‘State should revoke contributory pension scheme’

‘State should revoke contributory pension scheme’

The Hindu Bureau

Madurai 26.08.2024 


The Contributory Pension Scheme Abolition Movement has demanded the State Government to fulfil its poll promise of revocation of contributory pension scheme and replacing it with the old pension scheme.

Talking to reporters here on Sunday, its coordinator, M. Selvakumar, said Finance Minister Thengam Thennarasu on April 26, 2023 had said that the State would take a call on reintroduction of old pension scheme after looking into the report of Somanathan Committee constituted by the Centre on the New Pension Scheme.

The Centre has decided to introduce the unified pension scheme based on Somanathan Committee report, he said and added that it was now the State’s turn to fulfill its promise.

‘Faulty’ hiring: Kerala Governor Arif Khan seeks Calicut University V-C’s explanation

‘Faulty’ hiring: Kerala Governor Arif Khan seeks Calicut University V-C’s explanation

The Hindu Bureau

Kozhikode 26.08.2024 

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has sought an explanation from P. Raveendran, Vice-Chancellor, University of Calicut, over a complaint seeking recovery of money from officials for the losses incurred to the institution due to “faulty recruitment” of faculty members between 2019 and 2022.

The complaint was filed by Joshin Joseph, one of the applicants, and a differently-abled person. The university had appointed 56 assistant professors, 16 associate professors, and 13 professors as per the job notification issued in 2019. However, it was later alleged that reservation norms were flouted. After another applicant legally challenged the recruitment process, the Kerala HC and the SC found merit in the allegation.

Health officials refuse to provide information on suspicious postmortem reports

Health officials refuse to provide information on suspicious postmortem reports

S. Vijay Kumar

CHENNAI 26.08.2024

State health authorities have refused to disclose the identities of doctors who conducted postmortems in 57 medico-legal cases at the Government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai, wherein the reports were found to be nearly identical.

A petitioner, seeking information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, on the action taken over suspected irregularities in the postmortem reports, claimed that his petition was being passed around between various medical authorities without a proper response.

‘Cut, copy, paste’

The issue pertains to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition that came up before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court in 2020. Referring to a report of Scientific Officers, the court noted that between April 1 and 15, 2019, 178 postmortems were conducted at the hospital. Of these, 57 reports suggested that they were produced using a “cut, copy, paste” method.

The Bench, comprising Justices K. Kirubakaran and S.S. Sundar, remarked that the postmortem certificates contained only minor variations. Additionally, closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage revealed that no measurements were taken from any of the bodies. “It is clear that all these 57 postmortem certificates were generated using a cut, copy, paste method,” it had said.

In May 2024, Raj Kapil, a criminology professor from Kanniyakumari district, filed an application under the RTI Act to know whether the State government had formed an inquiry commission to investigate the irregularities or the fraudulent issuance of postmortem certificates in the 57 cases. He also sought to know the identities of the doctors or police surgeons responsible for the certificates, and the action taken against them.

The Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services responded by forwarding the petition to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research, claiming that the information pertained to their office. However, the latter redirected the petition to the Government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai, under Section 6(3) of the Act. The petition continued to be transferred between authorities.

Later, the Public Information Officer at the hospital forwarded the petition to Madurai Medical College. Last month, Madurai Medical College responded that the queries pertained to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research, Chennai. However, there was no indication that the petition had been referred to the appropriate authorities. In response to the question on the names and designations of those who issued the certificates, the Madurai Medical College cited Section 8(h) of the RTI Act, claiming that there was no provision to provide such details.

Dismayed at the response, Mr. Kapil said Section 8(h) typically applies in cases where disclosing an information could impede an investigation. “It is essential for citizens to know that action has been taken against the doctors involved. Moreover, identifying them will only aid in the investigation of criminal cases where the postmortem examinations were botched,” he said.

Varsity to pay salary arrears of 116 staff members in affiliated colleges

Varsity to pay salary arrears of 116 staff members in affiliated colleges

Vice-Chancellor lauds the varsity’s improvement in NIRF rankings, says it was because of better quality of doctoral projects and cooperation among affiliated colleges; Senate members express concern over delay in issue of mark sheets

The Hindu Bureau

TIRUCHI

Bharathidasan University (BDU) will process salary payments of 116 staff working in 10 affiliated arts and science colleges whose salaries are pending from November 2023 to June 2024. The decision was announced in reply to a question at the annual Senate meeting of university on Saturday.

Addressing the Senate, Vice-Chancellor M. Selvam said the university’s improved performance on the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) list could be attributed to tight quality control and cooperation among the affiliated colleges.

“We have approved over 300 applications for doctoral studies this academic year, and I believe the better quality of our doctoral projects are an important factor in our higher NIRF ranks,” said Mr. Selvam.

The meeting got off to a rocky start in the morning when K. Suriyan, professor, and head, Department of Sociology, sat on the floor to protest at being denied permission to speak about matters related to the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Cell in the university. He urged the Senate to facilitate the progress of dalit students in higher education.

Criticism over the delay in implementing past resolutions dominated the opening half of the meeting, with participating academics highlighting problems related to Ph. D studies.

Protest for time

V. Pari, assistant professor, Department of Tamil, Raja Serfoji Government College, Thanjavur, contended that the Senate had not clarified its stand on the condition of research article publication not being mandatory in journals approved by University Grants Commission - Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics .

“Arbitrary use of UGC-CARE list recommendations and high penalty fees for those who apply for extensions are holding up degrees for a large number of scholars,” said Mr. Pari.

