Medical varsity to evaluate answer scripts online 

R. Sujatha 
 
CHENNAI, April 16, 2018 00:37 IST
 
Move will save time and help minimise errors

The Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University has moved to online evaluation of answer scripts from this year.

The decision was announced by the University’s Vice Chancellor S. Geethalakshmi in 2016 following which a pilot project was taken up last year.

The university receives as many as 3.5 lakh answer scripts for evaluation every semester. Not only would online evaluation speed up the process but would also help minimise errors while correcting the scripts, said Registrar T. Balasubramanian.

The software was developed by an outside agency but the server is located in the university and uses the intranet facility. Once the answer scripts are received they are scanned and uploaded on the server. The computer will automatically generate random numbers for each answer script.

Quick process

When the evaluation was done manually the university required a month to complete the process. But now the process can be completed in 10 days, Dr. Balasubramanian explained.

“Earlier there was only one session in a day and this delayed the correction process. Now, we have two shifts where examiners will come at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. When they start evaluating the papers the answer keys will be displayed alongside the answer sheets. This will minimise the possibility of errors,” he said.

The software is built in such a way that when a candidate is found to have failed it will automatically go for a re-valuation. “The computer will simultaneously carry out evaluation when a candidate has failed. This is done to ensure that there are no errors,” Dr. Balasubramanian said. 

The system has a built in mechanism to check examiners from skipping pages. Only after the answer to a question is evaluated will the answer key for the next answer appear. Another advantage of the online process is that it makes it easier to calculate the remuneration for evaluators.

When students call for copies of their corrected answer scripts it is easy to recall them as they are stored online. “The university offers 600 courses and for 290 days some exam or the other is on. The system is foolproof and will be continuously in use,” the Registrar said.

Alagappa University appointment of VC Notification TOI

Pondy CM finds 70% staff ‘absent’ in office, orders pay cut

Bosco.Dominique@timesgroup.com   17.04.2018

Puducherry : Chief minister V Narayanasamy, made a surprise visit to the chief secretariat at 9.30am on Monday, and was in for a shock. More than 70% of the staff had not arrived at the office whose work hours are from 8.45am to 1pm and 2pm to 5.45pm.

After ordering a pay cut for a day for the absentees, he found the biometric attendance facility defunct. He inspected all the departments functioning in the five-storied building and found most seats empty. Only peons were present in most departments.Narayanasamy directed the chief secretary and secretaries to initiate stringent action against the latecomers including deducting a day’s salary and disciplinary proceedings against those coming late often. He said he and his cabinet colleagues will undertake surprise inspections at government offices in future.

The inspection was the result of frequent complaints of inordinate delay in getting clearance for routine administrative matters from officials.

“We chalked out a proposal to launch biometric attendance at all government offices. Stern action will be taken against those using official vehicles for personal purposes as well,” said Narayanaswamy.

“We propose to constitute a committee to monitor and action against such people,” he said.

CM V Narayanasamy at the near-empty office on Monday

Prof tries to lure girls for officials, held

Oppn Parties Demand CBI Investigation

TIMES NEWS NETWORK   17.04.2018

Madurai: Seven hours after they knocked on the doors of assistant professor Nirmala Devi, who allegedly tried to lure some girl students to do sexual favours for higher officials in Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU), the police broke into the house and arrested her on Monday evening. She was taken to the Aruppukkottai town police station.

Nirmala Devi, who taught at Devanga Arts College (affiliated to MKU) in Aruppukkottai, Virudhunagar district, allegedly tried to lure a group of four BSc final year students when she went to MKU last month for a refresher course. The girls filed a complaint with the college management on March 19, based on which the faculty member was placed under temporary suspension on March 21. The incident came to light again as the 20-minute conversation — in which she is heard allegedly trying to convince the young girls to do sexual favours to get marks and financial support — went viral on social media. The Aruppukkottai town police registered a case under IPC Sections 370 (buying or disposing of any persons as slaves) and 511 (attempting to commit offence punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment). She was also booked under Section 65 of the Information Technology Act. The case was based on a complaint from college secretary R Ramasamy. Police sources said Nirmala Devi completed her graduation from Devanga College and did her research in MKU.

Earlier in the day, MKU vice chancellor P P Chellathurai announced an inquiry by a fivemember committee led by senate member Lellis Thivakar. He said that the university had not been informed by the college earlier. He added that the university had a tamper-proof system in place and no paper could be traced to alter the marks. Nirmala had told the students in the conversation that they could get 85% marks in return for certain favours.

Opposition parties reacted strongly to the developments. “Since a teacher, who has to impart education, has tried to spoil the life of students, the probe into the matter should be handed over to the CBI under the supervision of the high court,” DMK working president M K Stalin tweeted.

PMK youth wing leader and Lok Sabha member Anbumani Ramadoss said, “The shocked students are heard saying in a broken voice that they are not interested. Undeterred, the professor tells the students that if they agree to the proposal the students can achieve anything.” The CPM wanted all sections of society to protest against the incident. “People must raise their voice against such issues happening in Tamil Nadu,” said party state secretary K Balakrishnan.

Meanwhile, a group of students and members of the All India Democratic Women’s Association took out a protest at the college demanding the termination of the faculty member’s service.

