Kalasapakkam MLA offers full fin support to Neet aspirants 

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | S THIRUNAVUKARASU
 
Published Mar 2, 2018, 3:25 am IST

Even as most of the state’s socio-political class is agitating for exemption from Neet for Tamil Nadu students. 


V. Panneerselvam with his wife

Tiruvannamalai: Even as most of the state’s socio-political class is
agitating for exemption from Neet for Tamil Nadu students, the AIADMK legislator V. Panneerselvam of Kalasapakkam, about 15 km from here, has shunned that populist campaign and chosen a more pragmatic approach to help the students in real terms. He has announced “complete financial support for the entire course period” for all the students emerging successful in the coming Neet exam, terming the munificence his way of contributing towards the uplift of his backward Tiruvannamalai district.

“Now that Neet has come to stay due to the court order, we must do our best to equip our children to qualify for admission into good medical colleges. Our Tiruvannamalai district has been backward for long in economic development and higher education. My Kalasapakkam constituency is even worse. I have decided to work for positive change and this personal funding for my medical students is the first step towards it”, Panneerselvam told DC.

Unlike some of his party seniors and ministers getting enmeshed in unseemly controversies and corruption charges, this ruling party MLA has steered clear of such mess and has now begun the process to apportion some of his ‘honest’ income from yarn business towards helping the poor students in his constituency to pursue medical education. “I am also setting up a home for the aged and a coaching centre for IAS and other competitive exams. All the tenth class and plus-2 students scoring the first three top marks in my district will get gold chains weighing five, three and two sovereigns respectively”, said the MLA, who had passed plus-two and ITI as ‘fitter’ over two decades ago.

If all these promises and pledges are prospective, Panneerselvam has an impressive performance sheet to convince he would honour them, despite belonging to the political breed. The first-time MLA has been also visiting all the government schools on the Teachers’ Day to honour the teachers.

with gifts and words of praise. “Teachers are Gods. They sacrifice their time and energy to help shape our future generations even if they are forced to neglect their own children in the process. Yet, most often they remain unrecognised”.

Asked about his family, Panneerselvam, 45, said, “We don’t have children, but that does not sadden and discourage us. We consider all these kids in my Kalasapakkam constituency as ours.” There’s something else that’s unusual about this politico’s home: despite being the wife of a ruling party MLA, Rajeswari has remained an ‘ordinary’ data-entry-operator at the district SP’s office.

Firm to compensate Rs 29 lakh to kin of SETC bus driver 

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

Published Mar 2, 2018, 3:33 am IST

In her petition, J. Rose Mary of Medavakkam said that her husband John Bright Raj, 51 worked as a driver in the SETC. 


The Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal, Chennai, ordered a private insurance firm to pay compensation of Rs 28.88 lakh to family members of State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) bus driver.

Chennai: The Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal, Chennai, ordered a private insurance firm to pay compensation of Rs 28.88 lakh to family members of State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) bus driver, who died in a road accident five years ago.

In her petition, J. Rose Mary of Medavakkam said that her husband John Bright Raj, 51 worked as a driver in the SETC. On September 24, 2013 at about 1.30 am, he was driving a bus from Chennai to Kanyakumari. When bus reached Manikandam near Trichy on the Trichy to Madurai highway, a trailer lorry was parked in the middle of the road, its parking lights not switched on. The bus driven by John Bright Raj hit the lorry and he, the conductor and other passengers sustained grievous injuries. John Bright Raj who sustained multiple injuries, died on the way to hospital.

An FIR was registered by Manikandam police station, Trichy district. She said that her family including her two daughters and his mother, depended on the income of her husband and had now lost their sole breadwinner.

Rose Mary contended that the accident had occurred due to the negligence of the lorry driver. Hence, the owner of the lorry M. Rangasamy of Thathathiripuram, Namakkal district and insurer of the vehicle, Reliance General Insurance Co.Ltd., Nungambakkam, were liable to pay a compensation of `40 lakh to them.

In its reply, Reliance General Insurance Co.Ltd denied the allegations and attributed the accident due to the negligence of John Bright Raj. Hence, they said this petition was liable to be dismissed.

