Chancellor sits on pro-VC’s appointment for over a month

Nagpur: Chancellor Ch Vidyasagar Rao had called on all universities to expedite examination reforms during a meeting of joint board of vice chancellors (JBVC) in February. However, his office was not serious on his call as it sits on file of NU pro-VC's appointment since over a month and a half, if NU officials are to be believed.

After taking over the charge in April second week, VC Siddharthvinayaka Kane dispatched three names for filling up pro-VC's post immediately. But till date, the highest office has not even invited the aspirants for interviews.

Chancellor's secretary Vikas Rastogi refused to comment, stating that he would not be in a position to talk to the media. He diverted all queries to the VC.

Kane, on the other hand, told TOI to wait for some time without disclosing the reason. "The appointment would be made soon" was his only reply to repeated queries by TOI on delay.

Even the government is not serious on the exam reforms after constitution of former IT secretary Rajesh Agrawal committee. It's over a year since the panel had submitted report, but except Mumbai, all other universities were reluctant to implement its suggestions despite repeated calls by the chancellor. NU had demanded creation of new post of 'director (examinations)' when divisional commissioner Anoop Kumar was acting VC. The objective was to oversee exam reforms that included going online for evaluation and moderation works. However, it was turned down by the government, citing financial constraints.

NU officials claimed that in absence of top officials in exam section like pro-VC and controller of examinations (COE), its work was being severally hampered. While the pro-VC's post was lying vacant since April first week, the COE's was not filled up since Vilas Ramteke went on lean last year.

The COE's charge was granted to various officials in additional capacities but all of them failed to do justice with the most important department, resulting into its continuing deterioration. Kane told TOI that the COE's charge would be handed over to deputy registrar Anil Hirekhan from June 6.

"A majority of results are getting inordinately delayed beyond minimum two months, thus affecting students, especially those pursuing final year. Revaluation results are delayed over three months for the same reason. Due to absence of top officials like pro-VC and COE, even the lecturers are not reporting to their duties. NU recently issued show cause notices to over 150 teachers for failure to report to evaluation work," the officials said.

‘Namma Auto’ offers safer, more comfortable rides

MADURAI: Five months after the 'Namma Auto' service was introduced in the city, the initiative has become a huge hit among the residents. They find the service more passenger-friendly and hassle-free, especially as the transport authorities still have a tough time implementing fixed meter charges among regular autorickshaws.

The initiative was introduced here after its success in Chennai. Sixty seven autorickshaws fixed with global positioning system (GPS) currently operate as 'Namma Auto'. The base fare is Rs 25 for 1.8 km and Rs 12 for every km after that.

Though the auto service is not keen on advertising, customers satisfied with the service call the autos voluntarily, said J Satham Hussain, operational lead of Namma Auto.

A driver or owner of the auto gets a salary of Rs 8,000 plus Rs 4,500 per month (Rs 150 per day as incentives). Drivers are trained on road safety and instructed to strictly avoid drunken driving or any sort of misbehavior with passengers. Drunken driving or misbehavior will result in termination. They are not supposed to collect money above the meter fare.

"We attend 420 customer calls everyday," Hussain said.

With the documents for drivers and vehicles in place, Namma Auto maintains good conduct with the authorities too, he added.

G Irulandi, a Namma Auto driver, said the absence of cumbersome bargaining was a breather.

"I get a monthly salary and goes directly into the hands of my wife. Earlier, the entire income of the day used to spent in wine shops," he added on a lighter note.

But driving a Namma Auto also has its share of challenges, said another driver K Thangamariappan from Sellur.

"Other drivers see us as a threat and do not accept us in their stands. We are constantly chased by our competitors and harassed. We are always afraid and beseech the road transport authorities and traffic police to protect us," he appealed.

S Glory, a working woman from Vilangudi, said, "Earlier, the auto rickshaw drivers used to charge me Rs 150 to go to Bibikulam where I work. Now, I pay Rs 75 for a NammaAuto, which is the meter charge. Besides, the ride is very safe."

