Varsities ditch black gowns, to go traditional

Varsities ditch black gowns, to go traditional

Sangamesh.Menasinakai@timesgroup.com

Hubballi:  18.04.2021 

The sea of black caps and gowns at convocation ceremonies is set to recede, with several universities opting for khadi and regional wear following a UGC directive and the governor’s order in November last year.

The Karnataka Folklore University (Haveri), Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University (Gadag) and the University of Horticultural Sciences (Bagalkot) have already incorporated local traditional attire in their convocation functions.

The University Grants Commission had issued a directive in 2019, asking universities to go traditional for special occasions and convocation ceremonies. “Using handloom garments would give a sense of pride of being Indian,” the commission said, seeking an “action-taken report” from universities. On November 9 last year, governor Vajubhai R Vala issued an order asking varsities to implement the UGC directive and submit action-taken reports.

KM Indiresh, vice-chancellor of the University of Horticultural Sciences, said graduates wore traditional clothes, mostly in white, for the convocation this year. “Black gowns and caps were worn by only guests and academic council members. However, we have decided to make white kurta and pyjama for men and sarees for women common for all from next year’s convocation, as per the governor’s order,” he said.

KB Gudasi, VC of Karnatak University, Dharwad, said wearing khadi once a week is already mandatory on campus. “We decided to make khadi attire compulsory from the next convocation and on special occasions,” he said.

The trend is expected to gain momentum once offline classes and campus activities resume. Following the outbreak of Covid-19, convocations have been low-key affairs or have gone virtual, leaving little opportunity for students to gather and celebrate their graduation.

Dr Sanjeev Kulkarni, a gynaecologist and president of Gandhi Peace Foundation Centre in Dharwad, said mandating khadi on special occasions is not enough. Kulkarni has made khadi mandatory twice a week at his Bal Balaga School for the past 25 years. “Professors and students should not think they are just following orders. Khadi economy is a sustainable one as it gives equal share to the grower, spinner and buyer. It will instil pride and promote selfsufficiency,” he said.

Man loses ₹90L to conmen who promise to ‘legalise’ his PhD

Man loses ₹90L to conmen who promise to ‘legalise’ his PhD

Santoshkumar.B@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:18.04.2021

A 36-year-old aerospace design engineer from T Dasarahalli lost over $1,20,000 (Rs 90 lakh) to a gang of cybercriminals, who promised to legalise his PhD degree obtained through distance education in 2015, when he was working with a private firm in Germany.

Sumanth (name changed) approached North CEN crime police on April 8, and filed a cheating and cybercrime case.

Sumanth said he completed his BE in aerospace design engineering and joined a private company in 2014. He was deployed to Germany and had been searching for study opportunities online or through distance education to utilise his free time.

“I found a PhD opportunity through online study from Must University, which claims to be based in the US. I enrolled there and completed the course in aerospace design by 2015. After completing two years of work in Germany, I returned to Bengaluru,” Sumanth said.

Sumanth said that he received a call from a stranger in 2018 and was informed that his PhD was not genuine as he got it from an unaided university. The caller said the PhD could be transferred to an aided university in the US to legitimise it. Sumanth ignored the call then.

“But in November 2019, I received a call from another number and this time the caller claimed he was from the US embassy office in Delhi. He threatened that I would be jailed if I don’t cancel my PhD or get it legalised,” Sumanth explained.

Sumanth said he agreed to cancel his PhD and paid $2,000 to a bank account provided by the stranger to cancel the degree. Within a few weeks, another stranger contacted him on phone and informed him that there was no provision to cancel his PhD and promised that he’d help Sumanth transfer his PhD to an aided university and get a legal degree. The fraudsters sent fake acceptance letters in the name of California State University.

Sumanth said the strangers posed as police and attorneys from the US. “They threatened me saying I have to follow their instructions or face legal consequences. I was scared and paid more than $1,20,000 to the callers in multiple transactions. They promised me that the money would be reimbursed once all procedures were completed,” he added.

