Two doses, too many wonders

Two doses, too many wonders

Dr Sekhar said the district administration aims to inoculate 1.5 lakh persons during the fifth mega Covid vaccination camp to be held on Sunday.

Published: 09th October 2021 10:49 AM |

A health worker displays empty vials of COVAXIN at a vaccination center. (Photo | AP)

By Express News Service

MADURAI: Of the 498 persons treated for Covid-19 at Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) in the last two months, those who received two doses of Covid vaccine neither died nor required ICU care, said Collector Dr S Aneesh Sekhar.

The collector pointed out of the 263 and 235 Covid patients who were treated in August and September respectively, 208 persons and 168 persons were not vaccinated, 41 and 48 patients had taken the first dose and 14 and 19 patients respectively had taken both the doses. Of the 48 and 31 patients who required ICU care, 44 and 28 were unvaccinated and 4 and 3 patients had taken one dose.

"There are a total of 24,45,000 residents aged above 18 years. Of them, 60% received the first dose while 15% received both the doses. While 63% of residents in rural areas of the district have been immunised against Covid, 55.4% of city residents have been vaccinated.

Dr Sekhar said the district administration aims to inoculate 1.5 lakh persons during the fifth mega Covid vaccination camp to be held on Sunday. "500 camps will be conducted in the city and 900 camps will be held in rural areas," he said, adding mobile camps have been planned for Sunday to cover the destitute and homeless living on streets.

As many as 1.4 lakh doses of Covishield and 10,000 doses of Covaxin are in stock.

During the four mega Covid vaccination camps held so far, 3,64,258 persons have been vaccinated, with the district witnessing a lull due to hesitancy during the fourth camp held on October 3, he said.

"When the second wave of Covid was at its peak 4 to 5 months ago, the public showed more interest in voluntarily coming forward to inoculate themselves. But, with the drop in Covid cases, the willingness too has declined."

Citing that still there are chances for the third wave, the Collector urged the public to come forward to take the jab, shunning vaccine hesitancy.

Meanwhile, Corporation Commissioner Dr KP Karthikeyan said seven wards in the city have achieved 100% vaccine coverage. He further said the civic body plans to achieve 100% coverage at five wards in each of the four zones in the city.

Take the jab and stand a chance to win prize

The district administration has announced prizes at panchayat union level through drawing of lots for the residents who opt to get inoculated during the fifth mega Covid vaccination camp to be held on Sunday. The prizes include bicycle, mixie, pressure cooker and utensils.

Disability didn't stop these women from attaining financial independence

Disability didn't stop these women from attaining financial independence

Workers are busy at Thiyagam Women’s Trust, tucked away in Nagamalai Pudukottai of Madurai. While one section stitches face masks, another makes doormats and gloves.

Published: 10th October 2021 05:30 AM 

Residents at the Thiyagam Women’s Trust in Madurai are first given counselling, and then allocated work based on the level of their skill and education | Express

By Jeyalakshmi Ramanujam

Express News Service

MADURAI: Workers are busy at Thiyagam Women’s Trust, tucked away in Nagamalai Pudukottai of Madurai. While one section stitches face masks, another makes doormats and gloves. Some sew night gowns for women, and others craft decor items. All of them are persons with disabilities (PwD) being trained to earn a living.

Started in 2005 by S Amuthashanthy, the trust aims to make disabled rural women economically independent. When Amuthashanthy was young, her parents admitted her to a home as she was born without a left hand. This had a huge impact on her mental health as a child.

“Though I excelled in academics, I was insecure because of my disability and would isolate myself. But my teacher saw my talent and encouraged me to participate in elocution competitions. This soon helped me step out of my shell. I won a State-level elocution competition and received a prize from the then chief minister MG Ramachadran,” Amuthashanthy said.

Started with tailoring unit at home, friends as colleagues

Amuthashanthy worked at various private institutions after completing her degree. In the holidays, she and her friends would go to villages to volunteer in helping disabled women. It was then that she realised she could start a tailoring unit for disabled persons.

In 1999, with Rs 30,000 in her bank account, Amuthashanthy quit her job and started a tailoring unit at the back of her house. “Meena, my friend, and I got on her cycle and went around Sellur in search of stitching orders. We approached about 10 shops but nobody was willing to give us an order, stating that the disabled can’t do ‘normal’ work. But we soon received an order for three dozen towels and no time to finish it. My friends and I got together and completed the task in a day. Our focus was only on the goal,” Amuthashanthy recalled.

Two years later, people came forward to sponsor tailoring machines, rental charges, and to also place orders; and in 2005, Thiyagam Women’s Trust was formed with the help of volunteers and the media.

Over the past 16 years, the trust has empowered more than 6,000 persons with disabilities across the State. Coordinator at the trust, S Meena, said, “When a person with disability is referred to us or comes seeking help, we first counsel and address them based on the issues they face. Then, we identify their skills and education level, and accordingly introduce them to higher education, sports, government schemes and the like.”

