Palaniswami inaugurates radiation oncology units

29/01/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami inaugurated the Radiation Oncology Block and Linear Accelerator service in Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital in Chennai on Tuesday.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated the CT simulator.

Mr. Palaniswami inaugurated through video conference the radiation oncology block and new equipment for cancer treatment in Government Royapettah Hospital, installed at a cost of ₹22.21 crore, an official release stated. Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar, Chief Secretary K. Shanmugam, Health Secretary Beela Rajesh and other senior officials were present.

State gets two more medical colleges
29/01/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

The Union government has sanctioned two more medical colleges to Tamil Nadu in Ariyalur and Kallakurichi districts, taking the number of new medical colleges to the State within a year to 11.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami thanked the Union government for the approvals on behalf of the people of the State.

The Centre had approved six medical colleges to the State in October last year and three more in November the same year.

On Tuesday, the Centre approved two more requests for medical colleges in Ariyalur and Kallakurichi districts.

Rush for birth certificates

29/01/2020

Going only by the names of the applicants for birth certificates in Chennai in January, 80% of the applicants are Muslims. The number of applications for birth certificates started increasing gradually after the announcement of the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens, and the data show a sudden rise in January 2020.

More than 60% of city residents, who were born before 1990 do not have a birth certificate, it is estimated. The number of residents without a certificate is expected to be over a million. "Most of the residents applying for birth certificate are elderly people. It is a worrying trend," said an official. Corporation officials said the birth certificate of such residents would be issued based on a "field enquiry" by the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO).

The Corporation issues a non-availability certificate and the RDO has the powers to pass orders on the citizens’ place of birth. But the procedure takes three months.

The process of verification also involves field verification by Revenue Inspectors of the District Administration, Sanitary Inspectors of the Corporation and the local police.

With inadequate manpower in the Chennai District Administration, the process of issuance of birth certificate for all such residents may even take many years.

As most of the buildings that existed in 1935 in the city are already razed, it is not possible for the police to verify the place of birth, making the process more challenging, officials said.

TNPSC scam: two candidates held

29/01/2020,CHENNAI

Two candidates who allegedly paid touts to help them pass the Group-IV Services examination conducted by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) have been arrested by the Crime Branch CID of the Tamil Nadu police. According to an official press release, T. Vignesh alias Vicky, 23, of Ulundurpet and R. Sivaraj, 31, of Panruti were arrested for paying ₹7.5 lakh each to brokers to help them pass the test.

City’s bus termini in dire condition, cry for a makeover

Uneven surfaces, lack of toilets, overcrowding and stray cattle menace are some of the issues that plague the facilities visited by hundreds every day

29/01/2020, VIVEK NARAYANAN,CHENNAI

Hop, skip and jump — this is what commuters are forced to do at the Broadway bus terminus, one of the busy terminals in the city, owing to encroachments and the garbage littered on the floor. The promise to improve passenger amenities on the premises has remained an unfulfilled promise for the past many years.

This is not a lone example of the poor condition of bus termini. Most in the city are in a terrible condition and without basic amenities. The MTC operates over 3,600 buses across the city. There are 71 bus termini in the Greater Chennai limits, including adjoining districts. While 34 are maintained by the MTC, the remaining are taken care of by the respective local bodies.

A visit to some of the termini showed them to be in a very bad shape. While the surface is uneven in most of them, many do not have toilets for passengers. In some, cows were tethered to posts and cattle were found loitering freely amidst the buses.

‘Flooded during rain’

“Most of the termini are below road level and during monsoon, these places get flooded. It then becomes difficult for passengers to go inside,” said M. Somasundaram, liaison officer, Consumer Association of India. He attends the Voluntary Consumer Organisations’ quarterly meeting with MTC officials, including the public utility’s Managing Director and Depot Managers. The last such meeting was held in September.

Among the low lying termini is Thiruvanmiyur. “Buses to different parts of the city are operated from here. But it is in a pathetic condition; the surface is bad. When we complain to the officials, they brush it aside saying that the [Thiruvanmiyur] terminus will be demolished soon for some development work,” alleged S. Rajendran, a passenger.

The T. Nagar Bus Terminus, an important one in the city, is highly cramped. “At least seven buses enter and exit the terminus every minute, but the bus bays are insufficient. Though some bio-toilets are kept near the Madley Road entrance, people urinate around it and the stench is unbearable,” said M. Mugilan, a regular commuter.

Meanwhile, at the Villivakkam Bus Terminus, commuters have to jostle for space with cattle. “Cows move freely in the terminus as a cattle shed is located nearby. It is very difficult to start the bus in the morning as animals sleep under the vehicles. The stench is also unbearable,” said a bus driver.

R.K. Ravichandran, secretary, Ayyapanthangal and Baraniputhur Consumer Protection Society, said that the Ayyapanthangal Terminus is littered with garbage. “After much struggle, the toilets are now maintained well. But there is need for better illumination too,” he said.

A. P. Srinivasan, executive secretary, Consumer Protection Forum, said that the Tiruvottiyur Bus Terminus was shifted to a nearby vacant government land in view of Chennai Metro Rail work. “Earlier, public urinals were there, but not now. This has led to open defecation,” he explained.

‘Elders worst-hit’

Apart from this, Mr. Srinivasan stressed the need for a public address system, and bus bays.

“It has been one year since the terminus was shifted. By now, they should have introduced the facilities. There is also a need for seating facilities. Without this, senior citizens are struggling,” he added.

K. Natarajan, treasurer of MTC’s union Labour Progressive Federation, said that there are no urinals at the Anna Square Terminus, which is thronged by thousands of commuters every day. “We have made several representations, but to no avail,” he said.

‘Modernisation soon’

Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar said that some of the terminals may be modernised in the coming years. Mr. Vijayabhaskar claimed that he and his team visited termini in the city and found that most of them are in a bad shape as they are very old.

“They are below road level. There are plans to have multi-level bus terminus in Thiruvanmiyur, Vadapalani, T. Nagar and modernise them,” he added.

Air India flight waiting for nod from Beijing to evacuate Indians
Returnees to be in quarantine for two weeks: Health Minister

29/01/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Taking stock: A team led by Dr. Sujeet Singh, Director, NCDC, reviewing facilities at the RML Hospital on Tuesday.PTI

India has begun the process to evacuate nationals from the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, Hubei province of China.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday said the government was planning to send a plane to Wuhan and a special Air India flight had got the go-ahead from aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The evacuation process will take some days, Mr. Jaishankar told reporters at Vadodara airport.

“The aircraft will fly Mumbai-Wuhan-Delhi as per requirement for passenger evacuation,” a senior DGCA official said.

The 423-seater double-decker aircraft, with a 12-member crew, will fly as soon as China grants the required permissions, he said.

Officials said the government was also working on the issue on who will foot the tab for the evacuation.

Mr. Jaishankar, meanwhile, asserted that no Indian student had been found to be affected by the virus till date.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said, “The Health Ministry is working to ensure that the Indians in China after their return will be kept in quarantine for two weeks even if they display no symptoms. This is to ensure that they are not carriers of the virus.”

[Breaking] SC Dismisses Nirbhaya Convict Mukesh's Plea Against Mercy Rejection By President [Read Order]

[Breaking] SC Dismisses Nirbhaya Convict Mukesh's Plea Against Mercy Rejection By President [Read Order]: Three days ahead of the scheduled execution of death penalties in the 2012 Delhi gangrape-murder case, the Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved orders on the plea filed by Mukesh Singh, one of the...

TNPSC exam scam: One more arrested

Bosco.Dominique@timesgroup.com

Cuddalore:29.01.2020

The CBCID sleuths on Tuesday arrested one more person from Cuddalore district in connection with the Tamil Nadu public service commission (TNPSC) Group IV examination exam fraud. The arrested was identified as Sivaraj, 34, of Panruti in Cuddalore district, who appeared from a centre at Ramanathapuram district in the state.

Sivaraj is related to two men — Rajasekar and Srinivasan — from Cuddalore district, who were arrested in the examination fraud. Rajasekar was arrested on January 25 in Cuddalore district while Srinivasan was apprehended at Arni in Tiruvannamalai district on Monday.

Inquiries by the investigation agency revealed that Sivaraj, Rajasekar and Srinivasan had approached the same middleman to crack the competitive exam. They had appeared for the exam from the same centre in Ramanathapuram district, as instructed by the middleman. They had secured identical marks (288) and claimed the joint-eighth rank in the state.

Sivaraj, a differentlyabled person, said he had paid ₹8 lakh to get a government job to boost his chances of finding a suitable bride .

The investigating agency identified four people from Cuddalore district who had appeared for the exam from the two centres in Ramanathapuram district following allegations that most of the people who appeared from the centres in the district secured the top 100 ranks. The agency has arrested three people so far and has launched a hunt for the fourth man.

The TNPSC had banned 99 candidates for life for indulging in malpractices in the examination. The modus operandi of the gang is to instruct the candidates to mark the answers using a pen with a special ink that disappears after a few hours. The middlemen and corrupt government servants will mark the right answers in the candidates' answer sheets later.

More than 13 lakh candidates appeared for the TNPSC Group IV examination on September 1 last year. The commission published the results of the exam on November 12.

For 3 days, vehicles zip through Paranur without paying toll

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:29.01.2020

For the third day in a row, vehicles crossed Paranur toll plaza on Chennai’s outskirts without paying user fee as the facility damaged by angry commuters is yet to be repaired.

Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest this entails a revenue loss of at least ₹70 lakh. It might take another three days to repair the damage caused when passengers of a state-owned bus ransacked the toll plaza after one of its employees attacked the bus crew during an argument over paying toll.

Motorists are, however, happy that they can zip through without much of a wait. “It is frustrating to wait for 20-30 minutes everyday. Vehicles queue up for more than a kilometre during weekends and festive seasons,” said A Mani, a private bus driver. “We thought it will become better after FASTag was made mandatory. But entering FASTag lanes has become difficult now.”

More than half the vehicles haven’t subscribed to FASTag (digital toll collection system) and pay fee by cash. But only two of six lanes accept cash. So vehicles attempting to enter these two lanes drive across and block those with FASTag, Mani added.

The toll plaza, set up in 2005, has so far collected ₹609 crore, according to official data. Despite collecting more than what was invested (₹540 crore), the rates haven’t been cut, complain motorists.

S Yuvraj of Tamil Nadu Sand Lorry Owners Federation claimed the concessionaire agreement signed with the contractor had expired but toll collection continued.

DARING THEFT: CCTV camera grab of money being looted from the toll plaza

₹18 lakh stolen on January 26

Chennai: A complaint has been filed with police claiming that ₹18 lakh was stolen from the toll plaza at Paranur during the violence on January 26. Police are checking CCTV camera footage to establish the truth. TNN

State govt transfers IAS officer, triggers speculation
Move Comes After Request For Voluntary Retirement

Julie Mariappan & D Govardan TNN

Chennai:29,01,2020

The government on Monday posted information technology secretary Santhosh Babu as chairman and managing director of Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation, a post he had been holding additionally since September. Rural Development and Panchayat Raj secretary Hans Raj Varma will now hold additional charge of Information Technology.

Santhosh Babu’s transfer comes in the wake of reports that he had sought voluntary retirement and later withdrew it. The transfer assumes significance given the controversial high-cost tender floated by his department in December to provide broadband connectivity to all 12,524 villages. The state government secured the Centre’s nod for the ₹1,815.31 crore project. Amid reports of ‘pressure’ to favour some bidders, the officer sent a letter to chief secretary K Shanmugam via email last week seeking voluntary retirement and sent another mail two days later, seeking its withdrawal, said a senior official, on condition of anonymity. Santhosh Babu went on leave last week.

Close associates said the senior officer gave shape to Tamil Nadu FibreNet Corporation (Tanfinet), a special purpose vehicle floated for implementing the Centre’s BharatNet project to link all 2.5 lakh village panchayats in the country with broadband. Tanfinet was picked to implement the project covering all villages in Tamil Nadu. “He not only worked from the beginning to help implement the project in Tamil Nadu, he also visited New Delhi to attend meetings to get it going,” sources said. The state will soon launch TamilNet to connect all urban local bodies, but without Santhosh Babu to oversee the roll out. “It is unfortunate a go-getter like Santhosh was shifted out and additional charge given to rural development secretary, whose hands are already full,” said an official, not willing to be named.

