HC asks accused to campaign against ragging

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kochi:16.02.2019

The Kerala high court on Friday asked 10 students involved in a ragging case to conduct an anti-ragging campaign in their college to consider their plea to quash the criminal case filed against them.

Justice B Sudheendra Kumar gave the directive on a petition filed by students of Indira Gandhi College of Science and Technology at Mambaram, Kannur, against whom police had registered a case for ragging and assaulting a first-year student. The students cited an out-of-court settlement with the victim to quash the case.

The accused and their parents had appeared in the court on Friday as sought by the judge. The court asked them to conduct an anti-ragging campaign in the college after their exams, which will be over by February 21, in association with the Kannur Legal Services Authority. It said the decision on quashing the criminal case would be based on the authority chairman's report. The case has been posted to April 2 for further hearing.

The judge advised the students and parents to ensure that the future is not spoiled by getting involved in such cases. He said the community would take notice of an anti-ragging campaign conducted by them.

Pondy CM to continue dharna against Bedi until February 21

LG Can Resolve Problems In One Hour: CM

Bosco.Dominique@timesgroup.com

Puducherry:16.02.2019

Puducherry chief minister V Narayanasamy, his cabinet colleagues, legislators of the Congress and the DMK and leaders of Congress alliance partners continued their agitation in front of Raj Nivas for the third day on Friday against lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi, accusing her of stalling welfare schemes of the Congress government.

Speaking to reporters on Friday night after holding discussions with his fellow protesters, Narayanasamy said the agitation against Bedi will continue until February 21. Bedi, who left for Delhi on Thursday after attending a private function at Chennai, had invited Narayanasamy for a discussion at 10am on February 21. She will be attending a series of public and private functions in New Delhi until February 20.

It all started after Narayanasamy objected to Bedi’s decision to enforce compulsory helmet rule from February 11. He insisted that the law-enforcement agency should implement the rule in a phased manner. Narayanasamy decided to take to the roads to register his protest and since Wednesday afternoon he has been sitting in a dharna in front of Raj Nivas to protest against Bedi’s intervention in day-to-day affairs of the government.

The protesting leaders, led by Narayanasamy, spent the whole night on Thursday and slept on the road for the second consecutive night. Narayanasamy, who had written to lieutenant governor insisting her to fulfil a 39-charter demand, said Bedi could resolve all issues within an hour but is not willing to do so.

“I gave a letter to her (Bedi) on February 7 (insisting to fulfil 39 demands). But she allotted time on February 21(for discussions). I sent another letter pointing out that she can resolve the issues within one hour,” he said.

When asked on the rationale to continue the stir in her absence in the territory, he said if she conveyed her decision to fulfil all the demands through a letter or over the phone, he would reconsider his decision to continue the agitation.

SLEEP IN: The protesting leaders, led by Narayanasamy, spent the whole night on Thursday in front of the Raj Nivas in Puducherry

Speaker seeks new ‘interim admin’

Puducherry:Speaker of the legislative assembly of the Union territory of Puducherry V Vaithilingam has urged the Union home minister Rajnath Singh to ‘consider appointing an interim administrator of the Union territory’ in wake of ‘crucial situation faced by the administration’. He said chief minister V Narayanasamy wrote to Bedi on February 7 citing all the issues faced by the administration elaborately. TNN

Kiran Bedi will be dismissed: AICC secy

Puducherry:Sanjay Dutt, AICC secretary and Congress party’s in-charge of Puducherry and Tamil Nadu, on Friday said lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi would be dismissed for acting in an unconstitutional and autocratic manner once the Congress comes to power at the Centre. Dutt called on the chief minister and leaders of alliance partners to express solidarity to the ongoing agitation. He said the Centre appointed Bedi to destabilise the elected Congress government. TNN

Council of Architecture Public Notice 16.02.2019 TOI

Free rides end, metro footfall drops 50%
85,000 Use Phase-I Line Daily, CMRL Eyes 1L Mark

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:16.02.109

Footfall in metro stations dropped by more than 50% a day after Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) ended free rides across its 45-km corridors. On Thursday, around 86,312 people travelled in metro trains. Officials had expected the ridership to touch one lakh, as the 45-km phase I is completely operational.

CMRL opened its corridors for free commute after the 10-km stretch from Washermenpet to AG-DMS was inaugurated on February 10. The free rides continued till February 13, as officials said, the time was utilized to stabilize its system and regularise the frequency of trains.

“It would have been unfair and disappointing to commuters if we had charged for tickets without operating trains on time. So, we had decided to offer free rides,” an official said.

In the four days, more than seven lakh people travelled on metro trains with an average of two lakhs every day. However, when CMRL began charging for the service on Thursday, there was a significant, 57% dip.

Before the inauguration of the last leg from Washermenpet to AG-DMS, CMRL had an average ridership of 60,000 taking trains.

While the new passenger count shows a rise of more than 20,000, it is still short of the one lakh a day ridership figure CMRL officials expected to record.

“The stations may be open now, but a few of the new stations are not close to bus stops or do not have options like share taxis or autos, which we can take to our destination,” said Shankaran, a working professional, who exited at Thousand Lights station.

Metro rail officials said soon feeder services, including share auto and taxis, will be introduced in the newly opened stations to provide commuters last mile connectivity. Tenders have also been issued to extend the share services, which is available in 13 stations, to all stations.

With majority of stations at the heart of the city and accessible through metro trains from transit hubs like Central, Egmore, Koyambedu and Airport for a fare of ₹40 or ₹50, and with the launch of feeder services soon, CMRL officials said they are hopeful to the see patronage touch one lakh in the coming months.

