Child prodigy allowed to apply for BAMS course

Justice T Raja gave the directive while disposing a petition from the girl student, Yazhesy Tha, who recited all 1,330 'thirukkurals' while studying in LKG itself. 

Published: 02nd December 2018 07:14 AM 


Image used for representational purpose only
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the Directorate of Indian Medicine and Homeopathy  to permit a 16-year-old meritorious girl student to take part in the counseling for the BAMS course and to  be admitted in Maria Ayurveda Medical College in Kanyakumari, if she is found eligible.

Justice T Raja gave the directive while disposing a petition from the girl student, Yazhesy Tha, who recited all 1,330 'thirukkurals' while studying in LKG itself, and was not considered for selection on grounds that she had not completed 17 years as on December 31, 2018, as per clause 45 of the prospectus issued by the Director, Indian Medicine and Homeopathy Department.

Pointing out the eligibility criteria as per the amended notification, the judge said when the petitioner has  admittedly complied with the admission qualifications, as per the amended notification dated November 7, 2016, the authorities cannot rely upon the old notification dated October 13, 2006, issued for Siddha by citing the age factor that she has not completed 17 years of age as on December 31. "This court finds no impediment on the basis of the latest amended notification to allow the petitioner to take part in the counselling," the judge said.

Need strong medical research in India: Dr Fiona Godlee

Though India provides some of the best in the world medical care, research in India needs development.
 
Published: 01st December 2018 01:31 AM |
       
 
Representational Image. ( Photo| EPS)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Dr Fiona Godlee, Editor-In-Chief, the British Medical Journal, who is in the City for the 5th Edition of the British Medical Journal South Asia Awards 2018 to be held on Saturday here, spoke to reporters on Friday, about the medical research in India.

How to you see India coming up in the research sector?

Though India provides some of the best in the world medical care, research in India needs development. It has a long way to go probably because it has not been introduced to strong culture of research and also may be funding is not there.

Support and training of young researchers is also lacking.


There are so many good people working in India, and BMJ hopes to keep in touch with them, so we can support Indian researchers to do very good and relevant research.

We need strong research in India because it has a huge population and many health challenges, unique to the region. So, it needs relevant, region-specific clinical research.

BMJ would like to contribute to help India built great capacity for research. It has the potential to do research and is a good home for clinical research.

Do pharma industries have influence over most of the researches?

Though there are no figures on funded studies by the pharmas available at the moment, yes, pharma industries influence in clinical research and others and the influence is enormous globally. Most of the time, the result of the research would be the outcome of the sponsors.

They favour the sponsor’s products. The right focus of any studies should be on the prevention and teaching of health. Prevention should not be medicalised. Medical journals have a responsibility to ask for scientific based proof for the results. Researches should help bring in policy changes and make the government bring in guidelines on the food habits of the people or so.

Most of the studies in India are focussed on diabetes. Do you think the researchers are exaggerating the figures?

Not exaggerating, but diabetes is an epidemic. In UK, 6 per cent of the population is diabetic, and the figures are expected to go to 20 per cent by 2030. I am sure, India, considering the population, would have more percentage of people with diabetes. But, this should be tackled with educating the people about nutritious food habits and lifestyle changes, rather than looking for medication.

Again, any organisation funded for these studies would promote their products like Insulin and their food and other products.

Tax on sugar, better guidelines on food policies, government policies and carbohydrates intake would help to change these figures.

MTC flash strike in Chennai leaves passengers in the lurch

A section of MTC bus drivers went on a flash strike on Friday demanding reimbursement of the amount that was deliberately deducted from their salaries.
 
Published: 01st December 2018 01:31 AM 

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Image of MTC buses used for representational purpose. (File photo | EPS)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: A section of MTC bus drivers went on a flash strike on Friday demanding reimbursement of the amount that was deliberately deducted from their salaries.

On Friday, at 11.30, a section of drivers stopped their buses at many depots, staging a protest.

Their pay day being November 31, the drivers saw their salary slips and found money deducted. A few of them found that Rs 5,000 to Rs 8000 was being deducted from their salary.

