Oppn. fears Centre will take over Anna varsity

It will remain a State-run institution, says Minister

13/03/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

The debate on demands for grants for higher education on Thursday centred around the Institution of Eminence (IoE) status of Anna University and the nomination of a person of another State to the Vice Chancellor search committee of a State university.

Opposition member and DMK MLA K. Ponmudy asked why the government had nominated Jagadish Kumar, V-C of Jawaharlal Nehru University, who was accused of attacking students on the JNU campus, to the University of Madras V-C search panel.

Higher education Minister K.P. Anbalagan said the Syndicate and Senate members and the Governor-Chancellor appoint a member each to the search panel and the government had no role. Why did the Opposition remain silent when Mr. Kumar was chosen as a search panel member of the Teacher Education University, he asked.

Mr. Ponmudy said there had been no charges against him earlier. But now after the riots on the campus the government should register its objection. He charged that the Central government, with its offer of IoE to Anna University, wanted to divide the university.

Congress MLA S. Vijayadharini also said the government should retain Anna’s name for the university.

Mr. Anbalagan allayed their fears saying the Centre had assured that the university would continue to remain a State-run institution. He said the Chief Minister had formed a five-member committee, which would take recommendations from educationists. “We have no plan to make it a Central university,” he assured the members. The department has allocated money for infrastructure in many State universities but significantly the government arts college of Tiruvottiyur, started by former Chief Minister did not find any mention.

Class 10 certificates to include parents’ names from this year

Water-proof marksheets to be issued

13/03/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

K.A. Sengottaiyan

From this year class 10 students’ public exam marksheets will include the names of the parents, School Education Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan announced in the Assembly on Thursday.

The Minister said the decision was based on an order from the Chief Minister. The government has also allocated ₹13.50 crore to develop water- and tear-proof mark sheets. Teachers say the decision could check the use of fake certificates for jobs.

The government earlier experimented with digitising Secondary School Leaving Certificates. Later, the Directorate of Public Instruction introduced a password system for Chief Educational Officers to verify the genuinty of uploaded certificates. “We suggest that the government issue the certificate as a smart card just like PAN, driving licence or the ration card,” he said.

Earlier in the debate on demands for school education, Congress MLA S. Vijayadharani wanted the government to dispense with the practice of using teachers for other purposes. She urged the government to upgrade school infrastructure so that teachers would stay in villages instead of commuting long distance.

Mr. Sengottaiyan said teachers deployed for work such as data collection for census were paid for the job. The government had built homes for teachers in the villages, but teachers sent their children to private schools elsewhere and hence chose to live farther from their workplace, he said.

Rajini’s move gets mixed response

13/03/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,CHENNAI

Actor Rajinikanth’s “political ideals” evoked mixed response from political parties in the State on Thursday.

“I am still not confident that he will take the political plunge. He is a good actor and I like him. But he is not MGR. This is my personal view and this won’t stand in the way of Rajinikanth entering into politics,” Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.S. Alagiri said.

VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan said the actor had indirectly indicated to his fans that he was not coming to politics.

BJP leader Pon. Radhakrishnan said the people had always been ready for an revolution and change.

“My wish is that he should join the BJP. Since he has said he will start a political party, we have to wait and watch,” Mr. Radhakrishnan said.

Seeman, chief coordinator of Naam Tamilar Katchi welcomed the actor’s announcement and wished him well.

“Not to be CM candidate is actor’s view. There have been different styles, ” Amma Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran said.

FASTag to be rolled out across ECR plazas from April-end

Officials cite delay in arrival of cargo for late implementation; OMR to also move to system next month

13/03/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

In the fast lane: FASTag implementation in the State, at 46 plazas under the NHAI, hovers around 65%.

The FASTag toll collection system will be implemented at plazas on the East Coast Road, to Puducherry, by April-end. Toll plazas in Uthandi, Mamallapuram and Hanumanthai too will join the system, followed in the rest of the country, and motorists will no longer need to wait to pay cash.

Several tourist taxi drivers had an issue at the plazas since they had FASTag cards, but the system was not in place. “I had not taken enough cash with me, thinking I could use FASTag. Luckily, my customer gave the required cash,” said Raja, a taxi driver, who recently went to Mamallapuram.