Commuters, however, still find the ticket fares to be high, as several complaints on social networking sites continue to blame the ticket fares for the poor patronage.


BETTER PROSPECTS: With feeder services to be introduced soon in new stations, CMRL officials hope the patronage to go up

The stations may be open now, but a few of the new stations are not close to bus stops or do not have options like share taxis or autos, which we can take to our destination

Shankaran | A WORKING PROFESSIONAL & METRO COMMUTER

Anna univ stalls results of 30k engg students

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:16.02.2019

More than 30,000 first year engineering students from 150 colleges affiliated to Anna University are in a fix as their exam results have been withheld.

Results were not released because the college administration did not pay the requisite fee and did not complete the certificate verification process, government sources told TOI.

More than 90,0000 students from 509 engineering colleges took up the first semester exams in November-December 2018.

Though most colleges were able to access the results, released on Friday on the official website, students from 150 colleges were unable to find out their scores. Confused, they approached their colleges. After the colleges contacted the university, they were informed that their results were withheld due to non-compliance.

“Every college should pay ₹1,200 per student to Anna University office for student affairs. But these colleges haven’t paid them and some are yet to complete the certificate verification process even six months after students registered in their colleges,” said a university official.

“There was a similar issue last year with the release of final year semester results. Colleges were then pulled up for not sending adequate staff to evaluate answer scripts. Students, who were planning to study abroad or attend placements, had to suffer. Now, first year students are facing a hurdle,” said the parent of a student from Chennai.

A university official said the colleges were at fault. Tamil Nadu Directorate of Technical Education (TN DOTE) is also to be blamed for not collecting the fees and details from colleges and submitting to the varsity on time, a varsity source said.

K Vivekanadan from TN DOTE was unavailable for comment despite attempts to reach him.

TN govt colleges may get 345 more MBBS seats this year

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:16.02.2019

In an attempt to increase the number of undergraduate medical seats in the state, both the government and private institutions together have applied for at least 950 more MBBS seats for 2019. This includes at least 345 seats in public institutions.

The directorate of medical education has submitted its final compliance report after two rounds of inspections and is expecting the letter of permission from the Centre to start a government medical college in Karur in 2019 offering 150 medical seats. “With this, the total number of government medical colleges in the state will be 23. Our state has one of the maximum numbers of medical colleges in the government sector. In the coming years, we will increase the seats in existing colleges to at least 250 and open new colleges in all districts,” said the director of medical education Dr A Edwin Joe.

This year, the state has applied for 95 more seats at Madurai Government Medical College and 100 at Tirunelveli Government Medical College. The inspectors had earlier asked administrators of the Madurai college to rectify certain infrastructure inadequacies. “We have submitted the compliance report for that. There were no inadequacies reported in Tirunelveli,” he said.

In addition to government colleges, at least four private colleges that are planning at least 150 seats each have asked the state for essentiality certificates — a mandatory certificate to be handed over to the Centre. The list includes medical colleges backed by Lok Sabha deputy speaker M Thambi Durai and DMK former minister S Jagathrakshakan.

Educationists and activists said the state should enforce stringent laws to permit them to take over administration when the management announced the closure. “Every year, students from private colleges move the court seeking transfer to government colleges if the management decides not to continue the course,” said Dr R Kamaraj, a parent of a student in a private medical college.

High court relief to NRI PG medical aspirants

TNN | Feb 10, 2019, 07.50 AM IST

JAIPUR: High court’s decision has come as a major relief for candidates seeking admission in PG medical courses on 15% NRI quota in the state. 

Hearing the case, double bench of justice Banwari Lal Sharma and MN Bhandari of Rajasthan High Court, Jaipur bench, ordered, “Admission in NRI quota for PG medical and dental courses would be governed by the prevalent rule.” The court heard the case filed by a private university of medical sciences and technology Jaipur versus State of Rajasthan, office of the chairman, NEET PG medical and Dental Admission/Counselling Board -2018.

Chairman of the medical university, Dr ML Swarankar said, “The prevalent rule was issued by the medical education department on August 24, 2011 stating that an NRI who undertakes to sponsor a student for admission as guardian, need not be a blood relation, hence the ‘ward’ in case of NRI admission means a candidate whose guardian is a bonafide NRI. ‘Ward’ does not mean related by blood.” Dr Swarankar said, “The court’s judgement can be seen as a major relief for students as it is not mandatory for a PG medical course aspirant to have blood relationship with an NRI for taking benefit of NRI quota.”

The court set aside the order passed in SB Civil writ petition on May 10, 2018, whereby the single judge had disposed of the writ petition of the petitioner student, while observing that the principles laid down by the honourable Supreme Court in writ petition titled as consortium of deemed universities in Karnataka versus Union of India, be applicable to all admissions including PG (medicine).

While setting aside the order passed on May, 2018, division bench ordered, “We find that litigation before the Apex Court is still pending in the case of consortium of deemed universities in Karnataka. The last para of the interim order is quoted hereunder for ready reference: It needs no special emphasis to state that the present order is only applicable to the deemed universities and no other category of institution.” The Apex Court had passed interim order, “As presently advised, the principles set out in Anshul Tomar (supra), shall be followed this year for the purpose of filling up of 15% NRI quota. Be it clarified, the NRI quota shall include overseas citizens of India (OCI) and persons of Indian origin (PIO).”

Justice Banwari Lal Sharma and MN Bhandari further ordered, “If any direction is given by the Apex Court in regard to such admission even for the university created by the state legislation, then it would be applicable to it.”