Medical, dental students to oppose fee hike

TNN | Feb 7, 2019, 12.50 AM IST

BENGALURU: Hundreds of students from government medical and dental colleges in the state will arrive in the city on Saturday (February 9) to participate in a convention to discuss their opposition to implementation of NRI quota in government colleges and exorbitant fee hike for medical and dental courses.

The Medical Students Convention is being organised by the All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) along with Medical Students Struggle Committee and Dental Students Struggle Committee. It will be held at KGS Club in Cubbon Park (opposite MS Building) from 10.30am.

Sithara HM, district vice-president, AIDSO, said for one and a half months now, medical and dental students have been on the streets opposing the government proposal on introducing NRI quota in medical colleges and fee hike for undergraduate (300%) and postgraduate (800%) courses. “Students can’t be a source of funds for the government. NRI quota, which reduces merit seats, is illegal,” said Sithara.

NJ Sachin from Government Dental College, Bengaluru, said in the last academic year, he had paid a fee of Rs 17,000. “This year, we have paid Rs 50,000 as the college has jacked up the fee in the name of infrastructure and development. Many poor students may have to discontinue studies,” he added.

Kiran Kumar Pattar, from Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, said there has been no notification from Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) on the fee hike. “But the course fee has gone up from Rs 17,500 to Rs 65,000, a fivefold jump,” he added.

Accomodate Ponnaiyah medical college students in private colleges

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | J STALIN

PublishedFeb 8, 2019, 1:40 am IST

The single judge had passed an order to send a proposal to the MCI to accommodate these students in government medical colleges.

Madras high court

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has permitted the state government to file a petition seeking modification of its interim order, which directed the state government to submit a fresh proposal to the Board of Governors in Supersession of Medical Council of India for accommodating 108 students of the defunct Ponnaiyah Ramajayam Institute of Medical Sciences (PRIMS) in 22 government medical colleges in the state.

Additional Advocate General Narmada Sampath mentioned seeking clarification/modification of the interim order dated February 1, before a division bench comprising Justices M Sathyanarayanan and P Rajamanickam.

AAG Narmada Sampath submitted that the Essentiality Certificate does not contemplate that the students should be accommodated only in government medical colleges. The state government took a stand before a single judge that the government medical colleges were overloaded since they have already accommodated the students of another defunct institution, Annai Medical College, as per the directive of this court. Therefore, it would not be possible to accommodate these students in government medical colleges. They could be accommodated in 10 private medical colleges.

After obtaining the nod from the 10 private medical colleges to accommodate the students, the state government sent a proposal to the MCI, which also gave its approval. However, the students insisted that they should be accommodated only in government medical colleges like Annai Medical College students.

The single judge had passed an order to send a proposal to the MCI to accommodate these students in government medical colleges. Against which, the state government has filed the present appeal, she added and sought modification of the interim order to the effect that these students could be accommodated only in private medical colleges.

Advocate VP Raman, appearing for MCI, submitted that if the state government now wants to accommodate the students in private medical colleges, it has to get the proposal from the private medical colleges. If the state government sent proposals for both, the MCI will consider the same, he added.

Senior counsels P Wilson and S Silambannan, appearing for the students, submitted that as per the Essentiality Certificate issued by the state government, if a private medical college was shut down, it was the responsibility of the state government to take care of the interest of the students. Though the private medical colleges expressed their willingness to accommodate these students as per the stand of the state government, the colleges lack infrastructure facilities.

A unique situation has arisen. Accommodating the Annai Medical College students has nothing to do with these students. These students also belong to the same 2016-17 batch, but they wanted to join the second year students of government colleges, who just finished their first year and are doing their second year. The Annai Medical College students have already joined the  second year as students of government medical colleges and they are going to complete their second year now, they added. Asking the AAG to file a proper petition, the bench said it would hear the matter on February 13.

There are other ways to earn money, Madras HC tells govt

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

PublishedFeb 8, 2019, 5:30 am IST

There are surely other ways of making revenues apart from selling liquor from its TASMAC shops, the court told the government.

Madras High Court


Madurai: Lamenting that liquor has destroyed an entire generation in Tamil Nadu, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has counseled the state government it is imperative at least now to protect future generations from the evil impact of booze.

There are surely other ways of making revenues apart from selling liquor from its TASMAC shops, the court told the government.

Hearing a Public Interest Litigation from Ramkumar Adhithan of Tiruchendur seeking revision of TASMAC timings, a division bench comprising Justices N Kirubakaran and S S Sundar raised several questions at the government in its handling of liquor sales to make money for the state exchequer - such as whether the rules regarding the sale of alcohol are being strictly followed and if CCTV cameras have been installed in the TASMAC shops and bars.

When liquor flowed out of the TASMAC shops and bars round-the-clock, there was no point discussing the revision of timings in these establishments, said the worried judges.

In his PIL, petitioner Ramkumar pointed out that TN government had earned Rs 31,244 crore from TASMAC sales last year and it was even setting targets for liquor sales, particularly during the festival times. Also, Tamil Nadu accounted for the most number of people consuming liquor, he said, adding that the TASMAC shops functioned from 12 pm to 10 pm with bar facilities for drinking and parking lots.

Sharing the petitioner's concerns, the court told the government there surely are better ways of raising revenues. Also the villagers at their gram sabha meetings could pass resolutions against setting up TASMAC shops in their locality, said the judges while asking the government to respond to the PIL by February 28, when the petition would be taken up next for hearing.

Tejas Express travel time cut by 30 minutes

Much to the excitement of the commuters, the Railway Board has decided to cut short the journey time of yet-to-be-introduced Madurai-Chennai Egmore Tejas Express by half-an-hour.

