Despite warnings, colleges across Tamil Nadu withhold faculty certificates

This is happening even after Anna University and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) issued public notices mandating institutions to return the documents, it is alleged.

Published: 13th December 2018 01:47 AM 

Image used for representational purpose only.

By Sushmitha Ramakrishnan

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Most private engineering colleges continue to withhold teachers’ academic and professional certificates even a week after Anna University and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) issued public notices mandating institutions to return the documents, it is alleged.

The direction came after an Assistant professor of a Chennai-based private college committed suicide after the institution is said to have refused to return his certificates.


Vishnu Kumar*, a former faculty member of a private engineering college at Chembarambakkam, has been fighting to retrieve his certificates since he resigned in July.

“Along with a copy of the public notice issued by AICTE and Anna University, I wrote a requisition to the college, asking them to return my certificates. They have not communicated back,” he rued. Much to his disappointment, the college refused to return the certificates, until he paid a large sum.

AICTE had recently issued a public notice warning colleges not to indulge in the “illegal and unethical” practice of withholding certificates. The notice said it had observed instances of suicide committed by dejected faculty members.

Anna University took it a step further and sent a letter to heads of all affiliated institutions, asking them to submit a status report by December 17, after returning any certificate a college might be holding back.

Samarth*, an assistant professor from a private engineering college in Dindigul, had asked his college authorities whether they will return his certificates by December 17.

“They not only refused to give back my certificates but also said they will get a signed letter from all staff to prove that they are not holding back any documents. We do not want to lose our jobs. So, we will have to sign it, if it comes to it,” he said.

While most colleges have not returned any certificate, a few are willing to do so after teachers give it in writing that they have received their certificates or that they have submitted their certificates voluntarily. 

A senior member from the Association of Self-financing Colleges said colleges hold back certificates in order to protect students from “irresponsible” teachers.

“Many teachers quit the college in the middle of the academic year and we are left to scramble for teachers. We have taken no common decision on this issue yet,” the member said.KM Karthik, founder of All India Private College Employees Union, said hardly any college has acted on the circulars.

*Names changed

Medical Council of India sanctioned 44 new post-graduate medical seats in Tamil Nadu

As a boost to the public healthcare system in the State, the Medical Council of India sanctioned 44 new post-graduate medical seats for the academic year 2019-2020.

Published: 14th December 2018 05:57 AM |

Medical Council of India. (Photo | mciindia.org/)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI : As a boost to the public healthcare system in the State, the Medical Council of India sanctioned 44 new post-graduate medical seats for the academic year 2019-2020.The State had over 1,500 PG medical seats in the last academic year and had asked for 154 additional seats of which 44 have been sanctioned.

According to an official source, the Medical Council of India (before abolition, for formation of National Medical Commission), inspected the medical colleges and sanctioned 44 seats in its committee meeting. “In the meeting, it sanctioned 44 seats for the academic year 2019-2020. This is the first sanction and we are expecting subsequent sanction as we had asked for 154 seats. Due to transition of MCI to NMC, the process is getting delayed,” the official source added.

As per the details accessed by Express, the MCI sanctioned six PG seats to Government Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai; four MD seats, two each in MD Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, MD Dermatology Venerology & Leprosy, and also two MS Ophthalmology seats. Six MD Community Medicine seats to Madras Medical College, Chennai.

MCI sanctioned four seats in MD Community Medicine to Madurai Medical College. Eight MD Community Medicine seats to Theni Government Medical College. Four MD Paediatric seats to Kanyakumar Government Medical College. Eight MD Anaesthesia seats to Government Vellore Medical College and eight MS General Surgery seats to Government Dharmapuri Medical College. Totally, it sanctioned 44 seats.


Over 1,500 seats

The State had over 1,500 PG medical seats in the last academic year  and had asked for 154 additional seats of which 44 have been sanctioned

PIL plea to return original certificates

The PIL also prayed for a directive to conduct a proper investigation into the death of one Vasanthavanan, a faculty of Madras Institute of Technology at Chromepet.

