College, varsity staff to visit campus once in three days

College, varsity staff to visit campus once in three days

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:19.04.2021

Colleges and universities in Gujarat have now decided to call faculty and other staff members once every three days to campus for office work.

On other days they can switch to work from home, said a Gujarat University official aware of the development.

The state government had recently directed all colleges and universities to work with 50% staff on campus due to the worsening Covid-19 situation in the state.

“Many colleges in the state decided to call half the staff on alternate days with the other half working from home,” the official said.

He added, “This has however raised concerns about the people being infected with Covid-19 as many employees would be asymptomatic and it would take a couple of days to know that they are Covid positive.”

The risk of spreading Covid-19 is higher if employees are to visit workplace every alternate day as compared to calling them once in three days, said the official.

It is for states to decide on lockdown: Shah

It is for states to decide on lockdown: Shah

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

19.04.2021

Amit Shah added, “The speed at which the virus isspreading today iscertainly problematic but I have full faith that we will win the second fight against the pandemic.” He also highlighted that most of the worst affected states were those which had large diaspora populations. “Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala, Delhi... it is these states which have a larger international travel,” he said.

On the possibility of a lockdown, Shah said it was for states to decide. “For the last three months,we have allowed states to impose restrictionsas per their analysis. Every state is fighting a different battle. Evaluation will have to be done by state governments, and they have the right to impose restrictions. It is up to states to decide what needs to be done to curb the spread. If the situation is normal in Assam even after the elections, what is the need to impose lockdown there?” he said.

When asked about political parties carrying on with their campaign amid surging infections, the minister said the issue fell within the jurisdiction of the Election Commission. “The EC spoke with all parties, and it was decided to reduce campaigning by one day andtofinishtheday’scampaign by 7 pm. Political parties were urged to provide masks and sanitisers at rallies and my party has,starting withthe PM’s rally on April 17, provided5croremasks.Butwhatisto be done about an election which is under way can only be decided by the EC,” he said.

Shah was bullish about BJP’s prospects in the Bengal polls and said the party’s strong performancein the2019 Lok Sabha elections had dispelled people’s doubts about its electoral viability and it was set to win more than 200 seats. “I have enough experience of participating in elections. I can guarantee you that BJP will form the government with more than 200 seats,” he said.

On the Sitalkuchi incident, he repeated his allegation that West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee first engineered the incident by inciting people to gherao paramilitary personneland then tried to exploit the deaths of those who were killed in the firing that ensued.

Full report on www.toi.in

CASTING A SPELL: Union home minister Amit Shah at a rally in East Bardhaman in West Bengal on Sunday

JEE(M) deferred, fresh dates 15 days before test

JEE(M) deferred, fresh dates 15 days before test

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:19.04.2021 

Ending the uncertainty for over 6.7 lakh aspirants, education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal on Sunday announced postponement of the JEE-Main exam scheduled to be held from April 27-30 in view of the Covid-19 situation.

“Given the current Covid-19 situation, I have advised the DG of National Testing Agency to postpone the JEE (Main) April session. I would like to reiterate that safety of our students and their academic career are the prime concerns right now,” Pokhriyal tweeted.

The NTA order said, “Looking at the present situation of Covid-19 pandemic and also taking into account the safety and well-being of candidates and examination functionaries, it has been decided to postpone JEE (Main) April session. The revised dates will be announced later and at least 15 days before the examination.”

Candidates and parents had been demanding postponement of the exam due to the surge in Covid-19 cases. Starting this year, the exam will be conducted four times annually to offer flexibility to students and a chance to improve their score.

The first phase was conducted in February, followed by the second phase in March. The next phases were scheduled in April and May.

No. of fatty liver cases up since lockdown was induced: Docs

WORLD LIVER DAY

No. of fatty liver cases up since lockdown was induced: Docs

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:19.04.2021

Lockdown-induced lifestyle changes and unchecked intake of antibiotics and vitamin tablets can lead to fatty liver, and there is a necessity to spread awareness about issues in the ‘new normal’, say doctors on the eve of World liver day (April 19).

Fatty liver is the accumulation of fat in the liver, which if left unattended can even lead to liver cirrhosis, causing liver failure.

Dr Joy Varghese, director of hepatology and transplant hepatology at Gleneagles Global Health City, said, in the past year, there has been a considerable increase in patients doing master health check-ups finding they have a fatty liver. “About 2-3 years ago, 30% of our patients were diagnosed with fatty liver. In the past year, 90% were diagnosed with fatty liver,” Dr Joy Varghese said.

Doctors said it is reflective of the sedentary lifestyle of a major chunk of the population since March last year, either due to movement restrictions. “It is basically a lifestyle disease. People should watch what they eat and should not eat the same way they ate before lockdown, excessive calorie diet should be avoided,” said Dr Joy Varghese. Another aspect public should be mindful of is consumption of multivitamin tablets without medical advice, as an overdose of such tablets can also lead to fatty liver.

Schedules of over 1,000 night buses to change

TRAVEL CURBS

Schedules of over 1,000 night buses to change

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:19.04.2021

With the new travel restrictions, the state transport department is likely to alter services of roughly 1,000 long-distance buses. Most of these buses, run after 7pm, will be operated in the mornings. With hotter days ahead, day-time travel for 300km or more in buses will be difficult and uncomfortable, say operators.

