University Grants Commission suggests ‘on demand exams’ to help students
While most institutions adopted an annual system, a few followed the semester system for examinations; students’ performance in the final examination determined their future prospects.

Published: 20th September 2018 02:56 AM 

By S Mannar Mannan

Express News Service

COIMBATORE: Advocating a learner-centric way of evaluation, the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) discussion paper on examination reforms suggested ‘on-demand examination’, to allow students to take tests when they are prepared for it. This suggestion attempted to remove the burden of placing the future prospects of students on a single examination, which was the case in the current system that followed an annual/semester pattern.

While most institutions adopted an annual system, a few followed the semester system for examinations; students’ performance in the final examination determined their future prospects. These exams were held on fixed dates as per the university calendar with no relation to an individual’s conditions or requirements, the paper pointed out.

Personal emergencies or slow learning style could keep many students from being adequately prepared for the exams; they would face the threat of failure and low self-esteem with no opportunity to improve their performance. This placed a lot of stress on students, it explained. In such a scenario, ICT based On-Demand Examination can be a boon for students as it would free the system of its inflexible time frame and allow students to take examinations when they were prepared, it added.

Universities must urgently prepare quality-tested question banks within a fixed time frame of about two years. UGC also suggested 75 per cent marks for internal and 25 per cent marks for external evaluation and a detailed grading system and moderation process.

Commenting on this, C Pichandy, former general secretary of Association of University Teachers, said, “Evaluation is completely dependent on the honesty, integrity and accountability of the teachers. This theme paper looks more perspective than providing a clear map to examination reforms. Reversing the external evaluation of 75 per cent of the component to 25 is in essence a threat to teachers’ integrity.”

The UGC has sought comments on the discussion paper from stakeholders by Monday. UGC has constituted a committee to look into the matters related to examination reforms.

Two professors held for seeking sexual favours from student

Press Trust of India

MUMBAI, SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 00:00 IST


Class XII student was told they would pass her in exams

Two professors of a private college in Nashik district were arrested for allegedly seeking sexual favours from a Class XII student in exchange for passing her in examination, the police said on Wednesday.

The incident came to light on Tuesday evening, after the 19-year-old student lodged a complaint with Adgaon police station, an official said.

In the complaint, the victim alleged that the two professors demanded sexual favours from her to pass her in Class XII exam, he said.

Based on the complaint, the police booked Pravin Suryavanshi and Sachin Sonavane under IPC Sections 354 (A) (sexual harassment), 354 (D) (stalking) and 34 (common intention), and arrested them, the official added.

The victim said in her complaint that both the professors had been stalking her since 2015 and used to hold her hand and touch her in an inappropriate manner.

“Tuesday afternoon, when the victim was in the college, one of the professors approached her, held her hand and also touched her inappropriately,” the official said.

Fed up with their sexual advances, the victim went home and narrated the incident to her parents, following which they filed a complaint against the professors.

Triple talaq is criminal offence

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 00:00 IST


The new law has safeguards, including bail to the accused before the start of trial

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared an ordinance that makes talaq-e-biddat , or instant triple talaq, a criminal offence that will attract a maximum jail term of three years. President Ram Nath Kovind later in the day gave his assent.

The new law, however, incorporates safeguards, including a provision for bail to an accused before the start of the trial.

While instant triple talaq will continue to be a “non-bailable” offence — the police cannot grant bail at the police station — the accused can approach a magistrate for bail even before trial.

“There was an overpowering urgency and a compelling necessity to bring the ordinance as the practice continued unabated despite the Supreme Court’s order last year,” Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters.

He said 201 cases had been reported from across the country after the Supreme Court banned triple talaq in August 2017. Since January 2017, 430 cases had been reported until September 13 this year. “What is important is that the practice of triple talaq continues in spite of the Supreme Court having annulled it and the Lok Sabha having passed a Bill that is pending in the Rajya Sabha. We have all the evidence and a series of papers in this regard,” Mr. Prasad said.