On completion of trial, the Judge, Small Causes Court-II, S. Priya held that the accident took place due to the act of the lorry driver. She directed the insurance firm to pay compensation of `28.88 lakh to the family members with interest of 7.5 per cent per annum from July 2014.

RCH ID mandatory for birth certificates 

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

Published Mar 2, 2018, 3:48 am IST

A Greater Chennai Corporation official said that the state is planning to roll out a unified portal to download birth and death certificates 


If the DPH goes by its schedule, expecting parents should provide the RCH ID number to download the birth certificates of their newborn babies from April 1.

CHENNAI: If the department of public health (DPH) goes by its schedule, expecting parents should provide the RCH ID (Reproductive and Child Health ID) number to download the birth certificates of their newborn babies from April 1.

“Village and urban nurses have been uploading details of expecting mothers to Pregnant and Infant Cohort Monitoring and Evaluation (PICME) software and providing 12-digit RCH ID numbers. Expecting mothers can obtain RCH ID at public health centres, urban PHCs and government hospitals after registering in PICME software. They can also register their details from home,” a DPH official said.

A Greater Chennai Corporation official said that the state is planning to roll out a unified portal to download birth and death certificates.

“The DPH is likely to introduce the new facility from April 1. Parents should provide an RCH ID number to download birth certificates. This proviso will prevent irregularities in the system and crimes based on forged birth certificates,” the official added.

The RCH ID will help mothers obtain continued ante-natal care from hospitals. Mothers who have obtained RCH ID will also benefit from the Dr.Muthulakshmi Reddy Maternity Assistance Scheme.

Director of public health K. Kolandaswamy said that some private hospitals fail to register in PICME and generate RCH IDs. “Now we have made RCH ID mandatory for birth certificates so that private hospitals will be forced to abide by the rules,” he added.

Meanwhile, the DPH is also planning to make Aadhaar number of the kin to download death certificates of their dear departed.

TECHTONIC

TECH FOR SENIOR CITIZENS 

02.03.2018

Savio D’Souza and Ashutosh Desai tell you about gadgets and gizmos that helps seniors lead independent healthy lives…

MOBILE, KEY TRACKER

Aging comes with its own challenges. People tend to forget where they’ve kept things like their keys and mobile phones, and this often leads to a frantic search. The Motorola P1500 (₹830) is a tiny device—slightly larger than a matchbox—that comes with a 1500mAh rechargeable battery and a metal link to attach your house and car keys. After you connect the device to the Motorola Connect app on your Android smartphone via Bluetooth, you can use the app to locate the keys if they’ve been misplaced or lost.

All you need to do is use the app to ping the P1500 and—if it is within Bluetooth rangeit sounds an audible alarm to help you trace it. You can also use the app to see the lastknown location of your keys on a map. Alternatively, you can use the P1500 to trace your smartphone. Just press the button on its side to ping your handset. The gizmo also comes with a microUSB port that allows you to juice your smartphone batteries in case of emergencies.

DOOR CAMERA

Instead of the conventional peephole, consider a door camera for added security. The Zicom Video Door Phone (₹8,500) comprises an outdoor unit that houses a doorbell, night vision camera, microphone and a speaker, as well as a 7-inch colour display for indoors. The former sports a tamper-proof metal body and can be mounted at an angle to make it inconspicuous. The display has controls to adjust brightness, contrast and volume level.

You can also consider the Godrej Security Solutions Solus 4.3 Lite (₹7,000), which offers similar features. You get a smaller 4.3-inch colour display, but it can be connected to two door bells.

Both setups will let you see who is outside without opening the door, and allow for two-way communication. Note that they will need to be set up by a technician and you may be charged for installation.

PAIN RELIEF

For aching backs and necks, you might want to take a dekko at the Dr Trust 3D Cushion Massager (₹2,000) – a portable device that has six shiatsu balls inside it that rotate to give a deep tissue massage. You also get a controller to switch between two massage modes and heat intensities.

Then there is the Omron Pain Relief TENS PM3030 (₹3,800), which uses electrotherapy to provide relief to stiff and sore muscles. It consists of a palm-sized controller and two reusable self-adhesive pads. The former lets you choose from three pain modes, with up to five intensity levels, to transmit mild currents to stimulate nerves and muscles – on the lower back, arms, shoulders, legs and hips – to alleviate pain.