Chased by monkeys, man dies after falling from roof

BAREILLY: In yet another case of simian attack in the region, a 27-year-old man died after he fell from the roof of his house in an attempt to escape from a group of aggressive monkeys at Biharipur Mebran, Kotwali.

According to family sources, the incident happened on Saturday morning when Ishrat Ali along with some of his other family members was sleeping on the roof of their house.

Ali was attacked after the other members went downstairs.

He ran and tried to jump to the roof of the adjoining house by scalding a boundary wall but lost balance and fell to the ground receiving serious injuries.

He was rushed to the nearby hospital by family members but succumbed to his injuries.

Locals staged a protest in front of the municipal corporation on Sunday and demanded an end to the monkey menace.

City mayor I S Tomar said, "Stray monkeys are usually caught during winters and released into the jungles. We keep them in captivity for several hours before releasing. But the heat conditions now make it difficult for us to keep them in cages. They will not be able to survive. We will resume our operations as soon as weather conditions improve."

Meanwhile, Dr S P S Siddhu, health officer, Bareilly Municipal Corporation, said, "Monkey menace is rampant in the region. We have commissioned an NGO to catch stray monkeys. Around 150 of them were caught and released at Mala forest range, Pilibhit."

It may be recalled that a 6-year-old boy of Dali Newada village, Katra, was attacked by a group of monkeys in front of his family members a few months back. He boy died of excessive bleeding.

Delay in results makes life tough for CBSE students

CHENNAI: Students of CBSE schools in Tamil Nadu, already at a disadvantage in professional courses where state board students with higher marks grab the lion's share, now seem to be losing out seats in arts and science colleges too.

A Class 12 CBSE student, who wished to remain anonymous, said the announcement of CBSE results on May 27, 20 days after the state board results were out, was a big problem. "I was not able to get into the college I wanted. Now I'm anxious whether I will get a seat at all."

About 11,500 CBSE students passed out this year in the state and those seeking admission to engineering or medical colleges are not too perturbed as some seats are set aside for CBSE students as per a Supreme Court order. "Colleges like VIT University, Hindustan University and SSN College of Engineering allot separate seats for students during admissions. They conduct entrance exams on a later date and take that score into account instead of the state ranking," said educationist K R Maalathi.

Students opting for arts courses are at a loss as admissions to top colleges are almost over by the time the CBSE Class 12 results are out. "It is not a revelation that CBSE results are released after state board results and so colleges need to fix their admission calendar accordingly. There is no hurry in admitting students based on state board results and putting CBSE students in a disadvantageous position as classes begin only in June/July," said SASTRA University dean (planning and development) S Vaidhyasubramaniam.

Senior Career Counsellor, Jayaprakash Gandhi, also questioned this practice, "When the government is setting a deadline for medical and engineering colleges, why can it not do the same with arts and science colleges? The Supreme Court and the MHRD should consider this."

Countering this, MOP Vaishnav College principal Lalitha Balakrishnan said they always gave preference to CBSE students. "We would like to have a combination of all types of students in our classrooms and so we reserve separate seats for their admissions," she said.

The college offers a BCom in marketing management that is based on the marketing management subject that CBSE students study. "As per directorate of collegiate education rules, it is a must for all arts and science colleges in Chennai to begin by the last week of June and we try to close admissions as soon as possible," she said.

It is up to colleges to create a flexible admission window, say experts. This will ensure a right mix of quality students.

Varsity dean accused of bribery suspended

DHARWAD/Bengaluru: A special meeting of the Karnatak University syndicate on Wednesday decided to suspend professor Noorjahan Ganihar, dean of the postgraduate department of education, on charges of graft.

Two PhD students filed a complaint with Lokayukta police alleging that Noorjahan demanded a bribe of Rs 4 lakh to issue their doctoral degrees.