“When questions were raised, the officials claimed that a few days before Deepavali, a sit-in-protest was held at the depot for which the drivers were marked absent. Also, salary of one day was deducted towards Gaja Relief funds,” pointed a member.


As the protest intensified, the passengers were affected as most of them were stranded at the depots.
MTC managing director Anbu Abraham visited Tiruvanmiyur depot and spoke with drivers.

He explained about the deduction but said that the protest day would be considered as leave.

It’s a risky ride for motorists on Mount-Medavakkam Road

TNN | Dec 3, 2018, 12.15 AM IST

CHENNAI: Driving on Mount-Medavakkam Road has become a risky affair for motorists as several pockets of the arterial road are filled with potholes leaving them vulnerable to accidents. Uneven surface on a chunk of the 9-km long road stretching from the vehicular subway at Railway Station Road near Alandur to Medavakkam Cross Road is hindering a smooth ride in one of the important roads on the southern suburbs.

Elumalai, an autorickshaw driver, who was plying passengers on Medavakkam Cross Road, said the road had not witnessed any facelift in the recent years. “This road continues to be in the same condition. Only patch works are being done to fix the damaged portions and I have not seen officials relaying the entire road in the last eight years,” he said. With the monsoon having set in, the road has become riskier for motorists, he added.

Several developed residential areas are located on the stretch. Several densely populated residential localities including Puzhuthivakkam, Keelkatalai, Kovilambakkam, Nanmangalam, and Medavakkam, which fall under the purview of Greater Chennai Corporation, municipalities and village panchayats, are located on the either sides of the arterial road. The road maintained by the state highways department has an estimated traffic volume of 40,000 passenger car units everyday.

However, the road, particularly the stretch from Vanuvampet and Echankadu junction is chocked due to the construction of a stormwater drain at snail’s pace on the road. Selvaraj, a resident of Keelkatalai, said the road expansion has been going on for more than a decade, and yet remains incomplete. “Initially, when layouts were carved out about 40 years ago, this road was planned as a 100-feet-road. The encroachments by shopkeepers on both sides of the road has shrunk its space by 50% causing traffic snarls,” he said.

Motorists experience bumpy rides as several sections of the road have been severely damaged with potholes and the ongoing stormwater works has left vehicles to move from bumper-to-bumper even as the major road has transformed into a dust bowl. “Transportation is a herculean task due to acute traffic jams,” said Michel, a two-wheeler rider.

Official sources with the state highways department said the construction of stormwater drains was a major bottleneck in relaying the road, which has been hit due to delay in land acquisition in two spots on the road. “The government has sanctioned Rs 14 crore for widening the stretch from Vanuvampet and Echankadu junction, but it cannot take shape unless the stormwater drain works are completed. The width of the road would be doubled from the existing 7-9 metres to 14-18 metres,” the official added.

Parcel mafia control business at Central, Egmore, pocket Rs 3 lakh a day

TNN | Dec 3, 2018, 05.20 AM IST

CHENNAI: As a passenger, you can book a reserved ticket at any counter in Chennai Central without help from a tout or an agent. But this is almost impossible if you want to book a parcel or luggage. The business, which handles around 11,000 tonnes every month and earns Southern Railway Rs 60 crore yearly from Chennai division itself, is controlled by a section of railway employees and unauthorized agents with basic technology being made inoperable right under the nose of officials sitting in the headquarters next door.

Touts decide how much material is loaded on the trains in violation of rules, which parcel is dispatched, what bribes are to be paid and which employees should be posted in the office. Even if irregularities are found, the system slows the investigation down to ensure that the guilty go scot free.


In light of the parcel scam uncovered at Central a fortnight ago, TOI spoke to several serving and retired officials, railway employees and their union members and uncovered at least two different modus operandi of scams in parcel booking at Chennai Central and Egmore. The parcel mafia make at least Rs 3 lakh every day from bribes, a top union leader said.

“It’s scam-riddled, it’s in a huge mess,” said another top union leader, who started off as a parcel porter at Central a few decades ago.


