Protester who was denied passport gets relief from HC


Saravanan.L1@timesgroup.com

Madurai: The regional passport officer (Madurai Region) has been directed to issue the passport to a diploma holder who was denied the document after he suppressed information about the filing of a criminal case against him for taking part in a protest against Tasmac.

A division bench of justices M Sathyanarayanan and R Hemalatha of the of the Madras high court’s Madurai bench gave the relief to Arumugam of Sattur in Virudhunagar district by disposing his appeal against the single judge order dated January 29 last dismissing his writ petition against the passport authority.

Arumugam, a diploma holder in electrical and electronic engineering (EEE), and a few others on April 18, 2017, assembled in front of a Tasmac outlet and raised slogans demanding its closure. It led the Sattur police to register a case against him. He did not disclose this in his passport application.

The regional passport authority issued a notice to him on January 9 directing him to explain within 30 days why he had suppressed the information. Challenging it, he filed a writ.

The assistant solicitor general had argued that once the case was registered, the petitioner was obliged to disclose the said fact. He was aware of the said fact but did not disclose the said material fact and in the light of Sections 10(a), 10

(2)(b) and 10(3)(b) of the Passport Act, 1967, was not entitled to get the passport, he said. But, the bench said, “Mere pendency of FIR proceedings cannot be construed as pendency of criminal proceedings. Admittedly, in the case on hand, the case is in FIR stage and even for the sake of arguments, subsequently, the chargesheet has been filed, as on the date of submission of the application for passport, only FIR is pending and it cannot be construed as pendency of a criminal case and it cannot be said that the petitioner has suppressed the material fact of pendency of the criminal case.”

It then directed the regional passport officer to process the passport application in accordance with law.

All med colleges to offer PG, boost specialty care

Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com  11.04.2018


Chennai: The Medical Council of India (MCI) has amended the admission regulations to make it mandatory for all medical colleges offering MBBS to start postgraduate courses by 2020. The amendment, the council hopes, will boost the number of specialists in fields such as general medicine and surgery, paediatrics, gynaecology and orthopaedics.

Medical colleges have to apply for permission to start postgraduate medical education courses within three years of grant of recognition or three years from the date of inclusion of the MBBS qualification, according to the Postgraduate Medical Education (Amendment) Regulations, 2018, notified on April 5. If the permission is not granted for lack of faculty, human resources, patients, bed strength or infrastructure, the institution will be given two more opportunities to apply. Failure to make an application or obtain permission within the stipulated period will lead to withdrawal of recognition of MBBS qualification, it said. These regulations will come into effect from the academic year 2020-21 in order to provide time to existing colleges to apply, it said.

The MCI has more than 476 registered medical colleges with over 60,000 MBBS seats across the country. But the number of postgraduate seats –degree (MD/MS) or diploma – is less than 30,000. Even in states like Tamil Nadu that boast of having the largest number of government medical colleges, at least nine colleges don’t have PG courses. This year, with an addition of 157 seats, the state has 1,648 postgraduate degree and diploma seats.

The decision follows suggestions from the Union ministry of health and family welfare, said MCI vice-president Dr C V Bhirmanandam. “If we don’t push colleges to start higher speciality courses, we will have a serious dearth of doctors. It is the responsibility of colleges and governments to ensure there are adequate PG seats in every state,” he said.

Tamil Nadu director of medical education Dr A Edwin Joe said the central policy will help the state expedite its seat expansion plan. “The policy of the state is to have one medical college in every district, increase undergraduate seats by at least 100 every year and proportionately increase PG seats. The notification will add more vigour,” he said.

Even colleges not yet recognised for the award of MBBS degree under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, are allowed to apply to start PG courses in pre-clinical and para-clinical subjects along with the admission of fourth batch for the MBBS course, and in clinical subjects along with the admission of fifth batch for the MBBS course.

‘Pvt med colleges can fill 50% of seats’

This Will Be On The Basis Of NEET Merit List

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 11.04.2018

Chennai: In a boost to private medical colleges, the Medical Council of India’s amendments now allow non-governmental medical colleges and institutions to fill up 50% of their seats on the basis of the merit list prepared as per the marks obtained in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), after surrendering 50% to the state.

Admission through counselling will be done by the state appointed committee for government colleges. Self-financing colleges affiliated to the state university will admit students through single window counselling after surrendering 50% seats to the all-India quota.

