HC judge lauds 7.5% horizontal quota

HC judge lauds 7.5% horizontal quota

It is ‘the greatest’ thing to have happened in the State in a long time, says Justice Anand Venkatesh

03/12/2020

Landmark decision: The judge said the 7.5% reservation would be a turning point for government school students.

Mohamed Imranullah S.CHENNAI

Justice N. Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court on Wednesday lauded the enactment of the Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Courses in Medicine, Dentistry, Indian Medicine and Homeopathy on preferential basis to students of Government Schools Act, 2020.

The judge told Advocate-General (A-G) Vijay Narayan that the 7.5% horizontal reservation for government school students in medical college admissions was “the greatest” thing to have happened in the State in a long time.

“This will be a turning point for government school students and will change their family status altogether,” he said.

The observations were made while hearing petitions filed by the parents of students R. Dharshini and A. Elakkiya of Cuddalore district. Senior Counsel P. Wilson said the students had been offered seats under the 7.5% quota in private colleges, but were kept in the waiting list because they were apprehensive of paying the fees.

Entire expenditure

However, the A-G told the court that the government had now decided to bear the entire expenditure to be incurred for educating all students admitted under the 7.5% quota, even if they get allotted to private colleges. “These students need not pay even a single paisa. Even their food will be sponsored by the State,” he said.

At the time of counselling, a government order to this effect had not been issued. However, the officials gave an oral assurance to the students that the government would bear the expenditure.

“About 95% of the students accepted the oral assurance, obtained the allotment letters and joined the colleges allotted to them,” the A-G said.

However, a small section of students did not join private colleges despite accepting the allotment letters as they feared that they would not be able to pay the fees.

“We will revalidate the allotment letters of these students and make sure that they join the colleges. There was a third category of students who did not accept the allotment letters at all,” he added.

“The present petitioners fall under the third category. We are trying our best to accommodate this category also after the return of unfilled seats to the State government from the all-India quota. Every year, the Centre returns 100 to 150 seats to the State government. Apart from that, some private colleges also surrender their seats to the government quota,” he said.

“After these seats are returned, the 7.5% quota would be applied to them, too,” the A-G assured the court.

The judge recorded his submission and adjourned the two writ petitions for December 11, since it was represented to the court that the number of unfilled seats under the all-India quota would be made known by the Director General of Health Services by December 8.

Top K’taka officials reviewing Sasi plea -

Top K’taka officials reviewing Sasi plea -

The Times Of India

‘Sasikala Needs Only 56 Days Of Remission For Early Release’

TNN & AGENCIES

Chennai/Bengaluru:

The prison head office in the Karnataka government is considering the remission and early release request of expelled AIADMK leader V K Sasikala, who is serving fouryear jail term in connection with the disproportionate assets case.

Her request, submitted to the Parappana Agrahara jail authorities on November 19, pointed out that she had to her credit 129 days of remission and that she would need only 69 days (as on November  19) of that period to be released from jail.

It has now been forwarded to competent authorities for appropriate decision.

“She has applied for remission of her jail term and it has been forwarded to the head of the department for their consideration,” a source said, adding, “Authorities are yet to take a call on it.”

When contacted, Sasikala’s lawyer Raja Senthur Pandian on Wednesday told TOI that as of now Sasikala needed only 56 of her earned remission days to be released from jail.

He also said that as per replies obtained under the Right To Information (RTI) Act, inmates convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act had been granted remission and released from the same jail. “Therefore, conviction under the PC Act cannot be a bar. While so, similar benefit should be extended to Sasikala also,” he said, adding that she alone could not be discriminated against.

Along with Sasikala, her sister-in-law J Elavarasi and nephew V N Sudhagaran are also serving a four-year jail term. Charges against the prime accused and former chief minister Jayalalithaa, however, lapsed as she had passed away by the time the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on February 14, 2017.

As per the Karnataka prison manual, a convict serving a sentence of not less than three months is eligible for three days each of remission every month for good conduct. Sasikala has completed 43 months. An incomplete month or a month where the convict availed herself of parole benefit is not taken into account for the remission benefit, rules state.

A file photo of V K Sasikala heading to Parappana Agrahara jail in February 2017. The expelled AIADMK leader had applied for early release on November 19

472 get MBBS seats on Wed, 2,218 seats still available - The Times Of India

472 get MBBS seats on Wed, 2,218 seats still available - The Times Of India

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:03.12.2020

The state selection committee allotted MBBS seats to 472 students and BDS seat to one student during the single window counselling on Wednesday.

The committee invited 499 candidates, who scored marks from 591 to 575, for the counselling. Of them, 485 students turned up at the Nehru stadium. When the counselling began at 9am, 1,653 MBBS seats in government colleges and 1,037 seats in self-financing colleges were available.

While 431 students were allotted seats in government medical colleges and 41 others were admitted to selffinancing colleges. One student was admitted to government dental college and 10 were waitlisted. Applications of two other candidates were rejected as they did not produce the necessary documents, officials said.

At the end of the day, there were 1,222 MBBS seats in government medical colleges and 996 in self-financing colleges available. Counselling will be held on Thursday for students who scored between 574 and 562 marks in NEET 2020.

Visit https://tnhealth.tn.gov.in/ for details

2021 board exams will be in written mode: CBSE

2021 board exams will be in written mode: CBSE

03/12/2020

After multiple postponements and court cases, the remaining papers were cancelled, and grades calculated through a court-approved formula.

