No male tailor should take women’s measurements, proposes UP panel

No male tailor should take women’s measurements, proposes UP panel 

Also Suggests No Male Should Train Women At Gyms Or At Yoga Sessions 

Sachin Sharma TNN 08.11.2024 

Shamli : Uttar Pradesh State Women’s Commission has proposed a slew of radical measures to ensure safety of women in the state. Among them: male tailors must no longer take women’s measurements and no men should train women at gyms or during yoga sessions. In the proposed safety guidelines aimed at “improving security for women in public and commercial spaces”, the commission has also recommended that female security personnel be present on school buses, and female staff in women’s clothing stores. 

These suggestions were discussed in an Oct 28 meeting in Lucknow, where the commission members explored various measures to address women’s safety. Maneesha Ahlawat, a member of the commission, told TOIon Thurs-day: “The discussions are preliminary. Feasibility of these proposals is yet to be decided. Once approved, these proposals will be submitted to the govt to draft a policy for groundlevel implementation.” Meanwhile, Shamli district probation officer Hamid Hussain has already issued instructions for establishments to start adoptin these guidelines. Hussain said the key directives include mandatory female trainers or teachers in women’s gyms, drama and yoga centres, and the installation of CCTV systems with DVR capabilities. “School buses are now required to have a female security guard or teacher present,” Hussain said. “Boutique centres must employ female tailors for taking measurements of women, with active CCTV monitoring. Additionally, coaching centres are required to have CCTV surveillance and proper restroom facilities. Stores selling women-specific clothing and accessories must also employ female staff to assist customers.” Local social worker Veena Agrawal from Shamli district welcomed the initiative.

“We welcome this effort by the Women’s Commission. These measures aim to strengthen safety and ensure a supportive environment for women in various public and commercial spaces across the state,” she told TOI.

Can’t curb media’s right to freedom of speech: HC

Can’t curb media’s right to freedom of speech: HC 

TIMES OF INDIA  AHAMEDABAD 08.11.2024

Kochi : In a landmark judgment, the Kerala high court has held that the media’s right to freedom of speech and expression cannot be restricted except by a law enacted by a competent legislative body, and even then only on the grounds explicitly listed in Article 19(2) of the Constitution, which permits the govt to impose reasonable restrictions on freedom of speech and expression. A larger bench of the high court, comprising Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar, Kauser Edappagath, C P MohammedNias, C S Sudha, and V M Syam Kumar, delivered this ruling whileaddressing petitions on the scope and limitations of media freedoms in reporting criminal investigations or cases pending before various courts.

The bench also held that the media’s right to speech and expression is integral to fundamental rights. The bench highlighted that media’s freedom of speech and expression while reporting on criminal investigations or pending cases must respect the principle of separation of powers under the Constitution. This principle, along with the rule of law, dictatesthat a final and authoritative declaration of guilt or innocence is reserved for judicial authorities. Therefore, any definitive media statements about a party’s guilt or innocence before a judicial determination do not fall within the protections provided by the right to speech and expression guaranteed by Article 19(1) (a) of the Constitution. In instances where individuals claim that media actions have infringed, or are likely to infringe, on their right to dignity or reputation, they may seek relief in a constitutional court.

Amreli farmer gives honourable burial to his beloved hatchback

Amreli farmer gives honourable burial to his beloved hatchback 

FIVE-HOUR SAMADHI FUNCTION CULMINATES WITH DINNER FOR 2,000

Dilip Jiruka 08.11.2024 

Rajkot : All of us have seen police dogs receiving respectable burials as a tribute to their valour in combating terrorists or sniffing out explosives and drugs. In Amreli, however, a farmer's family gave an honourable burial (samadhi) to his beloved car that reached its age. Yes, you heard it right! And it wasn’t a silent sendoff to the hatchback, which the car owner, Sanjay Polra, asserts brought the family immense prosperity and elevated their social standing ever since they drove it out of the showroom in 2006. 

The grand event held in Padarshinga village of Lathi taluka on Thursday was marked by ritualistic prayers to the family deity, after which the car, decked with flowers, was taken out in a procession to the ‘samadhi’ spot on his farm. The function, organised in the presence of saints and local spiritual preachers, culminated with a delectable spread of puris, chapatis, subji, and laddos for all 1,500 villagers and invitees. After hitting upon the ‘samadhi’ idea some days ago, Polra sent out a specially designed four-page invitation to some 2,000 people. 

