Corpn struggles to pay staff salaries

KEY PROJECTS MAY TAKE A BACK SEAT

Corpn struggles to pay staff salaries

Komal.Gautham@timesgroup.com

Chennai:15.07.2021 

Greater Chennai Corporation between April and July collected ₹130 crore more in property tax than in the same period last year. But its bank overdraft increased, from ₹250 crore (in 2018) to ₹450cr (in January 2021), dues to contractors are ₹200cr and its debt rose from ₹2,200 crore to ₹2,500 crore.

This means projects funded by capital funds in education, health care and solid waste management will take a back seat as has been happening for more than eight years.

Post 2014, ‘spending’ on projects and taking huge loans for big ticket projects that are neither good in quality nor improve citizens’ lives have led to this financial crisis, says activists.

The corporation’s income comes from property tax (₹720 crore), professional tax (₹350cr) and about ₹720 crore in central and state finance commission grants apart from ₹19 crore as trade licence renewal and ₹240 crore in parking fee, rents and other user charges.

While no major revenue mechanism has been created in the past 10 years, projects like smart parking and ‘onstreet parking’ got stuck due to Covid. The property tax revision rollback in February 2020 took a huge toll on finances.

“Right now, paying ₹80 crore-₹100 crore in salaries every month is a herculean task, with ₹10 crore going for interest payments. Bank overdrafts have crossed ₹500cr. We improved a little in 2019 after tax revision but are back to where we were in 2018,” said an official.

Activists say the corporation has been announcing big ticket packages taking huge loans from external agencies.

“Some projects are important but it’s the manner in which they are awarded and implemented that puts a big financial burden,” said Jayaram Venkatesan of Arappor Iyakkam, an anti-graft NGO. “Most new drains and roads scrape off every year notwithstanding the 3-year maintenance period,” Venkatesan added.

A former IAS official who worked with the corporation said there are many ways the civic body can improve its finances instead of resorting to cost cutting.

“Many recommendations have been lying idle since 2009,” he said.

Gold appraiser held for cheating bank of more than ₹4.5 crore

Gold appraiser held for cheating bank of more than ₹4.5 crore

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:15.07.2021

A 52-year-old man who worked as a gold appraiser at Union Bank of India, Tiruvallur branch was arrested for pledging fake gold and swindling the bank of more than ₹4.5 crore between 2018 and 2020.

The incident came to light during the bank’s audit carried out recently. The bank manager informed the higherups about the swindling.

The auditing team confirmed that K M Meganathan, the gold appraiser at the branch, had cheated the bank of more than ₹4.5 crore between 2018 and 2020.

Inquiries revealed that Meganathan, who had been employed at the bank since 2011, admitted that he had submitted fake gold in names of 137 individuals with an intention to cheat the bank.

Based on the complaint of Biraja Prasad Das, deputy general manager of the branch, the Tiruvallur district crime branch registered a case. Due to the pandemic, police said, the bank officials delayed lodging the complaint.

Tiruvallur superintendent of police V Varun Kumar reviewed the case and ordered action against the accused. Following this, a police team led by deputy superintendent of police P Asokan and inspector of police Lilly, apprehended Meganathan from his house. He was produced before a magistrate court in Ponneri on Tuesday.

According to the direction of the court, an RT-PCR test was conducted on him and then he was remanded in Ponneri subjail. If the test result comes negative, he will be shifted to the Puzhal prison along with other prisoners from the Ponneri subjail.

Get a broom, let’s clean HC, says CJ

Get a broom, let’s clean HC, says CJ

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:15.07.2021

The Madras high court has directed its registry to ensure that the campus is 100% disabled-friendly and elderly-friendly besides being litter-free and green. “One Sunday, come with a broomstick and bucket, we will all clean the high court campus together. I will also come,” chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee

said on Wednesday.

The first bench of chief Justice and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy made the oral observation while hearing a plea moved by N Rajkumar, seeking to maintain the campus green and clean and an affidavit with suggestions to make the court campus more friendly to people with disabilities and elderly.

Recording the same, the bench said, “Over the past couple of months or so, the campus has looked greener and cleaner than ever before. However, this green and clean has come at the cost of litigants and lawyers being kept out due to the second surge of the pandemic.”

The court then directed the registrar (administration) of the court to look into the suggestions and file a report when the matter appears next six weeks. “The registrar will also look into the access problems referred to by the petitioner, particularly for persons with disabilities, elderly citizens and others who may be infirm. Better lift facilities may also be explored, particularly in the Small Causes Court area,” the judges said.

The registrar was also directed to indicate whether wheelchairs are available for persons with disabilities to move around. “There may also be a need for more than one ambulance to be ready,” the court added and adjourned the plea to September 1for further hearing.

Mastercard can’t issue new cards from July 22

Mastercard can’t issue new cards from July 22

RBI Clampdown Over Local Data Storage Norms

Mayur.Shetty@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:15.07.2021

Flexing its muscles on the issue of data localisation, the Reserve Bank of India on Wednesday barred Mastercard from onboarding any new domestic customer from July 22.

The directive bars the USbased network from issuing either prepaid, credit or debit cards to new customers under its network in India. The RBI said the order would not impact existing customers of Mastercard.

Mastercard is the secondlargest credit card issuer (after Visa) in India and the central bank’s tough stance could have implications on foreign relations. The RBI has been pushing all regulated entities to store data relating to Indian customers on Indian soil since April 2018.

Disappointed by RBI stance: Mastercard

Notwithstanding lapse of considerable time and adequate opportunities being given, the entity has been found to be non-compliant with the directions on storage of payment system data,” the RBI said in a statement.

While it is banks and finance companies that issue cards, they partner either Mastercard, Visa or RuPay for network usage. Whenever a card is swiped, the processing takes place on the payment network cloud. Mastercard has been directed to advise all card-issuing banks and non-banks to conform to these directions.