“Until last year, all the admissions were made by the state authority. The seats were returned only when they could not be filled up after counselling,” said Dr G R Ravindranath, general secretary, Doctors’ Association for Social Equality. “While this is unfair, what is likely to delay the admission process in our state is the inclusion of incentives for in-service candidates working in rural areas,” he said.

While clearing the NEET will continue to be mandatory for admissions, the notification says in-service candidates may be given an incentive of up to 10% of their marks in the examination for each year of service in remote and/or difficult areas or rural areas up to a maximum of 30% of their marks. The remote and/or difficult areas or rural areas shall be as notified by the state or competent authority from time to time, it said.

“Based on recommendations from the six-member committee, the state released a notification for classification of districts. But rural areas are not included. It may have to be reworked,” said Ravindranath.

மே 2ல் சிறப்பு சுற்றுலா ரயில்

Added : ஏப் 09, 2018 23:39

மதுரை: இந்தியன் ரயில்வே உணவு, சுற்றுலா கழகம் சார்பில், மே., 2ல் ஏ.சி., சிறப்பு சுற்றுலா ரயில் இயக்கப்படுகிறது. சுற்றுலா பயணியர் சென்னை, கோவை, கொச்சியில் இருந்து விமானம் மூலம் டில்லிக்கு அழைத்துச் செல்லப்படுவர். பின், சிறப்பு ரயில் மூலம் ஆக்ரா, அமிர்தசரஸ், ஸ்ரீநகர், குல்மார்க், சோன்மார்க் ஆகிய இடங்களுக்கு, 12 நாட்கள் சுற்றுலா அழைத்து செல்லப்படுவர், 'காஷ்மீர் ஸ்பெஷல்' என்ற பெயரிலான சுற்றுலாவுக்கு, ஒரு நபருக்கு, 42,800 ரூபாய். டில்லி, ஆக்ரா, அமிர்தசரஸ், குலு, மணாலி, மணிகரன், சண்டிகர் ஆகிய இடங்களை உள்ளடக்கிய, 12 நாட்கள் 'குலு மணாலி ஸ்பெஷல்' சுற்றுலாவுக்கு ஒரு நபருக்கு 43,500 ரூபாய்.ரயில்வே ஸ்டேஷனில் உள்ள சுற்றுலா கழகம் மற்றும் ஐ.ஆர்.சி.டி.சி இணையத்தளத்தில் முன்பதிவு விபரங்களை தெரிந்து கொள்ளலாம் .

முதுநிலை மருத்துவ படிப்பு கவுன்சிலிங் தேதி மாற்றம்

Added : ஏப் 09, 2018 21:00

சென்னை: முதுநிலை மருத்துவ படிப்புகளில், அகில இந்திய ஒதுக்கீட்டு இடங்களுக்கான, இரண்டாம் கட்ட கவுன்சிலிங், 13ம் தேதிக்கு மாற்றப்பட்டுள்ளது. முதுநிலை மருத்துவ படிப்பு இடங்களில், 50 சதவீத இடங்கள், அகில இந்திய ஒதுக்கீட்டிற்கு செல்கிறது. இந்த ஒதுக்கீட்டில் உள்ள, எம்.டி., - எம்.எஸ்., - எம்.டி.எஸ்., போன்ற படிப்புகளில், மாணவர் சேர்க்கைக்கான முதற்கட்ட கவுன்சிலிங், மார்ச், 27ல் நடந்தது. இரண்டாம் கட்ட கவுன்சிலிங், இன்றும், நாளையும் நடக்கும் என, மத்திய சுகாதார சேவைகள் இயக்ககம் அறிவித்திருந்தது.தற்போது, 'ஆன்லைன்' கவுன்சிலிங் தேதி, 13ம் தேதிக்கு மாற்றப்பட்டுள்ளது. முடிவுகள், 15ம் தேதி வெளியிடப்பட உள்ளது.'இட ஒதுக்கீடு பெற்றவர்கள், 23ம் தேதிக்குள் கல்லுாரிகளில் சேர வேண்டும். மீதமுள்ள இடங்கள், மாநில ஒதுக்கீட்டுக்கு திருப்பி அனுப்படும்' என, மத்திய சுகாதார சேவை இயக்ககம் தெரிவித்துள்ளது.