The invitation read: “This car has been like a family member since 2006, and it brought us good fortunes. We gained prosperity, and our reputation in society was elevated. We want this car in our memory forever, and that's why we have planned a samadhi (burial) of this car.” "I purchased this car in 2006. Ever since I bought it, the vehicle brought my family good luck and elevated our social prestige. I wanted to do something different, so I decided on a respectable adieu in the form of samadhi for the car,” Polra said. The Polra family will offer floral tributes to the memorial on Nov 7 every year. “We will plant trees around the memorial,” said Polra. Vipul Sojitra, a villager, said, "I was amused when he invited me to the samadhi function of a car. The family wanted to do something out of the box for their beloved car.”

Gujarat family gives ‘lucky’ car a sendoff samadhi

Gujarat family gives ‘lucky’ car a sendoff samadhi 

Dilip Jiruka TNN 08.11.2024

Amreli : As epitaphs go, “Born a car, loved like a favourite child” would be an apt one for a memorial to GJ05 CD7924. 

Sanjay Polra and his family, residents of Padarshinga in Lathi taluka of Gujarat’s Amreli, gave their beloved lucky charm a ceremonial send-off to car heaven on Thursday in the presence of the entire village and other invitees. The rituals, complete with a priest reciting Sanskrit shlokas in front of the family deity, were the culmination of a procession with the flower-bedecked hatchback from Polra’s home till the “samadhi” site at his farm. A JCB backhoe was requisitioned to cover the car’s final resting place with earth once it had been lowered there.

 “This car has been like a family member since we drove it out of a showroom in 2006. It brought us for tune. We gained prosperity, and our stature in society went up several notches. We want this car stored in our memories forever,” Polra wrote in the fourpage invitation sent out to 2,000-odd guests. The invitees were served a spread of puri, chapati, subji, and laddoos. Polra said he intended to plant trees around the memorial to his silver hatchback. “I wanted to do something different, so I settled on this send-off. 

We will assemble here on Nov 7 each year to reminisce about all the journeys we took in our favourite car.” Vipul Sojitra, a villager who was witness to the ceremony, said he initially found it amusing that someone would organise a samadhi for a car. “Sanjaybhai is a childhood friend. His family wanted to do something out of the box for their beloved car, and that’s why they held this event,” he said.

Can’t change eligibility criteria after advertising vacancy: SC

Can’t change eligibility criteria after advertising vacancy: SC 

Figuring In Select List No Guarantee For Employment: 5-J Bench

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesofindia.com 08.11.2024

New Delhi : Giving a legal cloak to the age-old norm ‘rules of the game can’t be changed midway’, Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the eligibility criteria for govt jobs cannot be altered after advertising vacancies, and also said that transparency and nondiscrimination are inflexible features of public recruitment. A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices Hrishikesh Roy, P S Narasimha, Pankaj Mithal and Manoj Misra said, “Eligibility criteria for being placed in the ‘select list’, notified at the commencement of the recruitment process, cannot be changed midway through the recruitment process unless the extant rules so per mit, or the advertisement, which is not contrary to the extant rules, so permit.”

Writing the judgment, Justice Misra said, “Even if such change is permissible under the extant rules or the advertisement, the change would have to meet the requirement of Article 14 of the Constitution and satisfy the test of non-arbitrariness.” The bench said the recruiting authorities must devise appropriate procedures for keeping the process of selection “transparent, non-discriminatory/ nonarbitrary” with focus on achieving the object of selecting the right candidate for the public employment. Referring to open-ended advertisements for recruitment, SC said it may give some discretion to the recruiting authority to adopt steps relevant to the process of recruitment and nature of employment, but none of such steps could be arbitrary or violative of the right to nondiscrimination guaranteed under Article 14 of the Constitution. 

However, it also said that even if a person finds his name in the list of selected candidates on completion of the recruitment process, he/ she does not get “an indefeasible right to  appointment”. However, the five-judge bench put in a caveat: “The State or its instrumentality cannot arbitrarily deny appointment to a selected candidate.” But it clarified that “the State or its instrumentality for bona fide reasons may choose not to fill up the vacancies.” It said if vacancies exist, a candidate in the zone of consideration of the select list cannot be arbitrarily denied appointment.