Sumanth suspected something foul as the miscreants started demanding more money in the name of various charges and discussed the developments with his friend. He approached CEN crime police based on a suggestion from his friend and learnt that he had been cheated.

The aerospace design engineer had done PhD through distance mode in 2015. He got a call from a stranger in 2018 who said his PhD was not genuine but could be legitimised. He received another call in 2019, with the caller threatening Sumanth would be jailed if he didn’t cancel the PhD or get it legalised

Girl says she was denied entry to exam hall for wearing headscarf

SULLIA LAW COLLEGE

Girl says she was denied entry to exam hall for wearing headscarf

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mangaluru:  18.04.2021 

An uneasy calm prevailed at KVG Law College in Sullia, Dakshina Kannada, on Saturday after a student was allegedly not allowed to appear for an examination while wearing a headscarf.

Sabna, a first-year law student, demanded that she be allowed to write the examination while wearing a headscarf. She urged the authorities to allow her to do so after conducting a thorough check, if necessary. Her parents, along with leaders from the Campus Front of India (CFI), discussed the issue with the principal. Later, the student blamed the college for not allowing her to write the exam.

Mohammed Sadik, state president, CFI, said initially the principal refused and the girl couldn’t appear for two exams. “We arranged a protest and the media was also informed, after which the principal said she can wear a headscarf. The college was not strict with the rules, ever since classes began about three months ago, he said.

Udaya Krishna, principal, said students have to wear uniform, and at the time of admission, they also sign an undertaking that they will follow the dress code. This year, due to the pandemic, and since classes resumed only after January, the dress code rules were not implemented strictly.

“On Friday, three students came to my chamber, seeking permission to wear their headscarf. Two of them agreed to write without headscarf, but one girl refused to do so. On Saturday, despite asking her to take the hall ticket and write the exam, she walked out along with her parents, and is now blaming the college of denying permission to appear for the exam,” he said.

Despite asking her to appear for the exam, she walked out, and is now blaming the college, the principal said

Man, 63, dies after avoiding hospital

Man, 63, dies after avoiding hospital

Sunitha.Rao@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:  18.04.2021 

A 63-year-old man who ignored the advice of getting admitted to a hospital after testing positive died at his home five days later. The man, from Taralu village in Bangalore Urban district, did not tell his family members that he had Covid-19 and switched off his phone. They learned about it while checking the phone following his demise on April 16.

Relatives believe he hid his health status as he feared hospitalisation costs and social stigma. The senior citizen worked as an attender at a club near Jayanagar. He developed acute fatigue and got admitted to Sevakshetra Hospital on April 9. A test revealed on April 11 that he had contracted the coronavirus infection. The hospital, which didn’t treat Covid-19 patients at the time, advised him to seek treatment at another facility and discharged him. But instead of visiting another hospital, the man went home, where he died on April

16. The last rites were performed as per Covid-19 safety protocols after a mediaperson coordinated with the health department.

“We found out that he had Covid-19 only after his death. We accessed his phone and saw the message. The hospital that discharged him should have alerted government authorities,” a relative said.

According to information on the Covid hospital bed management system, the 63-year-old was allotted a bed at Oxford Medical College on April 15. A medical officer at the Bolare primary health centre, which covers Taralu village, said the man refused to get hospitalised even after his condition worsened. “Health and ASHA workers visited his house multiple times and explained to him that he required hospitalisation. A gram panchayat member also tried to persuade him, but to no avail,” the medical officer said.

Dr Ranganath Nayak, medical director, Sevakshetra Hospital, told STOI that doctors had clearly explained everything to the man. “When he was discharged on April 11, we didn’t have a Covid ward. We are a charitable hospital, mostly with geriatric patients. We could not have accommodated a Covid-19 patient then and we told him the same. He refused to understand the gravity of the situation,” said Dr Nayak. The hospital started admitting Covid-19 cases three days ago.

Patient refused admission when ASHA workers visited his house. What more can health dept do if patients and their families do not cooperate?

