AAO award for Tirunelveli doctor

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

TIRUNELVELI, NOVEMBER 08, 2018 00:00 IST



Lional Raj (right) receives the award fromRichard Abbott, General Secretary, American Academy of Ophthalmology, in Chicago recently.

Renowned corneal surgeon and Regional Medical Director of Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospitals (Tirunelveli) D. Lional Raj has won a prestigious award instituted by the American Academy of Ophthalmology for his presentation in its conference held in Chicago recently.

Dr. Lional Raj was awarded ‘International Ophthalmologist Education Award’ for his continuous researches in corneal surgical procedures and refractive surgeries during the year 2018 and subsequent publication of his allied studies.

In American Academy of Ophthalmology 2018 Conference, the only Indian ophthalmologist to receive the ‘Global Video Contest Award’ was Dr. Lional Raj for his research titled ‘War on posterior corneal infections’. This video will appear on the ONE Network’s Global Ophthalmology (GO), a guide for ophthalmologists across the globe by offering educational material reflecting local expertise and a unique perspective.

Dr. Lional Raj had been honoured with nine international awards in the last two years, a statement from Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospitals said.

HC rider on employment under compassionate grounds

STAFF REPORTER

MADURAI, NOVEMBER 08, 2018 00:00 IST



The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has suggested to the government to consider passing a G.O. based on its suggestions.G_Moorthy 

Court was hearing a batch of pleas seeking a direction in this regard


Taking into account the number of pending service matters, particularly those relating to employment under compassionate grounds, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has suggested to the government to consider passing a Government Order based on its suggestions.

Justice S. Vaidyanathan suggested that application for compassionate appointments be made within one year from the date of death of the government employee as against the current three-year period.

The court suggested that the government drop the eligibly norms for Class IV employees. For the appointment to the post of sweeper, there was no need to prescribe any qualification; it could be ensured that the person to be appointed knew to read, write, ride bicycle or two-wheeler and carry out household and office works. The request for appointment on compassionate grounds for a child in the womb, by seeking reservation on one post till the child attained majority, could not be entertained, the court said.

Whenever an application was made seeking compassionate appointment, it must be decided within a period of three months. If a decision was not taken within three months, the officer concerned should be removed and posted in a non-sensitive post. The documents sought by the authorities should be uploaded so that there would no difference of opinion among the parties with regard to non-consideration of documents for scrutiny, the court said.

The court added that in case the compassionate appointment was considered for any person other than the spouse of the deceased, then 25% of the gross monthly income should be paid to the spouse after tax deduction. This measure had to be taken in order to protect such spouses in their old age.

The court reiterated that compassionate appointments were not a back door entry appointments and were based on rules, regulations, guidelines and government orders. However, it was not a usual recruitment process and required satisfaction of requirements under the contemplated rules.

The court passed the common order while hearing petitions seeking a direction to be considered for appointment under compassionate grounds.

IRCTC rolls out Bharat Darshan train tours

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI, NOVEMBER 08, 2018 00:00 IST

Ramayana yatra to be introduced

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) has announced four Bharat Darshan Tours that will be operated during November and December 2018.

For the first time, the IRTC is introducing the Ramayana yatra as part of the tour in South India.

According to L. Ravikumar, additional general manager, tourism, IRCTC, the Ramayana yatra will start on November 14 from Madurai Junction and will cover places like Hampi, Chitrakut Dam, Janakpuri (Nepal) and other places associated with the epic. The entire tour will be for 15 days and will cost Rs. 15,830 per person. The other tour is Splendours of Deccan that will start from Madurai on December 2 and will cover places like Hyderabad, Aurangabad and will end at Goa.

This will be a 10-day tour and will cost Rs. 10,100 per person. The Goa special will start on December 12 from Madurai and is a five-day programme priced at Rs. 4,725.

The Mookambika special will start on December 14 from Madurai and will cover places including, Dharmastala, Sringeri among other places in Karnataka. The tour will cost Rs. 6,930.

The train journey will be in sleeper class and accommodation will be in non air-conditioned dormitory. “Only people who have booked the respective tour will be allowed in the train. We will provide an attendant and security for each compartment. Bookings are open,” said Mr. Ravikumar.

The entire tour will be for 15 days and will cost Rs. 15,830 per person

UGC Advertisement 08.11.2018

Man arrested for ‘assaulting’ woman pilgrim at Sabarimala

Thiruvananthapuram:08.11.2018

A 29-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly assaulting a woman pilgrim at the Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala. He suspected her to be of menstrual age.

Sooraj, hailing from Elanthur in Pathanamthitta district, was one of the main accused in the incident that took place on Tuesday when the hill shrine was opened for the two-day-long “Chithira Atta Thirunal,” a special ritual.

Hundreds of frenzied devotees had tried to attack and prevent the 52-year old woman, Lalitha Ravi, from offering prayers at the temple.

The man was arrested under non-bailable charges — IPC 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) and 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), police said. Investigation is on to nab the remaining accused, Pathanamthitta SP T Narayanan said. “The man was arrested on the basis of digital evidence and photographs,” he added.

