Govt offices to function with 100% officers from June 1

Govt offices to function with 100% officers from June 1

Bhopal:31.05.2021 

The Madhya Pradesh government under its plan for graded or phase-wise unlocking of the 'Corona Curfew' restrictions, has announced offices to function with made 100% officers and 50% employees from June1.

After the surge in Covid-19 cases in April, the state had restricted the presence of employees in government offices to 10%. According to state government release the new order will be in force till June 15. All officials and employees must follow the Covid-19 guidelines, the release said on Sunday. “The government offices, except those engaged in essential services, will be opened and operated with all100% officers and 50% (other) employees from June 1,” the order said. TNN

Rise in post-Covid stroke & heart attack cases: Docs

Rise in post-Covid stroke & heart attack cases: Docs

Sumitra.DebRoy@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:31.05.2021 

A mild bout of Covid-19 took a drastic turn for a 36-year-old Kamothe resident who suffered from a brain stroke and is now battling paralysis. Chandrashekar Reddy, father of two and the family’s main breadwinner, is barely able to sit up now after over a month. Doctors say a complete recovery could take more than six months, a second brain surgery and intensive physiotherapy.

Reddy’s case, however, is not rare. Doctors have increasingly been seeing cases of stroke and heart attacks in patients who are recuperating or have recovered from Covid. In the second wave, doctors are particularly seeing a delayed presentation of these complications — sometimes up to 2 months after the patient has been discharged from hospital. Worryingly, neurologists say the high incidence of stroke is also seen in patients battling mucormycosis, the invasive fungal disease.

The state Covid taskforce has also asked doctors to focus on post-Covid cerebrovascular complications.

Dr Viswanathan Iyer, a brain and spine surgeon who operated on Reddy, said it was his fourth such surgery since the end of April. In Reddy’s case, he had to perform a decompression surgery since there was a large clot on the right side of the brain. The surgery is done to remove the bone and give space to accommodate brain swelling. “The systemic inflammation sends the body in some kind of hypercoagulable state, where the blood thickens, making the patient prone to suffer from a stroke,” he said.

At KEM Hospital, neurologist Dr Nitin Dange said they have seen over 20 cases of strokes, heart attacks and aggravation of deep vein thrombosis in patients who have recovered from Covid.

In the second wave, doctors are seeing a delayed presentation of complications — sometimes up to 2 months after the patient has been discharged from hospital

Gold recovered from burglar’s stomach

Gold recovered from burglar’s stomach

Mangaluru:31.05.2021 

Dakshina Kannada district police have arrested two burglars and seized 182 grams of gold, including 35 grams of jewellery which was swallowed by one of them.

Tangacha, 50, resident of Kannur district in, Kerala and Shibu, from Thrissur had broken into Mohan Jewellery, in Sullia, on April 1 and decamped with 180 grams of gold valued at Rs 7.5 lakh and Rs 50,000.

The duo was arrested on Saturday and gold worth Rs 6.6 lakh was seized. Tangacha was sent to judicial custody. Hours after the arrest, Shibu complained of abdominal pain. A radiography report revealed jewellery in his intestine. On Sunday morning, 35 grams of gold was recovered from him. Shibu told police that he swallowed the jewellery with ice cream. TNN

BNU will offer Covid quota from next year

IN PG COURSES

BNU will offer Covid quota from next year

For Students Who Lost Breadwinner

SruthySusan.Ullas@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:31.05.2021 

Bengaluru North University (BNU) plans to reserve a seat each in all its postgraduate programmes for students who have lost the breadwinner of their family to Covid-19.

The Covid quota will be introduced from the next academic year in all its 26 PG programmes. The reservation will be open to undergraduate students from its own university. In case, there are no students from BNU-affiliated colleges for a course, candidates from other universities will be considered.

The proposal will be passed in the syndicate meeting next week. The syndicate will also discuss fee concession or scholarships for such students. “We have been discussing ways to help such students. We happened to hear about mutts that are willing to educate children, who have lost their parents. Since we are at the higher education level, we thought we could extend help in the PG programmes,” said BNU vicechancellor, TD Kemparaju.

The university, however, does not have statistics on how many students and their families have been affected by the pandemic.

“Some may not have enough marks to join the general merit list. Some others might not have the financial support. But nobody should lose a chance because of it. Finding a job is tough, even though they might have to start earning for their families. We do not know how many will be ready to pursue PG, but we are ready to support whoever is willing,” he added.

Regular intake varies with each course and ranges between 30-60. The programmes already have quotas for NSS, NCC, transgenders and single girl child, among others.

