NewsToday 18.10.2024

 

MBBS admissions: Latecomers corner seats for orphans, PwDs

MBBS admissions: Latecomers corner seats for orphans, PwDs

Hemali.Chhapia@timesofindia.com 18.10.2024

Mumbai : The MBBS admission process through the Maharashtra CET Cell has exposed a loophole. The persons with disability (PwD) quota and seats set aside for orphans are being blocked initially by purportedly eligible candidates, only to be relinquished by them after the third round of admission, which makes way for others from outside these categories to claim the seats. 

This pattern has been spotlighted this year, but what concerns parent representatives is that this may have occurred in 2023 too. To ensure it does not repeat, parents have communicated to the CET Cell and asked it to verify quota documents before allotting seats, as is done centrally. Last year at Grant Medical College, opening and closing all-India ranks were 3,433 and 10,662 respectively. In the final moments of the process, a candidate with an All-India Rank (AIR) nearing 32,000 secured a seat which was from the unfilled PwD quota. 

“The real question,” asked parent representative Sachin Bangad, “is why did this student wait until the fourth round to claim this seat, instead of applying to other govt colleges like GMC Alibaug or GMC Jalgaon?” Similarly, another open category student with an AIR close to 14,000, secured admission at GSMC, Mumbai, again on a vacant PwD seat. This was despite opening and closing ranks at this prestigious medical school being 3,433 and 10,662. This candidate too had not listed choices like Rajiv Gandhi Medical College, Kalwa, or VM Govt College, Solapur, where he would have been placed in earlier rounds. Another troubling case was at HBT and Cooper Medi cal College, where a student with a rank lower than AIR 35,000 claimed a seat meant for an orphan. 

In all, at least 25 such students with low NEET ranks have made it to top govt colleges after PwD or orphan seats lying vacant were offered to these late entrants to the admission process. "This manipulation happens because documents for students registering under the PwD or orphan quotas are not verified before seats are allotted,” Bangad said. Candidates with a low NEET score are sometimes found registering on PwD quota despite not being eligible for such seats. Such a student can get away by not reporting to the college s/he is allotted in the first round and making an exit. 

Such a student, who is allotted a college and does not report, is out of the admission process, but can re-enter in the third round by paying Rs 1,000. In round 3, once a colle ge is allotted, this student who claims to be under the PwD quota can still walk away without reporting, leaving the seat vacant before the fourth round. At this point, if the CET Cell finds that no genuine PwD or orphan candidates remain for these seats, they are converted to open category. Students who may have avoided being assigned anywhere in early rounds by providing few choices, can now claim spots in such institutions that their scores wouldn’t otherwise allow them to secure. Several parents have now written to the state's CET Cell, urging them to adopt the Central Medical Counselling Committee’s method, where quota documents are verified before any seat is allotted. This year, at the end of the second round, 30 orphan and 92 seats of PwD were vacant. List of seats allotted for the third round will be declared on Oct 19.

Govt initiates grants for genome research

Govt initiates grants for genome research 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 18.10.2024

Thiruvananthapuram : The state govt has initiated

grants ranging from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 2 crore for genomic sequencing and data generation projects for the Kerala Genome Data Centre (KGDC). The projects can be in the fields of plant genomics, animal genomics, microbial genomics, marine genomics, sickle cell anaemia, dengue, and deadly diseases that cause severe health conditions and mortality. KGDC has invited applications from scientists and researchers who are eligible for funding. The focus should be on research in these areas as part of the efforts to leverage genomic data and the state’s rich biodiversity. The scientific advisory board will approve the projects based on applications from the researchers, said a statement.

“Interested researchers or institutions can submit project proposals online via the KGDC website. Projects eligible for funding will be evaluated ba sed on scientific significance, project potential, benefits to Kerala, commercialisation possibilities, innovation, and alignment with KGDC's goals. The institutions or researchers must be based in Kerala. If an institution from outside Kerala applies, they must have a partnership or MoU with a life sciences institution based in Kerala. Researchers from private institutions with DSIR-certified laboratories are also eligible to apply," the statement said. The move is part of transforming the state into a knowledge economy.

Biryani lunch on temple premises: HC for appropriate action

Biryani lunch on temple premises: HC for appropriate action 

PADMANABHASWAMY TEMPLE  18.10.2024

Kochi : The high court on Thursday directed the administrative committee of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram to take appropriate action against those responsible for conducting a biryani lunch at the temple’s Mathilakam office. The bench of Justices Anil K Narendran and P G Ajith Kumar, while disposing of petitions seeking action against the temple’s executive officer, emphasized that merely terminating the service of temporary staff is insufficient. 

