ஏர்டெல் நெட்வொர்க் 'ஜாம்': வாசகர்களே எழுதுங்கள்

Updated : ஏப் 18, 2018 12:42 | Added : ஏப் 18, 2018 12:30 |

  கோவை: தமிழகத்தில், சில வாரங்களாக, ஏர்டெல் மொபைல்போன் நெட்வொர்க் கிடைக்காமல் பல லட்சம் வாடிக்கையாளர்கள் பரிதவிப்புக்கு ஆளாகியுள்ளனர்.

நாட்டின் பல்வேறு இடங்களில் மொபைல்போன் நெட்வொர்க் சேவை, 20 நாட்களுக்கு மேலாக சரிவர கிடைக்கவில்லை என பொதுமக்கள் மத்தியில் புகார் எழுந்துள்ளது. ஒரு நெட்வொர்க்கில் இருந்து மற்றொரு நெட்வொர்க்கில் உள்ள மொபைல் எண்ணுக்கு அழைக்க வேண்டுமெனில், பலமுறை முயற்சி செய்த பின்னரே இணைப்பு கிடைக்கிறது; சில சமயம் அதுவும் கிடைப்பதில்லை. மேலும், 4ஜி சிம்மில், 2ஜி சேவை தான் கிடைக்கிறது என்று 'நெட்டிசன்'கள் தரப்பிலும் கடும் அதிருப்தி கிளம்பி வருகிறது. சிக்னல் முழுமையாக இருந்தும் கால் செய்ய முடியவில்லை என்றும் பொதுமக்கள் புகார் தெரிவித்து வருகின்றனர்.
இது குறித்து, கோவை தொலைத்தொடர்புத்துறை கண்காணிப்பு மற்றும் புகார் பிரிவு இணை இயக்குனர் குப்புசாமி கூறியதாவது: தற்போது, ஏர்செல் வாடிக்கையாளர்கள், 32 லட்சம் பேர் ஏர்டெல்லில் இணைந்துள்ளனர். வோடபோன் நெட்வொர்க்கிற்கு, 27 லட்சம் பேரும், பி.எஸ்.என்.எல்., நெட்வொர்க்கிற்கு 8 லட்சம் பேரும் மாறியுள்ளனர்.

குறுகிய கால இடைவெளியில் பெருவாரியான வாடிக்கையாளர்கள் பிற நெட்வொர்க்கிற்கு மாறும் போது இத்தகைய நெட்வொர்க் பிரச்னை ஏற்படுவது வழக்கம். தமிழகத்தில், 27 ஆயிரம் மொபைல் போன் டவர்கள் உள்ளன. இதில், 9 ஆயிரம் டவர்களில், பிற ஆபரேட்டர்கள் அவரவர் ஆன்டனாவை பொருத்தி, கூட்டாக நெட்வொர்க் சேவை வழங்குகின்றனர்.

இவ்வாறு பகிர்ந்து அளிக்கும் நெட்வொர்க் வழியே ஒரு குறிப்பிட்ட அளவு அழைப்புகள் மட்டுமே செல்ல முடியும். தவறும்பட்சத்தில் நெட்வொர்க் நெரிசல் ஏற்படுகிறது. இந்த சமயங்களில், அழைப்புகளுக்கு உடனடியாக இணைப்பு கிடைக்காது; பலமுறை முயற்சி செய்ய வேண்டியிருக்கும். ஒரு குறிப்பிட்ட ஏரியாவில், 'சர்க்யூட்' செயலிழக்கும் போதே இதுபோன்ற பிரச்னைகள் ஏற்படுகின்றன. நெட்வொர்க் சிக்னல் முழுமையாக இருக்கும். ஆனால் அழைப்புக்கு இணைப்பு கிடைக்காது.

இதற்கு மாற்றாக, டவர் ஆன்டனாக்களில் கூடுதல், 'கார்ட்ஸ்' இணைத்து நிலைமையை சரி செய்யலாம். ஆனால், ஒரே நாளில் ஆர்டர் செய்து, கார்டை பொருத்தி, டிராபிக்கை மீட்டெடுப்பது மிகவும் சிரமம்.இது தற்காலிக பிரச்னைதான். அதிகபட்சம், இரண்டு முதல் மூன்று வாரங்களில் சீராகிவிடும். ஒவ்வொரு நெட்வொர்க்கும் தினசரி கண்காணிக்க வேண்டும் என தனியார் மொபைல் போன் நிறுவனங்களுக்கு அறிவுறுத்தி வருகிறோம். எந்த ஏரியாவில், எந்த டவர்களின் வாயிலாக செல்லும் அழைப்புகளில் இதுபோன்ற பிரச்னை என்பதை ஆராய வேண்டும். நெட்வொர்க் ஜங்ஷன்களை தனியார் நிறுவனங்கள் அதிகரித்தால் இதுபோன்ற பிரச்னையை தவிர்க்கலாம். இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.