“Mastercard is fully committed to our legal and regulatory obligations in the markets we operate in. Since the issuance of the RBI directive requiring on-soil storage of domestic payment transaction data in 2018, we have provided consistent updates and reports regarding our activities and compliance with the required stipulations. While we are disappointed with the stance taken by the RBI in their communication dated July 14, we will continue to work with them to provide any additional details required to resolve their concerns,” the company said.

In terms of the number of employees, India ranks second among all markets for Mastercard. The company has invested $1bn in India and has announced plans to invest $1bn more.

Mastercard is the third US company to face an RBI ban after American Express and Diners Club, which faced similar restrictions in April. Amex has said that while it is not accepting fresh applications, it is committed to complying with all regulations.

The RBI’s directive appears to have come as a surprise for Mastercard. As recently as July 8, Mastercard announced the launch of a ‘One Mumbai Metro Card’ in partnership with Axis Bank and Mumbai Metro. Others in the industry were also shocked as Master-Card had agreed to comply.

NEET panel files report, says ‘most don’t want it’

NEET panel files report, says ‘most don’t want it’

15.07.2021

Justice A K Rajan panel appointed by TN to study the impact of NEET in medical admissions submitted a 165-page report to chief minister M K Stalin on Wednesday. While Justice Rajan did not reveal the contents of the report, sources said the panel has pointed out how rich students living in cities have a better chance of getting medical seats under NEET, the lack of level-playing field under the test for students with poor access to facilities such as internet, and how the test undermines students’ performance in Class12 exam.

The report was prepared after looking into 86,000 representations from stakeholders, a majority of whom said they “don’t want NEET,” Justice Rajan told reporters at the secretariat. The impact of NEET on aspirants and several sections of society has been dealt with and the report is completely based on data and not on personal opinions, he said answering a question.

Two TN ministers, meanwhile, said the government will continue training students for NEET-2021 until the state gets an exemption from the test. “As of now MBBS admissions is NEET based,” health minister Ma Subramanian said. TNN

Cabinet lifts freeze on DA, increases it to 28% from 17%

Cabinet lifts freeze on DA, increases it to 28% from 17%

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:15.07.2021

The government on Wednesday announced an increase in the dearness allowance for central government employees and dearness relief for pensioners to 28%, from the current 17%, lifting the 18-month suspension to cover inflation.

The freeze that had been imposed in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak was expected to help the Centre save ₹38,000 crore — a little more than the ₹35,000 crore budgeted for the current fiscal year for vaccinating against coronavirus.

“The increase reflects the additional instalments arising on 1 January, 2020, 1 July, 2020 and 1 January, 2021. The rate of dearness allowance/dearness relief for the period 1 January, 2020 to 30 June 2021 shall remain at 17%,” an official statement said.

The development that was being closely watched by central government employees, immediately saw them pulling out calculators to work out the impact on their salaries and allowances.

A large section, however, was not pleased with the announcement. Some argued that “their contribution” in helping the Centre fight Covid-19 should be recognised by the government.

Others said that those who retired during the last few months would have lost out on some leave encashment and pension-related benefits.

Besides, many viewed the increase for the last six-month period to be inadequate, arguing that retail inflation had shot up and the price of auto fuel, edible oil and several pulses had soared to record levels.

Government officials had justified the freeze on DA, arguing that central government employees and pensioners too needed to contribute during a health emergency, which had resulted in companies slashing salaries.

NEET MDS 2021 - Announce Counselling Dates Within One Week; Delay Affects Students' Future, Supreme Court To Centre

NEET MDS 2021 - Announce Counselling Dates Within One Week; Delay Affects Students' Future, Supreme Court To Centre

Srishti Ojha

12 July 2021 4:14 PM

"Imagine what a loss to India by not allowing a whole batch of PG students to complete their education for 1 year", the bench orally observed.

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to announce the counselling dates for NEET-MDS 2021 within a week.

A bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud and Hrishikesh Roy observed that the delay in counselling will lead to serious consequences to the students, who have been waiting after the test results were announced on December 31, 2020.

The Court passed the following order :

"Prima facie we have heard Senior Advocate Vikas Singh for petitioners and ASG Mr KM Natraj appearing for Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. On the request of ASG we grant one week's time for a response to the grievance set out in petition.

We expect that an expeditious decision will be taken within course of next week and court be informed when Union Government proposes to hold counselling for students whose MDS NEET results were declared on 31 December 2020. We hope that the Union Government would be conscious of the serious consequences which will be faced by these students as a result of long delay in completing the counselling".

Courtroom Exchange:

During the hearing, the Bench asked ASG KM Nataraj " these petitioners appeared in NEET MDS and results were declared in December. Merely because NEET PG has been postponed how can you stop counselling for MDS?"

Senior Counsel Vikas Singh appearing for petitioners submitted that, "This exercise has to be done virtually... so this can be done. When you talk about controlled environment you can always have covid appropriate behaviour. There's likelihood of third wave only when there is covid inappropriate behaviour".

Singh added that " I don't understand why one batch has been suffering. And no body is giving any thought of it. I can understand Kumbh mela, election rallies happening or tourists flocking without masks, but these are completely regulated environments. There's no justification why counselling can't take place."

ASG Natraj submitted, "We want to hold counselling and its our duty. The issue is different, regards to some reservation. Recently Madras High Court passed an order to provide reservation under All India quota and Committee was constituted to work out modalities".

Forced Deduction From Pension To CM's Relief Fund Not Permissible : Kerala High Court

Forced Deduction From Pension To CM's Relief Fund Not Permissible : Kerala High Court: Contribution to Chief Minister's Relief Fund can't be a matter of compulsion or forced compliance, the High Court held.

