Sastra university releases 2020-21 admissions rank list

Sastra university releases 2020-21 admissions rank list

01.08.2020

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: The rank lists for admission to various engineering & law programmes for 2020-21 offered by Sastra Deemed University were released on Friday.

In stream 1 (70% of seats based on 1st JEE Main & Class XII marks) Narasimhan Srikanth of Maharishi Vidya Mandir, Chennai, came first in the all-India category with a combined score of 99.2 and in stream 2 (30% seats based on Class XII marks) Dyuthi Thampan of Palakkad scored 1,191 out of 1,200 to secure the top spot. Mainam Harshini from NTR Junior College, Telangana, came first in the School of Law rank list after scoring 98.1% in Class XII, said a press release.

Sastra is the only deemed university which uses JEEMain scores and Class XII aggregate together for its admission process without conducting its own entrance exams. For law programmes, rank list is released based on Class XII aggregate score.

The detailed rank lists are available at www.sastra.edu.The merit-based online counselling for admissions will be held from August 1-29. Students across the country have registered for admission.

Students from Jammu & Kashmir, north-eastern and Himalayan states and Andaman will be admitted under a special category and 30% of seats are allotted for students from Trichy & Thanjavur districts. Freshers’ online orientation for engineering and law programmes will begin from August 30.

Only 12% of engg colleges got above l failed in 11

POOR SHOW

Only 12% of engg colleges got above l failed in 11

Absence Of Quality Faculty, Tough Maths Paper Cited As Reasons

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

01.08.2020

Just 12% of affiliated engineering colleges in the state had more than 50% of students passing theNovember 2019 semester exams, while 11 got nil results. Of 443 engineering colleges, 220 had less than 25% students passing, raising serious questions about the quality of education.

While colleges cite a tough math question paper and stricter evaluation as main reasons, senior professors say it is because several senior faculty members were laid off following the relaxation in teacher-student ratio by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) from 1:15 to 1:20.

The academic performance chart for the April and November 2019 semester exams released by Anna University shows that in April 100 colleges had more than 50% students passing compared to 57 colleges in November. The number of colleges with less than 25% students passing rose from 155 in April to 220 in November.

“The math exam in November was one of the toughest and many students were not able to clear it,” a principal of a city college said.

Even otherwise, Valliammai Engineering College principal B Chidambararajan said, students struggle to clear engineering math. “These include some top rankers from prominent institutions.” There is bound to be a difference in pass percentage compared to April and November, he said. “Many take exams in odd semesters (November) lightly and clear them in even semesters.”

M A Maluk Mohammed, director and correspondent of MAM College of Engineering and Technology in Trichy, said this showed the standard of students. “So far, the university used to give moderation and increase results of colleges. In an effort to standardize engineering education, the vice-chancellor of Anna University has done away with the moderation process. These marks are a true reflection of students. From here, the standard of engineering colleges will only improve.”

Some colleges said the pass percentage was fluctuating due to stricter evaluation and the lack of uniform answer keys across the state. “Anna University debarred 1,000 faculty members for deviation in marks after revaluation two years ago. It has affected the morale of faculty members and evaluation has become stricter,” an official of a college said.

A professor from another college said the quality of faculty members had come down after the relaxation of faculty-student ratio. “Many colleges sent their experienced faculty members away and it has now started to reflect on the performance of students,” he said.

Sources in Anna University said many top-performing affiliated colleges had become autonomous colleges and this was being reflected in the results. “In 2019 alone, 17 affiliated colleges got autonomous status. The university is making efforts to reduce the difficulty level in maths that is affecting the pass percentage of colleges.”

NEW APPROACH: )

Beds vacant but pvt hospitals turn away Covid-19 patients

Beds vacant but pvt hospitals turn away Covid-19 patients

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:01.08.2020

The state government’s Covid-19 dashboard shows more than half the number of beds in private hospitals meant for infected patients are vacant, but hospitals turn away patients.

Tamil Nadu has 52,427 beds for Covid-19 patients. Of this, 39,104 are in government hospitals controlled which report 40% occupancy. The remaining 23,568 beds were vacant on Thursday. Private hospitals have 13,323 Covid beds and 47% (6210 beds) were occupied, according to the dashboard.

A 61-year-old man from Royapettah told TOI that soon after he developed breathing difficulties, he reached out to a private hospital on Mount Poonamalle High Road. The hospital stabilised his oxygen level, but refused further treatment saying they did not have oxygen-supported beds. “The same happened at another hospital on the same stretch. Later I got admitted to the Omandurar government hospital,” he added.