Sources in the Tamil Nadu Road Development Company said that there was a delay in implementation of the system due to a delay in the import of cargo. “Our software is ready and only has to be migrated with the NHAI’s. The equipment had to be imported and took some time,” explained an official. Over 10,000 vehicles take the ECR every day, and in the weekends, the number goes up to 13,000 a day.

The official also added that the FASTag system would be implemented on the Rajiv Gandhi Salai from the first week of April.

Continued benefits

“Details of local residents will be updated into the system, so that they can continue enjoying the present benefits,” the official said.

FASTag implementation in the State, at 46 plazas under the control of the National Highways Authority of India, hovers around 65%. In the second week of February, it was 66% at plazas under the Chennai regional office (RO) and 60% at plazas under the Madurai RO. This week, it was 62% under the Chennai RO and 58% under the Madurai RO.

A trucker, Janakiraman, said: “Though initially they gave us a 10% discount, it was later withdrawn. But they have retained the two-way charge and deduct only the difference in the return journey, if made in 24 hours,” he said.

HC dispenses with biometric attendance

13/03/2020, MOHAMED IMRANULLAH S.,CHENNAI

The Madras High Court administration too has begun to take preventive measures against the spread of COVID-19 by dispensing with the biometric attendance system for its staff until the disease is contained.

Beginning Thursday, the court administration has permitted all its employees to flash their identity cards on the machines which record their attendance instead of placing their forefinger on a scanner attached to the machines, to register their presence, date and time when they report for duty.

A text message sent to the employees on their mobile phones on Wednesday read: “As a preventive measure of coronavirus disease, now you can punch your daily attendance through your original identity card in all biometric devices. Any difficulties in the ID card access shall be intimated to computer server room - High Court of Madras.”

An officer added that the relaxation given to the employees was only a temporary measure.

TNSTC popularising sight-seeing package

Service was started during the Ayyappa season

13/03/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,MADURAI

Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, Madurai Region, has introduced a sight-seeing package covering important tourist and pilgrimage spots here.

TNSTC officials on Thursday distributed pamphlets explaining the attractions of the package to passengers near Periyar bus stand. The tourist special package is offered in the morning and the evening every day.

“We started this one month back during the Ayyappa season. It received good response,” said Assistant Engineer (Operations) R. Ashok Kumar. The package for ₹125 per passenger starts at Ellis Nagar at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. It covers Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, Gandhi Museum, Teppakulam and Tirumalai Naicker Mahal. “The passengers have the option of either choosing Kallazhagar Temple at Alagarkoil or Subramaniaswamy Temple at Tirupparankundram in this itinerary,” he added.

For this group tour, the TNSTC has spared two buses. “These buses will drop them at these tourist spots and wait for them to board to proceed towards the next spot,” he added. Each tour package would last for nearly six hours.

“If people are going to travel on their own, bus fare to all these places will be around ₹200 for each passenger. Besides, people will need to know the locations of the tourist spots and the bus routes to reach there. The package is cheaper and it gets them exclusive vehicles with all privacy,” he added.

TNSTC officials are also trying to get faster darshan at temples.

“We would like to add Keeladi and the Jain cave at Keezhakuyilkudi ,” Mr. Ashok Kumar added.

High Court seeks details of safety measures at government hospitals

12/03/2020, STAFF REPORTER ,MADURAI

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the State government to file a report on safety measures taken in medical college hospitals across the State to check oxygen cylinders before using them on patients.

Justice P.D. Audikesavalu sought the report while hearing the petition filed in 2011 by S. Ganesan of Kanniyakumari district. The petitioner’s wife, G. Rukmani, died after she was administered nitrous oxide instead of oxygen at Kanniyakumari Government Medical College Hospital in 2011. The woman slipped into coma after she was administered nitrous oxide and died 411 days later. The petitioner sought appropriate action against those responsible.

The Judge also directed the State government to file a report on disciplinary and penal action taken against officials for the negligent act and details of compensation paid to the family. The case was adjourned till April 28.

It was said that the woman, a tailor, was admitted to the hospital to undergo a family planning surgery.