Engg colleges seek relaxation of rules to begin new courses

Engg colleges seek relaxation of rules to begin new courses

They Need 50% Admissions To Obtain NBA Accreditation

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:16.02.2021 

Engineering colleges in the state have asked the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to relax rules to start courses in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, data science and cyber security.

Now, colleges should have accreditation to start the new courses or they have to reduce intake in existing courses. "To get accreditation, engineering colleges should have 50% admissions against sanctioned intake. With admission to traditional courses dipping in the last few years, colleges have not been able to go for accreditation. They can survive only if they get courses such as AI and data science. Hence we have asked for simplification of the rules,” a representative from the consortium of self-financing professional, arts and science colleges said.

Of 461 colleges that took part in online engineering counselling last year, only around 130 were able to fill more than 50% of seats. Based on AICTE's direction, Anna University allowed around 50 engineering colleges to start BTech AI and Data Science courses in 2020-21. The courses saw 63.5% seats filled in the first year, while response was poor for traditional courses such as civil engineering,

(23.5%), mechanical engineering (27.8%) and electrical and electronics engineering (34%).

Top colleges, which have accredited their courses, want minimum fees fixed to meet the expenditure on implementing the seventh pay commission award. "A professor's salary would come closer to ₹2lakh. We expect AICTE to fix a minimum fee for engineering courses,” said R M Kishore, vicechairman of RMK Engineering College in Chennai.

Some principals want top colleges categorised to allow them to collect more fees. "It would encourage colleges to go for accreditation. They should categorize colleges into two or three groups and fix their fees accordingly. AICTE should also think of renewing approval for top colleges once in three years instead of annually," said B Chidambararajan, principal of SRM Valliammai Engineering College. Deemed universities want AICTE to fix the intake cap for the total number of students and not separately for degree programmes. “AICTE can grant approval by default on submission of data for top 100 universities in NIRF ranking,” said S Vaidhyasubramaniam, vice-chancellor of SASTRA.

And, professors have asked AICTE to evolve a mechanism to verify salaries. "Some engineering colleges have sacked senior faculty to avoid paying high salaries. AICTE should ensure cadre ratio in all departments," said a professor at a private engineering college.

Deemed univs to reopen next week

Deemed univs to reopen next week

Institutes Want Govt To Relax One Student Per Room Rule

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:17.02.2021

Deemed universities across the state have begun preparations to accommodate more students, including those from other states, starting next week. A few institutions suggested that the government consider relaxing quarantine norms that allows only one student per room in the hostel.

Faced with the possibility of more students entering campuses, particularly hostels, many institutions have split the hostel mess, moving canteens to an open space and providing Wi-Fi in hostel rooms so students can attend online classes as they wait out the quarantine period. Schedules for physical classes, online classes and allowing students in turns are also being considered.

“SRM Institute of Science and Technology is planning to reopen for students in a phased manner from February 22,” said S Ponnusamy, registrar (in-charge). SRMIST campus in Kattankulathur is is among the largest.

SASTRA is planning staggered start to physical classes for first year students from February 24. “First year students will have optional doubt clarification and lab exposure sessions so that those requiring quarantine can stay in hostels. The exams for first semester students will start on March 8,” said vice-chancellor S Vaidhyasubramaniam.

After these exams, second semester classes will begin and go on till May. Meanwhile, students belonging to other years will attend classes online. After first year students leave campus, second, third and final year students will come in for practical classes and exams.

Vels Institute of Science, Technology and Advanced Studies (VISTAS) has begun physical classes for third year students. “Only 50% of hostel students have been called back. We will follow a rotation system,” said chancellor Ishari K Ganesh.

A Azad, registrar of BS Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology, said, “Though we have sufficient number of rooms and large halls to follow all the Covid-19 protocols, we will split the classes to have only 50% of students in theory and practical classes at a time.”

Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science is planning to invite students in a staggered manner from March. “At present, we have reopened only for outgoing students to conduct practical classes. The hostels are being prepared for reopening,” said pro-vice-chancellor R W Alexander Jesudasan.

