‘Bizarre’ eligibility norms for posts put docs with disabilities in a bind

‘Bizarre’ eligibility norms for posts put docs with disabilities in a bind

Rema.Nagarajan@timesgroup.com

15.11.2021

You are ineligible for the post of ENT, urology or dental surgeon if you cannot use both legs, but eligible if your disability affects both arms.

“Why are those with both legs affected barred from these surgical specialties while allowing those with both arms affected? Do they conduct surgery with their legs?” asked a doctor with disability about the bizarre identification of posts.

The strange identification of posts for doctors with disabilities came to light when the organisation Doctors With Disability: Agents of Change (DwDAoC) raised the issue of institutes of national importance including all the AIIMS advertising posts for recruitment without including the latest identified posts for persons with disabilities. Though a January notification of the social justice and empowerment ministry has identified hundreds  (593) of more posts for those with disability than the last notification in 2013, DwDAoC has challenged the very concept of identifying posts, especially in the medical field.

“The identification of posts for doctors with disabilities continues to categorise people according to body parts such as OA OL BL (one arm, one leg, both legs) rather than seeing their functional ability. Unlike post-graduation in other disciplines, in medicine, it combines active duty with studies. No matter what their disabilities, if they have a post graduate degree in a specialty, it means they are capable of carrying out the job for which they have specialised. However, many such specialists cannot get a job as posts in their specialty have not been identified as being open for persons with their specific disability,” explained Dr Sharad Philip, a DwDAoC member.

The January notification identifies posts in urology and ENT (ear, nose, throat), two surgical specialties, as open to OA, BA, OL (one arm, both arms and one leg) but not for someone with both legs affected (BL). There is a surgeon super specialising in urological surgery both of whose legs are affected who conducts surgeries using a standing wheelchair. However, he will be ineligible for any post as he is ‘BL’. Similarly, in the case of psychiatry, persons with visual disability are excluded.

PRESCRIPTION FOR CHANGE?

21 special trains get regular status

21 special trains get regular status

Indore: 15.11.2021

As many as 21 train services, including those originating from Indore and nearby railways stations and operated as special trains will now run as regular trains.

As per officials, the railways has decided that all regular trains which were operating as special services will now operate as regular trains from Monday onwards.

The list of trains includes - Indore-Nagpur Express, Malwa Express, Dr Ambedkar Nagar-Nagpur Express, Avantika Express, Dr Ambedkar Nagar-Yeshwantpur Express, Kamakhya Express, Chandigarh Express, Gandhi Nagar Shanti Express, Patna Express, Rajendra Nagar Express, Lingampalli Express, Indore-Veraval Mahamana Express, Dr Ambedkar Nagar-Bhopal Intercity Express, Amritsar Express, Udaipur Express, Kochuveli Express, Bikaner Express, Delhi Weekly Express, Shipra Express, Udhampur Weekly Express and Daund Express.

Senior officials with the Ratlam division of the Western Railway said that all these trains will run under the new time table. TNN

Student visas are a priority for US embassies and consulates

Q&A

15.11.2021 Times Education 

Student visas are a priority for US embassies and consulates

The US embassy has cleared 62,000 visas this summer, showing American universities’ demand among Indian students, says USIEF Educational Advisor Bhavna Jolly

Priyanka.Srivastava@timesgroup.com

As per National Student Clearinghouse Research Centre (NSCRC), there is a dip in number of international students in the US due to Covid. What are the strategies introduced by the US to bring back the lost students?

This past summer, the United States embassies and consulates globally prioritised student visas. International students were exempted from the US Presidential Proclamation that restricted entry of people who had been in India in the 14 days before going to the US. Thus, Indian students could apply for visas and travel to the US. We issued over 62,000 student visas this summer, showing that the US is a top choice for Indian students.

What are basic concerns of students? How will the US address them?

Students and families in India are concerned about physical health and safety. They seek information about the measures in place at university campuses for Covid-19 prevention and testing, as well as the support that students get in case they test positive for Covid-19. Universities have collated resources and established various systems to keep students safe. Also, new Covid-19 helplines are available at many universities to support students.

The UK government has loosened their restrictive visa policies of the past several years, which has benefitted them. Is the US considering making more relaxed post-work visa policies for international students?

The US includes an opportunity for practical training options as part of the student visa process to ensure international students gain valuable work experience in their field of study during and after their degree programmes. Students can pursue internships during the degree programme called Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for up to one year. Students can gain work experience for up to one year after graduating through Optional Practical Training (OPT). STEM graduates can participate in OPT for up to three years.

International students contributed $44 billion to the US economy and India is the second-largest contributor to this. How is the US planning to hike this further?

Last year, the US mission launched a second EducationUSA student advising centre in Hyderabad at the Y-Axis Foundation. This brings the network of EducationUSA centres in India to eight, in Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. These centres offer accurate, comprehensive and current information about opportunities to study at accredited post secondary institutions in the US. Our free mobile app, ‘EducationUSA India’ offers the most recent updates on studying in the US.

Any initiatives in the form of scholarships or discounts on tuition fees?

There are more than 4,500 accredited higher education institutions (HEIs) in the US and each has its own admissions policies. HEIs recognise the challenges the pandemic has posed for international students and many have updated their admissions policies. Many universities are offering application fee waivers and announced that they would keep tuition, housing, and fees flat. Some universities have extended their application deadlines to allow students more time to apply and accept admission offers. Whatever your requirement, EducationUSA will help you look for substantive information about scholarships and finances.

67-year-old sues KSRTC for failing to pick him up from bus stop, wins ₹1k Senior Citizen Pre-Booked Ticket; Designated Spot Changed On Day Of Travel

CONSUMER IS KING

67-year-old sues KSRTC for failing to pick him up from bus stop, wins ₹1k

Senior Citizen Pre-Booked Ticket; Designated Spot Changed On Day Of Travel

Petlee.Peter@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:15.11.2021

A 67-year-old man, who was not picked up at a designated bus stop in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu by a Karnataka State Road transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus on which he had booked a ticket to travel to Bengaluru, took the utility to a consumer court and has now won a refund and compensation of Rs 1,000.

