Centre exploring ways to let evacuees complete studies

Centre exploring ways to let evacuees complete studies

Health Ministry, NMC & Niti Aayog Expected To Meet Soon

Sushmi.Dey@timesgroup.com

New Delhi : With future of many Indian students who were pursuing medical education in war torn Ukraine in limbo, the government along with the National Medical Commission of India is discussing possibilities to accommodate such students in either Indian medical colleges or those abroad so that they can complete their courses.

“There is a need to examine this on humanitarian grounds. We will have to see how many such students are affected, how many of them are in third or fourth year and what are the existing provisions. We will do whatever possible to support them,” a senior official said.

The commission, health ministry and member from Niti Aayog is expected to meet soon to deliberate on the issue, sources said.

Another official from the health ministry said the concerned departments are examining it and the government will do whatever possible to support such students.

According to a source, the  government is looking at possibilities of whether provisions can be made on humanitarian ground to accommodate such students from Ukraine in either private medical colleges or allow their transfer to colleges in other countries so that they can appear for NEETFMG.

Some local doctors’ associations have made represen-tations to NMC seeking intervention to introduce special provisions enabling transfer of such students to medical colleges in other countries. This will ensure their eligibility to apply for the entrance exam in India as foreign medical graduates (FMG).

Medical students pursuing medicine from foreignuniversities have to clear the screening test. Once they clear they are equal to any other Indian medical graduate for further practice and employment as a medical doctor in India.

However, the NMC regulation does not allow migration of FMG from one medical college to another.

Full report on www. toi. in

No Indian student held hostage: MEA Hans News Service

No Indian student held hostage: MEA Hans News Service

3 March 2022 11:50 PM IST 

HIGHLIGHTS

India on Thursday rejected claims by both Russia and Ukraine that Indian students are being held hostage in the besieged city of Kharkiv, and said it has requested the support of Ukrainian authorities in arranging special trains for taking them out from the city and neighbouring areas. New Delhi: India on Thursday rejected claims by both Russia and Ukraine that Indian students are being held hostage in the besieged city of Kharkiv, and said it has requested the support of Ukrainian authorities in arranging special trains for taking them out from the city and neighbouring areas.

India's comments came after a statement from Russian President Vladimir Putin's office claimed that some Indian students were "actually taken hostage" by Ukrainian security forces, who use them as a "human shield" and in every possible way prevent them from leaving for Russian territory. The Russian claim was mentioned in a readout issued by Kremlin following a telephonic conversation between President Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday evening.

Separately, the Ukrainian foreign ministry "urgently called on the governments of India, Pakistan, China and other counties whose students have become hostages of the Russian armed aggression in Kharkiv and Sumy, to demand from Moscow that it allows the opening of a humanitarian corridor to other Ukrainian cities." Some Indian students were stuck in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and several other conflict zones and India has asked both Russia and Ukraine to facilitate their safe passage to the border transit points for their exit to neighbouring countries

"We have not received any report of any hostage situation regarding any student. We have requested the support of Ukrainian authorities in arranging special trains for taking out students from Kharkiv and neighbouring areas to the western part of the country," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said. The Russian readout said the Russian side is trying to organise an "urgent evacuation of a group of Indian students from Kharkov (Kharkiv) through the humanitarian corridor along the shortest route to Russia." Also Read - Tirupati: Panicked parents want evacuation of students from Belarus, too "At the same time, according to the latest information, these students are actually taken hostage by Ukrainian security forces, who use them as a human shield and in every possible way prevent them from leaving for Russian territory," it claimed.

https://www.thehansindia.com/karnataka/bjp-mla-says-more-students-can-be-brought-in-place-of-body-731840?infinitescroll=1

6 other VCs on sticky wicket

6 other VCs on sticky wicket

TNN | Mar 4, 2022, 03.57 AM IST

Ahmedabad: The Supreme Court’s order directing the removal of vice chancellor of Sardar Patel University for failing to meet minimum eligibility criteria has come as a warning for the state authorities and at least six other VCs who do not possess the minimum teaching experience.

Sources said that besides Shishir Kulkarni of SP University, whose appointment was quashed for not having 10 years of teaching experience as professor, there are six other VCs who do not meet this criterion. A couple of them were teaching in colleges where the chances of promotion to the post of professor were slim.

The state government has received various representations against appointment of VCs who do not possess qualification as prescribed by the University Grants Commission Regulations.

Petitions have also been filed in Gujarat high court in some cases. “The government has been appointing people to such coveted posts by ignoring UGC regulations. The search committees do have UGC representatives, but the eligibility criteria are ignored. The SC has observed this in its order and the state government may have to face problems for appointments that are not in accordance with the law,” an expert said.

SC orders removal of SP University VC

SC orders removal of SP University VC

TNN | Mar 4, 2022, 03.57 AM IST

Ahmedabad: In an important order, the Supreme Court on Thursday quashed the appointment of the vice-chancellor of Sardar Patel University, Shirish Kulkarni, after he was found to not have adequate teaching experience to hold the crucial post.