Deemed universities urged the UGC to revise its guidelines to allow hostels to operate at 50% capacity. “With just one student per hostel room, it would be difficult to finish the practicals and exams for students on time. Asking the students to stay at a relative’s or friend’s place is not possible,” said Vaidhyasubramaniam, adding that it would be difficult to conduct both physical and online classes for the same batch of students.

Sandeep Sancheti, former vice-chancellor of SRMIST, said quarantining hostel students for 14 days would be a challenge. “Students are very keen to return. Hostel students will return in big numbers if the quarantine rule is relaxed,” he said.

With more students to enter hostels, many institutions have split the hostel mess, moving canteens to an open space and are providing Wi-Fi in hostel rooms so students can attend online classes during the quarantine period

Groom disappears on day of wedding, bride’s family protests, files complaint

Groom disappears on day of wedding, bride’s family protests, files complaint

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:17.02.2021

A bride protested in front of the Thirumangalam police station on Monday demanding action against the groom for disappearing on the day of the wedding.

The bride’s family was all set to head to the Lord Murugan temple in Thiruporur for the wedding. However, when they tried to reach the groom, his phone was switched off.

Dellibabu alias Anandan, 32, of Anna Nagar and the 25-year-old girl from Puzhal were engaged two months ago. The reception, arranged by the bride’s family, was scheduled to take place the same evening in Korattur.

Anandan’s parents had filed a missing man complaint at the Thirumangalam police station. The bride’s family called off the wedding, filed a cheating complaint against the man’s family at the Thirumangalam allwomen police and family blocked a road.

Police found Anandan in Chengalpet and brought him to the station for a discussion. His family promised to pay a portion of the wedding expenditure to the bride’s family.

84,649 MBBS seats in 562 Medical Colleges in India as per NMC data: Minister

84,649 MBBS seats in 562 Medical Colleges in India as per NMC data: Minister: New Delhi: There are a total of 84,649 MBBS seats in 562 Medical Colleges including 286 government and 276 private institutes across the country for the academic year 2020-21, the MoS Health...

[BREAKING] Author of controversial POCSO judgment, Justice Pushpa Ganediwala not made permanent, to continue as Additional Judge for another year

[BREAKING] Author of controversial POCSO judgment, Justice Pushpa Ganediwala not made permanent, to continue as Additional Judge for another year

A notification was issued by the Law Ministry on Friday confirming that she will continue as Additional Judge.

Bombay High Court Nagpur bench, Justice Pushpa Ganediwala

Neha Joshi

Published on :

12 Feb, 2021 , 9:20 pm

Bombay High Court judge, Justice Pushpa Ganediwala who had authored a slew of controversial judgments on Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, will continue as Additional judge of the High Court for one more year.

The Ministry of Law and Justice accepted the Supreme Court Collegium's revised decision to not make her a permanent judge.

A notification was issued by the Law Ministry on Friday confirming that she will continue as Additional Judge.

"In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 224 of the Constitution, the President of India is pleased to appoint Smt. Pushpa Ganediwala to be an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court for a period of one year with effect from February 13, 2021," the notification said

This comes after Supreme Court Collegium, which had earlier recommended Justice Ganediwala to be made permanent, withdrew its recommendation after the contentious judgments authored by the judge came to light.

Justice Ganediwala had handed down three acquittals under the POCSO Act in three separate cases, all within a week.

The most controversial among them was a judgment delivered on January 19 in which she ruled that the act of pressing the breast of a child aged 12 years without removing her top will not fall within the definition of ‘sexual assault’ under Section 7 of POCSO (Satish Ragde v. State of Maharashtra).

This third ruling had caused an uproar with the Supreme Court staying the judgment on a mentioning made by Attorney General KK Venugopal.

Aside from that, in a judgment delivered on January 14, she reversed a conviction order after noting that there was nothing supporting the prosecution's case for rape (Jageshwar Wasudeo Kawle v. State of Maharashtra).

On January 15, she held that the act of holding hands of a minor or the zip of the pants of the accused being open at the relevant time, does not amount to sexual assault as defined under Section 7 of the POCSO Act (Libnus v. State of Maharashtra).