இது குறித்து ஏர்டெல் வாடிக்கையாளர்கள் கூறுகையில், 'பிற மொபைல் போன் நிறுவனங்கள் நெருக்கடிக்கு உள்ளாகும்போது, அதன் வாடிக்கையாளர்களை கவர்ச்சிகரமான வார்த்தைகளை கூறி ஈர்க்கும் ஏர்டெல் நிறுவனம், அதற்கான அடிப்படை தொழில்நுட்ப வசதிகளை ஏற்படுத்தவில்லை. இதனால், மொபைல் போனில் தொடர்பு கொள்ளும்போது, 'நெட்வொர்க் பிசி' என்று வருகிறது. இதன் காரணமாக, வேறு நிறுவனத்துக்கு மாறும் முடிவில் உள்ளோம்' என்றனர்.

'சிக்னல் பிரச்னையா?'

தனியார் மொபைல்போன் நிறுவன அதிகாரி ஒருவர் கூறுகையில், 'ஜியோவை தொடர்ந்து, மற்ற தனியார் மொபைல்போன் சேவை வழங்கும் நிறுவனங்களும், இலவச வாய்ஸ் கால், எஸ்.எம்.எஸ்., இன்டர்நெட் வசதிகளை அளித்து வருகின்றன. இதனால், வாய்ஸ்கால் பயன்பாடு அதிகரித்துள்ளது. குறிப்பாக, காலை, மாலை, இரவு சமயங்களில் டிராபிக் அதிகமாகும்போது அழைப்பு இணைக்கப்படுவதில் பிரச்னை உள்ளது. இவற்றை சீராக்கும் முயற்சியில், தனியார் மொபைல் போன் சேவை வழங்கும் நிறுவனங்கள் முழு வீச்சில் ஈடுபட்டுள்ளன. சிக்னலில் பிரச்னை என்றால் மொபைலை, 'ரீ- ஸ்டார்ட்' செய்து பயன்படுத்த வேண்டும்,' என்றார்.

Girl taken forcibly to mental hosp: HC for action on cops, docs

Abhinav.Garg@timesgroup.com 19.04.2018

New Delhi: Invoking the Supreme Court verdicts on right to privacy and the Hadiya case, the Delhi high court on Wednesday reunited a 23-year-old woman with her music teacher and ordered strict action against cops, doctors of a private mental hospital and an ambulance service who connived with her parents to abduct her and confine her in hospital.

The HC brushed aside strong opposition from the woman’s father, who claimed she was mentally unsound, and allowed her to return to live with the music teacher and his wife who had taught her since she was 11.

A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and C Hari Shankar noted that the plea before the court was that the woman should be protected against coercive retributive action of her parents for making personal life choices.

The court also ordered an inquiry against policemen of Malviya Nagar station who helped the parents, pointing out that “when a group of persons barges into a house, pins down a person forcibly, injects her with a sedative, and tries to take her away in an ambulance, a policeman cannot possibly be under the bona fide belief that all this was done in her best interest.”

Appalled at the widespread connivance of police, doctors and ambulance service with the parents, HC also awarded the girl, dubbed Z, compensation to be paid by each of these persons who violated her “fundamental rights to life, liberty and the right to dignity enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution.”

The court found serious lapses by the Cosmos Institute of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences (CIMBS), Delhi Psychiatry Centre, a private mental health facility in the city which admitted the woman against her wishes.

It asked the Medical Council of India to take action against Dr Sunil Mittal, Dr Sameer Kalani and Dr Raj Mishra of CIMBS, for “serious breach of the law and professional ethics.”

HC was also surprised at the role of Almas Ambulance Service in which Z was bundled off by her parents from the music teacher’s house with help of the cops. HC found the owner of the service, Abdul Gaffar, was an Ayurveda practitioner. It directed the Delhi government to immediately cancel the ambulance service’s licence.

CBSE issues dress code for NEET 2018

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 19.04.2018

New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has come out with the dress code for students taking the upcoming NEET 2018 exam.

While issuing the admit cards for the National Eligibility-cum Entrance Test (NEET 2018) for students willing to pursue MBBS and BDS at medical colleges in India, the board has advised candidates to come in “lightcoloured half-sleeves dress” and “not to wear shoes”. 