Governor Purohit orders probe

Chennai: In an unusual move, Governor Banwarilal Purohit, who is also chancellor of MKU, ordered a high-level inquiry by retired IAS officer R Santhanam into the incident based on a report from the MKU. Santhanam was collector of Ramanathapuram and had held several senior positions before retiring in the rank of chief secretary. A Raj Bhavan statement said, “It is important to inquire into such matters immediately and without prejudice so that the guilty do not escape without punishment.” State fisheries minister D Jayakumar said the government will act. “A professor misleading the students cannot be accepted,” he said promising an appropriating inquiry by the law enforcement officers. TNN

Getting copies of degree certificate just got simpler

Sambath.Kumar@timesgroup.com 17.04.2018

Trichy: The higher education department has simplified the process of obtaining duplicate copies of mark sheets and degree certificates but for aprice, of course.

Speaking to TOI, secretary in the higher education department, Sunil Paliwal said that from now on a candidate only had to apply for a duplicate certificate with an ID proof and required fee to get the certificate issued in a few days. The new system has come into effect.

The duplicate issued by the university will have the same details as the original and will be considered equivalent to that of the original. Before the new system came into effect, candidates were made to run from pillar to post for it. A candidate had to get a first information report (FIR) filed and get a non-traceable certificate after a wait of several weeks in order to apply for a duplicate with the concerned university. In case of losing the semester mark sheet, a police complaint was enough to obtain a duplicate mark sheet.

“Apart from getting nontraceable certificate from the police, candidates had to give an advertisement in the newspaper on the missing certificates. The university used to provide duplicate certificates after submission of both,” said an administrative staff member of Bharathidasan University.

If the duplicate certificate might have cost only ₹100 now, the delay of over a month and beyond in certain cases, mainly due to administrative delay, was more tiring for the candidate, said the staffer.

“A candidate should be able to get a duplicate copy of his or her certificate any number of times. Students need not go to the police station as per the new rule and should be offered a duplicate copy on furnishing a valid identity proof,” said Sunil Paliwal.

However, he said that a reasonable charge had been fixed for it to avoid unnecessary claims for duplicate copies
.

No further plea once compensation is accepted in land acquisition: HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 
 
17.04.2018

Chennai: In land acquisition cases, once a compensation package is accepted, no legal right survives for the land owner to demand enhancement of compensation, said the Madras high court.

Clarifying the legal point on Monday, a division bench of Justice K K Sasidharan and Justice P Velmurugan set aside an order passed by a single judge, allowing one such plea moved by EVP Estates and Properties Development Ltd, whose land was acquired for Chennai airport expansion project.

On October 9, 2007, the Tamil Nadu government granted administrative sanction for acquisition of 886.6 acres of land in Kolapakkam, Manapakkam, Tharapakkam, Gerugambakkam and Kovoor villages in Sriperumbadur taluk, Kanchipuram district for the expansion of Chennai airport.

To begin with, 126.59 acres of land in Manapakkam and Kolapakkam were acquired, and they included land owned by EVP Estates. On July 29, 2008 a GO was passed fixing the land value for different kinds of land for settlement with the landowners and determination of compensation by agreement under the Land Acquisition Act.

On receipt of a copy of the individual awards, EVP Estates executed separate agreements, agreeing to receive the compensation ₹44.41 crore. Pursuant to the awards and taking into account the consent agreements, Kancheepuram collector paid compensation to EVP Estates and obtained receipts.

After receiving the compensation, the company issued a notice dated December 19, 2013 to the special tahsildar, to refer the matter to the civil court for determination of enhanced compensation. But the tahsildar rejected the request on the ground that it was a consent acquisition. The company then moved the HC. It was allowed by asingle bench of the court.

The present petition is moved by the district collector assailing the single judge’s order.

The bench said, “The single judge, without discussing the legal effect of the agreement executed by the company for accepting the award, proceeded as if it was a simple case of failure to refer the matter. The plea was allowed and a writ was issued for reference to the civil court.”

Relying on a decision of the Supreme Court which said, a right of a landholder to obtain an order of reference would arise only when he has not accepted the award and once such award is accepted, no legal right in him survives for claiming a reference to the civil court, the bench allowed the appeal.

Tribunal directs MTC to pay ₹13L to kin of man killed in accident

TIMES NEWS NETWORK   17.04.2018

Chennai: The Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal directed the general manager of Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) to pay a compensation of ₹12.7 lakh to the family of a corporation sanitary worker who was killed in an accident involving an MTC bus near Vandalur Zoo, eight years ago.

V Settu, 47, was knocked down by the bus when crossing the road near Vandalur Zoo around 7pm on July 10, 2009, according to the petition.

The petitioner claimed that bus was moving from Guduvanchery towards Vadapalani and was driven in a rash and negligent manner leading to the accident. The family sought a compensation of ₹15 lakh from the MTC.

MTC, however, denied the allegations and said that its driver was very cautious and was proceeding slowly as the road was occupied by a lot of light and heavy vehicles at the time.

“At the Vandalur signal, after passengers had alighted and boarded, the driver started the bus in a careful manner. Suddenly, he noticed a man who was walking on the platform in a zigzag manner. The pedestrian ignored the sound of the horn and while the bus was moving slowly, he suddenly crossed the road,” MTC stated in its counter petition.

It further suggested that Settu may have been drunk emphasising that the accident occurred only due to the gross negligence on the part of the pedestrian.

K Ramanathan, additional district judge, Chengelpet perused the documents available on both sides and ruled in favour of the petitioners.

“The MTC has not proved that the driver was careful and cautious at the time of the accident and has also not proved that the deceased contributed certain factors for the cause of the accident,” the judge observed. Further, the Otteri police had also registered a case against the driver citing rash and negligent driving.

“There is no oral or documented evidence to prove that the deceased was under the influence of alcohol as claimed by the MTC,” the order stated.

The judge directed the MTC to pay a compensation of ₹12.7 lakh to the family of V Settu within two months of the order.