The residents at the facility are allocated work on the basis of skill and education. If a person cannot use their legs, they can stitch mats; if they are educated, they are trained in data entry. “Our aim is to rehabilitate and help them survive independently,” Meena said.

After the training, the parents or caregivers of the persons with disabilities are briefed and they are encouraged to set up a workspace at home. “Family members think the disabled are useless and the person too thinks they can’t do anything. Everyone has the potential to do something. We brief the parents and family members so that they realise it is also their responsibility to take care of and support them rather than have them idle at home,” Meena reiterates.

A home for new beginnings

The trust has helped breathe a new lease of life into the residents. Nancy Sahana (30), the warden of Thiyagam Stay Home was referred to the trust by the Collector after her friend cheated her of her money and abandoned her at the Government Rajaji Hospital. As she has passed Class 10 exams, she was made the warden and also takes care of logistics for the trust.

Besides the skills that Thiyagam teaches, the residents at the facility are skilled in dancing, singing, and mimicry, among other things.

Some sections of society get a raw deal, depriving them of proper education, exposure, and employment. But there’s hope even in the darkest of places. People ostracised and labelled useless have found ways to thrive. Here are a few of their stories

Education no bar: Women entrepreneurs go the grass-route

Education no bar: Women entrepreneurs go the grass-route

The turning point was a project conducted in the Pitchandikulam Forest of Auroville to train rural women.

Published: 10th October 2021 05:38 AM 

Two women collecting herbs in the nursery | Bagalavan Perier B

By Bagalavan Perier B

Express News Service

VILLUPURAM: They were deprived of a proper education. Most of these 20 women from Villupuram’s neighbouring villages — Nadukuppam, Vandipalayam, and Devikulam — haven’t completed primary education, but can name more than 1,000 herbs and list their uses. They are now self-sufficient, and contribute significantly to their family income.

The turning point was a project conducted in the Pitchandikulam Forest of Auroville to train rural women. Over six months, these women were taught farming, manufacturing, marketing, accounting, skill development, entrepreneurship, and team building, after which, they launched the Amirtha Herbal Unit and Nursery.

The facility, near the forests of Nadukuppam village at Marakanam, serves as their workplace, where they cultivate herbs, and make medicines, cosmetics and food items, and market them. They sell 35 products, including soap, hair oil, powders for the face, teeth, and body, and medicines in the form of oil, paste, and electuary.

“Despite several requests, we don’t export products because our resources are limited,” says Parvathy Nagarajan, who trained the women. “They came here as homemakers, but now know as much about herbs as a Siddha doctor.”

Sharing her side of the story, one of the women from the unit, B Kalaiselvi, of Nadukuppam, recounts, “I dropped out of school in Class 8 as I had to start working in the fields. I continued even after marriage. But 10 years ago, I came here for training, and have been making a better income ever since.”

Even her trainer, Parvathy, was pressured to drop out of school. “My parents didn’t want me to continue after Class 5, but I managed to complete my schooling. My forefathers were country doctors, and my grandmother taught me about herbs and their uses. I did a few small jobs until I was offered the role of a herbal trainer at the Pitchandikulam forest.” Through sessions at Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Anganwadis, and women self-help groups, among other places, Parvathy has trained nearly 30,000 people, she says.

D Kavitha of Devikulam, another woman from the unit, says, “The first time we left Tamil Nadu was when we went to the national capital to sell our products at an exhibition conducted by the Union government. We have customers across Tamil Nadu, and even from Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, to whom we courier the products. We also have a stall in the Pudhumai complex near the Villupuram Collector’s office.”

Members of the team say launching the Amirtha Herbal Unit and Nursery has drastically changed their lives, helping them provide economic support to their families. They also use the herbs as home remedies for minor health issues. While some herbs are cultivated on the farm, the rest are taken from the nearby forest or the roadside, says B Nageshwari, a member of the team, adding that they also encourage other villagers to grow herbs. To train the women, the Kaluveli Sustainable Livelihood Women Federation (KSLWF) was formed and a herbal farm set up in Nadukuppam with help from the Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihoods Mission and the Sustainable Enterprise Development in Auroville Bioregion (SEDAB).

Their new venture to provide livelihood

Members of the team say launching the Amirtha Herbal Unit and Nursery has drastically changed their lives, helping them provide economic support to their families. To train the women, the Kaluveli Sustainable Livelihood Women Federation (KSLWF) was formed and a herbal farm set up in Nadukuppam with help from the Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihoods Mission and the Sustainable Enterprise Development in Auroville Bioregion (SEDAB)

Online classes, no contact with friends: How Covid pandemic impacted mental health of children

Online classes, no contact with friends: How Covid pandemic impacted mental health of children

The New Indian Express spoke to psychologists about the repercussions of the Covid pandemic on children and how parents can identify if their child is having mental health problems.