Police have registered cases against 200 “identifiable” persons for trying to prevent Lalitha, who had come for the ‘choorunu’ (rice-giving) ceremony of her grandchild. Clapping and chanting ‘Ayyappa Saranam’, a huge crowd of devotees surrounded Lalitha, suspecting her to be of menstrual age, but police intervened and escorted her out.

The woman showed her Aadhaar card to the cops to prove that she did not belong to the “traditionally barred” age group of 10-50 years. Police later escorted her to the shrine so that she could offer prayers along with her other women relatives. AGENCIES

‘Cops watched as Sangh took over’

The Sangh Parivar virtually took over the Sabarimala temple during the 24 hours it opened while the police were mere spectators, the Congress said on Wednesday.

Leader of opposition Ramesh Chennithala told reporters Wednesday: “The government and police were an abject failure as BJP and RSS activists had the final say in the temple town till 10 p.m. yesterday (Tuesday) when the temple closed after a day. "The police were mere spectators while these forces reigned supreme at the temple," he added. TNN

Of 7,300 visitors, only 200 real devotees at Sabarimala

KP.Saikiran@timesgroup.com

Thiruvananthapuram:08.11.2018

Of the 7,300 persons who visited Sabarimala for the Chithira Attam festival on Monday and Tuesday, only 200 were real devotees who had come with pure devotional intentions, an analysis by the police has found.

The remaining 7,000-plus people were actually the cadres mobilized by various groups, including the BJP and RSS, from across the state, the internal analysis concluded. Two hundred among them had in fact taken part in the protests that led to police action last month when the temple opened for the first time after the Supreme Court verdict allowing the entry for women between 10 and 50 years of age.

Top police sources said that the police have also used their face recognition software to identify the troublemakers who visited the temple again on Monday and Tuesday. “Those who visited the temple this time and who were involved in street-fights with the police last month have been identified by the software. Such people are being put under observation as the temple again opens for the Mandalam-Makaravilakku festival on the evening of November 16,” an officer said.

However, the police could not do much as those arrested had visited the temple as devotees with irumudikkettu, after coming out on bail. “There was nothing much the police could do as they were lawfully within their rights to visit the temple as devotees,” the officer said.

The police are planning a larger operation with more officers on the field and a tighter security apparatus using technology from November 16, if the Supreme Court rejects the review petitions filed against its earlier verdict on November 13.

Despite deploying 2,000-plus police officers under the supervision of two IGs, five SPs and 14 DSPs and reserve battalion members and commandos, the protesters had given police some tense moments in Sabarimala when the stopped and intimidated a Thrissur-native woman who they felt was less than 50 years of age. Even under such a tight security, police had to depend on RSS leader Valsan Thillankeri who used a police megaphone to ask the protesters to remain calm.

The police have so far arrested 3,741 people from across the state and registered 550 cases till date in connection with the Sabarimala protests. The police have decided to introspect its strategies in Sabarimala as the protesters still had a say in Sabarimala despite the strong action by the police and the unprecedented security measures.

Police have arrested 3,741 people from across Kerala and registered 550 cases till date in connection with the Sabarimala protests

Weight loss not always cosmetic surgery, says consumer court

Saeed.Khan@timesgroup.com

Ahmedabad:08.11.2018

Weight reduction surgery is not always cosmetic surgery and the insurance company is liable to pay for it when it is performed to avoid multiple health complications which may prove life threatening for a patient, a consumer court observed this and asked the insurer to pay ₹3.17 lakh spent towards the treatment by the patient in the case.

The case involves a 64-yearold resident of Thaltej area, Leenaben Desai, who had weighed 102kg. She had a ₹5 lakh mediclaim cover from the New India Assurance Co Ltd. She was suffering from hyper acidity and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which is a chronic disease.

Desai’s physician referred her to a bariatric and gastroenterology surgeon, Dr Chirag Desai, who advised her for laparoscopic mini gastric bypass surgery because she was suffering from GERD, hyper acidity as well as fatty liver and morbid obesity. She underwent the surgery in May 2016 and paid ₹3.17 lakh for the treatment.

The patient claimed the amount on the medical bill but the insurer repudiated her claim a month later saying that obesity treatment and its complications are excluded from the scope of the mediclaim policy.

Desai sued the insurer with the Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum, Ahmedabad city last year. The court last week ordered the insurance company to reimburse the medical bill with 8% interest as well as ₹5,000 compensation towards causing mental agony and legal expenditure.

Before awarding the refund to the patient, the consumer court said that the complainant was aged 64 years and her weight was 102 kg. The surgery was intended to address hypertension and morbid obesity. “In our opinion, the complainant did not undergo surgery to improve her physical appearance nor was it a cosmetic surgery considering her age at 64, but, in fact, it was aimed at ensuring that she does not develop complications which may later prove life threatening,” the court said.

The court also refused to buy the insurer’s argument that this surgery was excluded from the policy by a specific clause. It said that company had not spelt out as to how the policy clause was applicable to the case and why her claim was not admissible.

‘INSURANCE COMPANY IS STILL LIABLE’