While ordering the removal of the vice chancellor, the apex court bench of Justice M R Shah and B V Nagarathna castigated the Gujarat government for continuing with the SP University Act and state legislation that are not in consonance with University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations and for not amending its law for such appointments despite being told to by the UGC, the state’s governor in 2014 and the Gujarat high court in 2018. The SC observed that the state government and its universities have continued to make appointment of VCs in violation of UGC regulations, which prescribe minimum teaching experience for the post, but the government and search committees, formed to nominate VCs, continue to compromise with quality.

The SC asked the government to consider amending its legislation to deal with the issue of appointment of unqualified persons to the top positions of the highest educational institutes. It criticised present conditions and called for raising the bar by selecting well-qualified people for VC posts. It said, “It is correct to say that a vice-chancellor is the kingpin of a university’s system and a keeper of the university conscience.”

With this observation, the judges also quoted Chanakya Nitishastra’s maxim “Yatha raja, tatha praja” (as is the king, so are the subjects) to describe the affairs at Gujarat’s universities, where people otherwise not qualified have been appointed as VCs.

In this case, Kulkarni was appointed VC of SP University in 2016. One Gambhirsinh Gadhvi approached the HC first and then the SC through senior advocate I H Syed, and submitted that UGC regulations on Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and Other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education, 2010’, mandates 10 years of teaching experience as a professor for the post. But the search committee ignored this criteria.

HOSPITAL

Nurse plants HIV positive story after being denied Rs 2,000 bribe

Though a case was not registered till now, hospital superintendent David Selvin Raj said an enquiry has been conducted and the statement of the victim was recorded.

Published: 02nd March 2022 06:55 AM 

By Express News Service

KADAPA: In a shocking incident, a nurse in Proddatur government hospital left a newly delivered woman and her family in shock by falsely claiming that the woman tested positive for HIV as she did not give Rs 2,000 for assisting her during the delivery.

The woman’s family was in for a rude shock as she underwent tests for HIV twice before the delivery and the results came negative both times. The nurse later told the woman that she just wanted to scare her for not giving money. The hospital authorities conducted an enquiry and sent a report to the collector for further action.

According to information reaching here, B Subhashini of Somapuram village in Chapadu mandal was admitted to Proddutur government hospital for delivery on Sunday. The same night, she delivered a baby girl. After her safe delivery, a nurse, Latha, approached her and demanded Rs 2,000 for successfully facilitating the delivery.

Subhashini told the nurse that she does not have any money and that she will give her the money after her husband comes on Monday. In the morning, when Subhashini’s husband Guru Prasad and his relatives came to the hospital, Latha told them that the woman tested positive for HIV.

Guru Prasad later lodged a complaint with the hospital superintendent and also Proddutur II Town police against the nurse. Though a case was not registered till now, hospital superintendent David Selvin Raj said an inquiry has been conducted and the statement of the victim was recorded. He confirmed that Subhashini tested negative both times she underwent an HIV test. A report has been sent to collector V Viajayarama Raju for further action, he said.

MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

 

MEDICAL EDU OPTIONS

 

MATERNITY LEAVE

 

MEDICAL COLLEGE

 

LOW MBBS FEES LURE STUDENTS TO UKRAINE, CHINA AND B"DESH

 

Act Against Govt Teachers Taking Private Tuitions & Other Businesses : Madras High Court

Act Against Govt Teachers Taking Private Tuitions & Other Businesses : Madras High Court

Slamming those government teachers who take private tuition classes for remuneration and do other businesses, Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has issued a slew of directions to prevent government school teachers from flouting the Tamil Nadu Government Servants (Conditions of Service) Act, 2016 and Service Rules.

"The teaching community is concentrating to satisfy their self-needs, thereby neutralizing the duties and responsibilities. They are fighting only for their rights...But, time has come now for the Courts for emphasis the duties to be performed by these Teachers and citizen in general. Rights and duties are corresponding. When a Teacher claims a right, equally the performance of duties is to be emphasised. But, the trend is that the duties are not considered as important. Such a mind-set at no circumstances, is tolerable."

For full story

https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/act-against-govt-teachers-taking-private-tuitions-other-businesses-madras-high-court-193202

Madras High Court Directs Act Against Govt Teachers Taking Private Tuitions & Other Businesses

Madras High Court Directs Act Against Govt Teachers Taking Private Tuitions & Other Businesses: Slamming those government teachers who take private tuition classes for remuneration and do other

NEET-UG 2022 likely to be held in June-end

NEET-UG 2022 likely to be held in June-end

TNN | Feb 28, 2022, 11.15 PM IST

NEW DELHI: The Medical Advisory Council of the National Medical Commission has asked the National Testing Agency to consider the third and fourth week of June, 2022 for conducting the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (undergraduate). The council in its meeting last week suggested the period and asked NTA to work on the schedule as per its convenience.

NTA would be conducting multiple entrances starting April 2022, which include two JEE (main) for admissions to engineering and architecture programmes, NEET-UG for medical and allied courses and a common entrance test for admission to central universities.

According to a member present in the meeting, “The members discussed the probable period for conduct of the medical entrance test this year and suggested NTA to pick a date from either the third or fourth week of June. Representative from the ministry of education who was also present in the meeting presented the position of NTA which is conducting other exams as well.”