Participants expressed concern over the non-issuance of mark sheets of three semesters in the current academic year.

Senate members replied that the release of B. Com. mark sheets had been completed recently, and B. Sc. scores would follow in the coming weeks.

Parents, students protest medical fee hike

 Parents, students protest medical fee hike 

Ahmedabad : A day after the fees for around 1,200 private medical, dental and paramedical colleges as well as 15 ayurvedic colleges in Gujarat were raised, parents and students protested at the fee regulatory committee (FRC) office on Saturday. The FRC announced new fees for medical colleges for 2024-25 and paramedical and dental colleges for the next three years, with increases ranging from 2% to 25%, averaging 12%. The new fee structures do not apply to the 13 medical colleges run by Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society (GMERS). 

Ayurvedic colleges have seen fees hiked by up to 80%. Protesters argued that the steep increase would push middle-class students to pursue medical education abroad as many can no longer afford local fees. A similar hike in GMERS medical colleges had already sparked protests, leading to a partial rollback. The new increases in private colleges are adding to the financial burden on families, said protestors. Demonstrators gathered at the FRC office, and left a memorandum outside as the office was closed. The memorandum demanded a rollback, stating the fee hike is unjustifiable.

Govt approves UPS, assures 50% of basic pay as pension

 Govt approves UPS, assures 50% of basic pay as pension 

Govt Contribution Up To 18.5% From 14%; DA Added

 TIMES NEWS NETWORK 

New Delhi : Bringing significant benefits to 23 lakh central govt employees, the Narendra Modi govt on Saturday announced an overhaul of the 20-year-old National Pension System, including a higher contribution by govt for a guaranteed payout of 50% of the average basic pay drawn during the last 12 months of service. With the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), the govt sought to bring the benefits on a par with the old pension scheme (OPS) and blunt the opposition’s bid to revert to the earlier regime in the states governed by them, and mop up electoral dividends in the ensuing assembly polls. The decision also opens the doors for states to offer UPS, a contributory scheme, which will take the count to 90 lakh employees. 

The scheme — which employees will get a one-time option to switch to — introduces inflation adjustment through dearness relief. Those opting for UPS will be assured of 50% payout if they complete 25 years of service, information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced. The proportion will be lower for those who put in fewer years in any govt job. Elaborating on the “five pillars” of UPS, which will be implemented from April next year, Vaishnaw said a minimum pension of Rs 10,000 will be offered to those who work for 10 years, with family pension to the spouse pegged at 60% of the deceased govt employee’s pension

Rajinikanth praises Stalin for his adminstrative, political skills

Rajinikanth praises Stalin for his adminstrative, political skills 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 

Chennai : Chief minister M K Stalin came in for praise from actor Rajnikanth for his administrative and political skills, at a public function in the city on Saturday “In neighbouring states, political descendants are struggling to run parties founded by their forefathers and many have even failed. But in Tamil Nadu, Stalin has managed to run the party successfully,” Rajnikanth said. 

“This shows his administrative skills, hard work and his political knowledge,” Rajinikanth said. The actor evoked laughter when he said, “Stalin sir, hats off to you” referring to the CM’s handling of senior ministers. “Managing new students in a school is much easier when compared to the old students. These old students (referring to seniorministers) are not just ordinary students but are meritorious students who score top marks. They stay in the same class not because they have failed but because they have scored high marks and are not willing to move out of the class,” Rajnikanth said. 

Rajnikanth was speaking at a function where Stalin released the book ‘Kalaignar Enum Thaai' written by PWD minister E V Velu. Stalin said, “The title of the book says everything. Kalaignar was not just a father to me but also my mother. He was a mother to lakhs of party cadres including Velu.” Rajinikanth said that if others had faced the criticism Karunanidhi did, they would have disappeared. He wanted amovie made on the life and times of Karunanidhi.

 NEW PUBLICATION: Chief minister M K Stalin releases ‘Kalaignar Enum Thai’ by PWD minister E V Velu in Chennai on Saturda

Minority institutions seek permanent recognition, fee exemption, protection of rights

Minority institutions seek permanent recognition, fee exemption, protection of rights

 TIMES NEWS NETWORK  25.04.2024 

Chennai : Permanent recognition for minority institutions, protecting their rights on formation of selection committees to appoint principals and teaching staff and exemption from paying provisional affiliation fee every year were among the list of demands submitted by minority institutions in a memorandum to higher education minister K Ponmudy on Saturday. The charter of demands also pressed for extension of higher education concession (fee reimbursement) to govtaided school students, removal of ban on staff appointments among others. 

Speaking at the consultation on school and higher education by One Accord Forum in Chennai, Madras Christian College principal Paul Wilson said, “Minority institutions have been endowed with the privilege of constituting their own panel of experts as per the framework given by the govt and UGC to appoint teachers.” “Autonomous higher education institutions have been affiliated to their respective universities permanently. 

However, universities are demanding continuation of provisional affiliation every year,” he said, asking the minister to getrid of glitches inef fective implementation of minority rights. Speaking at the event, DMK MP P Wilson, said that Muslims and Christians had constituted 35% and 15% in govt offices during the colonial era. “In free India, only 3.5% and 1% were Muslims and Christians. But, it is in contrast with an upper caste community which holds 80% jobs in judiciary and 36% to 63% plump jobs of the country,” Wilson said. He further said the DMK govt will continue to fight to protect the rights of minorities and will safeguard the constitutional rights that are under threat. Ponmudy highlighted various schemes implemented by DMK govt for students.

