Chennai parents allege CBSE school failed LKG kid, demand return of fees

The parents said that the school detained their ward in the same class since she was unable to cope up with the syllabus. 

Published: 03rd April 2019 07:23 AM

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Parents of a kid studying in lower kindergarten on Tuesday alleged that a CBSE school at Adyar detained their ward in the same class since she was unable to cope up with the syllabus and also forcibly made them write a letter assuring that their ward be retained in the same class.

The parents demanded their fee be returned and also wanted the State government to initiate action against the erring school authorities. P Jaishankar, a driver with MTC and his wife J Hemavathi, of Tiruvanmayur, admitted their three-year-old child in Bharath Senior Secondary School in kindergarten last year. However, when the results were out in the middle of March, the parents were called separately and were informed by the teacher that their ward results were being withheld since the grades were poor, said the parents while addressing the press.

Hemavathi said even the next academic year first term fee of Rs 15275 for their ward for LKG was also paid as per the instruction of the teachers in the school after a consent letter of studying in the same class was obtained on the same day of the result.“ Since a number of students are on waiting list for LKG, the coordinator wanted us to write a letter and pay the fees the same day”, she said.

The parents further alleged that they were unable to meet the principal of the institution. A total of Rs 65273 paid to the school was demanded by the parents. A Senthil Arumugam, general secretary, Satta Panchayat Iyakkam said, “As per the Right to Education norms, a student is not supposed to be failed till Class V. However, private institutions across the State are detaining students, which is illegal”.


He further added that the State government has to seriously take action against such private schools, which will set an example for other institutions.Refuting the allegations, the school principal K Prem Shantha told Express that the allegations raised by the parents had never come to her purview and assured that the issue will be sorted out. She also emphasised that the school never took such letters from parents forcibly.

BDU secures A+ ranking in third cycle 

Special Correspondent 
 
TIRUCHI, April 03, 2019 00:00 IST

Under NAAC’s new framework

Bharathidasan University has secured A+ ranking in the third cycle of accreditation under the new framework of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), placing itself on a strong pedestal to receive more Central funding and strengthening the reach of its distance education programme.

Bharathidasan University is the first State university in Tamil Nadu to get A+ accreditation with institutional CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) of 3.32 on a four-point scale, after the new framework came into effect since July 2017, Vice-Chancellor P. Manisankar told media persons on Tuesday.

The seven Cumulative Grade Point Average criteria encompassed curricular aspects; teaching-learning and evaluation; research, innovations and extension; infrastructure and learning resources; student support and progression; governance, leadership and management; and institutional values and best practices.

The third cycle of NAAC assessment will be valid till April 1, 2024. The stride has placed BDU among top 15% of universities in the country with A+ and A++ status, the Vice-Chancellor said.

The latest score is well above the minimum of 3.26 points stipulated last year by University Grants Commission and Distance Education Bureau as eligibility for universities to offer distance education programmmes.

The university faced a disadvantage as it secured only 3.16 points in the second cycle of accreditation in 2013.

This time, the university secured 85.10% in qualitative metrics based on online submission of self-study report, and 77.1% in quantitative metrics through peer team visit last month, evaluated in the ratio of 70:30.

The five-member team visited all departments of the university from March 26-28.

By virtue of A+ ranking, BDU will be in a position to receive substantial funding under RUSA (Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan) and other Central schemes, Mr. Manisankar said.

Also, the university is looking forward to increasing the learning centres for distance education to 200, and restoring enrolment substantially.

Enrolment in distance education programmes fell drastically to 8,000 last year from 28,000 a few years ago due to NAAC stipulation of minimum points for universities to offer distance education programmes.

The strength was increased to 11,000 over the last one year. There is scope for restoring enrolment to the previous level since many institutions will evince interest to start learning centres following the latest National Assessment and Accreditation Council ranking, he added.