They added that such activities cannot be permitted in the Mathilakam office, which is part of the temple premises. Petitioners C Sajith and Babilu Sankar had filed petitions citing that a biryani lunch was held on July 6 at the Mathilakam office, located in the Ulsava Madom Buildings adjacent to the North Nada of the temple, violating the temple’s customs and rituals. They alleged that chicken biryani was served to staff to celebrate the appointment of an employee’s child to a govt position. 

The petitioners claimed that the non-vegetarian meal was organized under the supervision of the executive officer and sought his removal. Photographs of the food packets were also produced as evidence. Upon reviewing the petitions, the bench noted that the chief vigilance officer’s report on the incident is still pending before the temple’s administrative committee. As a result, the court declined to consider the contentions raised, stating that it is up to the administrative committee to make an appropriate decision.

The bench clarified that the petitioners cannot seek such relief through a writ petition. However, the bench assured that necessary directions would be provided to prevent such incidents from recurring on the temple premises.

MBBS student caught with 200 grams of hydro cannabis Seized Ganja Worth ₹2.5L

MBBS student caught with 200 grams of hydro cannabis Seized Ganja Worth ₹2.5L

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 18.10.2024

Kochi : An MBBS student was arrested with 200 grams of hydro cannabis worth several lakhs in the city on Thursday. The arrest has raised concerns about a new type of narcotic substance that is finding a foothold in the city, especially among the affluent. The district anti-narcotic special action task force (Dansaf) said that Anex Ron Philip, 24, from Kannur is a final year MBBS student. Police stated that the high-end ganja seized from him was worth Rs 2,50,000. Police mentioned that Philip’s co-accused managed to escape, and efforts were underway to trace them.

According to the FIR, two men on a bike reported to the DANSAF team stationed at the HMT junction, that a black Mini Cooper car was coming behind them and that they suspected there were narcotic substances in this vehicle. Based on this input, the cops tried to stop the car, which drove off without stopping. Police chased the vehicle and found the car parked near the boys’ hostel near Kalamassery medical college. One among them saw the cops and ran into the hostel and the car was driven away by the accused.

Police found Philip in the hostel where the ganja was seized from a cover that he had. Police said that a strong smell of ganja emanated from the cover as soon as it was opened, and it was identified as a highend hybrid ganja. According to senior officials, hydro cannabis or hybrid cannabis is carefully selected strains of ganja grown in a controlled atmosphere using techniques like hydroponics. “It is grown using air-conditioning and artificial lighting. This type of ganja is mostly imported from countries like Thailand. Possession of over 1kg of ganja can attract imprisonment and a fine. This is being sold advertising it as safe compared to synthetic drugs,” said a senior officer. 

Earlier, the customs department arrested a youth who arrived at the Kochi Airport from Bangkok with 4.23kg of hydro cannabis worth over Rs 2.5 crore. Rural police also arrested a Kasaragod native from near Nedumbassery, who was an accused in a case registered by Kodagu police for smuggling 3.31kg of hydra cannabis. He was nabbed by rural police before he could catch a flight to Bangkok.

HC slams NMC for allowing ‘deficient’ college take students

HC slams NMC for allowing ‘deficient’ college take students

Rema.Nagarajan@timesofindia.com 18.10.2024 

Has NMC’s system of Aadhaar-enabled biometric attendance system for medical college faculty, digital inspections and monitoring through CCTV put a stop to the problem of medical colleges luring students through false claims? Far from it, as the case of White Medical College in Punjab’s Pathankot district shows. 

Two batches admitted in 2021 and 2022 have just been transferred out following an order of Punjab and Haryana high court that was unsuccessfully challenged in Supreme Court. The HC order castigated National Medical Commission (NMC) for allowing the college to admit students when the “college has been a consistent defaulter”. Five inspections done by three different authorities — the university, NMC and directorate of medical education — in one and a half years found the college “highly deficient for training MBBS students”. Deficiency in faculty and resident doctors was up to 90% and there was hardly any patient load, they found. The hospital now has the dubious distinction of five batches being transferred out before they completed the course. Despite its previous record of batches admitted in 2011, 2014 and 2016 being transferred out, NMC granted permission to admit 108 students in 2021 and 150 in 2022, on the basis of the college’s undertaking that it has requisite infrastructure and faculty.