Published: 08th February 2019 04:25 AM 

Tejas Express (File | PTI)

By Vinodh Arulappan

Express News Service

MADURAI: Much to the excitement of the commuters, the Railway Board has decided to cut short the journey time of yet-to-be-introduced Madurai-Chennai Egmore Tejas Express by half-an-hour. The board, on Wednesday, issued a notification that the India’s first semi-high speed fully air-conditioned train would leave Egmore station at 6 am and would reach Madurai at 12.30 pm.

Further, the train will have two commercial stoppages at Tiruchirappalli and Kodaikanal Road junctions. The train will have two-minute stoppages at Tiruchy and Kodai Road junction. Meanwhile, the Chennai-bound Tejas Express will depart from Madurai junction at 3 pm and will reach Egmore junction at 9.30 pm. The train will stop at Kodai Road junction at 3.28 pm for two minutes. It will reach Tiruchy Junction at 4.50 pm and will leave by 4.52 pm.

The Board also announced that the Tejas Express will be operated six days in a week, except on Thursdays. The turn round train, Tejas Express’s primary maintenance and the Round trip Brake Power Certificate (RBPC) - (the trains run round the clock and come in for a short maintenance service of two hours) will be under the control of Chennai Egmore station.


The train comprising 15 coaches with exclusive amenities like CCTV, Wi-Fi facilities, modular toilets, luxurious seat will have 12 AC Chair Car coaches (LWCZAC), one First class Chair Car (LWFCZAC) and two Generator Varns (LWLRRM-02).

Earlier, it was announced Tejas Express would take around seven hours to reach the destination.

Can’t pay electricity bill online February 8-11

From February 8 to 11, online service to pay electricity bill, will not be in service for localities in the North zone, said a Tangedco release.

Published: 08th February 2019 05:08 AM 

Image used for representational purpose only.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: From February 8 to 11, online service to pay the electricity bill, will not be in service for localities in the North zone, said a Tangedco release. Also, offline centres present in the north zone of Chennai, will also be closed on February 9 but will be functional on the other two days.

Online and offline services pertaining to areas including Tondiarpet, Perambur, Vyasarpadi, Ponneri, T Nagar, Mylapore, Egmore and Anna Salai will be shut as maintenance works need to be carried out, said the release. Online services will not be functional from 4.30 pm on February 8 till 8am on February 11.

Convicts to operate petrol bunk soon

R. Rajaram

TIRUCHI, FEBRUARY 08, 2019 00:00 IST

24 convicts serving lengthy sentences in Tiruchi Central Prison have been chosen for the job.

G_GNANAVELMURUGAN

The outlet is being constructed a little away from Pudukottai District Jail

Convicts lodged at Tiruchi Central Prison who have been engaged in a slew of prison industrial units as a rehabilitation measure would now be involved in a new venture of operating a petrol bunk.

The Prison Department will soon start running a petrol bunk that is coming up on a piece of land belonging to it along a main thoroughfare in neighbouring Pudukottai. Construction of the fuel outlet which is located a little away from Pudukottai District Jail is in full swing.

Prison authorities told The Hindu on Thursday that a select group of 24 convicts serving lengthy sentences in Tiruchi Central Prison have been chosen to operate the fuel outlet since the District Jail at Pudukottai Town does not accommodate convicts.

A committee in the Central Prison has hand-picked the convicts after examining their physical condition as well as their conduct inside the prison.

The willingness of the convicts have been obtained and their good behaviour has been taken into account to engage them at the upcoming petrol bunk, a senior Prison officer said.

Necessary training had been imparted to the chosen convicts to operate the fuel outlet of the Indian Oil Corporation.

“The construction of the outlet is in an advanced stage of completion and is expected to be commissioned soon”, said the officer. The new activity would be on similar lines as that of the Prison Bazaar situated at the entrance of the Tiruchi Central Prison where a group of convicts have been engaged in the manufacture and sale of eateries, the officer added.

The convicts chosen for working at the fuel outlet would be under the direct supervision of a team of jail personnel who would be deployed there, the authorities said. The plan is to run the outlet in two shifts to begin with and the convicts would be accommodated in the erstwhile sub jail functioning within the premises of the District Jail at Pudukottai. Wages for the convicts would be deposited in the prisoners bank account and the money would be given to them, said the officer.

The selected convicts were lodged in the Central Prison for committing murders and serving lengthy incarceration.

The twin objective behind this move was to engage convicts in a productive vocation which would fetch them wages besides helping them in getting over a feeling of isolation and depression by mingling with the public, the officer added.

Bike taxi service launched

STAFF REPORTER

SALEM, FEBRUARY 08, 2019 00:00 IST

Bike taxis hit the road in Salem on Thursday.

E.Lakshmi NarayananE_LakshmiNarayanan

Bengaluru-based Rapido Bike has launched bike taxi service in Salem on Thursday.

The organisation has already launched the service in 25 cities in the country, including Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchi and Madurai. It was flagged off by M. Nirmal Raj, senior expansion manager, Rapido, Manoj Ravi Kanti, expansion manager and Murugan, city head, Salem Rapido.

Mr. Nirmal Raj said that the aim was to provide economical, convenient and high-quality transport facilities for individual commuters, especially those who need to travel far or have to get somewhere quickly. He said that commuters could travel at an introductory rate of Rs. 15 up to 3 km.

According to him, commuters need to download the Rapido mobile app and book their ride. A rider, also known as a Rapido ‘Captain’, will pick up and drop the customer. The company also issues shower caps and helmets to all its Captains and customers, and puts great emphasis on road safety rules and regulations.