Last year, the NEET-UG exam was held on September 12 with over 95% of the registered candidates appearing for the medical entrance exam.

Unlike the other entrances, NEET-UG would continue to be single day, pen-paper mode exam. “There no change in the format for NEET-UG,” said the official.

Over 15.44 lakh candidates had appeared for the exam which was conducted at 3,858 centres in 13 languages in 2021. Over 8.70 lakh candidates had qualified the exam.

According to NTA sources, the agency is likely to announce the schedule for JEE (main), NEET-UG and CUCET around March 10 and registration for JEE (main) April is also likely to start immediately.

Last year, Joint Entrance Exam (JEE)-Main was conducted four times a year to offer flexibility to students and a chance to improve their scores. As first reported by the TOI, the ministry of education however has decided to conduct the exam twice this year with the merit list to be decided based on the best of the two scores.

Last year the first phase was held in February and the second in March. The next phases were scheduled for April and May but those were postponed in view of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic that raged through the country affecting lakhs.

Govt. doctor’s licence suspended in T.N. for carelessness

Govt. doctor’s licence suspended in T.N. for carelessness

R. Sujatha

MARCH 02, 2022 00:16 IST

UPDATED: MARCH 02, 2022 00:16 IST

Medical council suspends orthopaedist’s licence for a week

The registrar of Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC) has suspended the licence of a doctor for providing false certificate.

Gobinath, alias Gobi, who was arrested for possessing 1.5 kg of ganja got bail from the Madurai bench of Madras High Court. When he was called for police interrogation on March 28, 2021, he said he had been injured in an accident the previous day and produced a medical certificate for treatment, signed by C. Balaji, an assistant professor of the Government Thanjavur Medical College.

On examination, police found his claim was fake. The Madurai bench then instructed the police to take action against Gobinath for furnishing false documents and marked a copy of the order to TNMC to initiate appropriate action against Dr. Balaji for issuing a certificate on August 19, 2021, stating he had treated the patient from April 1, 2020 till September 26, 2020.

The Council issued a show cause notice to Dr. Balaji for “for issuing a false certificate in violation of regulation 7.7 of Code of Medical Ethics regulations 2003”.

Dr. Balaji explained he had treated Gobi in his private clinic’s outpatient service for left ankle injury. The patient, treated for a tendon injury, did not come for any review till September 20, 2020. He said he had issued a certificate on humanitarian grounds as the patient had complained of pain while standing.

The Council’s disciplinary committee opined that the doctor had issued a fake certificate after seeing the patient just once. Besides, Dr. Balaji had not used the usual format for medical certificates. He had issued the certificate in his official capacity as per the seal on the letter.

K. Senthil, president of TNMC said, “There was no vested interest on the part of the doctor. Hence, we have suspended his licence for just a week,” he explained. The council has ruled that Dr. Balaji’s medical licence would be suspended for a week, beginning March 15. It also instructed him to surrender his registration certificate forthwith.

Andhra Pradesh: Man bleeds to death after BPharm students perform sex change operation in Nellore

Andhra Pradesh: Man bleeds to death after BPharm students perform sex change operation in Nellore

TNN | Feb 27, 2022, 04.08 AM IST

By: Madhu Rasala

VIJAYAWADA: A married man, who decided to change his sex, died due to excessive bleeding after two pharmacy students attempted to perform sex reassignment surgery with the help of a YouTube video. The sex change operation involving removal of the reproductive parts was `performed’ in a room of a private hotel without any medical precautions or supervision of a qualified doctor.

The bizarre incident took place in Nellore town on Thursday.

Police have arrested the two accused, both bachelor of pharmacy students in a private college in Nellore.

The 28-year-old man, who had left his wife to live alone, came in contact with the students through social media. Police officials said there was excessive bleeding during the attempted surgery leading to instant death. Also, the room where the procedure was carried out was unhygienic.

The accused have any surgical expertise. Their only guide were YouTube.

The victim was a native of Kamepally village in Zarugumalli mandal of neighbouring Prakasam district. As a boy, he had shifted to Hyderabad where he worked as a daily-wage labour. In 2019 he married his uncle's daughter and within a year they got separated. He obtained a divorce in 2020. It is suspected that he had divorced his wife allegedly due to his gender preference.

He later shifted to Prakasam district where he came in touch with a transgender from Visakhapatnam through social media.

Police said they came into contact with the two students, Mastan and Jeeva, and the four would chat regularly on WhatsApp. When the victim expressed his desire to get sex reassignment surgery in Mumbai, Mastan and Jeeva told him that they were aware of the surgical procedure and would perform it at an affordable cost. The students convinced him against going to a doctor in Mumbai as it would be a costly affair, the police said.

The duo had planned to perform the surgery in a lodge room at Gandhi Bomma centre in the Nellore town. They then rented a room in a hotel on February 23. The operation was performed on February 24.

The police said the victim had died due to bleeding and an overdose of medicines including sedatives. Noticing the death, the accused fled from the hotel. The incident came to light after the hotel staff found the body in the room.

