Anna University to summon NRI students

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:30.05.2019

A day after placing four professors under suspension for a marks-forcash scam, Anna University has decided to summon nonresident Indian (NRI) students suspected to be involved in the racket for inquiry.

“During preliminary inquiry we found evidence for involvement of additional controller of examinations officials. But, the university is yet to ascertain the extent of the scam. To gather more evidence, the university would summon all the students who were found to be involved in the malpractices,” professors privy to the inquiry told TOI.

If found guilty, the degrees awarded to these students might be cancelled. “At least, a few hundred students could be involved in the malpractices,” professors said.

Looking into anonymous complaints, the university’s three-member committee found evidence for malpractices in semester exams. Some with more than 20 arrears cleared them at one go through malpractices in 2017. The varsity has suspended - former additional controller of examinations (ACOE) S Srinivasalu, and deputy controllers of examinations K Selvamani, from the department of computer science, K Kulothungan, from the department of information science and technology, and Pugazhendi Sugumaran C, from the electrical and electronics engineering department — for their alleged role in the scam.

“The racket was not limited to just these four. It was a bigger network operated by middlemen. They used lower level staff, professors and some students as brokers to lure students,” professors said.

Some NRI students, who pay ₹21 lakh as course fee for the four-year degree, are admitted with lower cut-off marks since the qualification is just 45% in physics, chemistry and maths subjects. “For many students, $1000 is not big money. The rich students with more arrears were targeted by the scamsters,” a professor said.

The university provides 5% quota each for Children of Indian Workers of Gulf Countries (CIWGC), Non-Resident Indian (NRI), Foreign National categories. It is over and above the 60 seats per batch admitted through counselling. Nearly 400 seats are available in CEG, MIT and AC Tech colleges for NRIs, foreigners and CIWGCs. However, said not all the seats would be filled. Last year, 270 seats were taken under this quota through a separate counselling.

P Tamilporai, former additional controller of examinations, K P Mani Anand, former deputy controller of examinations and R Sivakumar, an assistant professor, were recently sacked for their involvement in a similar revaluation scam in 2012.

TNSTC conductor who slakes passengers’ thirst

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | R. VALAYAPATHY

PublishedMay 29, 2019, 3:15 am IST

Call it sympathy, empathy or whatever, after issuing tickets to all passengers travelling by the TNSTC bus, Thirugnanam turns a hospitality man.

Thirugnanam giving water to some passengers during a trip. (Photo: DC)

Pudukkottai: Over-worked crew members in the state-owned Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) long-distance buses are not really known for any courtesy, leave alone their irritable behavior with bus commuters.

But one conductor wishes to make a difference, as apart from issuing tickets he takes on the responsibility of supplying water to passengers travelling in the route he currently serves- Madurai to Thanjavur via Thirumayam and Pudukkottai- both ways.

This good Samaritan-conductor, Thirugnanam (45), hailing from Thirupuvanam in Sivaganga district, sees reaching water to travelling passengers as a little service he can do.

Call it sympathy, empathy or whatever, after issuing tickets to all passengers travelling by the TNSTC bus, Thirugnanam turns a hospitality man. He goes around the bus, asking every passenger whether they need water and promptly hands out water bottles to those who need them.

Talking to DC, Mr. Thiruganam said in the last 12 years he has been working as.TNSTC staff and serving as conductor on the Madurai-Thanjavur route for the last three years.

His shift typically begins at around 2 pm every day and goes on till 2 pm the next day, roughly the time taken for one trip between Madurai and Thanjavur both ways.

"On an average over 700 passengers board our route daily and I found many struggling to find water during travel; so, realizing their difficulty, I collect 20 PET bottles of water at Madurai and Thanjavur bus stations daily before the journey commenced and thus supply more than 60 litres of water to needy passengers every day," says Thirugnanam.

"Service to people is service to God," says the humble bus conductor, thanking the Almighty for giving him "such a wonderful opportunity to serve the needy".

Even as passengers appreciate his extra services, you never know, Thirugnanam could become TNSTC's 'brand ambassador' tomorrow.

State should enhance medical facilities for its employees: Madras high court

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | J STALIN

Published  May 29, 2019, 5:53 am IST

The judge said Right to Health was an integral part of Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Madras high court

Chennai: The Madras high court has held that it is the duty of the state government to ensure that either the standard of the state medical facilities should be enhanced with the state of the art quality/facility for treatment on par with private medical facilities or till such time such parity is achieved by the state, it must provide all necessary financial assistance to its employees/pensioners to take care of their medical needs through the private sector.

