Man marries another woman, wife files complaint

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Man marries another woman, wife files complaint

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:03.02.2021

A 53-year-old woman from Khanpur filed a complaint of domestic violence against her husband after he allegedly married another woman and threatened to kick her as well as her sons out of their transport business.

The woman, who runs a transport business in Bareja, filed the complaint with Shahpur police on Monday.

The FIR stated, “She married the accused in 1992, but he began harassing her since 2007."

She alleged that her husband began a relationship with another woman and used to pick up fights with her over frivolous issues so that she would leave him. She told police that her husband began thrashing her and often told her that he wanted to divorce her.

Police states, “In August 2019, he married another woman and began staying with her. The complainant found out about this after a month. When she raised an objection, he told her to leave the house. When she reminded him that she had been running the business on her own and they were staying at her father’s home, her husband went to live with his second wife.”

The complainant then began living with her two sons. She told police that when she asked her husband for some money ahead of her daughter-in-law’s delivery in November 2020, he refused and threatened to remove her and her sons from the business. Following this, she approached Shahpur police and filed a complaint of domestic violence against him.

Explain appointment of IITE’s VC, says HC

Explain appointment of IITE’s VC, says HC

Ahmedabad:03.02.2021

The Gujarat high court has directed the Indian Institute of Teacher Education, Gandhinagar to file an affidavit explaining that the procedure adopted in selection and appointment of Dr Harshadkumar Patel as its vice-chancellor was proper.

Petitioner Amit Valand has challenged Patel’s appointment and petitioner’s advocate Sandip Munjyasara submitted that Patel did not hold adequate experience for appointment on the top post of the institute. He also submitted that the process of selection was not duly followed.

The government pleader rebutted all the contentions and maintained that Patel was holding adequate qualifications and experience to be appointed as a VC. It was also submitted on part of the government that the selection process followed was proper. After hearing, Justice Biren Vaishnav said that since the petitioner has taken contention in writing, the institute should also satisfy the court that the procedure adopted in the selection and appointment of the VC was in accordance with the law.

Further hearing has been posted on February 17. TNN

Education should not be affected: HC

Education should not be affected: HC

Fees Should Not Compel Parents To Stop Kids’ Education: Court

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:03.02.2021

The Gujarat high court has asserted that children’s education must not suffer due to the inability of their parents to pay fees and “education is something which should never be compromised”.

The bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice J B Pardiwala disposed of the suo motu PIL the high court had initiated on the basis of a news report on a survey conducted by the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) and UNICEF, Gujarat. It reflected the hardships faced by poor parents during the lockdown period.

The bench reminded the state government “to ensure that the inability to pay fees should not compel parents to stop providing education to their children. This is the worst that can happen to any family. It is possible that help rendered by the government may not have reached a few families. This is what the survey talks about. The government should pay due attention to such cases and try to render assistance in all possible manners. Education is something which should never be compromised”.

The HC accepted the explanation submitted by the state government on how the families of students in government and aided schools were supported during the lockdown. It also said that “by accepting the report of the state government and closing this litigation, we do not want to convey that the survey carried out by the IIM-A and the UNICEF, Gujarat, was not correct”. The HC appreciated the survey. It revealed that despite a flat 25% cut in fees, parents were not aware of any such benefits and very few received foodgrain under the mid-day meal scheme. The court said the state government “seems to have put in strenuous efforts to ease the hardships of various families during the period of lockdown”. The HC recalled its observation made earlier while exhorting the government and society to join in relief efforts during the pandemic, “crisis does not build character, it reveals it”.

CBSE board exams to start May 4, end June 11

CBSE board exams to start May 4, end June 11

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

03.02.2021

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) examinations for classes X and XII will begin from May 4 this year — later than usual because of the pandemic — it was announced on Tuesday. The Class XII tests, which end on June 11, will be held in two shifts — 10:30 am to 1:30pm and 2:30pm to 5.30pm — in a bid to shorten the entire schedule.

Some students and parents are worried Class XII biology exam is slotted on May 24, the same day JEE Main is beginning. “I will raise the issue with board officials,” a parent said.

A total of 111 subject examinations will be conducted for Class XII, which will be conducted in two shifts. “In the second shift, examinations of subjects which are not offered by the school abroad will be conducted,” according to a statement issued by the board.

13.5 lakh students registered for Class XII board exams

The staff employed in the morning shift will not be given invigilation duty in the second.

“In 2020, the examination schedule lasted 45 days. This year, it spans 39 days,” the board said.

A total of 13.5 lakh students are registered for Class XII exams; last year, the figure was slightly above 12 lakh. For Class X, in which examination for 75 subjects will be held, 20.5 lakh students have registered. Last year, the figure was 18 lakh.