'நீட்' வினாத்தாளில் மாற்றம்; முதன்முறையாக 'சாய்ஸ்' கேள்வி

'நீட்' வினாத்தாளில் மாற்றம்; முதன்முறையாக 'சாய்ஸ்' கேள்வி

Updated : ஜூலை 14, 2021 04:04 

https://www.dinamalar.com/news_detail.asp?id=2802196

சென்னை : 'நீட்' தேர்வுக்கான, 'ஆன்லைன்' பதிவு நேற்று துவங்கியது. இந்த ஆண்டு, நீட் வினாத்தாள் அமைப்பில் மாற்றம் செய்யப்பட்டு, வினாக்களின் எண்ணிக்கை அதிகரிக்கப்பட்டு உள்ளது. 'சாய்ஸ்' அடிப்படையில் பதில் அளிக்கும் முறை அறிமுகமாகியுள்ளது.

மருத்துவ படிப்புக்கான நீட் தேர்வு, செப்., 12ல் நடக்கும் என, மத்திய கல்வி அமைச்சர் தர்மேந்திர பிரதான், நேற்று முன்தினம் அறிவித்தார். இதையடுத்து, நீட் தேர்வுக்கான, ஆன்லைன் பதிவு நேற்று துவங்கியது. அடுத்த மாதம், 6ம் தேதி வரை ntaneet.nic.in/ என்ற, இணையதளத்தில், மாணவர்கள் தங்கள் விபரங்களை பதிவு செய்யலாம் என, அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

வழக்கமாக நீட் வினாத்தாளில், 180 கேள்விகள் இடம்பெறும். ஒவ்வொரு கேள்விக்கும் தலா, 4 மதிப்பெண்கள் வீதம், 720 மதிப்பெண் வழங்கப்படும். இந்த வினாத்தாள் முறையில், இந்த ஆண்டு மாற்றம் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. முதன் முறையாக, சாய்ஸ் முறை அறிமுகம் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதன்படி, ஒவ்வொரு பாடத்திலும், 'ஏ' பிரிவில், 35; 'பி' பிரிவில், 15 என, நான்கு பாடங்களுக்கு தலா, 50 கேள்விகள் வீதம், மொத்தம், 200 கேள்விகள் இடம் பெற உள்ளன. இவற்றில், 180 கேள்விகளுக்கு மட்டும் பதில் அளித்தால் போதும்.

அதாவது, இயற்பியல், வேதியியல், தாவரவியல் மற்றும் விலங்கியல் என, ஒவ்வொரு பாடத்திலும், 'ஏ' பிரிவில் உள்ள, 35 கேள்விகளுக்கும் விடை அளிக்க வேண்டும். 'பி' பிரிவில், 15 கேள்விகளில், சாய்ஸ் அடிப்படையில், தங்களுக்கு நன்றாக விடை தெரிந்த, 10 கேள்விகளுக்கு மட்டும், பதில் அளித்தால் போதும் என, அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதன்படி, தலா, ஐந்து கேள்விகள், மாணவர்களின் விருப்பத்திற்காக வழங்கப்பட்டுள்ளன.

விடைத்தாளில் தவறான விடையை தேர்வு செய்தால், 'மைனஸ்' மதிப்பெண்ணாக, ஒரு மதிப்பெண் கழிக்கப்படும். பதில் அளிக்காவிட்டால், அதற்கு, 'நெகட்டிவ்' மதிப்பெண் கிடையாது என, முந்தைய நடைமுறையே தொடரும் என்றும், விதிகளில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

மலையாளம், பஞ்சாபி சேர்ப்பு!

'நீட்' தேர்வு, தமிழ், ஹிந்தி, உருது, ஆங்கிலம், அஸ்ஸாமி, பெங்காலி, குஜராத்தி, தெலுங்கு, கன்னடம், மலையாளம், மராத்தி, ஒடியா மற்றும் பஞ்சாபி என மொத்தம், 13 மொழிகளில் நடக்க உள்ளது. கடந்த ஆண்டு வரை, 11 மொழிகளில் மட்டுமே தேர்வு நடந்தது. இம்முறை மலையாளமும், பஞ்சாபியும் புதிதாக சேர்க்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

ஆங்கிலம், ஹிந்தி, உருது ஆகிய மொழிகளில், எதை தேர்வு செய்தாலும், அனைத்து மாநிலங்களிலும் அந்த மொழிகளில் வினாத்தாள் வழங்கப்படும். பட்டியலில் உள்ள மற்ற மொழிகளை தேர்வு செய்தால், அந்தந்த மொழிகளை தாய்மொழியாக கொண்ட மாநிலங்களில் மட்டுமே அனுமதிக்கப்படும். மாநில மொழியை தேர்வு செய்யும் மாணவர்களுக்கு, ஆங்கிலமும், அவர்கள் தேர்வு செய்த மாநில மொழியும் இணைந்த வினாத்தாள் வழங்கப்படும்.

Admission to engg raises eyebrows

Admission to engg raises eyebrows

This meant that learning mathematics or physics in Class 12 is not mandatory to join engineering.

Published: 14th July 2021 05:11 AM 

By Subashini Vijayakumar

Express News Service

ERODE: While All India Council for Technical Education’s is yet to clarify whether mathematics and physics subjects are mandatory to get an admission in engineering courses, several private colleges in the State have started inducting students from non-science majors. This move, educationalists say, will affect the future of students.

The AICTE, in line with the New Education Policy, has provided an array of options for students from diffrent groups to pursue courses in engineering and technology with guidelines for the universities to offer suitable bridge courses.

This meant that learning mathematics or physics in Class 12 is not mandatory to join engineering. However, AICTE also clarified that it is an option given by the council which is not binding on the states or universities and entrance exams like JEE and CET. “In future when NEP shall be implemented, this option can be effected in its letter and spirit,” the council said.

Meanwhile, a few colleges affiliated with Anna University too have started admitting students from non-science groups, said sources.

