஜெய்ப்பூர்:குழந்தை திருமணங்களை தடுக்க, 'அனைத்து திருமண அழைப்பிதழ்களிலும், மணமக்களின் வயதை அச்சிட வேண்டும்' என, ராஜஸ்தான் மாநில அரசு உத்தரவிட்டு உள்ளது.

ராஜஸ்தானில், முதல்வர் அசோக் கெலாட் தலைமையிலான, காங்., ஆட்சி அமைந்துள்ளது.

விளம்பரம்

இம்மாநிலத்தில் குழந்தை திருமணங்களை தடுக்க, பல்வேறு புதிய நடவடிக்கைகளை அரசு எடுத்துள்ளது; இதற்கான அறிவிப்பில் கூறப்பட்டு உள்ளதாவது:குழந்தை திருமணங்கள் சட்டத்திற்கு எதிரானது என்பது குறித்து, மக்களிடம் போதிய விழிப்புணர்வை, அதிகாரிகள் ஏற்படுத்த வேண்டும். இது தொடர்பாக, அரசு தரப்பிலும் விளம்பரங்கள் வெளியிடப்படும். திருமண அழைப்பிதழில், மணமக்களின் வயதினை கண்டிப்பாக அச்சிட வேண்டும். இதற்கு ஆதாரமாக, அவர்களின் பிறப்பு சான்றிதழை, அச்சக உரிமையாளரிடம் வழங்க வேண்டும்.

நடவடிக்கை

குழந்தை திருமணங்களில் மேளம் வாசிப்போர், இன்னிசை நிகழ்ச்சி நடத்துவோர், திருமணம் நடத்தி வைக்கும் பண்டிதர், உணவு ஏற்பாடு செய்வோர், பந்தல் அமைப்போர் உள்ளிட்ட, அனைவர் மீதும், சட்ட நடவடிக்கை மேற்கொள்ளப்படும்.இவ்வாறு அதில் கூறப்பட்டு உள்ளது.

CBI official nabs I-T inspector who took ₹5L bribe after chase

CBI official nabs I-T inspector who took ₹5L bribe after chase

VijayV.Singh@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:10.04.2021

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official chased an Income-Tax (I-T) investigation wing inspector Ashish Kumar around for half a km and arrested him for accepting a Rs 5 lakh bribe from the owner of a logistics company on Thursday.

CBI also arrested his colleague, inspector Dilip Kumar, that day while accepting Rs 10 lakh from the same person. CBI is investigating inspector S N Rai, who too had demanded a bribe from the complainant.

It produced the two I-T inspectors in court, which remanded them to jail custody on Friday. CBI searched their homes and recovered Rs 7 lakh along with documents, including land purchase-related. The inspectors were attached to I-T investigation wing office at Ballard Pier and were part of a team that raided the logistics company recently for tax evasion.

The three were calling the owner of the company separately, demanding bribes. The three were unaware about each others’ communication with the complainant, who approached the anti-corruption wing of CBI for help.

CBI took the complainant into confidence and laid a trap for the two inspectors who had been caught red-handed with the bribe.

Ashish Kumar had called the complainant near Oberoi Mall in Goregaon (E) on Thursday night and a CBI team laid a trap near the spot. They caught Ashish after he collected Rs 5 lakh from the complainant and kept it in his bag, but he flung the bag with money at the team and ran away. A team member chased him and nabbed him.

Earlier, another team had arrested Dilip Kumar from Andheri while accepting a Rs 10 lakh bribe. CBI sources said Rai called the complainant for bribe negotiation but had not mentioned the amount.

CBI also arrested his colleague, inspector Dilip Kumar, while accepting Rs 10 lakh from a logistics firm owner. It is probing inspector S N Rai, who had also demanded a bribe

UoH VC asks students to stay alert

UoH VC asks students to stay alert

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hyderabad  10.04.2021 

 The University of Hyderabad (UoH) has reported 12-15 Covid-19 cases among students, teaching, non-teaching staff and their family members recently. Following this, UoH vice-chancellor (VC) Prof Appa Rao Podile has asked everyone to remain on ‘high alert’.

According to officials, among the affected students, three to four are day scholars-.“Students and scholars may take an informed call to get back to their native places at the earliest possible occasion with information to all concerned in the campus if they plan to do so. University shall not structure its academic activities in a manner that requires you to stay on campus,” said Prof Podile on Thursday.

All of those who tested positive within the campus are under isolation and undergoing treatment. None of the them are residing in hostels.

Foreigners lose OCI tag when divorced from Indians, MHA tells HC

Foreigners lose OCI tag when divorced from Indians, MHA tells HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:10.04.2021

The Centre has told the Delhi HC that foreigners registered as OCI (overseas citizens of India) cardholders because of their marriage to Indian nationals cease to enjoy that status after their divorce.

