Monday, August 26, 2024
‘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
Health officials refuse to provide information on suspicious postmortem reports
Sunday, August 25, 2024
Varsity to pay salary arrears of 116 staff members in affiliated colleges
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
Saturday, August 24, 2024
Case Summary: MADRAS HIGH COURT
Case Summary: MADRAS HIGH COURT
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:
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.
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.
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.
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
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’
Air India fined ₹90 lakh for operating flight to Riyadh with wrong pilot pairing
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
Friday, August 23, 2024
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’
Chief edu officers grilled during review meeting
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
HC: Words, gestures in email can insult woman’s modesty Court Keeps Pace With Tech, Addresses New Challenges
A life in the day of a loco pilot of suburban train
Thursday, August 22, 2024
Declare assets or no salary in Aug: Govt order for staff
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
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