ON THE DAIS: MCC principal Paul Wilson and Zion schools chairman, N Vijayan, with higher education minister K Ponmudy. Minister for milk and dairy development Mano Thangaraj, DMK MP Wilson are also seen

Case Summary: MADRAS HIGH COURT

 Case Summary: MADRAS HIGH COURT 

Case Title: Olincy Helena vs The National Testing Agency

Case Number: W.P.(MD)No.17893 of 2024

Date of Judgment: 1 August 2024

Judge: Honourable Mr. Justice G.R. Swaminathan

Background:

The petitioner, Olincy Helena, represented by her mother, O. Beatus Princy, filed a writ petition seeking a directive from the court to change her community status from General Category (OC) to Other Backward Class (OBC) in her NEET (UG) 2024 application. She had mistakenly declared herself as belonging to the OC category instead of OBC, which resulted in her not qualifying for a medical seat as her score was below the OC cut-off but above the OBC cut-off.

Reason for Denial of Relief:

The court refused to grant relief for the following reasons:

1. Error on the Part of the Petitioner: The petitioner had the opportunity to correct her community status in her application both before and after the examination, but she failed to do so.

2. Legal Precedent: The court referenced a previous ruling (W.A.(MD)No.739 of 2019) which established that requests to change communal category after the declaration of results are not permissible as they could affect the All India merit ranking list.

3. Inability to Contradict Established Judgments: The court reiterated that it could not depart from the earlier judgments, where similar petitions were dismissed due to the inability of the petitioner to rectify their status within the given opportunities.

4. Sympathetic Dismissal: The court, while expressing sympathy, noted that the petitioner could not seek a declaration that contradicted the Information Bulletin's guidelines, which clearly stated that such changes could not be made after the declaration of results.

Conclusion:

The writ petition was dismissed, and no costs were awarded. The court, however, encouraged the petitioner to reapply in the next academic year, ensuring careful reading of the prospectus and guidelines before submitting the application.

Will Vijay succeed where many others could not?

Will Vijay succeed where many others could not?

T. Ramakrishnan

 

CHENNAI 24.08.2024 

With actor Vijay formalising his entry into politics by launching his party’s flag and song, the question remains whether he will be able to succeed where many others couldn’t: creating a credible alternative to the DMK and the AIADMK.

Ever since AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran made his party the principal adversary to the DMK in the 1970s, several players made many attempts in the last 50-odd years to develop a formation that would dismantle the bipolar system.

The latest bid was made by the BJP, which created a coalition under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. But the NDA drew a blank, though it polled 18.27% of the votes and dislodged the AIADMK from the second slot in 12 out of the 39 constituencies.

A cross-section of politicians and political observers points out that Mr. Vijay’s party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), is an untested force, and its founder is an “unknown person” as far as his stand on critical issues is concerned. The pledge administered by him on Thursday appeared to subscribe the party to the principle of generality.

Comparing him with MGR and DMDK founder Vijayakant, a senior member of the ruling DMK says MGR had a long record in politics, initially in the Congress and then in the DMK, before forming his own party. He also had the image of a “friend of the poor”. Vijaykant, too, was involved in philanthropy and helped many members of the Tamil film industry. “But, in Mr. Vijay’s case, you can’t find any such quality, though he has, in recent years, given assistance to students,” the DMK member says.

However, veteran academic G. Palanithurai and former Villivakkam MLA J.C.D. Prabhakar say the entry of the actor into politics will have an impact on sections of the voters, especially the youth, who are “yearning for a change”. But Professor Palanithurai says that over the years, welfarism has turned regressive and not progressive. One has to wait and watch whether the TVK’s policy will be different from the “reliance on doles for political survival instead of addressing substantive issues”.

Politicians and observers differ on the TVK’s impact on the vote share of the existing parties. Some say that as Mr. Vijay’s appeal will be widespread, all major parties will be affected. But others say that for the time being, he has to take an anti-establishment stand. This means there will be fragmentation of the anti-DMK vote which will, in turn, favour the ruling party.

It will be a different game if Mr. Vijay chooses to join hands with either of the major Dravidian parties, as K. Pawan Kalyan of the Jana Sena Party did in Andhra Pradesh by striking an alliance with the Telugu Desam Party and the BJP and romping home in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Mr. Kalyan is now the Deputy Chief Minister.

30 government school students in Pudukkottai secure medical admission under 7.5 per cent quota

30 government school students in Pudukkottai secure medical admission under 7.5 per cent quota

Their success is a result of hard work and the solid foundation laid by their teachers," said District Chief Education Officer K Shanmugam.

Keeramangalam school alone has seen 23 of its students secure medical seats over the past four years, including four this year.

Updated on:
24 Aug 2024, 7:48 am

PUDUKKOTTAI: Around 30 government school students from Pudukkottai have secured admissions to various medical colleges across the state under the 7.5% quota. Of these, 25 opted for MBBS while three have chosen BDS.

Though many students cleared in their second or third attempts, it a significant achievement as a majority of them hail from rural and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. "All the students come from rural backgrounds.

Their success is a result of hard work and the solid foundation laid by their teachers," said District Chief Education Officer K Shanmugam. Among the success stories is R Abhinaya, the daughter of a domestic worker and a student of the government girls higher secondary school in Keeramangalam.

"With the help of a mobile phone my mother purchased, I prepared for NEET by watching educational channels on YouTube. My school teachers were always there to support me," she said.

According to district-level officials of the education department, the number of government school students securing medical seats has seen a slight increase in Pudukkottai in recent years, particularly since the introduction of the 7.5% reservation in the 2020-21 academic year.