Defending one such decision, the MHA informed the HC that the move of the Indian embassy in Brussels, Belgium, asking a Belgian woman to surrender her OCI card after the dissolution of her marriage with an Indian national was taken due to such a policy.

The woman has challenged in the HC the provision of the Citizenship Act — Section 7D(f) — under which a foreign spouse of an Indian national would lose OCI status on divorce. MHA said the Section under challenge makes a clear classification as it applies to foreigners who were registered as OCI cardholders on the strength of their spouse being a citizen of India or an OCI cardholder.

MHA said the woman was issued a Person of Indian Origin card by the embassy of India, Brussels, on August 21, 2006 on the basis of her marriage with an Indian national. She legally divorced her husband in October 2011, and the PIO card issued to her on the strength of the marriage should have been cancelled, but it was not done at that time.

An OCI card was inadvertently issued to her in 2017 even though she was not married to an Indian citizen or an OCI cardholder at that time, and now she has been requested to surrender the same.

Univs step up measures, AUD stops offline classes

Univs step up measures, AUD stops offline classes

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:10.04.2021

With Covid-19 cases continuing to rise, universities across Delhi have stepped up safety measures.

While Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) issued fresh standard operating procedure (SOP) on Friday, pointing out that there are currently 27 active cases on the campus, including 24 students, Delhi University and Jamia Millia Islamia have also issued strict guidelines to restrict student movement on their respective campuses.

Ambedkar University has, meanwhile, gone a step further and has announced that “offline classes shall be suspended in all campuses of the university till further notice.” The varsity has also postponed its MBA entrance test which was due on April 11. Speaking to TOI, AUD registrar Nitin Malik said, “Considering the increase in number of Covid-19 cases in Delhi, to ensure safety of its students, faculty and staff, the university has suspended offline classes.”

On Friday, JNU issued a circular stating that the campus has observed 281 cases of Covid-19 since the pandemic began. The varsity has also witnessed five deaths due to virus. As part of renewed security measures, JNU has asked its wardens and deans to be vigilant, take precautions and enforce mask wearing, social distancing and hygiene. It asked its NCC and NSS to “create social awareness in all common areas and campus premises.” It also asked its security staff to take pictures of anyone not wearing a mask.

Similarly, Jamia and DU has also issued guidelines limiting student presence on campus and have cancelled all future booking of seminar halls and auditoriums.

20 doctors, 6 students test positive for virus at AIIMS

20 doctors, 6 students test positive for virus at AIIMS

New Delhi:10.04.2021

At least 20 doctors and six medical students of AIIMS have tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 10 days, including two who had taken both doses of anti-coronavirus vaccine, official sources said on Friday.

The 20 doctors include two faculty members. The rest are resident doctors, a source said. A majority of them have mild Covid-19. The contacts of most of them have been traced, while for some the process is still on, the source said.

The recent surge in Covid-19 cases has also hit Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, with 37 doctors testing positive for the virus. There has been a spike in coronavirus cases in the national capital over the past few weeks, and the daily case count breached the 7,000-mark for the first time this year.

Around 30 nurses have also tested positive at AIIMS in last one week. There are more than 3,000 doctors, including resident doctors and faculty members, at AIIMS.

“ We have seen that those who have received the vaccination have milder illness even if they test positive,” said a senior doctor at AIIMS. TNN

3 women given rabies vaccine in UP instead of Covid shots

3 women given rabies vaccine in UP instead of Covid shots

Sandeep.Rai@timesgroup.com

Meerut:10.04.2021

Three women in Shamli’s Kandhla town walked in to get their Covid-19 shots at the community health centre on Thursday. They walked out with anti-rabies shots instead.

Saroj Devi, 70, Anarkali, 72, and Satyavati, 62, had arrived separately but grouped together at the health centre. “The first floor of the centre is where Covid-19 vaccinations were being administered. The queue on the ground floor was for anti-rabies vaccination,” Shamli chief medical officer Dr Sanjay Agarwal said. “Instead of going to the first floor, they joined the queue on the ground floor.”

It appears no questions were asked of them as they quietly, unknowingly, took the wrong vaccine and left. But before Saroj Devi could reach home, she got sick. “The pharmacist has been suspended,” Shamli DM Jasjeet Kaur said.

Can’t reveal info of customers: Banks plead to SC on RTI ruling

Can’t reveal info of customers: Banks plead to SC on RTI ruling

New Delhi:10.04.2021 

Nearly six years after the Supreme Court ruled that RBI had to reveal information about functioning of banks under the RTI Act, major banks, including SBI and HDFC, on Friday urged the court to recall its order as they cannot reveal confidential information of account holders who may sue them for putting such details in public domain, reports Amit Anand Choudhary.

