Adopt counselling system in constituent colleges’

STAFF REPORTER

MADURAI, MAY 05, 2019 00:00 IST

With admission process going on in full swing for undergraduate courses in all colleges, a section of students and faculty members have appealed for adopting counselling process in the four constituent colleges of Madurai Kamaraj University.

The guidelines for admissions to arts and science colleges for the year 2019-20, issued by Directorate of Collegiate Education (DCE), says that all colleges must admit students through counselling process after preparation of merit list based on marks, reservation and other parameters.

Counselling process is presently not adopted in any of the four constituent colleges of MKU in Tirumangalam, Aruppukkottai, Sattur and Vedasandur.

Process improved

However, sources in the university said that the admission process has been considerably improved from previous years with stringent adherence to procedures.

Until last year, all the six constituent colleges of the university used to receive complaints of irregularities in the admission process, including delays, admitting students more than the sanctioned strength, and allegations of bribery. The colleges in Andipatti and Kottur have been converted as government colleges from this academic year.

Among the remaining four colleges, the college in Tirumangalam was in news last year for allegations over accepting bribe from students during admissions.

M. Buvaneswaran, the recently-appointed Principal of the college, said the process had been made transparent this year with no room for any irregularities. “We are adhering to the guidelines and schedule. The first merit list will be published on May 10,” he said.

On following the counselling process, a senior official from the university said that there were some practical challenges in adopting it.

Madurai Kamaraj University Vice-Chancellor M. Krishnan said that he would discuss with the officials on adopting the process from this academic year.

Counselling for students of defunct college

STAFF REPORTER

CHENNAI, MAY 05, 2019 00:00 IST

The Directorate of Medical Education (DME) is likely to conduct counselling for 108 second year MBBS students of the defunct Ponnaiyah Ramajayam Institute of Medical Sciences, Kancheepuram district.

A. Edwin Joe, Director of Medical Education, said they would conduct counselling for the 108 students based on their merit for admission to six private medical colleges. Officials said the Union Health Ministry informed the Madras High Court that 108 students will be accommodated in six of the State’s private medical colleges. DME officials have submitted the court order to the State government.

The college was one of the medical institutions recently closed in the State. The Medical Council of India debarred the college from admitting students for two academic years.

Southern Railway to run 2 special trains

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI, MAY 05, 2019 00:00 IST

The Southern Railway will be operating two one-way special train services from Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. MGR Chennai Central railway station to Shalimar on Sunday (May 5) and Bhubaneswar on Monday (May 6). The special train services will have 22 coaches.

The Sunday special train will depart Chennai Central at 4.25 p.m. and reach Shalimar at 9.30 p.m. on Monday.

The Bhubaneswar-bound train will be operated on Monday at 3.15 p.m. and will reach the destination on Tuesday at noon.

Plea to permit post-mortem at night junked by High Court

Mohamed Imranullah S.

CHENNAI, MAY 05, 2019 00:00 IST

Accepts expert opinion that bruises might escape notice under artificial light

The Madras High Court has refused to interfere with a decision taken by the State government to stop the practice of conducting post-mortems during night hours even in motor accident cases due to difficulties faced by forensic experts in making accurate observations in the absence of sunlight.

Justices S. Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad imposed costs of Rs. 10,000 on a public interest litigation petitioner V. Eswaran for challenging the government’s decision. The judges said the case had been filed with bald averments without ascertaining the real reason behind avoiding autopsy during night hours.

According to the petitioner, a Government Order issued on June 13, 1996 permitted conduct of post-mortem during night hours in respect of motor accident cases alone. Such permission had been granted considering the anxiety that may prevail among relatives to take the body at the earliest for performing final rites.

However, the permission was withdrawn by another GO on May 2, 2013 and the decision was taken on the flimsy reason of non-availability of sunlight, the petitioner contended.

Taking it with a pinch of salt, the judges called for government records after warning the petitioner that costs will be imposed on him if his claim was found to be wrong. The records revealed that the decision to stop conduct of autopsy during night hours was taken on the basis of recommendations of an eight-member expert committee constituted in 2010 under the chairmanship of the then Director of Medical Education. It stated that most often than not relatives end up identifying wrong bodies even during day time and therefore the chances of such wrong identification was bound to increase during night hours. Apart from this, police might find it difficult to attend to law and order problems caused during night hours and autopsy might also get interrupted in case of power failures, the experts felt.

The most crucial point highlighted by the committee was that the forensic experts had to note down even contusions, bruises and colour of the wounds to find out the cause of death as well as the time of death. Since the complexion of Tamilians was a mixture of “medium and dark,” it would be difficult to spot minor bruises under artificial light, it said.

