Three caught impersonating MBBS candidates

Three caught impersonating MBBS candidates

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru:02.12.2020

Two girls and a boy were on Tuesday caught impersonating candidates who had been allotted MBBS seats in a city college. Karnataka Examinations Authority filed a police complaint against Pooja, Chaitra and Madhu for submitting fake documents.

According to KEA, three students — Abhay Gautam, Paragi and Maheen Nawaz — had been allotted MBBS seats in BGS Global Institute of Medical Sciences. However, Madhu, Pooja and Chaitra appeared for Abhay, Paragi and Maheen, respectively, during submission of original documents on Tuesday.

“We realised the documents submitted were not tallying with details available on the CBSE website. The photographs printed on the marks cards submitted were not matching with the candidates physically present for submission of documents,” KEA said.

Police said they are questioning the boy and girls and examining the documents.

60% attendance in medical colleges

DAY ONE

60% attendance in medical colleges

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru: 02.12.2020

Unlike Day 1 of reopening of engineering and degree colleges last month, medical colleges affiliated to Rajiv Gandhi University of Medical Sciences (RGUHS) witnessed the attendance of 60% on Tuesday, when regular classes resumed for the first time since the nationwide lockdown in March.

The high numbers are being attributed to the varsity’s decision to focus on practical classes.

“Students have to come because of clinical postings,” said Dr S Sacchidanand, vice chancellor, RGUHS. “Exams are scheduled for February. We expect the numbers to grow as many are still getting their Covid test results and making travel arrangements. The numbers in dental colleges were slightly lower as they had just completed exams. In pharma and nursing colleges, exams are underway.”

Dental and other affiliate colleges of RGHUS reported about 50% attendance. While colleges can offer blended forms of learning for theory classes, students have to attend practicals in person.

“Colleges have been asked to adhere to safety norms as much as possible,” Dr Sacchidanand said. “An orientation programme on Covid etiquette has also been recommended.”

Dr VT Venkatesh, principal, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences, said the attendance was 72% on Tuesday. “Even we were taken aback. Students have no alternative; they too want to get back to serious studies now. There were practicals and some theory classes too today,” he said.

Medical education minister K Sudhakar visited Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, which saw a staggering 90% attendance on the first day. At Oxford Medical College, the attendance was 45%.

Some allied courses saw thinner attendance as outstation students are yet to rejoin. Students from other countries have been complaining of lack of flights.

Students said colleges tried to maintain social distancing in clinical classes by dividing them into smaller batches and leaving enough gaps between students on Day 1. Hostels, however, continue to have more than one student in a room.

BEING PRACTICAL:

Health and medical education minister K Sudhakar visited Bangalore Medical College and interacted with students who turned up for classes on Day 1, on Tuesday

Buying a car? Show proof of parking first

Buying a car? Show proof of parking first

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru: 02.12.2020

In a bid to decongest roads in Bengaluru city, the state government is looking at allowing registration of vehicles only after owners produce a ‘commitment letter’ showing parking space is available.

After a meeting convened by chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Tuesday on formulating Parking Policy 2.0, the government said it is mulling curbs on purchase of vehicles without parking space. The CM directed chief secretary TM Vijayabhaskar to finetune the draft policy after consulting senior officials and place it before the cabinet for approval.

In 2019, the previous JD (S)-Congress government had mooted a similar proposal, but it failed to take off.

New policy proposes pay-and-park system in city’s major localities

BDA chairman and CM’s political secretary SR Vishwanath who attended the meeting said the new policy proposes to make it mandatory for new vehicle buyers to have their own parking space.

“Many households own more than one vehicle. Most of them are parked on roads. We plan to address this issue on priority,” said an official. The policy hopes to bring in a controlled, tech-based parking system. It proposes to introduce a payand-park system in all major localities. “We have smart parking fee collection facilities at 80-85 places. We want to extend such facilities to the entire city,” Vishwanath said.

It proposes to ban parking of vehicles in a 1km radius around existing multi-level parking facilities in Bengaluru. “Since most of these facilities have remained underutilised, the new rule will help address this issue. It will ease congestion on surrounding roads,” he said.

The government is also looking at utilising private open spaces and residential plots as parking spaces by involving BBMP to join hands with land owners. Vishwanath said the number of vehicle buyers in Bengaluru is more than in any other metropolitan city. “People may find these rules tough, but we have to do something to address this problem,” he added.

During the meeting, officers apprised the CM about the need for a Parking Policy 2.0 since the number of vehicles has almost doubled in the city in the past seven years. They said usage of public transport must be encouraged.

Responses about the policy have been received from individuals, NGOs and RWAs and based on this feedback, parking policy will be revised and submitted for government approval, officials said.

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