Brain works backwards to retrieve memories

London:15.01.2019

When we remember a past event, the human brain reconstructs that experience in reverse order, according to a study.

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, reconstructed the memory retrieval process, using brain decoding techniques.

These techniques make it possible to track when in time a unique memory is being reactivated in the brain, said researchers from the University of Birmingham in the UK.

Understanding more precisely how the brain retrieves information could help better assess the reliability of eye witness accounts, for example of crime scenes, where people often are able to recall the overall ‘gist’ of an event, but recall specific visual details less reliably.

They found that, when retrieving information about a visual object, the brain focuses first on the core meaning — recovering the ‘gist’ — and only afterwards recalls more specific details.

When we initially see a complex object, it is the visual details — patterns and colours — that we perceive first. Abstract, meaningful information that tells us the nature of the object we are looking at, whether it is a dog, a guitar, or a cup, for example, comes later.

During the study, participants saw images of specific objects, and then learned to associate each image with a unique reminder word. They were later asked to reconstruct the image in as much detail as possible with the help of reminer words and brain activity was recorded throughout the task through electrodes attached to the scalp, allowing the researchers to observe changes in brain patterns with millisecond precision. PTI

A 25-year enmity was over in 25 minutes

Raja Bose, Subhash Mishra & Pervez Iqbal Siddiqui TNN

15.01.2019

He has just sealed a historic alliance with Mayawati after 25 years of bitter rivalry between Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Now, SP president Akhilesh Yadav says if intentions are noble and the approach honest, even the unthinkable can be achieved.

“In just 25 minutes, we put behind a 25-year-old enmity. This was during our meeting in Delhi on January 4, where we firmed up the seat-sharing formula,” said Akhilesh Yadav in an interview to TOIon Monday, his first after formally announcing the SP-BSP alliance on Saturday.

Akhilesh said he met Mayawati just once between the time the two parties fought together to defeat the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections in Gorakhpur and Phoolpur in March 2018 and the January 4 meeting.

He said that the alliance is so formidable and effective that it can bring down not only the BJP government at the Centre but also the Yogi government in the state. “Apart from the alliance’s strength, what will make this happen is the state of farmers, who are in distress,” said Akhilesh. UP chief minister may have ridiculed the alliance a number of times, but Akhilesh said it wasn’t easy to provoke him. “I cannot stoop low like Yogi does, using foul language against me and Mayawati,” he said.

He refused comment on the CBI reportedly dragging his name into UP’s mining scam but said: “I’m told that while CBI officers were not willing to drag me into it, there was pressure to include a line in the FIR that the role of ministers who held the mining portfolio should also be looked into.” When asked where the pressure came from, Akhilesh said, “We all know who is above the CBI.”

The SP chief does not see the age-old rivalry between the two parties as impediment to the coalition’s success. “SP and BSP contested each other for decades. But now we’re united. To bolster this, I’ve made it clear to SP workers that any insult to Mayawati is akin to insulting me,” he said. He also refuted allegations that the coalition was founded on caste factors.

EXERTING CONFIDENCE

‘Traffic’ Ramaswamy moves SC for CBI probe

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:15.01.2019

Two days after a journalist made sensational allegations about Kodanad Estate burglary and murder, social activist K R ‘Traffic’ Ramaswamy has moved the Supreme Court seeking CBI probe into the crimes.

Ramaswamy wanted the court to call for the records available with the state police on Kodanad Estate robbery and deaths, and transfer the probe to CBI to ensure fair and independent investigation.

“The agency of state police investigating the instant criminal case is in total control of chief minister who is alleged to have involved in the crime. When the fact is so, a proper, fair and transparent probe by the state agency cannot be expected,” Ramaswamy said.

In a recent press statement, the chief minister has denied the allegation and has said proper police action will be taken against the persons who made the allegations. This statement itself will prove that there is no scope for a fair investigation by state police, Ramaswamy said.

Justifying his locus standi to seek such a relief, the social activist said: “Article 32 of the Constitution empowers the apex court either suo motu or on an application made by any aggrieved citizen to seek remedy for CBI investigation of a criminal case in which an influential person like chief minister is involved. It is a fundamental right of free and fair investigation and trial over crime against the society.”