'Act like real hero': Madras HC orders Vijay to pay entry tax for Rolls Royce

'Act like real hero': Madras HC orders Vijay to pay entry tax for Rolls Royce

Lamenting the non-payment of entry tax by Vijay, the judge said the actor should respect the sentiments of lakhs of his fans who watch his movies by paying for the tickets

Published: 13th July 2021 04:03 PM 

The court also imposed a cost of ₹1 lakh to be paid by him to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund 

By Harish Murali

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Observing that actors should behave like real heroes, the Madras High Court came down heavily on actor Vijay's plea seeking exemption of entry tax for his Rolls Royce Ghost car, imported from England in 2012. Dismissing the plea, the court also imposed a cost of ₹1 lakh to be paid by him to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund.

Justice SM Subramaniam in his order said real heroes are those who remit their taxes promptly and directed the actor to pay the tax due as demanded by the department within two weeks, if it has not yet been paid.

“Those fans see such actors as real heroes. In a state like Tamil Nadu, where such actors have become rulers of the state, they are not expected to behave like a reel hero. Tax evasion is to be construed as an anti-national habit, attitude and mindset and unconstitutional,” the judge said in the July 8 order released on Tuesday.

“Filing a writ petition, avoiding payment of entry tax and keeping the writ petition pending for about nine years can never be appreciated and it is not made clear even now, whether the entry tax as applicable has been paid by the petitioner or not. The learned counsel for the petitioner also has not stated anything regarding this,” the court said.

The judge said it was essential for every citizen to remit taxes dutifully to the government and that such payment was a mandatory contribution and not a voluntary payment or donation. Taxes help the state construct schools, hospitals and housing projects for the poor and railways, ports and so on for all, he added.

Criticising the actor for not even stating his occupation in the plea filed, the judge said, "It is surprising to note that the petitioner has not even stated his profession or occupation in his affidavit. He has imported a prestigious costly car from England but unfortunately not paid entry tax as per the statutes. He has filed a writ petition to avoid payment of tax... ..The petitioner, who is a reputed cine actor, is expected to pay the tax promptly and punctually."

Pointing out the differences between actors on screen and off screen, the judge said, "These actors are portraying themselves as champions to bring social justice in the society. Their movies are against corrupt activities in the society. But they are evading tax and acting in a manner, which is not in consonance with the provisions of the statutes."

Lamenting the non-payment of entry tax by the petitioner, the judge said the actor should respect the sentiments of lakhs of his fans who watch his movies by paying for the tickets. “It is only out of such money that the petitioner has purchased the prestigious car for his personal use,” the court said.

"Reputed persons of this great nation should realize that the money reaching them is from the poor man’s blood and not from the sky," stressed the judge.

In a first, NEET-UG to be conducted in 13 languages including Punjabi and Malayam, exam centre opened in Kuwait

In a first, NEET-UG to be conducted in 13 languages including Punjabi and Malayam, exam centre opened in Kuwait

The languages which are now being offered are Hindi, Punjabi, Assamese, Bengali, Odia, Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Urdu and English.

Published: 13th July 2021 10:33 PM |

By PTI

New Indian Express 

NEW DELHI: In a first, medical entrance exam NEET-UG will be conducted in 13 languages with Punjabi and Malayam being the new additions, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced on Tuesday.

He also said that a new exam centre for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) has been opened in Kuwait to facilitate the Indian student community in the Middle East.

"Registrations for the NEET(UG) 2021 has started on http://ntaneet.nic.in from 5:00 pm today. For the first time in the history of NEET(UG) exam and in order to facilitate the Indian student community in the middle east, an examination centre has been opened in Kuwait," he tweeted.

"The NEET(UG) 2021 will be for the first time conducted in 13 languages with new addition of Punjabi and Malayalam," Pradhan said.

The languages which are now being offered are Hindi, Punjabi, Assamese, Bengali, Odia, Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Urdu and English, he said.

The Minister had on Monday announced that the NEET which was earlier scheduled on August 1 will now be conducted on September 12.

The number of cities where examination is conducted will be increased from 155 to 198.

The number of examination centres will also be increased from 3,862 used in the 2020.

Last year, it was conducted on September 13 amid strict precautions in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 13.66 lakh candidates had appeared in the exam of whom 7,71,500 qualified.

‘NEET-UG to be held in 13 languages’

‘NEET-UG to be held in 13 languages’

New Delhi:14.07.2021

In a first, medical entrance exam NEET-UG will be conducted in 13 languages with Punjabi and Malayalam being the new additions, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Tuesday. He also said that a new exam centre for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) has been opened in Kuwait to facilitate the Indian student community in the Middle East.

“Registrations for the NEET (UG) 2021 has started on http://ntaneet.nic.in from 5:00 pm (on Tuesday). For the first time in the history of NEET(UG) exam and in order to facilitate the Indian student community in the middle east, an examination centre has been opened in Kuwait,” he tweeted. PTI

Kin of 2k UP govt employees who died of Covid during poll duty to get ₹30L

Kin of 2k UP govt employees who died of Covid during poll duty to get ₹30L

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Lucknow:14.07.2021 

Families of at least 2,020 government employees who died of Covid-19 during panchayat poll duty will receive Rs 30lakh each in compensation after revised calculations by UP panchayati raj department.

Additional chief secretary (panchayati raj) Manoj Kumar Singh told TOI 3,092 applications were received under revised protocols for determining death on duty from Covid-19 and 2,020 cases were recommended as eligible for compensation.

“There are an additional 10-20 cases which will be forwarded to the state advisory board on Covid. Once they confirm eligibility, their families too will receive compensation,” he said.

Under the earlier definition of death on duty, the government identified 74 government employees who died of Covid and non-Covid reasons. The rules stated exgratia would be given only if the employee died on duty or during travel to and from place of duty, which factored in a day or maximum two, depending on how far the employee travelled.

Among the 2,020 who died of Covid, around 50% are teachers.