Man deserts wife for demanding new clothes

Man deserts wife for demanding new clothes

TNN | Mar 2, 2022, 03.56 AM IST

Ahmedabad: When she asked her husband to buy new clothes because her old ones did not fit her any more, the last thing she expected was to be abandoned over this demand.

Filing a complaint of domestic violence against her husband and in-laws on Tuesday, a 38-year-old woman from Ghatlodia accused her husband of subjecting her to violence for dowry and abandoning her.

She told police, “I married a man from Patan on November 11, 2016. Soon after the marriage, my husband and my in-laws began torturing me. They would thrash me often asking for Rs 15 lakh in dowry.” Aggrieved by this, the woman had left her husband’s house on February 21, 2017 and filed a police complaint against him. During investigation, her husband and in-laws sought to arrive at a compromise over the issue. Convinced by the assurances they offered, the woman returned to his house on January 21, 2021. At the time, she realized that the clothes she had left behind was either torn or do not fit her any longer. So, she asked her husband to get her new clothes. “My husband took me to the market. He asked me to return to my parents’ place as he did not want to keep me and left me there,” she told police. tnn

Agra: MBBS students caught in exam with ear device

Agra: MBBS students caught in exam with ear device

TNN | Feb 28, 2022, 07.46 AM IST

AGRA: Three final-year medical students were allegedly caught cheating in an exam at Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University on Saturday. They were using a micro-Bluetooth device in their ears and had attached a SIM card-inserted circuit to their vest, officials said, adding that they were being dictated the answers from outside the exam centre. Action against them will be taken on the basis of a recommendation by the examination committee, the officials added. So far, no FIR has been registered in the case.

Speaking about the matter, examination controller, Ajay Krishna Yadav, said, "A report concerning three MBBS final-year students caught using unfair means during an exam has been received. A hi-tech Bluetooth device and a sim-inserted circuit used for cheating were recovered from these students. The matter is being investigated in detail by the university's committee."

Around 31 MBBS (final professional) students of the self-financed FH Medical College located in Etmadpur had appeared for a surgery exam at the Institute of Engineering and Technology in Khandari campus of the Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University. The three-hour exam started at 10:00 am. According to university officials, the invigilator on duty heard a student murmuring around 30 minutes after the commencement of the exam. On observing the student for a few minutes, the invigilator found that he was pressing on an object on the lower side of his chest, inside the shirt repeatedly. His suspicions aroused, the invigilator searched the student and found the device. Senior officials were called and the other students were also checked. Two other students were then found with the same set of devices.

VK Saraswat, in-charge of the examination centre and director of the varsity's engineering institute, said, "The answer sheets of the students were marked as "using unfair means" and they were sealed along with the devices recovered from them. They were issued new answer sheets to continue their exam.""The process of cheating in the exam was very well-planned. The Bluetooth device was so small that it couldn't be seen even by near observation. They were wearing face masks to avoid being seen talking to someone. The involvement of their college cannot be denied," said a senior official of the university.

Govt doctors appear on private hospital duty chart, inquiry on

Govt doctors appear on private hospital duty chart, inquiry on

Director of Medical Education Dr R Narayana Babu instructed the hospital dean to form a committee to inquire into the allegation.

Published: 02nd March 2022 10:09 AM 

By Thinakaran Rajamani

Express News Service

TENKASI: A section of doctors working in government hospitals (GH) have expressed concern over their colleagues engaging in private practice during GH duty hours. A doctor attached to the District Government Headquarters Hospital (GHQH) told TNIE that a Tenkasi-based private hospital has been publishing its duty chart daily on Facebook, and it includes names of government surgeons and specialists working at GHQH, Shengottai GH and Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital.

"These doctors work at the private hospital as per their duty chart, and also mark present for the same time in respective GHs. The junior doctors are forced to take up the seniors' workload during their absence," he added.

Another doctor alleged that a Shengottai-based government consultant was holding the Chief Medical Officer post at that private hospital, which is run in his family member's name. Further, a doctor attached to the Primary Health Centre in Karumbanur holds a team coordinator post in another private hospital functioning in Tenkasi. "The government doctors' photographs are uploaded on the private hospital's website. Several government doctors in this district also attend special camps organised by the private hospitals during their GH duty hours," he claimed.

Meanwhile, a government doctor performing private practice said, "Our duty hours in the GH are from 7.30 am to 12.30 pm and 3 pm to 5 pm. Only after these hours, we take up private practice."

When contacted by TNIE, Tamil Nadu Medical Council President Dr K Senthil said use of government doctors' name and images on portals of private hospitals is against the council's norms. "Holding any post in private hospitals also amounts to misconduct," he added. Joint Director (Health Services), Tenkasi, Dr Venkatrangan told TNIE that he would conduct an inquiry into the allegations.

An official from the health department said, "We analysed the data of surgeries performed under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme, and found that some doctors have 'performed' surgeries at the same time in private hospitals as well as government hospitals. We are tracking the activities of such doctors."

Last week, based on a complaint that doctors at Government Thanjavur Medical College Hospital were engaging in private practice during duty hours, Director of Medical Education Dr R Narayana Babu instructed the hospital dean to form a committee to inquire into the allegation.