Reiterating the dress code it announced in 2017, the board has added that the candidates will have to report at the exam centre an hour earlier in case they choose to wear their “customary dress”. The CBSE had attracted a lot of criticism last year when students were forced to remove their head scarves to gain entry into the exam halls, leading to protests. According to the dress code, the candidates will have to wear “light clothes with half sleeves, not having big buttons, brooch/badge, flower etc. with salwar/ trouser,” and “slippers, sandals with low heels and not the shoes,” to the exam centre.

The NEET exam for the academic year 2018-19 will be conducted on Sunday, May 6, 2018 from 10am to 1pm. “The schedule will remain unaltered even if the date of the test is declared apublic holiday,” CBSE said in a statement.

CBSE has also barred students from carrying communication devices such as mobile phones, bluetooth earphones, microphones, pagers and health bands. The board said that no arrangement would be made at the centres for keeping any articles/items belonging to the candidates. “If any candidate is found in possession of any of the barred items inside the centre, it will be considered as use of unfair means and action will be taken against the candidate,” CBSE stated.

Other items not allowed inside the exam centres include bits of papers, geometry/ pencil box, plastic pouch, calculators, wallets, sunglasses, handbags, belt, cap, ornaments, watch etc.

STRICT RULES: Candidates who choose to wear their ‘customary dress’ will need to report at the exam centre an hour earlier

Cash crunch dampens Akshay Tritiya spirit

TIMES NEWS NETWORK   19.04.2018

Cash crunch at ATMs of nationalised and private banks continued in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal for the second consecutive day on Wednesday, with panic withdrawals of money dampening the festive spirit on Akshay Tritiya.

The cash shortage also hit the Char Dham Yatra, which began from Haridwar, on Wednesday. Empty ATMs greeted the first batch of pilgrims undertaking the pilgrimage. Hotel owners and taxi operators in Uttarkashi, the main town near the Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines which opened on Wednesday, said inadequate availability of cash might spoil the first phase of the yatra season.

A hotel association official said, “The Char Dham Yatra is the backbone of our economy. Thousands of people wait to make money this time of the year. Many hotel owners and tour operators repay their loans with the income they make from the yatra. But due to cash shortage, tourists won’t spend much.” The cash management committee, comprising 10 banks, called an emergency meeting to take stock of the situation in Telangana, which had reported over 48% dry ATMs on Tuesday. The CMC said it would try to improve cash availability at ATMs from 52% to 75%.

SBI chief general manager of Hyderabad circle, J Swaminathan, told TOI on Wednesday: “All banks will have to take steps to move currency from cash-surplus locations. Each bank will have to furnish cash balances and ATM availability daily. There was an increase in cash withdrawals due to festivals. Many people rushed to ATMs at the same time.”

Wedding plans suffered the most in Madhya Pradesh. Sandeep Thakur, who is getting married on Thursday, said, “There is no cash in the house. I have been struggling to withdraw money.”

Several pockets in Maharashtra reported severe cash crunch, with Aurangabad being the worst-hit. Monika Yadav, from Aurangabad, said she checked ATMs but could not withdraw money. “I was planning to shop for Akshay Tritiya, but could not do as I had no cash,” she said.

Scenes reminiscent of postdemonetisation days played out in some pockets of Kolkata with ‘No Cash’ signs hanging outside several ATMs even as queues of anxious citizens built up in front of others. Around 3pm, a ‘No Cash’ sign was hung outside a Bank of India’s ATM on Central Avenue. A few metres away, at the State Bank of India ATM, a sign was found saying, the machine will dispense only ₹2,000 notes.

“An uncertainty reigned during the demonetisation days and that seems to be returning. There are either ₹2,000 notes in some ATMs or no money at all,” said Pratap Mukherjee. Bank officials, however, said the situation was almost normal in Kolkata and rest of the state. “There is no cash problem in Kolkata,” chief general manager of SBI (Bengal circle) Partha Pratim Sengupta said. A senior Allahabad Bank official said, “It will be completely normal in the next three-four days.”

The situation eased a bit in Bihar. Officials at the RBI headquarters in Patna claimed that the crisis eased after “prompt actions.” An SBI official said, “We started working from 8am so that cash could be made available at all ATMs in the day.” 

Medical mafia dealt a blow, justice won, says Kiran Bedi

Bosco.Dominique@timesgroup.com 19.04.2018

Puducherry: The medical mafias have failed and justice has won, Puducherry lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi said, welcoming the Supreme Court order on ₹10 lakh per annum fee cap for postgraduate medical courses in deemed universities.

