TN woman kills potential rapist, let off under Section 100 of IPC

TN woman kills potential rapist, let off under Section 100 of IPC

A 23-year-old woman who allegedly killed a man to protect herself from an attempted rape was let go by the police on grounds that she had acted only in self-defence.

Published: 16th July 2021 05:01 AM 

By Sahaya Novinston Lobo

Express News Service

CHENNAI: A 23-year-old woman who allegedly killed a man to protect herself from an attempted rape was let go by the police on grounds that she had acted only in self-defence. The police said the woman, a mother of two, was struggling to free herself from the clutches of the deceased when she pushed him.

The man, whose identity is yet to be ascertained, is believed to have hit his head against a rock and died on the spot. After preliminary inquiries pointed that the woman had only acted in her self-defence, Tiruvallur police invoked section 100 of the IPC (right of private defence) and released her on station bail.

According to the police, the locals reported a man found dead in a fish farm near Minjur on Wednesday afternoon. His body was retrieved and sent to the Tiruvallur Government Hospital for post-mortem. A case of suspicious death under Section 174 of CrPC was registered. From his appearances, police suggested that he could be a migrant worker. On investigation, it was found that the man had been stalking one Lakshmi (name changed).

Woman kills rapist in self-defence

The woman lived with her husband and two children in a small room-like structure in the property and the family was employed at the fish farm. A senior police officer said,

“On Wednesday, the man sneaked into the farm, allegedly gagged the woman and dragged her to a secluded place in the farm where he tried to force himself on her.” As the man held her from behind, Lakshmi pushed him, following which he slipped, and hit a rock on the ground. The ground was slippery from rain the previous night.

When the man fainted, Lakshmi dragged the body and dumped it on the roadside, after which she returned to the farm and informed her husband. He and other workers rushed to see the man only to find villagers standing around the man lying unconscious.

On information, the Minjur police rushed to the spot, and alerted the ambulance. He was confirmed dead due to concussion by the para-medic staff. Inspector Vadivel Murugan said, “We inquired about the suspect in the neighbourhood and they had spotted him for a couple of days in the area. But the residents confirmed that he was not employed in any company there.”

Earlier in January this year, police had invoked the same section to allow a 19-year-old woman to walk free after she killed a man who attempted to rape her.

CBSE to open moderation portal today

CBSE to open moderation portal today

16.07.2021 

The CBSE will be opening the moderation portal for the tabulation of Class XII results on Friday. It has instructed the schools to stick to the schedule provided as the board will have to declare the results by July 31. The schools have also been instructed to ensure there is no bunching of total marks in the range of 95 and above. “To aid the schools, CBSE has provided marks, including distribution of the marks, based on the best performance of the previous three years, which will be taken as reference for the purpose of moderation. Schools are directed to follow the reference distribution while moderating mass,” said the circular sent to the school heads. TNN

Intern doctors go on strike over unpaid Covid allowance

Intern doctors go on strike over unpaid Covid allowance

TNN & Agencies

Ahmedabad:16.07.2021 

More than 400 junior doctors, interns at selffinanced Gujarat Medical Education & Research Society (GMERS) medical colleges in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Valsad, went on strike on Thursday over their ‘Covid allowance’ not being paid. The allowance was promised by the state government during the second Covid wave when several representations over pay disparity with other states were made.

The internship is mandatory for students who start their own practice after completing their bond period. “The intern doctors were promised Rs 5,000 monthly Covid allowance over their stipend from March to June. While interns of the government-run colleges have received the allowance promised by the government, intern doctors at GMERS-run colleges have not been given the sum,” said a doctor on condition of anonymity. “There was no other way for us but to declare a strike for justice.” Meanwhile, Gujarat deputy CM Nitin Patel, who also handles the health portfolio, promised that the issue would be resolved soon. Patel asked the striking doctors to join work and “show some concern for patients”.

“Internship is a must for any medical student. These students must be thankful to the government for arranging their internship at government hospitals and giving them allowances. It’s the government which showed a big heart, not the intern doctors,” Patel said on Thursday.

“They have to complete their internship even if we do not give any allowance, because it’s a must to become a doctor. At private medical colleges, students have to pay from their pockets to do an internship. These intern doctors should show some concern for patients,” said the health minister.

