Govt restricts staff at the Secretariat

Govt restricts staff at the Secretariat

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:27.05.2021

TOI Chennai Edition 

Chief secretary V Irai Anbu has directed the secretaries of the essential service departments to avail only necessary staff in Secretariat.

The chief secretary said the government staff with co-morbidities, pregnant women and lactating mothers should be exempted from duty. “Appropriate measures must be followed to prevent the transmission of Covid-19,” the top bureaucrat said in an order.

The state government has allowed only the essential departments in Secretariat and in districts to function during the week-long total lockdown period ending May 31.

In a statement, Tamil Nadu Secretariat Association S Peter Anthonysamy thanked the chief secretary for accepting the request of the association.

NMC wants 50% PG, MBBS seats’ fee fixed

NMC wants 50% PG, MBBS seats’ fee fixed

Wants To End Capitation Fee In Med Colleges

Yogita.Rao@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:27.05.2021

Almost two years after the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act was passed, the commission has released draft guidelines on fixing fees in private and deemed medical colleges across the country. Once these norms are passed, fees for 50% MBBS and postgraduate medical seats in these colleges will be regulated.

The commission has listed more than 25 guidelines, ranging from not charging exorbitant sums as security deposits to not including all hospital expenses while computing the cost for providing medical education. It has disallowed capitation fees in any form and said colleges must adhere to the ‘not-forprofit’ model.

Parents say once implemented, the rules will bring relief to thousands of meritorious students who cannot pursue medical education in private and deemed colleges due to the steep fees.

DRAFT GUIDELINES ON NMC FEE

Fees in new colleges should be decided on ad-hoc basis

In Maharashtra, private colleges charge up to ₹16 lakh per annum and deemed colleges charge up to ₹25 lakh per annum as fees.

A health ministry official said: “It is already two years now, and we hope these draft regulations are implemented before the next academic session begins. It will bring relief to meritorious students who are unable to pursue these courses from private institutions.”

The guidelines state that only operating cost should be primarily considered to determine fees. “The fees can be fixed for a block of three years or on a year-toyear basis and should remain the same for the entire duration of study, subject to inflation adjustment,” the draft said. Fees in newly established colleges should be decided on an ad-hoc basis, based on the fee structure of a recently established college in the state. “Since the expenditure in the Covid-19 pandemic year will not depict the true picture — as hostel and mess expenses dropped, and expenses in hospitals and doctors’ allowances and salaries went up — the state fee regulatory body can consider the average financial result of the previous three years,” said the statement.

The expert group has recommended linking the development fee of 6-15% of the operating cost to the performance of the college in a rating system, which is in the pipeline. The amount of security deposits should not be considered for calculating fees and interest on the deposits may be deducted from the operating costs, it said.

Full report on www.toi.in

'மீட்டர் ரீடிங்' நீடிக்கும் குழப்பம்; தெளிவுபடுத்துமா மின் வாரியம்?

'மீட்டர் ரீடிங்' நீடிக்கும் குழப்பம்; தெளிவுபடுத்துமா மின் வாரியம்?

Updated : மே 26, 2021 07:15 | Added : மே 26, 2021 07:14

சென்னை : ஊரடங்கு காலத்தில் வீடுகளில் மின் பயன்பாட்டை கணக்கெடுப்பது தொடர்பாக நிலவும் குழப்பத்தை மின் வாரியம் எளிய முறையில் தெளிவுபடுத்துமா என்ற எதிர்பார்ப்பு நுகர்வோரிடம் எழுந்துள்ளது.

தமிழக மின் வாரிய ஊழியர்கள் இரு மாதங்களுக்கு ஒரு முறை வீடுகளில் மின் பயன்பாட்டை கணக்கெடுக்கின்றனர். குறித்த காலத்தில் கணக்கெடுக்காமல் தாமதமாக எடுத்தால் மின் பயன்பாடு அதிகரித்து அதற்கு ஏற்ப கூடுதல் கட்டணம் வரும். தொற்று பரவலை கட்டுப்படுத்த முழு ஊரடங்கு அமல்படுத்தப்பட்டதால் ஊழியர்கள் மின் பயன்பாடு கணக்கெடுக்க செல்லவில்லை.