S Sangameswaran, a resident of Banashankari 3rd Stage, had booked return tickets online on KSRTC Airavat Club Class from Bengaluru to Tiruvannamalai. As planned, he left Bengaluru on October 12, 2019 and was scheduled to return to the city the next day. He reached the designated bus stop around noon. However, despite waiting for over an hour, there was no sign of the bus.

Sangameswaran had received an SMS from the state transporter mentioning his bus details, including the conductor’s contact number. When he called the number, he was told that the bus had left Tiruvannamalai as he failed to turn up at the new temporary stop and it was 30km away on its journey towards Bengaluru.

The dejected senior citizen had no choice but to take another KSRTC bus from Tiruvannamalai and reach Hosur by paying Rs 131. From there he took another bus to Bengaluru for Rs 69. Enraged by the fact that a senior passenger like him with a pre-booked sleeper ticket for the premium service wasn’t informed about the change in bus stop, Sangameswaran approached the Bangalore 2nd Urban Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Shantinagar with a compliant against the managing director and general manager (traffic), KSRTC.

The litigation commenced on October 30, 2019. Sangameswaran presented his case, while the KSRTC lawyer claimed the complainant wasn’t maintainable by law. The attorney also stated that the case should be dismissed by the forum as the place where the alleged incident happened was Tiruvannamalai and beyond its jurisdiction.

He further said the conductor of the bus had sent an SMS to the complainant about the local TN police temporally shifting the bus stop to an outer location to manage crowds during the full moon day and it was a mistake on the part of the complainant, who failed to be present at the spot. He also claimed that 23 other passengers had boarded the bus, but not the complainant.

The judges of the consumer forum, however, didn’t accept the state transporter’s version as it failed to provide proof to substantiate its claims. The utility also failed to produce the bus conductor before the forum.

In their verdict pronounced on October 26, 2021, the consumer court ordered the managing director and GM (traffic) of KSRTC to refund Rs 497 towards the complainant’s Airavat ticket and Rs 131 and Rs 69 for the alternative bus journey he was forced to take to return to Bengaluru. The court also ordered the officers to pay the senior citizen a compensation of Rs 1,000 for the trouble caused.

All payments to the Bengalurean must be made within 30 days of the order, the court ordered.

UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE

S Sangameswaran, a resident of Banashankari 3rd Stage, had booked return tickets online on KSRTC Airavat Club Class from Bengaluru to Tiruvannamalai. As planned, he left from Bengaluru on October 12, 2019 and was to return to the city the next day. He reached the designated bus stop around noon. But despite waiting for over an hour, there was no sign of the KSRTC bus

5 Gmail Add-ons to Boost Productivity

TECHTONIC

5 Gmail Add-ons to Boost Productivity

15.11.2021

Emails are an intrinsic part of our internet-dependent lives — for personal and official use — with Gmail being one of the most popular services around. Besides built-in spam filters and security features, you can install third-party ‘add-ons’ to extend the functionality of a Gmail inbox. They can be found at workspace.google.com/marketplace, only need to be installed once and appear in a sidebar whenever you sign in from a web browser. Ashutosh Desai recommends five such add-ons to improve productivity.

SCHEDULE MEETINGS You can set up meetings with friends, colleagues or clients from Gmail with a smart scheduling service like CalendarHero (calendarhero.com). It also integrates with Google Calendar, so you don’t end up double booking your day.

It uses AI to ‘learn’ your scheduling patterns. Here, you can create fixed time frames for video calls, voice calls, coffee meetups, etc, for a more organised day. Each meeting type has a web link so anybody can ‘self book’ appointments with you. CalendarHero lets you set a daily limit to meetings; it can also integrate with Zoom and Cisco Webex; meetings can be scheduled via Slack, MS Teams, FB Messenger, and more. You can even chat with a virtual assistant to know your schedule.

MAIL MERGE GMass (www.gmass.co),lets you send several personalised emails with just one template. When you compose a new email, click the ‘GMass’ button next to ‘Send’. Choose a template to view the syntax it uses for the recipient’s first and last name. Now use the same format when composing the email. GMass will replace it with the recipient’s first or last name, depending on what you selected in the configurations box.

This add-on also includes a scheduling feature that sends reminders after a specified interval. A free GMass account lets you send up to 50 messages per day.

SEND INVOICES If you are the proprietor of a small business or a freelancer then a free invoice generator like Bookipi (www.bookipi.com) will be a useful addition to your workflow. To use this add-on, you first need to register with Bookipi and design your invoice to include a logo, payment instructions, etc before sending them from Gmail.

When you reply to a client’s email or compose a message, you will be able generate an invoice without leaving the tab.

These invoices can be saved into categories like estimates, incidentals, arrears, etc; can include tax, discount, shipping, and a placeholder for signatures as well. Alternatively, you can also consider the Zoho Invoice add-on to email bills to customers.

ORGANISE EMAIL You can turn your inbox into Kanban-style boards to help you get more work done with Sortd (www.sortd.com), a task-oriented service that lets you assign emails to ‘buckets’ like To-Do, Planning, In Progress, Done, etc. It is ideal for project managers and event planners who need to separate important emails from all the noise.

The add-on lets you assign the email to specific boards while its Chrome extension — which also needs to be installed — toggles between the regular Gmail view and Kanban boards. When you switch to the latter, you will only see the emails you assigned to the various boards. You will see the inbox as a panel, but you can hide this as well so that you can focus on the work at hand and not get distracted by new email notifications.