PILL REMINDER

If you constantly forget to take your medication on time or even if you have senior citizens and children under your supervision, install the Medisafe Pill Reminder & Medication Tracker app for Android and iOS handsets. This app lets you set reminders for all your medications, along with their dosage, type (whether pill, drops, spray, etc), and the time they are to be taken. If you enter the number of pills you have in stock, the app will even tell you when you are running out, so you can refill your prescription. Medisafe lets you store contact details of your doctors, medical appointments and pathology reports.

While Medisafe is for the phone, you can also keep the MedCenter Medication Reminder (₹3,800) by the bedside. The clock has a large, backlit digital display; it can also read the time out when the “Talk” button is pressed and has two loudness settings. It can be configured to sound a pre-recorded voice reminder four times a day – morning, afternoon, evening, night – every day. The alert is played continuously at intervals until the “Alarm Acknowledged” button is pressed to confirm that the medication has been taken.

WEIGHING SCALE

If you have to follow a strict diet then you should invest in a “body composition monitor”. The Omron HBF-212 (₹3,000) can calculate body fat percentage, visceral fat percentage, skeletal muscle percentage and resting metabolism. However, its display and controls are set on its measuring surface. The Omron HBF-375 (₹8,000), on the other hand, has a retractable handle and display that lets you see your readings at eye level.

Both scales use the bioelectric impedance (BI) method to calculate these percentage values. This is deduced by measuring the body’s electric conductivity, in relation to the age, height and weight of the user. Both scales can store data for up to four users for 90 days, and are powered by four AAA batteries that will last you for a nearly a year when used to measure 2-4 times a day.

WIRELESS CAMERA

You can also install a wireless network camera to keep a watch over family members who depend on you, even when you’re not at home. For installation, you will need a Wi-Fi router with a broadband connection. The camera connects to this wireless device to stream recordings of its surroundings to your laptop or smartphone.

The D-Link DCS-933L (₹2,900) is a video camera that includes motion detection and infrared LEDs for low-light recording. It is easy to set up; live views can be accessed via its app for Android and iOS handsets, and it can also be configured to send you e-mail alerts with snapshots and video footage. 

Alternatively, check out the

Sricam SP Series SP005

(₹2,700). It is a motorised camera, which can be controlled to pan horizontally and vertically via its Android/iOS app and PC software, to cover more area. It boasts of IR night vision; twoway audio communication and can save footage to an SD card.

EMERGENCY LIGHT

Most injuries in seniors are caused from falls, and illuminated surroundings can help to prevent tripping over obstacles in the dark. Here, the Juvo Wonderlite Torch (₹1,090) and the Juvo Wonderlite (₹800) can help.

Both devices come with LED lights that are automatically activated by a motion sensor even in pitch darkness. The lights switch off automatically after 30 seconds giving you enough time to reach for a light switch.

The Wonderlight Torch can also be used as a flashlight. Simply take it out of its holster and carry it in the ‘ON’ position. Both devices can be hung on a wall, attached in bathrooms, bedrooms and cupboards, or by the main door—via the included dual-sided sticky tape.

The Wonderlites come with a 12-month warranty and do not require any wiring. In the box pack, you also get standard pencil cell batteries that promise you up to a year of use before they need to be replaced.

Nine TN med colleges among 140 denied nod to start new PG courses 

02.03.2018

Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com

Chennai: At least 140 medical colleges, including nine from Tamil Nadu, have been denied permission to start new postgraduate degree and diploma courses or increase seats for their existing courses in 2018-19. A public notice published by the health ministry on Thursday said rejection letters have been sent to the concerned colleges by post.

The nine colleges in the state, including four government colleges — Vellore Medical College, Salem-based Mohankumaramangalam Medical College, Theni Medical College, and Stanley Medical College — have been denied permission to start various courses including degrees in paediatrics, dermatology, general medicine, opathalmology, anatomy and pathology.

A senior MCI official said that the evaluation process has been reasonable this year.

“We did not approve courses if the college did not have adequate faculty or infrastructure,” he said, adding “While we understand that we cannot be stringent if more institutions want to run post graduate and specialist courses, we decided we will not compromise on minimum standards.”