Medical recruitment board exam to be held on Jan 27

Medical recruitment board exam to be held on Jan 27 

PLANS TO RECRUIT 2,553 DOCTORS 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  08.11.2024 

Chennai : The Medical Recruitment Board will conduct an exam on Jan 27, 2025 for recruiting 2,553 doctors, Tamil Nadu health minister Ma Subramanian said on Thursday. The online examination, to be conducted by an external agency, would help the health department fill vacancies that would arise until 2026, the minister told reporters in Chennai. 

In March, the MRB invited applications to fill 2,553 doctors’ posts in Tamil Nadu Medical Service. The process was interrupted by elections. July 15 was the revised last date. The MRB received nearly 24,000 applications till then. “The board is verifying documents submitted by the candidates. Officials have spoken to agencies that can conduct exams. We wanted the exam in one phase because there is a risk of paper leaks if exams are conducted in more than one phase. We have decided that all candidates will take the online test together on Jan 27,” he said. 

Earlier this week, at least two govt doctors’ associations pointed out that nearly 30% of the sanctioned posts of doctors in govt hospitals were vacant. They said the department was delaying fresh recruitments by not conducting the MRB exams. The minister said associations were exaggerating the vacancy situation in hospitals and political leaders like Seeman were not updated with information about vacancy positions. “The state has made more than 18,000 appointments for the health department, including more than 5,000 by the MRB,” he said. “The delays are not new. The previous MRB recruitment process for 1,021 posts was delayed for several months as candidates, including those who worked in GHs during Covid, moved courts seeking incentives. The notification was issued in Oct 2022, but the recruitments were completed only in Feb 2024,” he said

How a station master’s OK sent train & his life on wrong track

How a station master’s OK sent train & his life on wrong track

Partha.Behera@timesofindia.com 07.11.2024 TIMES OF INDIA CHENNAI 

Raipur : A train chugged off where it wasn’t supposed to, railways suffered a ₹3-crore loss, a station master was suspended, and a divorce battle dragged on for 12 years from Visakhapatnam to Supreme Court and Chhattisgarh’s Durg — all because of an ‘OK’. The station master had said ‘OK’ to his wife during a fight over a phone call, which was mistaken for the green light to send a train into Maoist territory, triggering this strangerthanfiction chain of events. 

The station master hails from Visakhapatnam and his now divorced wife is from Durg. They married on Oct 12, 2011, but within a few days, it was evident that it wasn’t going to be a blissful ever-after. From court evidence, it’s learned that the bride was unhappy with the wedding due to her past relationship with another man, and her confession that she wasn’t over it. This led to friction at home. The station master appealed to her parents, who gave assurances, but the woman never stopped communicating with her lover. She would call him even with her husband sleeping right next to her, leaving him feeling insulted. 

The marriage was hanging by a thread when, one night, she called the station master when he was on duty and they again quarrelled. Since he was at work, he ended the call by saying, “We’ll talk at home, OK?” He didn’t realise that his work microphone was on. His colleague on the other end only heard the ‘OK’ and mistook it as green signal to dispatch a freight train down a restricted route in a Maoist affected area. 

Dowry, cruelty charge turns out to be false 

Thankfully, there was no accident, yet it was a violation of night-time restrictions, and caused railways a loss of ₹3 crore. The station master was suspended. The punishment worsened his marital woes and the officer, now at the end of his tether, filed for divorce in Visakhapatnam family court. His wife filed a complaint under IPC section 498A (cruelty and harassment) against him, his 70-year-old father, his elder brother, who is a govt employee, sister-inlaw and maternal cousins. Saying she feared for her life, the woman moved Supreme Court and managed to get the case transferred to Durg. When the Durg family court rejected his divorce petition, the railway man appealed to Chhattisgarh high court, his counsel, Vipin Kumar Tiwari, said. 

In a recent judgment, a division bench of Justice Raja ni Dubey and Justice Sanjay Kumar Jaiswal deemed the wife’s actions as ‘cruelty’, reversed the family court judgment and granted the man divorce. HC found that the wife had falsely accused her husband of having an affair with his sister-in-law. The dowry and cruelty complaint also turned out to be false. The division bench granted the husband divorce while noting that the wife’s arguing with him on the phone, which led to the ‘OK’ incident, the filing of false reports, and making baseless accusations constituted mental cruelty towards him.