The Chennai Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Naveen Gulati said a detailed probe was underway in the various irregularities at the parcel office.

Apart from parcels going missing or not being delivered on time, there has been evidence of contraband like gutka being transported. A fortnight ago, meat mis-declared as fish landed at Egmore. Forest department officials suspect illegal produce from forests is also being smuggled out as the railway parcel system is considered safe as compared to road and air which have better checks. At Central and Egmore, parcel offices are dingy with narrow entry and exits, without CCTV coverage and non-functioning gadgets to check overloading.

Railway has a provision to lease 30% of parcel coaches to private agencies, but tenders for many trains get no bids. “It is an organised cartel to ensure the business remains with railway system so that the mafia control it,” said a senior official.

Former chief operations manager (COM) of Southern Railway, Abraham Jacob, said systems were in place to ensure a foolproof system. “But they are not implemented properly. Most commercial department heads are not aware of the business. Southern Railway Mazdoor Union (SRMU) rules the parcel offices,” he said.

R Elangovan, vice-president of Dakshin Railway Employees Union (DREU), who retired after 33 years in the commercial department, said periodic transfers of staff at parcel offices, a sensitive post, were not being carried out. “There are people who have worked in the office for 20 to 25 years. Officers who tried to transfer them were transferred out,” he said.

ஜெ., மரண விசாரணை: அரசு மருத்துவமனை டீன் விளக்கம்

Added : டிச 01, 2018 00:58

சென்னை, ஜெயலலிதாவுக்கு அளிக்கப்பட்ட சிகிச்சை தொடர்பாக, அப்பல்லோ டாக்டர்கள் அளித்த முரண்பட்ட வாக்குமூலம் தொடர்பாக சென்னை, அரசு ராஜிவ் காந்தி மருத்துவமனை முதல்வரிடம் நேற்று விசாரணை நடத்தப்பட்டது.ஜெ., மரணம் குறித்து, நீதிபதி ஆறுமுகசாமி கமிஷன் விசாரித்து வருகிறது. இதுவரை, 120க்கும் மேற்பட்டோரிடம் விசாரணை நடத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது. ஜெ.,க்கு, 2016 டிச., 4ம் தேதி மாரடைப்பு ஏற்பட்ட பின், அவருக்கு இதய அறுவை சிகிச்சை மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டு, 'எக்மோ' கருவி பொருத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது.இதுதொடர்பாக, அப்பல்லோ மருத்துவமனை டாக்டர்கள், முரண்பட்ட வாக்குமூலம் அளித்துள்ளனர். இது, பல்வேறு சந்தேகங்களை ஏற்படுத்தியது.இந்நிலையில், சென்னை, அரசு ராஜிவ் காந்தி மருத்துவமனையில், 2016ல், இருந்த வசதிகள் குறித்த விபரங்களை, நீதிமன்றத்தில் தாக்கல் செய்யும்படி, மருத்துவமனை முதல்வர் ஜெயந்திக்கு, விசாரணை கமிஷன் உத்தரவிட்டிருந்தது.அதை ஏற்று, மருத்துவமனையில் உள்ள வசதிகள் குறித்த விபரங்கள் அடங்கிய ஆவணங்களை, மருத்துவமனை முதல்வர் ஜெயந்தி, நேற்று விசாரணை கமிஷனில், தாக்கல் செய்தார். அப்போது அவரிடம், 'எக்மோ' கருவி பொருத்தும் போது, என்ன செய்வர் என்ற விபரத்தை, நீதிபதி கேட்டார்.அதற்கு பதில் அளித்த ஜெயந்தி, அரசு மருத்துவமனையில், இதுபோன்ற சிகிச்சை அளித்ததில்லை. 'நான் படித்ததன் அடிப்படையில், எவ்வாறு செய்வர் என்பதை கூறுகிறேன்' எனக்கூறி, விளக்கம் அளித்துள்ளார்.அரசு மருத்துவமனையில், ஜெ.,வை அனுமதிக்காமல், அப்பல்லோ மருத்துவமனையில் சேர்த்தது ஏன் என்பதை அறியவே, அரசு மருத்துவமனை வசதிகள் குறித்த விபரங்களை, விசாரணை கமிஷன் கேட்டுள்ளது.இது தவிர, அப்பல்லோ டாக்டர் சாந்தி, இ.இ.ஜி., டெக்னிஷியன் புனிதா ஆகியோரிடமும், நேற்று விசாரணை நடத்தப்பட்டது.