Report card

Secured 3.32 on a four-point scale

Assessment under seven CGPA criteria

Valid till April 1, 2024

Fillip to distance education programme

Increase in learning centres planned

Kenyan student sentenced to life 

Staff Reporter 
 
Salem, April 03, 2019 00:00 IST

A Kenyan student, who was studying at a private college here, was sentenced to life by the Mahila Court here on Tuesday for raping a 22-year-old Kenyan woman in 2016.

Eric Mulinge Nethuli (26) was studying Masters in Business Administration at a private college here in 2016.

The victim, who was also a student at the same college, reportedly invited Eric for dinner to her place and Eric raped her. A case was registered by Ammapettai All Women Police Station.

On Tuesday, the court sentenced him to six-and-a-half years of imprisonment under sections 342,352, 506 part 1, and Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Women Harassment Act and life imprisonment under Section 376 - all to be served concurrently.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs. 17,500 on the convict.

He has been lodged in Puzhal prison.

MCC students go on strike 

Special Correspondent 
 
CHENNAI, April 03, 2019 00:00 IST

Seek details of report on two professors

Students of Madras Christian College went on strike on the campus on Tuesday, demanding that the authorities share the details of a report prepared on two professors from the zoology department.

A group of 34 students had filed a complaint with the college principal in the first week of February seeking action against two faculty members for sexual misconduct during a study tour organised a couple of months earlier.

The college had instituted a departmental inquiry, following which disciplinary action was initiated.

Severe action demanded

The students were, however, not satisfied with the response and demanded severe action against the teachers.

On Tuesday, the students staged a sit in, demanding that the report of the committee subsequently constituted to inquire into their complaint be read out to them.

After nearly two hours of talks when the students refused to back down, principal in-charge A. Duraisamy read out the report to the students.

The principal, R.W. Alexander Jesudasan, is out of the country and is expected to return on April 15.

The second committee included an alumnus, a lawyer and the head of women students.

Students were told that the report would be submitted on April 6 to the internal complaints committee for further action.

One of the protesters said the college had only decided to bar the erring faculty from participating in tours till 2022 and from examination-related activities.

After nearly two hours of talks when the students refused to back down, Mr. Duraisamy, read out the report to the students.

College has only decided to bar the erring faculty from participating in tours

Protesting student

Retired HC judge to head T.N. Lokayukta 

Special Correspondent 
 
CHENNAI, April 03, 2019 00:00 IST

P. Devadass
 

 
Judicial and non-judicial members also appointed

The Governor has appointed retired High Court judge P. Devadass as the chairperson of the five-member Lokayukta that was notified on Monday.

The notification was issued following the recommendations made by a search committee.

Four members

Former district judges K. Jayabalan and R. Krishnamoorthy are the two judicial members and retired IAS officer M. Rajaram and advocate K. Arumugam are the two non-judicial members of the anti-corruption body, according to the notification issued by the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department.

“The chairperson and the members shall hold office for five years from the day they enter office or the date on which they attain the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier,” stated the notification.

It was in December last year the State government constituted a search committee for submitting names for the posts of the chairperson and members of the Lokayukta.

Search committee

Retired High Court judge K. Venkataraman was the chairperson of the panel. Former Advocate General R. Krishnamoorthy and retired IPS officer A. Pari were the other members on the search committee. In July last year, the Tamil Nadu government passed the legislation in the Assembly a day before the deadline set by the Supreme Court in this regard.

In November that year, the State government notified the Tamil Nadu Lokayukta Rules, 2018.

Complaints against a public functionary can be submitted to the Registrar or the designated officer in person or by post, but anonymous complaints would not be entertained by the panel.

When the State government invited Leader of the Opposition M.K. Stalin to participate in the meeting called over constituting the search committee in December last year, he boycotted it, contending that his objections expressed before the passing of the legislation were ignored and the Bill was passed in a hurried manner.