Published: 10th October 2021 10:54 AM 

A very small proportion of adults also seek mental health help in our country, it's the same in children. (Representational Photo)

By Sowmya Mani

Express News Service

TIRUCHY: 12-year old Sarath (name changed) is an intelligent, outgoing boy. In the past year, his parents started noticing several changes in his behaviour. The lockdowns, closure of schools, inability to meet friends, go out and play had a deep impact on Sarath, say his parents. He would not concentrate during online classes, his appetite reduced, and the usually cheerful child became very quiet and pensive.

It took several counselling sessions for Sarath to open up and share his problems.

Like Sarath, the mental health of several children has been impacted in the past two years, due to the pandemic. According to a UNICEF report, The State of the World's Children 2021, around 14 per cent of 15 to 24-year-olds in India, or 1 in 7, reported often feeling depressed or having little interest in doing things.

In the same report, it is mentioned that more than 1 in 7 adolescents aged 10-19 is estimated to live with a diagnosed mental disorder globally.

On World Mental Health Day, which falls on 10th October, The New Indian Express spoke to psychologists about the repercussions of the pandemic on children, and how parents can identify if their child is having mental health problems. The theme of this year's World Mental Health Day, is 'Mental health in an unequal world'.

"Being at home, children have had been limited interaction with their peer groups. Age appropriate activities are restricted. This has led to several social and cultural problems too. The disruption to routines, education, recreational activities is leaving many children afraid, angry, and concerned," says Dr. Karthik Deivanayagam, District Psychiatrist, Pudukkottai.

Doctors say that schools are extremely important for the social development of a child. The development that happens in schools cannot be substituted by online classes, according to doctors.

"Children don't have the attention span required for online classes. We have been observing speech delay in 2-3 year old kids who've never gone to school. Since their interactions are restricted, we have observed that many children are having speech delays. Parents are not equipped to fulfil all the needs of their child, a school is required," says Dr Siddhika Aiyer, Consultant Psychiatrist, Gleneagles Global Health City.

A very small proportion of adults also seek mental health help in our country, it's the same in children. Parents must be aware of changes in their children and seek timely help.

Doctors say that children develop mental health issues by the age of 14, but it comes to the fore only after 10 years.

"In the age of 13-19, mental health issues are common. Suicide is one of the major reasons for death in this age group. 75-85 per cent people don't seek treatment for their mental health problems. This is due to social inequality. Due to lack of access to treatment, stigma around mental health, children don't seek treatment. Since their issues are not addressed, it comes out as violence, substance abuse," says Dr Sunilkumar, Clinical psychologist.

​He says that social equity is needed to address mental health problems. Doctors say that there are subtle signs that parents have to watch out for.

"If a child is isolating themselves, not talking a lot, becomes fussy about eating, gets up in the middle of night crying, imagining that something bad is going to, it may be a cry for help. Any change in routine/behaviour may be an indicator that something is wrong. Don't scold your child if you notice a change, he or she may become even more reserved. When you notice a change, try to understand what the child is feeling. Don't negate what the child is feeling. Make them open up, validate their feelings," says Dr Siddhika.

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TN CM Stalin encourages media to indulge in constructive criticism

TN CM Stalin encourages media to indulge in constructive criticism

Chennai:11.10.2021

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Sunday encouraged the media to indulge in constructive criticism of his government.

"I welcome constructive criticism by the media. At the same time, while it has the tendency to blow up small issues, it forgets to appreciate the positive measures undertaken by this government. Only those who tend to appreciate the good things reserve the right to criticise," Stalin said after unveiling the inaugural issue of 'Merchants of Madras', a weekly special page of The Times of India, at ITC Grand Chola.

“Government and politics have changed for the better in Tamil Nadu. The state has excellent human resources and offers a conducive atmosphere for establishing industries across sectors. This has to be propagated to the rest of India and the globe by media organisations like The Times of India,” Stalin said. The strengths of Tamil Nadu and the local businesses need to be highlighted, he added.

Highlighting the importance of the recently constituted CM’s economic advisory council, Stalin said the government is working towards achieving “inclusive growth for all people and communities”, which former Union finance secretary and member of the council S Narayanan termed as the ‘Dravidian model’.

He pointed out that Tamil Nadu is reeling from a debt of Rs 5 lakh crore and the state public sector undertakings (PSUs) have an additional burden of Rs 2 lakh crore. Only a handful of avenues offer scope for revenue generation as the Centre has, through GST, taken away the rights of the states to collect taxes. “Instead of depending on tax collections, we have to tap our own resources to strengthen ourselves and grow better,” he said, listing out several steps taken by his government on the industrial front, including an exclusive export strategy for the state and an export handbook for MSMEs. TNN