The Law Minister attacked the Congress, saying it was not supporting the Bill pending in the Rajya Sabha because of “vote bank pressures.” He also appealed to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, BSP chief Mayawati and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to support it in the next Parliament session.

Too many emails can make you a bad boss

Overflowing Inbox Overwhelm Managers, Makes Them Neglect Their Leadership Roles

Washington:20.09.2018

Keeping up with emails may be preventing bosses from achieving their goals and being good leaders, a study has found.

The research published in ‘Journal of Applied Psychology’ is one of the first to examine how distractions from email impact managers, their productivity and their role as leaders. According to the researchers from Michigan State University (MSU), employees spend more than 90 minutes every day — or seven-and-a-half hours every week — recovering from email interruptions.

“Like most tools, email is useful but it can become disruptive and even damaging if used excessively or inappropriately,” said Russell Johnson from MSU.

“When managers are the ones trying to recover from email interruptions, they fail to meet their goals, they neglect manager-responsibilities and their subordinates don’t have the leadership behaviour they need to thrive,” said Johnson.What further makes managers different from other employees is that when feeling overwhelmed and unproductive because of email demands, they recover by limiting leader behaviours and pivoting to tactical duties. This action is strategic and intentional so that they feel more productive, Johnson said. “We found that managers scaled back ‘leader behaviours’ more so than initiating ‘structure behaviours’,” Johnson said.

“The former behaviours relate to motivating and inspiring subordinates, talking optimistically about the future or explaining why work tasks are important; the latter are more concrete and task-focused, such as setting work goals, assigning duties or providing feedback,” he said.

Not only are managers not managing — but they are also focusing on smaller tasks for the sake of feeling productive. To test how email demands hinder managers, researchers collected surveys from a group twice a day for two weeks. Managers reported their frequency and demands of emails, their perceived progress on core job duties, how often they engaged in effective transformational leader behaviours and initiating structure leader behaviours.

“We found on days when managers reported high email demands, they report lower perceived work progress as a result, and in turn engage in fewer effective leader behaviours,” Johnson said.

Beyond failing to complete their own responsibilities, email distractions cause subordinates to suffer from a lack of leader behaviours, or those that motivate and inspire.

“When managers reduce their leader behaviour and structure behaviours, it has been shown that employees’ task performance, work satisfaction, organizational commitment, intrinsic motivation and engagement all decrease, and employees’ stress and negative emotions increase,” Johnson said. PTI


BOXED IN BY THEIR INBOX: The study found that employees spend more than 90 minutes every day — or seven-and-a-half hours every week — recovering from email interruptions

MP teacher gets death penalty 3 months after raping 4-year-old

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bhopal:20.09.2018

Three months after a four-year-old girl was raped and brutalized on July 1 night, a court in MP’s Satna district handed her rapist — a guest teacher at a village school — the death sentence on Wednesday. The conviction is unique in that the survivor’s statement was taken via videoconferencing which proved vital in the trial.

The child was still at AIIMS-Delhi, recovering from the horrific injuries caused by the rape. Part of her intestine had to be removed and she was now dependent on a tube fitted to her stomach for excretion, sources said.

The state government flew the survivor to AIIMS on July 3 and chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan spoke with the doctors treating her the very next day. After the judgment, Chouhan tweeted: “I express my gratitude towards those people who have contributed to ensuring justice to the innocent and protection of society.”

This is the ninth death sentence for child rape in MP after the new, tougher law came into force in the state in April this year. While sentencing the 25-year-old convict to death, additional district judge Nagaud said: “In Indian social system, daughters are considered heritage of the nation. Incidents like this cannot be allowed in any civilized society.”

“He brutalized the child in such barbaric manner that there was no scope for mercy. We had produced all the medical reports before the court. I am confident that the higher courts will uphold the judgment,” said DSP Kiran Kiro, who investigated the case.

