Students protest against college chairman for misbehaving with staff

STAFF REPORTER

COIMBATORE, SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 00:00 IST

Video of the person making sexual advances goes viral

Students of a private college on Sathy Road in Coimbatore staged a protest on Thursday seeking action against its chairman after a video clip of him making sexual advances towards a non-teaching staff member went viral on social media and mobile messaging platforms.

The students and members of Students Federation of India (SFI) blocked several college buses of the institution. They withdrew the protest after the police held talks with their leaders.

In the video clip, he is forcibly hugging and kissing a woman employee inside an office on two occasions.

Two days ago, the victim had filed a complaint with the Thudiyalur police station, accusing the college chairman of making sexual advances towards her for the last six months.

She said that she did not disclose the matter to anyone as she feared she might lose her job, but the harassment increased prompting her to lodge the complaint.

The victim said she had complained about the incidents to the chairman’s son, the technical director of the college. However, he threatened to sack her and sought to play down the incident, saying hugging and kissing were common in foreign countries.

The woman with the help of her friend recorded the sexual advances made by him using a hidden camera.

The complainant also alleged that the chairman, his son and others threatened to eliminate her and her friend.

Meenambigai, Inspector of All Women Police Station, Thudiyalur, said the woman had come to the station with the complaint on Tuesday, but withdrew it later in the day.

3 Tangedco officials suspended for malpractice, says Minister

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI, SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 00:00 IST

Criticises Stalin for making allegations without knowing facts


Electricity Minister P. Thangamani said three officials of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) have been suspended for their corrupt practices in the purchase of thermal power. Tangedco also filed a police complaint.

At a hurriedly convened press conference on Thursday to counter the allegations of corruption in wind energy, Mr. Thangamani told mediapersons that Tangedco found that the malpractice had taken place in the Tuticorin thermal power plants and not in wind energy sector. It involved two private companies, one operating a thermal power plant and the other having a tie-up to purchase power from the generating company in some other location. The thermal power company without supplying power had raised the bill with the complicity of officials.

The Opposition leader M.K. Stalin, without knowing the truth, alleged that Tangedco had paid money without purchasing power from wind generators. He said Mr. Stalin failed to comprehend the issue. Mr. Stalin had raked up the issue of corruption in purchase of coal but backtracked.

He warned Mr. Stalin that if he continued to make wild allegations against the AIADMK government they may be forced to go to court.

Woman undergoes knee replacement surgery as outpatient

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI, SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 00:00 IST

A revolutionary step: hospital chief

A 60-year-old woman underwent joint knee replacement surgery as an outpatient recently at Parvathy Hospital here.

When Leela Shankar could no longer walk or bear the pain in her knees, she consulted Vetri Kumar, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the hospital.

It was found she had developed anteromedical osteoarthritis in her left knee. Doctors advised unicondlyar knee arthoplasty, (partial knee replacement) for complete cure.

On evaluating the various parameters and criteria, she was found fit for outpatient surgery.

“It is something that we in India are experimenting for the first time. It has been done abroad. In the U.S., since 2011 till now, 19,000 surgeries have been performed. The fear is about surgery and anxiety reduces the patient satisfaction rate,” Dr. Vetri Kumar claimed.

Surgeons use risk assessment tools to assess if a person is fit for outpatient procedure. “According to us 56% of the patients we have operated on in Parvathi Hospital for similar problems would have actually required an OPD procedure,” he said.

As for ensuring that the procedure is covered under insurance, Dr. Vetri said surgeons were in talks with the insurance companies.

3-finger breadth incision

“Right now we admit patients for a day. This is a partial knee replacement in which the patient requires a three-finger breadth incision. For the patient there is a bunch of benefits, such as less bone loss and less injury.”

S. Muthukumar, Chairman of the hospital said, “The outpatient orthopaedic surgery is a revolutionary step forward.”

‘Law makes helmet wearing mandatory, not the court’

Mohamed Imranullah S.

CHENNAI, SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 00:00 IST



The judges insisted on creating greater awareness among motorists.
The Division Bench calls for status report by October 23

The Madras High Court on Thursday made it clear that it was not the court but the law that requires two-wheeler riders as well those who travel pillion to wear helmets. The police cannot pass the buck to the courts as it was actually the men in uniform who were supposed to implement the law in letter and spirit, it pointed out.