TRACK EMAILS If your work has you sending several emails through the day to your customers, clients and vendors then it is necessary to know if your messages are actually being read or ignored. With the Mailtrack (mailtrack.io) add-on and its browser extension, you will receive alerts — as popups and as emails, depending on what you choose — whenever your emails are read.

You can also set your account to receive daily reports with analytics related to your read/unread emails, alerts for old emails and messages that have been opened several times over a short period of time.

Mailtrack will also notify you when an email you have received uses tracking features. Moreover, you can install this add-on on an Android handset and send tracked emails while being on the move.

Heavy rains lash Kerala, red alert issued for 3 dists

Heavy rains lash Kerala, red alert issued for 3 dists

15.11.2021

Pathanamthitta/Idukki:

With heavy rains lashing various parts of the state since Saturday night, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday declared a red alert in central Kerala districts of Ernakulam, Idukki and Thrissur for the day.

Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a Facebook post, asked everyone to be extra vigilant in view of the risk of landslides and other hazards due to the unseasonal rainfall. Authorities and the public need to be extra vigilant in the event of heavy rains in Kerala as part of the westerly winds, he said. He said that people living in landslide and flood-prone areas will have to relocate to safer places or nearby relief camps as there is a possibility of widespread rains in the coming hours.

The cleanliness of the camps, availability of food and a screening system for diseases should be ensured, he said.

Later, in a press release, the Chief Minister said that in a meeting of district collectors and officials it has been decided to limit the number of pilgrims to Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala in the next three to four days due to the heavy rains. The ritualistic bathing in the river Pampa will not be allowed as its levels were dangerously high, spot booking will be stopped for the time and changing dates of those who booked through virtual queue system will also be considered to control the flow of pilgrims, the release said. PTI

Sim cards, digital wallets, bank accounts on sale for fraudsters’ use

Sim cards, digital wallets, bank accounts on sale for fraudsters’ use

Racket Thriving In Remote Areas Of North Gujarat

Ashish.Chauhan@timesgroup.com

Ahmedabad:15.11.2021

If you are not using your sim card or your bank account has been dormant, be warned as cyber crooks may have started using your phone number of bank account for illegal activities such as cheating or digital fraud.

City crime branch recently nabbed a 22-year-old man named Vijaysinh Jhala of Aniyol village of Talod taluka of Sabarkantha for allegedly selling simcards illegally.

During his questioning, it was revealed that bank accounts, digital wallets, OTT app access credentials were also being sold illegally.

These activities are flourishing in rural areas of north Gujarat— mainly Sabarkantha, Aravalli and Banaskantha districts — where gangs steal data from telecom companies or banks using the dark web and use it for illegal activities, said a police officer.

Jhala was nabbed on October 9 after police learned that he was about to deliver a couple of sim cards to certain person. When the cops caught him and investigated further, they found that the gang for which Jhala worked as a delivery man had around 20,000 simcards.

“Such gangs work in layers so they can evade the cops. The kingpin will operate various Telegrams groups using which he offers to sell sim cards, bank accounts or digital wallets. If a person shows interest, another set of people will check his credentials and if the person passes their background checks, they will send someone to deliver the simcards,” said a police officer.

In the case of digital wallets and bank account, the end user or the customer who buys them illegally will be given the user ID or passwords by gang members in such a way that the end user will not even know their name or identity.

Not just the end user or customer, the people working in the second or third layer will also not know who the kingpin is, said a police officer.

Class III girl donates money from her savings to buy food for flood-hit people

Class III girl donates money from her savings to buy food for flood-hit people

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:15.11.2021

Seven-year-old Janani had a dream of buying a cycle with the money she had saved. Since her home in Pattalam was flooded during the rain, she decided to use her savings to buy milk packets and bread for people in her locality. She had managed to save ₹5000, and has now emptied the sum for the people in the slum.

Janani, a Class III student, of a Corporation School, lives with her grandmother at Pattalam, while her parents, R R Nagarajan and Shivarajani, live in Andhra Pradesh.

For the past four years, she used to save whatever little pocket money she got in order to buy a bicycle. Unlike other children of her age, she never bought anything for herself, and used to collect ₹5 every day. When the downpour battered the city, on seeing the tragedy of people around her and those who were suffering due to inundation, the little girl was moved and decided to buy provisions from her savings of ₹5000 for the flood-affected people.

She distributed biscuits, milk packets and bread to people at Pulianthope, Thattankulam, Sivarajpuram, Pattalam and other affected areas in North Chennai, travelling on a boat.

“I wanted to buy a bicycle for my birthday in January. I had been saving money since four years. But I decided to donate my savings to people whom I saw suffering in front of my eyes. I am happy to help these people. I can buy a cycle later,” Janani said.

“I want to help the poor and the needy, especially children. I could see them smiling after receiving the bread packets,” she said.

Janani's father introduced the concept of savings to her. She is fond of Mother Teresa. She had always helped other children in her school, her father said, The heartwarming gesture of the little girl was appreciated by many of her nieghbours.

HER BIT: Janani donates milk

When the downpour battered the city, on seeing the tragedy of people around her and those who were suffering due to inundation, the little girl was moved

The perfect bedtime for heart health

The perfect bedtime for heart health

15.11.2021

Going to sleep between 10:00 and 11:00 pm is associated with a lower risk of developing heart disease compared to earlier or later bedtimes, according to a study led by an international team of researchers.

The study was published in European Heart Journal - Digital Health, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology.

“The body has a 24-hour internal clock, called circadian rhythm, that helps regulate physical and mental functioning, while we cannot conclude causation from our study, the results suggest that early or late bedtimes may be more likely to disrupt the body clock, with adverse consequences for cardiovascular health,” said study author Dr David Plans of the University of Exeter, UK.

