Applicants of entrance test for Ph.D. yet to get hall tickets
The examination is scheduled to be conducted on September 8

05/09/2019, SANJANA GANESH ,MADURAI

A section of applicants waiting to write the preliminary entrance examination for Ph.D. says that it is yet to receive hall tickets from Madurai Kamaraj University. For the first time, the institution has sought online applications. The test is to be conducted on September 8.

A total of 52 Ph.D. and 44 M. Phil programmes will be in the offing and tests will be held in Madurai, Coimbatore, Chennai and Tirunelveli. However, without any admit cards, the applicants say that they do not have any idea about which centres they are to head to.

According to University Grants Commission guidelines laid in 2010, M. Phil and Ph.D. admissions were to be conducted through common entrance tests by each university.

Only two years ago did MKU begin the process of conducting the examination.

Prior to this, individual schools conducted their separate tests and admitted students.

Students were to pay a total of ₹ 2,000 to write the entrance before August 25. The date was extended to August 27 by the Registrar’s office.

Deepika Babu, an aspirant for a Ph.D. in Commerce, says that she had applied on August 24 and that amount was deducted from her account. “However, I received no acknowledgement from the university about my centre or receipt of my payment. I called the university and even emailed but it was not of any use,” she said.

N. Arun, another aspirant, says that he is unclear about which centre he must travel to.

“As I do not have an admit card, I may not be able to travel to Coimbatore or Chennai though they have been listed in my order of preference,” he said.

Vice-Chancellor M. Krishnan said that the arrangements were made to outsource it to a large-scale information technology service and consulting organisation that any irregularity, including corruption, is avoided.

“There are some small technical errors which will be solved tomorrow and the day after. In case of further confusion, applicants can approach the university supervisors at the centre to sort out the issue,” he said.

Research Coordinator, MKU, V.S. Vasantha, said there had been a high demand from students in Madurai to continue writing the examination in the district limits.

“It was initially planned that only three centres would be in Madurai. Now, there are seven. Students can approach the university in person and all grievances will be redressed by Thursday,” she said.

Students with problems in their hall tickets may contact: 9442357392 and 9443344483 and through the mail id: rco@mkuresearch.org

Heavy rain brings Mumbai to a standstill
Intermittent rain and showers likely, says Met Department

05/09/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,MUMBAI

Monsoon fury: The flooded Andheri subway, top, and a flooded street in Parel.Emmanual Yogini & Vijay Bate

Mumbaikars woke up to heavy rainfall on Wednesday morning, which lead to waterlogging in several key spots and affected the city’s suburban railway system and traffic.

While the island city received light rain in the morning, the eastern and western suburbs received between 11 mm and 14 mm of rainfall from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has given a forecast of intermittent rain and shower, with very heavy rainfall at isolated places in city and suburbs. As a precautionary measure in the wake of the IMD’s warning, schools have been asked to remain closed today.

“The principals of the schools where students are already in are requested to take all precautions and ensure that the children are sent back home carefully and safely,” said an official from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

Due to the heavy showers, there were multiple point failures at Virar, affecting suburban rail services on Western Railway (WR). Trains were running 15 minutes late between Vasai Road and Churchgate, with very few services being run between Virar and Vasai Road. On the Central Railway’s (CR), Central Line as well as Harbour Line, services were over 20 minutes late as water entered the tracks at various spots.

According to Mumbai police, traffic is moving slow due to heavy showers and waterlogging at various spots across the city.

Traffic snarls have been reported at Amrut Nagar Jn, Gandhi Nagar at Kanjurmarg, Sakinaka Junction, Sonapur Junction at Mulund, Netaji Palkar Chowk in Andheri Ganesh Mishthanna in Antop Hill, 90 Feet Road in Dharavi, Andheri Subway, Chincholi Port Rd. in Malad, Shivaji Chowk in Antop Hill, Western Express Highway near Metro Station, Milan Subway, King Circle, Poisar Subway, Hindmata Junction, Dadar T.T Circle, Postal Colony in Chembur, LBS Road in Kurla (W), Mazgaon dockyard Jn.

The rain had some minor impact on air traffic as well. An airport spokesperson said that at 10 a.m., operations at the Mumbai airport were normal with minor delays of 10 to 15 minutes.

Laws alone are not enough, says IMA

‘Multidimensional approach needed’

05/09/2019, BINDU SHAJAN PERAPPADAN,NEW DELHI

“Laws are needed but it is not enough,’’ said the Indian Medical Association (IMA) reacting to the Health Ministry’s proposed draft Bill which states that anyone who attacks a doctor at a hospital may be jailed for up to 10 years or fined ₹10 lakh.

The Ministry has asked for feedback from the public on how to improve the draft Healthcare Service Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill, 2019, which was made public earlier this week.

The Association said, “Violence on doctors and hospitals is a complex phenomenon and will require multidimensional institutional response. A law for deterrence alone might not have the desired impact.’’

