Kamal Haasan’s move to return cash to donors triggers debate

By R Sivakumar  |  Express News Service  |   Published: 18th November 2017 03:18 AM  |  

Kamal Haasan (Photo | PTI)

CHENNAI: Film-maker Kamal Haasan’s decision to return huge cash donations that his fans had pooled in for meeting the financial requirements of his yet-to-be-launched party has become the talk of the town among political circles in the State capital. A few have welcomed the move of the aspiring leader, while some others have sounded sceptical.

“It is a right thing to return the cash,” said Arappor Iyakkam convener Jayaram Venkatesan. “Legally, he can’t keep donations meant for the political party before launching it,” he added.

Kamal, who has been weighing all options before floating a political party with the aim to capitalise on the political vacuum prevailing in TN, made his intentions to return the cash donations offered by his fans known to the public through his weekly column in a Tamil magazine. He advised his fans to keep the amount intact so that they could send it back to him when required.

Jayaram stressed the point that if actors Kamal and Rajinikanth took a plunge into politics, they should adopt a transparent approach to funding and should place before the public all relevant details.

However, a few others sounded sceptical of Kamal’s action, questioning when he had collected huge donations and whether data on the donors was properly compiled and maintained.

Sceptical over action

A few persons sounded sceptical of Kamal’s action, questioning whether data on the donors was properly compiled and maintained. “Whom did he collect the amount from? When did he collect?” wondered political commentator M G Devasahayam.

Congress leader N.D Tiwari becomes unresponsive, shifted to I.C.U

By PTI  |   Published: 18th November 2017 10:30 PM  |  

Veteran Congress leader N D Tiwari (ENS)

NEW DELHI: Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister N D Tiwari today became unresponsive while being given physiotherapy at a private hospital here and was shifted to the ICU, his aide said.

The 92-year-old politician was admitted to the hospital on September 20 after suffering from a brain stroke.

"At 4 pm, Tiwariji became unresponsive while being given physiotherapy. His son Rohit Shekhar Tiwari, who was present, alerted a team of doctors immediately," the aide said.
Tiwari was then shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

He said various tests were carried out and the reports would be available by tomorrow.
Tiwari was admitted to the ICU of the Max Super Speciality Hospital in September. Later, he was shifted to ward following improvement in his condition.

Earlier this month, he was again moved to the ICU after fall in his blood pressure and was put on life support but was later shifted to a room on November 15, the aide said.

Madras University to reform distance education exam system

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | A RAGU RAMAN

 

Published Nov 17, 2017, 4:24 am IST

It is learnt that the higher education secretary Sunil Paliwal has brought the issue to the notice of the members.

 Madras university

Chennai: The Syndicate of University of Madras on Thursday has decided to reform the Institute of Distance Education (IDE) and it's exam system following  Deccan Chronicle's report on exam scam.
In an exclusive report on Monday (November 13), DC highlighted how the examination system in IDE was systematically hacked by unscrupulous elements using their nexus with the study centres.

It is learnt that the higher education secretary Sunil Paliwal has brought the issue to the notice of the members.  “The Syndicate is going to take steps for tightening the exam process and plug the loop holes.  IDE will undergo structural changes”, sources said. “Soon there will be no outstation exam centres. All the candidates will write their exams only in Chennai”, they added.
A committee constituting only academic staff is expected to manage the transition. Madras University Vice-Chancellor S.Duraisamy , who chaired the meeting, said, “We are going to adopt UGC norms fully and will convert everything on e-content.”

On the scam he said, “The committee which is enquiring about the exam scam will submit its report in a month. We will take actions based on the report”. Among other issues, syndicate also discussed about the deployment of 14 teaching staff from Annamalai University to Madras University.
The Syndicate members differed on the issue and it was discussed in a length. “They are only going to be appointed for period of three years on agreement. The government is going to pay them. It's just an ad-hoc arrangement and they all are qualified staff”, the V-C said. But some members pointed out that it's against the statutes of the University and staff members from other universities cannot be deployed here.  “University is an autonomous body governed by statutes and there are precedents that it rejected the government orders which is against its rules”, they said.