India’s first Covid patient tests +ve again

India’s first Covid patient tests +ve again

Thrissur:14.07.2021

The Kerala girl who became India’s first Covid patient after contracting the virus while studying medicine in China’s Wuhan has tested positive again, this time at home.

The fourth-year MBBS student from Thrissur district is currently asymptomatic. She came to know about her reinfection only because of a mandatory RTPCR test before proceeding to New Delhi to collect some personal documents that she had earlier submitted to the government.

“My daughter is not under medication now as she has no manifest ailments. She has been quarantined on the first floor of our house,” said the girl’s father, who has tested negative. The medical student, who had first tested positive on returning from Wuhan in the last week of January 2020, hasn’t been vaccinated yet. TNN

‘Nothing unusual about girl testing +ve’

Her father said she chose not to get the jab because she wanted to go back to China and wasn’t sure whether any of the vaccines available in India would be accepted there. Her college mates from India haven’t opted for vaccination either, he said. Health officials said there was nothing unusual about the girl testing positive for the second time, barring her status as the first person from the country to catch the virus.

NEWS DIGEST

NEWS DIGEST

14.07.2021

The Tamil Nadu Real Estate Regulatory Authority (TNRERA) has said it has powers to fix the rate of interest for recovery under the Tamil Nadu Revenue Recovery Act. The Authority also issued a recovery warrant and directed the Kancheepuram district collector to recover arrears that need to be repaid to a homebuyer in a housing project at Pondur village in Sriperumbudur taluk of Kancheepuram district on the outskirts of the city.

‘Ensure poll duty personnel can cast votes’: Madras high court on Tuesday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure that all personnel engaged for election duty, including drivers of rental vehicles, are provided with an opportunity to cast their vote in forthcoming elections. The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy passed the order on a PIL alleging that such drivers of rented cars were denied the opportunity to poll their votes during the 2021 assembly election.

Man held for fatally kicking friend: A 25-year-old man was arrested after he 'playfully' kicked his friend who was sitting by a well. His friend fell into the well and drowned.

Have powers to fix interest rate for recovery:TNRERA

Tambaram police said three friends had got drunk and had gone for a bath in a well. While Purushothaman, wthe deceased, was sitting on its wall, his friend Karthik playfully kicked him. Purushothaman lost his balance and fell into the well and drowned. A case has been registered.

Labourer held for killing wife: A 46-year-old man was arrested for killing his wife at Selaiyur on Monday. Murugan, a labourer, was unhappy with the food his wife had cooked and picked up a fight with her, police said. In an inebriated condtion, he took a kitchen knife and stabbed her. A case has been registered.

Four new members in TNPSC: The state government on Tuesday appointed four new members to the TNPSC.Labour commissioner S Munianathan, Madras University economics professor K Jothi Sivagnanam, Dr K Arlumathi from Chennai, Father A Raj Mariasusai from Yercaud are the new members .

More buses for women to travel free: An additional 1,300 ordinary fare buses are being operated in which women can travel for free, transport minister R S Rajakannappan said in Tiruvallur district on Tuesday. The state owned transport corporations are operating a total of 15,627 buses, of which the Metropolitan Transport Corporation is plying about 2,650 buses, he said.

Corpn restarts vax drive for 2nd shot of Covaxin

Corpn restarts vax drive for 2nd shot of Covaxin

14.07.2021

The corporation is restarting on Wednesday the vaccination drive for those requiring the second dose of Covaxin. Those in need can book slots on the corporation’s dedicated portal: gccvaccine.in. For more information on the vaccination drives, log on to

 covid19.chennaicorporation.gov.in/covid/vaccine_centers. TNN

More offices mull reopening, focus on vax

More offices mull reopening, focus on vax

Sindhu.Hariharan@timesgroup.com

14.07.2021

IT companies are reopening workplaces, balancing safety with team productivity. Smaller units are taking the lead with some having reopened and others charting a comeback in August. The few firms that have reopened only allow vaccinated employees. Large companies may reopen in October.

SaaS company Kissflow’s founder-CEO Suresh Sambandam told TOI that employees can choose to return from August 1. Their presence will be mandatory from October 1 on a ‘remote plus’ model wherein teams can work for three weeks in office and one from home. The effectiveness of ideation is better when teams work together in the office, and the ‘Remote plus’ model will ensure reduced staff strength. Kissflow has not made vaccination mandatory but is helping staff get the shot.

“As a young company, culture and agility is important. So, we vaccinated all our staff on a priority basis,” said Arvind Parthiban, co-founder and CEO of startup SuperOps.ai. The entire 45-member team returned to its office at RMZ Millenia on Monday. All staff needs, such as food and refreshments, are met on premises to curb external contact.

Cognizant, the city’s largest tech employer, said its focus now is vaccinating employees and dependents. Sources said plans are on for a phased reopening starting October.

Prabhu Ramachandran, cofounder of real estate startup Facilio, who interacted with IT park operators, said the consensus is to reopen with a flexible working model and the share of staff vaccinated plays a key role in the decision.

About 5% of cybersecurity firm Bahwan CyberTek’s staff work from office at the moment and plans are afoot to increase the strength in a phased manner. Tech company Guvi is opening its Taramani office on a partial basis over the next two months.

HR tech company Neeyamo has been operating with 50% staff at its Perungudi centre since July

5. The company said it is assessing employee preferences to decide when to reopen fully.

Counselling fixed for engg seats before med

Counselling fixed for engg seats before med

AICTE Schedule May Leave Engg Seats Vacant

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:14.07.2021

A day after announcing the exam date for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2021, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) issued a revised academic calendar for 2021-22 for engineering colleges on Tuesday. As per the schedule released by AICTE’s member secretary professor Rajive Kumar, the first round engineering counselling for BE, BTech programmes must be completed before September 30.

The second round of engineering counselling needs to be completed before October 10. First-year students can be admitted till October 20 and the last date to start classes for firstyear students is October 25.