Daughter-in-law has no indefeasible right of residence in shared household: Delhi High Court

Daughter-in-law has no indefeasible right of residence in shared household: Delhi High Court

The Delhi HC has said that a daughter-in-law does not have an indefeasible right of residence in a shared household under the Domestic Violence Act.

Published: 02nd March 2022 02:19 PM 

Delhi High Court (File Photo | Shekhar Yadav, EPS)

By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has said that a daughter-in-law does not have an indefeasible right of residence in a shared household under the Domestic Violence Act and she can be evicted at the behest of aged in-laws who are entitled to live peacefully.

Justice Yogesh Khanna, who was dealing with an appeal by a daughter-in-law against a trial court order denying her the right to stay in the matrimonial house, stated that in the case of a shared household, there is no embargo upon the owner of the property to claim eviction of his daughter-in-law and in the present case, it would be appropriate if an alternative accommodation is provided to the appellant till her marriage continues.

The judge said that in the present case, both the in-laws are senior citizens who are entitled to live peacefully and not to be haunted by the marital discord between their son and daughter-in-law.

"I am of the considered opinion, since there exists a frictional relationship between the parties, then at the fag end of their lives it would not be advisable for old parents to stay with appellant and hence it would be appropriate if an alternative accommodation is provided to the appellant as is directed in the impugned order per Section 19(1)(f) of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act," said the court in a recent order.

The court noted that the relations between the parties were "far from cordial" and there was even a complaint by the husband, who lived in separate rental accommodation, against his wife and he has not claimed any right in the subject property.

"Admittedly, the right of residence under Section 19 of the DV Act is not an indefeasible right of residence in shared household, especially, when the daughter-in-law is pitted against aged father-in-law and mother-in-law. In this case, both being senior citizens of aged about 74 and 69 years and being in the evening of their life, are entitled to live peacefully and not to be haunted by the marital discord between their son and daughter-in-law," the court said.

The court dismissed the appeal by the appellant and recorded the undertaking of the respondent father-in-law that he would provide alternative accommodation to the appellant till her matrimonial relationship with his son is in existence.

The respondent father-in-law had filed a suit for possession in 2016 before the trial court on the grounds that he was the absolute owner of the property and the husband of appellant – his son had shifted to some other place and that he was not inclined to live with his daughter-in-law.

The appellant, mother to two minor daughters, had contended that the property was purchased out of joint family funds and from sale proceeds of the ancestral property and thus she also has a right to reside there.

The trial court had passed a decree of possession in favour of the respondent and held that the property was a self-acquired property of the respondent and after the termination of the license of appellant, she has no right to stay there.

He was a meritorious student, say teachers

He was a meritorious student, say teachers

02/03/2022

Special CorrespondentMYSURU

Naveen S.G., the medical student from Karnataka who was killed in shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine, had studied in Nanjangud in Mysuru district though he belonged to Haveri district as his father was working in a factory in the temple town.

Kept contact

His teachers described him as a meritorious and obedient student. His teachers expressed shock over the tragedy as the management of Unity PU College in Nanjangud was in touch with the student worried about his safety after the crisis broke out in Ukraine.

Rammohan E.K., Kannada lecturer in the college, said Naveen was a 2016-17 batch student who scored 556 in first PU and 553 in second PU. “I remember his smile. He was a meritorious student. His father worked at SIPM and therefore he studied in the town. He topped in SSLC in Adarsha School. I’m shocked that the student I taught is no more,” the heartbroken lecturer said. Naveen had taken coaching for NEET in the college as his dream was to become a doctor.

Naveen went to Ukraine as he couldn’t get medical seat despite 97% marks: Father

Naveen went to Ukraine as he couldn’t get medical seat despite 97% marks: Father

The fourth-year MBBS student, who died in the attack at Kharkiv, was a native of Haveri district

02/03/2022

Relatives and friends gather at the residence of Naveen at Chalageri village in Haveri on Tuesday. PTI PTI

Girish Pattanashetti HUBBALLI

“Despite scoring 97% in PUC, my son could not secure a medical seat in the State. It became inevitable for us to send him to Ukraine for studies. But we lost him,” a distraught Shekarappa said referring to the tragic death of his son Naveen in Ukraine.

Naveen, a fourth-year MBBS student who died in the Russian attack in Kharkiv, was a native of Chalageri village in Ranebennur taluk of Haveri district.

Mr. Shekharappa, a mechanical engineer, who took up farming after retirement, and his wife Vijayalaxmi were inconsolable as relatives, well-wishers, and political leaders continued to visit them on Tuesday after the news about their son’s death spread.

“Naveen was a bright student from the beginning. However, as the family could not afford the cost of medical education here, he was sent to study medicine in Ukraine,” his cousin Gangadhar Gyanagoudar recalled, from the residence of Naveen.

Mr. Shekharappa spent most part of his career outside Haveri. He worked for an oil company in Abu Dhabi before returning to India and joining South Indian Paper Mill at Nanjanagud in Mysuru district.