Madras University professors oppose syndicate’s move

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | A RAGU RAMAN

 

Published Nov 18, 2017, 7:17 am IST

 

 The syndicate of the University of Madras has given its consent to redeploying teaching staff from Annamalai University to Madras University.

 

CHENNAI: Many faculty members and professors from Madras University were discontented with the move to redeploy the 14 staff members from Annamalai University to Madras University, citing various reasons including that it will affect the rule of reservation in appointments. The syndicate of the University of Madras has given its consent to redeploying teaching staff from Annamalai University to Madras University after prolonged discussion on Thursday.   As per the move, 14 staff members will be temporarily transferred to various departments including management, zoology, and sociology.
“All the staff members in the university were appointed as per the UGC guidelines. But the same cannot be said of the Annamalai University. It will also affect the rule of the reservation being followed in the university departments,” a senior faculty member of the university said. “University is following the 200 point roster for appointments. Each department is being considered as a separate unit for recruitment. These transfers will distort the reservation structures of the departments,” he added.

A section of professors rejected the claim of university administration that it was only a temporary arrangement. “There is no guarantee that they will return to their parent university after three years,” they argued. “There is no provision in the university statutes for transferring staff from another university to Madras University. There is only one way to become the faculty in the department that is through the open competition,” they stressed.

A teaching faculty has to clear at least four rounds of interview before being promoted to a professor in the university. “We doubt whether these staffs had cleared any interview for the job as there were allegations of rampant corruption in appointments at Annamalai University,” a professor said. “The redeployment was included in the agenda at the last minute as table item. Since it required the lot of clarifications, many members wanted to defer the issue to the next syndicate meeting. But the vice-chancellor and higher education secretary insisted to take a decision immediately. Except for a few members, others have accepted the government order,” sources said.

“University is in a major financial crisis with a debt of Rs.120 crore. Given the financial crisis, the university is highly dependent on the state government to pay the salary to the staff members.  Opposing the government order will risk the university losing its funds and as a consequences university may not be able to pay the staff salary. Keeping this in mind many members have accepted the government order,” a syndicate member explained.

Tamil Nadu: AIIMS locale row continues

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | R VALAYAPATHY

 

Published Nov 18, 2017, 8:08 am IST

The Federation of consumer and service organisation has appealed to the Union Government to set up the proposed AIIMS in TN.

 

 

The Federation of consumer and service organisation has appealed to the Union Government to set up the proposed AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences)-like institution in Tamil Nadu on merit especially under the criteria method.

 

TIRUCHY: The Federation of consumer and service organisation has appealed to the Union Government to set up the proposed AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences)-like institution in Tamil Nadu on merit especially under the criteria method. In its letter-cum-legal notice to the Union health secretary, the Federation's secretary S.Annadurai pointed out that the Centre has proposed to set up AIIMS-like hospital in five states including one at Tamil Nadu, but even after more than two years, there is no announcement in setting it up in Tamil Nadu while the project has started in other states.

The Government of Tamil Nadu had forwarded its remarks after studying criteria index for all five places and recommended setting up AIIMS at Sengipatti in Thanjavur district. But, some people of Madurai had vainly cried and some of the influential politicians are now attempting to locate the proposed AIIMS at Madurai. In fact, the existing Government hospital at Madurai, which is now being upgraded under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) is nearing completion, he added.Mr. Annadurai further said that Sengipatti at Tamil Nadu is situated in the central part of the state and within 50-km radius of districts like Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli, Pudukkottai, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Ariyalur districts. The consumer forum's secretary appealed to the Union Government to select the site for the AIIMS-like institute in Tamil Nadu on merit, as assured by the Prime Minister's office as well as Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. He said his client and President of the Federation M.Sekaran was expecting the government's response within seven days .