CBSE: Phase 1 of Board exams 2022 to begin soon

CBSE: Phase 1 of Board exams 2022 to begin soon

11.10.2021

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) class X and XII board exams 2022 are scheduled to be conducted in two phases. As the first phase will be held in November-December 2021, the datesheet of the same is expected to be released soon on the official website, cbse.gov.in and cbse.nic.in. As per an official from CBSE, candidates appearing for the multiple choice question (MCQ)-type first phase exams will be allowed to use only pens to mark the answers. At the same time, the OMR sheet will have an additional blank space for candidates to use if they want to change their answers, said the official. The first term practical exams will also be held by the respective schools, further said the official. All questions will be of equal marks, and candidates will get options to choose questions they wish to answer, the official said. CBSE schools have already submitted the list of candidates (LOC) for the board exam. The question papers in the term 1 board exam will be in the MCQ format, including case-based MCQs and assertion-reasoning MCQs. The duration of the exam will be 90 minutes. Each term will include 50% of the rationalised syllabus. Students can download the revised syllabus from the board's website. Term 2 exams are scheduled to be held between March and April 2022.

Pre-departure RT-PCR test a major headache

Pre-departure RT-PCR test a major headache

Ayyappan.V@timesgroup.com

Chennai:11.110.2021

Taking pre-departure rapid RT-PCR tests at Chennai airport’s international terminal, compulsory for those going to countries in the Middle East, especially the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has become a problem, with little social distancing.

Poor crowd control and a lengthy procedure involving paying money, offering samples and receiving reports make it a hassle. Those who have to reach the airport 5-6 hours before departure are forced to crowd in front of the counters to give samples and obtain the results between 12am and 5am for early morning flights. There are no Airports Authority of India (AAI) staff or Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel to regulate things. Online registration can be done, but the queue system is inefficient, say passengers. Arun B, who recently travelled to Dubai, said he had to wait for almost half an hour to collect a form for the rapid test. “People have to fill it up, stand in a queue to make payment and then go into another queue to give samples and then hang around for announcements to collect the report. The announcements are not clear, making people crowd around closer to listen.”

The payment of Rs 3,400 should be made online to save time, he said. “People are sometimes told to come back later after they reach the counter because they would have reached too early and some other passenger had to be given priority due to early flight timings. The worst part is the form filled manually has to be filled again online.” The entire purpose of the tests is defeated as it makes it a place to spread Covid, Arun added.

Basheer Ahmed of Chennai Metro Travels said the process is not done professionally. “There is an option to pay online but it is not easy. We have got inputs from passengers saying they had to go too early for the tests because of the crowd. There are around four flights early in the morning.” An AAI official promised to streamline the procedure and make it online. “Crowd control measures will be adopted. The test for arriving passengers too will be expanded to provide space because the number of flights has increased.”

No Covid deaths in Chennai for second consecutive day

No Covid deaths in Chennai for second consecutive day

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:11.10.2021

For the second consecutive day, not a single person in Chennai succumbed to Covid-19. Besides Chennai, another 29 districts in Tamil Nadu including Coimbatore reported no Covid-19 deaths on Sunday.

So far, a total of 35,783 have died of the virus in the state. This included 15 deaths reported on Sunday.

For more than two months, the state's case fatality ratio hasn't come down. It has hovered around 1.3%. It means for every 100 confirmed cases, at least one died of Covid-19.

But the number of fresh infections has continued to decline in Tamil Nadu. On Sunday, 1,329 tested positive for the virus.

Though Chennai reported the maximum number of cases (164), the test positivity rate (TPR) of the district remained unchanged at 0.8% this week, which was below the state's average of 0.9 %.

Coimbatore, which stood second on Sunday's infection chart with 157 fresh cases, has a slightly higher TPR of 1.3%. Erode is another western district with a similar TPR. Namakkal (64 new cases) in this region had the highest TPR of 2 % on Sunday.

"As the vaccine coverage has increased, the infection rate has reduced in 18 Tamil Nadu districts compared to last month and many were in western Tamil Nadu", said J Radhakrishnan, state health secretary.

However, those with fever should immediately contact the nearest hospital instead of self-medication, he told reporters on Sunday.

But on the flipside, the number of samples tested at TN labs has dropped last month. Earlier, it was above 1.55 lakh a day. But it has dropped to 1.4 lakh now.

HC upholds relief for accident victim’s kin

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Madurai:11.10.2021

The Madras high court has confirmed the compensation awarded to the family members of a car driver who was killed in a road accident when a government bus collided with his car in Sivaganga in November 2004.

Kannan was driving a car on Thirupathur-Sivaganga Road when the bus coming in the opposite direction collided with it, killing him on the spot. His family members moved the motor accidents claims tribunal for compensation. The tribunal directed the transport corporation to pay ₹17.07 lakh compensation to the victim’s family as the accident happened due to the rash and negligent bus driver. It was also asked to pay ₹40,000 to the car owner who also sought compensation. The transport corporation challenged both the orders before HC Madurai bench.

The standing counsel for the transport corporation submitted that the bus driver had stated that the accident occurred due to the negligence of the car driver against whom a criminal case was also registered. Without considering these facts, the tribunal had erroneously fixed negligence on the bus driver, he said.