The hospital administration at Sola and Gandhinagar Civil hospitals claimed that services were not affected. “Talks with the doctors are on. Meanwhile, staff has been ramped up so patients don’t face any issue,” said a senior doctor at Sola Civil Hospital.

Junior doctors protest to press their demand at GMERS Medical College in the Sola area of the city on Thursday

With Times NIE, win a ticket to dream course

With Times NIE, win a ticket to dream course

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:16.07.2021 

As a part of the ongoing virtual career guidance webinar for the students who have completed class XII in 2021, Times NIE, in association with Bharath University, is conducting a series of online aptitude tests for the participating students on July 18. The test - ‘BEAT IT’ (Bharath Engineering Aptitude Test, with emphasis on Information Technology), will provide students with an exclusive opportunity to get admission into Bharath University.

The top scorers will also get a chance to win a scholarship for their dream course. The 60-minute-long test will comprise questions on physics, chemistry, maths and computer science. No additional admission fees and test charges will be involved in this. Students taking the test will also get rewards. To register, visit https://docs.google.com/forms d/19sXJ19Ru5 ytJRPW_ 6OGG25Y7xZa-OhFp9v5OK_GwvAE/edit

NEET to be held in more TN districts

NEET to be held in more TN districts

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

16.07.2021 

National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) 2021 will be aditionally held in Chengalpet, Virudhunagar, Dindigul and Tirupur districts, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said. NEET this year will be held in 18 TN districts against 14 in 2020.

Health minister Ma Subramanian, who met Pradhan in Delhi on Thursday seeking exemption from NEET for Tamil Nadu, said the Centre promised to consider TN’s demand. “We presented all problems including disadvantages for students in rural areas, the difference between CBSE and state board syllabus and people’s sentiments against the test. We also handed over the recommendation of the AK Rajan committee.”

The state has urged the Centre to cancel all national level exams like NEET as it did with CBSE boards. During his maiden visit to Delhi, Subramanian called on Pradhan and health minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

In June, TN constituted a committee headed by retired high court judge AK Rajan to study the impact of NEET. After submitting the report on Wednesday, Justice Rajan said most people did not want NEET. “We also told him that at least 13 students who could not get MBBS seats ended their lives. The education minister understood our concerns. He told us there were similar concerns in his state Odisha as well. The state will make all efforts to get exemptions from the entrance,” he said.

Minutes after the meeting, Pradhan tweeted that he had told Subramanian the Centre will add more NEET centres in Tamil Nadu. " Also, shared with him that to cater to regional aspirations, the number of languages being offered this year have been increased to 11 from 13 with the addition of Malayalam and Punjabi. The exam is already being conducted in the Tamil language,” he tweeted.

EXPERT ADVICE

EXPERT ADVICE

Healthy tongue: These exercises are a mouthful  Experts: Can Help With Sleep, Swallowing

Kamini.Mathai@timesgroup.com

15.07.2021 

Good sleep, easier breathing and an overall healthier lifestyle – could it all possibly be at the tip of your tongue? Just like with every muscle, say dentists, the tongue too needs its fair share of work-outs and strengthening exercises to keep it in tip-top shape.

"Strengthening, functional training, posture correction are needed to keep the tongue strong,” says dentist Dr Shifa Shamsudeen, who is launching her non-profit ‘The Tongue Foundation' in the city on Friday to create awareness on a muscler that is often taken for granted and neglected.

Poor tongue posture can also lead to problems such as speech impediments, snoring and sleep apnea, says Dr Seema Alice Mathew, oral & maxillofacial surgeon at Dr Mehta's Hospitals. “The tongue is a powerful muscle. Now, if the tongue falls back while sleeping it can obstruct the airway and cause sleep apnea, especially in someone who is obese,” she says.

During breastfeeding, the tongue naturally touches the upper palate. But in bottle-feeding, the tongue is pushed down, which is not natural, explains Dr Shifa.