Huge furore

It may be recalled that Mr. Devadass’ judgment in June 2015 during his tenure in the Madras High Court suggesting mediation between a rape convict and the survivor, resulted in a huge furore from across the country.

The judge had then recalled his judgment and eventually cancelled the bail granted to the rape convict.

HC on law degrees sans attendance 

 
B. Tilak Chandar, April 03, 2019 00:00 IST

Demands report on persons with such degrees in service

Taking serious note of the fact that law degree courses were completed by people who did not attend classes, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday sought a response from the State on how many persons with such law degrees were working in various departments.

A Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and S. S. Sundar suo motu impleaded the Chief Secretary in the case and sought a report on such persons employed and whether they had been promoted.

The court was hearing the petition filed by advocate K. Karmegan of Virudhunagar, who brought to light an instance of a person having obtained law degree without attending classes.

Petition

The petitioner complained that R. Sivabagyam of Madurai, currently Law Officer with Madurai Corporation, had obtained her law degree from Al-Ameen College of Law in Bengaluru when she was a full-time employee of the Corporation.

He claimed that Sivabagyam was initially appointed as a nursing orderly and subsequently posted as typist and then promoted as Assistant on compassionate grounds.

When she had been employed as Assistant with the Corporation, she reportedly joined a law degree course and obtained her degree in 2000 without attending classes regularly. However, it was submitted that though she had completed her L.L.B. without permission from the Corporation, she was allowed to complete L.L.M.

She was then appointed as Law Officer, when she was working as Superintendent, based on her law degree.

The petitioner sought a direction to restrain her from carrying out her duties as Law officer.

He said that the degree obtained by her was invalid and action must be taken against the Bengaluru law college.

The court sought details of Sivabagyam’s salary, attendance and service register and adjourned the hearing.

Air Force doctor revives cancer patient who suffered cardiac arrest on-board IndiGo flight

A cancer patient from Bangladesh was on-board an IndiGo flight from Pune to Kolkata. She suffered a cardiac arrest midair. 

Following an announcement from the crew, the Air Force doctor volunteered and saved her with help of two other doctors.

Indrajit Kundu Kolkata  March 29, 2019

UPDATED: March 29, 2019 18:04 IST

Group Captain Dr. TVSVGK Tilak, who was onboard the IndiGo flight and volunteered to help the patient. (Photo: India Today)

A Bangladeshi passenger who suffered a cardiac arrest on board an Indigo flight from Pune to Kolkata was rescued by an Indian Air Force (IAF) doctor on Friday.

A middle-aged cancer patient from Bangladesh was on-board the Indigo flight number 6E-523, which took off from Pune early Friday morning. Her condition deteriorated midway and she collapsed inside the flight.

Soon an announcement was made by the crew seeking medical assistance from any doctor, if present among the passengers. Following which, IAF Group Captain Dr. TVSVGK Tilak, who was on-board the flight volunteered to help.

''On hearing that a patient requires medical assistance I alerted the air hostess. I attended the lady, a lung cancer patient and she was clearly in distress,'' Dr Tilak, who is posted at the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, told India Today TV.

With the assistance of the crew, he began performing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and revived the patient within a minute. Subsequently, a medical oncologist who was also travelling alongside Dr Tilak attended the patient and administered emergency medicine and oxygen.

"Two other colleagues luckily helped, one surgical oncologist and a neurosurgeon came and established the IV. We didn't have a nebuliser so we gave her an inhaler. Thereafter the patient was stabilised," the Air Force doctor said.

After the patient had recovered, the flight finally landed in Kolkata 45 minutes later at about 6am. The patient was rushed to a local hospital.

According to Dr Tilak, the patient was travelling with her daughter who had informed that she was already undergoing cancer treatment in Dhaka.

Happy that he could save a life, the Air Force doctor thanked IndiGo staff for their timely intervention to rescue the passenger during the emergency. "I'm thankful to the IndiGo crew. Although we didn't have all equipments but whatever was needed at that time was available," he said.