A division bench of Justice V Bharathidasan and JusticeJ Nisha Banu observed that an eyewitness had stated that the accident had occurred due to the negligence of the bus driver. The evidence of the bus driver cannot be taken into consideration as he is an interested witness. The transport corporation did not examine any of the passengers on the bus to prove that the accident occurred due to the rash and negligent driving of the deceased. Therefore, the judges said the tribunal had rightly fixed the negligence on the part of the bus driver.

The judges observed that though the claimants, who are the widow, parents, minor child and unmarried brothers and sisters, are entitled to consortium of ₹40,000 each, the tribunal had not granted any amount to them.

The judges dismissed both the appeals by the transport corporation.

UGC asks all univs to campaign against single-use plastics

UGC asks all univs to campaign against single-use plastics

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:11.10.2021

The University Grants Commission on Friday asked universities and colleges to conduct impactful awareness campaign to avoid the single-use plastics as part of Centre’s ongoing Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav campaign.

“Awareness programmes to avoid single-use plastics have been identified as one of the themes for the campaign with a view to gather momentum, scale visibility and outreach,” UGC secretary Rajnish Jain said in a letter to the vicechancellors of all universities. The letter called for awareness on the recently notified Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, as well. The rules aim to phase out single-use plastics which have low utility and high littering potential by 2022.

53% absent for UPSC prelims exam in city

 53% absent for UPSC prelims exam in city

Chennai:11.10.2021

Of 28,422 candidates who registered for the Union Public Service Commission’s civil services preliminary exam from the city, only 13,216 candidates (47%) appeared for the exam on Sunday.

The exam, which was scheduled to be held on June 29, was postponed due to the Covid-19 second wave. Trainers said attendance varies each year depending on the vacancy and preparation of the candidates.

According to aspirants, the general studies paper on Sunday was a mixed one with less questions from current affairs and geography. “More than 20 questions were from history and few were from current affairs. Unusually, the UPSC asked three questions from sports,” a candidate said.

Another candidate said the questions were interpretative and not straight forward this year.

“The general studies paper was tougher than last year, the aptitude test was more or less the same,” said S Chandru, academic head, Shankar IAS Academy.

Israel Jebasingh, founder and director of Officers Training Academy, said the cut-off will be 96 or 97 marks out of 200, which will be slightly higher compared to last year. TNN

Online quiz to up discussion skills of Class X students

 Online quiz to up discussion skills of Class X students

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:11.10.2021

The school education department is conducting weekly online quiz every Saturday to spur Class X students to take part in classroom discussions, The basic quiz is aimed at bridging the gap in learning for government school students who have been learning through Kalvi TV video lessons in the past 18 months.

The quiz is designed based on the learning outcomes of Class IX and X lessons. A quiz is conducted for 90 minutes and students have to attend 10 objective type questions from each of the five subjects at a hi-tech lab in high and higher secondary schools.

After each quiz, the department sends questions with correct answers for classroom discussions.

"The questions will not be directly from textbooks and the performance will not be counted for any evaluation. The main purpose is to initiate classroom discussions as these children were away from schools for a long time," an official from the school education department said.

The department is planning to conduct eight quizzes, and so far, four have been completed.

However, teachers said students are finding it difficult to answer the questions as a majority of the questions are from outside the textbooks.

"It's a good move, however, the internet speed in hitech labs is very slow and many students could not submit their responses due to poor net connection. The state government should provide high speed internet connectivity to government schools on priority basis," said A Peter Raja, president, Tamil Nadu High and Higher Secondary School Headmasters' Association.

Railways wants to shut down schools, shift students to KVs

Railways wants to shut down schools, shift students to KVs

Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com

Chennai:11,10,.2021

The Railway Board has once again mooted a proposal to shut down schools run by zonal railways which don’t have a significant number of students on their rolls. Those schools with substantial number of students may be merged with Kendriya Vidyalayas, the board said.

In a letter issued on September 28, Mahesh Kumar Meena, joint director (establishment) in Railway Board wrote to zonal railways to assess schools managed by them.

This is in line with the board's instructions which stipulate that ‘efforts should be made to progressively close down existing railway schools matching the expansion of KVs and other nonrailway schools.’ Eventually, railway schools would be transferred to Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS).

This is being done to optimise the utilisation of resources spent on running schools, the letter stated. “A quota for children of railway employees might be given in KVs,” the letter stated.

The letter has asked zonal railways to identify railway schools which can be handed over to KVs and also close down schools where the enrolment is small and where it is not feasible to merge it with another institution.

Southern Railway runs seven schools (six of which are in Tamil Nadu), which has a total enrolment of 2627. Amount allotted to them is around Rs 20 lakh. These schools are in Perambur, Arakkonam, Madurai, Tiruchirapalli, Erode, Pothanur and Palakkad.

M Suryaprakash, working general secretary of Southern Railway Employees Sangh (SRES), which is one of the unions representing employee issues, said that this was a move keeping in line with the Union government’s plan to privatise railways.