Keeramangalam school alone has seen 23 of its students secure medical seats over the past four years, including four this year. N Vallinayaki, headmistress of the Keeramangalam school, pointed out that Abhinaya couldn't afford any private coaching classes for the last two years since she completed schooling.

"We consistently followed up, gave study materials and encouraged her to not give up," she said. Similarly, five students of the government higher secondary school in Vayalogam of Illupur taluk have secured MBBS admission this year, compared to three last year. Y Jayaraj, headmaster of the school, said, "We identify students and give them special coaching with the help of high-tech labs. Every evening we conduct tests.

For Class 12 students, we make sure they attend taluk-level classes where they get more exposure." "Many who secured seats this year are repeaters. The high cost of private coaching has created a barrier, leading many students to lose motivation despite having the potential to succeed," he added.

‘AI doing cognitive work is game changer’

‘AI doing cognitive work is game changer’ 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  24.08.2024 

Ahmedabad : Since the 1960s, robots have been doing manual labour, and with the rise of information technology, computers have managed data processing and back-end tasks. As new technologies emerged, they both replaced and created jobs. Today, artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing beyond science fiction, with digital neural networks generating images, composing music, creating videos, and even writing code and speeches. At the launch of the report ‘Labour Force Perception 

About AI: A Study on Indian White-Collar Workers’ by the Brij Disa Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (CDSA) at IIM Ahmedabad (IIM-A), experts highlighted that generative AI is a major game changer, taking on tasks previously associated with human cognition. The report was launched by Prof Bharat Bhasker, IIM-A director; Prakash Kumar, CEO of Wadhwani Centre; Prof Sriram Sankaranarayanan, co-chair of CDSA; and the authors. Prof Ankur Sinha said that while technology has long influenced mechanical work, AI now tackles cognitive tasks. Prof Aditya Moses mentioned the difficulty of placing AI within legal frameworks due to its evolving nature. Challenges include differentiating human from AIgenerated content, especially concerning issues like celebrity impersonation and deep fakes.

‘55% of executives use AI tools’ 

The survey revealed that the AI has already made in-roads in India Inc as 55% of executives across 10-odd sectors surveyed said that they are already using AI tools at their workplace. About 49% were trained by their own organizations for the same. The study conducted by experts at Brij Disa Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at IIM-A identified education, IT, manufacturing and healthcare as sectors with high adoption of AI. Prof Anindya Chakrabarti, a co-author of the report, said that the adoption of AI is much faster than expected. 

“More than half of respondents already using AI at work, particularly those with 6 to 25 years of experience. The usage is relatively low at entry and leadership levels,” he said, stressing the need for youth capacity building and informed policymaking. About 70% of respondents believe upskilling in AI is crucial for career growth, with 52% seeking training for their current roles. Prof Ankur Sinha, another author, said that while employees are exploring public domain AI tools, many organizations are adapting them for specific operations as the field evolves. 

“It is an emerging field, and we expect the framework to evolve simultaneously.” 60% fear AI will claim jobs, 53% expect new opportunities: Survey Edu, IT, Manufacturing, Healthcare Lead In Adopting AI Ahmedabad :How will Artificial Intelligence (AI) impact white collar jobs in India? A survey by IIM Ahmedabad (IIM-A) faculties with industry experts revealed that 60% executives employed with major firms in country feared job loss agreeing that AI will automate their job while 53% hoped AI creates new jobs. 

The survey covering 567 executives, 31 industry leaders and analysing 70,000 AI job listings revealed that employees perceive AI will have a greater impact on jobs displacement in the future. Compared to 48% who believed AI is replacing jobs in their industry, a higher number of 60% employees believed AI will replace jobs in their sec tor in the next five years. The survey, ‘Labour-force perception about AI: A study on Indian white-collar workers’ was released at IIM-A on Friday with stakeholders. 

Air India fined ₹90 lakh for operating flight to Riyadh with wrong pilot pairing

Air India fined ₹90 lakh for operating flight to Riyadh with wrong pilot pairing

This is the eighth penalty imposed on the airline by

DGCA since January 2023.

Jagriti Chandra

NEW DELHI

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has slapped a fine of ₹90 lakh on Air India for a flawed pilot pairing that included a trainee pilot on a flight from Mumbai to Riyadh on July 9.

The cockpit crew included a trainee pilot alongside a non-trainer pilot. A junior pilot who has not yet been released for flying can only be assigned cockpit duties along with a line training captain, a type rating instructor, or a designated examiner.

This is the eighth financial penalty, totalling ₹4.45 crore, imposed on the airline by the aviation safety regulator since January 2023. The regulator, in a press statement, said the incident has been viewed as serious with significant safety ramifications, referring to a rostering lapse on the part of Air India.

The DGCA imposed a fine of ₹6 lakh on the airline’s director of operations, Pankul Mathur, and ₹3 lakh on the director of flight training, Manish Vasavada. It has suspended permission for Mr. Vasavada to hold the post of director of training for six months.

In the July 9 incident, the trainee pilot was supposed to operate the Mumbai-Riyadh flight with a training captain. However, the training captain fell ill and was replaced with a non-training captain.

The two pilots realised the goof-up on the part of the scheduling department mid-flight and filed a voluntary report after landing in Riyadh.

The regulator said that during an investigation it found several lapses, but did not go into the details.