It was in Nanjangud that Naveen had his primary, high school, and PU education. Having retired two years ago, Mr. Shekharappa and Ms. Vijayalaxmi settled down in Chalageri, where they had ancestral property. “My uncle bought additional land and took to farming. Naveen’s elder brother Harsha has completed M.Sc. Agri,” Mr. Gangadhar said.

According to him, Naveen had called his father on Tuesday morning over phone. However, Mr. Shekharappa had not noticed it. After some time, he received a call informing him about the death, Mr. Gangadhar said. “We were told that the tragic incident happened when they were trying to return,” he said.

The incident has shaken families of students still stuck in the crisis-hit country. Sridhar Vaishyar, father of Suman Vaishyar, who is in Kharkiv, alleged that repeated attempts made by his son to contact Shivakumar Udasi, local MP, had failed.

“He tried several times, but Mr. Udasi is not answering the call. We had informed the MP’s local aide. He said he had informed the MP and asked Suman to call him. But when he did, his call was not received,” Mr. Sridhar said adding that their only hope was the Almighty.

Venkatesh Vaishyar, whose son Amit also studies in Kharkiv, lambasted the politicians for what he termed as their apathy towards the stranded students.

Later in the evening, Mr. Udasi visited Naveen’s residence and consoled his parents. He even clarified that he had spoken to Suman and contacted the MEA authorities and was doing his best. The residents appealed to him to help bring back the mortal remains of Naveen, and to help the remaining students return safely.

Sri Lankan Airlines to operate daily service to Colombo from March 27

Sri Lankan Airlines to operate daily service to Colombo from March 27

02/03/2022

Special Correspondent TIRUCHI

Sri Lankan Airlines will operate a daily service on the Tiruchi-Colombo sector from March 27. The airliner is presently operating four flights a week .The flight is being operated on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday now.

As per the revised plan, on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, it will depart from Tiruchi at 3.30 p.m. The flights on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday will leave Tiruchi at 9.40 a.m. The proposed increase in service is expected to scale up international passenger movement at the airport.

Cash-strapped Madurai Kamaraj University starts paying salaries from pension fund

Cash-strapped Madurai Kamaraj University starts paying salaries from pension fund

By Jeyalakshmi Ramanujam| Express News Service 

| Published: 02nd March 2022 05:36 AM

Madurai Kamraj University

MADURAI: With the State government refusing to release funds to Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) owing to audit objections, the university administration has started using Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) funds to pay salaries and pension.

MKU needs around Rs 12 crore every month for salary and pension. Of this, Rs 4.9 crore is for 1,165 pensioners. Remaining amount is spent on the salary of 202 UGC-scale teaching staff, 303 administrative staff, and more than 500 consolidated salaried non-teaching staff.

MKU Pensioners Association President and former syndicate member R Srinivasan said the university has already exhausted a corpus fund of around Rs 400 crore, kept for paying retirement benefits. “Now, the university has started using CPS, which is against MKU’s statutes,” he said.

A panel appointed under retired HC Judge Akbar Ali had pointed out violations made in faculty appointments but no remedial action was taken, he said. The documents related to the 3,000 audit objections, accessed by TNIE, reveals that most of the objections are related to appointment of teachers and excess non-teaching staff.

An MKU professor said from 2010 onwards there has been lot of irregularities, including appointment of project assistants and appointment of associate and assistant professors at the Department of Film Studies.

Save Higher Education Forum Co-Convener and former General Secretary of Madurai Kamaraj, Manonmaniam Sundaranar, Mother Teresa and Alagappa University Teachers’ Association (MUTA) P Vijayakumar said, “For more than 10 years, there have been no elected representatives in senate and syndicate. The present senate and syndicate have only nominated members,” he said.

According to Registrar VS Vasantha, the university started utilising the CPS fund as it does not have enough money. “The university’s main source of income of fee from students and affiliated colleges is not enough to meet the expenses. A proposal for `27.50 crore funding has been sent to the government,” she said.

“A committee led by syndicate member R Lakshmipathi was appointed to clear objections in teaching staff recruitment. Another committee led by syndicate member A Meshach Ponraj was appointed for non-teaching staff appointments. Of the 102 teachers recruited over the past 15 years, audit objections have been raised in 70 cases,” she added.

This doc lived amid Covid infected for 2 yrs, unscathed

This doc lived amid Covid infected for 2 yrs, unscathed

Mar 2, 2022, 03.41 AM IST

Hyderabad: Lakhs of Covid-19 patients, some very severe cases, were treated under his watch, yet Gandhi Hospital superintendent Dr Raja Rao is a medical marvel, who has remained uninfected since the pandemic began and even after the widespread Omicron wave. He is the first medical professional in the state to treat Covid-19 patients, interact with them and even touch them.

Dr Rao himself is perplexed by the fact that though he tested himself four times, at different intervals despite not having symptoms, as he had close contact with severe patients, but the results proved him lucky. Even antibody tests to check for asymptomatic infection ruled out any infection.

"At first, we used personal protection equipment (PPEs). Since then, I've been using double masks, taking vitamins, eating eggs daily and non-veg once a week. As a result, I've gained weight," Dr Rao says.

He did not take a day off since the first case was reported in 2020, as did many other Gandhi Hospital medical staff. For him, the whole experience at Gandhi Hospital is surreal.