TN Government Multi Super Specialty Hospital dean R Jayanthi said the hospital gets last minute referral.

5,881 new cases, 97 deaths in TN

TN’s fresh Covid-19 infections dipped for the second day on Friday with 5,881new cases and 97 deaths. The number of actives cases in the state is now 57,968. Hotspot Chennai had 1,013 cases, marginally lower than Thursday’s 1,175, and 21deaths. Its three adjoining districts together added 1,192 cases —Kancheepuram 485, Tiruvallur 395 and Chengalpet 334. The remaining seven northern districts added 995 cases and 19 deaths, taking the tally for the 11districts to 3,200 and toll to 53. P 14

‘Not all hosps can handle severe cases’

Chennai: “Things are much better than they were last month, but we continue to get critical cases from private hospitals,” she said. A doctor at Stanley Medical College Hospital said such patients coming in at the last minute are at high risk and such deaths increase the mortality rate.

The situation has been worse in districts like Tirunelveli and Theni, which have limited number of hospitals. Theni has only three empanelled Covid-19 hospitals which can handle moderate to severe cases, and patients have been on waitlist. Eventually, they arrive at Theni General Hospital, said a postgraduate assistant working there.

Indian Medical Association state secretary A K Ravikumar said non-availability of oxygen beds or ICU beds was the main reason why private hospitals send away patients.

People should understand that not all Covid-designated hospitals can treat people with moderate and severe symptoms. There are three categories of Covid hospitals. Only category-I (dedicated hospitals) can handle them. The other two categories (health centres and care centres) can’t admit such cases.

TN has 134 such hospitals in category-II and category-III and most of them are in tier-II cities or smaller towns. Tamil Nadu Health Development Association president Rex Sargunam said the government should ensure that all patients get enough care. “If it cannot take over private hospitals, it should at least ensure they treat at insurance council-prescribed rates,” he said.

Full fee demand: Court warns schools, colleges

Full fee demand: Court warns schools, colleges

Seeks Report By August 17

Sureshkumar.K@timesgroup.com

Chennai:01.08.2020

Private schools and colleges demanding payment of full annual fee from parents in violation of an earlier order by the Madras high court will face contempt of court proceedings, the court said on Friday.

Justice N Anand Venkatesh issued the warning after additional government pleader V Annalakshmi made an urgent mention about the state receiving several complaints from parents about schools and colleges insisting on paying the entire fee in violation of the interim order. She said parents are hesitant to give a written complaint fearing adverse consequences.

Taking a serious note of the issue, the judge directed authorities to conduct an inquiry and file a report by August 17.

Making it clear that persons incharge of such private educational institutions will be hauled up for contempt, the judge said, “This court is taking a very serious note of the violation brought to its notice. Based on the oral complaint, the education department shall conduct an immediate enquiry and if it is found that the institutions are collecting fees in violation of the interim orders passed by this court, immediate action shall be taken against them.”

Only 40% advance fee permitted

The issue pertains to challenges made by associations of educational institutions against the government order prohibiting them from demanding fee during lockdown. On July 17, the court allowed them to collect an ‘advance’ fee of 40% before August 31. This apart, since fee fixed for some institutions had expired and fee fixation committees were yet to frame the new structure, it was agreed to fix 75% of the last year’s fee as this year’s annual fee provisionally. The remaining 35% (minus 40% advance) shall be collected within two months of reopening of institutions, the court had said.

State sees a dip in fresh cases, but fatalities at new high of 97

TOLL SO FAR: 3,838

State sees a dip in fresh cases, but fatalities at new high of 97

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:31.07.2020

After reporting nearly 7,000 cases a day for the past one week, Tamil Nadu on Thursday recorded a dip in new Covid cases at 5,864 even as the toll reached a new high with 97 deaths. This took the state’s cumulative tally to 2,39,978 and toll to 3,838.

There were 57,962 people still under treatment after 5,295 people were discharged, taking the total recoveries to 1,78,178. The last time TN saw cases below 6,000 was on July 22 when it recorded 5,849.

Chennai continues to be the hotspot with 1,175 cases compared to 1,117 on Wednesday. Its three neighbours recorded a dip in cases with 854 compared to 1,305 on Wednesday. Chengalpet had 354, Kancheepuram 175 and Tiruvallur 325. With a total of 31,879 people under treatment including 2,876 fresh cases, the 11 northern districts including Chennai account for 55% of the state’s active cases. The northern region also reported 40 deaths, including 18 in Chennai. With that, the region has 2,808 deaths, 2,092 of them in Chennai.