He further submitted that it was settled law that any aggrieved citizen could set the criminal law in motion and ask for impartial investigation, if in case, the investigating agency of state failed to ensure fair probe. Thus, Ramaswamy said, he had locus standi to seek free and fair investigation.

The plea, filed in the apex court, is likely to be taken up for hearing soon.

In April 2017, a security guard of Kodanad tea estate, a favourite summer retreat of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, was murdered during a break-in. Subsequent probe revealed that her former driver C Kanagaraj and K V Sayan were behind the crime. Some articles alleged to have stolen from the estate were recovered and 10 persons were arrested in connection with the crime.

On January 11, journalist Samuel Mathew released a video alleging involvement of present chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami in the incidents.


CALL FOR ACTION: K R Ramaswamy wanted the court to call for the records available with the state police on Kodanad Estate robbery and deaths, and transfer the probe to CBI

Railway booking clerks fleece passengers in a hurry

Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com

Chennai:15-01-2019

During raids conducted at various ticket booking offices across Tamil Nadu from Friday to Sunday, officials from Southern Railway’s vigilance department have stumbled upon a scam where a section of booking clerks were found to be making money by cheating passengers who bought unreserved tickets and were leaving in a hurry.

During festival breaks such as Pongal, the queues at the unreserved ticket counters swell as migrant labourers travel back home to northern and eastern states. Buying a ticket takes at least 30-45 minutes due to peak rush.

Sources said booking clerks capitalise on the rush and the illiteracy of the labourers to pocket a part of the loose change that is to be returned to them. The lack of a fare list to frequent destinations at Central and Egmore also plays to their advantage. 90% of railway’s passengers travel in the unreserved segment.

Railway sources said two of the five railway employees under scanner in the Chennai Central parcel scam were among those who were found with ‘excess cash’ of ₹200-₹500 at the Moore Market Complex (MMC) booking office by vigilance officials. Booking clerks and ticket checkers are not supposed to have any undeclared cash during work hours. Any cash on them is construed as a bribe taken, sources said.

Another modus operandi followed by these clerks is to print tickets on separate paper sheets. While up to four tickets can be printed on the same sheet, only two or three are booked deliberately and the clerk would pocket the difference for 4 tickets, said sources. A third way is to levy superfast charges even when the train isn’t one.

The earning potential for a single shift is around ₹5,000 said a senior officer-bearer of an employees union, who has worked as a supervisor in Central’s booking office.

“This is why only particular chosen ones manage to get posts at booking offices,” he added.

Sources said booking clerks capitalise on the rush and the illiteracy of the labourers to pocket a part of the loose change that is to be returned to them

Moves on to resume MBBS admission at Kannur Medical College 

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

Published Jan 10, 2019, 1:35 am IST

The medical college management now claims that the amount as per the Supreme Court order has been returned to all students. 


 
Kannur Medical College

KANNUR: Efforts are on to resume the MBBS course at Kannur Medical College at Ancharakkandi near here which had lost its recognition for MBBS course last year. As part of this, a high-power committee from the Kerala University for Health Sciences will examine the facilities at the medical college before January 15, according to sources in the medical college.

The Medical Council team would visit the college to assess the improved facilities, faculty and other credentials only if the health varsity authorities give green signal for the medical college. The key issue faced by the medical college is lack of sufficient patients, according to sources. Various steps are on to attract more patients to the hospital including announcing treatment free of cost for next two weeks.

The Medical Council had denied permission to run MBBS courses this year as there were proven cases of corruption and irregularities in the admission process of students to the MBBS course in 2016-2017 academic year. The admission procedures of this year were stopped as the management failed to return the double amount of the fee and deposit remitted by the students at the time of admission as per the order of the Supreme Court.

The medical college management now claims that the amount as per the Supreme Court order has been returned to all students. However, about 20 students are yet to give it in writing that they had received the amount. The rest had given in writing on stamp papers that they had received the amount in tune with the SC directive and have no complaints against the management. The monitoring committee appointed by the Supreme Court had first given a report to the court that the college management had failed to obey the order of the SC on repaying double amount received from students at the time of admission.