The government made Tanfinet MD M S Shanmugam commissioner of museums. D Ravichandran, home, prohibition and excise department deputy secretary, is the new MD of Tanfinet. Hans Raj Varma holds additional charge of special programme implementation department that takes care of welfare schemes. He held additional charge of Sidco (Small Industries Development Corporation) and registration department in 2017 and 2019.

Why corpn babus will visit Singapore’s mosquito lab

Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com

Chennai:29.01.2020

Greater Chennai Corporation officials will be visiting Singapore to study a ‘mosquito laboratory’ in a bid to contain the spread of dengue.

Singapore has successfully bred male mosquitoes in controlled laboratory conditions and injected them with the Wolbachia strain of bacteria. The mosquitoes are released in the surroundings. When infected mosquitoes mate with the females, the embryos formed die. In effect, the male mosquitoes are rendered sterile by the bacteria.

Over a period of time, this can gradually bring down the number of the mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus, thereby reducing the spread of dengue, said a senior official. There are published studies documenting this, he said.

In Tuesday’s review meeting, corporation commissioner G Prakash briefed local bodies minister S P Velumani on the steps taken by Singapore. Prakash informed the minister about the civic body’s plan to conduct a study tour.

While Velumani is understood to have given the green signal, he said the conditions and landscape in Singapore was different. Spread of dengue is dependent on conditions like how water is stored and the extent of urban planning whichimpacts mosquitobehaviour, a source said.

The officials are likely to conduct a study of how the mosquito colonies are reared, how the eggs are produced and the male mosquitoes are maintained.

B Dhanraj, retired chief vector control officer of the corporation, told TOI that in principle the idea worked but there would be practical difficulties in executing it.

“Singapore is an island, where the sterile male mosquitoes will mate with wild females. However, Chennai is an open place and there are many wild males which may come along with migrants coming on bus or train from nearby towns or districts,” Dhanraj said. However, there was no harm in conducting a trial and gauge its success. “Since we are going against nature, rate of success will depend on many factors,” he said.

Dhanraj recalled how in 70s, chemo-sterile mosquitoes were released in Delhi but faced a public backlash when the mosquitoes were released. “It was because the residents had not been informed and educated about the process and benefits it would give,” he said.

Attendance forgery by lawyers: Advocate assns told to share details
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:29.01.2020

About a week after unearthing the forged attendance scam involving at least 1,000 lawyers, the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry has instructed all advocate associations in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, seeking details of lawyers who had obtained law degrees when they were employed in government or private organisations.

Council’s chairman P S Amalraj issued a circular to this effect on Tuesday, in view of arrest of principal of an Andhra Pradesh-based private law college for having helped about 1,000 culprits get fake attendance certificates. They have all been enrolled as advocates in Tamil Nadu on the basis of such forged certificates. Earlier, on January 25, the council warned that such advocates of severe action, including criminal prosecution.

The issue came to light when Vipin – a retired employee of the Southern Railways — approached the council for enrolment. He claimed that he had successfully completed law degree from Smt Basava Rama Tarakam Memorial Law College, Cuddapah, Andhra Pradesh in 2015-18. As per the guidelines set by the Madras high court, candidates who have secured law degrees from states other than Tamil Nadu are mandated to produce attendance certificates from the college. Vipin had produced an attendance certificate, which on verification by the council, was found to be forged and obtained in connivance with the college’s principal Himavantha Kumar. Kumar was arrested subsequently. A preliminary investigation revealed that more than 1,000 advocates enrolled with the council had obtained such forged certificates from the college.

Briefing reporters, Amalraj said: “Such people must surrender their enrolment certificates immediately. If not, criminal action will be initiated against them besides ensuring that pension and other benefits they enjoy are stopped.” Amalraj said a dedicated committee has been appointed to verify the veracity of certificates produced by candidates with other state law degrees.

2 med colleges in Kallakurichi & Ariyalur districts

TOI 29.01.2020

The Centre has given its nod for two new medical colleges in Kallakurichi and Ariyalur districts with 150 MBBS seats each. Of the ₹325 crore cost of the project, the Centre will pay ₹195 crore . TN has already received nod to start nine new medical colleges. Admission to all new colleges may start next year.

Students force WB guv to leave convocation venue

Kolkata:29,01,2020

West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was on Tuesday prevented by a section of students from attending the Calcutta University’s annual convocation at Nazrul Mancha, following which he left the premises.

Dhankhar, who is also the chancellor of the university, said “those that compromised culture and decorum need to be in a reflective mode”. Shortly after the governor arrived at the venue around 12.30pm, the students, with ‘No CAA’ and ‘No NRC’ posters in hand, waved black flags at him and raised ‘go back’ slogans. Dhankhar headed straight towards the Nazrul Mancha green room, where he met Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee, who was on Tuesday conferred honorary D Litt (honoris causa) by the university.

Minutes before the programme started, however, another group of students took to the stage and raised slogans against the governor, prompting him to leave the venue around 1.30pm.

The protesters claimed that Dhankhar was “the (BJP- led) Centre’s representative, who doesn’t deserve to be on the dais for CU’s convocation ceremony”.

PTI


GO BACK: WB governor Jagdeep Dhankar leaves Nazrul Mancha following an agitation by a group of youths in Kolkata on Tuesday

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'It's A Malafide and Desperate Attempt': Delhi Court Rejects A Plea By Nirbhaya Convict's Father Challenging The Credibility Of The Sole Eye Witness

'It's A Malafide and Desperate Attempt': Delhi Court Rejects A Plea By Nirbhaya Convict's Father Challenging The Credibility Of The Sole Eye Witness: Additional Sessions Judge Ajay Kumar Jain has dismissed a plea moved by the father of one of the convicts, wherein the credibility of the sole eye witness in the case was challenged as being ...

கோவையில் 13 வயது சிறுமியின் வயிற்றுக்குள் அரை கிலோ முடி- அறுவை சிகிச்சை மூலம் அகற்றப்பட்டது 

28.01.2020 

கோவையில் 13 வயது சிறுமியின் வயிற்றில் இருந்து சுமார் அரை கிலோ தலைமுடி, ஷாம்பு பாக்கெட்டுகள் துகள்கள் அறுவை சிகிச்சை மூலம் பாதுகாப்பாக அகற்றப்பட்டன.

கோவையைச் சேர்ந்த 13 வயது சிறுமி 7-ம் வகுப்பு படித்து வருகிறார். தொடர்ந்து வயிற்று வலி, வாந்தி, திட உணவுகளை உண்ண முடியாமல் அவதிப்பட்டு வந்துள்ளார். திரவ உணவை மட்டுமே உட்கொண்டுள்ளார்.


இந்நிலையில், கோவை திருச்சி சாலையில் உள்ள தனியார் மருத்துவமனை மருத்துவர்களின் ஆலோசனை பெற சிறுமியை அவரது பெற்றோர் அழைத்துச் சென்றுள்ளனர். அங்கு சி.டி.ஸ்கேன் பரிசோதனை செய்ததில் திட வடிவில் கட்டி இருப்பது தெரிந்தது. அறுவை சிகிச்சை மூலம் பத்திரமாக அக்கட்டி அகற்றப்பட்டு, தற்போது சிறுமி நலமாக உள்ளார்.

இதுதொடர்பாக குடலியல் அறுவைசிகிச்சை நிபுணர் டாக்டர் கோகுல் கிருபா சங்கர் கூறியதாவது: அறுவை சிகிச்சை செய்தபோது சிறுமியின் வயிற்றில் தலைமுடி, ஷாம்பு பாக்கெட் துகள்கள் இருப்பதைக் கண்டு அதிர்ச்சிஅடைந்தோம்.

பின்னர், மருத்துவக் குழுவினர் சிறுமியின் வயிற்றில் இருந்த சுமார் 500 கிராம் எடையில் கட்டிபோல் இருந்த தலைமுடியை பத்திரமாக அப்புறப்படுத்தினர்.

சிறுமியின் தாய்மாமா கடந்த சில மாதங்களுக்கு முன்பு உயிரிழந்துள்ளார். அந்த அதிர்ச்சியில் சிறுமி கடும் மன அழுத்தத்தால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளார்.

அதுகுறித்து பெற்றோருக்கு தெரியவில்லை. இதன்காரணமாக தனது தலைமுடியை பிய்த்து அவ்வப்போது வாய்க்குள் போட்டுள்ளார். கடந்த 3 மாதங்களுக்கு இந்தச் செயல் நடந்திருக்கும் என கருதுகிறோம். அறுவை சிகிச்சைக்குப் பிறகு தற்போது சிறுமி நலமாக உள்ளார்.

சிறுவர்களையும் பாதிக்கும்

அவருக்கு உளவியல் ஆலோசனை தரப்படுகிறது. மன அழுத்தம் பெரியவர்களை மட்டுமே பாதிக்கும் என்றில்லை. சிறுவர்களும் அதனால் பாதிக்கப்படலாம். சிறுவர்களிடம் ஏதேனும் மாற்றம் தென்பட்டால் உடனடியாக மருத்துவரை அணுக வேண்டும் என்றார்.

வேலூர் சிஎம்சி மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி வழக்கு தள்ளுபடி நீட் தேர்வில் யாருக்கும் விலக்கு அளிக்க முடியாது: உச்ச நீதிமன்ற நீதிபதிகள் திட்டவட்டம்

28.01.2020 

நீட் தேர்வில் இருந்து சிறுபான்மை மருத்துவக் கல்லூரிகள் உட்பட யாருக்கும் விலக்கு அளிக்க முடி யாது என்று உச்ச நீதிமன்ற நீதிபதி கள் திட்டவட்டமாக தெரிவித்து உள்ளனர்.

நீட் தேர்வில் இருந்து சிறு பான்மை மருத்துவக் கல்லூரியான தங்களுக்கு விலக்கு அளிக்க வேண் டும் எனக் கோரி வேலூர் கிறிஸ்தவ மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி (சிஎம்சி) சார்பில் உச்ச நீதிமன்றத்தில் மனு தாக்கல் செய்யப்பட்டு இருந்தது.

இந்த வழக்கு விசாரணை நீதிபதிகள் அருண் மிஸ்ரா, இந்திரா பானர்ஜி ஆகியோர் அடங்கிய அமர்வில் நேற்று நடந்தது.

அப்போது நீதிபதிகள், ‘‘நீட் தேர் வுக்கு விலக்கு கோரியது தொடர்பாக சிஎம்சி மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி தொடர்ந்த வழக்கு ஏற்கெனவே முடித்து வைக்கப்பட்டதே, தற் போது அதில் மீண்டும் புதிதாக என்ன இருக்கிறது” என கேள்வி எழுப்பினர்.

சிஎம்சி தரப்பில், ‘‘நீட் தேர்வை கட்டாயமாக்கி பிறப்பிக்கப்பட்ட சட்டத் திருத்த உத்தரவை எதிர்த்து வேலூர் கிறிஸ்தவ மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி சார்பில் புதிதாக மனு தாக்கல் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. இது நீட் சட்டத் திருத்தத்துக்கு எதிராக தொடரப்பட்ட வழக்கு என்பதால் அது தொடர்பாக வாதிடுகிறோம்’’ என தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டது.

மாற்றியமைக்க முடியாது

அப்போது நீதிபதிகள், ‘‘ஏற் கெனவே மருத்துவ படிப்புக்கு நீட் தேர்வு அவசியம் என்பது தொடர் பாக உச்ச நீதிமன்றம் விரிவாக உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது. அதில் இருந்து நாங்கள் ஒருபோதும் பின்வாங்கப் போவதில்லை. இந்த விஷயம் ஏற்கெனவே இறுதி செய்யப்பட்ட ஒன்று. நாடு முழுவதும் நீட் தேர்வு நடக்கும்போது அதில் சிறு பான்மைக் கல்லூரி என்பதற்காக மட்டும் விலக்கு அளிக்க முடியுமா? ஒவ்வொரு நாளும், ஒவ்வொரு வருக்காக நீதிமன்றம் பிறப்பிக்கும் உத்தரவுகளை மாற்றியமைத்துக் கொண்டு இருக்க முடியாது. நீட் தேர்வை அகில இந்திய மருத்துவ அறிவியல் கழகமே (எய்ம்ஸ்) பின்பற்றும்போது நீங்கள் ஏன் எதிர்ப்பு தெரிவிக்கிறீர்கள்? இதில் நாங்கள் திட்டவட்டமாக இருக் கிறோம். இந்த விஷயத்தில் பின்வாங்கும் பேச்சுக்கே இடம்இல்லை’’ என்று தெரிவித்தனர்.