“The annual declaration of the medical college, which is still available on NMC website, is full of falsehoods. How can a public authority host such unverified information on its website just on the basis of the undertaking of the very people who have been consistent defaulters?” asked parents of some students in the college who have been complain ing to NMC since Dec 2022 about the lack of facilities and teaching. A rough calculation shows the college has collected over Rs 30 crore from just the latest two batches that have been shifted out. “This case shows NMC’s aadhaar based biometric attendance system, digital inspections and monitoring through CCTVs are a total failure. It is its job as the regulatory authority to do regular physical verification through surprise inspections and they ought to make the inspection reports public as the erstwhile MCI used to do. ,” said the parent of a student. 

The court stated “time has come for NMC to thoroughly re-look and introspect the manner in which the limited permissions or provisional recognition and affiliations are being granted”. It added that a huge responsibility lies on the members of such expert bodies to ensure that medical colleges are not run like commercial establishments. “This Court expresses dissatisfaction in the manner in which the autonomous bodies like NMC has acted irresponsibly. The members of the NMC are expected to introspect and take steps for ensuring restoration of the credibility of such institutions,” stated the order

Personal Information Of Employees Like Service Records, Copies Of Promotion & Financial Benefits Can't Be Disclosed Under RTI Act: Delhi High Court

Personal Information Of Employees Like Service Records, Copies Of Promotion & Financial Benefits Can't Be Disclosed Under RTI Act: Delhi High Court

Namdev Singh

15 Oct 2024 2:30 PM

A single judge bench of the Delhi High Court comprising of Justice Sanjeev Narula, while deciding writ petition held that the personal information of employees like service records, copies of promotion & financial benefits can't be disclosed under the RTI Act.

Background Facts

On April 19, 2017, respondent No. 3 submitted an RTI application. It was sent to the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the Directorate of Education (DoE), Delhi. The application requested various details about the service records of the staff at Ryan International School. It also sought information on their employment conditions.

The requested information included whether the school kept and updated service books for its employees. It also asked for details about the financial benefits given to employees according to government guidelines. Additionally, it requested copies of promotion and financial benefit orders, as well as copies of communications related to promotions and conduct related matters issued by the school to its employees.

On May 27, 2017, the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) of the DoE informed respondent No. 3 about the RTI application. The application was forwarded to Ryan International School for their response. However, no specific information was provided at that time. Aggrieved by the same, respondent No. 3 decided to file a appeal under the RTI Act.

On July 25, 2017, the First Appellate Authority directed the PIO to revise the reply. The authority instructed the PIO to provide the requested information to respondent No. 3. The PIO then forwarded the school's response to respondent No. 3. The Ryan International School denied the request for information. They claimed it was a private unaided institution. The school stated that it did not fall under the purview of the RTI Act. They argued that it was not a "public authority" as defined by the RTI Act. Therefore, the school was not obligated to provide such information.

Unsatisfied with the school's response, respondent No. 3 filed a second appeal before the CIC. The CIC issued an order to the DoE. The order directed the DoE to use its regulatory powers. The CIC required the DoE to obtain the requested information from the school. The CIC ruled that the DoE, as a regulatory body, had a duty to oversee the functioning of all schools. This included private unaided schools. The CIC emphasized the need to ensure compliance with the Delhi School Education Act and Rules (DSEAR), 1973.

The CIC emphasized that Ryan International School might not be a public authority under the RTI Act. However, the DoE was obligated to monitor and supervise the school's operations. The CIC held that the information sought by respondent No. 3 was related to the regulatory oversight of the DoE. Therefore, this information should be accessible through the DoE. This access to information is ensured under the Delhi School Education Act and Rules (DSEAR), 1973.

The CIC further stated that the DoE has the power and responsibility to ensure that schools comply with the DSEAR Act. The DoE serves as the supervisory and regulatory authority. The school's refusal to provide the requested information was based on its claim of being outside the RTI Act's scope. The CIC found this reasoning inadequate. The DoE must exercise its powers to collect the necessary information from the school. This information should then be made available to the applicant under the RTI Act.

Aggrieved by the CIC's order, Ryan International School filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court, seeking to quash the order passed by the CIC.

