Former headmaster donates Rs 5L to Harvard Tamil Chair

TNN | Updated: Nov 20, 2017, 00:42 IST

Madurai: An 83-year-old retired headmaster in Madurai district has contributed Rs 5 lakh towards establishing the Sangam Professorship in Tamil Studies in Harvard University.

The retired headmaster, Ko Ramasamy, has always wanted to do something for the society. When he recently read about the efforts of the Tamil diaspora throughout the world for the noble cause, he contacted the people concerned and expressed his desire to donate.

A team from the Federation of Tamil North American Association (FeTNA), one of the organisations campaigning for the cause, reached the donor's doorsteps at Harveypatti near Tirupparankundram on Sunday. The team was led by FeTNA joint secretary Caldwell Velnambi.

Ramasamy said he had come to know about the cause through a journal run by the Tamil Nadu Teachers' Federation. Ramasamy is not an affluent man but he wanted to do his best towards the cause.

"As the children of mother Tamil, we should contribute towards establishing the Tamil chair in Harvard. It is a duty of Tamils, and I have done mine. Others also should come forward in the same way. I am looking forward to see the chair by the Pongal festival," he said Ramasamy said.

This was not first time Ramasamy has made such a donation. A few years ago he donated Rs 30 lakh towards Periyar Maniammai University in Vallam.

Earlier, the Tamil Nadu government sanctioned Rs 10 crore for the cause. Recently, actor Kamal Haasan donated Rs 20 lakh.

After complaints of corruption, DVAC raids Udumalpet sub-registrar office, seizes Rs 59,000

 TNN | Nov 17, 2017, 08:46 IST


TIRUPUR: Following persistent complaints of corruption, sleuths from the district unit of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) raided the Udumalpet sub-registrar office and seized Rs 59000 unaccounted cash on Wednesday. Sub-registrar Vasundra Devi and head clerk Gowri have been booked on corruption charges. An inquiry is on.

"Like many sub-registrar offices, the Udumalpet office too was seriously afflicted with corruption. In registering the documents, the authorities were giving priority to those which fetch them bribes," said S Sivasankar, a document writer who works near the office.

Many people would have registered their properties by showing rates lower than the government guideline value. Such documents would come under 47 A (3) of the Registration Act and the properties should not be allowed for title transfer. But the authorities were illegally allowing sale of such properties.

Moreover, while the state government had directed the registration department to adopt online application system in order to improve transparency, the authorities here were causing needless delay in accepting the online applications, to get illegal gratification. The situation never improved despite various representations, said Sivasankar.

N Ravichandran, Tirupur deputy superintendent of DVAC, told TOI: "We received complaints that the authorities in the Udumalpet sub-registrar office were demanding bribes for services like registering the documents, providing encumbrance certificates, and also while returning the registered documents. So we conducted the raid for four and a half hours last night."

The DVAC seized Rs59000 from various points in the office as the authorities could not provide proper accounts for it. The sleuths also took away many documents which had come for registration on Wednesday for further investigation, said a source.

Though an FIR was registered against sub-registrar Vasundra Devi and head clerk Gowri, they will be arrested only after the charges are verified.

Karunya Univ to shut off-campus centres

tnn | Nov 19, 2017, 00:33 IST

Coimbatore: Karunya University had lost the deemed university status in 2007, a letter from the University Grants Commission (UGC) shows. The university also does not have permission to expand, thus leaving the future of nearly 700 students at its off-campus centres at Lakshmi Mills and Periyanaickenpalayam at stake.

Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, the erstwhile name of the varsity, was granted 'deemed to be university' status in 2004. The UGC had granted the status for three years. However, it had not renewed the status. This does not allow the university to start new courses from 2007.

TOI is in possession of the letter dated October 10, sent by the under secretary of UGC Kundla Mahajan. The letter states, "Institutions deemed to be universities placed under category 'B' by Tandon committee, including Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Karunya Nagar, Coimbatore, cannot expand their activities at present. This expansion includes starting of new centres new departments, new courses, off-campuses etc." "Such expansion can be permitted only after the review exercise presently conducted by the UGC is over and continuation of deemed to be university status is agreed by the UGC expert committee."

The UGC expert committee had visited the university on November 7, 8 and 9. UGC has directed the university to discontinue the centres and courses started without the approval of UGC. "Degrees awarded by the deemed to be university to the students in such centres and courses will not be treated as valid by the IGC for the purpose of higher studies and employment," the letter stated.

Sources in the university said that it has decided to close down the centres at Lakshmi Mills and Periyanaickenpalayam. TOI has also learnt that the university has filed an affidavit in the Madras high court agreeing to close down the centres. "They will soon be submitting their answer on what they intend to do with the nearly 700 students studying in these campuses," a source said.

Arts and science courses conducted at Lakshmi Mills and Periyanaickenpalayam are not offered at Karunya Nagar campus. The only option is to shift the students to Tamil Nadu government-run colleges or universities.

Top Commentif Karunya university is not a deemed university, why is that it is listed in the UGC website as a "Deemed UniversitySunder Singh

The UGC has asked to submit a compliance report in respect with details within one month of the receipt of the letter.

The university vice-chancellor and registrar were not reachable for comment.

Colombo to be new hub to fly from Chennai to Australia

TNN | Updated: Nov 19, 2017, 06:07 IST



 CHENNAI: Travellers headed to Australia now have one more hub to transit from Chennai as Sri Lankan Airlines has launched Colombo-Melbourne flights with convenient connection from Chennai, Kochi, Coimbatore, Trichy in south India.