For full report, www.toi.in

IN BIZ FOR NOW

HC allows firm to operate cab services at Central for 6 months

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:20.09.2018

Noting that nonoperation of cab services at the Chennai Central Railway Station would lead to exploitation by other operators, including autorickshaws, the Madras high court permitted the current contractor to continue the service for six more months while calling for a fresh tender in the meantime.

Justice S M Subramaniam passed the interim order while rejecting pleas moved by Bharathi Cabs and Fast Track to quash the tender awarded to ANI Technologies.

According to the petitioner, tender notification was issued by Southern Railway on August 2, 2017 for parking and operation of call taxi stands at Moore Market complex in Chennai Central Railway Station.

The reserve price was fixed as ₹2.17 crore exclusive of GST for one year. Tender was finalised in favour of Ani Technologies for ₹60 lakh originally and subsequently, Southern Railway enhanced it to ₹70 lakh through negotiations, the petitioners said.

Accordingly, the acceptance certificate was issued on October 26, 2017 in favour of the company. But on account of status quo granted by the high court, the company was unable to operate services.

“On account of the interim order, Ani Technologies was unable to operate cab services. Allowing the company for a further period of one year will also cause loss to Southern Railway. Entirely preventing the company from operating cabs as per the selection will cause prejudice to the company. Thus, in the interest of all concerned, a balanced approach is required to protect the revenue of Southern Railway and honor the process of tender already conducted. Ani Technologies is permitted to operate for a period of six months,” the judge said.

According to the petitioners, Southern Railway finalised the tender far below the original reserve price. Though the petitioners had not participated in the tender process they had loco standi to challenge the tender because of the revenue loss to Southern Railway, their counsel said.

Paperless boarding at airport from 2020
Terminals To Have Biometric And Facial Recognition

Ayyappan.V@timesgroup.com

Chennai:20.09.2018

Boarding flights from the city airport will be a breeze for travellers from 2020, as the airport management is set to establish camera-enabled e-gates which use facial recognition technology to verify passengers’ identity. The system will be introduced by the end of the next year.

As part of the DigiYatra scheme, the Chennai airport is gearing up to introduce a biometric and face recognition system for paperless boarding of passengers from entry gates of the terminal to the boarding gates. The scheme aims to develop a digital ecosystem that will offer a seamless, consistent and paperless service experience at airports.

As part of the system, e-gates with cameras and scanners will be installed at entry gates of the terminals, checkin area, security check gates and boarding gates where passengers will be allowed based on face recognition technology. The e-gate at the entry gate of the terminal will capture the QR code of tickets and face of the passengers and will match it with the database to allow entry through the gates at check in, security and boarding.

A senior official at Airports Authority of India (AAI) said, “The scheme will be introduced in two phases and Chennai will get it in the second phase. A tender will be floated in a month to install the system at Pune, Varanasi, Kolkata and Vijayawada. This will act as a pilot. Once it is found to be hassle-free, it can be introduced at other airports quickly.”

Bengaluru will be the first airport to have it in the first quarter of next year. Chennai has a chance to get it some time after midnext year. He also said that the tender would be awarded in such a way that the same company could be asked to install the system in a few more airports. But there will be a separate tender for phase 2.

Passengers will have to register in DigiYatra to use the e-gates. They will get an ID number and submit it to a desk at the airport when they travel for the first time after registering. The photo of the passenger and biometric details will be captured one-time at this desk. Passengers can then walk in through the e-gates paperless for subsequent travel. “It is voluntary. We cannot force everyone to register,” he added.

However, the benefits are many. “Passengers can beat the queue. The airport operator can find out where the congestion is while airline staff will be able to locate a passenger inside the terminal."

The system will also ensure high security as passengers will be verified before entering the terminal.

Passengers can beat the queue. The airport operator can find out where the congestion is while airline staff will be able to locate a passenger inside the terminal.

Senior official | AAI