In terms of breathing, the gas nitric oxide (NO) – a natural chemical and mechanical viral barrier --is produced in the paranasal sinuses and excreted into the nasal airways. “But when you have a slightly open mouth – a result of a weak tongue – you are engaging in passive mouth breathing, which means the NO effects are partially lost predisposing one to respiratory infections,” says Dr Shifa. “Remember, the upper jaw isn’t just the roof of the mouth, it’s the floor of the nose. In its resting position, the tongue must touch the roof of the mouth.”

Divya S, speech-language pathologist at Pebbles Centre for Child Development, says one of the ways to strengthen the tongue and jaw is to apply something semi-solid and slightly sticky to the roof of the mouth – caramel chocolate for instance – and then try to remove it with the tongue.

“The processed soft foods that we eat use the cheek muscle more than the tongue muscle, thus weakening the latter. That’s why we also need to feed the tongue with a diet of whole grains and give it a workout,” says Dr Shifa.

In largest order so far, Centre to buy 66cr vax doses for ₹14,505cr

In largest order so far, Centre to buy 66cr vax doses for ₹14,505cr

Sushmi.Dey@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:16.07.2021 

The government is placing its largest order yet of covid vaccines at 66 crore doses worth ₹14,505 crore to procure Covishield and Covaxin shots that will help it to meet the vaccine availability projections it had made in the Supreme Court.

The order is in line with the Centre’s estimate of 135 crore doses being available between August and December as stated in its affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court on June 26. Apart from the order for 66 crore doses, the government has made an advance payment to reserve 30 crore doses of Hyderabadbased Biological-E’s Corbevax vaccine, official sources said.

This means a total of 96 crore doses are expected to be available on account of government procurement during August-December. While the 96 crore doses comprises the Centre’s share of 75% of the total manufactured doses, the private sector will also have another 22 crore doses of Covishield and Covaxin available during the period.

Aid for 1,071 teachers who died on poll duty

The UP government will compensate the families of 2,020 of its employees who died of Covid-19 while on panchayat election duty in April and May. Of them, 1,071 were teachers or education staff. In May, the government had said just three teachers had died on poll duty. Initially, the government counted only those who had died within 24 hours of poll duty. As the election was under way, TOI had on April 24 first reported that several teachers had died after panchayat election duty with Covid-19 symptoms, while teachers’ unions put the toll at 1,621 after the polls ended.

39.49 crore vax doses administered across country till Thursday

The order and other anticipated supplies, said officials, will help India remain on track to ensure vaccination for the 18 plus population by the year end.

The total production of Covishield and Covaxin in August-December is placed at 88 crore doses. Despite a shortfall of around 3.5 crore doses in July, Covaxin production is put at 38 crore in this period, slightly less than the 40 crore mentioned in the SC affidavit. The glitches in its production are understood to have been sorted out.

Apart from Covishield, Covaxin and Corbevax, the government’s estimate of 135 crore doses also included Sputnik V and Zydus Cadila’s vaccine. While Sputnik V locally manufactured supplies are yet to start, Cadila’s approval is pending. Ten crore Sputnik and five crore Cadila are estimated to be available this year according to the Centre’s affidavit.

The government aims to inoculate the entire adult population above 18 years age by December.

A total of 39.49 crore doses have been administered across the country till Thursday 7pm.

The Centre has indicated availability of 13.5 crore doses during July, which would translate into an average 50 lakh doses per day. While daily vaccinations have been modest in July so far with a little over 5 crore doses given so far in the month, the states have been asked to ramp up sessions along with that in the private sector where pick up has been slow so far.

Full report on www.toi.in

NEET 2021

 

vaccination

 

பயிற்சி டாக்டர்களுக்கு ஊக்கத்தொகை உயர்வு?

பயிற்சி டாக்டர்களுக்கு ஊக்கத்தொகை உயர்வு?

Added : ஜூலை 15, 2021 00:55

சென்னை:தமிழகத்தில் பயிற்சி டாக்டர்களுக்கு கூடுதலாக, 10 ஆயிரம் ரூபாய் ஊக்கத் தொகை உயர்த்தப்பட உள்ளது.