Published: 14th December 2018 02:35 AM |

By Express News Service

CHENNAI : A PIL petition has been filed in Madras HC for a directive to the AICTE and Anna University to issue a mandatory direction to affiliated colleges to return the original documents relating to qualification and experience at the time of appointment to the posts of teaching faculty, back to the appointees immediately after verification or to accept the documents in the form of soft copies.

A division bench of Justices M Sathyanarayanan and P Rajamanickam, before which the petition from K M Kathick, founder of All Private College Employees Union in Tiruchy came up for hearing on Thursday, ordered notice, returnable by January 24, to the Higher Education secretary, AICTE, Anna University and to the principal of Sree Sastha Institute of Engineering and Technology.

The PIL also prayed for a directive to conduct a proper investigation into the death of one Vasanthavanan, a faculty of Madras Institute of Technology at Chromepet. Petitioner said Vasanthavanan was originally appointed as Assistant Professor in Sree Sastha Engineering College.

Later, he got an offer from MIT. He committed suicide on November 12, due to alleged harassment by the management, by refusing to return the original certificates. It demanded a payment of `3 lakh for returning the documents and also to prostrate before the college correspondent.


A complaint filed with Nazarathpet police did not yield the expected result. Hence, the present PIL for a mandatory direction to colleges and to hold a proper investigation into the death of Vasanthavanan.

Cyclone ‘Phethai’ may miss Tamil Nadu and hit Andhra Pradesh, but likely to bring heavy showers to Chennai

Depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal is very likely to intensify further into a deep depression in next 12 hours and into a cyclonic storm during the subsequent 24 hours.

Published: 14th December 2018 04:22 AM |

The probability of Phethai making landfall in AP is higher. (Photo |

 EPS/Ashwin Prasath)

By SV Krishna Chaitanya

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Powerful tropical cyclonic storm ‘Phethai’, brewing in the Bay of Bengal, may give Tamil Nadu a miss and head towards Andhra Pradesh, but Chennai and neighbouring coastal districts are likely to get heavy rain starting Sunday.

As India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday declared the formation of a cyclone by Friday, alarm bells started ringing in south Andhra and north coastal TN as the forecast showed the storm intensifying into a severe cyclone generating sustained surface winds of 120 kmph — enough to inflict damage on the scale of Cyclone ‘Gaja’.

Though there is no consensus yet on the point of landfall, numerical models indicate the system would head to AP. The evening IMD bulletin said: “Depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal... is very likely to intensify further into a deep depression in next 12 hours and into a cyclonic storm during the subsequent 24 hours. It is likely to move north-westwards towards AP and adjoining north TN coasts during next 72 hours.”


The probability of Phethai making landfall in AP is higher. “Even if it moves towards AP, it would still be about 200-300 km from north coastal TN. So, the likelihood of Chennai getting heavy downpour from outer bands for at least a day is high,” S Balachandran, deputy director-general of Meteorology said.

Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has predicted high waves in the range of 3.0 - 3.5 metres between 12.30 pm and 11.30 pm on December 16 along the coast of Tamil Nadu from Dhanushkodi to Pulicat. Since the sea condition is likely to be rough to very rough, the government has advised all deep sea fishing vessels to return to the coast.

GS Sameeran, Director, Department of Fisheries, told Express that the weather warning issued by IMD was conveyed to all fishermen associations, cooperative societies. “Issue of the fishing token has been stopped from Wednesday. All boats were alerted to come to the nearest harbour for safe berthing.

“As on Thursday, all boats, except 321 deep sea fishing vessels from Chennai, have reached the harbour. The 321 vessels are still in the sea about 100 nautical miles off Vizag and Krishnapattinam coast and are safe. They are sailing towards nearest harbours,” he said. The Director OF Department of Fisheries said the help of Coast Guard and Navy was sought and preventive sorties for alerting the fishing boats was done.

“An officer from our fisheries department has been deputed to Krishnapattinam to coordinate with AP fisheries,” the official said.