“Under artificial light, the colour of the skin, in cases of dark or medium complexioned individuals, would mask the colour of the bruise and may escape detection even by the trained eye despite careful examination,” read a report submitted by the Director of Medical Education to the Health Secretary on August 28, 2010. The report concluded that conduct of post-mortem was not a ritual. It would have grave impact on the trial of criminal cases and therefore it was absolutely necessary to conduct it generally in daylight, except emergent situations, to avoid faulty observations which may derail a police probe and lead to miscarriage of justice.

Chitlapakkam residents resort to signature campaign

K. Lakshmi

CHENNAI, MAY 05, 2019 00:00 IST

Demand construction of overhead tank, desilting of lakes to resolve water crisis

Groundwater has been the major source of water for residents of Chitlapakkam for several months now. As borewells are drying up, leading to acute water shortage, residents have resorted to a signature campaign to attract attention of authorities concerned to step up public water supply.

Residents of Sarvamangala Nagar, Chitlapakkam, noted that the water table was depleting faster and more people were sinking borewells up to 500 ft. M. Ravi, secretary of the Sarvamangala Nagar Residents’ Association, said several houses in the proximity of the Sembakkam lake were also deepening borewells and had turned to packaged drinking water for their needs. Water supply from the panchayat had dwindled this summer.

Demanding relief

“We have started a signature campaign in our area to stress on constructing an overhead tank and providing street supply. Sembakkam and Chitlapakkam lakes must be desilted and release of sewage must be arrested to ensure groundwater recharge,” he said.

Though surrounded by four waterbodies, including Sembakkam and Selaiyur, residents complained that the area suffered due to negligence of water sources.

P. Viswanathan, convenor of Coordination Committee of Residents’ Welfare Associations of Chitlapakkam, said public water supply was stopped in March and people had no choice other than to purchase water from private tankers. “We have to get at least 70 l (per capita per day) of water but are provided with much less. The Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board must complete the Madambakkam-Chitlapakkam combined water supply scheme soon,” he said.

Sewage contamination

Officials of the Water Resources Department said several representations had been made to surrounding local bodies not to release raw sewage into the lakes. Voluntary organisations had been permitted to desilt the lake. But water level in the lake had to reduce to start the work. The department was ready to join hands with NGOs to desilt Chitlapakkam lake, they said.

Sources in Chitlapakkam town panchayat said measures were being taken to increase tanker supply. At present, water is provided through 20 tankers daily. The panchayat has represented to TWAD to provide a minimum of 2-3 lakh litres of water daily.

Sudden change of NEET centres condemned

STAFF REPORTER

CHENNAI, MAY 05, 2019 00:00 IST

Alleges Centre is continuing to harass students from Tamil Nadu

MDMK chief Vaiko condemned the sudden change of venue of six National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) centres in Madurai district and around 80 centres nationally.

In a statement, he said that the sudden change in venues has caused a lot of confusion and tension in minds of students who have applied for NEET.

“One worries whether this is a ploy to ensure that Tamil medical aspirants don’t write NEET. Every year, the CBSE is creating problems in a systematic way. It is condemnable,” said Vaiko. Mr. Vaiko also pointed that the Tamil students were earlier allotted exam centres in other States and this was rectified only after strong protests from Tamil Nadu.

“Only after strong protests, did CBSE identify exam centres in 14 cities across Tamil Nadu,” he said. He maintained that the Central government was continuing to harass students from Tamil Nadu.

‘Lottery King’ admits to Rs. 1,000 crore in unaccounted for income

Sangeetha Kandavel

CHENNAI, MAY 05, 2019 00:00 IST

Santiago Martin

Raids on Santiago Martin’s premises unearth cash, jewellery

The Income Tax (I-T) department has found a huge quantum of unaccounted cash during raids conducted over the last four days on properties belonging to ‘Lottery King’ Santiago Martin.

Manipulation

A senior official from the I-T Investigations Wing said the assessee admitted to having unaccounted income of Rs. 595 crore, received from stockists towards manipulation of prize-winning tickets.

He had also admitted to additional unaccounted income, after reconciliation, of over Rs. 600 crore in receipts (payments received from real estate business and interest on loans given) and from investments.

During the searches, Rs. 8.25 crore of unaccounted cash was found, of which Rs. 5.8 crore was seized. The remaining cash had been kept under prohibitory orders.

Unaccounted gold and diamond jewellery of an approximate value of Rs. 24.57 crore was also found and placed under prohibitory orders. “Prohibitory orders have also been placed on several premises where incriminating evidence and electronic documents remain to be examined,” the official said. I-T officials said that Martin had been summoned for questioning.