“Facilities like schools and hospitals were created by Railways for the benefit of its vast number of employees. It is the government’s responsibility to maintain and upgrade them, instead of shutting it down. Railway schools can offer some special railway related subjects that can help students prepare for a career in the organisation,” he said.

Met dept predicts more rain

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:11.10.2021

The city will continue to receive thunderstorms and moderate rain at a few places on Monday.

An IMD forecast said the sky condition will likely be cloudy, with thunderstorms and rain in some areas.

The city received heavy rain on Sunday evening. Nungambakkam recorded 20.6mm, Meenambakkam recorded 23 mm, Anna University 16mm, Taramani 14.5mm, MRC Nagar 5.5mm rain till 7.30pm. OMR got a good amount of rain, clocking 40mm.

Weather bloggers said more rain is expected due to an upper air circulation and convergence of wind from north west over northern parts of the state.

Govt to take over Air India’s unpaid bills of ₹16,000 crore

Govt to take over Air India’s unpaid bills of ₹16,000 crore

Sidhartha & Surojit Gupta TNN

New Delhi:11.10.2021

The new holding company for Air India floated by the government, which will take over its non-core assets, will also be saddled with a heap of unpaid bills from the bleeding national carrier, besides bank loans.

These “excess liabilities” being transferred to Air India Asset Holding Company Ltd add up to ₹15,834 crore — more than a quarter of the airline’s total debt, pegged at ₹61,562 crore in end-August.

What are these “excess liabilities”? Government sources said these are largely dues of oil companies, airport operators and vendors that AI managed to avoid over the years, being a wholly-owned government company. The government too has some part in this as it often delays payments, including for tickets purchased for its employees through another public sector company, Balmer Lawrie. “The sale will not just stop the hit that the government has to take on a daily basis but also help clean up the system and release funds,” a government official told TOI.

Liabilities to be taken over by new entity immediately

While the liabilities, including loans and unpaid bills, will be taken over by the new entity immediately, it will only be able to monetise the assets over the next few years, depending on the market condition. In the interim, it will have to work out arrangements with banks and other creditors to rework the terms, which the government believes should not be an issue as the government has guaranteed 94% of the loans used to keep the airline afloat, against accumulated losses of nearly Rs 84,000 crore at the end of March. Besides, the terms of the transaction provide for the government to bear the financial impact of AI operations until the company is transferred to its new owner by the end of December, officials said. Looked at another way, these excess liabilities are more than the book value of non-core assets of Rs 14,718 crore that have been transferred to the new entity and 35% of the total liabilities of Rs 44,679 crore that the new entity will have after factoring in the Rs 18,000 crore of debt and cash from TataSons and the non-core assets.

New proposal to nullify pilots’ flying licence if not used for over 3 years

New proposal to nullify pilots’ flying licence if not used for over 3 years

Manju.V@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:

Pilots who don’t use their flying licence for over three straight years stand to lose it, according to an amendment to the existent aviation regulations, proposed recently by the civil aviation ministry. For thousands of jobless pilots in India, the draft amendment, if passed, would mean spending thousands of rupees every three years to fly in order to hold on to their flying licences. Currently, that minimum mandatory flying to keep a licence valid needs to be done only once every five years.

The extraordinary gazette, published on September 30, lists the draft rules amending the Indian Aircraft Rules-1937 and is currently open for objections and suggestions till the month-end.

The draft rules increase the validity of a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) and the higher, Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) to ten years from the current five years. But with a condition, which appears on page 18.

It states: “In case where the privileges of the licence has not been exercised during the validity period of licence, for a period exceeding 3 years, the applicant shall be required to requalify in examinations and skill tests required for issue of such licence before exercising the privileges of such licence.”

“The new rules will reduce the workload on aviation regulator as each licence will come up for renewal every ten years and not five years,” said a flying instructor.

“But it adds to the woes of jobless pilots. A student spends ₹25-30 lakh to earn a CPL. India has over 5,000 jobless CPL holders currently. The proposed change will send them to flying school every 3 years where they will do some minutes of flying with an instructor to hold on to their licence. With Covid and Jet Airways’ closure, life was anyway tough for jobless pilots burdened with heavy education loans and EMIs,” he said. “

Full report on www.toi.in

Kids’ vaccine ZyCoV-D to be given to pvt hospitals too

Kids’ vaccine ZyCoV-D to be given to pvt hospitals too

25L Doses To Be Set Aside For Pvt Sector Initially: NTAGI Chief

Umesh.Isalkar@timesgroup.com

Pune:11.10.2021

ZyCoV-D, the first vaccine to be approved for use in children in the age group of 12-17 in India, will also be made available to private sector hospitals across the country. The Centre’s supply principle in the ratio of 75:25 for public and private vaccination will remain applicable for this vaccine as well. ZyCoV-D is going to be introduced in the country’s Covid vaccination programme by October 20.