Tamil Nadu: Eye camp tragedy – 1-year term for three hospital staff upheld

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

 

Published Nov 19, 2017, 8:28 am IST

 The Judge also upheld the lower court's order that the hospital pay compensation to the tune of Rs 9.85 crore to the victims. 

 

 

It might be recalled that the 66 victims hailing from various villages in and around Perambalur and Villupuram districts took part in the free eye camp and had then lost their vision. (Representational Image)

 

Tiruchy: The II Additional District Sessions court Judge here, Thiru. N. Logeswaram has upheld an order of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, (CJM) who had sentenced three persons of a private eye hospital in Tiruchy, including its director, administrative officer and a senior ophthalmologist, to undergo one-year imprisonment for negligence, after 66 villagers lost their vision during a free cataract eye surgery camp conducted by the hospital in Perambalur during 2008.

It might be recalled that the 66 victims hailing from various villages in and around Perambalur and Villupuram districts took part in the free eye camp and had then lost their vision. The CBI, which probed the case following directions of the Madras High court, submitted that the Joseph Eye hospital neither followed the established sterilizing procedures while conducting the surgeries, nor maintained the operation theatre properly in their branch at Perambalur. The Judge also upheld the lower court's order that the hospital pay compensation to the tune of Rs 9.85 crore to the victims.

'Tainted' academician tippedto be Law university VC

Ashwini Y S, Bengaluru dhns Nov 19 2017, 0:30 IST 

 

C Basavaraju

Shortlisting of University of Mysore (UoM) Law professor C Basavaraju's name for the post of vice-chancellor of Karnataka State Law University (KSLU) by a government-constituted search committee, has kicked up a controversy.

The state government is in serious consideration of finalising the name of Prof Basavaraju, who was suspended by the state government (in the capacity as registrar of UoM) in October 2016 on charges of dereliction of duty, misconduct, insubordination and cheating. The government reinstated him this July this year, pending action.

Also, the government had annulled his very appointment to UoM a few years ago, following the Justice Rangavittalachar Commission recommendations. The High Court of Karnataka had upheld the government's decision.

Interestingly, Prof Basavaraju was appointed to the Law department in 2006-07 by the then UoM vice chancellor J Shashidhar Prasad, who is presently heading the four-member search committee.

Though Prasad too was indicted by the judicial commission, which had recommended penal action against him, the government had failed to initiate any action.

This despite the commission proving all 123 appointments (including Prof Basavaraju's) as illegal, citing violation of several rules such as University Grants Commission regulations, the recruitment rules and reservation policies laid down by the state government.

Basavaraju is one among the four academicians who are vying for the post, which has been lying vacant for the last two years.

Of the 12 applications that were received, the serach panel is learnt to have shortlisted the names of Prof Eshwar Bhat, VC, National Law University, Kolkata; Prof K R Aitaal, retired professor, Karnatak University, Dharwad; Prof C Rajashekar, Dean, Karnatak University, Dharwad; and Prof Basavaraju.

Prof Basavaraju is tipped to be the frontrunner for the VC's post. The search committee report has been forwarded by the Law, Justice and Human Rights department to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is yet to send the same to Governor Vajubhai Vala.

In 2008, Siddaramaiah himself had demanded Prof Basavaraju's annulment after charges of illegalities had surfaced. Interestingly, Prof Basavaraju is also learnt to be vying for the UoM VC's post. The term of the acting VC, Dayanand Mane is said to end on November 22.

Apprehending his appointment to either of the varsities, Karnataka State Universities and Colleges Backward Classes and Minorities Teachers' Association, Mysuru, has written to Siddaramaiah, Law Minister T B Jayachandra and the Governor, appealing that his candidature be rejected.

Academician and former Bangalore University vice chancellor Prof M S Thimmappa said it was shocking that the government had on one hand appointed Prasad as the search committee chairperson, and is considering Prof Basavaraju's candidature on the other.

"Both of them have been convicted and indicted. Instead of taking action action against Prasad, the government has appointed him as the committee chairperson. Now, he gets to select the candidate for the VC post. Prof Basavaraju should not be considered for the post," he added.