சென்னை தலைமை செயலகத்தில், மக்கள் நல்வாழ்வுத் துறை அமைச்சர் சுப்பிரமணியன், செயலர் ராதாகிருஷ்ணனுடன், தமிழக உறைவிட டாக்டர்கள் சங்கத்தினர் பேச்சு நடத்தினர். அப்போது, ஊக்கக் தொகை உயர்வு கோரிக்கையை விரைந்து நிறைவேற்றுவதாக, அவர்களுக்கு அமைச்சர் நம்பிக்கை தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

இது குறித்து, அச்சங்கத்தின் நிர்வாகி டாக்டர் விக்னேஷ் கூறியதாவது:ஊக்கத் தொகை உயர்வு கோரிக்கை குறித்து, பலமுறை அரசிடம் வலியுறுத்தி வருகிறோம். தற்போது, எம்.பி.பி.எஸ்., பயிற்சி டாக்டர்களுக்கு, 21 ஆயிரம் ரூபாய் வழங்கப்படுகிறது. அமைச்சரிடம் நடத்திய பேச்சை தொடர்ந்து, 3,000 ரூபாய் கூடுதலாக உயர்த்தப்பட உள்ளது.

அதேபோல், முதுநிலை பயிற்சி டாக்டர்களுக்கு, 38 ஆயிரம் ரூபாயில் இருந்து 48 ஆயிரம் ரூபாயாகவும்; உயர் சிறப்பு முதுநிலை டாக்டர்களுக்கு, 43 ஆயிரம் ரூபாயில் இருந்து 55 ஆயிரம் ரூபாயாகவும் உயர்த்தப்படும் என, அமைச்சர் நம்பிக்கை தெரிவித்துள்ளார். இரண்டு வாரத்தில் இதற்கான அரசாணை வெளியிடுவதாகவும் தெரிவித்துள்ளார். அதனால், நாங்கள் இரண்டு நாட்கள் பணி நிறுத்த போராட்டத்தில் ஈடுபடப் போவதாக அறிவித்திருந்தோம். தற்போது, அதை ஒத்தி வைத்துள்ளோம்.இவ்வாறு அவர் கூறினார்.

திருச்சி -- பகத் கி கோதிக்கு எழும்பூர் வழியாக சிறப்பு ரயில்

திருச்சி -- பகத் கி கோதிக்கு எழும்பூர் வழியாக சிறப்பு ரயில்

Added : ஜூலை 15, 2021 00:48

சென்னை:திருச்சியில் இருந்து சென்னை எழும்பூர் வழியாக, ராஜஸ்தானின் பகத் கி கோதி நகருக்கு சிறப்பு ரயில்கள் இயக்கப்படுகின்றன.

* பகத் கி கோதியில் இருந்து, வரும் 21ம் தேதி முதல், புதன்கிழமை தோறும் மாலை, 4:10 மணிக்கு புறப்படும் சிறப்பு ரயில், வெள்ளிக்கிழமை தோறும் மாலை 4:00 மணிக்கு திருச்சி சென்றடையும்

* திருச்சியில் இருந்து, வரும் 24ம் தேதி முதல் சனிக்கிழமைகள் தோறும் காலை 7:30 மணிக்கு புறப்படும் சிறப்பு ரயில், திங்கள் கிழமை தோறும் காலை 7:45 மணிக்கு பகத் கி கோதிக்கு செல்லும். இந்த ரயில்கள் விழுப்புரம், செங்கல்பட்டு, சென்னை எழும்பூர் வழியாக இயக்கப்படுகின்றன. இதற்கான முன்பதிவு, இன்று துவங்குகிறது.

நிவாரணம் வாங்காத நான்கு லட்சம் ரேஷன் கார்டுதாரர்கள்

நிவாரணம் வாங்காத நான்கு லட்சம் ரேஷன் கார்டுதாரர்கள்

Added : ஜூலை 15, 2021 00:50

சென்னை, ஜூலை 15-கொரோனா நிவாரண தொகை மற்றும் மளிகை தொகுப்பை, நான்கு லட்சம் ரேஷன் கார்டுதாரர்கள் வாங்காமல் உள்ளனர்.