With six out of 10 districts in the southern region recording more than 200 cases each, the region accounts for 25% of the state’s total active cases at 14,616. Tirunelveli had 277 cases followed by 261 in Theni, 248 in Kanyakumari, 244 in Virudhunagar, and 220 each in Tuticorin and Madurai. The region reported 34 deaths with the highest of eight in Tirunelveli, taking the total toll to 650 including 233 in Madurai.

The western region recorded 540 new cases including 303 in Coimbatore. This took the total to 12,797, including 4,529 active cases in the region. Nine deaths took the toll to 123 with 50 in Coimbatore and 30 in Salem. Coimbatore saw its corporation deputy commissioner, Maduranthaki, testing positive and getting hospitalised. Salem at 70 new cases recorded its lowest count in a week. Every day from July 24, it has been seeing more than 100 new cases a day.

With 460 new cases, the central region had a total of 12,871 cases including 4,934 people under treatment. Pudukottai recorded the highest with 128 cases. The region has so far reported 146 deaths, including 14 on Thursday.

TN yet to take call on EWS quota, govt tells HC

TN yet to take call on EWS quota, govt tells HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  31.07.2020

Tamil Nadu is yet to take any policy decision on introducing economically weaker section (EWS) quota for forward communities in the state, the government informed the Madras high court on Thursday.

Justifying that EWS certificates bearing the rider that it could be used only for accessing admission or employment in central government institutions, Tamil Nadu advocate-general Vijay Narayan said the conditions were being included only as per the memorandum issued by the Centre in this regard.

As for the query on whether the income and property certificates being issued to EWS applicants would be accepted in other states, Narayan said it is for the state concerned to decide.

The submission was made in view of a direction passed by a division bench of Justice M M Sundresh and Justice R Hemalatha as to why such a condition had been imposed while issuing the certificate.

The issue pertains to a batch of pleas moved by various Brahmin and other forward caste associations, challenging the state government’s circular instructing tahsildars to stop issuing the certificates.

On July 13, the government submitted that the state has consented to issue the certificates and appropriate instructions have been given to the tahsildars.

Since the consent was accorded with a condition that such certificates can be used to avail 10% reservation only in central government services and educational institutions, the petitioners opposed.

They Record More Than 100 Cases A Day

They Record More Than 100 Cases A Day

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 31.07.2020

The focus of the city corporation’s battle against Covid-19 continues to be the central part, mainly Kodambakkam, Anna Nagar and Ambattur that have recorded a significantly high number of cases in the last two weeks, official data shows.

Though no clusters have emerged, these zones have been recording more than 100 cases daily, officials said. Aggressive testing in slum areas, of contacts and even mildly symptomatic people will continue until the cases drop to less than 100 a day, officials said.

TOI looked at two indicators. One is the increase in the last two weeks in the total number of cases — the sum of active cases, deaths and recoveries. The second indicator is the number of active cases.

Statistics show that Kodambakkam and Anna Nagar recorded around 28% of all total cases in the last two weeks. Ambattur, which is contiguous with Anna Nagar that covers a part of neighbouring Tiruvallur district, had not recorded a high number of cases for many weeks. Now, there has been an increase of 1,721 in the total number of cases.

It is topping the Covid-19 case chart in the city, accounting for the third-highest number of active cases at 1,198. In comparison, Royapuram and Tondiarpet, which were the erstwhile hotspots, have only 806 and 602 active cases.

A senior official told TOI that in Anna Nagar, Kodambakkam and Ambattur a large number of working class citizens had been testing positive. “These are not people living in slums,” the official said. Areas where cases remain high include Attipattu and Padikuppam in Ambattur zone and Saligrammam and Virugambakkam in Kodambakkam zone.

Another official said several people who were employed in industries in Ambattur resided in wards in these three zones and were testing positive.

The officials said the number of daily fresh cases was expected to stabilise to less than 100 in Kodambakkam zone this week, while it Ambattur and Anna Nagar the process could take one more week.

In the southern part, Adyar has emerged as the zone with a significantly high increase in total cases in the last two weeks. A senior Greater Chennai Corporation official said this was in areas like Guindy, Saidapet. Nandanam, RA Puram and Adyar.

“Adyar is the most populous zone with 7lakh-7.5 lakh people. Contrary to popular perception, it is not entirely an affluent area and has many low-income group localities. The daily count of cases is stable and has neither reduced nor increased. About 50% of cases are contacts,” the official said.