It was argued by the school that the information being sought was personal information about its employees. It claimed this information was exempt from disclosure under Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act. This section protects personal information that does not serve a public interest and could invade privacy. It was further contended that it is a private unaided institution. Therefore, it did not fall under the definition of "public authority" as per the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005. As a result, the school was not obligated to disclose the requested information including employee service records.

On the other hand, it was contended by the CIC that most of the information sought by respondent No. 3 should be accessible under the DSEAR (Delhi School Education and Rules) Act. This Act specifically applied to “unaided schools”. These schools are accountable to the Directorate of Education and must comply with its mandates. The Act includes provisions such as Sections 50, 55, and 56, which establish criteria for granting, suspending, or withdrawing school recognition.

The CIC further contended that the Directorate of Education has the authority to monitor and regulate schools under the DSEAR Act. This authority requires schools to submit necessary documents as mandated. These documents contain information that is accessible to the public under the RTI Act, 2005.

Findings of the Court

It was observed by the court that the CIC has directed the disclosure of information which was entirely personal information of the employees and this information was exempted from disclosure under clause (j) of Section 8(1) of the RTI Act.

Furthermore it was observed by the court that nothing has been brought on record to show that the larger public interest was involved which required the disclosure of such information even though it was exempted.

It was noted by the court that the CIC had directed the Directorate of Education to call upon schools under its regulatory capacity to furnish certain information, however, the order did not consider the fact that the information sought pertained to sensitive personal information and service records of the employees of the school.

It was held by the court that the order dated 14th May, 2019 passed by the CIC, was unsustainable. Therefore it was set aside by the court.

With the aforesaid observations, the writ petition was allowed.

Case No. : W.P.(C) 8984/2019

Counsel for the Petitioner: Romy Chacko, Senior Advocate with Ashwin Romy, Sachin Singh Dalal, Akshat Singh and Joe Sebastian, Advocates

Counsel for the Respondents: R.K. Malik, APO (DoE)

UG courses: Only 23 out of 900 colleges opt for 4th yr

UG courses: Only 23 out of 900 colleges opt for 4th yr

SruthySusan.Ullas@timesofindia.com  18.10.2024 

Bengaluru : The fourth year of the undergraduate programme under National Education Policy 2020 has not taken off well in the city. Only 15 colleges in Bengaluru City University and eight in Bangalore University have started the fourth year of their programmes. No affiliate college of Bangalore North University has started the fourth year. The three universities have about 300 affiliated colleges each. It may be recalled that when NEP was launched in the state, students were offered four-year programmes. Colleges were given the option to offer the fourth year depending on the infrastructure and student interest. Bangalore University issued a circular asking interested colleges to apply. 

Only eight of its 300 affiliate colleges expressed interest, with around 150 students pursuing the programme now. At BCU, 25 colleges expressed interest in running the fourth year but only 15 of them were found eligible. The minimum number of students per course is 15. About 460 students are now pursuing BCA, BBA, BCom, BSc and BA courses at BCU. NEP recommends a cluster system according to which, students from colleges where a fourth year is not available can approach those which offer the programmes. The fourth year did not go down well with the student community at all.

 “There was alack of clarity in terms of the one-year post-graduation and how many colleges would offer that. It was only Karnataka that initiated the programme in 2021. Other states did not have four-year programmes as they rolled out NEP only in 2024. Moreover, colleges themselves were not enthused enough as it was relevant only for two batches of NEP. The new Congress govt in the state abolished NEP and introduced SEP. Why would colleges invest in human resources and infrastructure if it was only for two years?” said a senior faculty member of an autonomous college. “Some of the universities are large and it was practically difficult to arrange for a common class for students from various colleges wanting to pursue a particular programme. The cluster system was difficult for such universities. Colleges also did not want to make investments for only a few students,” said a senior academician.

Yet another academician said some universities also did not take keen interest as they feared they would lose out on the postgraduate students. “Many universities thrive on PG programmes. They feared that a fourth year would keep PG aspirants away from their campuses. So the fourth year was not encouraged enough,” said another faculty member.