டார்ஜிலிங், மணாலி, காஷ்மீருக்கு ஐ.ஆர்.சி.டி.சி., சிறப்பு சுற்றுலா

Added : ஏப் 09, 2018 20:58

சென்னை: டார்ஜிலிங், குலு, மணாலி மற்றும் காஷ்மீருக்கு, இந்தியன் ரயில்வே உணவு மற்றும் சுற்றுலா கழகமான, ஐ.ஆர்.சி.டி.சி., சிறப்பு சுற்றுலாவுக்கு ஏற்பாடு செய்துள்ளது. கேரள மாநிலம், கொச்சுவேலியில் இருந்து, பாலக்காடு, ஈரோடு, சேலம், சென்னை மற்றும் விஜயவாடா வழியாக, மேற்குவங்க மாநிலம், டார்ஜிலிங், சிக்கிம் மாநில தலைநகர், கேங்டாக் மற்றும் அங்குள்ள சுற்றுலா தலங்களுக்கு சென்று வர, 12 நாள் சுற்றுலா அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.  மே, 18ல் துவங்கும் சுற்றுலாவுக்கு, ஒருவருக்கு, 46 ஆயிரத்து, 200 ரூபாய் கட்டணம் சென்னை, கோவை மற்றும் கேரளா மாநிலம் கொச்சியில் இருந்து, காஷ்மீர், குலு மற்றும் மணாலிக்கு, மே, 2ல், விமானம் மற்றும் ரயிலில் செல்லும் வகையில், 12 நாள் சுற்றுலாவுக்கு ஏற்பாடு செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது.  சென்னை, கோவை மற்றும் கொச்சியில் இருந்து, டில்லிக்கு விமானத்தில் செல்லலாம். அங்கிருந்து, ரயிலில், ஆக்ரா, அமிர்தசரஸ், காஷ்மீர், குல்மார்க், சோன்மார்க் சென்று வரலாம். ஒருவருக்கு, 42 ஆயிரத்து, 800 ரூபாய் கட்டணம் டில்லியில் இருந்து, ஆக்ரா, அமிர்தசரஸ், குலு, மணாலி, மணிகரன் மற்றும் சண்டிகர் சென்று வரும், 12 நாள் சுற்றுலாவிற்கு, ஒருவருக்கு, 43 ஆயிரத்து, 500 ரூபாய் கட்டணம் நிர்ணயிக்கப்பட்டுஉள்ளது.மேலும் தகவல்களுக்கு, ஐ.ஆர்.சி.டி.சி.,யின் சென்னை அலுவலகம், 98409 02919; மதுரை அலுவலகம், 98409 02915 மற்றும் கோவை அலுவலகத்தை, 90031 40655 என்ற, மொபைல்போன் எண்களில், தொடர்பு கொள்ளலாம்.

15-yr-old boy rapes minor girl, batters her to death in K’taka

Shrinivasa.M@timesgroup.com 09.04.2018

Chikkamagaluru: A 15-year-old boy abducted a 12-year-old on her way home from school and raped her in a forested area barely a kilometre from her home. The girl’s parents, both farmers, found her battered body soon after the boy had smashed her head with stones when she resisted him and assaulted her as she bled to death.

The crime jolted Kesagodu village in Koppa taluk in Karnataka. The boy, who was found wandering out of the forest by the girl’s parents, was detained. A case has been registered under the Juvenile Justice Act.

Superintendent of police K Annamalai said the crime was reported on Saturday afternoon. “The girl is a Class VI student of a local school. Around 2pm on Saturday, she was returning home in an auto. The auto driver dropped her around 1.2km from home as usual. While she was walking home, a 15-year-old boy abducted her and took her inside the local forest. When she resisted the rape bid, he pounded her head with stones and sexually assaulted her. She died on the spot,” he said. The boy is a student of Class IX but barely attends school, police said.

The girl’s house is located more than a kilometre off the main road and her mother used to walk home with her every day. On Saturday, the auto dropped her around 10 minutes earlier than usual and she decided to walk home on her own. She was walking down a stretch of about 200m when the boy accosted her.

Telangana man stoned to death in Nizamabad for ‘raping’ minor girl

Hyderabad: A man was stoned to death in full public view for allegedly raping a minor girl at Donkeswar village of Nandipet mandal in Nizamabad district of Telangana late on Saturday. The horrific incident came to light on Sunday after the police launched a search operation to nab the culprits.

The police identified the slain man as Sayanna, 45. He was thrashed, tied to a tree in the village centre. Later, a group of villagers hurled stones at him till he collapsed in a pool of blood. Sayanna succumbed to his injuries while he was being shifted to a hospital. Sayanna, who worked in agricultural fields and did menial jobs, was drunk when he raped the minor girl, who was alone in the neighbourhood. The girl’s parents were away working in fields when the incident took place. TNN