End of runway for Jet: SC orders liquidation, nixes revival plan

End of runway for Jet: SC orders liquidation, nixes revival plan 

Allows Lenders’ Consortium To Forfeit JKC’s ₹350cr 

Dhananjay.Mahapatra @timesofindia.com 07.11.2024 

New Delhi : Hopes of Jet Airways getting fresh wings crashed on Thursday as the Supreme Court ordered its liquidation, with the successful bidder — Jalan Kalrock Consortium — failing to deposit even the first tranche of ₹350 crore of the ₹ 4,783 crore resolution plan for years, thereby burdening SBI-led lenders with huge financial liabilities. Noting the gross violations of the plan by JKC, comprising UAE-based NRI Murari Lal Jalan and Florian Fritsch, who holds shares in Jet Airways through his Cayman Islands-based investment holding company Kalrock Capital Partners, the SC exercised its rarely-exercised omnibus powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to order liquidation of the unviable airline.

 Court must ensure such debts stop running at some point of time’ In a 169-page judgment which provided guidelines for future Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) proceedings and streamlining the processes before company law tribunals NCLT and  NCLAT, the bench accepted arguments of additional solicitor general N Venkataraman and SBI counsel Sanjay Kapur to allow SBI-led lenders consortium to forfeit the ₹250 crore deposited by JKC as well as its ₹150 crore performance bank guarantee. Writing the judgment for the bench, Justice Pardiwala said, “The amount of ₹200 crore already infused by the SRA (successful resolution applicant in JKC) stands forfeited. The lenders/creditors are further permitted to encash the performance bank guarantee of ₹150 crore furnished by the SRA. We order accordingly.” The bench said, “In the peculiar and alarming circumstances as discussed in this judgment and also keeping in mind the fact that almost five years have elapsed since the Resolution Plan was duly approved by the NCLAT and there being no progress worth the name, we are left with no other option but to invoke our jurisdiction under Article 142 of the Constitution and direct that Jet Airways be taken in liquidation. 

The NCLT, Mumbai shall now take appropriate steps for appointment of liquidator and all other nec essary formalities for commencement of liquidation of Jet Airways.” Faulting NCLAT for allowing JKC to adjust performance bank guarantee of ₹150 crore to meet the shortfall in the deposit of first tranche of ₹350 crore which was to be made good by May 22, 2022, the bench said for five years, the resolution plan has remained in limbo during which period several dues including airport dues to be paid by Jet Airways have increased due to the fault of JKC. “The court must ensure that such debts stop running at some point of time,” it said. The bench said although IBC was enacted to ensure survival of bankrupt entities, the same must not come at the cost of efficiency. Full report on www.toi.in

Amazon Clinic: Now you can get a doctor on Amazon India as well

Amazon Clinic: Now you can get a doctor on Amazon India as well

Amazon Clinic is the latest addition to the brand's portfolio in India. It provides doctor consultations for 50 different disciplines.

By: Nishit Raghuwanshi

Published: Nov 06, 2024, 02:27 PM IST

Amazon Clinic

Amazon has recently launched a new tool named Amazon Clinic in India that allows users to book doctor consultations. As of now, the service supports around 50 different medical conditions and has a starting price of Rs 299. The feature is available for both the iOS and Android applications.

However, users cannot get the tool on the web version of Amazon India. One thing to note here is that all the users are supposed to have a basic profile on the platform with age, gender, phone number, and name, in order to be eligible to book a consultation.

Amazon Clinic details

The tool will allow the users to either consult a doctor online or even book an appointment for a clinical visit. Users will be able to get in touch with the doctors on the application instantly or even pre-schedule their meeting. All the consultations on the platform will have a duration range of 10 minutes to 30 minutes.

As of now, Amazon Clinic has included doctors from different specialties like nutrition, counseling, gynecology, dermatology, and pediatrics. As claimed by Amazon, all the experts listed on the platform will have at least three years of clinical experience in tele-consultation. The users can take benefit of Amazon Clinic in zero emergency situations and diagnosis follow-ups.

TRENDING NOW

The starting price of the Consultation fee on the platform is Rs 299 and goes up to Rs 799. Virtual consultation on Amazon Clinic can be executed in any form like audio, video, or even chat support with unlimited seven days of free follow-up. That’s not it, the users can directly purchase their medicines from the Amazon pharmacy store by sharing the prescription.

Amazon launches ‘Clinic’ medical consultation service in India

Amazon launches ‘Clinic’ medical consultation service in India

Amazon Clinic service is currently limited to Android and iOS users and cannot be accessed from a desktop.

