SSN College, Christ University dominate VIT’s Riviera 2020

16/02/2020, STAFF REPORTER ,VELLORE

SSN College of Engineering, Chennai, bagged the overall trophy for Sports while Christ University, Bengaluru, bagged the overall trophy for cultural events at the Riviera 2020, the annual cultural and sports fest of the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, on Saturday.

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh was the chief guest. Film actor Yami Gautam, who was the guest of honour, gave away prizes to the winners.

VIT Chancellor G. Viswanathan announced the results.

The 2020 edition of the event saw participation of 42,000 students from 39 countries.

Doctors, patients discuss life after IBD diagnosis

16/02/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

At an interactive session, gastroenterologists and persons diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) discussed life after being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, the growing incidence of IBD, dietary habits, importance of being stress-free and the way ahead to create awareness.

To create awareness, Tamil Nadu Gastroenterologist Trust, which organised the interaction, will create a core group comprising doctors and patients to take awareness on IBD to a larger population and stress on early diagnosis, said K. R. Palaniswamy, president of the trust. They plan to include a psychologist in the core group.

Ashok Chacko, gastroenterologist, Madras Medical Mission, said no special diet or eating plan has proven effective for treating IBD. He said that there was no cure for IBD but it could be controlled.

A patient, who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease 23 years ago, highlighted the need to follow medication and doctor’s advice.

Colonel S. Krishnan, gastroenterologist, said: “Now, awareness about Crohn’s disease has increased among medical professionals.”

AI aircraft damaged as pilot forces early takeoff

Jeep, man enter Pune airport runway

16/02/2020, PRESS TRUST OF INDIA,NEW DELHI

The fuselage of an Air India aircraft was damaged on Saturday when its pilot lifted the plane to avoid hitting a person and a jeep that had suddenly come on the Pune airport runway during takeoff, an official said.

However, the A321 aircraft landed at the Delhi airport safely.

“During takeoff roll, while at 120 knots speed, the crew saw a jeep and a person on the runway and to avoid conflict, they did early rotation...,” the official of the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation said.

Another DGCA official said, “The aircraft has been withdrawn from service for investigation. Air India has been advised to coordinate with the Pune Air Traffic Control to find out any marking on the runway.”

An Air India spokesperson said, “The A321 aircraft that was scheduled to operate AI 825 to Srinagar was observed to have certain marks towards the tail area. The cockpit voice recorder and solid state flight data recorder readouts would be carried out and the findings shared appropriately.”

Salem: Man ends life after teacher scolds him in front of his lover

TNN | Feb 15, 2020, 08.22 AM IST

DHARMAPURI: A 23-year-old man committed suicide by hanging on Friday after a college lecturer scolded him while he was spending time with his girlfriend. Kin of the deceased protested outside the lecturer's house at Bedarahalli village near Indur in Dharmapuri district on the same night, demanding action against the lecturer.

The deceased was S Navin, 23, of Makkanur village. He was a B.Sc graduate. He had a relationship with a third year BA student. On Friday, Navin went to his girlfriend's college to meet her. While both were talking on the college premises, guest lecturer Gopi, 35, confronted them. A police said Gopi grabbed Navin's mobile phone and threw it on the ground. Navin came back home depressed, and committed suicide by hanging in the evening.

Plea to post technicians to handle dialysis equipment at govt hosps

TNN | Feb 15, 2020, 04.27 AM IST

The Madras high court has issued notice to the state government on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking to appoint technicians to handle dialysis equipment at all the government hospitals in the state.

In his petition, K Pushpavanam, a resident of Madurai, stated that as per the guidelines, dialysis equipment should be handled by a qualified technician. There should be one qualified technician to handle three machines, however, an RTI report reveals that only seven dialysis technicians are appointed in government hospitals and that too on temporary basis.

If the dialysis machines are handled by unqualified people, then it poses a threat to the patients who are undergoing dialysis at the hospitals as there are chances of the patients getting transmission of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. Due to improper handling of the equipment, nearly 20 people who underwent dialysis at the Stanley Medical College at Chennai were affected with Hepatitis C in 2014.

Hence, the petitioner moved the high court Madurai bench seeking for a direction to appoint technicians to handle dialysis equipments and to install new dialysis units in all the government hospitals in the state. The petitioner also sought for a direction to administer vaccination for Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C for all dialysis patients on a regular basis.

Hearing the plea, a division bench of justice M Duraiswamy and justice T Ravindran issued notice to the state government and adjourned the case to a further date for hearing.

Probe on into gang snatching phones from PG students at gun-point

TNN | Feb 15, 2020, 04.27 AM IST

Trichy: The city police are probing the incident in which five students of a private college were allegedly robbed of their expensive mobile phones by a gang which arrived in two cars around midnight on Thursday. The postgraduate students said they were heading to the room of one of their mates by car when the incident happened near the government circuit house.

Cantonment police launched an inquiry with the five students on Thursday night itself. Four of the students were staying in the college hostel while one was residing outside. All of them are natives of Kerala staying in Trichy for studies. The students said they were on their way to the room of one of the students near Sengulam colony around 2 am. As their car neared circuit house, six people arrived in two cars and intercepted them.

The students told the police that the gang snatched two high value mobile phones from them by pointing an airgun. The students claimed that the gang sprayed some liquid on their faces and fled in their cars. The police team recovered some of the pellets of the gun at the spot. With the students giving contradictory statements, city police commissioner V Varadharaju inquired with the students in the morning on Friday.

Later, the police managed to find the five students roaming near Trichy international airport around 11pm after parking their car on Wireless Road for nearly an hour, after which they left the airport. When asked why they visited the airport so late at night, some of them replied that they went there to see the flights.

Unwilling to buy the theory, the officials launched a probe into the incident suspecting the activities of the students. The officials were suspicious as to why the gang should target only those students by following them in cars to snatch mobile phones. The students were initially reluctant to file a complaint but agreed later in the evening. Police said they were likely to register a case in Cantonment police in the night.

Collegiate edu official sent on forced leave

TNN | Feb 15, 2020, 04.28 AM IST

Trichy: Regional joint director of collegiate education (RJDCE) S Usha was sent on forced leave on Friday following complaints of physically assaulting her subordinates. Director of collegiate education (DCE) in-charge C Jothi Venkateswaran passed the order based on written complaints from employees in this regard.

On Thursday, two women employees had accused Usha of physically assaulting them after finding fault with their work. One of them, a stenographer in the office, was slapped by her on her back for making a spelling mistake. The woman was so traumatised that she had to be admitted to hospital after the incident. The other woman alleged that she was slapped by Usha when she requested her to process a file that had come from one of the aided colleges in the city.

Members of ACTA protested in front of the RJDCE office on Friday against the incidents demanding that the higher education secretary sack Usha. ACTA general secretary S Sahaya Sathish said Usha is incapable of continuing as RJDCE as only people who lose their mental balance can physically assault subordinates. She had insulted many teaching staff of aided colleges in the past. “A mere forced leave or transfer to other regional joint director office will make the staff in that office vulnerable to such attacks. Therefore, we seek her termination from service,” said Sathish.