"I completed MBBS and PG (general medicine) from Gandhi, joined as an assistant professor in the same hospital in 1998 and eventually took over as superintendent in April 2020, exactly a month after the first Covid-19 patient was admitted. Since then, I may have touched nearly 8,000 patients. They would hug me in emotion and pain," he told TOI.

When the first few cases were reported, Gandhi was the only centre treating patients, and the doctors were directly in video conferences with doctors in the United States, he added.

"When I used to tell them I touched patients, they would wonder or warn me about an infection. In fact, it is a puzzle and a wonder to me as well," he explained. Surprisingly, none of his family members was infected, including his wife, son, and daughter till now.

"I lived separately in the same house for a year, used to drive back home alone at night, used to wash my clothes, it was a strange feeling those days, I would pray for traffic on those days during the lockdown," he explained.

The deaths and births during the pandemic have moved all the staff at Gandhi. "However, one death that moved me was that of a bodybuilder from the city, who spent three months in the hospital during the second wave. I would give him courage for days on end, until one day when I went to see him, he was just lying there, and when I touched him, he just fell apart, and I realised he was dead. I couldn't stop crying, but many recovered patients offer me many things with love; one tailor who recovered sent me clothes stitched after he returned home; there are many such accounts; this would not have been possible without our staff," he said.

COURT NEWS

Miffed assistant stabs magistrate in Tamil Nadu

TNN | Mar 2, 2022, 06.17 AM IST

SALEM: A judicial magistrate in Salem was stabbed in his chambers on Tuesday by his office assistant who was angered that his request for a transfer was not granted.

M Ponpandi, judicial magistrate-IV, was at his chambers on Tuesday morning, when his assistant A Prakash, 37, of Annadhanapatty, stabbed him thrice with a knife.

"A few minutes after Prakash entered the room, officials in the court hall heard the cries of magistrate Ponpandi," said an official at the Hasthampatty police station. They rushed in and found the magistrate bleeding from the injuries.

An officer said, “His assistant was standing near him holding a knife.” “The magistrate received a deep stab injury on the chest, close to the heart and lungs,” a source at Salem Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College and Hospital told TOI. Prakash was first posted as night watchman in the Sankari sub-court in 2015. Later, he was elevated as office assistant in 2019 and transferred to Mettur subcourt. “From there, he was transferred to Omalur subcourt in January 2022,” the police officer said, adding that from Omalur, he was again transferred to Salem district combined court a few days ago. He joined duty on Monday.

“He approached the magistrate with a request to transfer him back to the Omalur court,” the police officer said, adding that the magistrate had asked him to approach the principal district judge. “Irked over this, Prakash stabbed the JM,” the police officer added. Hasthampatty police registered a case and arrested Prakash. Further inquiries were on.

Anna univ increases research fellowship at par with IITs, NITs

Mar 2, 2022, 03.47 AM IST

Chennai: To attract talented students towards research, Anna University has increased the monthly research fellowship to PhD scholars from ₹20,000 to ₹38,000, which is at par with IITs and NITs.

Each year, the university offers research fellowship to 50 PhD scholars joining various departments.

The university’s syndicate, which met on Monday, approved the proposal to increase the fellowship.

“Since central institutions offer better fellowship, we could not attract good talent towards research. The enhancement of fellowship will attract good students,” vice-chancellor R Velraj said.

The university will evolve a different selection process to award the fellowships. As per the existing method, top 50 students of the entrance test get the fellowship.

The university’s syndicate has also given permission to start 11 centres of excellence for driving the research in emerging areas like automobile technology, robotics and automation, IoT, e-vehicles, AI and data science research and application, wireless system and design, multi-disciplinary system research and energy storage.

“Some of the centres established by former VCs Kulaindaiswamy and Anandakrishnan at Anna University are doing better research compared to IITs. However, the university has not started any centres in the past two decades. Now we are creating 11 centres that are important for societal and technological development,” Velraj added.

Among the centres of excellence, two are unique. Bose-Einstein Science and Technology Centre for Fundamental Research is aimed to focus on research in basic sciences. The Centre for Liberal Arts for Science, Engineering and Technology will offer arts courses such as public policy, economics, history and archaeology to engineering students.

“Engineering students will get creative ideas by studying some arts subjects during their course,” the vice-chancellor said. Each centre will get ₹25 lakh seed funding from the university. The university also got permission to relax the norms for industry experts to do PhDs.

Madras HC slams teachers for private tuitions

Madras HC slams teachers for private tuitions

TNN | Mar 2, 2022, 06.25 AM IST

MADURAI: Government teachers running tuition centres or taking private tuition, engaged in private business or part-time employment beware. The Madras high court has ordered the principal secretary of the education department to form district-level teams to take action against such teachers, as these activities amount to misconduct.

Justice S M Subramaniam, blaming the deterioration of the education system in Tamil Nadu on teachers and teachers' associations, directed the government to provide telephone numbers to enable parents, students and the public to provide information on irregularities and misconduct by teachers, inside and outside the schools.

Such numbers must be legibly displayed in all education department offices and government and aided schools in the state, the court said.