Vistara set to merge with AI as Cabinet to decide on FDI

Vistara set to merge with AI as Cabinet to decide on FDI

 Saurabh.Sinha@timesofindia.com 

New Delhi : The final nod for Vistara’s merger into Air India could come on Saturday when the Cabinet clears the foreign direct investment (FDI) by Singapore Airlines (SIA) into AI. SIA, which is 49% shareholder in Vistara, will get 25.1% stake in the merged airline by investing Rs 2,059 crore in it, a move that requires govt nod. FDI approval is the last remaining clearance for the merger as all other approvals from agencies ranging from DGCA to Competition Commission of India are already in place. 

Tatas will have remaining 74.9% stake in AI. After govt FDI nod, AI-Vistara will shortly communicate timelines of the merger to passengers. People who have booked tickets on Vistara flights post the date of merger will be informed that they will fly Air India, along with the changed flight number of AI and its time. Sources said the date of merger is likely to be after Diwali as the airline will avoid taking any chances during the peak festive travel season

Governor calls for timely convocation, wants to promote research in varsities

Governor calls for timely convocation, wants to promote research in varsities

 TIMES NEWS NETWORK

 Chennai : Tamil Nadu governor R N Ravi R N Ravi has called for timely convocations in universities and promote research and academic excellence across state universities. According to a statement, the governor has been insisting that all convocations be held on time. Between April 1, 2023 and July 31, 2024, convocations have been conducted for 18 of 20 state universities. Wherever the Vice Chancellor position is vacant, the Convenor of the Vice-Chancellor Convenor Committee has been formally advised to initiate the process for conduct of convocation. 

By 31st October, 2024, it has been proposed to conduct convocations for ten Universities, thereby ensuring that students receive their degree certificates promptly and without delay. Besides, the Governor has directed Vice-Chancellors to provide guidance, motivation, and mentorship to research scholars and postgraduate students for taking up NET/JRF Fellowships. This is intended to elevate the quality of research work and support scholars through enhanced stipends and ensuring that they also get wide opportunities to take up a career in teaching in reputed colleges and universities. 

Vice Chancellors have been instructed to support researchers in increasing the filing of patent applications, particularly in STEM fields. They have also been asked to collaborate with Central and Private universities. Governor, while speaking at the grand finale of the 10th edition of ‘Young Scientist India’ event held at Raj Bhavan in Chennai, hailed the privatisation of space technology in India by the BJP govt at the centre, saying that privatisation had resulted in wide access. After his speech, he saw the science exhibits of students. There were a total of 103 exhibits and of them 39 were from Tamil Nadu.

Two hospitals shut down One for ‘inadequate medical care’

Two hospitals shut down One for ‘inadequate medical care’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  23.08.2024 

Chennai : Directorate of medical services on Wednesday suspended the registration of Mount Multispecialty Hospital in Adambakkam after “inadequate medical care” led to a 11-year-old boy losing a limb. The management has been asked to shift in-patients to another hospital and suspend consultations at out-patient clinics immediately.

Police forwarded a directorate complaint, stating that negligence led to the loss of a limb in the boy. A four-member expert committee was appointed to investigate the case on Aug 22. The medical team reported that the patient, a Class VII student named Harikrishnan, was admitted with severe pain in the legs. Doctors diagnosed clots in a blood vessel on his left leg. Doctors failed to do systemic lysis —use of medicines (thrombolytic agents) to dissolve blood clots. These medications activate enzymes that break down the fibrin in the blood clots. “Since the clot in the vessel was not removed in time, blood flow to his limbs was cut off and they developed gangrene. So, to save his life, the boy’s legs were amputated in a surgery in April,” said DMS Dr J Rajamurthy. The team found that the hospital had compromised on several patient safety measures.

Another,  for illegal kidney transplant 

Chennai : Pride Super Speciality Hospital’s registration was cancelled Thursday on charges of illegal kidney transplant and sale of organs. Officials banned the hospital from doing any more transplant surgeries and suspended out-patient services. In-patients there were sent to another hospital for further care. Investigations have also revealed connections to kidney racket in Kerala hospitals. “We have intimated the police, but they haven’t acted yet. We now have the option of moving the court directly,” DMS Dr J Rajamurthy said on Thursday. “As of now, we know there is a violation in one transplant surgery. 

Further investigations will be conducted,” he said. The directorate received a complaint from Namakkal superintendent of police, stating that the hospital had violated organ transplant rules. On Oct 29, 2023, it had done a kidney transplant for a businessman in Sowcarpet. For all organ transplant surgeries involving a non-blood relative or spouse as the donor, approval from the authorization committee is required. The committee’s experts permit the surgery only after confirming that the donor was voluntarily offering the organ and was aware of potential side effects. “This surgery was not approved. And we also found that the donor was paid for the organ,” he said. The donor Sundaram, who lives in Pallipayalam in Namakkal, later told police that he was not paid the promised sum. The hospital registration under Clinical Establishment Act was cancelled following a series of violations, Dr Rajamurthy said.

Chief edu officers grilled during review meeting

Chief edu officers grilled during review meeting

 Chennai Performs The Worst 

Preetika.P@timesofindia.com 

Chennai : Chief education officers are struggling to meet targets, citing lack of personnel to conduct inspections in schools. Of all districts, Chennai emerged as the worst-performing, struggling to link bank accounts for scholarships, utilise hi-tech and language labs, and set up internet services in schools. On Thursday, chief education officers were grilled during a special meeting to review the status of initiatives and improve education in govt and govt-ai ded schools across the state.