While numerous analyses have investigated the link between sleep duration and cardiovascular disease, the relationship between sleep timing and heart disease is underexplored. This study examined the association between objectively measured, rather than self-reported, sleep onset in a large sample of adults.

The study included 88,026 individuals in the UK Biobank recruited between 2006 and 2010. The average age was 61 years (range 43 to 79 years) and 58% were women. Data on sleep onset and waking up time were collected over seven days using a wrist-worn accelerometer. Participants completed demographic, lifestyle, health, and physical assessments and questionnaires.

They were then followed up for a new diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, which was defined as a heart attack, heart failure, chronic ischaemic heart disease, stroke, and transient ischaemic attack.

During an average follow-up of 5.7 years, 3,172 participants (3.6%) developed cardiovascular disease. Incidence was highest in those with sleep times at midnight or later and lowest in those with sleep onset from 10:00 to 10:59 pm.

The researchers analysed the association between sleep onset and cardiovascular events after adjusting for age, sex, sleep duration, sleep irregularity (defined as varied times of going to sleep and waking up), self-reported chronotype (early bird or night owl), smoking status, body mass index, diabetes, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and socioeconomic status.

Compared to sleep onset from 10:00 to 10:59 pm, there was a 25% higher risk of cardiovascular disease with sleep onset at midnight or later, a 12% greater risk for 11:00 to 11:59 pm, and a 24% raised risk for falling asleep before 10:00 pm.

In a further analysis by sex, the association with increased cardiovascular risk was stronger in women, with only sleep onset before 10:00 pm remaining significant for men.

Dr Plans said, “Our study indicates that the optimum time to go to sleep is at a specific point in the body’s 24-hour cycle and deviations may be detrimental to health. The riskiest time was after midnight, potentially because it may reduce the likelihood of seeing morning light, which resets the body clock.”

“If our findings are confirmed in other studies, sleep timing and basic sleep hygiene could be a low-cost public health target for lowering the risk of heart disease,” he concluded. ANI

TAKE IT TO HEART: Both early and late bedtimes can disrupt body clock

A guide to reopening your home for guests

A guide to reopening your home for guests

Communication, flexibility and open spaces help make sure that things go smoothly

15.11.2021

When Covid-19 put an abrupt halt to social gatherings, many homes were reconfigured to encompass study areas and home offices. And while restrictions are easing, guests, like hosts, are grappling with a somewhat changed social terrain.

Hugs or handshakes? Dining tables or balconies? Because the pandemic isn’t over and comfort levels vary, etiquette and home experts agree that communication, flexibility and compassion are key to making sure things go smoothly. Here are a few tips:

Always ask first

“While some people have jumped right back to hugs and handshakes, others aren’t quite there yet, so it’s very important to ask people about things first, and respect differing comfort levels,” says Lizzie Post, co-president of the US-based The Emily Post Institute. “Ask ‘Is a hug OK?’ If it’s not, express that friendliness and enthusiasm with words,” she says.

Touch base with guests before the gathering. Let them know how many people will be there and where you’ll be gathering. People are returning to social gatherings at different paces, and that allows guests to prepare accordingly.

Amy Panos, home editor for Better Homes and Gardens, adds: “Don’t hesitate to get specific, like ‘Everyone who’s invited is vaccinated so no need for masks’, or, ‘We have kids, so let’s mask up when possible’.”

Less is more

Where guest lists are concerned, experts agree that it’s a good idea to start small. Consider a smaller guest list in the first few forays to test the waters, then tweak your approach as you go along.

Take the party outdoors

Instead of piling onto the couch or squeezing around a dining table, as people did before the pandemic, these days, people tend to be more comfortable if they’re able to spread out.

“If you have the space, this may be the time to invest in stackable stools or chairs to keep handy so people can spread out comfortably. And keep the windows open if you can,” Panos says.

As Martha Stewart Living style director Tanya Graff says, “We have become pros at doing everything outside. If you can entertain as much as possible outside, I would continue to do that.”

Tidy up

While it’s not necessary to dismantle pandemic-configured home offices, you'll want to tidy things up, especially in areas where you will be entertaining.

“Any time you will be inviting people over, make sure you have a nice, clean, available space. If your living room is also an office, office things should be cleared away. Get the space ready for guests,” says Post.

Embrace individual portions

Skip the dip and any dishes where guests may need to share. “Make sure everything has serving utensils and no one has to use their hands with things,” Graff says.

Setups that allow guests to serve themselves are also popular now.

— AP

S Railway lifts all restrictions, but wait on for unreserved coaches

S Railway lifts all restrictions, but wait on for unreserved coaches

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:15.11.2021

Southern Railway has lifted all restrictions on travel by suburban trains and has regularised express/mail services from Sunday to the pre-Covid-19 level but people may have to wait longer for unreserved class to be opened up.

Southern Railway is running only limited number of unreserved trains in various sections and also unreserved passengers are permitted only in specified mail/express trains keeping in mind that Covid-19 is not fully eradicated, said a statement. Passengers who prefer to travel by available unreserved coaches or trains will have to book tickets from the counters and not by UTS app because railways want to limit the number of people in a coach to prevent crowding. "Steps are being taken to introduce UTS app booking in the non-suburban sector in a phased manner," said the statement.

T Sadagopan, a consumer activist, said that it was good that train services were brought back to the pre-Covid level but they should resume senior citizen concession, reduce platform ticket charges and unreserved class trains soon. "The railway is going to introduce regular fare for festive specials and others but they should also refund money for those who have already booked tickets on these trains," he added.

As regular express/mail services will be operated on pre-covid schedule and fares, Southern Railway has already updated fares on its data centre in Chennai. "All trains originating from Southern Railway that require fare revision from festival specials to regular services have been updated at Chennai data centre and passengers are booking on old fares now," said an official. As far as train number changes are concerned, CRIS will be carrying out number changes of about 500 trains per day over the next week to complete more than 3000. As travel restrictions have been lifted in suburban trains, passengers will be allowed to travel without any time restrictions on the Chennai Central-Arakkonam, Chennai Central–Gummidipundi/Sullurupeta, Chennai Beach–Chengalpet and Chennai Beach–Velachery sections.