A Division Bench of Justices S. Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad said: “Respondents (Director General of Police and others) are bound to enforce the law and not to give an impression as if it is the court which insists on wearing helmets by riders and pillion riders and that no duty is cast upon them to implement the law.”

The judges went on to state: “Rider or pillion is vulnerable to sustain head injuries in road accidents. Wearing of helmet would reduce the possibility of an accident becoming fatal. A rider or pillion may not be aware of the laws or even ignore the safety measure but that does not mean the government has no role in enforcing the safety measure.”

Taking note of 41,330 lives lost and 62,413 people having suffered head injuries between 2005 and 2014 apart from 42,53,038 cases booked during the period against motorists for not wearing helmets, the judges said such deaths and head injuries could be prevented by taking a simple precaution of wearing a helmet.

Though the State government had taken cognisance of the need to enforce the law on wearing helmets and issued a G.O. on February 22, 2007 directing the police to strictly implement the rule, the order “unfortunately remains only in files,” they added. The judges also insisted on creating greater awareness among the motorists.

“Despite the alarming figures (of deaths and head injuries), the State government is claiming that steps are being taken to bring about awareness,” the Division Bench said and directed the Home Secretary as well as the DGP to enforce the 2007 GO with “full rigour.” It also sought a status report on the action taken by October 23.

The DGP had filed a report in the court stating that cases were booked against 2.72 lakh two-wheeler riders and 2.79 lakh pillion riders between August 23 and September 16 this year for not wearing helmets. It was also reported that 14,622 awareness programmes were conducted in public places and 882 in school and colleges during the period.

Further, 3,92,828 cases were registered against passengers of four wheelers for not wearing seat belts and a fine amount of Rs. 3,66,37,266 was collected during this year. As many as 9,08,033 two-wheeler riders and 2,74,988 drivers were provided counselling on the need to wear helmets and seat belts, the report claimed.

Southern suburbs gear up for rain

K.LakshmiT.Madhavan

CHENNAI, SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 00:00 IST


Water Resources Department chalks out plan to manage sub basins in Kancheepuram district

Several flood-prone areas in the city’s southern suburbs may soon be better equipped to face intense rainfall during monsoon. The Water Resources Department plans to fill in the missing links identified in water channels and surplus courses, which had made many localities susceptible to flooding.

After the 2015 floods that severely affected the southern suburbs, the WRD has chalked out a proposal for comprehensive management of sub basins in Kancheepuram district. As the entire project seeking a fund of nearly Rs. 1,000 crore is awaiting financial assistance, the department has taken up 11 projects to provide defined courses linking waterbodies and deepening lakes as part of flood protection measures. Nearly Rs. 100 crore would be spent towards the first phase of the project covering highly vulnerable areas.

One of the major projects is construction of a 760 m-long channel from Narayanapuram lake to Pallikaranai swamp near the Dr. Kamakshi hospital at a cost of Rs. 20 crore. Officials of the WRD noted that there was no defined course beneath the lake and such channels in the southern suburbs were running over patta lands that were later regularised. “We decided to construct box channels to avoid land acquisition that would further delay the project. We would incur enormous cost to acquire land for 6 m width over a 7- km long stretch,” said an official. This would mitigate inundation in areas such as Pallikaranai and Sunnambu Kolathur.

Diversion of water

Similarly, flood drain channels will be constructed to divert water from Chitlapakkam tank to Sembakkam tank, Adanur tank to Adyar river, Mudichur Road underpass along service road to Adyar river. The Pappan Channel would also be widened and a channel would be constructed from Mudichur Road junction to Adyar river.

Waterbodies in Manimangalam, Adanur, Guduvanchery, Urapakkam and Nanmangalam would also be deepened to improve storage capacity and reduce flooding up to 25% in neighbouring localities. “We also plan to form a reservoir near Orathur. This will help transfer of water to Manimangalam tank. We will also be able to store up to 1,000 million cubic feet of water in a year. This could be supplied to water-starved areas such as Anakaputhur and Pammal,” the official said.

Minor tanks

Now, minor tanks would be provided a facility to regulate water flow like in reservoirs. “We will reduce water level prior to heavy rainfall days to avoid flooding or breach,” the official added. Work is expected to start in mid-October and be completed in six months.