“If there are buyers, up to 25 lakh doses of the ZyCoV-D would be made available to private sector hospitals every month as the initial monthly vaccine availability will be one crore doses,” NK Arora, chairman of the Centre’s Covid-19 working group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) told TOI on Sunday.

The needle-free ZyCoV-D vaccine, manufactured by Zydus Cadila, has received emergency use authorisation for being administered to children between 12 and 17 years of age in India. The three-dose vaccine is to be given with a 28-day gap between each dose. “The biggest hurdle with this vaccine is its slow production. Initially, the manufacturer can only make available one crore doses every month,” Arora said.

He, however, added that the private sector had not shown much interest in vaccine purchases after the new guidelines about Covid-19 vaccine supply in the ratio of 75:25 came into effect. Sanjay Lalwani, medical director of Bharati Hospital in Pune, said: “It is a three-dose vaccine, hence the vaccination cost is likely to be high, which may negatively impact purchase in the private sector.”

A woman dressed as Goddess Durga distributes masks in Kolkata

States, UTs given 96cr doses: Govt

Around 96 crore vaccine doses have been provided to states and UTs so far, the union health ministry said on Sunday. Around 8.3 crore balance and unutilised vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs, it said. The vaccination drive has been ramped up through availability of more vaccines and advance visibility of vaccine availability to states and UTs. PTI

Ready to join hands with anyone to fight Centre: Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao

Ready to join hands with anyone to fight Centre: Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao

Speaking in the Assembly, Rao said that his Tamil Nadu counterpart MK Stalin had written to him expressing concern over the way the Centre was acting vis-a-vis states.

Published: 08th October 2021 11:38 AM 

By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Taking a strong exception to the Centre usurping the powers of States, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday said: "Not satisfied with what it has done so far in emasculating the states, the Centre recently tried to bring the sale of petroleum products under the ambit of the Centre. It later beat a hasty retreat after BJP-ruled states opposed it vehemently."

Speaking in the Assembly, Rao said that his Tamil Nadu counterpart MK Stalin had written to him expressing concern over the way the Centre was acting vis-a-vis states. "I am ready to join hands with anyone who wants to fight with the Centre to safeguard the interests of the State," the CM asserted.

He referred to the "cold response" from Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he met the latter recently and proposed the development of five metro cities excluding Delhi by allocating Rs 20,000 crore each. The CM had suggested that the states concerned could contribute half the sum.

Private colleges don't need state government's nod to add, drop courses: Telangana HC

Private colleges don't need state government's nod to add, drop courses: Telangana HC

The court was hearing a series of batch petitions filed by several engineering colleges questioning certain regulations of the JNTUH that mandate the State's permission to add or drop courses.

Published: 08th October 2021 11:57 AM 

By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Granting relief to private engineering colleges in the State, the Telangana High Court on Thursday said that they no longer have to seek permission from the government to add courses or drop existing ones.

A bench comprising Justice A Rajasekhar Reddy and Justice T Vinod Kumar was hearing a series of batch petitions filed by several engineering colleges (Sree Educational Society, Sreenidhi Institute of Science and Technology and others), questioning certain regulations of the JNTUH that mandate the State's permission to add or drop courses.

Senior counsel S Niranjan Reddy, who appeared for the engineering colleges, contended that certain traditional engineering courses were not creating job opportunities anymore. After hearing the arguments, the bench suspended the impugned regulations and further directed JNTUH to grant affiliation to these petitioners.

Unvaccinated Delhi govt employees will not be allowed to attend office from Oct 16: DDMA

Unvaccinated Delhi govt employees will not be allowed to attend office from Oct 16: DDMA

All such unvaccinated Delhi government employees, including teachers and frontline workers, will be treated as 'on leave' till they get the jab, the order stated.

Published: 08th October 2021 03:01 PM 

A health worker administers a dose of Covaxin COVID-19 vaccine to a woman at a municipal health center. (File Photo | AP)

By PTI

NEW DELHI: Delhi government employees and teachers not having at least one shot of COVID-19 vaccine will not be allowed to attend their offices and workplaces from October 16, according to a Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) order on Friday.

All such unvaccinated Delhi government employees, including teachers and frontline workers, will be treated as "on leave" till they get the jab, the order stated.

The heads of departments concerned will verify vaccinated employees through Aarogya Setu app or vaccination certificate, it stated.

The order, issued by Delhi Chief Secretary and DDMA executive committee chairperson Vijay Dev, stated that the central government "may consider issuing similar directions in respect of its employees working in Delhi."

The DDMA, in its meeting on September 29, had decided to ensure 100 per cent vaccination of all government employees, frontline workers, healthcare workers as well as teachers and other staff members in schools/colleges.

These categories of persons have frequent interaction with the general public and vulnerable section of the society, stated the order.

All government employees working in departments/autonomous bodies/ PSUs/local bodies/educational institutions under Government of NCT of Delhi, including frontline workers, healthcare workers as well as teachers and other staff working in schools/colleges should get vaccinated (at least first dose) by October 15, said the order.