By: Tech Desk

Bengaluru | Updated: November 7, 2024 08:10 IST

 Amazon Clinic enables users to schedule a medical consultation. (Express Photo)

Amazon has launched a new service called Clinic in India which offers online doctor consultations for over 50 different medical conditions. Similar to Practo, with a starting price of Rs 299, users can now book a consultation with a medical specialist on Amazon Clinic through its app.

Amazon Clinic service is currently limited to Android and iOS users and cannot be accessed from a desktop. Before booking a consultation, users need to have a profile with basic details like name, age, gender, and phone number.

Depending on the medical condition, one can either consult a doctor online or book an appointment for a clinical visit in the service, which is being rolled out countrywide. However, those who opt for clinic visits might have fewer options.

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Users can connect with a doctor instantly, depending on their availability, or pre-schedule a meeting. Each consultation session will last between 10 minutes to 30 minutes.

Amazon Clinic has listed doctors who specialise in dermatology, gynaecology, paediatrics, nutrition, and counselling. Amazon said all the medical experts listed on Clinic will have at least three years of experience in tele-consultation, and all the medical records from these consultations are anonymised and protected.

Amazon suggested that people can use the Clinic service in a non-emergency situation or for follow-up after a diagnosis.

Depending on the doctor and their specialisation, the consultation fee can range between Rs 299 and Rs 799. A virtual consultation includes video, audio, and chat support with unlimited seven days of free follow-up. Amazon also has a pharmacy store where users can buy prescribed medications directly on the app.

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Govt sets timeline for nod to set up self-financing colleges

Govt sets timeline for nod to set up self-financing colleges

Poulami.Roy@timesofindia.com 07.11.2024

Kolkata : The state higher education department streamlined the process of obtaining a no objection certificate (NOC) for setting up self-financed colleges in Bengal. Each step in the whole process, which will now be overseen by an integrated law cell acting as the nodal branch, has to be completed within a stipulated time frame. This process will be completed in less than two years. If everything goes well, the NOC can be issued within two months from the date of receipt of compliance. “It was necessary as we noticed in some cases the process took 3-5 years to complete,” said an official of the department. 

A memorandum issued by the department stated that it was necessary to frame a standard operating procedure (SOP) for streamlining the process. The policy to set up self-financing degree colle ges was framed in 2015. According to the policy, an applicant needs to submit an application containing the proposal and eight copies of a detailed project report, along with the application fee, to establish a self-financing degree college. After receiving an application, the integrated law cell is required to initiate the file within one month. The law cell must propose the formation of an enquiry committee to examine the detailed project report, visit the location of the proposed college, the background of the applicant, among other aspects. If the proposal is found non-viable, it must be communicated within 15 days. 

The enquiry panel must submit its report within one month from the date of its constitution. If the committee is not able to submit its report within the stipulated time ,it must seek prior permission to extend the deadline. The committee will submit the report to the law cell , and the entire process has to be completed within two months

NEWS TODAY 7.11.2024

 

Jayadeva staffer caught filming women in toilet

Jayadeva staffer caught filming women in toilet 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  07.11.2024 

Bengaluru : A 28-year-old man working at Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, Bannerghatta Road, was recently caught filming women using a toilet on the hospital premises. The act came to light when a 35-year-old woman, working as a ward helper in the hospital, was walking out of the toilet and noticed a mobile phone kept on top of a wall separating it from another restroom.

The accused, identified as Yellalinga from Kalaburagi, was working in the hospital on acontract basis for the last five months as a patient’s helper. According to the woman’s complaint, she went to the toilet in the basement of the hospital around 11pm on Oct 31. After relieving herself, she was walking out and noticed the phone on the top of the wall. Shocked, she took the mobile and found it was in video-recording mode. She realised she was one of the women recorded in the video. The mobile was placed at an angle that recorded the private parts of women. As she walked out of the toilet, a man approached her, asking her to give the mobile to him. The woman told police the youth addressed her as sister (mobile kodu akka) and was filming her. She refused to give it and shouted at him. 

People in the hospital gathered at the spot, and upon questioning him, he revealed his name and said he was working in the hospital. The youth, Yellalinga, was arrested later and sent to Bengaluru Central Prison. Police said he had kept the phone in the toilet around 10am that day, and no other videos were found on the phone,” an officer said

Govt to offer loans to youth under PM Vidyalakshmi scheme

Govt to offer loans to youth under PM Vidyalakshmi scheme 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK   AHMEDABAD 07.11.2024 

New Delhi : To make quality higher education more accessible to India’s middle-class youth, Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved PM Vidyalakshmi Scheme, which is designed to ease financial burden of students from families with an annual income below Rs 8 lakh. Under this scheme, eligible students will be able to secure collateral-free and guarantor-free education loans of up to Rs 10 lakh, backed by an interest subsidy.