அதையடுத்து சிஎம்சி கல்லூரி தரப்பில், அந்த மனுவை வாபஸ் பெற அனுமதியளிக்க வேண்டும் என கோரிக்கை விடுக்கப் பட்டது.

அதற்கு முதலில் அனுமதி மறுத்த நீதிபதிகள், பின்னர் வாபஸ் பெற அனுமதியளித்து வழக்கை தள்ளுபடி செய்து உத்தரவிட்டனர்.

தெய்வமே சாட்சி: பெண்ணை வணங்க வேண்டுமா? 




ச.தமிழ்ச்செல்வன்

பெண்கள் வாழத் தகுதியற்ற நாடுகளில் ஒன்றாக இந்தியா திடீரென்று ஒரே நாளில் ஆகிவிடவில்லை. ஒரே ஒரு காரணத்தாலும் இது நிகழ்ந்துவிடவில்லை. பல்வேறு வழித்தடங்களின் மூலம் நாம் இன்று இந்த இடத்துக்கு வந்து சேர்ந்திருக்கிறோம். எல்லா வழித்தடங்களும் ஆய்வுக்கு உட்படுத்தப்பட்டுக் கல்லும் முள்ளும் அகற்றப்பட வேண்டும்.

பெண்கள் மீது இந்தியச் சமூகம் கொண்டிருக்கும் இரட்டை மனநிலை நாம் கவனிக்க வேண்டிய ஓர் அம்சம். பெண்ணைத் தெய்வமாகக் கொண்டாடுவது அந்த இரட்டை மனநிலையில் ஒன்று. ஆணுக்குக் கீழாகப் பெண்ணை வைப்பது இன்னொரு மனநிலை. இவ்விரு மனநிலைகளின் வேரைக் கண்டடைய பெண் தெய்வங்களின் கதைகளை வாசித்து விவாதிப்பது உதவியாக இருக்கும்.

நாட்டுப்புறத் தெய்வங்கள்

‘பெண்ணைத் தெய்வமென்று கும்பிடடி பாப்பா’ என்று ஏன் பாரதி பாடினான்? கும்பிடுவதற்குப் பின்னால் இயங்கும் சமூக உளவியல் என்ன? இந்த உளவியலுக்கும், ஆணாதிக்க மனோபாவத்துக்கும் உள்ள தொடர்பு என்ன? இப்படிப் பல கேள்விகள் எழுகின்றன. தெய்வங்களில் இரண்டு வகை உண்டு. பெருந்தெய்வங்கள் ஒரு வகை. சிறு தெய்வங்கள் எனக் குறிக்கப்படும் நாட்டுப்புறத் தெய்வங்கள் இன்னொரு வகை. நிறுவனமயமாக்கப்பட்ட பெருமதங்களான சைவம், வைணவம், வைதீகம், இஸ்லாம், கிறிஸ்தவம் போன்றவை கொண்டாடும் தெய்வங்கள் பெருந்தெய்வங்கள். இத்தெய்வ வழிபாடுகள் ஆகம விதிகளுக்கு உட்பட்டு, அம்மதங்களின் மறை நூல்களை (பைபிள், குர் ஆன், சைவத் திருமறைகள் போல்) முன்னிறுத்திச் செய்யப்படுபவை.

ஆனால், நாட்டுப்புறத் தெய்வங்கள் எனப்படுபவை நம்மோடு வாழ்ந்து மறைந்த மனிதர்கள்தாம். அவர்கள் இறந்த பின் நடுகல் நட்டோ பீடங்கள் எழுப்பியோ வழிபடப்படுபவை. பொதுவான ஆகம விதிகளுக்கோ எந்த மதத்தின் வழிபாட்டு முறைகளுக்கோ, சாத்திரங்களுக்கோ கட்டுப்படாதவை இத்தெய்வங்கள். ஒவ்வொரு தெய்வத்துக்கும் தனித்தனியான தோற்றக்கதையும் அக்கதையை அடிப்படையாகக் கொண்ட தனித்தனி வழிபாட்டு முறையும், படையலிடும் பழக்கமும் உண்டு. ஒரு வகையில் இத்தெய்வங்களை ‘மதச்சார்பற்ற சாமிகள்’ என்றுகூடச் சொல்லலாம்.

ஆதிக்கம் செலுத்தும் சிறுதெய்வங்கள்

பொ.ஆ. 6-7-ம் நூற்றாண்டுகளில் பெருவீச்சுடன் புறப்பட்ட பக்தி இயக்கத்தின் தொடர்ச்சியாக இத்தெய்வங்களைப் பெருமதக் கடவுள்களின் அம்சங்களாகவும் அவதாரங்களாவும் திரித்து உள்வாங்கிக்கொண்டது பிற்கால வரலாறு. ‘சென்று நாம் சிறு தெய்வம் சேரோம் அல்லோம்’ என்று ஏழாம் நூற்றாண்டின் அப்பர் தேவாரம் இத்தெய்வங்களை வெளித்தள்ளி நிறுத்தியது. ‘பிண்டத்திரளையும் பேய்க்கிட்ட நீர்ச்சோறும் உண்டற்கு வேண்டி ஓடித்திரியாதே’ என்று நாட்டுப்புறத் தெய்வ வழிபாட்டு முறைகளைப் பெரியாழ்வார் திருமொழி இகழ்ந்து புறமொதுக்கியது. வாழ்ந்து மடிந்த மனிதர்களும் மனுசிகளுமே நாட்டுப்புறத் தெய்வங்கள் என்பதால் இவற்றுக்குத் தெய்விக அந்தஸ்தை வழங்கவோ தம் பிள்ளைகளுக்கு இத்தெய்வங்களின் பெயர்களைச் சூட்டவோ ‘மேலோர்’ இதுவரை முன் வரவில்லை.

ஒடுக்கப்பட்ட, மிகவும் பிற்படுத்தப்பட்ட சமூகங்களின் மனங்களைக் கட்டி ஆண்டவையாகவும் ஆள்பவையாகவும் இத்தெய்வங்கள் திகழ்கின்றன.

1916-ல் திருநெல்வேலி மாவட்ட கெஜட்டியர் நூலைத் தொகுத்த ஆங்கிலேயரான ஹெச்.ஆர்.பேட் அந்நூலில், “சிவனோ விஷ்ணுவோ ஆதிக்கம் செலுத்துவதைவிடவும் இம்மாவட்ட மக்களின் மீது அதிக ஆதிக்கம் செலுத்தும் சாமிகளாக இருப்பவை பாபநாசம் மலையில் குடிகொண்டிருக்கும் சொரிமுத்தையனும் அங்குள்ள இதர சிறு தெய்வங்களுமே” எனக் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார்.

சனங்களின் சாமி

ஆகவே, மக்கள் தொகையில் பெரும் பான்மையாக இருக்கும் ஒடுக்கப்பட்ட, பிற்படுத்தப்பட்ட சமூக மக்களின் கூட்டு உளவியலில் அழுத்தமான தாக்கத்தை ஏற்படுத்தும் இத்தெய்வங்கள் குறித்த ஆய்வு மிகுந்த முக்கியத்துவம் பெறுகிறது. 30-40 ஆண்டுகளாக இத்தெய்வங்கள் குறித்த ஆய்வுகள் உரிய கவனம் பெற்றுவருகின்றன.

நாட்டுப்புறத் தெய்வங்கள், நாட்டார் தெய்வங்கள், கிராம தேவதைகள், சிறு தெய்வங்கள் என பல பெயர்களில் அழைக்கப்படும் இத்தெய்வங்களைக் ‘கொலையில் உதித்த தெய்வங்கள்’ என்று பேராசிரியர் ஆ.சிவசுப்பிரமணியன் குறிப்பிடுவார். பாளையங்கோட்டை தூய சவேரியார் தன்னாட்சிக் கல்லூரியில் இயங்கும் நாட்டார் வழக்காற்றியல் ஆய்வு மையம், இத்தெய்வங்களை நாட்டார் தெய்வங்கள், சனங்களின் சாமிகள் என்று விளிக்கும் மரபை உருவாக்கியது.

சாதி மறுத்துக் காதலித்த குற்றத்துக்காகக் கொல்லப்பட்ட முத்துப்பட்டன் கதை, மதுரை வீரன் கதை உள்ளிட்ட பல நாட்டுப்புறத் தெய்வங்களின் கதைப்பாடல்களைத் தொகுத்துப் பதிப்பித்தவர் பேராசிரியர் நா. வானமாமலை. மக்களின் வாய்மொழியில் மட்டுமே உலவுகின்ற அத்தெய்வங்களின் தோற்றக்கதைகளைக் கொண்டு, அத்தெய்வங்கள் எக்காலத்தில் எந்தச் சமூகப் பொருளாதாரப் பின்னணியில் மனிதர்களாக வாழ்ந்தார்கள், அவர்கள் ஏன் கொல்லப்பட்டார்கள், யாரால் கொல்லப்பட்டார்கள் என்கிற ஆய்வுகளுக்குள் நம்மை அழைத்துச் செல்வார்.

பசும்பாலே படையல்

மேற்சொன்னவையெல்லாம் ஒரு பின்திரையாகவும் முன்னுரையாகவும் இருக்க, நம்முடைய பயணம் பெண்கள் குறித்த நம் ஆணாதிக்கச் சமூகத்தின் மனக்கட்டமைப்பின் ஒரு வழித்தடத்தில் தொடரவிருக்கிறது. நாட்டுப்புறத் தெய்வங்களில் ஆண் தெய்வங்களும் உண்டு, பெண் தெய்வங்களும் உண்டு. பெண் தெய்வங்களின் தோற்றக்கதைகளை முன்வைத்து இன்றைய பெண்களின் இடமும் இருப்பும் குறித்த உரையாடலை முன்னெடுக்க முடியும். தமிழகத்தின் பல மாவட்டங்களில் மக்களுக்கு எழுத்தறிவும் எண்ணறிவும் புகட்டத் தொடங்கப்பட்ட ‘அறிவொளி இயக்க’த்தின்போது அதில் பங்கேற்ற எம் போன்றோர், மக்களுக்குக் கற்றுக்கொடுத்ததைவிட, அவர்களிடம் கற்றுக்கொண்டு திரும்பியதே அதிகம். பேராசிரியர் ச.மாடசாமியின் தலைமையில் நாங்கள் மதுரையில் ‘கருத்துக் கூடம்’ ஒன்றை அமைத்து, மக்களிடம் கற்றுக்கொண்டவற்றை முறைப்படுத்தித் தொகுத்தோம். அத்தொகுப்பில் தென் மாவட்டங்களில் சேகரிக்கப்பட்ட நூற்றுக்கணக்கான நாட்டுப்புறத் தெய்வக்கதைகள் ஒரு பகுதி. அத்தொகுப்பிலிருந்தும் வேறு சில ஆய்வாளர்கள் தொகுத்தவற்றிலிருந்தும் சில பெண் தெய்வங்களின் கதைகளை எடுத்துக் கொண்டு நாம் விவாதிக்கலாம்.

விருதுநகர் மாவட்டம் திருச்சுழி ஒன்றியம் கொம்புசித்தம்பட்டிக்கு வடக்கே பொம்மக்கோட்டைக்கு அருகே உள்ள ஒரு பெண் தெய்வத்தின் பெயரும் அவரை வழிபடும் முறைகளும் நம் கவனத்தை ஈர்த்தன.