சசி உறவு டாக்டருக்குஐந்தாவது 'சம்மன்'

சசிகலாவின் உறவினரான, டாக்டர் சிவகுமாரிடம், ஏற்கனவே நான்கு முறை, விசாரணை நடத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது. ஐந்தாவது முறையாக, நாளை மறுதினம், விசாரணை கமிஷனில் ஆஜராகும்படி, அவருக்கு, 'சம்மன்' அனுப்பப்பட்டுஉள்ளது.டிச., 4ல், அப்பல்லோ மருத்துவமனை தோல் சிகிச்சை நிபுணர் முரளிதர் ராஜகோபால், தனியார் மருத்துவமனை டாக்டர் பார்வதி பத்மநாபன்; டிச., 5ல், அப்பல்லோ மருத்துவமனை தோல் சிகிச்சை நிபுணர் ரவிச்சந்திரன், நரம்பியல் நிபுணர் மீனாட்சிசுந்தரம்; டிச., 6ல், சுரப்பிகள்நிபுணர் சிவஞானசுந்தரம்; டிச., 7ல், இதய சிகிச்சை நிபுணர்கள் கிரிநாத், விஜயசந்திர ரெட்டி, ஸ்ரீதர் ஆகியோர் ஆஜராக, சம்மன் அனுப்பப்பட்டுள்ளது.

 துணைவேந்தர்கள் நியமனத்திற்கு தடை 

Added : நவ 30, 2018 23:19

ஐந்து பல்கலைகளின் துணைவேந்தர் பணியிடங்கள் காலியாக உள்ள நிலையில், புதிய நியமனங்கள் செய்ய தடை விதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.தமிழகத்தில் உள்ள, அரசு பல்கலைகளின் நிர்வாகத்தை, துணை வேந்தர்கள் கவனிக்கின்றனர். இதில், பல்கலை நிர்வாகம், பாடத் திட்டம், வளர்ச்சி திட்டங்கள் குறித்து, பல்கலைகளின் சிண்டிகேட் மற்றும் அகாடமி கவுன்சில் கூடி முடிவு எடுக்கும்.சிண்டிகேட் முடிவின்படி, பேராசிரியர் மற்றும் ஊழியர்கள் பணி நியமனங்கள், தேர்வுகளில் சீர்திருத்தம், பாடத் திட்டம் மாற்றம் உள்ளிட்ட முக்கிய முடிவுகளை, துணைவேந்தர் மேற்கொள்வார்.

ஆனால், ஒவ்வொரு துணைவேந்தரும், தங்களின் பதவி காலம் முடிவதற்கு, மூன்று மாதங்களுக்கு முன்பிருந்து, எந்த வித பணி நியமனங்களையும் மேற்கொள்ளக் கூடாது என்ற, விதி பின்பற்றப்படுகிறது.இதன்படி, திருநெல்வேலி மனோன்மணியம் சுந்தரனார், திருவள்ளுவர் பல்கலை, தெரசா பல்கலை, ஆசிரியர் கல்வியியல் பல்கலை, தமிழ்நாடு திறந்தநிலை பல்கலை ஆகிய, ஐந்து பல்கலைகளில் துணைவேந்தர்களின் பதவி காலம், மார்ச்சுக்குள் முடிகிறது.எனவே, பதவி காலம் முடியும் நிலையில், அவசர கதியில் நியமனங்கள் செய்து விடக் கூடாது என்பதால், நியமனங்கள் எதுவும் செய்ய வேண்டாம் என, உயர்கல்வித் துறை அறிவுறுத்தியுள்ளது. - நமது நிருபர் -