It aims at simplifying the education loan process for students admitted to institutions ranked under National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), including the top 860 Quality Higher Education Institutions (QHEIs). With an initial outlay of Rs 3,600 crore for two years, the scheme is expected to impact up to 22 lakh students annually. In a post which was uploaded on X, PM Modi stated, “This scheme is a big boost to making education more accessible. It empowers the Yuva Shakti, building a brighter future for our nation.” The scheme’s impact will be felt especially among stu dents at central and state govt institutions and private institutions ranked in the NIRF’s top 200. 

A unified portal will streamline the application process, allowing students to access both the loan and interest subsidy through a simple digital platform which has been launched in order to help students. Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan lauded the scheme, highlighting its potential to empower millions of students by addressing financial constraints that have previously hindered access to quality higher education as per requirements, “PM Vidyalakshmi will maximize access to higher education for meritorious students, ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent students from achieving their goals,” he stated. Under PM Vidyalakshmi, students only need to pay interest during their study period. 

For loans up to Rs 7.5 lakh, the scheme provides a 75% credit guarantee on outstanding defaults, supporting banks in providing loans. In addition, eligible students will receive a 3% interest subsidy during the moratorium period, giving priority to those enrolled in technical and professional courses. If the family income is below Rs 4.5 lakh, there is no upper limit for interest subvention which is among the provisions of the PM Vidyalakshmi Scheme scheme of the government.

185 colleges await Gujarat Nursing Council nod

185 colleges await Gujarat Nursing Council nod 

NO FIRE NOC, BU PERMISSION 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  07.11.2024 

Ahmedabad : Around 185 nursing colleges are still awaiting their annual permissions from the Gujarat Nursing Council (GNC), even as the admission process for paramedical courses, including nursing, nears completion. These institutions face delays due to a lack of fire department’s no objection certificates (NOCs), building use (BU) permissions, and staff crunch. 

The admission committee placed 1,500 students across various programmes after two admissions rounds, including BSc nursing, physiotherapy, GNM, ANM, optometry, occupational therapy, orthotics and prosthetics, and naturopathy. A third round is on to fill 2,000 remaining seats. The colleges’ approval delays primarily stem from non-compliance with BU regulations and fire safety standards. These institutions were consequently excluded from the admission process.

 The situation is unprecedented, with these 185 unapp roved nursing, BSc, GNM, and ANM colleges representing approximately 6,000 seats out of the total 37,000 seats available across nearly 900 nursing and paramedical colleges in the state. Court mandates regarding fire NOCs and BU nod implemented to ensure safety against fire incidents, resulted in the council’s delayed approval process. Dr M. M. Prabhakar, president of Gujarat Nursing Council, said, “Several colleges failed to furnish fire department NOCs and BU permissions, so their approvals were held back. We announced a third deadline for the submission of these approvals, latest by Nov 30. If these colleges fail to adhere to the deadline, we will not issue approvals to them for the current academic year.” 

A considerable number of unapproved institutions include multiple colleges operating from single buildings without proper authorization. About 50 newly established colleges are also among those seeking approval

Centre clears edu loan plan for bright students

Centre clears edu loan plan for bright students 

PM VIDYALAKSHMI SCHEME 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 07.11.2024

New Delhi : To make quality higher education more accessible to India’s middle-class youth, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the PM Vidyalakshmi Scheme, which is designed to ease financial burden of students from families with an annual income be low ₹8 lakh.

Under this scheme, eligible students will be able to secure collateral-free and guarantor-free education loans of up to ₹10 lakh, backed by an interest subsidy. It aims at simplifying the education loan process for students admitted to institutions ranked under the National In stitutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), including the top 860 Quality Higher Education Institutions (QHEIs). With an initial outlay of ₹3,600 crore for two years, the scheme is expected to impact up to 22 lakh students annually.

In a post on X, PM Narendra Modi said, “This scheme is a big boost to making education more accessible. It empowers the Yuva Shakti, building a brighter future for our nation.” The scheme’s impact will be felt especially among students at central and state govt institutions and private institutions ranked in the NIRF’s top 200. A unified portal will streamline the application process, allowing students to access both the loan and interest subsidy through a simple digital platform

TN deputes doctors to HC amid protests

TN deputes doctors to HC amid protests 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 07.11.2024

Chennai : At a time when govt hospitals across the state are battling doctor shortage and unfilled vacancies, the Directorate of Medical Education has deputed a cardiologist and a general medicine specialist to Madras high court dispensary for daily duty with immediate effect. These doctors will remain in the court premises from morning till court hours every day. 