The judge further directed the principal secretary to collect information, complaints, materials regarding activities of the recognized / registered teachers’ associations in the state to ensure that they are functioning according to the statutes and rules in force. If any illegality or irregularity is identified, all appropriate actions are to be initiated against all such associations and their office bearers. “In many countries, the government schools are considered as the best educational institutions.

However, even after spending huge funds for the development of the government institutions in Tamil Nadu, we are unable to create a competitive atmosphere in government schools on par with the private institutions. This situation must be changed,” observed Justice Subramaniam. The government is allocating a considerable amount of funds for the improvement of government schools across the state and is paying a decent salary to the teachers. Unfortunately, the students in government schools are not coming out with an expected level of standard on par with the private schools.

The judge observed that teachers are largely indulging in the practice of taking private tuition classes, doing business or part-time employment etc. This is because they get more holidays and a considerable amount of free time.

The working days and hours of the educational institutions are far less than that of the working hours and working days of other government departments. In the event of allowing such misconducts, undoubtedly, the government cannot expect better performance of the duties and devotion to duty from the teachers. Justice Subramaniam observed that the activities of these associations are to be monitored by the government.

The court passed the directions and made the observations while rejecting the plea moved by K Radha, a secondary grade teacher in the panchayat union middle school at Eachangudi at Papanasam union in Thanjavur district, seeking a direction to consider her transfer to a school which is within 30km radius from the school where her husband is working in Thanjavur town, under the spouse category as per GO passed by the school education department in 2021.

NMC fee plan for pvt med seats could face challenges

NMC fee plan for pvt med seats could face challenges

TNN | Feb 28, 2022, 07.10 AM IST

The National Medical Commission's (NMC) decision that fees for 50% of seats in all private medical colleges, including deemed universities, should match those in government colleges in the respective states seems unlikely to be implemented this academic year and could face challenges even further down the line.

The decision would have added nearly 22,000 seats to those with relatively affordable fees. However, it is not being implemented for the academic year for which counselling is ongoing as the NMC communication came out too late for it to be implemented, argued officials from many states and colleges. The NMC office memorandum (OM) on fee regulation was dated February 3 while registration for the first round of counselling started on January 19. Several states had issued notifications on fees by end of 2020.

Private college representatives also argue that NMC does not have the power to regulate their fees as the NMC Act only allows it to "frame guidelines for determination of fees and all other charges in respect of 50% of seats in private medical institutions and deemed to be universities" governed under the Act. That raises prospect of the OM being challenged and getting embroiled in litigation.

The nearly 22,000 fresh seats that would become more affordable would have taken the total number of relatively affordable seats to over 68,000 or about three-fourths of the 90,675 MBBS seats currently available. While many states already have 50% of MBBS seats in private colleges set aside for government quota, the fees for them are the same as in government colleges only in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. In most states, government quota seats in private colleges cost double or even several times what is charged in government colleges, though much less than management and NRI quota seats.

States like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Kerala do not have a 50% government quota in private colleges. In such states, about 5,800 seats will come under fee control if and when the NMC decision is implemented. Another 4,000 seats in 44 private deemed university colleges would also have to match government college fees. Deemed university medical colleges are under the jurisdiction of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and usually have had no state government quota. NMC's decision would impact deemed university medical colleges, 38 out of the 45 of them being in Maharashtra (12), Tamil Nadu (11), Karnataka (11), and Pondicherry (4).

The NMC's OM not only stipulates fees equivalent to that of government medical colleges for 50% of the seats, it also says that fees for the remaining 50% in deemed universities would be fixed according to the detailed guidelines laid down in the OM on how to calculate fees for private colleges. If implemented, private deemed universities would be coming under the ambit of state fee regulatory authorities for the first time.

Deemed universities have been challenging the authority of state fee regulatory authorities to fix their fees for several years, arguing that they come under the UGC and not under state governments. The UGC itself has been threatening to regulate fees in deemed universities for over a decade. Finally, on court directions, the committee appointed by the UGC to fix fees for deemed university medical colleges had put out a draft of the fee regulation rules by end-2019. By then, the NMC Act was passed by Parliament and the new commission took charge in September 2020.

An expert on regulatory issues related to medical colleges pointed out that according to the NMC Act it could only frame guidelines for 50% of seats and had no jurisdiction over the remaining 50%. "If it is stating that 50% of the seats will have fees equivalent to government medical colleges, how can it regulate the remaining 50% seats?" he asked. He added that NMC's OM did not have the force of law without notification in the gazette.

NMC's OM is issued under section 10 of the NMC Act pertaining to powers of the commission which allows for only framing of guidelines on fee fixation. "The OM is not issued under section 56, which pertains to regulations. Section 56 has a detailed list of the areas for which the commission can frame regulations and fees is not listed there. This loophole was pointed out to the government when the NMC Act was framed, but the government did not make the necessary changes that would have given the commission the power to regulate fees in medical colleges. The NMC can regulate the fees only if the NMC Act is amended to include fees in the list of areas identified for regulation," said an advisor to several private medical colleges.

Under the circumstances, it remains to be seen whether the OM will get mired in court cases, where most earlier attempts at fee regulation ended up.

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