Unreserved single, return journey tickets and season tickets would be issued to all. These tickets can also be booked through UTS mobile app.

PATIENT WAIT: Southern Railway is running only limited number of unreserved trains in various sections

Tomatoes, onions continue to be dearer at most markets

Tomatoes, onions continue to be dearer at most markets

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:15.11.2021

Tomatoes and onions continue to be costly in the city's neighbourhood markets.

On Sunday, while tomatoes were available for ₹80— ₹90 per kg, onions were selling for ₹60 in most markets. Drumsticks were being sold for ₹15, ₹20 and ₹28 in various retail markets such as Nandanam, Adyar and Virugambakkam, respectively.

According to official sources with the Koyambedu Wholesale Market, the volume of tomatoes that the city is receiving has slashed by 50%. On an average, the city's wholesale market records an arrival of 80 trucks of tomatoes, each with a capacity of 15 tonnes. This is now down by 40 trucks. At Koyambedu, tomato was selling for ₹70 per kg on Sunday.

Thyagarajan, president of Koyambedu Wholesale Tomato Traders Association, said that tomatoes were expensive across all southern states as the crops had got damaged due to rain. “The cost of tomatoes will continue to be on the higher side because the market is yet to receive adequate quantity of stock. It may take about one month for prices to stabilise,” he said. Onion was also costly because of a supply issue, he added.

Light rain for city as low pressure intensifies over sea

Light rain for city as low pressure intensifies over sea

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:15.11.2021

Light to moderate rain has been forecast for the city as a low pressure that has formed over south Andaman sea is intensifying.

A forecast for the city for the next 48 hours said the sky condition will be partly cloudy. Light/moderate rain is likely to occur in some areas. There may also be heavy rain at isolated places in Kancheepuram and Chengalpet districts.

A report by the met department said that the low pressure area over central Andaman sea with associated cyclonic circulation is still intensifying. It is likely to move and become wellmarked over north Andaman Sea and southeast Bay of Bengal on Monday. The low pressure is likely to move and concentrate into depression and reach near south Andhra coast by Thursday.

Experts say that if it becomes a cyclone, it may hit Andhra coast and will weaken into a low pressure to bring heavy rain to north Tamil Nadu by Friday or Saturday.

Though the city may get only light rain, the met department has forecast heavy rainfall in isolated places in Chengalpet and Kancheepuram districts on Monday.

The maximum and minimum temperature is likely to be around 31 ˚C and 25 ˚C respectively for the next two days. The city and suburbs did not experience rain on Saturday.

Other parts of the state will continue to get heavy rain. Heavy rain is forecast at isolated places in Erode, Tirupattur, Vellore, Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi, Villupuram, Coimbatore, Salem, Dharmapuri, Cuddalore, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Mayiladuthurai.

She Is Major, Highly Educated, Can Decide Where To Go & Reside: Allahabad HC Orders Protection For Married Woman Residing With A Man

She Is Major, Highly Educated, Can Decide Where To Go & Reside: Allahabad HC Orders Protection For Married Woman Residing With A Man: The Allahabad High Court on Thursday came to the rescue of a

Employer Can Terminate Service In The Event Of Suppressing Or On Submitting False Information By The Employee: Supreme Court

Employer Can Terminate Service In The Event Of Suppressing Or On Submitting False Information By The Employee: Supreme Court: The Supreme Court reiterated that in the event of any suppression or on submitting false information, it is always open for the employer to cancel the candidature or terminate service of the...

கோவில் இடத்திற்கு வாடகை பாக்கி டாக்டரை வெளியேற்ற உத்தரவு

கோவில் இடத்திற்கு வாடகை பாக்கி டாக்டரை வெளியேற்ற உத்தரவு

Added : நவ 13, 2021 21:59

சென்னை:ஏழு ஆண்டுகளாக ஒரு ரூபாய் கூட செலுத்தாமல் வாடகை பாக்கி வைத்தவரை, கோவில் இடத்தில் இருந்து உடனடியாக வெளியேற்ற சென்னை உயர் நீதிமன்றம் உத்தரவிட்டு உள்ளது.

விழுப்புரத்தில் ஆஞ்சநேயசுவாமி கோவில் உள்ளது. இதற்கு சொந்தமான இடத்தில், டாக்டர் தியாகராஜன் என்பவர் கிளினிக் நடத்துகிறார்.

அமல்படுத்தவில்லை

வாடகை செலுத்த தவறியதால், குத்தகையை ரத்து செய்து வெளியேற்ற, 2013ல் நிர்வாக அதிகாரி நடவடிக்கை எடுத்தார். வெளியேற்ற உத்தரவு பிறப்பித்தாலும், அதை அமல்படுத்த வில்லை.இதற்கிடையில், வாடகை பாக்கி மற்றும் உயர்த்தப்பட்ட வாடகை என 3.56 லட்சம் ரூபாயை, கோவில் நிர்வாகத்திடம் டாக்டர் தியாகராஜன் செலுத்தினார்.

மனு தாக்கல்

அதேநேரத்தில், குத்தகை இடத்தில் இருந்து வெளியேற்றுவதற்கான நடவடிக்கையை, 2021 செப்டம்பரில் கோவில் நிர்வாகம் எடுத்தது. அதற்காக போலீஸ் பாதுகாப்பும் கோரியது. இதை எதிர்த்து, உயர் நீதிமன்றத்தில் டாக்டர் தியாகராஜன் மனு தாக்கல் செய்தார்.