இந்தச் சாமியைக் கமுதிப் பக்கமிருந்து வண்டி பிடித்து வந்தும் கும்பிட்டுப் போகிறார்கள். மற்ற ஊர்க்காரர்களும் வந்து வழிபடுகிறார்கள். வெள்ளிக்கிழமைதான் கூட்டம் அதிகமாக இருக்கும். பொம்மக்கோட்டையிலும் மற்ற ஊர்களிலும் ஆடு, மாடுகளுக்குப் பால் சுரக்காவிட்டாலும், குழந்தை பெற்ற பெண்களுக்குத் தாய்ப்பால் இல்லாவிட்டாலும் இங்கு வந்து நேர்ந்துகொள்கிறார்கள். இந்த அம்மனுக்குப் படையலாகப் பசும்பாலைத்தான் தருகிறார்கள். மாடு கன்று போட்ட 30 நாள் கழித்து பால் பீய்ச்சி, அந்தப் பாலைத்தான் விரதம் இருந்து கொண்டு வந்து இந்தச் சாமிக்குப் படைக்கிறார்கள்.

இந்தச் சாமியின் பெயர் மலட்டம்மா. மலடு, மலடி என்கிற வேர்ச்சொல்லைக் கொண்டு ஒரு சாமியா? இந்த மலட்டம்மாவின் தோற்றக்கதை என்ன? பால் ஏன் படையல் பொருளானது?

(தேடல் தொடரும்)

கட்டுரையாளர், எழுத்தாளர்

தொடர்புக்கு: tamizh53@gmail.com

வங்கி ஊழியர் 2 நாட்கள், 'ஸ்டிரைக்'

Added : ஜன 28, 2020 00:16

சென்னை:ஊதிய உயர்வு உள்ளிட்ட கோரிக்கைகளை வலியுறுத்தி, ஜனவரி, 31 முதல் நடக்கும், இரண்டு நாட்கள் வேலை நிறுத்தத்தில், 10 லட்சம் வங்கி ஊழியர்கள் மற்றும் அதிகாரிகள் பங்கேற்க உள்ளனர்.

ஊதிய உயர்வு, வாரத்தில் ஐந்து நாட்கள் வேலை உள்ளிட்ட, 12 அம்ச கோரிக்கைகளை வலியுறுத்தி, வரும், 31, பிப்ரவரி, 1ம் தேதிகளில், நாடு தழுவிய அளவில், வங்கி ஊழியர்கள் வேலை நிறுத்தத்தில் ஈடுபட உள்ளனர்.
அகில இந்திய வங்கி ஊழியர்கள் சங்க பொதுச் செயலர், சி.எச்.வெங்கடாச்சலம் கூறியதாவது:வேலை நிறுத்தத்தை கைவிட்டால் பேச்சு நடத்துவதாக, இந்திய வங்கிகள் சங்கம் தெரிவித்தது. ஆனால், வேலை நிறுத்தத்திற்கு முன் பேச்சு நடத்தி, கோரிக்கைகளுக்கு தீர்வு காண கூறினோம். ஆனால், இந்திய வங்கிகள் சங்கம், அது குறித்து எந்த கருத்தும் தெரிவிக்கவில்லை.எனவே, இரண்டு நாட்கள் வேலை நிறுத்தம் என்பது உறுதி செய்யப் பட்டுள்ளது. இதில், அகில இந்திய வங்கி ஊழியர்கள் சங்கம், அகில இந்திய வங்கி அதிகாரிகள் சங்கம், இந்திய வங்கிகள் ஊழியர்கள் கூட்டமைப்பு உட்பட, ஒன்பது சங்கங்கள் பங்கேற்கின்றன.இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.

திட்டவட்டம்! 'மருத்துவ படிப்புகளில் சேருவதற்கு, 'நீட்' நுழைவுத் தேர்வு கட்டாயமே.

Added : ஜன 28, 2020 01:55

புதுடில்லி,:'மருத்துவ படிப்புகளில் சேருவதற்கு, 'நீட்' நுழைவுத் தேர்வு கட்டாயமே. இது தொடர்பாக ஏற்கனவே பிறப்பிக்கப்பட்ட உத்தரவிலிருந்து பின்வாங்கும் பேச்சே இல்லை' என, உச்ச நீதிமன்றம் உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது.
மேலும், நீட் தேர்விலிருந்து விலக்கு அளிக்கக்கோரி, வேலுார் கிறிஸ்துவ மருத்துவக் கல்லுாரி தாக்கல் செய்த மனுவையும், தள்ளுபடி செய்தது. எம்.பி.பி.எஸ்., உள்ளிட்ட மருத்துவ படிப்புகளில் சேருவதற்கு, 'நீட்' எனப்படும், தேசிய தகுதி மற்றும் நுழைவுத் தேர்வு எழுதுவது, நாடு முழுதும் கட்டாயமாக்கப்பட்டுஉள்ளது. தமிழகத்தில், மூன்று ஆண்டுகளாக நீட் தேர்வு நடைமுறையில் உள்ளது.

இந்நிலையில், நீட் தேர்வை எதிர்த்து, தமிழகத்தின் வேலுாரை சேர்ந்த, சி.எம்.சி., எனப்படும், கிறிஸ்துவ மருத்துவக் கல்லுாரி சார்பில், உச்ச நீதிமன்றத்தில் மனு தாக்கல் செய்யப்பட்டது. அதில், 'நாங்கள் நீட் தேர்வை எதிர்க்கவில்லை. அதேநேரத்தில், ஏழைகள், பிற்படுத்தப்பட்டோர் மற்றும் சிறுபான்மையினருக்கு மருத்துவக் கல்லுாரியில் வாய்ப்பு அளிக்க வேண்டும் என்ற வழிகாட்டுதலை பின்பற்றி வருகிறோம். 'எனவே, நீட் தேர்விலிருந்து எங்கள் கல்லுாரிக்கு விலக்கு அளிக்க வேண்டும்' என, கூறப்பட்டு இருந்தது. தெளிவான உத்தரவுஇந்த மனு, நீதிபதிகள் அருண் மிஸ்ரா, இந்திரா பானர்ஜி ஆகியோர் அடங்கிய அமர்வு முன், நேற்று விசாரணைக்கு வந்தது.
இரு தரப்பு வாதத்துக்குப் பின், நீதிபதிகள் பிறப்பித்த உத்தரவு:மருத்துவக் கல்லுாரிகளில் சேருவதற்கு நீட் நுழைவுத் தேர்வு எழுதுவது கட்டாயம் என ஏற்கனவே தெளிவான உத்தரவு பிறப்பிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதிலிருந்து பின் வாங்கும் பேச்சுக்கே இடமில்லை. இது தொடர்பாக போதிய விவாதங்கள், ஆய்வு நடத்தியாகி விட்டது. நீட் தேர்வு நடைமுறை, நாடு முழுதும் பின்பற்றப்பட்டு வரும் நிலையில், ஒரு தனியார் கல்லுாரிக்கு மட்டும், அதிலிருந்து விலக்கு அளிக்க முடியாது.

மாற்ற முடியாது

ஒவ்வொரு நாளும், ஒவ்வொருவருக்காக நீதிமன்ற உத்தரவை மாற்றி அமைக்க முடியாது. இவ்வாறு, நீதிபதிகள் உத்தரவிட்டனர். இதையடுத்து, மனுவை வாபஸ் பெற மனுதாரர் தரப்புக்கு அனுமதி அளித்த நீதிபதிகள், வழக்கை தள்ளுபடி செய்தனர். நீட் தேர்வை எதிர்த்து, தமிழக அரசு சார்பிலும் உச்ச நீதிமன்றத்தில் மனு தாக்கல் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. இந்த மனு, நிலுவையில் உள்ளது.

‘4 more medical colleges in State’

28/01/2020 , Special Correspondent, MYSURU

Four medical colleges will come up in Chickballapur, Chikkamagaluru, Yadgir and Haveri, and the Centre has promised all assistance on the matter, said Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa in Madikeri on Monday.

He added that in two or three years, infrastructure in all district hospitals would be improved by increasing bed strength, making way for medical colleges in every district. He was in Madikeri to lay the foundation stone for the expansion of the teaching hospital of Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences.

Major gaps in our knowledge of coronovirus origin: report
‘2019-nCoV infection causes severe respiratory illness’
 
28/01/2020 , Bindu Shajan Perappadan, NEW DELHI

An image of a coronavirus.

“The 2019-nCoV infection caused clusters of severe respiratory illness similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and was associated with ICU admission and high mortality. Major gaps in our knowledge of the origin, epidemiology, duration of human transmission and clinical spectrum of disease need fulfilment by future studies,” noted a study titled — “Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China”, published in The Lancet this past week.

The study was funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission.

The recent cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan was caused by a novel betacoronavirus, the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), notes the study.

The study found that by January 2, 2020, 41 admitted hospital patients had been identified as having laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV infection. Most of the infected patients were men, less than half had underlying diseases including diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular ailments.

Also 27 (66%) of the 41 patients had been exposed to Huanan seafood market. One family cluster was found.

Common symptoms at onset of illness were fever, cough and fatigue with less common ones being sputum production, headache and diarrhoea.

All 41 patients had pneumonia with abnormal findings on chest CT.

For the study, researchers collected data on patients with laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV infection by real-time RT-PCR (Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction).

“Data were obtained with standardised data collection forms shared by the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium from electronic medical records. Researchers also directly communicated with patients or their families to ascertain epidemiological and symptom data,” said the study.

Despite court ruling, officials refuse to register transwoman’s marriage 

Coimbatore couple have made repeated pleas to no avail
 
28/01/2020 , R. Akileish, Coimbatore

Despite a 2019 court ruling that validated marriages between a transwoman and a heterosexual man, the Sub-Registrar’s Office at Vadavalli in Coimbatore has rejected the marriage registration of a couple from Narasimhanaickenpalayam, forcing them to approach the District Registrar’s Office.

S. Sureka, a 24-year-old transwoman and R. Manikandan, a 25-year-old auto rickshaw driver had applied online to register their marriage on January 22. However, the Vadavalli Sub-Registrar’s Office rejected the application, citing the Hindu Marriage Act. “The word Bride as found in Section 5(iii) [of the Hindu Marriage Act] literally means as woman who has just married or is going to be married. The word Transgender finds no place in the Act [sic],” the reply from the Vadavalli Sub-Registrar’s Office said.

Ms. Sureka claimed the couple had attached all the required documents with the application. Mr. Manikandan said the marriage has taken place on February 14, 2018, at a temple in Kavundampalayam and added that the couple have been attempting to register their marriage ever since.

“There was no response [from District Registrar Office] so far,” he said.

Software hitch

P.P. Sivkumar, the couple’s lawyer, who accompanied them on Monday to submit the petition, pointed out that despite the court order, the computer software used for registration at Sub-Registrar Offices recognises only ‘male’ and ‘female’ categories and not ‘transgender’. The solution to this issue would be the State government issuing a government order (G.O.) legalising marriages of transwomen to men, he said.

Mr. Sivkumar noted the verdict of the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court in April 2019, which said that a marriage between a transwoman and a male is valid under the Hindu Marriages Act.

An official from the Vadavalli Sub-Registrar Office told The Hindu that they have “clearly stated” the reasons for rejecting the marriage registration in their reply to the couple. “If they have any doubts regarding this order, they can only file an appeal at the District Registar Office,” the official said.

Transgender activist Kalki Subramaniam described this incident as “very contemptible” and said it displays the “ignorance” of officials. “For trans-people, creating a family is a big challenge,” she said. S. Delfina of NGO Nirangal Charitable Trust that works for the welfare of sexual minorities, said any transperson “who self-identifies as a woman” has the right to marry a male and the marriage will be valid, according to the 2019 verdict.

Officials at the District Registrar Office said suitable action will be taken on the petition, refusing to comment further.

Mass of hair removed from teenage girl’s stomach

28/01/2020 , STAFF REPORTER , COIMBATORE

Medical team of a private hospital in Coimbatore recently removed a mass of hair and foreign particles of about half kg from a 13-year-old girl’s stomach.

The mass, known as trichobezoar in medical parlance, developed after the girl plucked her own hair and ingested it over a period of around six months, reportedly in a state of depression following the death of her relative.

After removing the mass in a laparoscopic procedure that lasted for about one-and-a-half hours, the girl was given psychiatric counselling.