State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) will also be facing logistical issues while running such services in the morning as the bus crews ending trips by 10 pm will not be able to find a bus or other options to get back home. Government transport employees are not sure about the rationality behind allowing only trains in the night.

Similarly, private bus operators too are confused about how they can reschedule their services. Of the 4,000 omni buses, more than 90% are operated in the night hours from Chennai to southern and western parts of the state.

Bus operators claim that the industry, with over two lakh employees, was already struggling to handle the ₹480 crore loss incurred during the restrictions imposed during Covid-19 first wave.

“Future looks very bleak now. Most passengers will cancel trips if we were to travel only in the morning hours,” said Karvendan, a private omni bus proprietor.

Besides buses, taxi operators too are worried since the new restrictions will push them deeper in debt.

K Anbalagan from TN Taxi Drivers Association said, “We managed start getting 10 or 12 bookings a day only now. A majority of them were trips to the city’s outskirts post 8pm and only such bookings bring us profit. If not for them, earning even ₹400 or ₹500 a day becomes difficult”.

TN imposes night curfew, Sunday lockdown, puts off Class XII exam

TN imposes night curfew, Sunday lockdown, puts off Class XII exam

Curbs From April 20 Till Further Orders

D.Govardan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:19.04.2021

With the second Covid-19 wave causing record infections, the Tamil Nadu government on Sunday announced fresh restrictions, including night curfew and Sunday lockdowns, across the state from April  20.

While the Class 12 state board exams have been postponed indefinitely, practical exams will be held as per schedule. Colleges and universities will continue to hold online classes and examinations. Summer education camps are banned.

The new set of restrictions would be in force until further orders, said a statement issued after a review meeting with senior officials by chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami at his camp office in the city. The CM directed the state industries department to issue temporary licences to TN firms planning to produce oxygen.

The new norms will be in addition to the general Covid-19 restrictions already in force in the state till the end of the month. The Sunday lockdown will not cover May 2 which is the date fixed by the Election Commission of India for counting of votes for the assembly election held on April 6. During night curfew, which will be in force from 10pm to 4am, public and private transport services, autos and cabs and movement of private vehicles will not be permitted

.

35% of TN’s 70k active cases from Chennai

Tamil Nadu’s active case count crossed the 70,000-mark on Sunday with the state adding10,723 new infections to its Covid tally. The 42 new deaths pushed the toll to13,113, the third highest in the country. Hotspot Chennai accounted for 35% of TN’s active cases. The city added 3,304 new cases on Sunday. Amid complaints of vaccine shortage, health minister C Vijayabaskar said TN had 8.8 lakh doses as of Sunday morning. Vaccinations took a steep fall on Sunday with just 25,670 people getting their shots compared to more than one lakh on Saturday. P 2

Curbs as active cases up by 50,000 in 20 days

Inter-state and intra-state movement of public and private vehicles will not be allowed. The latest restrictions have been imposed due to the laxity shown by the people in wearing masks and maintaining social distancing norms, that has resulted in active infections increasing to 65,635 on April 17 against 13,070 on March 28 in the state, the release said.

Movement of vehicles for medical emergencies, plying of autos and cabs destined to reach airports and railway stations as well as private transport will be permitted during night curfew. Movement of essential services including milk distribution and newspaper vendors, hospitals, labs, pharmacies, ambulances, commercial goods carriers as well as petroleum and LPG tankers will be allowed. Fuel outlets can remain open throughout the night. Continuous process industries and those manufacturing essential goods will be allowed to function during night curfew.

As for the Sunday curfew, meat shops, fish markets, vegetable shops, cinema theatres, malls and all commercial shops will remain closed. All essential services will be available.

On Sundays, restaurants will be permitted to offer only takeaways and food delivery platforms can function between 6am – 10am, 12-3pm and 6-9pm. Movement of other online platforms deliveries will not be permitted on Sundays.

Weddings, funerals are allowed on Sundays as long as they have a maximum 100 attendees and 50 attendees.

All tourist spots will be outof-bounds the public from April 20. Software and IT companies should ask at least 50% of employees to work from home. All retail outlets, restaurants can work at 50% capacity up to 9pm.

Temples already permitted to conduct festivals and consecrations can go ahead with maximum of 50 people.

Hospitals with required infrastructure can align with hotels to operate Covid care centres. Other guests cannot stay in those hotels.

HC dismisses MKU plea over contract issue

HC dismisses MKU plea over contract issue

K.Kaushik@timesgroup.com

Madurai:19.04.2021

The Madras high court has dismissed the plea moved by Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) challenging the order passed by Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council seeking its explanation about the amount pending disbursal to a private company.

Justice V Parthiban said a writ court is not a proper forum to settle a dispute of this nature involving interpretation of contractual terms and agreement and adjudication of the rival claims.

MKU had in 2014 entered into an agreement with Coimbatore-based Set Infotect for creation of an e-learning portal and development of digital content for the directorate of distance education. On completion of the project stage-wise, the company forwarded the bills which were settled by the university.

In December 2020, the company issued a legal notice alleging non-payment of bills to the tune of ₹5.35 crore and also non-refund of earnest money deposit amount of ₹15 lakh. The university sent a detailed reply to the notice in January 2021. Pressing its claim, the company moved the MSEF council for adjudication of the dispute.