Unable to go to school during this academic year, students have been forced to rely on distance education instead, ranging from Zoom classes and television lectures to WhatsApp lessons and self-study. The syllabus for the Class 10 and 12 board examinations was reduced by 30% to ease the burden on students.

Although the Centre gave permission for schools to reopen from mid-October while following safety measures, few States have taken the decision to allow students to return to physical classes.

Sasikala applies for sentence remission

Sasikala applies for sentence remission

Prisons Department yet to take a call

03/12/2020

Special Correspondent Bengaluru

Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s aide V.K. Sasikala has made an application before the authorities at Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, where she is serving a four-year sentence in a disproportionate assets case, to consider remission of her sentence and early release from the jail.

However, a remission of over 120 days that she had acquired has been forfeited by the former jailer, over allegations of special benefits and for being irregular for work in the jail.

Prisons Dept. to decide

The prison authorities have forwarded her application to the Prisons Department, which is yet to take a call on the issue.

Convicts are eligible for three days of remission per month of good behaviour. “Remission is not a right, but a discretion of prison authorities. She has sought a review of an earlier decision, where her remission was forfeited. A decision is pending on the application,” a senior prison official said.

Meanwhile, Sasikala will complete her sentence on January 27, 2021, if she doesn’t avail herself of any remission.

HC judge lauds 7.5% horizontal quota

HC judge lauds 7.5% horizontal quota

It is ‘the greatest’ thing to have happened in the State in a long time, says Justice Anand Venkatesh

03/12/2020

Landmark decision: The judge said the 7.5% reservation would be a turning point for government school students.

Mohamed Imranullah S.CHENNAI

Justice N. Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court on Wednesday lauded the enactment of the Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Courses in Medicine, Dentistry, Indian Medicine and Homeopathy on preferential basis to students of Government Schools Act, 2020.

The judge told Advocate-General (A-G) Vijay Narayan that the 7.5% horizontal reservation for government school students in medical college admissions was “the greatest” thing to have happened in the State in a long time.

“This will be a turning point for government school students and will change their family status altogether,” he said.

The observations were made while hearing petitions filed by the parents of students R. Dharshini and A. Elakkiya of Cuddalore district. Senior Counsel P. Wilson said the students had been offered seats under the 7.5% quota in private colleges, but were kept in the waiting list because they were apprehensive of paying the fees.

Entire expenditure

However, the A-G told the court that the government had now decided to bear the entire expenditure to be incurred for educating all students admitted under the 7.5% quota, even if they get allotted to private colleges. “These students need not pay even a single paisa. Even their food will be sponsored by the State,” he said.

At the time of counselling, a government order to this effect had not been issued. However, the officials gave an oral assurance to the students that the government would bear the expenditure.

“About 95% of the students accepted the oral assurance, obtained the allotment letters and joined the colleges allotted to them,” the A-G said.

However, a small section of students did not join private colleges despite accepting the allotment letters as they feared that they would not be able to pay the fees.

“We will revalidate the allotment letters of these students and make sure that they join the colleges. There was a third category of students who did not accept the allotment letters at all,” he added.

“The present petitioners fall under the third category. We are trying our best to accommodate this category also after the return of unfilled seats to the State government from the all-India quota. Every year, the Centre returns 100 to 150 seats to the State government. Apart from that, some private colleges also surrender their seats to the government quota,” he said.

“After these seats are returned, the 7.5% quota would be applied to them, too,” the A-G assured the court.

The judge recorded his submission and adjourned the two writ petitions for December 11, since it was represented to the court that the number of unfilled seats under the all-India quota would be made known by the Director General of Health Services by December 8.

Govt: 7.5% quota seats being worked out for waitlisted candidates

MBBS ADMISSIONS

Govt: 7.5% quota seats being worked out for waitlisted candidates

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:03.12.2020

The Tamil Nadu government has assured the Madras high court that it would work out seats for waitlisted government school candidates under the 7.5% quota in medical and dental courses.

These students were kept on the waitlist as they did not take government quota seats in private college because they could not afford the fees. While annual fee in is less than ₹20,000 in government medical colleges, the state quota seats in private colleges cost more than ₹4.5 lakh per annum as tuition fee.

Advocate general Vijay Narayan made the submission on a batch of pleas moved by such students.

Representing the petitioners, senior advocate P Wilson submitted that the government’s offer to pay fees in private medical colleges for such students was made on November 20. But the students who had been called for counselling on November 18 and could not take the allotted seats in private colleges, as they were not able to afford the fees. They were then kept in the waitlist, Wilson said.

He submitted that the government’s fee offer should be given retrospective effect and applied to petitioners and similarlyplaced candidates.

Recording the submissions, Justice N Anand Venkatesh adjourned the hearing to December 11.

In their petitions, A Rajalakshmi and others said since they were not in a position to afford huge fees in private colleges allotted to them, they were compelled to opt for waiting list.

While so, a day after their counselling, the director of medical education addressed all the deans of self-financing medical and dental colleges coming under the single window selection to admit all the candidates under 7.5% government school reservation without insisting on fees.

Therefore, the petitioners wanted the court to direct the authorities to grant admission to them for MBBS/dental course of their choice as per rank, communal, horizontal reservations and other factors.

This apart, the petitioners also wanted the court to pass an interim order restraining the authorities from filling up all seats in MBBS course in MBC category under 7.5% horizontal reservation pending disposal of the plea.