Chennai chief education officer S Mars was not present during this meeting. The school education department wants to link all students to Aadhaar and bank accounts, and enhance the use of internet and hi-tech labs. These bank accounts are critical for ensuring direct benefit transfers (DBT) under various schemes aimed at preventing student dropouts. The department, which had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India Post to open savings accounts for govt school students, had instructed chief education officers to fast-track this process back in June.

In Chennai, 90,000 out of one lakh students are still not linked to bank accounts. While districts such as Namakkal, Kanyakumari, and Erode are leading in these efforts, most chief education officers are struggling to carry out regular inspections. 

Chief minister M K Stalin recently inaugurated hi-tech labs in govt schools. Data shows many schools have yet to fully optimize hi-tech labs. In Chennai’s primary scho ols, only 6% students use the hi-tech lab for language upskilling, 7% for emotionalwellbeing, 29% for career guidance. Meanwhile, average use of these facilities is more than 50% in Namakkal, Perambalur, Kanyakumari, Dharmapuri, and Thanjavur. Some chief education officers were clueless about vacancies and the implementation of these projects, blaming a lack of operators to handle the groundwork. School education secretary S Madhumathi said “I had instructed chief education officers to inspect schools and prepare reports. I have not received a report from anyone yet.” Now, the department plans to install smart classrooms in middle schools by Nov. “Progress has been slow. We have to speed up,” she added.

State selection committee applies for more medical seats

State selection committee applies for more medical seats 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 23.08.2024 

Chennai : The Tamil Nadu selection committee has sent proposals to National Medical Commission, the apex body regulating medical education in the country, seeking permission to increase MBBS seats in at least eight govt-run medical colleges that have 100 seats each. The state has proposed to add at least 50 seats each in these colleges. If NMC permits, the state will get 400 more MBBS seats in govt colleges in 2025.

At least a dozen of the 36 govt medical colleges in the state have 100 undergraduate medical seats each. “We have asked for more seats in eight medical colleges. If they are approved, we can start admissions with an improved seat matrix from 2025,” said health minister Ma Subramanian.

Competition is making it increasingly tougher for students to get into medical colleges as cutoffs go up every year. So, more seats will ease the situation for students. Some of the govt colleges, such as Chengalpet Medical College, are nearly 60 years old, said director of medical education Dr J Sangumani. “We have the infrastructure, including hospital beds, patients, and teaching staff (to add more seats),” he said. 

Most new medical colleges have 150 seats, but at least a dozen old colleges are stuckwith just 100 seats for several years now, he said. Apart from this, the state has sought funding from Centre to start new medical colleges in six districts. “We wanted to start new medical colleges under a centrally sponsored scheme in which 60% of funds come from Union govt,” Subramanian said. The state has a policy to establish one new medical college in every district. These will provide specialty care to patients in rural areas, the minister said.

Woman passenger gives birth mid-air

Woman passenger gives birth mid-air 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  23.08.2024 

Chennai : A woman from Andhra Pradesh, travelling aboard IndiGo Airlines from Singapore to Chennai, gave birth to a baby boy mid-flight. When Deepti Sarasu Veera Venkataraman, a 28 year-old pregnant woman from Vijayawada started experiencing labour pains when she was en route to Chennai from Singapore, flight attendants and a doctor on board sprung into action.

 Flight attendants relocated male passengers from Deepti’s area and set up a privacy screen. The captain notified Chennai airport control room. The flight attendants, along with a female doctor and senior female passengers on board, assisted in the delivery. The IndiGo Airlines flight landed at Chennai International Airport at 4:30am on Thursday. 

Since the pilot had already informed the airport control room, a medical team was ready on the runway. Upon landing, the medical team boarded the plane to examine the mother and baby. They were then transported by ambulance to a hospital in Ayyappanthangal. Deepti’s family distributed chocolates to fellow passengers

HC: Words, gestures in email can insult woman’s modesty Court Keeps Pace With Tech, Addresses New Challenges

HC: Words, gestures in email can insult woman’s modesty Court Keeps Pace With Tech, Addresses New Challenges

Swati.Deshpande@timesofindia.com 

Mumbai : An email would amount to an utterance, “gesture” and “exhibit” — words used in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to define what constitutes an act intended to offend a woman’s privacy and dignity — held Bombay HC in a judgment pronounced Wednesday. 

Words and gestures communicated via email would fall under the ambit of offence under IPC Section 509 that deals with words, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman, ruled the HC bench of Justices Ajay Gadkari and Neela Gokhale.

 The ruling came as HC granted partial relief to a Mumbai resident and quashed part of a 2009 FIR against him registered with the cyber call for alleged sexual assault and criminal intimidation of a woman, who is now over 70 years old. HC, though, did not quash the part of the FIR that invoked prosecution for offence intended to invade a woman’s privacy and outrage her modesty under Section 509 and Section 67 of Information Technology Act (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form), based on emails to third persons. 

The emails, HC said, “are a personal attack on her dignity, poise and self-esteem”. Interpreting Section 509, HC said, “Insult can man ifest as an intrusion upon the woman’s privacy... encroaching upon her personal space or violating her sense of privacy intentionally, in a manner that affronts her modesty.” “The purpose of law is not to allow the offender to sneak out of the meshes of law,” ruled HC. It said “intent” is the linchpin of the offence and opined the emails intr uded on the woman’s privacy and “demonstrate his intent”. There were allegations of emails containing the woman’s personal details being shared. HC, invoking SC’s constitutional bench judgment on privacy, said, “Sharing such details... especially  the residents of the same Society who she is likely to see frequently and without her consent is an affront to her personal dignity.