Ria George, a student who lost her MBBS chance, had approached the Supreme Court demanding a compensation of Rs 2 crore from the management. The SC would consider the petition on January 25. Though the case was filed about two months back the management is yet to submit an affidavit at the court in the petition.

AICTE approval must for deemed-to-be universities: Supreme Court order

The All India Council for Technical Education is the statutory body and a national-level council for technical education, under Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development


 
India Today Web Desk New DelhiDecember 3, 2017UPDATED: 
December 3, 2017 11:54 IST


 
AICTE approval for deemed to be universities

Following the recent direction of the Supreme Court, the UGC has issued fresh guidelines to all deemed-to-be universities asking them to abide by AICTE norms for technical and engineering education.

It was felt that deemed universities used to take their own decision on matters like increasing seats or starting a new course as there was no regulating authority.

All these years, such universities had been reporting to the University Grants Commission (UGC). Earlier, the Supreme Court held that the engineering degrees obtained through correspondence courses from deemed universities in the past 16 years were invalid.
Here's what the Chairman of AICTE said:

"It has been noted that some deemed-to-be universities, which are offering technical, engineering, architecture and pharmacy courses, are not following AICTE rules." Dr Anil Sahasrabudhe told Indian Express.

What does the decision say?

Such universities have to apply to their regulatory body even for increasing seats or starting a new course or the degrees they offer will be suspended

Degrees offered by deemed to be universities for technical and engineering courses through distance mode stands suspended
Such universities are not allowed to offer technical or engineering course through distance mode according to AICTE and UGC norms

In Karnataka, there are over five deemed-to-be universities which are offering technical courses. They include Sri Siddartha Academy for Higher Education, Tumakuru; KLE Institute, Belagavi; JSS Institute, Mysuru and Manipal Institute, Manipal.

Girl in financial trouble finds a sympathetic ear 

Special Correspondent 
 
COIMBATORE, January 14, 2019 00:00 IST


 
M. Vinothini’s ear-piercing ceremony being conducted at the Panchayat Union Elementary School in Ramachettipalayam.

Grand ear-piercing ceremony organised for fourth-grader by NGO, teachers in Ramachettipalayam

M. Vinothini, 9, will remember January 10, 2019, for more than the ear-piercing ceremony held for her at her school, the Panchayat Union Elementary School in Ramachettipalayam, Coimbatore district. The fourth-grader, dressed in her favourite pink, was the star of the function held at about 11.30 a.m. in the presence of her grandmother Pappammal, and her classmates, schoolmates and teachers, led by headmistress G. Kousalya and members of NGO Pasiyara Soru.

That morning, Ms. Vinothini walked beside her grandmother and neighbours, while 15 of her schoolmates had carried a ‘seer thattu’ (ceremonial presents) in a procession from her home to the school.

It all began when the NGO's founder Rajasethumurali happened to visit the girl on the eve of Deepavali in 2018. He recalled, “On learning of Vinothini's poor economic background, I went to her house, gave her a dress, sweets and firecrackers for Deepavali. I noticed that her ears were not pierced and decided to hold a function in as grand a manner as her father would have organised.”

Mr. Rajasethumurali picked January 10 because he organised functions on this day in memory of a girl who had died of AIDS.

Pasiyara Soru members then met Ms. Vinothini’s teachers, who not only wanted to join in but also helped him secure permission for holding the function at the school. “I was particular that the function was held at the school because it would help increase enrolment,” Mr. Rajasethumurali said.

The headmistress, Ms. Kousalya, said, “We were excited but we wanted permission from the higher authorities. Block Education Officer Ms. Tamilselvi helped and also participated.”

“We, the teachers, pooled in around Rs. 2,000, which we used for buying Vinothini a silk pattu paavadai (silk garment) in her favourite colour,” she added. The teachers are also planning to raise money to have it deposited in a post office account in Ms. Vinothini's name.

Pasiyara Soru took care of the cost of a pair of gold earrings weighing nearly 1.5 gm, a dress for Ms. Vinothini, and a feast for the 169 students, teachers and participants.

“I was able to do whatever I did because a lot of individuals and institutions donated money,” said the NGO's founder Rajasethumurali.