The stopover at Colombo airport is one and a half hours and the total travel time including transit is 13 hours.

As the route from Chennai to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, one of the biggest transit hubs for international travel, is getting saturated, the new hub which has opened up will be convenient for travellers from Chennai as there are no direct flights from Chennai to Australian cities.

People now fly via Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Dubai and Abu Dhabi which offers flights to Melbourne and Sydney with travel time ranging between 13 hours to 19 hours including layover at transit airports.

Catering to the demand for travel to Australia from Chennai, Etihad Airways offer a connection to Melbourne via Abu Dhabi with a layover of one and a half hours with a total travel time of 19 hours which is just two hours more than the total travel time of Singapore Airlines via Changi Airport in Singapore.

Sri Lankan also operates one-stop twice-daily services between Sri Lanka and Australia with its code share partners Qantas and Malaysia Airlines.

Metro Travels said, " Though airlines based in the Middle East offer good connection via Abu Dhabi and Dubai, most of the people do not prefer to spend flying four hours to the Middle East to board connecting flights to Australia. People fly this way because options are fewer."

Tamil Nadu govt staff plays rummy in mobile during farmers' grievances day meet, served notice 

Bosco Dominique | TNN | Nov 19, 2017, 21:24 IST

VILLUPURAM: An engineer of the Tamil Nadu electricity board was spotted playing rummy in his mobile phone when the farmers of the Villupuram district were narrating their woes during the farmers' grievances day meeting chaired by the district colletor, last Friday.

District collector, L Subramanian, swung into action after receiving complaints against the engineer and directed the superintending engineer to serve a notice seeking an explanation from him as to why action cannot be taken against him for his behaviour within 15 days.

"I have asked the SE (superintending engineer) to serve a notice to him (Tamil Nadu electricity board engineer) seeking an explanation within 15 days. We will take further course of action based on his explanation," district collector said.

The TNEB official was identified as executive engineer (Tindivanam) Sadasivam. The farmers have been complaining that the district officials holding the farmers' grievances day meet were not attentive. They charged that the officials either sleep or play games or watch serials in their mobile phones during the meeting when the farmers outlined their woes seeking help from the government.

Chromepet, Pallavaram locals demand more small buses

TNN | Updated: Nov 20, 2017, 01:50 IST

 

Chennai: Residents and commuters of Chrompet and Pallavaram have urged MTC authorities to increase the frequency of small buses in the area. Commuters said the frequency of buses on routes S81 and S82 which cover several interior areas such as Pozhichalur has decreased.

Commuters said that as of now the frequency of the small buses operating in interior areas is about 45 minutes a trip. They urged authorities to bring the frequency to 15 minutes and for more buses in the suburbs.

Residents of Sembakkam and Chitlapakkam have also been affected in this regard. Residents and commuters have also urged the authorities to ensure that buses plying between Tambaram and Velachery stop at the Rajakilpakkam bus stand.

"As we do not have our own vehicles we are largely dependent on the MTC buses and these buses were of great help to us. The authorities should ensure that commuters are not stranded due this low frequency of the buses," said M Srinivasan, a resident of Pozhichalur.

S K Gopinath a resident of Sarvamangala Nagar in Sembakkam said MTC should have a meeting with the residents of Sembakkam and Chitlapakkam and listen to their woes about poor bus services. He said, "If one needs to go to Parry's or Central, we have to take a bus to Tambaram or Pallavaram and then another from there as there is no direct bus."

With lesser number of buses plying in the suburbs, there is always a huge crowd even after peak hours. Commuters in the suburbs said authorities should ensure that bus number 51 G plying from Tambaram to Vengaivasal is regular. The small bus service S3 from Chrompet to Madambakkam should also increase its frequency since there is a high demand and the buses are always crowded. Residents of Chrompet who commute to Jothi Nagar requested that the S 10 bus frequency be increased.

Registrar on way out, Anna University to be headless

TNN | Nov 20, 2017, 07:00 IST

 

 

 

Academicians remarked the government should take the matter more seriously, provided the university is the nod... Read More

 

CHENNAI:It has been 18 months since Anna University had a vice-chancellor and in a week's time the tenure of the registrar ends too. Two search committees constituted for appointing a VC have come and gone, but the varsity continues to be headless.

There have also been no announcements about the third search committee supposed to have been constituted around November 15. This, even as the varsity looks to bring in new measures like the online counselling for the Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions, the preparation for which will start in a few months.

Higher education secretary Sunil Paliwal said a search committee would be reconstituted in a week's time. "A syndicate meeting will be held during which the varsity will appoint a nominee," he said.

Sources in the department said there is only one nominee appointed so far. The government's nominee is ex-IAS officer Sundaradevan while the governor's nominee is yet to be decided. Another nominee will be elected during the next syndicate meeting of the varsity, officials said.

Academicians remarked the government should take the matter of appointing a VC much more seriously, provided the university is the nodal centre for engineering admissions to colleges across the state.

Former VC E Balaguruswamy said, "This is not even a matter of months, its extending to years. There is no routine followed, no plan and no development. For efficient running of such campuses and exchange of academic ideas, the incoming V-C should ideally be appointed before the exit of the former one. The new VC should be introduced to the existing issues on campus by the retiring authority ," he said.

Political delays also impact these decisions, said an education department official who wished to remain anonymous.