Dr. R.V. Asokan of the IMA said, “We have requested that the government declare hospitals as safe zones with structured security. It is also our considered opinion that inadequacies of infrastructure and human resources in public sector and out of pocket expenditure in the private sector are the root causes of violence.’’

He said high expectations, lack of understanding of limitations, patient load, and lack of professional counselling are all contributory factors. Such determinants of violence have to be addressed comprehensively, Mr. Asokan added.

7 students expelled for ‘stealing noodles’

05/09/2019,GUWAHATI

A sports academy in Arunachal Pradesh has rusticated seven students for stealing two packets of noodles from the hostel’s canteen, the mother of one of the students has alleged, adding that the academy claimed to have a video evidence and did not get in touch with the parents before taking the extreme action. However, the SLSA defended the move, saying the students were “found smoking, indulging in unruly activities and stealing a mobile phone of a Class 10 student”.

Sathyabama institute’s part-time M. Tech degrees deemed invalid
Persons working in A.P. varsity lose jobs; information panel seeks documents
05/09/2019, S. VIJAY KUMAR ,CHENNAI

Several persons working in the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) in Anantapur have lost their jobs as the university has held “invalid” their postgraduate engineering degrees obtained from the Chennai-based Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology (Deemed to be University).

The students had obtained M. Tech degrees by undergoing a part-time course. The JNTU in November last year communicated to the postgraduates that “all weekend M.Tech programmes offered by Sathyabama University” are not considered valid.

Acting on petitions filed by four such affected persons, the Tamil Nadu Information Commission directed the Sathyabama University to furnish documents explaining the validity of “weekend” (part-time) M.E/M.Tech courses offered by it. The documents must be sent to the Government of Andhra Pradesh and the JNTU.

The case pertains to a batch of petitions filed by former students, some of them employed in JNTU and the Government of Andhra Pradesh, seeking copies of approval/permission obtained by the university to offer M.E/M.Tech courses to working professionals in part-time mode during 2003-12. They said their salary was stopped with effect from January 2019 by the JNTU authorities on the ground that the M.E/M.Tech course offered by Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology (Deemed to be University) could not be considered as a valid course.

Terminated from service

The petitioners also claimed that many candidates who obtained the postgraduate degree in part-time mode and were employed in Andhra Pradesh were terminated from service for the same reason. The Public Information Officer did not furnish the information sought under the Right to Information Act. Since the appellate authority in the university also failed to provide any information, the petitioners moved the commission under Section 19(3) of the Act.

The contention of the university authorities was that no approval was required from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to conduct the course and also submitted certain documents in support of their claim.

After hearing both sides, State Information Commissioner S. Muthuraj said the petitioners as well as other students who studied in the university were severely affected by the decision of JNTU, Anantapur. This would definitely result in the loss of their livelihood.

“In the facts and circumstances of the case, the Commission directs the Registrar of Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology (Deemed to be University) to send valid documents regarding the equivalence of the course M.E/M.Tech (PG) programmes (Part time) to the Government of Andhra Pradesh as well as to the JNTU, Anantapur, in order to set-right the issue,” he said.

Mr. Muthuraj said the students if the university failed to take legally valid steps, a lot of students along with the petitioners who studied the course would definitely lose their livelihood. Moreover, they had a legal right to know whether their M.Tech (part time) PG programme was legally acceptable degree of not.

The Commission directed the Registrar to inform all the petitioners about the action/decision taken within a period of two months and report compliance.

Vengaivasal up in arms against groundwater extraction
Residents say the water table in the locality has dipped over the past decade to an alarming level

05/09/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Residents of Vengaivasal near Tambaram want a stop to the indiscriminate drawal of groundwater in their locality.

Though the sale of groundwater from private wells has been happening for a decade now, it has become rampant this year. Lorries draw groundwater through the day and this has hastened groundwater depletion, they complain.

Various residents’ welfare associations have joined hands to desilt waterbodies, such as Chitteri, in the area to improve groundwater recharge. T. Senthil Kumar, a resident of Vengaivasal, said the water table plummeted in the area.

“Many of us had to sink borewells up to 500 ft. to get water, as panchayat supply was not adequate. But nearly 20-30 lorries continue to draw water from our area daily. There are about 40 private agricultural wells in the area. Borewells are sunk close to agricultural wells and water is being drawn for sale through lorries,” he charged.

‘Forced to buy water’

Residents noted that they were forced to purchase water as the water table had dipped this year. The Vengaivasal Panchayat provides water supply for one hour on alternate days.

S. Nandakrishnan, secretary, Anbu Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association, said the water table was at a depth of 15 ft, until a decade ago. Now, borewells have to be sunk deep to meet daily needs.

Several residents have to buy a tanker load of water for ₹2,000, owing to the indiscriminate drawal of groundwater.

“We are trying to desilt Chitteri at a cost of ₹10 lakh in the locality and save rainwater. The groundwater drawal and sale through lorries must be stopped for residents to reap the benefits of groundwater recharge,” he said.

Residents’ welfare associations have represented to the Kancheepuram Collector, seeking action against overextraction of groundwater from the locality.

MKU Convocation 2019