மனுவில், 'தன்னிச்சையாக வாடகையை உயர்த்தி, 2019 டிசம்பரில் நோட்டீஸ் பிறப்பிக்கப் பட்டது. தற்போது இடத்தில் இருந்து வெளியேற்ற, போலீஸ் பாதுகாப்பு கேட்டுள்ளனர். 'எங்களுக்கு சந்தர்ப்பம் வழங்காமல், வலுக்கட்டாயமாக வெளியேற்ற நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப் பட்டு உள்ளது' என்று கூறியிருந்தார்.

வழக்கை விசாரித்த, நீதிபதி ஆர்.சுரேஷ்குமார் பிறப்பித்த உத்தரவு:கடந்த 2014 நவம்பரில் இருந்து ஏழு ஆண்டுகளாக, ஒரு ரூபாய் கூட வாடகை பாக்கி செலுத்தாமல், டாக்டர் தியாகராஜன் அனுபவித்து வந்துஉள்ளார். ஒரு மாதம் வாடகை பாக்கி என்றாலும், சொத்தின் உரிமையாளர் சட்டப்படி நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கலாம். பல ஆண்டுகளாக வாடகை செலுத்தாமல் இருந்தால், குத்தகையை ரத்து செய்ய கோவில் நிர்வாகத்துக்கு உரிமை உள்ளது.

அதிகாரம்

ஆக்கிரமிப்பாளர்களாக கருதி, வலுக்கட்டாயமாக வெளியேற்ற கோவில் அதிகாரிகளுக்கு, சட்டத்தில் அதிகாரம் வழங்கப்பட்டு உள்ளது.எனவே, ஆக்கிரமிப்பாளரை சட்டப்படி அகற்றிக் கொள்ளலாம். அதில், குறுக்கிட தேவையில்லை. மனு, தள்ளுபடி செய்யப்படுகிறது. இதுவரை மனுதாரர் வெளியேற்றப்படவில்லை என்றால், உடனடியாக நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும். வாடகை பாக்கியையும், சட்டப்படி வசூலித்து கொள்ளலாம்.இவ்வாறு நீதிபதி உத்தரவிட்டார்.

வழக்கமான ரயில்களாக மாறும் சிறப்பு ரயில்கள்

வழக்கமான ரயில்களாக மாறும் சிறப்பு ரயில்கள்

Added : நவ 14, 2021 02:20

மதுரை:கொரோனா தொற்று எதிரொலியாக சிறப்பு ரயில்களாக இயக்கப்பட்டவை தற்போது எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் ரயில்களாக வழக்கமான கட்டணத்துடன் இயக்கப்படவுள்ளன.

ரயில்களுக்கு ஐந்து இலக்க எண்கள் வழங்கப்படுவது வழக்கம். அதன்படி சிறப்பு ரயில் எண்களின் முதல் இலக்கம் பூஜ்ஜியத்தில் துவங்கும். பல ரயில்களுக்கு முதல் இலக்கம் மட்டும் மாறும். அந்த ரயில்களுக்கு முதல் இலக்கமான பூஜ்ஜியத்திற்கு பதில் ஒன்று அல்லது இரண்டு எண் மட்டும் மாற்றப்படுகிறது.

சில ரயில்களுக்கு ஐந்து இலக்கங்களும் மாற்றப்படுகின்றன. சென்னை மதுரை வாரம் இருமுறை சேவை வழங்கும் எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் ரயில்கள் எண் 22623/22624 எனவும், கன்னியாகுமரி - டில்லி நிஜாமுதீன் திருக்குறள் எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் எண் 12642/12641 எனவும், மதுரை - டில்லி நிஜாமுதீன் சம்பர்க்கிராந்தி எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் 12652/12651 எனவும், சென்னை நாகர்கோவில் வாராந்திர எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் 12667/12668 எனவும்,

சென்னை சென்ட்ரல் மதுரை வாரம் மும்முறை எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் 20601/20602 எனவும், திருநெல்வேலி பிலாஸ்பூர் ரயில்கள் 22619/22620 எனவும், திருநெல்வேலி- மும்பை தாதர் வாராந்திர எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் 22630/22629 எனவும், மதுரை பிகானீர் வாராந்திர எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் 22631/22632 எனவும், சென்னை ராமேஸ்வரம் சேது எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் 22662/22661 எனவும் மாற்றப்படுகிறது.

டாக்டர் சுதா சேஷய்யனுக்கு பிரிட்டனின் கவுரவ பட்டம்

டாக்டர் சுதா சேஷய்யனுக்கு பிரிட்டனின் கவுரவ பட்டம்

Added : நவ 13, 2021 20:05

சென்னை:தமிழ்நாடு டாக்டர் எம்.ஜி.ஆர்., மருத்துவ பல்கலை துணைவேந்தர் சுதா சேஷய்யனுக்கு, பிரிட்டனின், 'ராயல் காலேஜ் ஆப் சர்ஜன்ஸ் ஆப் எடின்பரோ' சார்பில் கவுரவ பட்டம் வழங்கப்பட்டது.

உலகிலேயே அறுவை சிகிச்சை மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகளில் தொன்மையானதாகவும், முதன்மையானதாகவும், ராயல் காலேஜ் ஆப் சர்ஜன்ஸ் கருதப்படுகிறது. 500 ஆண்டுகள் பழமையான அக்கல்லுாரி, 'பெலோஷிப் ஆப் ராயல் காலேஜ் ஆப் சர்ஜன்ஸ்' என்ற எப்.ஆர்.சி.எஸ்., பட்டத்தை, தகுதியானவர்களுக்கு வழங்குகிறது.