Airfares skyrocket ahead of Diwali, up to 374% higher than normal

Airfares skyrocket ahead of Diwali, up to 374% higher than normal 

AGAINST LAST YEAR’S FESTIVAL, TICKET COSTS ARE AT LEAST 30% LOWER TIMES NEWS NETWORK 18.10.2024 

Ahmedabad : Travelling is certainly going to be an expensive affair as Diwali holiday airfares around the festive season have skyrocketed. Compared to non-festival days, non-stop domestic airfares to various destinations from Ahmedabad, when booked now for travel between Oct 31 and Nov 5, are up to 374% higher. A return ticket to Bagdogra now costs Rs 59,356 (up 374%) against Rs 12,500 of normal fare per person. Similarly, ticket prices to Jaipur (125.5%), Jodhpur (94.3%), Jammu (87.8%), and Kochi (79.7%)have skyr ocketed, as these airports connect tourists to various holiday destinations from Ahmedabad with a direct flight. 

“The overall demand for air travel ahead of Diwali is significantly high. Visa woes for certain countries have also led to a surge in domestic travel, with bookings going up by about 25% compared to last year’s Diwali,” said Virendra Shah, chairperson, Travel Agents’Asso cia tion of India (TAAI) Gujarat. This time around, destina tions in the Northeast, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu are very popular among people from Ahmedabad and Gujarat, said Shah. Interestingly, even though airfares are higher compared to non-festive days, they’re still cheaper against last year’s spike. 

When booked afortnight before Diwali 2023, a return ticket for Kochi cost as high as Rs 57,400 per person. Similarly, tho se to Bagdogra (Rs 45,389), Jaipur (Rs 24,962), Dehradun (Rs 33,763), Chandigarh (Rs 36,998) and Kolkata (Rs 41,730) were also 30- 60% higher than this year’s airfares. Increased capacity and the recent fall in oil prices are considered to be among the factors for the fall in air ticket prices, according to industry players. The analysis by an online trav el portal showed that average airfare on domestic routes has declined in the range of 20-25% across the country.

BCI told to decide on law course attendance

BCI told to decide on law course attendance

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  17.10.2024 

New Delhi : Delhi High Court has asked Bar Council of India (BCI) to have its legal education committee finalise a stance on the requirement of attendance in law courses. A bench of justices Pratibha M Singh and Amit Sharma was dealing with a case stemming from the death of a law student, Sushant Rohilla, who died by suicide in 2016 after allegedly being barred from writing his semester exam due to a shortage of attendance. The court earlier questioned the mandatory attendance norms, asking BCI to file an affidavit. Rohilla was a third-year law student at Amity Law School and left behind a note which allegedly stated that he was a failure and did not wish to live. While the matter was initiated by Supreme Court in Sept 2016 following the incident, the case was subsequent ly transferred to the High Court in March 2017.

In an order passed recently, the bench directed BCI's legal education committee to hold a meeting and file its affidavit within two weeks. Listing the matter for hearing on Nov 6, the court granted further time to Amity Law School to present its stance on granting ex-gratia compensation to the family of the deceased. During the hearing, the counsel for Amity Law School said the institution was not at fault, adding that the parents of the deceased student were duly notified about the shortage of attendance. However, the High Court reiterated its query about whether the institute is willing to compensate the family. The court previously expressed an imminent need to re-evaluate the mandatory attendance norms in colleges and universities, as teaching methods changed substantially post Covid-19.

NEWS TODAY 17.10.2024

 

Medical student loses seat over NRI quota ineligibility

Medical student loses seat over NRI quota ineligibility 

K.Kaushik@timesofindia.com  17.10.2024

Madurai : The selection committee of the directorate of medical education and  Research withdrew the medical admission and NRI candidature of H Madhav Krishna following a Madras high court order. The court ruled that Krishna did not q ualify under the NRI quota as he is not a blood relative of his sponsor. Krishna, represented by his father, applied under the NRI quota with a certificate stating that his uncle, Ramesh Govindan Nair, would support him. However, the authorities required the relationship to be shown as uncle of the student, causing a delay in obtaining a corrected certificate and resulting in Krishna’s initial denial of admission. Krishna challenged the order in court, and a single bench granted him relief, allowing his admission to Sree Mookambika Institute of Medical Sciences. 

The director of medical admission later challenged this order. During the hearing, it was argued that the NRI applicant must be related to the sponsor within the first degree. The prospectus specifies that NRI quota seats are for bona fide NRIs and their children or wards, including specific blood relatives. Krishna, being a son of the NRI sponsor’s wife’s cousin, did not qualify. A division bench of justices R Subramanian and L Victoria Gowri upheld the rejection of Krishna’s candidature, stating that his disqualification was fundamental. Krishna’s seat was denied under the NRI quota, but he may apply under other available quotas. The error was caught early, preventing a longer disruption in his medical education.