Acting vice-chancellor SS Hugar said the syndicate members were of the opinion that the episode has tarnished the university's image and, hence, Noorjahan should be placed under suspension pending inquiry.

The syndicate has decided to appoint a one-man inquiry commission comprising a retired high court judge or a district judge to probe the alleged irregularities in the PG department of education. The commission will be asked to submit its report in a month.

Lokayukta police have issued a notice to the accused professor asking her to appear before the Lokayukta SP in Dharwad. Dharwad Lokayukta SP Parashuram said the notice was sent to the professor's office but it was locked. Arrangements will be made to ensure the notice reaches her, he added.

Based on media reports, Lokayukta Justice Y Bhasker Rao had directed the ADGP Lokayukta to register a suo motu case and inquire into the charges. ADGP Premshankar Meena, in turn, asked the Dharwad Lokayukta SP to take action.

Two students, one from Hubballi and another from Uttar Pradesh, who were doing their PhDs under Noorjahan filed complaints with the vice-chancellor and registrar of the university, alleging that she asked for a bribe. The students recorded their conversation with the dean on their mobile phones.

Based on the complaint, the registrar issued a notice to Noorjahan seeking an explanation. In her reply, the professor denied all the allegations.

600 doctors who got degrees from abroad issued notice

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC), which functions as a regulator of the medical profession, is taking a closer look at foreign-trained doctors as well as doctors who pursue post-graduate degrees through distance education.

It has sent notices to 600 doctors across Maharashtra who have earned their basic medical degree from universities in Russia, Ukraine, China, etc. This follows complaints about foreign-trained doctors putting up boards stating that they are "MD Physicians" although India recognizes them as "MBBS equivalent" doctors only.

"We consider these misleading boards to be a menace. What if an injured child is rushed to a doctor who claims to be a paediatrician but has only undergone a distance post-graduate degree from Seychelles?" said MMC president Dr Kishor Taori.

Regarding foreign-trained doctors, he said they had been asked to return their MMC degrees so that fresh ones could be issued. "Instead of saying that they have an MBBS-equivalent degree, we will give them a new one stating that they have an MBBS degree," he said, adding that the move will eliminate any ambiguity about their status.

Many East European nations offer an integrated MD course. "When these doctors return to India, they have to undergo a national screening examination before getting a registration as an MBBS doctor," he said, adding, "It is possible that these doctors don't realize that they cannot be termed MD Physicians in India. So we will reword their degree certificates."

Thanjavur Collectorate moves to new premises

The seat of power in Thanjavur in the multi-domed aesthetically appealing British-era Collectorate on Kutchery Road here for more than 110 years has moved to a magnificent new building at Pillayarpatti off the Thanjavur-Tiruchi National Highway.

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa declared open the new building complex to house the Thanjavur Collector's Office as also the offices of various departments through video conferencing from Chennai on Tuesday. In Thanjavur, apart from Collector N. Subbaiyan, MP K. Parasuraman, Mayor Savitri Gopal and people’s representatives distributed sweets to the public to mark the occasion.

The new building has been constructed at a cost of Rs. 30.50 crore in the specifically earmarked 61.42 acre land at Pillaiyarpatti. While the ground floor is spread over 68,561 square feet, the first floor spans 49,674 sq. ft., the second covers 43,249 sq. ft. and the third floor is spread over 41,201 sq. ft. for a total plinth area of 2.02 lakh sq. ft. The building has space to house 22 government departments, two massive public conference halls and an official meeting hall.

Apart from the main entrance to the Collectorate, there are four entrances to access the departments easily from various sides. The complex is equipped with two lifts as well. The old Collectorate, which served as the hallmark of Thanjavur, was the seat of the Collector since 1896, from where an array of distinguished civil servants, who went on to head the State bureaucracy, conducted their official work.

Now Dr. Subbaiyan has secured the distinction of the first Collector to discharge his duties from the New Collectorate that awaited the return of Ms. Jayalalithaa as Chief Minister for the inaugural.