முதல்வராக மே மாதம் பொறுப்பேற்ற ஸ்டாலின், 2.09 கோடி அரிசி கார்டுதாரர்களுக்கு, கொரோனா ஊரடங்கு கால நிவாரணமாக, தலா 4,000 ரூபாய் வழங்க உத்தரவிட்டார். முதல் தவணையான, 2,000 ரூபாய் அம்மாதம் வழங்கப்பட்டது. அந்த தொகையை, 1.60 லட்சம் கார்டுதாரர்கள் வாங்கவில்லை.ஜூனில் இரண்டாவது தவணையான 2,000 ரூபாயுடன், கோதுமை மாவு, ரவை உட்பட 14 வகை பொருட்கள் அடங்கிய மளிகை தொகுப்பு வழங்கப்பட்டது.

அம்மாதம் வாங்காதவர்கள், இம்மாதம் வாங்கி கொள்ள அவகாசம் அளிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. நேற்று வரை, 2.08 கோடி கார்டுதாரர்களுக்கு தலா 2,000 ரூபாய் என மொத்தம், 4,160 கோடி ரூபாய் பட்டுவாடா செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. இன்னும் 1.59 லட்சம் கார்டுதாரர்கள், நிவாரண தொகையின் இரண்டாவது தவணையை வாங்காமல் உள்ளனர். இதுதவிர 2.63 லட்சம் கார்டுதாரர்கள் மளிகை தொகுப்பை வாங்கவில்லை.

இரண்டையும் சேர்த்து 4.22 லட்சம் பேர், கொரோனா நிவாரண தொகுப்பை வாங்காமல் உள்ளனர். ரேஷன் கார்டில் உள்ள குடும்ப தலைவர் அல்லது உறுப்பினர்கள் கடைகளுக்கு சென்று, தங்களின் கைரேகையை பதிவு செய்தால் மட்டுமே, நிவாரண தொகுப்பை வாங்க முடியும்.

சிறுமிக்கான சிகிச்சை மருந்துக்கான இறக்குமதி வரி ரூ.6 கோடி ரத்து:சிறுமியின் பெற்றோர் தகவல்

சிறுமிக்கான சிகிச்சை மருந்துக்கான இறக்குமதி வரி ரூ.6 கோடி ரத்து:சிறுமியின் பெற்றோர் தகவல்

Added : ஜூலை 15, 2021 01:03

குமாரபாளையம்:நாமக்கல் மாவட்டம், குமாரபாளையத்தில் தசை நார் சிதைவு நோயால் பாதிக்கப்பட்ட சிறுமிக்கு செலுத்தப்பட வேண்டிய ஊசி மருந்து இறக்குமதி வரியை, மத்திய அரசு ரத்து செய்துள்ளதாக, பெற்றோர் தகவல் தெரிவித்தனர்.

சிறுமி மித்ராவின் தந்தை சதீஷ்குமார் கூறியதாவது;எங்கள் மகள் மித்ரா தசை நார் சிதைவு நோயால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டார். இவரது சிகிச்சைக்காக ஸ்விட்சர்லாந்து நாட்டில் தயாரிக்கப்படும் ஊசி மருந்து தேவைப்பட்டது. இதன் விலை, 16 கோடி ரூபாய். இதை இந்தியாவில் இறக்குமதி செய்ய, 6 கோடி ரூபாய் வரி செலுத்த வேண்டும் என்று கூறினர்.

பொதுமக்கள் கொடுத்த நன்கொடை மூலம், 16 கோடி ரூபாய் சேர்ந்து விட்டது. இறக்குமதி வரியை ரத்து செய்தால் மட்டுமே இந்த மருந்து எங்கள் மகளுக்கு கிடைக்கும் எனும் நிலை இருந்து வந்தது. பிரதமர் உள்ளிட்ட அனைத்து தலைவர்கள், அதிகாரிகளுக்கும் கோரிக்கை விடுத்திருந்தோம்.தற்போது, இறக்குமதி வரி, 6 கோடி ரூபாயை மத்திய அரசு ரத்து செய்துள்ளதாக போன் மூலம் தகவல் தெரிவித்தனர்.

இதற்கான கடிதம் அனுப்பி வைக்கப்படும் எனவும் கூறினர். பெங்களூரு மருத்துவமனைக்கு சென்று, மருத்துவமனை மூலமாக மருந்து 'ஆர்டர்' செய்வோம். ஓரிரு நாட்களில் மருந்து கிடைத்ததும் மித்ராவுக்கு அந்த மருந்து செலுத்தப்படும். இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.