இதில், மருத்துவ துறையில் ஆற்றிவரும் பணிகள், ஆராய்ச்சி நடவடிக்கைகள், புதிய பங்களிப்புகள் மற்றும் அனுபவம் ஆகியவற்றின் அடிப்படையில், 'பெலோஷில் அட் ஹொமினேம்' என்ற கவுரவ பட்டத்தை, ராயல் கல்லுாரியே விருப்பப்பட்டு தகுதியானவர்களுக்கு அளிக்கும்.அந்த வகையில், இம்முறை கவுரவ பட்டத்துக்கு, தமிழ்நாடு டாக்டர் எம்.ஜி.ஆர்., மருத்துவ பல்கலை துணைவேந்தர் டாக்டர் சுதா சேஷய்யனின் பெயர் முன்மொழியப்பட்டது.

இதை ராயல் கல்லுாரியின் எப்.ஆர்.சி.எஸ்., தேர்வு குழுவின் கவுன்சில் உறுப்பினர்கள் ஒருமனதாக ஏற்றனர்.இதற்கு முன், தமிழ்நாடு டாக்டர் எம்.ஜி.ஆர்., மருத்துவ பல்கலை துணைவேந்தராக இருந்த கேப்டன் ராஜாவுக்கு இந்த கவுவரம் கிடைத்தது. அதன்பின், தற்போது சுதா சேஷய்யனுக்கு அப்பட்டம் கிடைத்துள்ளது.

இந்த கவுரவ பட்டம், பிரிட்டனில் அவருக்கு அளிக்கப்பட்டது. பட்டமளிப்பு விழாவில் சிறப்பு விருந்திராக பங்கேற்று, சுதாசேஷய்யன் தலைமை உரையாற்றினார். இந்தியாவில் இருந்து எந்த பெண்ணுக்கும் கிடைக்காத, இந்த கவுரவம் சுதா சேஷய்யனுக்கு கிடைத்துள்ளது.

US visa wait to get longer due to Covid protocols

DELAY IN TRAVEL PLANS

US visa wait to get longer due to Covid protocols

Subhro.Niyogi@timesgroup.com

Kolkata:14.11.2021

The joy of the US removing travel restrictions to the country from India on November 8 has been short lived for many from Kolkata who intend to fly to the US to meet friends and family members there. A senior diplomat has warned that applying for visa will take significantly longer due to Covid protocols, leading to delays in travel.

Businessman Karan Sarda whose sister stays in Washington state has been waiting to travel to meet her to mourn their mother’s death in May. Sarda and his wife’s B-1/B-2 visa that is given for tourism and business purposes expired a year-and-a-half ago and they were unable to renew it due to the pandemic. After learning that travel restrictions had been lifted, they wanted to apply for drop box renewal — a process by which visas are automatically renewed for usually 10 years for visitors who have been to the US before — but haven’t yet got a slot to submit the application.

“When my travel agent attempted to take a slot, the earliest date available was on June 16, 2022!” he said.

Hina Vasa, her husband Hitesh and their two daughters had applied for B1/ B2 visa renewal eight months ago when their earlier visas expired in April 2020. They are unaware of the fate of the applications. “We have to travel in the last week of May to be able to attend our son’s convocation ceremony in Irvine, California,” said Hina.

Travel agent Joydeep Mukherjee said he had 19 passports for visa renewal but was unable to apply till slots are opened by the US.

Donald L Heflin, the minister counselor for consular affairs that is in charge of issuing visas, has clarified that January to May appointments would gradually open up from either by this month end or in December but warned that numbers would be much lower than in the past.

While those with valid visas can travel immediately, those who require visas will have to wait. In December and January, the focus will be on F-1 (student) and H & L (employment) visa, followed by B-1/B-2 drop box cases. But wait times will be long.

Explaining the reason for the delay, Heflin said the there were distancing regulations in several states and local governments that needed to be followed.

“At the visa offices and consulates, the buildings were not designed with such social distancing norms in mind. Ditto for submission of drop box applications. Appointments have to be taken and that will take time because fewer appointments will be issued to ensure distancing norms are maintained and everyone is safe. For the foreseeable future, we will do significantly less number of visas and drop box cases,” he said.

Honesty pays for Cuttack rickshaw-puller

Honesty pays for Cuttack rickshaw-puller

14.11.2021

Bhubaneswar:

A woman transferred her property to a rickshaw-puller who has been transporting her wherever she goes without fail for the past 25 years. Minati Patnaik, 63, has transferred her assets — a three-storey house in Sutahat locality of Cuttack and jewellery, together worth around Rs 1 crore — to Budha Samal, a rickshaw-puller, reports Ashok Pradhan.

State Univ will turn Azamgarh into Aryamgarh: Yogi hints at renaming

State Univ will turn Azamgarh into Aryamgarh: Yogi hints at renaming

Rajeev.Dikshit@timesgroup.com

Azamgarh:14.11.2021

Hinting that Azamgarh could be renamed as Aryamgarh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that “setting up of a state university will truly turn Azamgarh into Aryamgarh”.

Addressing a public meeting following the university’s foundation laid here by Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday, Yogi said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of development and Union home minister Amit Shah’s work has changed the image of Azamgarh. There is no doubt that this university will soon turn Azamgarh into Aryamgarh. This university will become operational by the next academic session and students from 400 colleges of Azamgarh and Mau will get degrees from here.”

Mentioning that Azamgarh had remained the area of concern for him, Yogi recalled there was a time in Azamgarh when people were killed on demanding reciting Vande Matram. But, can anybody now show the courage of killing anybody in full public view here?

“In 2007, one Ajit Rai, an ABVP student leader was killed in front of the principal office of Shibli National College for demanding recital of Vande Mataram on occasions like Republic Day. Time of over a month was taken to register even an FIR in this case,” said Yogi, mentioning how he too was attacked during his visit to Azamgarh.

“No one could commit crimes like this here now,” said Yogi highlighting the achievements of his government on the law and order front.