"The aforesaid government employees/ frontline workers/healthcare workers / teachers and other staff working in schools abd colleges, who do not get vaccinated (at least first dose) by October 15 shall not be allowed to attend their respective offices/ health care institutions/ educational institutions with effect from October 16, till they have obtained the first dose vaccination," it said.

Three flights up, merger on cards?

PLAN READY SINCE 2019

Three flights up, merger on cards?

Reeba.Zachariah@timesgroup.com

09.10.2021

Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran had told TOI in 2019 that he would not run a third airline in addition to Vistara and AirAsia India, unless they merged. Which means that an amalgamation of aviation interests is on the cards. But a person familiar with Tata Sons’s thinking said that the integration of multiple aviation units will be possible only after the chairman spruces up the business.

Moreover, the Air India acquisition comes with a provision restricting the new owner from transferring its shares directly or indirectly to any person for one year from the date of closing the transaction. A merger is, however, allowed provided the new owner holds more than 51% during the oneyear lock-in period.

Tata Sons threw its hat into the Air India bidding ring because it had been looking for a solution for its sub-scale aviation business. In the same 2019 interview, Chandrasekaran said he wanted to scale up the aviation business and needed “to find a solution” for it.

Since then, the dynamics at Tata Sons’s aviation business have changed. It had bought Malaysian partner’s 33% share in AirAsia India, increasing its holdings to 84%. Tata Sons now has the option to buy AirAsia’s remaining 16% by next year. Once the share-purchase happens and the brand-licensing agreement with AirAsia ends, the company will be offering a “white-label service”, which could then be combined with Air India or Vistara, said a different person.

The Air India acquisition has, however, put the spotlight on Vistara and its co-promoter Singapore Airlines.

Singapore Airlines cancelled the non-compete clause in Vistara’s contract, allowing Tata Sons to participate in the Air India auction. But the island city-state is unsure of consolidation. “Singapore would like to wait and see how Tata Sons’s aviation business pans out,” said a source. Tata Sonswill have five brands — Air India, Air India Express, Indian Airlines, AirAsia India and Vistara — after the acquisition. Consulting firm Arthur D Little’s managing partner Thomas Kuruvilla feels the company could have multiple brands for different segments.

HC notice to med varsity on plea seeking CBI probe

MARKSHEET SCAM

HC notice to med varsity on plea seeking CBI probe

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bhopal/Jabalpur:

A division bench of MP High Court on Monday issued notice to MP Medical University in response to a petition filed by some medical students seeking a CBI or court-monitored probe into marksheet scam in the university.

The petitioners Avinash Gaur, Aditya Jain and 7  more medical students said that they are students of a private medical college and that they had taken admission in MBBS first year in 2019. Their exams were postponed by 6 months in the wake of the Corona pandemic. Results of their exam was declared on October 21, 2021 and half the students failed to clear one paper or more. The university had decided to allow revaluation or spot valuation on payment of Rs 2000 but later, the provision of revaluation or spot valuation was scrapped, thereby leaving the students with no option for redressal if they are not satisfied with the marks obtained.

They said that a marksheet scam by the company which was given the contract to hold exams and prepare marksheet of students by the medical university has also surfaced. The university doesn't have answer-sheets of students.

Citing rulings of various high courts and the Supreme Court, advocate for the petitioners Aditya Sanghi contended that if the university doesn't have data of its students, it should have given average marks to all the students and declared them pass. He also demanded a CBI or a court-monitored probe into the marksheet scam of the university. The case will now come up for hearing on October 21.

AI Indore to Sharjah flight from Nov 1

AI Indore to Sharjah flight from Nov 1

09.10.2021

From November 1, Air India will start a flight from Indore to Sharjah. It will be the second international flight by AI from Indore, the first being to Dubai. “The flight will also connect Delhi and Mumbai from Mumbai to Indore, then to Sharjah. In return, it will come back to Indore and then fly to Delhi,” AI Indore station manager Vikas Shah told TOI.

Allow students to take exams, HC tells RGUHS

Allow students to take exams, HC tells RGUHS

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru:09.10.2021

In huge relief for 20 medical students enrolled in different colleges in Karnataka, the high court directed Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) to allow them to take their examinations later, if, for any reason including Covid-19, they could not appear for them when scheduled.

The exams commenced from September 20, but the high court ruled they will have to be conducted subsequently for these students.

Justice R Devdas issued this order, while disposing of petitions filed by Pani Yapung, a student from Arunachal Pradesh and 19 others. All the petitioners are from different states, including Kerala.

“Having gone through the advisory issued by the [state Covid-19] Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), this court finds that it is possible that some students arriving from Kerala may have tested positive,” Justice Devdas said in his order.

The judge added: “It is also possible that students other than those arriving from Kerala may also have tested positive. Therefore, under such circumstances, the respondent university [RGUHS] had issued a notification earlier enabling such students who were issued hall tickets but were unable to attend examinations to write examinations subsequently.”