How Blood On Fridge Led Cops To Killers

How Blood On Fridge Led Cops To Killers

72-YR-OLD’S MURDER: Couple Thoroughly Cleaned House Several Times To Wipe Away Signs Of Crime

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: 15.07.2021 

The young couple that was arrested by Dwarka district cops for the gruesome murder of a 72-year-old woman had almost got away with it.

After strangling the woman and hacking her body into three parts, the suspects, Tanu and Anil Arya, thoroughly cleaned the entire house multiple times to wipe away any signs of the crime. However, a few drops of the victim’s blood had splashed onto the fridge, which the couple failed to notice and eventually led police to them.

The investigation, which TOI had reported on Wednesday, revealed that the elderly woman, Kavita, was murdered on June 30 and the couple disposed of the body parts on July 1 in Najafgarh drain.

Confident that they had not left any trails, the couple stayed put in their house till July 3 to thwart any suspicion on them. When Kavita’s son and daughter-in-law returned from their hometown, they lodged a missing complaint on not finding her at home. This was when the accused couple left for their hometown.

Initially, it was believed that Kavita may have gone somewhere, but after minutely checking the house police discovered the blood drops on the fridge. Though they became suspicious of a mishap, they could only file an FIR of abduction on July 6-7 in the absence of a body.

Soon, police stumbled upon two leads. CCTV footage from an adjacent house showed the couple entering the house and exiting with trolley bags. When cops looked around for the couple, they found their house locked. They then became the prime suspects. Technical surveillance and inquiries ended in the couple being caught from their hometown.

Police said they had recovered a part of the body and suspect that the rest either got dispersed with the flow of the water or may have been eaten by animals.

On Wednesday, Tanu blamed her event manager husband for the crime and claimed innocence while talking to reporters. “I haven’t killed anyone. After killing Kavita, my husband tried to kill me and my daughter too. He has assaulted me several times. I kept quiet fearing for mine and my daughter’s life,” she claimed.

However, police said they had ample evidence of her involvement in the murder. Cops said the couple owed Kavita Rs 1 lakh and were unable to return it due to financial crisis. Therefore, they planned to kill her. When her son and his wife were away, they went to her house on the pretext of returning the money and strangled her to death. They then hacked the body into pieces, packed it in bags and dumped them in Najafgarh drain.

Decide within 8 weeks on exam fee refund: HC to CBSE

Decide within 8 weeks on exam fee refund: HC to CBSE

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:  15.07.2021 

Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to take a call in eight weeks if it will refund the examination fees taken from students for class X and XII board examinations that were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Justice Prateek Jalan asked CBSE to consider as representation a petition by Deepa Joseph, mother of a Class X student studying in a CBSE-affiliated school, who had paid Rs 2,100 as examination fee. The CBSE’s decision would be open to challenge if Joseph is not satisfied, the court clarified as it disposed of the petition.

Claiming that the expenditure incurred by CBSE to conduct board examination, as well as its role in the process, was less, the plea pointed out that as per the new policy, “schools were uploading the marks”. The court, however, disagreed and wondered how the role of the board can be reduced.“If CBSE is not doing anything, you take the marksheet from schools and go,” it told the petitioner.

CBSE said it was a self-financing body and its expenditure was principally funded by the examination fees collected from students appearing in boards.

77 new cases; 1 death in last 24 hrs, lowest in four months

77 new cases; 1 death in last 24 hrs, lowest in four months

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:15.07.2021

Delhi recorded 77 fresh Covid-19 cases and one death on Wednesday while the positivity rate stood at 0.1 per cent. Seventy-one patients recovered in the last 24 hours.

As per the health bulletin, 215 people were in home isolation, a minor increase from Tuesday’s figure of 214, while the number of containment zones declined to 472 from 524.

There were 688 active cases in the city, up from Tuesday’s figure of

683. A total of 76,095 tests, including 54,159 RT-PCR/CBNAAT/True-Nat, were conducted in the last 24 hours, while the rest were rapid antigen tests. Out of the 13,715 beds, only 389 were occupied on Wednesday.