“The date sheet has also been prepared in such a manner that on any day the total number of students in an examination centre is not huge. This will help staff in all centres strictly follow Covid-19 safety norms” the board said.

For this batch of students, the syllabus has been reduced by 30% and changes made in the question pattern.

The Election Commission has been informed about the date sheet so that there is no clash with a raft of assembly elections scheduled in summer, a CBSE official said.

For this batch of students, the syllabus has been reduced by 30% and changes made in the question pattern

Having old vehicles can now be expensive affair

Having old vehicles can now be expensive affair

Dipak.Dash@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:03.02.2021

Holding on to 15-year-old vehicles will become an expensive affair once the voluntary vehicle scrapping policy is rolled out from next year. While the cost for getting a fitness certificate for such commercial vehicles will go up by up to 62 times, the fee for renewal of registration of private vehicles will increase by up to eight times. Moreover, states will impose green tax over and above the road tax that every vehicle owner needs to pay.

The road transport and highways ministry will announce the scrapping policy in the next two weeks. Sources said the fitness certificate fee for commercial vehicles that are more than 15 years would increase from the current Rs 200 to approximately Rs 7,500 for cabs and nearly Rs 12,500 for trucks. As per the motor vehicle law, renewal of fitness certificate is mandatory annually once it’s more than eight years old. “These hiked fees will kick in once such vehicles are of 15 years. Paying such a high charge every year will discourage people to keep their old vehicles,” said a source. On top of this, states can levy a green tax, which can be 10-25% of the annual road tax. This will be in addition to the normal road tax a vehicle owner pays.

Similarly, in the case of 15-year plus private vehicles, the registration charge would go up for two-wheelers from the current Rs 300 to Rs 1,000 and it would increase from ₹600 to ₹5,000 for cars. The states can levy green tax on such vehicles for five years, which would be in addition to the road tax. “All private vehicles need to renew registration after 15 years and subsequently every five year. This is expected to work as a disincentive for vehicle owners,” the source said. In both the cases, vehicles failing in the automatic fitness test will be deregistered from Vahan, the central database of vehicles.

Covid claims lives of 162 docs, 107 nurses

Covid claims lives of 162 docs, 107 nurses

Sushmi.Dey@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:03.02.2021

Covid-19 has claimed lives of 162 doctors, 107 nurses and 44 Asha workers in India till January 22, minister of state for health Ashwini Choubey told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday based on information received from the states on insurance claims under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package.

Given the vulnerability of health and front-line workers at the forefront of the Covid fight, the government has also prioritised this category for receiving vaccination. So far, over 40 lakh healthcare workers have received the first dose of the Covid vaccine in the country, whereas the Centre has asked states to start inoculating front-line workers from this week.

“The process of insurance disbursement has been de-centralised under the PMGKP insurance scheme. Accordingly, the verification of a person who is affected or died due to Covid-19 vests with the state government and central government authorities concerned,” Choubey said.

The central insurance scheme provides a comprehensive cover of ₹50 lakh to healthcare providers, including community health workers, who may have to be in direct contact and care of patients suffering from Covid-19 infection and who are at risk of being impacted. It also includes accidental loss of life on account of contracting Covid-19.

The scheme also covers private hospital staff, volunteers, local urban bodies, contract daily wagers and outsourced staff requisitioned by states. The insurance provided is over and above any other cover being availed of by the beneficiary.

Pallavaram has toll free no. for plaints, but no feedback

Pallavaram has toll free no. for plaints, but no feedback

Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com

Chennai:03.02.2021

Residents of areas under Pallavaram municipality have been given a toll free number they can call to complain about civic problems but they have no idea if anyone is taking action.

Official data shows that the municipality on the city’s southern fringes on GST Road, which comprises 80,000 households, outsourced operation of toll free number 18004251600 to a private firm, which acts as the consultant.

There are five public grievance operators and one supervisor in charge of ensuring complaints are taken from residents 24x7 in a system to maintain which the municipality pays ₹15 lakh annually.

Around 700 complaints are registered every month on the helpline but there is no feedback mechanism.

Social activist David Manohar on January 27 raised a complaint about aggressive stray dogs on Pillaiyar Koil Street. “I have no idea whether the issue has been resolved or not. When we call the number, they ask us to contact the municipality official,” he said.

A call to the number showed the process was exactly as Manohar said. The call centre executive gave the contact number of the sanitary inspector saying he would respond.

Pallavaram municipality commissioner C Mathivanan told TOI resolution of complaints depended on the issue.

“We got 248 complaints regarding street lights in January. A majority were regarding cables and were resolved within 48 hours,” he said.

However, complaints about water supply or a block in the main sewage line are more complex and could take up to 15 days to resolve, Mathivanan said.

The civic body was also in the process of collecting contact numbers of all households and linking them to their property tax numbers, so that they could be intimated when such issues were notified through the helpline, the commissioner added.