V.G. Mohan Prasad, gastroenterologist and chairman of VGM Gastro Centre, said that the girl from Coimbatore had come to the hospital with complaints of severe stomach pain.

“The mass in the stomach was identified through an endoscopy and we decided to remove it through a laparoscopic surgery. Surgical gastroenterologist Gokul Kruba Shankar and team removed the mass using an ‘endobag’ so that not even a single strand of hair was left after the procedure,” he said.

Dr. Prasad said that it was the first case of a huge trichobezoar that doctors came across in his facility. The mass also contained remains of a shampoo sachet.

Rumours disrupt routine death audit video conference
Senior doctor has not resigned, says Health Secretary
 
28/01/2020 , Special Correspondent, CHENNAI

Rumours about a government doctor from Tiruchi threatening to step down marred a regular maternal death audit video conference held in the State on Monday. While the resignation itself could not be confirmed, Health Secretary Beela Rajesh, who conducted the meeting, denied that the doctor, an obstetrician, had resigned.

The audit was being done at the K.A.P.V. Government Medical College and Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital, Tiruchi. As per sources the doctor was a senior staffer and was upset at the meeting, where upon she proceeded to say she would step down from service.

The case being discussed was the death of a patient, who had a caesarean, and was a chronic hypertensive. Dr. Beela Rajesh and Mission Director of National Health Mission, Tamil Nadu K. Senthil Raj, chaired the meeting. The doctor apparently believed that the officials were about to issue a show cause notice to her, and this caused the outburst, sources said. This created a flutter among doctors, and several doctor-groups on WhatsApp began circulating messages. A senior doctor of the K.A.P.V. Government Medical College, said senior government officials intervened and convinced the doctor not to resign.

Ms. Rajesh said all maternal deaths are reviewed every week. “During this, we review all gaps and causes of maternal deaths. The aim of the exercise is course correction. This doctor is one of the best performers and we have not issued any charges against her. She has not resigned,” she said. The doctor was unavailable for comment despite repeated attempts to reach her.

SC to hear Nirbhaya convict’s plea today 

Mukesh Singh has challenged President’s rejection of his mercy petition on January 17
 
28/01/2020 , Krishnadas Rajagopal , NEW DELHI 

Mukesh Singh and Vinay Sharma, two of the four convicts in the gang rape case, in New Delhi in 2013. S. SubramaniumS. Subramanium

A three-judge Bench led by Justice R. Banumathi is scheduled to hear on Tuesday a plea by Nirbhaya case convict Mukesh Singh challenging the President’s rejection of his mercy petition on January 17.

Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde on Monday asked Mukesh’s counsel to approach the apex court registry for urgent listing of the condemned man’s plea.

Chief Justice Bobde orally observed that the plea of a man, whose execution is scheduled for February 1, ought to be given top priority.

The Bench, also comprising Justices Ashol Bhushan and A.S. Bopanna would hear the plea at 12.30 p.m. on Tuesday.

The petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution has sought a stay of the execution of the death warrant. The Sessions Court had ordered that the death sentence be carried out on February 1.

Mukesh has asked the court to call for his medical records, dating back to the time of his arrest and incarceration, which were placed before the President for a decision on his mercy plea.

Mukesh has also sought for the jail records of his solitary confinement. Death row convicts are placed in solitary confinement.

Juvenility plea

This development comes shortly after the Supreme Court rejected a juvenility plea made by another Nirbhaya convict Pawan Kumar Gupta. He had claimed he was a juvenile at the time of the crime.

The Supreme Court also recently dismissed a review petition filed by another one of the four condemned men, Akshay Singh, to review its May 5, 2017 judgment confirming the death penalty.

Akshay, Mukesh, Pawan and Vinay had brutally gang-raped a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on the intervening night of December 16-17, 2012 and she died of her injuries a few days later. An accused, Ram Singh, allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar jail. A juvenile, who was among the accused, was convicted by a juvenile justice board. He was released from a reformation home after serving a three-year term.

The Centre recently moved an application for fixing strict guidelines for carrying out death sentences.

Judge concerned over ‘purchase’ of law degrees, sanctity of profession
 
28/01/2020 , Legal Correspondent, CHENNAI

Justice N. Kirubakaran of the Madras High Court on Monday said courts were crowded by way of too many “lawyers” only because of activities of people like a law college principal who was arrested recently for having created fake attendance records and issuing bona fide certificates to students in a fraudulent manner to get them enrolled as lawyers in the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Presiding over a Division Bench along with Justice V. Parthiban, the senior judge said those who “purchase” law degrees without attending college, end up conducting kangaroo courts. The infusion of such individuals affected genuine lawyers who had undergone three-year and five-year full-time law courses with the fond hope of making it big in the profession, and end up spoiling the sanctity of the profession, he said.

The judge made the observations during the hearing of a batch of cases related to those who had reportedly obtained degrees from Andhra Pradesh from where the law college principal Himavantha Kumar was arrested, and were serving as guest lecturers in law colleges here. The judges ordered that all relevant details regarding such people should be submitted in the court by the next date of hearing so that necessary action could be taken.

Later, taking up another case related to alleged lack of infrastructure facilities at the government law college campuses, the judges directed AAG to file a detailed report by next month.

Govt. effects reshuffle of IAS officers

28/01/2020 , Staff Reporter, CHENNAI

In a reshuffle of IAS officers, the State government has transferred Apoorva, presently serving as Commissioner of Archives and Historical Research, and posted her as Principal Secretary, Higher Education Department.

She will replace Mangat Ram Sharma, who will be the new Commissioner of Archives and Historical Research. Ms. Apoorva had a stint as Principal Secretary of Higher Education Department.

Santhosh Babu, Principal Secretary, Information Technology (IT) Department, and Chairman and Managing Director (in-charge), Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation Limited (TNHDCL), has been relieved from his post in the IT Department and posted as Chairman and Managing Director of TNHDCL.

He was recently in the news for seeking voluntary retirement from service.

M.S. Shanmugam, Managing Director, Tamil Nadu FibreNet Corporation Limited, has been transferred and posted as Commissioner of Museums, which was being held as additional charge by T. Udhayachandran. D. Ravichandran, who is presently a Deputy Secretary at the Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, will replace Mr. Shanmugam.

S. Aneesh Sekhar, Executive Director, Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), has been transferred as Executive Director of GUIDANCE Bureau. He will replace K.P. Karthikeyan.

Mr. Karthikeyan will be the new Executive Director, TIDCO.

D. Manikandan, who is on inter-cadre deputation, has been posted as Joint Secretary, Home, Prohibition and Excise Department.

Nirbhaya case: Tihar conducts another mock hanging, asks for new ropes

TNN | Jan 28, 2020, 04.49 AM IST

NEW DELHI: Tihar Jail authorities on Sunday conducted another mock hanging of the four Nirbhaya case convicts as they are likely to be hanged on February 1. Sources said the hangman, Pawan Jallad, has been asked to report to Tihar on January 30.

The authorities have asked for a dozen new manila ropes from Buxar prison, which would be lubricated and left to dry for two days. Sources said a mock drill is a mandatory procedure before every hanging since the body weight of the convicts tends to change. The dummy hanging was conducted using four sacks filled with sand and gravel that had similar weights as the convicts to check the strength of the ropes that would be used for the actual execution. The sacks were left suspended for three hours after which an expert checked the condition of the ropes.

Jail sources said the wardens and doctors of Tihar have been asked to ensure that the body weight of the four convicts remains constant till they are hanged. The authorities have taken the measurements of the necks and heads of the four convicts. The hangman will prepare the noose according to the measurements.

On Monday, the family members of convict Akshay Kumar Singh were allowed to meet him. In the emotional meeting, he discussed about the legal recourse with his parents. He, Pawan and Vinay have the option of filing a mercy plea before the President.


The families of the other inmates will be allowed to meet them twice a week as per their schedule. During the meeting, the family members will be allowed to take the personal belongings of the convicts and record a will in the presence of a superintendent. The convicts have refused to give the last date of their meeting to the jail authorities despite several reminders. They have also refused to prepare a will. A red notice will be sent to the families about the execution so that they can make preparations to take back the bodies.

19 scholars under him, ex-VC broke Anna University rules

TNN | Jan 28, 2020, 04.48 AM IST

CHENNAI: Anna University regulations in 2013 allowed a professor to guide up to 12 research scholars at a time (the number is 11 now). But M Rajaram guided 19 research scholars simultaneously from 2013 to 2016 when he was holding office as vice-chancellor, according to a reply to an RTI query.

Anna University’s PhD regulations do not bar a vice-chancellor from guiding research students, but there is conflict of interest, say academicians. The vice-chancellor chooses the examiners to evaluate thesis and conduct viva-voce for doctoral candidates.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, say professors, asking how it’s possible to guide 19 research scholars while holding a top academic post in a university?

“It is unethical to guide research scholars after becoming a vice-chancellor. Besides, he wouldn’t have time to guide so many research scholars while heading a large technical university,” said E Balagurusamy, former vice-chancellor, Anna University.

Professor Rajaram denied all allegations. “There is no bar on a vice-chancellor guiding researchers. I have not taken any student after becoming vice-chancellor. All my PhD students completed research after proper publication,” Rajaram told TOI. He said some of his students had published papers in top journals like IEEE.

On allegations that he guided scholars in other streams such as computer science engineering and held a closed viva-voce for his students, Rajaram said, “As a professor in electrical and electronics engineering, I can guide students from all circuit branches. My students have defended their thesis in public viva voce and university has records for attendance of public.”

But his critics are not convinced. They say even a full-time research guide cannot supervise more than 10 scholars. According to UGC’s shodhganga website, Rajaram conducted viva voce for 43 students as guide between 2013 and 2019. The data shows Rajaram had more than 12 Anna University research scholars, which is a violation of university rules.

Raising doubts about the research data and originality of the theses, several professors demanded a committee be set up to investigate the issue.

“If there is sufficient proof and evidence of plagiarism, fake data in theses submitted by his research scholars, the university will initiate action,” said M K Surappa, vice-chancellor of Anna University.

TN’s PHD factories

TNN | Jan 28, 2020, 04.47 AM IST

CHENNAI: Who says you need critical thinking and academic acumen to earn a PhD? You can order a doctorate with just a phone call. The cartels that employ ghost writers no more operate on the sly. They’ve set it up like restaurants – there’s a menu and what you pay depends on what you order.

Tamil Nadu produced the maximum number of PhDs in the country, 5,844, in 2018, according to All India Survey for Higher Education 2019. There is a renewed interest among faculty members to publish research papers and complete doctorates due to the Union HRD ministry’s decision to make PhD mandatory for the entry-level post of assistant professor from July 2021, and give more weightage for research work in National Institute Ranking Framework rankings and National Assessment and Accreditation Council ratings.

The spike in research interest has made the ground fertile for ghost writers and agents who have branded themselves consultancy services. Scholars and research guides TOI spoke to said they received calls from unknown people offering ‘help’ in doing research. TOI picked the trail of one such message to uncover how a racket has been functioning in a sophisticated but brazen manner.

Posing as a faculty member from a private engineering college, this correspondent called the agent. He promptly asked about the area of research and topic before quoting a price. He offered to do engineering research, analyse data and publish a paper in an annexure-1 journal for

`1.2 lakh. For converting research into an article and publishing it in the journal he quoted `80,000.

“If you can do research and only need help in publication, it will cost `45,000. But, your research should be complete research with analysis, data and graphics. You should take responsibility if the paper is rejected or needs clarification from journal editors,” he said.

Asked about outsourcing thesis work, the agent said, “If you have the literature review, research work, article, output and analysis, we will charge `65,000 to write the thesis. If you have nothing, then it would cost around

`3 lakh. We will do the research, get the article published and write the thesis.”

The agent said a team of professors does the research for money. His ‘agency’ is helping scholars across universities. “The rate will be finalised after seeing the university guidelines. We collect the highest rate for Anna University PhDs,” he said.

The payment is in installments. “We will collect registration fee initially and take full payment after the acceptance by the research journal. For example, we will take `10,000 as initial payment for publication and update you about the research. You can make corrections. We will take the next installment after your corrections,” he said.

Faculty members TOI spoke to confirmed that outsourcing research work is a trend thriving in arts and science colleges, and technical colleges.