Tamil Nadu health department said it will add 101 postgraduate medical seats across 14 government medical colleges during the 2018 admission season, taking the total PG seats in the state to 1,585.

The state has been approved additional seats for Chennai-based hospitals Kilpauk Medical College (five seats in MD pathology) and Stanley Medical College (three seats in MD forensic medicine). Colleges in south TN — Thoothukudi Medical College
(32), Tirunelveli Medical College (four) and Theni Medical College (11) — will get 47 seats in surgical and medical streams.

In the west, Coimbatore Medical College will get two seats, Salem three and Dharmapuri six. While Trichy will add 19 seats, Chengalpet gets 16.

The admission process for the academic year will begin in March with the sale of applications, TN selection committee member secretary Dr G Selvaraj said. “We are waiting for the National Board of Examination to send us the rank list for our state,” he added.

MISSING A BEAT

PANEL MAY LOOK INTO ISSUE

Journalism students of Madras univ write to VC against HoD 
 
02.03.2018

Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com

Chennai: University of Madras is inquiring into a complaint filed by 12 journalism students against the head of department (HoD), professor G Ravindran, stating that he did not show them their semester exam answer scripts as mandated, and did not take classes regularly.

The separate, detailed complaint letters, signed by seven first year MA students and five second year MA students, were handed over to vice-chancellor P Duraisamy as well as the registrar, dean (academic), dean (student affairs) and controller of examinations around three weeks ago. Ravindran is currently a member of the university’s syndicate.

Duraisamy said he met Ravindran and the students, and that a committee would be constituted to look into the issue if it was not resolved. On Thursday, three of the students sat on a protest, declining to meet officials.

As per the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) regulations of the university, professors have to show the corrected answer scripts to the students.

On the question of Ravindran’s attendance, the second year students claimed in the letter that “of the 64 classes on film studies, he took only 24, of which 10 were movie screenings. He took only three classes on news editing and writing in 2016-17. In one subject, he correctedthe answer sheetsonly after we questioned him about the marks. He checked them with a pencil.”

The students also complained that none of his lectures started on time. The first year students wrote that he took only seven lectures of news editing, writing and print journalism 1 and that during one of the exams, he gave the question paper one and a half hours late, as he had not set it till then.

Ravindran refuted all allegations and said that he had always shown the students their answer scripts. “An allegation like this has never been raised against me earlier. The students are lying as they failed to clear the exams,” he said.

90 engineering students in city raise funds, change life for city slum girls 

02.03.2018

Ranjani.Ayyar@timesgroup.com

Chennai: Ninety students of SRM University are on a mission to spread the word of hygiene in the slums of Chennai.

Through a crowdfunding campaign on Fueladream-.com , they are raising funds to distribute low-cost sanitary napkins to girls and women in the Perungulathur slum area.

Inspired by Arunachalam Muruganantham and his efforts to spread awareness on the use of sanitary pads, the students conducted a survey at various slums in the city. They are also aware that lack of sanitary napkins is one of the main causes of dropouts among schoolgirls in the country.

“We were startled to know that less than 20% of the slums get access to low cost pads. We decided to take this on as a mission,” said Ayush Dadich, president, Blooming Beacon, a studentrun NGO at SRM University.

With 90 students participating in the initiative, each student is entrusted with raising ₹10,000 within 12 days. The campaign has raised ₹5.5 lakh already.

“Initially, we were unsure about even raising ₹1 lakh though the cost of supplying one woman with pads for a year is only ₹250. We have already raised ₹5.5 lakh,” said Dadich.

Once they raise ₹9 lakh, the students plan to procure and supply these pads for a year on a monthly basis. “We have already identified suppliers and are negotiating with them. If all goes well, we should be able to start distributing by April 1,” he said.

Ranganath Thota, founder, FuelADream said, “It is a simple, high-impact initiative that is the need of the hour. Supplying pads for a year will definitely ensure awareness and change in behavior among girls and women. Crowdfunding is a great enabler and will ensure sufficient funds are raised to meet the needs of the students”

FIND A DREAM:
Saranya (from left to right), Mudit and Niyati have collected the most finances for the cause through a crowdfunding drive