According to experts, with the NEET exam scheduled on September12, conducting medical counselling before engineering counselling is not possible this year too. It would leave several hundred engineering seats in top engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu vacant as students who are unsure of getting medical seats will join top engineering colleges and discontinue it after getting medical admissions. Last year as many as 276 students discontinued BE, BTech courses in Anna University’s four campuses including College of Engineering, Guindy (CEG) and Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) to study medicine and other courses.

Internal choices in NEET paper for 2021

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has introduced internal choices in the NEET 2021 question paper after multiple eductaion boards have announced syllabus reduction for Class XII students. As per the change in the question paper pattern, physics, chemistry sections will have five additional questions and biology (botany and zoology) section will have 10 additional questions. NTA has also split each subject into two sections — section A and section B. Students have to answer all the 35 questions in section A and 10 out of 15 questions in section B. As per the new pattern students can answer 180 questions out of 200 questions in NEET exam. Each correct answer will carry 4 marks and for every wrong answer one mark will be deducted. P 10

‘Medical counselling before engg only way to stop wastage of seats’

Anna University former vice-chancellor M K Surappa said the only solution to prevent wastage of seats is to conduct medical counselling before engineering counselling.

“AICTE should consult with the National Testing Agency (NTA) and come out with proper scheduling to prevent engineering seats from falling vacant. Despite bringing it to the notice of AICTE, no remedial action has been taken this year,” he said.

Many private engineering colleges also have from 50 to 100 seats vacant if the medical counselling is conducted before engineering counselling.

“If engineering counselling is conducted first, students select the engineering seats for safety and leave their seats after getting medical admissions. Around 100 students discontinue their courses in top colleges every year,” said RM Kishore, vicechairman of RMK Engineering College.

Unlike Anna University, private engineering colleges can fill up these seats at a later stage.

However, principals said they cannot fill all vacant seats after admissions to engineering courses are over. “Scheduling is the main issue. The present schedule is forcing the students to make one choice even though they are not willing,” a principal from city college said.

Meanwhile, deemed universities facing a different challenge as the admissions to IITs, NITs are being conducted in several rounds and students are leaving these institutions after taking admissions to join centrally funded institutions.

“The ministry of education and AICTE either reduce the counselling to IITs and centrally funded institutions to four rounds or need to allow all AICTE approved institutions to admit 10% more than the sanctioned intake. It will reduce the damage caused by Jo-SAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority) counselling delays and longer schedules. It is also a good idea to cancel JEE (Advanced) as it proves a non-existent differentia,” said S Vaidhyasubramaniam, vice-chancellor of SASTRA.

Don’t be reel hero, be real hero: HC to Vijay

Don’t be reel hero, be real hero: HC to Vijay

Court Slaps ₹1L Fine On Actor For Contesting Entry Tax On Imported Lux Car

Sureshkumar.K@timesgroup.com

Chennai:14.07.2021

The Madras high court has imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh on actor Vijay for challenging levy of entry tax for his imported luxury car, Rolls Royce Ghost, saying such a reputed actor is “expected to pay tax promptly and punctually,” and actors who are seen by their fans as real heroes “can’t be just reel heroes.”

Dismissing the petition related to the import of the car from England in 2012, Justice S M Subramaniam said, “In a state like Tamil Nadu, where such actors have become rulers, they are not expected to behave like a ‘reel hero’. Tax evasion is to be construed as an anti-national habit, attitude and mindset and unconstitutional,” the judge said in his July 8 order released on Tuesday.

The court directed the actor to pay the fine to the chief minister’s Covid-19 public relief fund within two weeks.

The current market price of the car in India is approximately ₹6 crore. Entry tax in TN is 20% of the cost of the car. Noting that non-payment of entry tax by the petitioner could never be appreciated, the judge said the actor should respect the sentiment of lakhs and lakhs of his fans who watch his movies by paying for ticket. “It is only out of such money that the petitioner has purchased the ‘world’s prestigious’ car for his personal use,” the court said.

“These actors are portraying themselves as champions to bring social justice. Their movies are against corruption in society. But they are evading tax and acting in a manner which is not in consonance with the provisions of the statutes,” the judge said.

While the common man is motivated and encouraged to behave as a lawful citizen and pay tax and to thrive hard to achieve social justice in society, the rich, affluent and reputed people fail to pay tax, the judge said, adding that if such was the situation, it would be a long way to achieve constitutional goals.

CBI registers case against RPO officer for taking bribe

CBI registers case against RPO officer for taking bribe

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:14.07.2021

The CBI registered a case against Madurai regional passport office senior superintendent V Veeraputhiran for issuing illegal passports to Sri Lankans and taking a bribe of ₹45,000 from an agent. The agent, S Ramesh, has also been booked by the CBI. The CBI said it had received reliable source information that during June-September 2019 , Veeraputhiran entered into a criminal conspiracy with Ramesh and some other travel agents to provide passports to Sri Lankans who were not eligible for Indian passport. Ramesh transferred a bribe of ₹45,000 in three tranches to the Indian Bank savings account of Veeraputhiran. The CBI registered a case of criminal conspiracy and corruption against the duo.

CBI said he issued illegal passports to Sri Lankans and took a bribe of ₹45,000 from an agent

HC dismisses PIL challenging validity of TN’s panel on NEET

HC dismisses PIL challenging validity of TN’s panel on NEET

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:14.07.2021

The Madras high court on Tuesday dismissed a public interest litigation moved by the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP challenging the validity of a committee constituted by the state government to study the impact of NEET on students from socially and economically backward classes.

“The setting up of the commission can, by no stretch of imagination, be seen to be contrary to any Supreme Court order, whether in letter or spirit, or as a counter to any legislative action taken by the Union or process put in place,” the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy said.

“For all we know, the commission may come up with some material that the state government may use to persuade the Union to search for an alternative or modify the process to make it more inclusive for students belonging to the socially backward and economically weaker sections to participate therein with a better chance of success,” the court added.