On Monday, a day ahead of the high court’s building committee meeting, the Directorate of Medical Education, Dr J Sangumani, issued orders directing Madras Medical College Dean, Dr E The ranirajan, to depute assistant professor of cardiology Dr C Elango and assistant professor of general medicine Dr A T Jeyaraj, to the Madras high court dispensary with “immediate effect until further orders.” The decision was conveyed to judges during the building committee meeting on Tuesday. Health Secretary Supriya Sahu was also present. 

The order follows a letter from the Madras high court registrar (administration) dated Oct 28. Doctors’ associations have protested the state’s decision to depute doctors full time to court premises. “The court dispensary must be strengthened with adequate drugs, life-saving equipment, and a good ambulance. Posting a cardiologist in a dispensary is a waste of resources. In case of emergency, duty doctors can refer patients to RGGGH within 15 minutes after first aid,” said Dr A Ramalingam, secretary of Service Doctors and Post-Graduates Association. Tamil Nadu Govt Doctors Association also protested the state’s decision to post specialists at the high court dispensary.

Ma Su denies shortage of doctors in govt hospitals, says contract appointments can help in the short term

Ma Su denies shortage of doctors in govt hospitals, says contract appointments can help in the short term 

TALKING TO TOI 

PushpaNarayan@timesgroup.com 07.11.2024

There is no worsening staff crisis at govt hospitals as recruitments are on, health minister Ma Subramanian has claimed, reacting to Tamil Nadu Govt Doctors’Association’s announcement that 6,000 of 18,000 doctor posts in GHs are vacant. The examination for recruitment of 2,553 medical officers for the public health department will be held soon and recruitment completed by Jan 2025, he told TOI in an interview. 

Hospitals can meanwhile recruit doctors on a contract basis through district health societies, he says. Excerpts: 

■ Doctors’ associations have reported a 30% vacancy rate for doctor positions, leading to a worsening staff crisis in govt hospitals that threatens patient safety. 

It is not as bad as it is projected to be. Vacancies do arise, and recruitment is an ongoing process. Delays can occur for various reasons. Earlier this year, the health department appointed 1,021 doctors through the medical recruitment board. This process involved months of effort to overcome legal hurdles, as many doctors who worked on a contract basis during the Covid-19 pandemic sought incentives for their service. For the first time, we made candidates opt for the places where they wanted to be posted. Yet, more than 190 doctors did not take up their positions, prompting us to cancel some of their offers and make new appointments. 

■ Associations say there are more than 5,000 positions vacant now. How do you plan to fill these? 

Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare staff for GHs are appointed through the medical recruitment board, which has issued a call for applications to fill 2,553 medical officer positions at primary health centres across the state. We are currently in discussions with several corporate organisa tions which conduct online competitive examinations. The exam schedule will be announced soon, and we plan to conduct the exams within a month. The entire appointment process is expected to conclude by Jan 2025. Doctors who have completed postgraduate training and specialisations in the Directorate of Public Health will subsequently be transferred to secondary hospitals managed by the Directorate of Medical Services, and to medical colleges and their affiliated hospitals under the Directorate of Medical Education.

 ■ Why are doctors not being directly appointed to secondary hospitals and medical colleges? 

We give incentives to in-service doctors in post-graduate education under the in-service quota. When PHC doctors return after post-graduate education, they have to be placed in hospitals where they can offer services under their speciality. So, we prefer to depute doctors at the DPH side and move them to other directorates. This will ensure primary care is available in all districts. 

■ Won’t this process take time? Don’t you think hospitals will face a shortage of doctors until then? 

No. Hospital authorities and directorates can appoint doctors on a contract basis through district health societies based on need. For instance, hospitals and directorates have complained about a lack of adequate obstetrician-gynaecologists in some hospitals. These hospitals can appoint doctors through the health societies directly. Doctors appointed through the open market through contract will be paid a consolidated salary

Student flooded with calls as his phone number appears in ‘Amaran’

Student flooded with calls as his phone number appears in ‘Amaran’

Wrong number: The callers wanted to have a word with Sai Pallavi or compliment her on her performance.

