Question paper leaks have distorted exam system: SC

Question paper leaks have distorted exam system: SC

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:24.02.2021

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said question paper leaks and mass cheating in examinations had “distorted and perverted” the examination system and stayed a Karnataka high court order discharging a state bureaucrat from a case relating to alleged procurement of Class XII question paper for his son in 2016.

Leak of the question paper had resulted in cancellation of the chemistry examination. The re-examination too had to be cancelled as the same modus operandi was allegedly used by the accused, who were physical education teachers in various schools of Karnataka, in collusion with the bureaucrat and others.

Even before Karnataka’s counsel V N Raghupathy began his argument, a bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian asked, “Why should bail be not cancelled? These people are ruining the education system.” The SC recalled the huge scam in Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (popularly known by its Hindi acronym ‘Vyapam’), which was unearthed in 2011. It involved 13 different exams conducted by Vyapam for selection of medical students and state government employees. The CJI-led bench said, “We know of the Vyapam case in Madhya Pradesh. What happened there? The education system is getting distorted and perverted.” It issued notice to the accused in the Karnataka case and stayed the HC order discharging them from the case.

Times View

Maintaining fairness is a fundamental requirement of any examination. An alleged abuse of the system by a senior bureaucrat has rightly prompted a serious view from the apex court. We all know that power comes with responsibility. When those in positions of authority are the ones violating the rules, the violation must be viewed even more seriously.

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Prof. (Dr.) Ved Kumari Appointed As New VC Of NLU-Odisha

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TN govt doctors demand pay hike issue be resolved in last Assembly session before elections

TN govt doctors demand pay hike issue be resolved in last Assembly session before elections

Government doctors, who are presently wearing ‘demand badges’ to work, want their long-due demands such as pay hike, Covid solatium, recruitment of more doctors and timely promotions to be implemented

Published: 22nd February 2021 07:15 PM 

By Omjasvin MD

Express News Service

CHENNAI: With the Tamil Nadu assembly session beginning from Tuesday (February 23) expected to be the last for this term, government doctors want the issue of pay hike, which has been pending for years now, to be raised in the assembly. The doctors also urged the government to make some positive announcements.

Dr S Perumal Pillai, Executive Member, Federation of Government Doctors Association, said that the assembly session is the last resort for a solution and once it is over, the Model of Conduct may come in any time ahead of upcoming elections and the government may not consider implementing the demands.

Government doctors, who are presently wearing ‘demand badges’ to work, want their long-due demands such as pay hike, Covid solatium, recruitment of more doctors and timely promotions to be implemented.

Dr Pillai said government doctors are only demanding that the state implement the existing government order no. 354, which would provide them a pay hike.

The government order gives them a pay hike after completion of 5,9,11, and 12 years instead of the present 8,15,17, and 20 years.

Their demand is for the government to provide them a salary at the pay band 4 scale after completion of 12 years of service and not 20 years.

“The government says they have spent more than Rs 7000 crore for Covid but a pay hike for all the doctors totally in the state would just cost a budget of Rs 300 crore,” said Dr Pillai, pointing out that states like Karnataka and Haryana were giving special pay for Covid duty doctors but those in TN have not received any.

Dr Ramalingam, Convenor, FOGDA, said since government doctors come to the profession in their 30s, their career span is just about 20 years. “That’s why the Centre introduced the Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) scheme for promotion opportunities in shorter intervals. Many states have implemented this but TN is yet to fully do it,” he said.

Dr Ramalingam said that the doctors held multiple protests for the past few years including hunger strikes and fasting to death but the issue has not been sorted out. “The government later told us that they would give us allowances but an allowance is secondary and pay hike is primary. It must be sorted,” he said.

Doctors said that both the state and central government doctors join the profession after MBBS with the same base salary of 56,100. However, as per the 7th pay commission, after completion of 13 years, a central government doctor earns Rs 1,23,000 while a state government doctor earns Rs 86,000.

They said that because of the lack of implementation of the government order, the state's doctors end up earning at least Rs 40,000 less than the Centre’s.

Gang murders Muthupettai Panchayat Union ward member

Gang murders Muthupettai Panchayat Union ward member

According to sources, Rajesh of Manalmedu was elected as an independent from Ward 11 in the elections held in 2020.

Published: 23rd February 2021 03:19 AM 

By Express News Service

TIRUVARUR: A gang on Monday murdered Muthupettai Panchayat Union ward member R Rajesh (38) and reportedly severed his head, creating panic in the town. The murder is said to be a follow-up of another murder which took place in 2015 in which Rajesh was an accused.

According to sources, Rajesh of Manalmedu was elected as an independent from Ward 11 in the elections held in 2020. He later joined the AIADMK.On Monday, a gang which came by a car hit Rajesh while he was riding a two-wheeler from Kovilur to Alangadu through East Coast Road. Rajesh, who fell off the bike, got up and broke into a run. The gang gave him a chase and hacked him to death. The members then severed his head, wrapped it up in a lungi and left on a two-wheeler. However, when the bike rode over a speed-breaker in Azad Nagar, the head reportedly fell on the road.

People who were around panicked and ran helter-skelter, even as the gang sped away. Police retrieved the head, the body and also a revolver from the site. Preliminary inquiry revealed that Rajesh reportedly tore a banner of a particular community association in 2014. Following this, members from the association reportedly attacked his supporters. In a bid to avenge his death, Rajesh’s gang murdered Madan in 2015.

College loses recognition; student seeks compensation

College loses recognition; student seeks compensation

The petitioner sought the court to appoint an agency to probe into the institution in adopting gullible methods in collecting money.

Published: 23rd February 2021 03:21 AM 

Madras High Court (File photo | EPS)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: A student has moved the Madras High Court, claiming he was cheated by the Maritime College in Cuddalore, run by the trust headed by Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president KS Alagiri. The college lost its recognition in 2020 from the Director-General of Shipping and the students have sought 50 per cent of the fees that have already been paid.

A Hariharasudhan, the petitioner stated that as the college lost its recognition, 80 students are now facing difficulties despite paying a sum of `1.4 crores as fees.The petitioner also stated that despite a notification that all the students will be compensated for at least 50 per cent of fees that will be refunded, the college challenge the notification.

The petitioner sought the court to appoint an agency to probe into the institution in adopting gullible methods in collecting money. The court adjourned the plea till the next few days.