Dr Srinivas Gulur | HEALTH OFFICER, BENGALURU URBAN

2 Guj docs return to duty hours after cremating moms

2 Guj docs return to duty hours after cremating moms

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Vadodara:18.04.2021

Within a few hours of the demise of their mothers, two Gujarat doctors returned to the business of saving lives. One of them said her mother had said there was no greater duty they could perform.

At 3.30 am on Thursday morning, her mother passed away in the Covid ICU after a week’s battle with the virus. Six hours later, Dr Shilpa Patel, an associate professor with the anatomy department at the state-run SSG Hospital, was back in the saddle trying to save lives.

After carrying out the last rites of her 77-year-old mother, Kanta Ambalal Patel, Dr Patel diligently donned her PPE suit once again, staying true to her mother’s words: duty before everything else. Dr Rahul Parmar, too, lost his mother, Kanta Parmar  (67), who passed away from age-related issues in Gandhinagar on Thursday.

But Parmar, who as nodal officer for Covid management and part of the dead body disposal team at central Gujarat’s biggest hospital, finished the cremation rituals and rushed back to join duty on Friday. “It was a natural death. I finished the cremation rituals with my family and returned to Vadodara,” said Parmar, who is with Preventive and Social Medicine Department at SSG.

The officer on special duty for Covid-19 in Vadodara, Dr Vinod Rao, said the Covid warriors displayed great personal commitment and devotion to duty.

Covid patient dies within 8 hrs of admission

Covid patient dies within 8 hrs of admission

FAMILY ALLEGES DELAYED TREATMENT, MISMANAGED ADMISSION

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:18.04.2021 

Maninagar resident, Rupal Thakkar, lost her battle to Covid within eight hours of being admitted to Shalby Hospital in Prahladnagar. Battling uneasiness and severe weakness at home, Rupal inquired for admission at the hospital on Friday and got confirmation, following which she went all by herself to the hospital. Her family was shocked to learn about her death in the wee hours of Saturday and alleged a mismanaged admission process and inadequate infrastructure.

“The hospital confirmed a room and bed for her. But when she reported at the emergency ward around 7pm on Friday, she was denied admission citing ‘there was no relative accompanying her’,” said Dipan Thakkar, Rupal’s brother.

Around 9pm, she was finally on oxygen support through Bipap. “The hospital didn’t have an ICU bed, so we decided to shift her next morning,” Dipan added. Around 3.30am, he learnt from the hospital that Rupal’s oxygen levels had dipped critically. “Despite repeated attempts, we couldn’t find a single ambulance. By 5am, I leanrt that she has a cardiac problem and within 30 minutes, she was no more,” said Dipan.

The family was left devastated but their ordeal didn’t end yet. “On Saturday morning, the hospital asked us to obtain death certificate from Rupal’s physician. After repeated arguments, they asked for an NOC from the police station. Finally we got a certificate around1pm and initiated process for last rites,” her brother said.

Later, when they went to collect her belongings, the family alleged that Rupal’s ATM card and Rs 5,000 in cash were missing.

Sunil Mehta, general manager of Shalby Hospital, said the patient was critical when she arrived. “She did not have any relative with her that can complete the formalities. The hospital howeverstarted treatment,” he said. Talking about the postdemise procedure, Mehta said that the hospital followed the protocol. He added that Thakkar did not have the said ATM or cash on her.

Is a heart attack and cardiac arrest the same?

Is a heart attack and cardiac arrest the same?

Heart attack

Symptoms of a heart attack may be immediate with sudden and intense chest pain. But just as often, symptoms like tiredness start slowly and can persist for hours, days or weeks before an attack.

A heart attack is caused by the blockage of a coronary artery, so blood can’t reach a section of the heart muscle. If the blocked artery isn’t reopened quickly, the heart muscle begins to die. The longer a person goes without treatment, the greater the damage.

Cardiac arrest

A cardiac arrest is triggered by an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). It usually occurs suddenly. The heart can’t pump blood to the brain and other organs, causing loss of pulse and consciousness. If untreated, death will occur within minutes.

— DAILY MIRROR