The SC had in 2015 directed that RBI can’t refuse to reveal information under the transparency law on financial health of banks under the pretext of ‘fiduciary relations’ with financial institutions and had held that the regulator was supposed to “uphold public interest and not the interest of banks”. Another round of litigation was initiated after RBI didn’t comply with the SC order and the court issued contempt notice. The proceedings were wound up in 2019 with RBI being given the last opportunity to comply to disclose its Annual Financial Inspection report of banks. With RBI asking the banks to provide information to be disclosed under the RTI Act, third round of litigations has started with all major banks filing fresh applications and petitions seeking quashing or recall of earlier direction. Banks such as SBI, PNB, HDFC, Bank of India, Bank of Baroda made a pitch for re-examining the issue.

Stay Home, Stay Safe To Tide Over 2nd Wave

Stay Home, Stay Safe To Tide Over 2nd Wave

Kolar & Shahpura hunker down for life behind barricades, again

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bhopal:10.04.2021

As lockdown was imposed in Kolar and Shahpura localities of the city confining more than 2.5 lakh residents in their homes till April 19, unlike first lockdown which was completely new, residents are mentally prepared for life behind barricades in these 10 days.

“My March closing ended recently, so a break was desperately needed, however this was also sudden, I will now be with family for at least 2-3 days. Probably on Monday I would think how to and what to do from home,” says Kolar resident Vineet Chowdhary who works as a regional head of an insurance company.

Another resident who is a government employee says that it was troublesome in the evening and it took more than 2 hours for him to reach home from office but compared to previous lockdown, he feels, “people at ease with the concept of staying at home”.

“I had a lot of trouble reaching home as it took more than 2 hours. I left office at 6.10 pm and reached home at 8.10 pm, otherwise it is hardly half an hour journey as roads were blocked. We had also completed our March closing and we as government employees have been issued passes, I had to go to office on Saturday too, lets see what is the condition. On Monday, there is no way I will have to go to office. However I feel that now we are more at ease with the concept of staying at home, during initial days of first lockdown it felt as if we would loose our mental calm and stability by remaining confined, but it taught us to be at ease while staying at home,” says an railway official, Arun Hota, a resident of Kolar area.

Traders from the lockdown areas, however feel that this lockdown was also unexpected and sudden.

“We receive supplies from other states, we supply to various education institutions but now everything has stopped. Thankfully we were able to complete the March closing. Visits of marketing officials was also scheduled, but everything has to be planned again. I will think about ways to workout after a couple of days, probably from Monday or Tuesday. Today it should have been more planned, it seemed that the entire planning was done in hurry and haphazardly which led to traffic bottlenecks”, says Rakesh Sharma, a Shahpura resident who supplies, laboratory equipment in educational institutions.

Majority of the residents however think that the announcement was sudden and surprising.

“I was in my home town in Vidisha district, my wife and kids were in Bhopal. When I came to know about the lockdown today morning, I had to rush leaving behind my work there. Anyhow reached home before 6 pm. Now there is nothing to do as of now. Will repair cycles and do cycling if allowed, or will read books, lets wait and watch”, says Pramod Yadav, manager with a private energy company and resident of Kolar.

Heavy traffic on Kolar Road before the nine-day lockdown in the area came into force on Friday

With 1800 active cases, Kolar hit hard by 2nd wave; MP Nagar, Govindpura close behind

Bhopal:

Jehangirabad, Aishbagh, Hanumanganj and Ashoka Garden — they are not the Covid-19 hotspots in the second wave of Coronavirus in the city but now, it’s Kolar, Shahpura, Trilanga, Bawadia Kalan and Gulmohar.

These areas have 1800 active Coronavirus cases and that is why 2.5 lakh to 3 lakh population living in the area are now under lockdown.

All the areas under the lockdown are under the jurisdiction of SDM, Kolar. Next in line could be MP Nagar and Govindpura. Caseload in areas under the jurisdiction of SDM, MP Nagar and Govindpura is quite close to Kolar.

ADM , Bhopal, Sandeep Kerkatti, when asked which are the other Coronavirus hotspots in the city, said after Kolar, it’s MP Nagar and Govindpura.

When asked how close the areas under the jurisdiction of SDM, MP Nagar and Govindpura are to Kolar in terms of number of active patients, he said “Among 4800 active cases in the city, these areas also have almost the same number of Coronavirus active cases as Kolar.”

Kerkatti, when asked whether there could be lockdown in areas under the jurisdiction of SDM, MP Nagar and Govindpura, he said “It depends on the caseload. We hope the situation will improve and lockdown will not be required.” TNN

Why are women missing from health leadership?

Why are women missing from health leadership? 