“It has become mandatory to publish research papers for increments. Journals take up to a year to accept an article or even to respond. So faculty members opt to publish research papers by paying money. When we pay money, even some of the listed journals respond within a day confirming publication without any proper peer review,” said a faculty member from an arts and science college in the city.

Professors from University of Madras said one of the reasons why such rackets flourish is because students without research aptitude enrolled for PhDs.

Professor M K Surappa, vice-chancellor of Anna University, said the practice was “unethical and devoid of all morality”. “Research is a passion and not a routine degree. This is perhaps one of the reasons why our country is not able to produce high quality research publications in sufficient numbers,” he said. To deter such PhDs, Anna University has introduced minimum eligibility marks in entrance exam for aspirants. This brought down the number of PhD candidates from 2,527 in 2018 to 908 in 2019.

University of Madras has introduced measures to enhance the quality of PhD thesis in the past two years. “All theses have to pass through a plagiarism detecting software. There is a new online system to trace the progress of research work very closely. A first year candidate has to present a paper in at least one national-level conference and in the second year one conference and one publication, and it continues for the third year also. If the candidate meets these requirements then he or she can prepare the thesis,” said P Duraisamy, vice-chancellor.

‘Don’t link PhD and NAAC accreditation’

TNN | Jan 28, 2020, 04.50 AM IST

Former vice-chairman of University Grants Commissionm professor H Devaraj, spoke to TOI on why there is a rush to publish papers and getting PhDs, how the UGC intervened to discontinue the part-time PhD programme in Bharathiar University and the measures taken to end outsourcing of PhD.

Why is there a rush to get PhDs and to publish in journals?

We should not ask PhD or research papers for NAAC or NBA accreditation. It causes inbreeding PhDs and paid publications. Clearing NET/SLET is tougher than getting PhDs. But UGC adopted a wrong policy when it decided to give increments for faculty members who completed PhD. MHRD also announced that PhD would be a minimum qualification for assistant professors in universities from 2021.

Too many papers being published ...

We need to be careful while allowing colleges to do research work. Many colleges do not have the infrastructure or resources to do it. Yet they are publishing papers due to the prominence given in accreditation for research publications. Part-time PhD (category B) is another major reason for the dilution in quality of PhDs. Unless there is a collaborative research by industry experts and academia, we should not allow any part-time PhDs.

What can be done to ensure quality?

Candidates with JRF or project fellowship alone should be allowed to do PhD. PhDs are not required to teach in colleges. Candidates who clear National Eligibility Test will be competent to do research and write thesis. If we ensure these steps, then there will not be any need for outsourcing research work.

UGC once intervened to stop part-time PhD programme in Bharathiar University. How should UGC deal with outsourcing PhD and ghost writing?

Research, development & innovation cells to help college teachers seek funds for projects

TNN | Jan 23, 2020, 04.40 AM IST

PANAJI: With the University Grants Commission (UGC) stepping back as a major funding agency for research projects by university and college teachers, the state directorate of higher education (DHE) is set to form research, development and innovation cells in all 33 government and aided colleges in Goa. Through these cells, college faculty will be motivated and trained to pursue proposals for funding of their small research projects with central government agencies.

The research cells will help develop and coordinate strategies to maximise the faculty’s success in gaining external research funding.

An umbrella initiative, ‘research, development and innovation cell’, has already been formed in the DHE and is headed by astronomer Vithal Tilvi, who has worked with NASA.

“Though the UGC has stopped funding research in a big way, every central government department has provision for funds for research projects. Most of these funds remain unutilised. College teachers require training on how to effectively write research proposals to be able to bag the funds. The research, development and innovation cell will provide this training and motivation,” a DHE official said.

In each college, a faculty member oriented towards research will be chosen to head the cell. Teachers will subsequently be coached to submit proposals for projects that can be accomplished with financial aid of Rs 5-10 lakh.

“Taking on these projects will help promote the teachers’ personal growth as they will be able to pursue research in varied subjects of their interest. It will also help their careers to progress in terms of promotions, etc. The exposure teachers get will benefit their students as well. It will boost innovation in institutions of higher education,” the official said.

The DHE’s research, development and innovation cell already has 60 teachers involved in writing research proposals.

AG stumbles upon office history dating back to 1828

Vijay Narayan saves the documents, mostly handwritten in cursive, digitises all of them

27/01/2020, MOHAMED IMRANULLAH S.,CHENNAI

The documents found in the cupboards were in a brittle condition due to passage of time.

If there is one place in Chennai where you can see, touch and feel historical remnants at every turn of your eye, it is the iconic Madras High Court building. Every brick in this building is steeped in history and it is here that Advocate General (A-G) Vijay Narayan recently stumbled upon the history of his own office since 1828.

Amazed to have discovered a nearly 200-year-old treasure trove of official communication between his English predecessors and top government officials of the colonial era, the A-G digitised the entire set of documents running into thousands of pages which were rotting in cupboards and turning brittle due to passage of time.

Issue of charter

It was on June 26, 1852 that Queen Victoria issued a charter to establish the High Court of Judicature at Madras for the Presidency of Madras. However, it was preceded by many other courts established here since 1687 and they included the Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort St. George established by George the third on December 26, 1800.

The documents digitised include those penned when the Supreme Court at Madras was in existence. Mostly handwritten in cursive, the documents show that communication between the Chief Secretary to Government and the Advocate General had always ended with an interesting complimentary closing ‘Your most obedient servant.’

A further rummage through these materials leads to legal opinions given by the Advocates General on varied issues, including those relating to the erstwhile Binny Mills in Chennai, establishment of the famous Demonte Colony near St. Mary’s Road here, sale of properties belonging to the then Nawabs and even on criminal cases booked against Englishmen.

An interesting letter among them is the one penned on January 22, 1862 by the then Advocate General T. Sydney Smith to the Chief Secretary. In that letter, Mr. Smith states that the only case in which he considered it necessary to appear for the Crown during the first criminal sessions of that year was a case of manslaughter (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).

In that case, one Thomas George Saunders of the Telegraph department had been charged with manslaughter of his horse keeper Ramudu in Nellore (now in Andhra Pradesh) on November 30, 1861. Stating that the prisoner was acquitted from the case by the presiding judge, Mr. Smith said he completely concurred with the decision.

“The alleged cause of death was a kick on the testicles but while there was nothing to show that the death resulted from any injury to those parts and much to show that the death resulted from natural causes as the Zillah surgeon deposed he had no doubt the evidence of the alleged kick was most unsatisfactory.

“It was only deposed to by two little boys of 8 and 12 years old who in many material respects contradicted with each other grossly and moreover on cross examination contradicted themselves and swore to particulars utterly incredible. These boys, moreover, it appears, were kept together in the house of Mr. Holman, Inspector of Police at Nellore for eight days and not allowed to leave it till they had made statements before the Magistrate,” the A-G said.

Further, referring to the Inspector having kept another witness in the case handcuffed for three days, Mr. Smith said: “It is chiefly on this account that I bring this case to the notice of His Excellency the Governor in Council. There is nothing before me to show that Mr. Holman, in doing so, was actuated by any improper motives.

‘Mistaken notion’

“Giving him the fullest credit for acting only from mistaken zeal, it is plain that he has a very mistaken notion of his duty as Inspector of Police.” Records further show that the Chief Secretary, in turn, had communicated the A-G’s letter to the then Inspector General of Police on January 30, 1862 and also marked a copy to the A-G’s office.

However, what action was taken against the Inspector is not found in the records. “Reading these records itself is a very difficult process because they are handwritten. The papers are also very fragile. So, I handed the job to a company that uses robotic arms to lift the documents and scan them and they charged me just ₹3 a page,” the A-G Mr. Narayan said.

The digitised documents include legal opinions given by Vanbakam Bhashyam Iyengar, the first Indian Advocate General of the Madras High Court, in 1897, when he was initially appointed as Acting AG before being made permanent. It is also interesting to note that only 45 lawyers had so far been able to make it to the post of Advocate General of Madras High Court since 1853.

Coronavirus effect: kin of students studying in China a worried lot

Many want Centre to provide updates

27/01/2020, R. KRISHNAMOORTHY , S. POORVAJA ,TIRUCHI / CHENNAI

Relatives of students from Tamil Nadu studying in universities in China are gripped by anxiety and helplessness in the backdrop of the outbreak of coronavirus in China.

Hundreds of students from the State are pursuing higher education in various universities in China. Their relatives have been trying to reach out to them for several days now.

P. Arun, a resident of Pudukottai, said he was worried about the well-being of his brother P. Manishankar, a student of Wuhan University.

“The assurance on Sunday morning by the Central government to safeguard Indian students in China has given us hopes. But, there has been no further update. We feel helpless and expect some quick action,” Mr. Arun said.

Ravi, whose son, Robin Raj, from Nagapattinam, is studying medicine at the Wuhan university, sounded relieved after a telephonic talk with his son in the afternoon.

“I could gauge from our conversation that the Chinese authorities have planned to translocate the stranded people in Wuhan to a neighbouring province. As of now, no one has been permitted to go from Wuhan,” he said. A student from Tenkasi, who is pursuing medicine in Qingdao, said that since it is vacation time, many students had already left for their home town in Tamil Nadu.

“There are about 150 students pursuing medicine here. Some students who decided to stay back have booked tickets to Tamil Nadu last week since a few cases were reported in Qingdao as well,” said the student.

Centre in touch

Central government officials are in touch with Indian students in Wuhan and other cities in Hubei province. They are also talking with local governments regarding their safety and the possibility of their return, sources said.

The officials are contacting universities to find out about the re-opening dates and several institutions have deferred the reopening. Students have been advised to avoid non-essential travel.

Meanwhile, the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine along with Airports Authority of India officials, continues to screen passengers from China at airports in Chennai, Tiruchi and Coimbatore. Isolation wards are ready in all government medical college hospitals. K. Kolandaswamy, director of public health, said thermal screening along with symptomatic screening was being done at the airports.

(With inputs from Serena M. Josephine)

TNPSC scam: accused re-marked scripts in a moving vehicle and replaced them

Record clerk Omkanthan hoodwinked escort team to aid offender

27/01/2020, S. VIJAY KUMAR,CHENNAI

The Crime Branch CID of the Tamil Nadu police on Sunday arrested H. Omkanthan, 45, a TNPSC record clerk, for allegedly handing over the key to a safe containing answer script bundles to prime suspect Jayakumar of Chennai, who made fresh entries on select papers and replaced them at an opportune time. The police searched Omkanthan’s premises and seized a couple of mobile phones.

Investigators said the accused, in a midnight operation, took away the answer scripts of the TNPSC Group-IV Services examination from a vehicle and tampered with them, before replacing them.

Investigation revealed that Jayakumar had approached Omkanthan, seeking his help to access the answer scripts, and had offered him ₹15 lakh as a bribe. After taking ₹2 lakh as an advance, the clerk managed to get himself posted in Ramanathapuram district for examination duty on September 1, 2019.

Omkanthan was part of a team also comprising another TNPSC employee, Manickavel, and a police constable entrusted with transporting the answer scripts from the Sivaganga treasury to the TNPSC headquarters in Chennai in a parcel vehicle. After collecting the sealed bundles of answer scripts around 8 p.m., the team left for Chennai, and Jayakumar followed it in another vehicle.

At 10.30 p.m., the team stopped for dinner. While the others were in the restaurant, Omkanthan handed over the key to the safe to Jayakumar, who took select bundles away in his car. During the next few hours, he made fresh entries on the answer scripts of candidates from whom he had taken money. However, he could mark answers only on 39 answer scripts owing to time constraints.

When the escort team stopped near Vikravandi for tea, Jayakumar replaced the bundles, returned the key to Omkanthan and fled. The record clerk was aware that some candidates had used evaporative ink to mark answers, and that Jayakumar had made fresh entries.

The answer scripts reached the TNPSC headquarters shortly after noon. The offence took place in the intervening night of September 1 and 2, 2019 along the Sivaganga-Chennai national highway.

While a search is on for Jayakumar, a special team has arrested A. Balasundaraj, 45, of Seelayampatti in Theni district, who was a middleman in the scam.