Long stay in jail not ground for bail in murder case, says court

Long stay in jail not ground for bail in murder case, says court

Bengaluru:31.05.2021

A two-and-a-half-year stay in jail cannot be a ground to grant bail in a murder case, considering the nature/gravity of the offence and its impact on the society, the high court has said.

The court made this observation while rejecting a bail petition filed by Syed Shabeer alias Shabbir from DJ Halli, who was arrested for allegedly stabbing Syed Wasim to death. Wasim, who refused to give him money to buy ganja, was killed on 9th Cross Road at 11.30am on November 6, 2019.

Shabbir approached the high court claiming that he’s been in judicial custody for some time and there are no eye-witnesses to the incident. However, Justice PN Desai pointed out the offence under section 302 of IPC is punishable with death or imprisonment for life. “The material indicates there are eye-witnesses and the medical evidence supports the allegation made by the prosecution. The incident took place in broad daylight which definitely had an impact on the society and public at large. The attack was for an illegal gain. The attack with a deadly weapon was on a very vital part of the body i.e., chest. All these acts show the intention to cause death or such bodily injury likely to cause death in all probabilities,” the judge noted. TNN

AICTE norms bind all institutions under its umbrella: HC

AICTE norms bind all institutions under its umbrella: HC

Vasantha.Kumar@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:31,05.2021 

The regulations of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), including the prescriptions and standards, bind all those institutions governed by it, the high court has said.

The court made this observation while holding that a professor of a Tumakuru private engineering college is entitled to continue in service till he attains the age of 65 in terms of AICTE norms.

Justice M Nagaprasanna pointed out that in the JP Unnikrishnan Vs State of Andhra Pradesh case, a constitution bench of the Supreme Court has held that recognition/ approval of institutions cannot be unconditional and the top court has reiterated that what applies to the main activity applies equally to supplemental activity as well.

Allowing the petition filed by GR Bharath Sai Kumar, who is working as a professor at Siddaganga Institute of Technology, the judge noted that if uniformity is not adopted by affiliated institutions, arbitrariness will creep in and every institution will impose service conditions at their whim and fancy.

Quashing the December 3, 2019 communication/notice issued by the college management seeking to retire the petitioner at the age of 60, the judge has added he is entitled to all the consequential benefits. Born on December 18,1960, Bharath Sai Kumar was appointed as a lecturer on April 1,1985 in the department of mechanical engineering. At the relevant point of time, he was working as a professor. The institute issued a memo on December 3, 2019 declaring the staff who would retire in 2020. The petitioner was shown to retire on December 31, 2020.

Bharath challenged this memo. He claimed the institute being governed by AICTE and as per its norms, a professor like him is entitled to continue in service till 65 years. He contended that even a VTU professor is continued in service till 62. Bharath continued in service on the strength of an interim order passed by HC on December 30, 2020.

The institute claimed it is an unaided educational institution and the petition is not maintainable. Another contention raised was that determination of age of superannuation is a matter of policy of the institute and there can be no application of any order of the government or the AICTE. The government submitted that the age of retirement of employees of the institute is not being regulated by it. AICTE argued it has been issuing notifications from time to time making it applicable to all degree-level technical institutions and all service conditions including retirement.

Vaccination cert in dead man’s name in Upleta

Vaccination cert in dead man’s name in Upleta

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Rajkot:31.05.2021 

“Dear Hardas Karangia, you have successfully been vaccinated with your first dose with Covishield on May 29” — an innocuous message on Arvind Karangia’s mobile phone left this resident of Upleta town of Rajkot district and his entire clan shocked. Reason: Nearly three years ago, Hardas Karangia, 55, had died on August 22, 2018.

“When we received this message about vaccination for our late uncle, we were shocked. When we downloaded the certificate of vaccination, it was issued in the name of the late Hardas Karangia. How can this be possible? Something must be wrong and my late uncle’s Aadhaar card may have been misused. Government should investigate this matter thoroughly,” Arvind told media persons on Sunday.

According to Karangia, the particular vaccination was done at Samajwadi Health Centre in Upleta taluka of Rajkot district.

Arvind Karangia with the death certificate of uncle Hardas

Health officer orders probe

On the one hand, people are not getting vaccination slots and are having to stand in long queues for hours together, on the other hand vaccination certificates are being issued in the name of the dead!” Karangia added.

Nilesh Shah, chief district health officer (CDHO), Rajkot district, told TOI, “The matter has come to our notice and we have ordered an inquiry into it. If anyone is found indulging in any malpractices in the vaccination programme, a criminal case will be lodged.”

According to sources, till now 3.12 lakh doses of vaccination have been administered in Rajkot district, of which 2.63 lakh are first doses and over 76 lakh are second doses.