Justice R.Suresh Kumar gave the ruling while passing orders on a batch of petitions, challenging the orders of the authorities, rejecting their claim for medical reimbursement under the New Health Insurance Scheme.

“In order to fulfill this obligation, the government had introduced and implemented the successive Health Insurance Schemes for its employees and pensioners. Therefore, it is the obligation of the state either to provide medical facilities on their own, of course on par with private medical facilities, otherwise they must be kept enabled to avail such facilities through private sector”, the judge added.

The judge said Right to Health was an integral part of Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution. This theory of the State’s obligation towards Right to Health for its citizen was not an invention of our Constitution makers alone, as this obligation had been felt at thousands of years back in Sangam Age in this part of the country i.e., Tamil Nadu, the judge pointed out.

Quoting several couplets from Thirukkural, the judge said free from disease or epidemics i.e., Right to Health was an important facet of any welfare state. The state must explore all possible resources and implement all such welfare schemes to ensure such Right to Health situation to its citizens. “In order to achieve the said avowed goal as quoted by Saint Thiruvalluvar, the state government, being the welfare State, must be in a position to protect its citizens, especially, in the present context, its employees and erstwhile employees, from all health issues. Therefore, the obligation of the state government and their duty towards achieving this goal cannot be abdicated on any flimsy or technical reasons. Therefore, viewing from this angle also, the state government’s obligation cannot be easily given up or washed away in the manner it has been done in these cases. Therefore, this court is of the considered view that, none of the orders passed in this batch of cases are sustainable”, the judge added.

The judge said even though District Level Empowered Committee have been constituted headed by the District Collector concerned, in some of the cases, if this court look at the decision making process as well as end result of the decision taken by the Empowered Committee, it was hardly to believe whether any application of mind has been made by the Empowered Committee against each of the claim before taking a decision either to accept or reject the claim. In number of cases, very mechanically rejection orders have been passed with one word or one line reason, that itself was unacceptable or unsustainable.

Madras high court quashes orders on medical reimbursement for state employees

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

Published   May 29, 2019, 6:07 am IST

While reconsidering, the committee shall not reject any claim merely on the reason of non-network hospital or non-listed disease, the judge added.

Madras high court

Chennai: The Madras high court has quashed the orders passed by the authorities, rejecting the claim of the employees and pensioners of the state government and its undertakings to grant medical reimbursement under the New Health Insurance Scheme implemented by the state government from time to time.

Passing orders on a batch of petitions filed from the year 2013 onwards, from S.Manimuthu and others, Justice R.Suresh Kumar remitted the matter back to the District Level Empowered Committee concerned to reconsider every individual case.

“While reconsidering, the committee shall not reject any claim merely on the reason of non-network hospital or non-listed disease. The Committee, wherever possible, shall give suitable direction to the Insurance Company to reimburse the claim made by the respective claimant/employee/pensioner”, the judge added.

The judge said if the committee finds some cases where the Insurance Company cannot be directed to reimburse, in those cases, suitable orders shall be passed directing/recommending the state authorities to reimburse the claim under Medical Attendance Rules. “Once such orders are passed, the Insurance Company shall immediately reimburse the medical claim with 6 percent interest from the date of due till date of payment, within a period of thirty days from the date of receipt of such order to be passed by the Empowered Committee of the district concerned”, the judge added.

The judge said on receipt of such orders/recommendation from the Empowered Committee, the Sanctioning authority/state authority/high power committee in the state level shall pass necessary orders allowing the medical reimbursement claimed by the individual claimant/employee/pensioner under the Medical Attendance Rules. While ordering medical reimbursement under Medical Attendance Rules, the rate approved, accepted or quoted by the Insurance Company under the Medical Insurance Scheme shall be taken as the rate and by calculating the reimbursement on the said rate, the reimbursement claim shall be immediately sanctioned and the amount shall be reimbursed to the claimant with 6 percent interest from the date of due till date of payment, within a period of thirty days from the receipt of the recommendation/order from the District Empowered Committee, judge added.

Citing several judgments, the judge said when the employee or pensioner availed a treatment in a non-network hospital whether the said treatment was taken out of emergency or not cannot be decided easily sitting in administrative desk by perusing the papers.