The setting up of the commission does not amount to subverting any process of admission, far less an act of defiance to any order passed by the Supreme Court or even the remotest challenge to the exclusive authority of the Union to enact a law and conduct a procedure in a field which is constitutionally designated to be undertaken only by the Union, the judges asserted.

Noting that a section of citizens may feel that it is a waste to appoint a commission; that the costs incurred in maintaining such commission may be better used to provide relief to those who suffered in course of the pandemic, the court said, “But these are choices that an elected government has to take.” Indeed, in the constitutional scheme, the elected government has the freedom to take. Courts cannot rush in and interdict notifications or steps taken pertaining to policy or for garnering public opinion or the like, the judges said.

The court added that the constitution of the commission does not call for any interference as long as the state does not do anything to upset the procedure for admission to medical institutions as established by law.

The issue pertains to a plea moved by BJP Tamil Nadu secretary K Nagarajan. He wanted the court to quash the order issued by the Tamil Nadu government on June10 constituting the committee headed by Justice A K Rajan.

HC order a significant step: Stalin

Chief Minister M K Stalin hailed the Madras high court order dismissing the plea against A K Rajan committee as a significant step in the struggle against Neet. Noting that the court has dealt a blow to BJP as well as AIADMK, Stalin said in a statement on Tuesday that the order has not only upheld the student’s rights, but also the state’s rights. “The judgement was a significant step in our battle against Neet,’’ he said. TNN

43-year-old woman dies after swallowing artificial tooth while drinking water

43-year-old woman dies after swallowing artificial tooth while drinking water

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:14.07.2021

A 43-year-old city resident died a day after swallowing her artificial tooth accidentally while drinking water, police said.

S Rajalakshmi of Valasaravakkam had replaced three front teeth with artificial ones nearly seven years ago at a private hospital in Porur. On July 4, she suffered from dizziness and felt nauseous soon after swallowed one of the three artificial teeth by mistake. She was taken to a private hospital.

After going through her test reports, doctors felt there was nothing alarming and discharged her. But she fainted the next day and died on the way to hospital, said a police officer from Royala Nagar station, who is investigating the case.

She is survived by her husband Suresh, 48, a private advertising firm employee, and their two sons. Police have sent the body for autopsy.

Police suspect Rajalakshmi’s artificial tooth could have become loose as it was fixed seven years ago and she could have avoided a hospital visit now due to Covid tests. A case under Section 174 (unnatural death) of the Code of Criminal Procedure has been registered.

Oral pathologists say the chance of death due to swallowing of dentures is rare unless it reaches the air pipe instead of the food pipe. Delicate tissues in the air pipe might get damaged and subsequent bleeding or asphyxiation may cause death at times, they said.

Dr SM Balaji, an oral surgeon from Balaji Dental & Craniofacial Hospital in Teynampet, said the type of denture had be assessed. “Usually, acrylic removable dentures are liable to cause more damage when swallowed as they have metal clasp. This aspect is very crucial and can be identified only on autopsy or radiological imaging or previous dental records or from patient's care providers.”

Any patient wearing dentures should regularly check with dentists. Any loose denture or tooth should be promptly attended to and the person concerned not wait for an occasion to change it. In case of such swallowing, early identification of swallowed dentures and immediate medical attention can help avoid catastrophic outcomes, he said.

Dentists caution that any loose denture or tooth should be promptly attended to and the person concerned should not wait for long to change it

STATE VACCINATES 3.35L ON TUESDAY

STATE VACCINATES 3.35L ON TUESDAY

7 districts report 100+ new Covid infections

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:14.07.2021

Fresh cases continued to decline with TN recording 2,505 new cases on Tuesday compared to 2,652 new cases on Monday. The state registered 48 deaths and 3,058 recoveries, leaving 31,218 people still under treatment for the viral infection. On Tuesday, seven districts reported cases in three digits and 24 reported fewer than 50 cases.

Coimbatore topped the table with 282 cases followed Erode (187) and Thanjavur (185). Chennai reported 160 cases while Salem had 162 cases, Trichy 98 and Madurai 30.

Ramanathapuram recorded just 13 cases, the lowest in the state. Cases went up in Tirunelveli from 16 on Monday to 25 on Tuesday.

“While cases are coming down, there is still no evidence on how the third wave could be. Countries like the UK are reporting a sudden spurt, but their hospitalisation and deaths are fewer compared to previous waves,” said health minister Ma Subramanian.

It is sad that TN does not receive adequate vaccines, he added.

“We require more than 11 crore doses to completely vaccinate adults, but we have received just 1.67 crore. On Tuesday, after we received 1 lakh doses of Covaxin and 1.5 lakh doses of Covishield, we had about 6.5 lakh doses. We will use them for a couple of days,” he said.

Subramanian said he will meet Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya in New Delhi on Thursday. At the end of the day, TN vaccinated 3.35 lakh people.

Of the 48 deaths in the state, Salem reported six followed by five each in Chennai, Tiruppur and Dindigul. At least 19 districts did not report any deaths.

HC dismisses PIL against TN panel on NEET

HC dismisses PIL against TN panel on NEET

14.07.2021

The Madras high court on Tuesday dismissed a PIL field by the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP challenging the validity of a committee constituted by the state to study the impact of NEET on students from socially and economically backward classes, saying that it was not contrary to SC orders. Chief minister M K Stalin hailed it as a significant step in the struggle against NEET and said the court has dealt a blow to the BJP and the AIADMK. He said the order upheld students’ and the state’s rights

TN ups pensioners’ contributory share to family fund scheme

TN ups pensioners’ contributory share to family fund scheme

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:13.07.2021 

The state finance department has increased pensioners' contribution to the Family Security Fund Scheme and has sanctioned ₹25 crore to clear pending settlements.