Parrying questions on whether the TNPSC staff had checked the seal on the safe and the answer script bundles when they received the consignment, a CB-CID official said the investigation had revealed that both the seals were tampered with. The statement of the accused would further be corroborated with technical evidence, he said.

The CB-CID has so far arrested 9 persons, including three candidates, in connection with the scam. Investigation is on to determine who leaked the question paper to the prime suspect.

Candidates in soup

Sources in the investigation agency said all the 99 candidates who had paid for clearing the examination fraudulently and had used the pens with evaporative ink provided by the accused would have to face action, irrespective of whether or not they had passed.

High court acquits man jailed for assaulting policeman
K.Kaushik@timesgroup.com

Madurai:27.01.2020

Madras high court has set aside the conviction and sentence imposed on a man who assaulted a police constable in Madurai in 1997, saying the trial court had not examined important witnesses.

The prosecution case is that constable Rathinamani of Teppakulam police received a phone call informing him that a person was being assaulted by seven others at Kuruvikaran Salai on March 28, 1997. When Rathinamani and an SI were searching for the accused in the southern and northern banks of Vaigai river, one of the accused, appellant Sikkandar, assaulted him using a sickle in which he sustained injuries.

Following the incident, the police registered a case against Sikkandar and he was arrested. The fast track court in Madurai convicted and sentenced him to undergo three years imprisonment under section 332 (voluntarily causes hurt to any person being a public servant in the discharge of his duty as such public servant) of IPC on June 30, 2009. Sikkandar moved HC Madurai bench the same year challenging the order.

On perusal of the submissions, Justice B Pugalendhi observed that the police constable was assaulted by a rowdy element and the complainant is the same police constable. “Even though the investigation was conducted in such a shabby manner, the trial was concluded even without examining the relevant witnesses for arrest and recovery as well as the doctor who provided treatment to the constable,” he said. Though an SI accompanied the constable at the time of occurrence, the person was also not examined. Hence the judge noted that it was not safe to sustain the conviction and sentence and acquitted the appellant of the charges framed against him.

Justice B Pugalendhi said the investigation was conducted in a shabby manner and the trial was concluded without examining the relevant witnesses

UGC asks universities not to award degrees without its approval

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:27.01.2020

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed all universities and institutions not to award any new degree without the prior approval from the commission.

Many private institutions are offering degrees in new areas without UGC nod. Students enrolled in such courses face issues when they opt to apply for government posts or pursue higher education.

“It has been observed that some universities/ institutions are awarding unspecified degrees leading to litigation and different problems for the students conferred with such degrees. The universities are once again requested to abide by the provision of section 22 of the UGC Act, 1956, and award only such degrees as have been specified by the UGC,” UGC secretary Rajnish Jain said in a circular to all universities. The circular said the consolidated list of UGC approved degrees is available on UGC website.

Suspects manipulated answer sheets in moving car; TNPSC staff among 2 more held

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:27.01.2020

With the help of an employee from the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) scamsters manipulated answers scripts of 52 candidates who appeared for Group IV exam in a moving vehicle on the intervening night of September 1 and 2, the CBCID said in a release on Sunday.

Two more people including TNPSC employee H Omkanthan were arrested on Sunday, taking the total people arrested in the scam to nine since probe began on Friday.

Omkanthan came in contact with broker Jayakumar of Mogappair through an agent named Palani last year, a release from the CBCID said. After striking a deal, Jayakumar had asked Omkanthan to select Keelakarai and Rameswaram examination centres for exam duty, the release said. Jayakumar reached the place a day earlier, and after collecting cash from the candidates, he gave them the special pens with vanishing ink to write the exam with.

Jayakumar followed the van ferrying answer scripts to Chennai, for which Omkanthan was one of the escorts, in a car. When the van was stopped around 10.30pm for dinner near Sivaganga, Omkanthan took Manickavel (other escort), the van’s driver and a policeman guarding the vehicle to a restaurant on the other side of the road after parking the vehicle.

Omkanthan sat others in the restaurant and handed over the keys to the answer sheets locker to Jayakumar. Jayakumar opened the van, took the bundles out and made changes in the car all night while following the van. The answer sheets were put back in place when the van was stopped for tea near Vikravandi around 5.30am.

Police said the main suspect, Jayakumar, is still absconding, and police teams are searching for him.

TNPSC aspirants want previous exams probed
Trainers Call For A More Secure Exam System

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:27.01.2020

After the busting of a major scam in the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission’s Group IV exam, many candidates said such malpractices have been going on for years and demanded that earlier exams conducted by the commission be investigated.

On Friday, TNPSC suspended 99 candidates for life for resorting to malpractices in the Group IV exam held on September 1, 2019, after finding that answer sheets of 52 candidates who appeared from Rameswaram and Keelakarai centres in Ramanathapuram district were shaded after the exam. Agents supplied candidates pens with special ink which would disappear after a few hours to enable them to shade correct responses in OMR sheets later. Of 52 candidates, 39 ranked within the top 100.

In the 2017 Group II-A exam, some candidates alleged, the topper answered 191 of 200 questions correctly and got 286.5 out of 300 marks, appearing from a centre in Ramanathapuram district. A few other toppers also wrote from Rameswaram and Keelakarai, they alleged.

Karthikeyan, who has been preparing for competitive exams for last three years, said such malpractices prevented genuine candidates from getting jobs. “I narrowly missed appointment as the candidates with same marks got preference. I am a post-graduate and I cannot make any more attempts to enter government service...,” he said.

Radian IAS Academy founder R Rajaboopathy said the scam was busted because the agents tried to be too smart. “Nearly 40 toppers from just two centres is impossible. Had they guessed the cut-off marks and given just above the cut-off marks the scam would have gone unnoticed,” he said.

He said scamsters were targeting recruitment based only on exams like Group IV and Group II-A. “By introducing multiple stage exams and strengthening security at exam centres, such scams can be prevented.”

U Sivabalan, academic head (TNPSC exams), Shankar IAS Academy, said many previous exams could have also been manipulated. “TNPSC should release names of the 99 candidates and should probe previous exams for malpractices. The racket could have influenced even Group I, Group II exams (multiple stage exams). It should consider moving from OMR sheets to online tests to prevent scams.”

SETC bus staff, passengers vandalise Paranur toll plaza
Argument Over Paying Of Toll Fee Led To Melee

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:27.01.2020

Enraged passengers along with the driver and conductor of an SETC bus vandalised a toll plaza at Paranur near Chengalpet on Sunday. The flashpoint was an argument between the bus conductor and a toll plaza worker around 1pm.

A few toll booth and gadgets were damaged, resulting in a halt in toll collection for the entire afternoon. Traffic resumed on the stretch after two hours after the intervention of police personnel.

Chengalpet superintendent of police D Kannan said, “We have detained two people each from both sides and will book a case.” The available CCTV camera footage shows that it was an impulsive reaction by the public and not a premeditated one. Police will analyse the camera footage further to help nab suspects involved in the rampage, said the officer. “It was a riot-like situation with passengers and motorists on one side and toll plaza staff on the other,” a witness said.

The SETC bus from Koyambedu was headed towards Trichy. Around 1pm, it reached the Paranur toll plaza, where the toll plaza staff demanded the bus crew to pay toll charges, though government buses are usually not required to pay toll. Pasumpon, the bus conductor, and the driver approached a toll booth staff, Muthu, and sought to know why were they being asked to pay toll.

As the SETC staff and Muthu entered into an argument, another toll booth staff attacked the driver and conductor, sources said. Soon, passengers of the bus got down and came in support of the bus crew, police said.

Angered over the attack on them, the SETC crew used their bus to block the traffic lanes. Passengers of the bus and other motorists joined them in damaging the window panels of the toll counters, CCTV cameras and several gadgets used to collect toll. Other bus drivers and conductors joined in support of their colleagues and vandalised the toll booths.

IN TATTERS: The damaged interiors of the toll booth at Paranur

UNDER LENS

Coronavirus: 1,500 from Hong Kong screened at airport

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:27.01.2020

Around 1,500 passengers from Hong Kong were screened at Chennai airport in the past few days for symptoms of fever as coronavirus spreads in China.

An official said counters with thermal scanners were opened and screening began on January 21.

“We have one direct flight from Hong Kong daily which has a load of 300 to 350 passengers. These passengers are being screened. A quarantine area has been set up to move people if they are found with influenza-like symptoms,” said an official.

Though airports in Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok are screening passengers, airlines are taking steps to ensure that passengers and crew are safe. Flights from the infected destinations are being fumigated and crew has been told to watch for those who show signs of fever. Chennai has direct flight links to Hong Kong and Japan where cases of the virus have been detected. There are around seven flights on weekdays and nine flights on weekends between Chennai and Singapore. But all passengers from Singapore flights are not screened.

There is a general instruction to look out for passengers who have visited infected areas in China.

IndiGo airlines, which operates flights to Chengdu and Guangzhou, said, “Our crew are taking appropriate precautions. There have been no cases reported yet in our Chinese points, which are around 1,000 km from Wuhan, nor indeed in India. We are in close touch with government authorities and will advise about any alterations to our schedule as and when they occur. Meantime, we have thousands of forward bookings and are serving those customers as normal.”

Airports Authority of India (AAI) has already instructed airlines to make inflight announcements to spread awareness. Notice boards have been set up to instruct passengers who do not have symptoms on arrival to report to district health authorities if they develop cold or fever within 28days of arrival.

In a first, CBSE allows dyscalculia students to use calculators in exams
Sharangee.Dutta@timesgroup.com

27.01.2020

To help students suffering from dyscalculia and other calculationrelated disorders, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided to allow children with special needs (CWSN) use a basic calculator starting from this year. Students who have already registered for the upcoming class X and XII board exams under the CWSN category will be able to avail this facility.

“Teachers, NGOs, principals, and students were seeking a solution for CWSN students. They informed CBSE about the struggle of dyscalculia students while solving arithmetic problems during exams. To help them we decided to allow them to use a basic calculator,” says Sanyam Bhardwaj, controller of examinations, CBSE, while talking to Education Times.

This new move, adds Bhardwaj, will be in addition to the already existing exemptions and/or concessions offered by CBSE to CWSN students. Some of these concessions include class X Mathematics and Science question paper in braille for blind students, usage of large fonts in Math and Science paper for visually impaired candidates, and allowing the use of a computer or laptop for all disabled students.

“CBSE has taken measures to help students with special needs. It is time to support students with learning disabilities and dyscalculia,” he says.

Students who want to avail this facility must send their request to the school along with a certificate of disability as proof by January 28, 2020.

“CBSE will arrange the basic calculators depending on the number of CWSN students each exam centre has to accommodate. However, no candidate is permitted to bring a calculator from home,” says Bhardwaj.

He adds that once a regional CBSE centre receives the final list of special needs students from each school under its umbrella, the same will be sent to the board to make arrangements for the calculators.

அமுதைப் பொழியும் நிலவு!

‘தங்கமலை ரகசியம்’ படத்தில் ஜமுனா, சிவாஜி

கு.மா.பா.திருநாவுக்கரசு

காற்றில் மிதந்துவரும் நூற்றுக் கணக்கான பாடல்களைக் கேட்டு, காலங்கடந்தும் நினைவுகூர்ந்து லயித்துப் போகிற ஏராளமான ரசிகர்களை ஈட்டிய திரைக் கவிஞர்! ‘அமுதைப் பொழியும் நிலவு’ என்ற ஒரு பாடல்போதும், தலைமுறைகளைக் கடந்தும் வசப்படுத்தும் சொற்களைக் கட்டி ஆண்ட கவிஞர் என்பதற்கு. ஒரு வெற்றிகரமான பாடலாசிரியராக, இசைக்கேற்ற திரைப்பாடல்களை வடித்த ‘சொற்களின் பாரி’ இவர்.

சொற்களின் அமுதைப் பாடல்களில் பொழிந்து தள்ளிய இந்தக் கவி நிலவு, தான் பயணித்த பால் வீதியில் பதித்துச்சென்ற நட்சத்திரப் பாடல்களின் பட்டியல் மிக நீளமானது. அவரது பாடல்களை எந்த வேளையில் கேட்டாலும் உள்ளம் கொள்ளை போகும். இரவில் கேட்டாலோ இன்ப நித்திரை கண்களைத் தழுவும். வாழும் வரை ‘வெள்ளை மனதுக்காரர்’ என்று உறவுகளையும் நண்பர்களையும் திரையுலகினரையும் சொல்லவைத்த அபூர்வக் கவிஞர்.