“Those, who used to harass girls and women, are well aware that they will be treated like Duryodhan and Duhshashan of Mahabharata for their act,” the Chief Minister said.

No takers for 25% engg seats after final phase

No takers for 25% engg seats after final phase

Many Seats Have Been Left Vacant In New Tech Streams Too

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hyderabad:14.11.2021

Despite the introduction of new tech engineering courses, close to 25% seats in Telangana have been left vacant after the final phase of seat allotment.

This year, over 1.21 lakh candidates have qualified in Eamcet. As per figures shared by Eamcet convenor Navin Mittal, of the 79,790 engineering available seats across Telangana, 19,797 seats have been left vacant. Last year, 17,101 seats were left vacant, which is lower than this year’s figures. This, even as the number of available seats were much the same -- 78,270.

Many of these are left vacant in not only core engineering courses such as civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical and electronics engineering, but also in new tech streams such as cybersecurity, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and data sciences, among others.

“Many students who could not get a seat in colleges of their choice have joined private universities wherein job guarantee schemes are being promoted. Students are giving a miss to local colleges and preferring private universities and autonomous colleges resulting in large vacant seats in Telangana,” said KVK Rao, general secretary of All India Federation of Self-Financing Technical Institutions.

Close to 90% seats in computer science and IT-related courses, 67% seats in civil, mechanical and allied courses and 60% in other engineering courses have been filled. There were fewer takers for courses into cybersecurity, IoT, AI, and others.

IRCTC to get ‘sattvik cert’ for some trains

IRCTC to get ‘sattvik cert’ for some trains

New Delhi:14.11.2021

The IRCTC will promote “vegetarian-friendly travel” by getting some trains “sattvik certified”, especially those running on routes connecting religious sites, according to a statement by Sattvik Council of India which is involved with the certification. No one from the IRCTC, the catering and tourism arm of the Indian Railways, was available for comment.

According to a press release issued by the Sattvik Council of India, it has tied up with IRCTC to introduce services that fits the requirements of vegetarians. PTI

Fight diabetes the positive way

Fight diabetes the positive way

Incidence of diabetes is increasing alarmingly. But the good thing is that Type 2 diabetes cases are easily preventable. Read on to know more

14.11.2021

Resp.Edit@timesgroup.com

Often known as the diabetes capital of the world, India has been witnessing an alarming rise in the incidence of diabetes. Rapid urbanisation, demographic transition and lifestyle modifications are said to be the major causes for the increased incidence of diabetes. By 2030, the number of diabetic people in India is expected to cross the 100 million mark, according to a report by International Diabetes Federation.

The Type 2 diabetes comprises around 90 per cent of diabetes cases in the world and can be attributed to lifestyle disorders like being overweight or having a sedentary lifestyle. These two conditions further raise a person's insulin needs. Gestational diabetes, too, can further lead to Type 2 diabetes. People with family members with Type 2 diabetes and people who have metabolic syndrome (a cluster of problems that include high cholesterol, high triglycerides, low good 'HDL' cholesterol and a high bad 'LDL' cholesterol and high blood pressure) are at a higher risk, too.

But the silver lining to this growing concern is that a large proportion of Type 2 diabetes cases are easily preventable. With simple lifestyle modifications and regular monitoring, it is easy to delay the onset or prevent Type 2 diabetes. The first and foremost thing to take care in this regard is to maintain a normal BMI and engaging in regular physical exercises. Eating a moderate and healthy diet can further reduce the risk of diabetes.

Find the silver lining

Viewing diabetes as a burden is surely not going to ease the journey. It is one sickness that needs lifestyle management more than prescribed medicines. The sooner you accept the entire diabetes package that includes numerous tests and all, the better you will be able to cope with the disorder. Living with diabetes brings frustration on account of thousands of blood tests, multiple appointments with doctors, eating restricted diet and what not. Nonetheless, how we think about our diabetes plays a much larger role than the actual events that are the reason for frustration. Here's a low-down on some of the aspects that can bring in positivity.

Change your outlook It is not essential to look at diabetes as the end of the world. Being diagnosed with this disorder certainly doesn't mean that you cannot live your life anymore. It is in your hands to view it as a detriment, a blessing in disguise or just be neutral about it.

Make it a part of your life Just as you face the traffic on roads and can do nothing about it, look at diabetes as something you need to learn to live with. It is understood that doing the same task again and again can raise the level of frustration; but if you come to accept it, just like brushing teeth or taking a bath, it will lessen the frustration and increase your ability to manage diabetes.

Motivational factor Instead of playing the victim card, make diabetes your reason to live a healthy lifestyle. Go for morning walks, make friends, go for swimming together, join a health club and be as social as you can. View it as a blessing in disguise and look for the positives.

CBSE decides to go ahead with mock test for Boards on Monday

CBSE decides to go ahead with mock test for Boards on Monday

New Delhi:14.11.2021

In a notification issued on Saturday, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) said that the mock test of downloading question papers for the upcoming board examinations would be held as scheduled on Monday.

The board examinations are scheduled to begin on November 16.

CBSE said that schools where exams were scheduled to be held between November 16 and November 20 would be allowed to participate in the mock test. Schools will also be permitted to download the OMR sheets for classes X and XII examinations, which are slated for November. For the OMR of exams to be held in December, a separate communication will be sent.

Following the notification, principals of several schools said that it appears that offline examinations will continue for the students of Delhi, even as the state government gave directions to close schools for a week due to the deteriorating air quality.

Awadhesh Kumar Jha, principal of SV Co-Ed Vidyalaya, Sector-8, Rohini, said, “As far as pollution is concerned, we are helpless. Other than that, all other precautions regarding social distancing and other guidelines.”

Sources in the CBSE said, “From November 16, CBSE will be starting with examinations for the skill courses. Very few schools have these papers, so the closure will not affect a large number of students.” TNN