” Words used in the email about the woman may tend to deprave and corrupt persons who read it, said HC, as it said some could “conjure” an image of her. In 2011, the man petitioned HC to have the FIR and case quashed, arguing it was out of “vengeance” over animosity between the two. HC did not accept his arguments, stating, “If such narrow interpretation is accepted, many a man will walk away, unhindered by consequences merely by shooting emails or using social media to malign a woman and outrage her modesty... Modern technology makes such manner of perpetrating the offence verily real.”

A life in the day of a loco pilot of suburban train

A life in the day of a loco pilot of suburban train

1 of 2 Tough task: Senthilkumar sleeps overnight at the station

to avoid any delays in operations. M. SRINATHprevnext

K.T. Senthilkumar is deputed at the bustling Moore Market complex railway station to operate

a suburban EMU train. Loco pilots operate the EMU trains in a challenging atmosphere, he says

The Hindu Bureau 23.08.2024 

CHENNAI

Even during odd hours, say at 3.30 a.m., the Moore Market complex (MMC) railway station bustles with activity, registering the footfall of night shift workers and commuters waiting for the electrical multiple unit (EMU) train (3.55 a.m.) bound for Arakkonam.

Loco pilot K.T. Senthilkumar, who is deputed to operate the suburban train, sleeps overnight at the loco restroom at the station to avoid any delays in the operation of the train.

He is a resident of Ambattur and a native of Arakkonam.

As the clock at the station ticks past midnight, Mr. Senthilkumar, having undergone the mandatory breathalyser test, gets ready for his early morning shift.

After receiving the schedule sheet for the day from his supervisor and checking the loco cabin, he waits for the train manager or the guard to give him the green signal so that he could start the first journey for the day.

More than 200 loco pilots are employed at the railway station for the operation of EMU trains round-the-clock.

The railway station sees a passenger footfall of nearly one lakh every day.

The first suburban train service begins at 1.05 a.m.

It is from the Chennai Beach to Tiruvallur.

The suburban trains, which record an operational punctuality of more than 97%, are operated on four sections of the city.

These trains have become one of the most economical and dependable public transport facility for the residents of far-flung localities, including Arakkonam, Thiruttani, Chengalpattu, Gummidipoondi, and Velachery.

Mr. Senthilkumar, who started his service as an assistant shunting pilot [temporary posting] in 1997, has served for 24 years by operating goods and loco trains.

He operates the suburban train for more than two hours every day, operating the ‘Deadman’s Handle’ (DMH), which weighs more than five kg.

His shift goes on for more than seven hours.

The Deadman’s handle is a safety handle that would automatically halt the train when the loco pilot faces any health emergency.

Mr. Senthilkumar says the loco pilots operate the EMU trains in a challenging atmosphere, wherein the safety of the commuters are of utmost importance. The loco pilots are allowed to take breaks only on completion of the entire journey.

Welfare measures

Mr. Senthilkumar said the Chennai division of the Southern Railway has taken up several welfare measures to support loco pilots, who are responsible for the safety of thousands of commuters.

These welfare measures include the provision for a 16-hour rest period between shifts.

22.08.2024

 

Declare assets or no salary in Aug: Govt order for staff

Declare assets or no salary in Aug: Govt order for staff 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 22.08.2024

Lucknow : If state govt employees and officials do not declare details of their movable and immovable assets on the govt’s human resource portal by Aug 31 this year, their wages for Aug will not be released, said an order by chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh. Very few officials and employees have declared details of their assets on the portal, compared to the number of employees registered on it, officials said.

In a letter to all heads of departments, Singh has said that after multiple extensions, a final date of Aug 31, 2024, has been set for the declaration of details and only those who declare their details of 2023 will be issued their salary for Aug. The letter says that as per an order dated Aug 18, 2023, all officials and employees were to have declared the details of their movable and immovable assets on the human resource portal by Dec 31, 2023. It was also made clear that in all meetings of the department selection committees that took place after Jan 1, 2024, officers who did not declare their assets would not be considered for promotion.

Subsequently, another order was issued on June 6, 2024, which asked for details of assets to be declared by June 30, 2024. If not done by then, disciplinary action under UP government servant (Discipline and Appeal) rules, 1999 would be taken against the defaulters. On July 11, 2024, the date was once again extended to July 31.

“However, after a review of the website, it has come to notice that despite specific orders, the percentage of employees who have declared their assets is a very small number compared to the total registered employees on the portal. Since the process of declaring assets on the human resource portal is being done for the first time, initial problems with the system which may have come up are being kept in mind and another chance is being given,” the letter states.

It adds that in some cases, employees have registered details of 2024 against 2023 and they should be made to declare details for 2023 as well. Details of assets for 2024 have to be declared after Dec 31, 2024. The letter concludes by saying that Aug salaries of only those who have uploaded their details as required will be released this time

NEWS TODAY 22.08.2024

 

HC: Need to take a re-look at norms for attendance in colleges, univs

 HC: Need to take a re-look at norms for attendance in colleges, univs

 TIMES NEWS NETWORK 

New Delhi : Delhi High Court on Wednesday said there was a need to re-look at mandatory attendance norms in colleges and universities as the teaching methods had substantially changed post Covid-19 pandemic. It said the mental health of students, which was also affected, needed to be borne in mind while considering attendance requirements. The role of grievance redressal mechanisms and support systems in educational institutions is required to be streamlined.