இதனால் 'மே 10ம் தேதி முதல் 24ம் தேதி வரையிலான காலத்தில் தாழ்வழுத்த நுகர்வோர் 2019 மே மாத கட்டணத்தை செலுத்தலாம். புதிய நுகர்வோர் மே மாதத்திற்கு முந்தைய கணக்கீட்டின்படி மார்ச்சில் செலுத்திய கட்டணத்தை செலுத்தலாம்' என மின் வாரியம் மே 11ம் தேதி தெரிவித்தது. இந்த இரண்டு முறையிலும் கணக்கெடுத்தால் அதிக கட்டணம் வருவதாக புகார்கள் எழுந்தன.

இதையடுத்து ஊரடங்கு காலத்தில் நுகர்வோரே தங்களே மீட்டரில் பதிவாகியுள்ள மின் பயன்பாட்டை கணக்கெடுத்து எஸ்.எம்.எஸ். -'வாட்ஸ் ஆப்' மற்றும் மின்னஞ்சலில் பிரிவு அலுவலக உதவி பொறியாளருக்கு அனுப்ப அனுமதிக்கலாம். அதன் வழியே செலுத்த வேண்டிய கட்டண விபரம் அனுப்பப்படும்.பொறியாளர்களின் அலைபேசி எண்கள் www.tangedco.gov.in என்ற இணையதளத்தில் உள்ளதாக மின் வாரியம் 20ம் தேதி மாவட்ட மேற்பார்வை பொறியாளர்களுக்கு சுற்றறிக்கை அனுப்பியது.

இந்த விபரம் பொதுமக்களுக்கு அதிகாரப்பூர்வமாக தெரிவிக்கப்படவில்லை. ஆனால் சுற்றறிக்கை விபரம் ஊடகங்கள் வாயிலாக வெளியாயின. தற்போது பல நுகர்வோருக்கு 2019 மே கட்டணத்தை செலுத்தக்கோரி எஸ்.எம்.எஸ். அனுப்பப்பட்டு வருகிறது. அந்த கட்டணம் அதிகம் இருப்பதாக நுகர்வோர்கள் கருதுகின்றனர். மீட்டர் 'டிஸ்பிளேயில்' பார்க்கும் போது வரிசையாக எண்கள் மாறுபடும். அதில் தேதி நேரத்திற்கு பின் சில எண்களுடன் கே.டபிள்யூ.எச். என்று வரும். அந்த எண் தான் மின் பயன்பாடு அளவு. அதை கணக்கெடுக்க பலருக்கு தெரியவில்லை.

அனைவராலும் இணையதளத்தை பார்த்து தங்கள் பகுதி பொறியாளர்களின் அலைபேசி எண்ணை தெரிந்து கொள்ள முடியவில்லை. அலைபேசி கண்டுபிடித்து எஸ்.எம்.எஸ். வாட்ஸ் ஆப் அனுப்பினால் பதில் கிடைப்பதில்லை. இதனால் எந்த மின் கட்டணத்தை செலுத்துவது மின் பயன்பாட்டை கணக்கெடுத்து யாருக்கு அனுப்புவது என 'மீட்டர் ரீடிங்' தொடர்பாக நுகர்வோரிடம் பல குழப்பங்கள் நிலவுகின்றன.

For ₹18,000, man flies solo to UAE on 360-seat plane

For ₹18,000, man flies solo to UAE on 360-seat plane

Manju.V@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:26.05.2021 

Implausible though it may seem, but under certain unusual circumstances, a piddly sum of Rs 18,000 can transmogrify in value to fetch you a 360-seater Boeing 777 aircraft for an exclusive two-and-a-half-hour flight. Ask Bhavesh Javeri, the 40-year old who flew as the lone passenger onboard Emirates flight from Mumbai to Dubai on May 19.