The capital had recorded 76 novel coronavirus cases and two fatalities while the positivity rate stood at 0.11% on July 12, according to a health bulletin issued earlier in the day. The Delhi government did not release the health bulletin on Tuesday.

On July11, Delhi had recorded 45 Covid cases, the lowest single-day rise in over a year, and three deaths while the positivity rate was 0.08%.

The capital has registered 14,35,281 Covid-19 cases since the pandemic started last year. A total of 14,09,572 patients have recovered so far. The death toll stands at 25,021, the bulletin stated. The case fatality rate stands at 1.74%.

A total of 1,29,054 beneficiaries were vaccinated in the past 24 hours, including 36,507 who were given the second dose. Delhi has vaccinated 90,73,103 till date, of which 21,31,907 have been fully vaccinated.

0.1  % POSITIVITY RATE OF THE COVID CASES IN THE CITY

SC: WhatsApp msgs have no evidential value

SC: WhatsApp msgs have no evidential value

New Delhi:  15.07.2021 

‘Popularity is not a measure of reliability’ appears to have played on the minds of the Supreme Court, which on Wednesday said messages exchanged on WhatsApp have no evidential value and that the author of such messages cannot be tied to them, especially in business partnerships governed by agreements, reports Dhananjay Mahapatra.

A bench of CJI N V Ramana and Justices A S Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy said, “What is evidential value of WhatsApp messages these days? Anything can be created and deleted on social media these days. We don’t attach any value to the WhatsApp messages.”

WA message fabricated, firm tells top court

The issue related to a December 2, 2016 Concession Agreement between South Delhi Municipal Corporation and a consortium comprising A2Z Infraservices and another entity for collection and transportation of waste materials. On April 28, 2017, A2Z entered into another agreement with Quippo Infrastructure (now Viom Infra ventures) for carrying out a part of the contracted work and it was agreed that all monies received by A2Z would be deposited in an escrow account from which payments would be made to parties.

On May 28 last year, A2Z terminated the contract agreement and Quippo moved the Calcutta HC on September 14 for appointment of an arbitration panel on certain issues relating to the contract agreement with A2Z. The parties agreed for an arbitrator on January 14 this year.

A single judge bench of the Calcutta HC was told by Quippo counsel about a WhatsApp message of March 19, 2020 in which A2Z purportedly admitted payment of Rs 8.18 crore due to Quippo. Quippo also showed an email of year 2018 in which A2Z had agreed to deposit all money received from SDMC in an escrow account.

A2Z told HC that the WhatsApp message was forged and fabricated. But, the HC directed A2Z to “deposit all the money received by them in future from South Delhi Municipal Corporation in connection with the work covered by the Master Service Agreement in the escrow account subject to further direction in this behalf by the arbitral tribunal or the arbitral award that may be passed”.

Appearing for A2Z before the SC, senior advocate Ranjit Kumar said though the agreement was terminated and the dispute stood referred to arbitration, it was incomprehensible why the HC ordered all receivables from SDMC be deposited in the escrow account. “Why should the HC believe a WhatsApp message when we have disputed it as forged and fabricated,” he said.

For Quippo, senior advocate Ritin Rai said that the escrow account was created on the basis of an agreement for equitable distribution of the money between the parties.

“Prima facie we are not satisfied with the HC direction . We are not considering the purported admission in WhatsApp message,” the bench said.

Haridwar closed for kanwar yatra, UP looks at new routes

Haridwar closed for kanwar yatra, UP looks at new routes

Sandeep.Rai@timesgroup.com

Meerut:15.07.2021

The tiny town of Garh Mukteswar in Hapur district, about119-km from Delhi, is likely to host lakhs of kanwar pilgrims if the UP government comes good on its promise to allow the yatra. With Haridwar out of bounds after the Uttarakhand administration called off the pilgrimage for this year citing threat from the pandemic, Garh Mukteswar is slowly emerging as an alternative destination for the Shiva devotees.

The UP government, which had earlier requested Uttarakhand to let the pilgrims pass en route for Haridwar, from where they collect water from the Ganga, has asked all those participating in the yatra to carry a Covid-19 negative certificate. The yatra is likely to begin from July 25 unless there is a change of plans. Apart from UP, kanwariyas from Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and even Himachal take part in the yatra.