Vaageesan says the crumpled piece of paper that Sai Pallavi tosses at Sivakarthikeyan in a scene has a phone number resembling his own

S. Vijay Kumar

CHENNAI 7.11.2024 

Soon after the blockbuster movie Amaran, starring Sivakarthikeyan, hit the screens on Deepavali, Vaageesan V.V., a Chennai-based student, found himself flooded with unexpected calls. Strangely, he has no connection to the film or its cast.

It all started with a scene that hardly lasts a couple of seconds in the film. In it, actor Sai Pallavi tosses a crumpled piece of paper, with her phone number written on it, at Sivakarthikeyan.

Though not entirely legible, Mr. Vaageesan says it was his number that was shown on the screen. This touched off calls from strangers. The first few calls were enough for him to realise what was in store.

The callers wanted to have a word with Sai Pallavi or compliment her on her performance. Overwhelmed by the number of calls, Vaageesan put his phone on mute on the night of the festival.

“The next morning, I woke up to more than 100 missed calls and several voice messages from unknown numbers from across India and even abroad. The calls continued the following day. Some callers even believed that the number belonged to Indu Rebecca Varghese, the real-life wife of late Major Mukund Varadarajan, on whose life the film is based,” he says.

Saved on Truecaller

To make matters worse, someone had saved Vaageesan’s number as Vaageesan Indu Rebbbica VV on Truecaller, a caller identification application, further encouraging strangers to reach out to him. Unable to handle the increasing number of unknown calls and messages, he attempted to contact the film’s director, Rajkumar Periasamy, and protagonist Sivakarthikeyan by sending a message on social media, explaining that the phone number used in the movie was his.

“I haven’t received any response from them yet. Since the calls keep coming, I have to put my phone on silent mode. I am worried that I may miss an emergency call or an important message from my family members or friends. I have been using this number for two years. It is linked to my bank accounts, and I have given it to many of my contacts. I can’t afford to give it up,” he says.

Airtel’s response

For more than three days, Vaageesan has been declining calls from the numbers not on his contact list. “My number has even appeared in Instagram reels, reaching more people. I took up the matter with Airtel, my service provider, but they said it would not be possible to block incoming calls unless they were from a marketing source,” he said. Confirming that the issue was flagged by Vaageesan to customer care, a senior employee of the telecom company said the company was in the process of responding to the customer. When asked if there had been similar complaints from others, he said no other customer had highlighted any such problem. “If there is an abnormally large number of calls going to a particular number, the system will detect it and send an alert to the technical team. There is no such input as of now,” he said.

Incidentally, Vaageesan has not seen the film. His introduction to the heroic life of the Ashoka Chakra recipient came only through Instagram reels after the film was released and, of course, the unsolicited phone calls.

HC orders govt to appoint 292 auxiliary nurses

HC orders govt to appoint 292 auxiliary nurses 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  6.11.2024 

Bhopal/Jabalpur : In a significant judgement, a division bench of MP high court ordered the state government to give appointments to 292 candidates on the post of ANM (Auxiliary Nurse Midwife) in the health department, who were denied posting at the time of verification of records for not fulfilling three conditions. The court said that if the order is not complied with, the commissioner, health, should personally appear in the court in the next hearing of the case. The order was issued by the HC bench on a petition filed by Rajnandini from Balaghat and 291 other candidates from across the state challenging their disqualification for the post of ANM on the pretext of not fulfilling three conditions – that they had not passed class 12th ex-am with biology, physics and chemistry as main subjects, had not received training as ANM in a govt hospital and duration of their training was not 2 years. 

According to the petitioners, according to 1989 rules it was not necessary for ANMs to have completed higher secondary with biology, chemistry and physics as compulsory subjects and the duration of training was 18 months. Similarly, a candidate could have received training in a private hospital as well, but the rules were changed in 2019 and the new conditions were inserted but by then, they had completed the ANM course. In 2023,when the vacancies of ANMs were advertised, they were not allowed to appear in the exam. They moved court challenging the decision not to allow them to appear in the exam. The court allowed them to appear in the exam and they cleared the exam but at the time of verification of documents, they were denied posting on the pretext that they don't fulfil the criteria for appointment as ANMS. 

The bench of chief justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Vivek Jain while allowing the petition ordered the state government to give them posting as ANMs and said if the order is not complied 

with, the commissioner, health, should be present in the court in the next hearing on Nov 20, 2024. Advocate Ishan Soni appeared in the case for the petitioners