“I stepped into the aircraft and the airhostesses all clapped to welcome me aboard,” said Javeri, CEO of Stargems Group, speaking to TOI from his Dubai office about his “money can’t buy experience”. Javeri, a frequent flyer, has boarded over 240 flights between Mumbai and Dubai in the past two decades, but this is the first time that he recorded a clip while boarding a flight.

“I have flown so much, but this is the best flight ever,” he told the air hostesses as he walked in. The commander waved at him from the cockpit. An air hostess quipped: “I thought you would be scared to travel alone”.

The commander then came over from the cockpit to join in the conversation. “Should I give you a tour of the entire plane,” he joked. The novelty didn’t wear off after he buckled into seat 18A (18 is my lucky number, I asked for that seat, he said). It kept on coming through the flight in the form of the familiar inflight public address, delivered with a personal touch. “Mr Javeri, please fasten your seat belt”... “Mr Javeri, we are preparing to land”. “After we landed, I walked out leisurely and picked up my bag, the only one lying next to a conveyor belt,” said Javeri, a Dubai resident for the past 20 years.

Emirates did not respond to a query sent by TOI.

Before Delhi upstaged it, Mumbai-Dubai was the busiest international routes out of India. So why did the airline have a 180-odd tonne Boeing 777, world’s largest twin-engine jet, burn about 17 tonnes of fuel worth Rs 8 lakh to fly a lone economy-class passenger on this two-and-a- half- hour long much popular route?

Under the current travel restrictions put in place by UAE, only UAE nationals, holders of Golden visa and members of diplomatic mission can fly from India to UAE. Javeri, a Golden visa holder, bought an economy class ticket, a week in advance as it had suspended regular flights.

I stepped into the aircraft and all the airhostesses clapped to welcome me aboard. The commander then came over from the cockpit and joked: ‘Should I give you a tour of the entire plane?’ I have flown so much but this is the best flight ever

BHAVESH JAVERI

Lone passenger on EK501

Studying vax requests from states very carefully: Russia

Studying vax requests from states very carefully: Russia

New Delhi:26.05.2021

Russia is getting requests from Indian states and companies for the supply of Sputnik V vaccines, said Russian deputy envoy Roman Babushkin, adding that “all proposals” are being studied “very carefully”.

Speaking to reporters, the deputy envoy said that supplies of Sputnik V, the world’s first registered vaccine against coronavirus, are going on according to the “contract obligations and schedules”. “Supplies of Sputnik V are going on according to the contract obligations and schedules. We are getting some more requests from other Indian companies and state governments and all proposals are being studied very carefully,” he added.

Sputnik V was registered in India under the emergency use authorisation procedure on April 12, and vaccination against coronavirus with the Russian vaccine started on May 14.

India has so far received two consignments of the Covid-19 vaccines. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Panacea Biotec, one of the leading pharmaceutical producers in India, on Monday launched the production of the Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine.

Highlighting the Sputnik V progress, Roman said, “Sputnik V is one of the vaccines which is included in the Indian mass vaccination drive and it speaks for itself. The preliminary schedule is to reach 850 million doses in India per year. We know there is interest from other business partners and even state governments, all these proposals we are studying very carefully.” ANI

Times View: It makes little sense for different states to be engaging with different manufacturers in different countries to buy vaccines. With the manufacturers themselves refusing to deal with them individually in several cases, the plan, whatever it was, doesn’t seem to be working. The Centre should aggregate the needs of different states and present them as a single list to manufacturers abroad. Otherwise, the process will further get delayed to the detriment of the common people.

Health staff taking Covaxin after two doses of Covishield

Health staff taking Covaxin after two doses of Covishield

Sunitha.Rao@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:26.05.2021 

Many healthcare workers who have already received two doses of Covishield are now taking a shot of Covaxin and are using a different telephone number and ID to register for the third jab.

Some doctors justified the behaviour saying: “These people work in areas where the viral load is high. They didn’t have a choice when the vaccines were rolled out but now there is better understanding of the two vaccines. What is wrong if a healthcare worker takes another shot?”