These rulings had prompted the Supreme Court Collegium to recall its recommendation of January 20 by which it had agreed to make Justice Ganediwala a permanent judge of the Bombay High Court.

Justice Ganediwala was appointed additional judge of Bombay High Court on February 8, 2019. She started her judicial career in 2007 when she was appointed District Judge.

She has held postings as City Civil Court, Mumbai; District Court and Family Court at Nagpur; Joint Director of Maharashtra Judicial Academy (MJA); Principal District & Sessions Judge, Nagpur; Registrar General, High Court of Judicature at Bombay and also Principal Judge at City Civil Court, Mumbai.

Gorakhpur AIIMS: Relief from the exempted medical students from the Supreme Court, said - Examination should be allowed

Gorakhpur AIIMS: Relief from the exempted medical students from the Supreme Court, said - Examination should be allowed

Shweta Singh "Journalist"Feb 12, 2021 - 17:50

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hearing of the case of students deprived of the examination was held in the Supreme Court on Friday. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court said that in AIIMS Gorakhpur, MBBS first year students of short attendance should be allowed to appear in the examination.

The Supreme Court will issue a detailed order on Monday after hearing the petition in detail. He instructed AIIMS Gorakhpur to conduct exams for first year students, who have less attendance. The court asked the petitioner to give the total number of students whose attendance is less.

During the hearing, the counsel for one of the petitioners, Nedumpar, said that his client had sufficient attendance and should be allowed to appear in the examination. AIIMS lawyer Uditya Banerjee said that student attendance was 60 per cent before Corona and after Kovid he appeared in 4 classes. The student argues that he cannot do the class only because he comes from a remote area. If he could attend 4 online classes, he could also attend the second class.

Court asked, what option do students have now

Justice Rao asked the AIIMS counsel that if you are attending the hearing today, can you all join Suvanai? Every day there is some technical problem. The Supreme Court asked what option the student has now. The advocate of AIIMS said that the student is first year, so now he should appear in the first year examination to be held in October.

Supreme Court seeks opinion from MCI

The Supreme Court asked that this is a matter related to the future of 10 students, is it just a matter of attendance, is there anything else? The Supreme Court has sought the opinion of MCI (Medical Council of India) during the hearing. MCI lawyer Gaurav Sharma said that AIIMS does not come under MCI, but we are of the opinion that students should not be wasted for a year.

வரதட்சணை கொடுமை கணவருக்கு 5 ஆண்டு

வரதட்சணை கொடுமை கணவருக்கு 5 ஆண்டு

Added : பிப் 12, 2021 23:31

சென்னை: வரதட்சணை கொடுமையில், மனைவி இறந்த வழக்கில், கணவர் மற்றும் மாமியாருக்கு, 5 ஆண்டுகள் சிறை தண்டனை விதித்து, சென்னை மகளிர் நீதிமன்றம் தீர்ப்பளித்துள்ளது.

தஞ்சாவூர் மாவட்டத்தைச் சேர்ந்தவர் யோகராஜ், 31. இவர், சென்னை, தேனாம்பேட்டையில் வசித்தபடி, தனியார் நிறுவனத்தில், கணக்காளராக பணியாற்றி வருகிறார். இவருக்கும், கும்பகோணத்தைச் சேர்ந்த மனோன்மணி என்பவருக்கும், 2014ல் திருமணம் நடந்தது. வரதட்சணை கொடுக்கவில்லை என, யோகராஜும், அவர் தாயும், மருமகளை கொடுமைப் படுத்தியதில், மனோன்மணி துாக்கிட்டு தற்கொலை செய்தார்.

தேனாம்பேட்டை போலீசார் வழக்குப் பதிவு செய்தனர்.சென்னை மகளிர் நீதிமன்ற, நீதிபதி எம்.ராஜலட்சுமி விசாரணை நடத்தி, யோகராஜ் மற்றும் அவரது தாய்க்கு, தலா, 5 ஆண்டுகள் சிறை தண்டனையும், தலா, 15 ஆயிரம் ரூபாய் அபராதமும் விதித்து தீர்ப்பளித்தார்.