Fake cop steals ornaments from woman's dead body in Chennai

In a bizarre incident, an unidentified man impersonated as a policeman and stole ornaments from a body at Arumbakkam. Police said, Guna Bhai, 80, wife of a late policeman, was ill at GH.

Published: 13th December 2018 01:43 AM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: In a bizarre incident, an unidentified man impersonated as a policeman and stole ornaments from a body at Arumbakkam. Police said, Guna Bhai, 80, wife of a late policeman, was ill at GH.


“Ten days ago, the woman died and her daughter Latha Rugmani, was arranging for the funeral, when a man claiming to be a policeman, approached her at the hospital and offered help. He accompanied Latha and other relatives to their house in Arumbakkam along with the dead body. Upon reaching the house, he instructed them to remove the gold chain and earrings from Guna’s body and put them in a glass of milk. A few minutes later, when Latha went inside the house and returned, she found the glass of milk and the man missing,” said a police officer.

Siddha medical college closed

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

TIRUNELVELI, DECEMBER 14, 2018 00:00 IST

Hostelers stage protest seeking alternative accommodation

The Government Siddha Medical College at Palayamkottai was closed indefinitely after the protest by students demanding better basic amenities in the college continued for the second day on Thursday.

Principal Neelavathi said the institution would be closed indefinitely.

As the dilapidated hostel for men at Vannarpet here has to be demolished shortly, the inmates were asked to vacate their rooms without making any alternative arrangement for their stay and food. Those students, who are staying in rented rooms and who have been left at the mercy of private eateries, started a sit-in protest on the college premises on Wednesday. They said the college administration should find a safe temporary place with mess for their stay so that their studies would not be affected.

When the college administration tried to pacify them by saying that the students would be shifted to a hitherto unused hostel near Reddiyarpatti on the outskirts of Palayamkottai, the students refused to accept the offer saying that it was far off (about six km from the college).

As girl students too joined the protest by boys, the principal declared indefinite closure of the college on Thursday evening and asked the girls too to vacate their rooms in the hostel on the college premises. Left with no other option, the students started leaving the college.

Marriage of a different kind

STAFF REPORTER

THOOTHUKUDI, DECEMBER 14, 2018 00:00 IST

Long live:Six differently abled couples got united at a wedding ceremony in Thoothukudi on Thursday.

A ‘swayamvaram’ held for the benefit of physically and visually challenged

Six differently abled couples, who found their matches at a ‘swayamvaram’ a few months ago, are set for a new beginning after they tied the nuptial knot here on Thursday.

The couples, who were brought together by the Lucia Society for the Differently Abled at Silverpuram, received gifts from donors for their collective wedding ceremony.

Witnessed by members of the home and relatives of brides and grooms, marriage of the couples -- all of them Hindus -- was held in the presence of vicar general Fr. Kirubakaran.

Each newly-wed couple received gifts to the tune of Rs. 2 lakh including a golden ‘thaali,’ cot, mattress, grinder, refridgerator, table fan, mixie, suitcase, induction stove, some utensils and grocery items.

M. Esakkiyammal and M. Manikandan of Ambasamuthiram, R. Karpagavalli and K. Nadimuthu of Thoothukudi and Pudukottai, S. Kalaiyarasi and V. Ganesan of Cuddalore and Sivagiri, M. Saroja and G. Saravanakumar of Thoothukudi and Tiruchi, L. Neelavathi and S. Paramasakthi of Tiruchendur and Thoothukudi, C. Maruthaiammal and S. Nirmal Kumar of Thoothukudi and Namakkal evinced interest to marry each other at a ‘swayamvaram’ held on September 16 in which people from across the State participated.

The couples exchanged garlands and cut cakes during the wedding. Elaborate wedding feast was arranged.

Three of the couples were physically challenged, two visually challenged while one is hearing impaired.

Fr. Gracis Michael, director of Lucia, said that the home had held weddings for 60 differently-abled couples so far since 1990, after the home was started in 1978.