When the vaccination drive was rolled out for healthcare workers in January, employees in only six government institutions in Karnataka were administered Covaxin, while the rest were given Covishield.

Stray incidents of doctors dying even after receiving two doses may be another reason to seek a booster dose, said a doctor. “Also, many healthcare workers have taken antibody tests 28 days after two doses of Covishield. In some cases, the results were negative. These healthcare workers are now keen on taking Covaxin,” doctors said.

Denying others

Dr MK Sudarshan, chairperson, Covid Technical Advisory Committee, said he is aware of the trend and while he believed they were acting out of fear and seeking better protection, he admitted they were denying others of immunity. “Covaxin is based on whole inactivated [killed] virus, which is expected to provide better immune response as all antigens are likely to be present,” Dr Sudarshan said. “But, by seeking over protection for themselves amid a shortage of vaccine, they are robbing those in need of the vaccine of an opportunity to gain protection against the virus.”

A member of the Covid expert committee called the trend “unhealthy”. “This should not lead to confusion among the general public who have taken Covishield,” the expert said.

Staff in Bengaluru hospitals suggest there are enough doses to go around since not all taking the shot are concerned about certificates. “Moreover, since the manufacturer factors in spillage, all vials come with an additional dose [11th dose]. If used carefully, the 11th dose can be made available and it would go unrecorded. It’s a loophole which some are seeking to exploit,” sources said.

Not Karnataka alone

The trend is not limited to Karnataka alone. Dr T Jacob John, top virologist from Tamil Nadu, said he had heard of such incidents in that state. “I was asked by some doctors if there were any risks. I said I can’t make any recommendations or approve what they were doing,” said Dr John.

But Dr John said interchanging vaccines is scientifically fine. “There is nothing called over-immunisation. Two doses of Covishield and one dose of Covaxin would help them feel emotionally good,” he said.

Empirical evidence

Dr Sudarshan said interchanging doses was tried (with one dose each) in France, Spain and Germany with vaccines like AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna. “In India there are no guidelines and no evidence. However, there is empirical evidence from our experience with anti-rabies vaccines,” said Dr Sudarshan.

However, Dr Sudarshan said exceptions can be made for those who suffer anaphylaxis reaction after the first dose. Other experts agreed, citing the example of a dental student who suffered an adverse event following immunization. “She was given Covishield. She is a fit case for giving two doses of Covaxin now,” said doctors dealing with the case.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE: Health workers transport vaccine does and syringes from a hospital in Bengaluru on Tuesday

From today, social media firms lose legal protection over third-party content

From today, social media firms lose legal protection over third-party content

Pankaj.Doval@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:26.05.2021

Large socialmedia companies such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp lose legal protection for the user content posted on their platforms from today (Wednesday), and stand answerable to Indian civil and criminal laws just like any other ordinary citizen or local entity.

Till yesterday (Tuesday), they enjoyed immunity when it came to the content posted by any third-party user on their platforms.

The only obligation on them was to take down any illegal content that they noticed on their own, or when it was highlighted to them by the state, or the courts, or any responsible/aggrieved party.

Now it’s a civil and criminal liability on them for any illegal post. The companies, clearly unnerved by the new rules for large social-media intermediaries – that were announced on February 25 this year – may opt for a legal challenge to protect their officials as well as operations in India, in case the government does not grant an extension in implementation of the norms (they were given three months to prepare for the new regime).

“However, a constructive dialogue with the government still remains to be the first choice, and any decision to approach the courts comes in only later,” company officials told TOI, on condition of anonymity.

Full report on www.toi.in

‘Working to fall in line with new IT rules’

New Delhi:

As social media and internet companies enter a new regulatory regime in India, top players such as Facebook (that runs Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) and Google (Google, YouTube, Blogger.com) said they are taking steps to fall in line even while discussing the matter further with the government, reports Pankaj Doval. A spokesperson for Facebook said, “We aim to comply with the provisions of the IT rules and continue to discuss a few of the issues which need more engagement with the government. ”

Full report on www.toi.in