The administration, after mulling several alternatives, has zeroed in on the ancient town of Garh Mukteswar, which hosts pilgrims throughout the year. Divisional commissioner of Meerut, Surender Singh, told TOI, “We have already started preparations for the security and overall management. Now that Uttarakhand has cancelled it, we have to find another destination from where pilgrims can fetch Ganga water. For instance, devotees in eastern UP bring the holy water from Prayagraj and Varanasi. In the western region, one such site could be Garh Mukteshwar in Hapur. But our options are open and we are working in this direction.” District magistrate of Hapur, Anuj Singh, said the administration will be able to hold the yatra in the town as the numbers will be less this time due to the Covid situation. “The possibility of using Garh Mukteshwar ghats for the pilgrimage is being explored as religious fairs take place throughout the year here,” the DM said.

Menacing monkey terrorizes Ratan Pol

Menacing monkey terrorizes Ratan Pol

FORESTERS STRUGGLE TO CATCH SIMIAN THAT SEEMS TO BE INJURED

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:15.07.2021

A monkey has been creating terror in the hearts of residents and commuters in Ratan Pol area over the past 10 days. The simian, which seems to be injured, has been attacking passersby, but the forest department as well as zoo officials are having a tough time caging it.

The monkey has been creating havoc in areas around Roopam Cinema, Ashok Cinema, Mahkali Vadi, Nagori School, and Gheekanta. It also attacked a safai worker from behind.

Hemraj Parmar was among the dozen-odd people that the monkey attacked. He said, “The residents marked the animal with red dye so that it is easily identifiable. Such is its terror that vendors in the area carry a stick to ensure that the monkey does not get close to them.” Despite this, the monkey managed to bite a vendor on Wednesday. The person was immediately rushed to Civil Hospital.

A senior forest officer said that they identified and located the monkey. However, by the time a team reached the area, people gathered in large numbers, scaring the monkey away. Officials said, “The monkey is limping. Hence, it appears that it had been attacked by a human. This could be why it is attacking people. Once caged, it is likely to kept behind bars permanently.” The officials said that the zoo authorities have been put on alert as the monkey will have to be tranquillized. The officials said a cage has been kept in the area and people are on their toes. The monkey had been spotted on several occasions but has not been caught yet.

“It is not safe to use a tranquillizer in such a dense area. The teams returned late on Wednesday without success. Five teams will be deployed in the area on Thursday to ensure that the monkey is tranquillized as soon as possible,” says District forest officer Sakira Begum.

Tejas Exp to Mumbai back from Aug 7

Tejas Exp to Mumbai back from Aug 7

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:15.07.2021

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will restore the operations of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Tejas Express from August 7.

The train will run on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Based on the passenger demand, the operations may be revised.

Officials said that IRCTC will continue to keep the safety of passengers as the paramount consideration. All-round preparations are in place to meet the expectations of people in terms of services and safety and health protocols amid the ongoing pandemic, said officials.

Passengers will have to undergo thermal screening and have their luggage disinfected before boarding the train. Passengers will have to show their Aarogya Setu status when asked.

The train will continue with its halt at Andheri, as permitted by the Western Railway, to facilitate the ease of travel of passengers headed to the Mumbai international airport.

Madurai lab tops state in Covid-testing

Madurai lab tops state in Covid-testing

Padmini.Sivarajah@timesgroup.com

15.07.2021

The virology lab at Madurai Medical College has performed 17.65 lakh RTPCR tests, the highest among all government medical college labs in the state. The government medical college labs in Chennai, including KMC, MMC, Stanley Medical College and Omandurar Medical college, together tested around 17 lakh samples.

Associate professor and lab incharge Dr C Sugumari said the lab with a staff of about100 , including 65 doctors and paramedics besides 45 data entry operators, has been operating round-the-clock since March 2020. With nine RT-PCR testing machines and five RNA extractors, the lab was able to undertake about 12,000 to 15,000 tests daily. During the first wave, they had done about 8,000 tests a day, which was the highest, but in the second wave the sample load gradually increased from11,000 to as many as15,801 a day in June.

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.