According to the scheme guidelines, pensioners make a monthly contribution till the date of death and in return, family members get ₹50,000 on the death of the pensioner.

When the scheme was launched in 1996, each pensioner contributed ₹20 and ₹25,000 was paid on their death. The contribution and settlement amount was increased at regular time intervals to run the scheme.

But in August 2020, the state government stopped paying the settlements to family members of deceased pensioners, citing fund crunch as the reason.

The Director of Pension, the state agency implementing the scheme, said that on an average they received around 15,500 claims every year and they required ₹77.50 crore to settle these claims. But the annual receipt from pensioners is around ₹43 crore. This indicates that annual deficit of accural to the fund is about ₹35 crore.

As of May 2021, there are about 13,746 pending claims for settlement and the director requested the government to sanction ₹57 crore to settle these claims.

Considering the fact that it is an optional and self-supporting scheme, the state finance department on July 7 issued orders increasing the pensioners' monthly contribution from ₹80 to ₹150.

In addition to this, the state has sanctioned ₹25 crore to settle these backlog claims. This amount has been sanctioned as an advance from the government account to the sheme recoverable over 5 years period without interest.

Welcoming this, SA Vetrirajan, a retired commercial taxes officer, said that the previous government left the scheme in the lurch. "Though it is a small amout, it becomes handy for the bereaved family members to settle hospital bills or to take care of the cremation expenses," he said.

Ramasamy from Tamil Nadu Pensioners' Association said that present state government employees also pay the same contribution (₹150 per month) but they get ₹3 lakh as settlement. "The government should at least provide half of this amount for pensioners," he said.

The association has decided to take this request to the government after their state executive committee meeting in Trichy next month. There are seven lakh pensioners in the state and roughly 96,000 among them reside in Chennai.

NEET-UG on Sept 12, regn opens today

NEET-UG on Sept 12, regn opens today

13.07.2021 

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) will be conducted on September 12, online registration for which will commence at 5pm on Tuesday, Union minister for education Dharmendra Pradhan said on Monday. The exam was scheduled for August 1 but was postponed due to rising Covid cases. “...To ensure social distancing norms, the number of cities where examinations will be conducted has been increased to 198,” he tweeted. More than 16 lakh candidates are likely to take the test. P10

வரும் 21-ம் தேதி பக்ரீத் பண்டிகை

வரும் 21-ம் தேதி பக்ரீத் பண்டிகை

சென்னை

தமிழகத்தில் வரும் 21-ம் தேதிபக்ரீத் பண்டிகை கொண்டாடப்படும் என்று அரசு தலைமை காஜி அறிவித்துள்ளார்.

பக்ரீத் எனப்படும் ஈகைத் திருநாள் முஸ்லிம்களால் கொண்டாடப்படும் மிக முக்கியமான பண்டிகையாகும். இறைத் தூதரான நபியின் தியாகத்தை நினைவுகூரும் வகையில், 12-வது மாதமான துல்ஹஜில் இது ண்டாடப்படுகிறது.

அரசு அதிகாரிகளுக்கு அவகாசம் அளிக்க அறிவுரை

அரசு அதிகாரிகளுக்கு அவகாசம் அளிக்க அறிவுரை

Added : ஜூலை 11, 2021 00:29

மதுரை-'அரசுத் துறை அதிகாரிகளிடம் மனு அளித்து, அவர்களுக்கு கால அவகாசம் அளிக்காமல் உடனடியாக நீதிமன்றத்தில் மனு செய்தால், அபராதத்துடன், மனு தள்ளுபடி செய்யப்படும்' என, உயர் நீதிமன்ற மதுரைக் கிளை எச்சரித்துள்ளது.

தஞ்சாவூர் மாவட்டம், பூதலுார் மாரனேரியைச் சேர்ந்த பிரபுதாஸ் தாக்கல் செய்த மனுவில், 'மாரனேரியில் குறிப்பிட்ட சர்வே எண்ணில் உள்ள விவசாய நிலத்திற்கு, என் பெயரில் பட்டா வழங்கக் கோரி பூதலுார் தாசில்தாருக்கு ஜூன் 7ல் விண்ணப்பித்தேன். நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க உத்தரவிட வேண்டும்' எனக் குறிப்பிட்டார்.நீதிபதி என்.ஆனந்த் வெங்கடேஷ் உத்தரவு:அரசுத் துறைகளில் மனு அளித்த ஒரு வாரத்தில், அதன் மீது நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க உத்தரவிடக் கோரி இந்நீதிமன்றத்தில் பல வழக்குகள் தாக்கலாகின்றன.

இது மிக துரதிர்ஷ்டவசமானது. மனுவை பரிசீலிக்குமாறு பல்வேறு அதிகாரிகளுக்கு வழிகாட்டுதல்களை நீதிமன்றம் தினமும் பிறப்பிக்கிறது. இதனால் நீதிமன்றத்தின் மதிப்புமிக்க நேரம் வீணாகிறது.இதனால் 10 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன் தாக்கலான வழக்குகளை விசாரணைக்கு எடுக்க முடியவில்லை. அவற்றுக்கு தீர்வு காண முடியாமல் நிலுவையில் உள்ளதை கவனத்தில் கொள்ளும்போது வேதனையாக உள்ளது.அரசுத் துறை அதிகாரிகளிடம் மனு அளித்து, அவர்களுக்கு கால அவகாசம் அளிக்காமல் உடனடியாக நீதிமன்றத்தில் எவ்வித ஆவணமும் இன்றி, வரும் காலங்களில் மனு செய்தால் அபராதத்துடன் இந்நீதிமன்றம் தள்ளுபடி செய்யும். இவ்வழக்கு தகுதியானது அல்ல. போதிய ஆவணங்கள் தாக்கல் செய்யவில்லை. மனு தள்ளுபடி செய்யப்படுகிறது.இவ்வாறு நீதிபதி உத்தரவிட்டார்.