“This order is a final nail in the coffin of historical exploitation of a nexus which existed in exploiting the meritorious poor for decades not only in Puducherry but around the country. This order is a culmination of the determined fight against inherited injustice and prevailing mafia then. It remains broken now. The SC order not only does justice to Puducherry but to all other states if they choose to apply,” she said.

Bedi recalled the timely intervention of her secretariat last year when none of the political parties and departments concerned came forward to protect the interests of the hapless but meritorious medical aspirants. She said it was the time when Raj Nivas had to stand on its own.

“Needy students and their parents were seen running from pillar to post. The open house at Raj Nivas brought forth the evidence of apathy. This is when Team Raj Nivas stepped in and take the bulls by the horns. It faced a huge hostile backlash. (Media reports of that period are replete with this),” she said in a WhatsApp message.

She said Raj Nivas brought the issue to the knowledge of the Union government and also to the Prime Minister’s office. “We wrote and went personally and explained the need for intervention to crush the prevailing mafia once and for all times. The MCI too realized it had to step in and supported us. They exposed the lies which were being told,” she said.

She lauded the role played by ‘a missionary and wellplaced lawyer in Chennai V B R Menon’ in the issue.

Guv apologises to journalist for pat on cheek

Chennai: After an outrage over his “pat on cheek” to a woman journalist, Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit on Wednesday expressed his regret and apologised to her.

The incident took place at Raj Bhavan on Tuesday when the journalist attending a press meet raised a question as he got up to leave. “I considered that question to be a good one. Therefore, as an act of appreciation for the question that you had posed, I gave a pat on your cheek considering you to be like my granddaughter,” Purohit said in a mail to the journalist, after a complaint was preferred by the latter to him.

“I do understand from your mail that you feel hurt about the incident. I wish to express my regret and my apologies to assuage your sentiments that have been hurt,” Purohit said.

Responding to the apology, the woman journalist tweeted: “Your Excellency, I have with me your letter dated April 18, 2018, expressing regret at what happened at the press conference in Chennai the previous day. I accept your apology, even though I am not convinced about your contention that you did it to appreciate a question I asked.”

Earlier, the Chennai Press Club had sought an apology from Purohit for his “unbecoming conduct” as the governor is expected to set an example by his words and actions. TNN 

I-T warns salaried taxpayers against incorrect returns

TIMES NEWS NETWORK   19.04.2018

New Delhi: The income tax department has cautioned salaried taxpayers against claiming incorrect deductions or under-reporting income after it stumbled upon evidence of such malpractices in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Ludhiana.

The advisory, issued on Monday, said such offences are punishable under various provisions of the Income Tax Act and warned people against using the services of “unscrupulous intermediaries”. It also threatened to refer such cases to other enforcement agencies for further action.

Senior taxmen said the “cautionary advisory” was issued as surveys in the three cities pointed to some salaried employees claiming tax benefits for house property even when they did not own any property. Similarly, the survey threw up instances of some people claiming deductions for donations or contributions to certain institutions when none was made.

The use of technology to crosscheck such claims has been helping the authorities track those evading taxes or making wrong claims.

Taxmen begin raids on hoarders of cash

Tax sleuths have conducted 30 to 35 raids in Bengaluru and parts of Andhra Pradesh as part of a drive to smoke out cash hoarders, even as the government and RBI moved to pump in funds into some of the states facing a currency crunch. While the amount seized in the raids so far is not very large, the operations are expected to gather pace in the coming days. P10

Some employees from leading tech companies made wrong claims

In fact, in Bengaluru alarm bells went off after it was noticed that some employees from leading technology companies had made wrong claims in their tax returns through a man who posed as a chartered accountant.

“We have referred some cases from Bengaluru and Ludhiana to CBI and the advisory has been issued to ensure that young boys and girls do not resort to such malpractices or fall prey to unscrupulous elements,” said a senior officer, who did not wish to be identified.

This year, the government has already asked for details such as allowances that are not exempt from tax, value of perks and profits in lieu of salary in the new return forms.

Pointing to the automated centralised processing centre (CPC) in Bengaluru, the advisory said: “The I-T department has an extensive risk analysis system aimed at identifying persons who are non-compliant and aim to subvert the trust based system envisioned while processing of ITRs (returns) at CPC Bengaluru. In all such cases of high risk, the department may examine and verify the details submitted by taxpayers in their ITR, subsequent to processing of returns in CPC. If the department notices any fraudulent claims in the returns, such taxpayers may be punishable under various provisions of the Income Tax Act. This may also delay issuance of refunds in such cases.”