Meanwhile, residents said the waterbodies and watercourses must be restored to their original shape as found in the revenue villages’ maps and records. They also recalled that the Chief Minister had announced Rs. 96 crore for Chitlapakkam flood mitigation work.

Social activist P. Viswanathan noted that residents of the southern stretch of Chitlapakkam Town Panchayat were affected every year due to decreased capacity of waterbodies in Selaiyur and Chitlapakkam and also obstructions in water channels. He said work to construct a channel from Chitlapakkam Tank to Sembakkam Tank must be taken up immediately.

‘Forgotten switch’ leads to on-flight scare

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 00:00 IST

Passengers on the Mumbai-Jaipur flight wearing oxygen masks on Thursday.PTI 

Jet Airways passengers suffer nosebleed, headache after cabin pressure drops

Nearly 30 passengers on board a Jet Airways plane bound for Jaipur suffered nose-bleed and many others complained of headache during takeoff from Mumbai on Thursday after the pilots allegedly forgot to switch on a button that helps maintain cabin air pressure, said safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The drop in cabin pressure forced the pilots to return to the Mumbai airport, where five passengers underwent medical examination. There were 166 passengers on board flight 9W697, which took off at 5.55 am.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has ordered an inquiry into the incident, and the airline has de-rostered the pilots and an aircraft maintenance engineer.

During the climb, the crew allegedly forgot to select the bleed switch, due to which cabin pressure could not be maintained, a senior DGCA official said. “As a result, oxygen masks got deployed. Thirty passengers had nosebleed, a few bled from the ear and some had headache,” the official said.

Drop in oxygen levels

Turning on the bleed switch results in release of air from the engine used to maintain oxygen inside the aircraft and to provide air conditioning. However, pilots briefly turn off the switch during takeoff to use maximum engine thrust; they then need to turn it on during ascent.

When the pilots “forgot” to turn on the switch, there was a drop in oxygen levels inside the plane, which had climbed to 11,000 feet.

Aviation safety experts said such an incident was “extremely rare” as turning on the bleed switch is part of a check-list pilots are expected to mandatorily adhere to. In the event pilots forget to do so, visual alerts get activated inside the cockpit, depending on which aircraft is being operated.

A Jet Airways spokesperson said that later 144 of the 166 passengers of the original flight travelled to Jaipur via an alternative flight of the airline, while 17 of them put off their travel plans.

Five passengers who were referred to a hospital for additional check-up have since been discharged, he said.

“Jet Airways is extending full cooperation to the DGCA for the ongoing investigation and regrets the inconvenience caused,” the spokesperson said.

Minister for Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu has directed the DGCA to prepare a safety audit plan for all airlines, aerodromes and flight training schools. He has also sought a report in 30 days.

Varsities to observe ‘Surgical Strike Day’ on September 29

Vikas Pathak

NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 00:00 IST


UGC writes to Vice-Chancellors to mark the event

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has written to the Vice-Chancellors of all universities to celebrate Surgical Strike Day on September 29 to mark the event along the Line of Control that day in 2016. The letter also desires that students pledge their support for the armed forces in writing that day.

“All higher education institutions with NCC units shall organise a special parade on September 29, after which the NCC commander shall address them on the modalities of protection of the borders,” says the UGC letter. “The university/colleges may organise a meeting, calling ex-servicemen who will sensitise the students about the sacrifices made by the armed forces in protecting the borders.”

Plea to institutions

The letter also issues an instruction to students: “The students shall pledge their support for the armed forces by writing letters and cards, which may be produced in both physical and digital format.” These letters of support, it says, will be publicised in the conventional and social media.

The UGC letter says that physical letters of support so received may be sent to nearby cantonments and shared with Army officers visiting various colleges to meet students. It also asks institutions to encourage their students and faculty to visit the multimedia exhibition to be organised at India Gate in Delhi or in State capitals, important towns and cantonments across India.

But not all senior academics seem enthused.

Historian Aditya Mukherjee of JNU, co-author of the book India's Struggle For Independence, disagreed with the idea of taking a pledge of nationalism from the people. “This is typically the BJP trying to project themselves as the nationalists. They have this great deficit of not being part of the national movement. Now they are trying to force it on people and militarise campuses. They wanted to install tanks in JNU and if we oppose it, they will call us anti-national,” he told The Hindu.