Kerala HC backs transsexuals in NCC

Kerala HC backs transsexuals in NCC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kochi:02.12.2020

The world has progressed and the central government cannot remain in the 19th century, the Kerala high court remarked while considering a transsexual student’s plea challenging exclusion from National Cadet Corps (NCC). Considering a petition filed by Hina Haneefa, justice Devan Ramachandran told the counsel representing NCC, “The world has progressed, you cannot remain in the 19th century.” The transsexual has challenged section 6 of the National Cadet Corps Act, 1948 that allows only males or females to enroll as NCC cadets.

The court’s remark came after NCC’s counsel submitted that refusal of enrollment of the petitioner does not amount to discrimination. The counsel sought time to file an affidavit explaining the stance.

Responding to the submission, the court said the stance that the central government is taking is unfortunate. There certainly are three genders – male, female, and transsexual, the court said. The court also noted that the petitioner has decided to become a woman and has undergone the surgery too. NCC can admit her as a woman, the court suggested.

Full report on www.toi.in

Times View

One of the benchmarks of a modern and progressive state lies in the way it treats its minorities. Transgenders are sexual minorities. They are often socially marginalized and excluded from activities that others take for granted. Their inclusion in the NCC would be a mini-milestone in efforts to give them

Ayush practitioners can aid in treatment of Covid patients: Govt

Ayush practitioners can aid in treatment of Covid patients: Govt

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:02.12.2020

The Union government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that ayurveda, unani and homoeopathy practitioners can prescribe drugs for prevention of Covid-19 by boosting immunity but cannot claim that their medicines can cure such patients.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta informed a bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R S Reddy and M R Shah that Ayush practitioners have been provided with guidelines to prescribe drugs for boosting immunity or for symptomatic treatment of Covid-19 patients.

The Ayush ministry said in its affidavit, “Keeping in view this unprecedented and unforeseen precarious situation, the health system preparedness of the country and the anticipated patient/conventional doctor ratio of the country, the ministry of Ayush decided to augment and strengthen the Covid medical response of the country by using the traditional healthcare system of the country, which included ayurvedic practices, homoeopathy practices as well as Unani practices.” It said homoeopathic medical practitioners were permitted to prescribe drugs, as mentioned in the guidelines, as an add-on to the conventional treatment for patients who had tested Covid positive and were undergoing conventional treatment.

Clinical trials for Sputnik V begin

New Delhi: Dr Reddy’s Laboratories and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) on Tuesday said they have commenced adaptive phase 2/3 clinical trials for the Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine in India. The trials have commenced after receiving the necessary clearance from the Kasauli-based Central Drugs Laboratory, they added. PTI

NRIs may soon get to vote remotely with e-ballots

NRIs may soon get to vote remotely with e-ballots

Bharti.Jain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:02.12.2020

Non-resident Indians (NRIs), who at present must cast their vote in person in India, may soon get to vote remotely from their country of residence — perhaps as early as in-state polls due in May next year — if a proposal sent by the Election Commission to the law ministry finds acceptance.

The EC has suggested that NRIs be allowed to vote through electronically-transmitted postal ballot system (ETPBS), a facility already available to service voters that include members of the armed forces, paramilitary and government employees serving abroad.

In a November 27 letter addressed to the law secretary, EC proposed necessary amendments be made in the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, “at the earliest” to enable the Indian diaspora to vote through postal ballot, adding that it is “technically and administratively ready to extend this facility in general elections to legislative assemblies of Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry”. Elections in the five states are due in May next year. EC in its letter stated that it has been receiving several representations from the Indian diaspora to facilitate voting through postal ballot since such overseas electors are not in a position to be present in their polling area as travelling to India for this purpose is a costly affair and otherwise too, they cannot leave their country of residence owing to compulsions like employment, education or other engagements.

Times View

It is welcome news that technology is being used to help NRIs cast their vote from their country of residence. But the EC must also take note that millions of resident Indians are unable to vote simply because they are away from where they are registered to vote on polling day. This anomaly should also be urgently addressed. In today’s era, technology makes it feasible.

Cyclone Burevi gains strength, to cross Indian coast on Dec 4 morning

Cyclone Burevi gains strength, to cross Indian coast on Dec 4 morning

Storm Likely To Intensify Further: IMD

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:02.12.2020

Southern districts of Tamil Nadu are bracing for extremely heavy rainfall for the next three days as the cyclonic storm Burevi over Bay of Bengal lay 800km from the Kanyakumari coast on Tuesday evening. It is likely to intensify further before crossing the Indian coast on December 4 early morning between Kanyakumari and Pamban, after making landfall near Trincomalee in Sri Lanka on December 2.

The system is expected to bring heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in many parts of south Tamil Nadu and light to moderate spells over Chennai for the next 48 hours. Burevi will be the second cyclonic storm in a week making landfall in Tamil Nadu after Cyclone Nivar crossed near Marakkanam on November 25 night. It is also the third cyclone, after Amphan and Nivar, to form over Bay of Bengal this year. The name "Burevi" has been given by Maldives, which means black mangroves.