அவர் கு.மா.பா. என்னும் மூன்று எழுத்துக்களால் அறியப்படும் கு.மா.பாலசுப்பிரமணியம். 1920 மே 13 அன்று பிறந்த கவிஞரின் நூற்றாண்டு இது. 1979-ல் கவிஞருக்கு மணிவிழா நடத்தப்பட்டபோது அதற்குத் தலைமையேற்றார் கலைஞர் மு.கருணாநிதி. அவர் பேசியபோது கு.மா.பா எனும் மூன்று எழுத்துக்களுக்கு விளக்கமளித்தார். “ கு – என்றால் குன்றனைய கொள்கையுடையவர். மா- என்றால் மாசற்ற மனமுடையவர். பா- என்றால் பாவேந்தர் பாரதிதாசனின் பட்டியலில் இடம்பெற்றவர்” என்றார். அவரது மகன் என்பதைவிட, அவரது தலை சிறந்த ரசிகர்களில் ஒருவனாக, அவரது வாழ்க்கைக் கதையை என்னிடம் அவர் விவரித்துக் கூறியதிலிருந்து சுருக்கமாகப் பகிர்கிறேன்.

வறுமை வழங்கிய வரம்

அத்தகைய பெருமைக்குரிய கு.மா.பா. கீழத்தஞ்சை மாவட்டம் திருவாரூரிலிருந்து மன்னார்குடி செல்லும் வழியில் வேளுக்குடி என்னும் சிறிய கிராமத்தில், ஓர் எளிய விவசாயக் குடும்பத்தில், மாரிமுத்து –கோவிந்தம்மாள் தம்பதிக்குப் பிறந்த ஒரே மகன். இரண்டு வயதாக இருந்தபோதே தந்தை இறந்துவிட, தாயாரின் அரவணைப்பில் வளர்ந்தார். சில கறவை மாடுகளை வைத்து வளர்த்து, பால் வியாபாரம் செய்து வந்த இவரின் தாயார் எழுதப் படிக்கக் கற்றவர்.

தேவாரம், திருவாசகம் போன்ற பாடல்களைப் பாடி, மகனுக்குத் தாய்ப்பாலுடன் தமிழ்ப்பாலும் ஊட்டி வளர்த்து ஆளாக்கினார் கவிஞரின் தாய். ஆனால், வறுமை காரணமாக, மகனை திருவாரூர் நகருக்கு அனுப்பி ஆறாம் வகுப்புக்கு மேல் படிக்கவைக்க அந்தத் தாயால் முடியவில்லை. இதனால் இளம் வயதிலேயே மகனை விவசாய கூலிவேலைக்கு அனுப்ப வேண்டிய நிலை.

அதை மனமுவந்து ஏற்றுக்கொண்ட மகன், அந்த வேலையில் மகன் சிரமப்படுவதைக் கண்டு, பிறகு எளிதான மளிகைக்கடை வேலையில் சேர்த்துவிட்டார். வறுமையே அங்கே வரமாக மாறியது அவருக்கு. மளிகைக் கடையில் பொட்டலம் மடிக்க வாங்கும் பழைய இதழ்களை, செய்தித்தாள்களை வேலைக்கு இடையே படிக்கும் ஆர்வம் பொங்கிப் பெருகியது. அந்த வாசிப்புப் பழக்கம் அவரைச் சிறுகதைகள் எழுதத் தூண்டியது. இவர் எழுதிய ‘இன்பத்துளி’ எனும் சிறுகதையை ‘நவயுகன்’ என்ற சிற்றிதழின் ஆசிரியர் தெரிந்தெடுத்து முதன்முதலாகப் பிரசுரித்துள்ளார். தாம் எழுதிய சிறுகதையை அச்சில் கண்டதும் இளைஞன் பாலுவுக்கு நிலைகொள்ளாத மகிழ்ச்சி.

பின் தனக்குக் கிடைக்கும் மாத ஊதியத்தில் இலக்கியச் சிற்றிதழ்களை வாங்கி, அவற்றிலிருந்து பிரபல சிறுகதை எழுத்தாளர்களான புதுமைப்பித்தன், தி.ஜ.ரங்கநாதன், கு.ப.இராஜகோபாலன் போன்றோரின் கதைகளை விரும்பி வாங்கிப் படித்து, தானும் அவர்களைப் போல் எழுத வேண்டும் என்று முயன்றிருக்கிறார். சில காலம் திருவாரூரில் ஒரு ஜவுளிக்கடையில் பணிபுரிந்தபடி இவர் எழுதிய சிறுகதைகள் திருமகள், சண்டமாருதம், பிரசண்ட விகடன் போன்ற பத்திரிகைகளில் வெளிவந்துள்ளன.

பத்திரிகையாளர் எனும் அடையாளம்

பிரபலத் திரைப்படப் பாடலாசிரியர் கவி கா.மு.ஷெரீப், எழுத்தாளர் ‘மேதாவி’ (கோ.த.சண்முகசுந்தரம்) ஆகியோர் வேளுக்குடியைச் சேர்ந்த இவருடைய இளமைக்கால நண்பர்கள்தாம். காந்தியக் கொள்கைகளில் பற்றுடைய இவர் திருவாரூரில் நடந்த ஆகஸ்ட் போராட்டத்திலும் கலந்துகொண்டுள்ளார். தேசபக்திப் பாடல்களில் ஈடுபாடு கொண்டு கவிதைகள் எழுதவும் முயன்றிருக்கிறார். காங்கிரஸில் இருந்துகொண்டு தந்தை பெரியார் நடத்திய தன்மான இயக்கக் கொள்கைகளில் நாட்டத்துடன் வேளுக்குடியில் கா.மு.ஷெரீப்புடன் இணைந்து, சில இயக்கங்களை நடத்தி இருக்கிறார்.

இந்த அனுபவங்களைக் கொண்டு, தனது 22-ம் வயதில் மதுரையில் இருந்து வெளிவந்த ‘தமிழன்’ பத்திரிகை நிர்வாகியான சி.பா.ஆதித்தனாரைச் சந்தித்துப் பத்திரிகையின் துணை ஆசிரியராகப் பணிசெய்தார். சில ஆண்டுகளில் அங்கிருந்து இடம்மாறி கோவை ‘வீரகேசரி’, ‘திருமகள்’ போன்ற பத்திரிகைகளிலும் பணியாற்றியுள்ளார். கொழும்பிலிருந்து வெளிவந்த ‘வீரகேசரி’ நாளிதழில், 1945-ம் ஆண்டில் துணையாசிரியராக இடம்பெயர்ந்தார். இவர் பத்திரிகையாளராக தியாகராஜ பாகவதர், பி.யு.சின்னப்பா, தந்தை பெரியார், கோவை ஜி.டி.நாயுடு, கலைவாணர் என்.எஸ்.கிருஷ்ணன் முதலான அன்றைய பிரபலங்களை நேரில் சந்தித்து விரிவான பேட்டிகள் எடுத்துள்ளார்.

1946-ல் திருவாரூரைச் சேர்ந்த

ஜெயலட்சுமி என்பவரை ‘கதர்த் திருமணம்’ என்று சொல்லும் எளிய காந்திய வழியில், கதராடைகளை அணிந்து, நாகப்பட்டினத்தில் திருமணம் செய்துகொண்டார். இந்திய விடுதலைக்குப் பிறகு, கொழும்பிலிருந்து மீண்டும் திருவாரூர் திரும்பிய இவர், ராயவரத்தில் சொந்தமாக ‘தமிழ்க் குரல்’ என்ற மாதம் இருமுறை இதழை சில மாதங்கள் நடத்தினார். பெருத்த நஷ்டம் ஏற்பட்டதால் அதை விற்றுவிட்டு, சென்னைக்கு வந்துவிட்டார்.

சிலம்புச்செல்வர் ம.பொ.சிவஞானத்தின் ‘தமிழ் முரசு’ இதழில் துணை ஆசிரியர் ஆனார். அப்போது தான் சிந்தாதிரிப்பேட்டை உயர்நிலைப் பள்ளியின் தமிழாசிரியரான திருவேங்கடம் என்பவர் இவருடைய எழுத்தாற்றல், கற்பனைத் திறனைப் படித்துப் பார்த்து, இவருக்கு யாப்பிலக்கண முறைப்படி மரபுக் கவிதைகளை எழுதப் பயிற்றுவித்துள்ளார். 1949-ம் ஆண்டில், பாவேந்தர் பாரதிதாசன் தலைமையில், கோவையில் நடைபெற்ற கவியரங்கத்தில் தன் 28-ம் வயதில் பங்கேற்றுள்ளார்.

திரையில் முதற்பாடல்

பத்திரிகைத் துறையில் இவருக்கு ஏற்கெனவே பரிச்சயமான ப.நீலகண்டன் அந்நாளில் ஏவி.எம். ஸ்டுடியோ உரிமையாளர் ஏவி. மெய்யப்பனுடன் இணைந்து திரைப்படத் துறையில் சில படங்களில் கதை, வசனம் எழுதி வெற்றியடைந்திருந்தார். அந்த நிறுவனத்தின் அடுத்த தயாரிப்பான ‘ஓர் இரவு’ படத்துக்கான ஆயத்த வேலைகளில் மும்முரமாக ஈடிபட்டிருந்தார். அந்தப் படத்தில் உதவி இயக்குநராகப் பணியாற்ற, தனக்குத் தெரிந்த எழுத்தாளரான கவிஞர் கு.மா.பா.வை அழைத்துவந்து ஏவி.எம்.மிடம் அறிமுகப்படுத்தி, ஒப்பந்த அடிப்படையில் கதை இலாகாவில் மாத ஊதியத்தில் பணியமர்த்திவிட்டார்.

இந்தப் படத்துக்காகத் திரைக்கதை, வசனம் எழுதுவதற்கு அறிஞர் அண்ணாதுரை வந்தபோது, அவர் எழுதிக்கொடுத்த வசனங்களை, படி எடுக்கும் பணிதான் கவிஞருக்கு ஒப்படைக்கப்பட்ட முதல் வேலை. அப்படிப் படி எடுத்தபோது ஒரு காட்சிக்குப் பொருந்தும் பாடலைத் தன்னார்வத்துடன் இவர் எழுதியிருக்கிறார். இயக்குநர் ப.நீலகண்டன், கவிஞர். கே.பி.காமாட்சி சுந்தரம், இசையமைப்பாளர் ஆர்.சுதர்சனம் ஆகியோர் கு.மா.பா. எழுதி வைத்திருந்த பாடலைப் படித்து வியந்து, இயக்குநரிடம் காட்டியிருக்கிறார்கள். அதைப் படித்துப் பார்த்த ப.நீலகண்டனுக்கு பாடல் பிடித்துவிட்டதால், ஏவி.எம்.மின் ஒப்புதலுடன் கவிஞரின் முதல் திரைப்படப் பாடலை ஒலிப்பதிவுக்கு அனுப்பினார்.

‘பெண்ணாகப் பிறந்தாலே – வாழ்வில் எந்நாளும் துயர்தானே!.’ என்ற பல்லவிக்கு, ஆர்.சுதர்சனத்தின் சோக இசையும், டி.எஸ்.பகவதியின் இனிய குரலும் சேர, கவிஞரின் முதல் இசைத்தட்டு சுழன்றது. இசையும் வரிகளும் பதிவுக்குப்பின் ஒலித்தபோது ஏற்பட்ட உணர்ச்சிப் பெருக்கை உணர்ந்து, இதே படத்தில் மேலும் இரண்டு பாடல்களை எழுதும் வாய்ப்பும் கவிஞருக்குக்
கிட்டியது. அதன்பின் கு.மா.பாவைத் திரையுலகம் அடையாளம் கண்டுகொண்டது. தமிழ்த் திரைக்கு ஒரு மாபெரும் கவிஞர் கிடைத்தார்.

தொடர்புக்கு: kmbthiruna@gmail.com