A key reason is that they are less likely to have mentors than men

10.04.2021

Sandhya Venkateswaran

At the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, there is evidence of progress towards greater representation of women in different spheres of life; yet, their under-representation in decision-making positions in most spheres stands out.

It is not that women’s contribution in leadership roles is not recognised. Studies have demonstrated that women in leadership positions in government organisations implement different policies than men; policies that are more supportive of women and children. A global study on publicly traded companies across 91 countries found women’s presence in top positions of corporate management to correlate with increased profitability. The impact of women’s leadership is not limited to financial outcomes alone, but equally to greater innovation in teams, the development of more creative solutions to problems, a more inclusive culture and improved employee engagement and satisfaction.

Villages in India, with women leaders in local governance institutions have shown to have a higher availability of public goods than other villages. Studies in India have shown the availability of women physicians in districts to be associated with higher maternal healthcare utilisation. Women’s leadership has been known to contribute to strengthening women’s voices, influencing career aspirations and educational attainment of adolescent girls. Clearly, the benefits of women’s leadership are wide.

Yet, gender-related gaps in leadership remain wide. Women constitute 70% of health workers, but constitute less than a quarter of the senior roles in health institutions globally; the pipeline for leadership positions is disproportionate to the wide base of women in lower positions. In India, women constitute about 46% of the health workforce overall, much of it as nurses, where almost 80% are women. This dwindles to less than 30% in the case of doctors and others, comprising pharmacists, physiotherapists, diagnostic and other technicians.

The question of why women’s participation in health declines on the path to decision-making roles has a complex set of answers, ranging from lack of confidence, women’s multiple roles including unpaid work, the absence of agency to navigate institutional structures, gender discrimination, sexual harassment and the dearth of networks and support/ mentoring structures, to name a few. Promotion of women’s leadership requires all of these to be addressed, by enabling access to the tools and resources – social and political – that can help overcome constraints.

Studies have highlighted trust as key to moving up the decision-making ladder; trust in turn requiring ability, affinity and integrity (building on work by Roger Mayer, James Davis and David Schoorman). Affinity, an intangible but significant factor on hiring decisions, is invariably built through networks, which are not prioritised by women in the same way as men; nor do women have the same opportunities to ‘network’. With men dominating leadership roles, opportunities for women to connect with men in informal settings may be lower.

As Oliver Wyman’s 2019 report on women in healthcare leadership points out: “Because they have a harder time expanding their networks and implicitly building more affinity – and because few executives truly appreciate the impact that affinity has on trust and decisions women have essentially defaulted to over-relying on ability and delivering results to get ahead.” The ambiguity in defining ‘ability’, entailing different assumptions of leadership by different people, further reinforces the role of affinity as a decisive element.

It is also suggested that women are less likely to have mentors than men, to help them navigate the institutional ecosystem. Upward movement, when it entails disruption for the family, is often harder for women to undertake, due to their roles as family caregiver and their hesitation to uproot children.

Despite large numbers of young women interested in health as a profession, a gender balance across levels will remain elusive unless proactive measures are taken to remove obstacles for women reaching leadership positions. This imbalance can be addressed: Kerala has a female health minister, several women technical directors and eight times the female doctor density than several other Indian states.

Women’s leadership in healthcare is not only possible but imperative: For themselves, to realise their full potential, and equally for the health sector, so that gender responsive policies and technology are aimed at women’s needs. A better job of hiring, promoting, enabling networks and mentoring will bring many more women in leadership roles. As Anne-Marie Slaughter states: “Only when women wield power in sufficient numbers will we create a society that genuinely works for all women.”

The writer is Fellow, Lancet Citizens’ Commission on Reimagining India’s Health System

Affinity, an intangible but significant factor on hiring decisions, is built through networks, which are not prioritised by women in the same way as men; nor do women have the same opportunities to ‘network’

No empty beds, doctors treat inside ambulances in queue

No empty beds, doctors treat inside ambulances in queue

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Rajkot:10.04.2021

Nine ambulances had to wait outside the Covid ward of PDU hospital with patients on Friday, as all the beds in the government hospital were full. The civil hospital staff had to attend to some of the patients inside the ambulances itself.

After 590 Covid beds in the PDU hospital got filled up, the administration arranged more 200 more beds in the trauma and other departments by shifting some of the general patients to the railway hospital. Ambulances continued to bring in patients leading to a queue of nine ambulances outside the gates at one point tin time. Medical superintendent of PDU hospital, Radheshyam Trivedi said, “We have all the beds full and are admitting patient on bed basis. There was a queue of ambulances and a team of our doctors wearing PPE kit had to go inside the ambulances and treat the severe patients. They identified the severe patients and processed to admit them first.”

Covid patients wait for treatment outside civil hospital in Rajkot