IMD said at 5.30pm, the deep depression, which had strengthened from a depression on Tuesday morning and was moving at 9kmph, intensified into a cyclonic storm and lay centred at around 400km east-southeast of Trincomalee and 800km eastsoutheast of Kanyakumari.

The storm is likely to intensify further before making landfall close to Trincomalee on December 2 evening or night with a wind speed of 75-85kmph gusting to 95kmph. On the morning of December 3, the system is likely to emerge over the Gulf of Mannar and adjoining Comorin area. “It would then move west-southwestwards and cross south Tamil Nadu between Kanyakumari and Pamban on the early morning of December 4 between 2.30am and 5.30am,” IMD said.

According to IMD’s forecast track of the cyclone, the storm is likely to emerge again over the sea near south Kerala coast after crossing the south Tamil Nadu coast.

Satellite image of Cyclone Burevi released by the India Meteorological Department on Tuesday evening

429 students gain MBBS admission

429 students gain MBBS admission

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:02.12.2020

The selection committee allotted MBBS seats to 429 students and waitlisted nine candidates during the single window counselling on Tuesday. One candidate opted out of the counselling nine others did not turn up, a release from the committee said. The scrutiny committee has rejected a total of five applicants so far for not producing sufficient documents proving their nativity.

Counselling opened with 2,059 MBBS seats in government colleges and 1,060 seats in self-financing colleges. Students who scored between 916 and592in NEET2020werecalled for seat allotment. While 406 students were allotted seats in government medical colleges, 23 were accommodated in self-financing medical colleges.

By the end of the day, OC seatsin all government colleges, BC seats in all four Chennai colleges and in Madurai, Thanjavur, Chengalpet, Coimbatore, Salem and Trichy were taken. There were 541seats for BC, 89 for BCM, 507 for MBC, 409 for SC, 80 for SCA and 27 for ST category students in government colleges.

On Wednesday, when students with NEET score between 591 and 575 come for counselling, the committee will display 1,653 seats in government colleges and 1,037 seats in self-financing colleges. There are 151 BDS seats in government colleges and 985 in self-financing colleges.

In a blow to govt, HC says no all-pass sans arrear exams

In a blow to govt, HC says no all-pass sans arrear exams

Sureshkumar.K@timesgroup.com

Chennai:02.12.2020

In a major setback to the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to grant all pass to several lakh area holding college students citing the pandemic, the Madras high court said no state university can declare results without conducting examinations either online or offline.

The court also made it clear that universities were free to conduct arrear exams despite the government order cancelling them. Wondering how the state could compel universities to cancel examinations with a GO, a division bench of Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice R Hemalatha said exams could now be conducted either online or offline or a combination of both.

The case was then posted for further hearing on January 11.

The HC passed the interim order on Tuesday, refusing to accept the state’s contention that the exams were cancelled in the interest of students and to safeguard lives. As to the allegation that some universities have already declared results, the bench directed such institutes not to proceed till further orders.

The issue pertains to a batch of pleas moved by former vice-chancellor of Anna University E Balagurusamy, advocate Ramkumar Adityan and others challenging the GO cancelling arrear exams.

When the plea came up for hearing, the UGC clarified that students who have not cleared backlogs would not be eligible for even a course completion certificate.

Earlier, the state department of higher education filed an affidavit justifying cancelling the exams, saying the decision was made only to alleviate distresses faced by the student community due to Covid-19.

Denying the argument that such an order would amount to discrimination among students, the department said, “The decision would not demoralise meritorious students as only moderated minimum pass mark is awarded to arrear students... As this situation was unprecedented, students had left their belongings, textbooks, notebooks and laptops in their hostel. Therefore, they had no access to their study material.”

Students stream HC proceedings, invite court’s ire

Denied permission to view court proceedings on a batch of PILs challenging cancellation of arrear examinations, some students livestreamed the hearing on YouTube. A live feed, which was being viewed by thousands of students across Tamil Nadu for more than 30 minutes, was stopped as soon as the matter was reported to the judges.

Taking serious view of the continuous disruption of court proceedings by students and the latest livestream on YouTube, the judges warned that those responsible could face punishment for contempt of court. The court also clarified that henceforth hearing of cases regarding cancellation of arrear exams would be conducted only through physical mode.

When the pleas came up for hearing on November 20, more than 200 anxious students who stood to benefit from the cancellation disrupted the virual hearing, bringing it to a standstill in minutes. As they refused to heed the bench’s request to log out, the judges were forced to retire to their chambers. TNN

HC refused to accept the state’s contention that the exams were cancelled in the interest of students and directed institutes that have declared results to not proceed till further orders

'High Time That Candidates Be Made To Own Up For Their Mistakes': Madras High Court Rejects NEET Candidates' Plea For Change Of Community Status

'High Time That Candidates Be Made To Own Up For Their Mistakes': Madras High Court Rejects NEET Candidates' Plea For Change Of Community Status: Taking a strict view against NEET aspirants who wrongly mentioned their communal status as 'General' instead of 'OBC' in the applications, the Madras High Court remarked that Courts cannot keep on...