 A bench of justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma flagged the issue of mandatory attendance requirements in undergraduate and postgraduate courses while hearing a matter related to the alleged suicide by a student of Amity Law University in 2016. The matter was transferred to Delhi High Court in March 2017 by Supreme Court. Sushant Rohilla, a third-year law student of Amity, had hanged himself at home here on Aug 10, 2 016, after the university allegedly barred him from sitting for the semester exams due to a lack of requisite attendance. 

He left behind a note saying he was a failure and did not wish to live. "In the opinion of this court, the same may require a re-look, especially bearing in mind the teaching methods which have substantially changed post the Covid pandemic,” HC said, referring to mandatory attendance norms.

 "In recent times, it is not unusual for colleges and universities to hold classes and examinations virtually or on online platforms. The issue of mandatory attendance is also a cause for concern in the younger generation, which looks at education in a completely different manner. Education is no longer restricted to classroom teaching and in fact extends to more practical areas," the bench pointed out. "There may be a need for making a distinction in professional and non-professional courses as far as attendance standards are concerned. Global practices followed by legal educational institutions around the world would also need to be studied to see whether mandatory attendance requirements are even needed," the court said, posting the matter for September when it will hear the Centre and National Medical Commission, among others.

JNU VC’s appeal fails, 500 students to march to ministry

JNU VC’s appeal fails, 500 students to march to ministry

 Saket.Suman@timesofindia.com

 New Delhi : At least 500 students of Jawaharlal Nehru University will march from the campus to the office of the Union education ministry on Friday to register their protest against the university administration. This comes even as vice-chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit attempted on Friday to pacify the protesters by urging them to end their hunger strike, which has now entered the 10th day. Dhananjay, who was elected in March as president of the students’ union — a body yet to be notified by the administration — said, “The VC repeats her favourite line about having no money whenever we make demands. We will, therefore, march to the education ministry on Friday.” 

He also denied the possibility of a thaw between the administration and the agitating students after the VC met the protes ters on Wednesday morning. There are five students on an indefinite hunger strike, one of them having joined after the health of two protesters deteriorated on Monday. After over 230 hours without food, at least three of them are developing health complications, a student participating in the hunger strike claimed to TOI, adding that the VC visited the protesters and spoke to them briefly. Pandit, according to him, was accompanied by senior university officials, including the chief medical officer and dean of student affairs. A university administrative official confirmed to TOI, 

“The VC met the students and told them that the administration was there for the welfare of students. Our chief medical officer, dean of student welfare and Rector 2 have been visiting and talking to the students on a regular basis.” Describing the agitating students as her “own children”, Pandit pleaded with them to end their hunger strike and said she was doing everything she could in her capacity. She claimed to be aware of the struggle that the students had faced in their personal lives to reach JNU and was pained to see them on strike. 

The indefinite hunger strike led by JNUSU has been called primarily to demand an increase in the merit-cum-means scholarship to at least Rs 5,000 and to thwart any attempt by JNU to sell the Gomti Guest House, alleging that the university’s stance on a funds crunch was “sham and bogus”. Another major demand is student representation in the university’s internal complaints committee to tackle the cases of sexual harassment on campus. While Dhananjay said it wasn’t possible to sit down with the VC to find a way forward without resorting to protests because of the administration using “tactics to appear good in the public eye”, the JNU authorities maintained that the education ministry subsidised the university’s expenses and that it itself had no internal receipts of its own, unlike other central universities that were able to raise 20-30% of their expenses from internal sources. 

JNU aims to generate its own funds and increase internal revenue to avert raising fees, which are as low as Rs 10 and Rs 20 per student monthly, the administration said. As revealed in an RTI inquiry, the university, which was ranked second nationally in the recently released National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) ratings, received a larger share of funding under the current govt: Rs 3,030 crore in 2015-24, almost 1.5 times more than Rs 2,055 crore in 2004-14. Asked what was wrong in the administration taking a long-term view and striving to generate internal funds, Dhananjay said that JNU, as a premier institution, should be given funds and not be forced to sell its assets. For now, however, the administration seems firm about generating regular income through public-private partnerships, revamp and reuse of the university’s assets.

CAG flagged RG Kar graft, but exprincipal refused to respond

CAG flagged RG Kar graft, but exprincipal refused to respond

 RohitKhanna@timesofindia.com 22.08.2024 

Kolkata : The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had flagged financial irregularities at R G Kar Medical College back in 2021, the year Sandip Ghosh took charge as the principal of the institute. Ghosh had reportedly refused to respond to multiple CAG reminders, raising suspicion he wanted to hide something. As Comptroller and Audi tor General started looking into the procurement of med icines and equipment by the institute, they came across earlier purchases that did not follow state GST norms, leading to excess expenditure. 

After Goods and Services Tax was introduced, govt notified hospitals that medicines and equipment would be charged under GST, even if the vendor had a pre-GST contract. The finance department issued a guideline on working out the base price. CAG found that RG Kar did not follow the base price calculation prescribed by the finance department. It resulted in an excess expenditure of Rs 1.3 crore, the 2021 CAG report stated. The Comptroller and Auditor General sought a reply from the state. 

A health department official said no response came from R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. CBI grills Sandip Ghosh for sixth day Former RG Kar Hospital and College principal Sandip Ghosh was interrogated by CBI here on the sixth day on Wednesday. The agency searched his car twice, made recordings and took notes. Roy did not speak to reporters while entering the CGO complex. Meanwhile, Calcutta HC directed police to ensure security for Ghosh’s family. Senior state counsel Amitesh Banerjee told the court that cops were deployed in front of his house round-the-clock and a police van was also present. The Beliaghata police station in charge was tightening the security, he added.