Mother Teresa Women’s University gets new V-C

Vaidehi Vijayakumar has been appointed as the vice chancellor of Mother Teresa Women’s University, Kodaikanal.

Published: 29th May 2019 03:15 AM |

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Vaidehi Vijayakumar has been appointed as the vice chancellor of Mother Teresa Women’s University, Kodaikanal. Governor Banwarilal Purohit has appointed Vaidehi in the post for a period of three years with effect from the date of her assumption of office, said a statement issued from the Governor’s office.

According to the statement, Vaidehi Vijayakumar has a rich teaching experience. She worked as a professor at Anna University for more than 12 years. She has been a visiting professor in several foreign universities such as Ryerson University, Canada, National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

In the area of promoting research, Vaidehi Vijayakumar so far has guided 24 PhD research scholars and presented 266 papers at the international level research and academic events. She has also been a member of Board of Studies of various universities and a member of the Academic Council of Anna University and Vellore Institute of Technology. She also has good administrative experience as she served in posts of head of department and dean at Anna University and VIT University.

Students with arrears to get two final chances, decides AU syndicate
Anna University syndicate has decided to give two final chances to students who have exhausted the maximum period of time before which they can clear their arrears.

Published: 29th May 2019 06:17 AM |

A file photo of Anna University | Express

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Anna University syndicate has decided to give two final chances to students who have exhausted the maximum period of time before which they can clear their arrears. In a release on Tuesday, varsity registrar said that students can appear for the exam either in November - December 2019 or April - May 2020.

The decision was taken on “humanitarian grounds” after receiving representations from several students who wanted to clear their arrears, a university senior official told Express adding that there are nearly 40,000 students who have arrears. After a syndicate meeting on May 9, the university decided to make an exception from the 2011 regulations, the official said. Along with students of undergraduate courses, post-graduate students will also be eligible for the benefit.”This will be the last chance for students to clear their arrears and get their degree,” he said.

Two categories of students will benefit from this decision. One, students of departments of Anna University, Chennai, admitted on or after the academic year 2000 and the other students of affiliated colleges of the varsity admitted in the academic year 2001-02 (3rd semester onwards) and 2002-03 (1st semester onwards) and also students who were earlier in affiliated colleges which have become autonomous now.

As per regulations, students should clear all arrears within seven years (the four year course period an additional three years after completion of the course), in order to get their degrees. However, students who are not able to complete the course within the stipulated time, have been submitting requests to the varsity to give them one last chance.


Students using this opportunity, will have to pay an additional special fee, in addition to the arrears charges, the official said adding that further details will be released on the varsity website by the second week of June. The syndicate also approved the new rule which allows students to write arrears immediately in the following semester exams, he said.

35-year-old tribal woman from Odisha passes Class X with son

Satyanarayan Pattnaik TNN

Koraput29.05.2019

: Age is no bar for education and a 35-year-old tribal woman from Maoist-hit Malkangiri district in Odisha has proved the adage by clearing the state Class X board exams with her son.

Basanti and her son, Sibananda Patnaik, have cleared the annual HSC examination 2019 with D and C grade, respectively.

“I am very happy that I was able to pass the HSC examination in my first attempt,” said Basanti, a resident of Colony-C of Tarlakota panchayat. The woman, who dropped out of school at the age of 14, now works at the village anganwadi centre.

“Though I was interested in studies, I dropped out when I was in Class VIII owing to lack of money. I got married and remained busy with my family. Resuming studies was difficult but it was something I frequently thought about,” she said.

Basanti’s resilient dream to study got a new lease of life after her son motivated her to appear for the HSC examination through a correspondence course. “I use to scan my son’s books after he would return from school. Seeing my interest, he urged me to sit for the examination,” she said.

Basanti passed without any coaching. She could only study for two or three hours a daythatshe managedbetween her job and household chores. Her husband’s support also helped. “I am very happy for her. I will extend all cooperation if she wants to continue her education and appear for the intermediate examination,” saidher husband,Laba Pattnaik, a teacher.

Basanti’s achievement has made her fellow villagers proud as well. “Considering the remoteness of the area, it is a rare achievement. Her success will motivate other tribal women of the villagetocontinue studies,” said Ramesh Muduli, a villager.



AGE NO BAR: Basanti and her son, Sibananda Patnaik, have cleared the annual HSC examination 2019 with D and C grade, respectively