1,000 govt employees died of Covid since March 2020: Assn

1,000 govt employees died of Covid since March 2020: Assn

ManuAiyappa.Kanathanda@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:03.06.2021

At least 1,000 fulltime and contract employees of Karnataka government have succumbed to Covid-19 and around 1 lakh workforce has been infected with the virus since March last year, according to informal surveys by employees’ associations.

“According to department-wise data collected by our association, 518 full-time employees have died of Covid-19 since last year. The total number of employees who have died of Covid-19 is well over1,000 if we take into account data provided by other associations which have contracted staff as members,” claimed CS Shadakshari, president of the Karnataka State Government Employees’ Association (KSGEA).

Other associations are those of contract employees and workers, ASHA workers and anganwadi teachers who are not full-time government employees. Hence, they do not come under KSGEA.

Victims’ families yet to get aid

There are 6.5 lakh government employees. The government has offered Rs 30 lakh ex-gratia to kin of those who have died due to Covid-19 and jobs to dependents based on their education qualification.

“About 400 teachers have lost their lives, largely in Kalaburagi and Belagavi divisions. This is because many of them were sent on election duty,” said Karnataka Primary School Teachers’ Association president Basavaraj Gurikar.

Some of the deceased were in irrigation, rural development, panchayat, public works, agriculture, revenue and animal husbandry departments. At least 21 forest department personnel died of Covid-19.

Employee association members said kin of many employees were yet to get full benefits from the government.

› Belagavi village sees 86 Covid-19 deaths in May, P 4

Seniority Cannot Be Claimed From A Date When The Incumbent Was Not Borne In Service: SC [Read Judgment]

Seniority Cannot Be Claimed From A Date When The Incumbent Was Not Borne In Service: SC [Read Judgment]: 'The Law is fairly well settled in a series of cases, that a person is disentitled to claim seniority from a date he was not borne in service.'

Fixation Of Seniority Between Direct Recruitment Employees And Promoted Employees

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Temporary AYUSH docs at GRH shown the doors

Temporary AYUSH docs at GRH shown the doors

The AYUSH doctors assisted the PG doctors at the hospitals by way of oxygen management for patients - ensuring the right amount of oxygen supply for every patient, among other things, they said.

Published: 02nd June 2021 10:20 AM 

By Express News Service

MADURAI: Days after allopathy doctors were recruited temporarily in the district, AYUSH doctors who were recruited last year temporarily for Covid duty, at the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) and the Government Hospital for Thoracic Medicine (GHTM) at Thoppur were shown the doors on Tuesday.

Speaking to TNIE, a homoeopathy doctor said, "As many as 33 AYUSH doctors were temporarily recruited for posting on Covid duty at the GRH and GHTM, through a private manpower agency in June-July last year when the pandemic peaked during the first wave. While four of them opted for transfer, 29 doctors continued to work at the two hospitals under the control of the Directorate of Medical Education."

A Siddha doctor added, "AYUSH doctors who completed BHMS/BSMS were roped in by the government at a time when MBBS doctors were hesitant to take up Covid duty. We were recruited at a salary of Rs 60,000 per month, of which Rs 4,600 goes to the manpower agency. Although our work orders stated that we were being recruited for three months, our contract period was extended through oral instructions from the State Health Department."

The AYUSH doctors assisted the postgraduate doctors at the hospitals by way of oxygen management for patients - ensuring the right amount of oxygen supply for every patient, among other things, they said. "Now, the 80 medical officers (MBBS doctors), who were recruited last week, do the same work assigned to us, indicating that we have been replaced by them," the AYUSH doctors opined. The doctors also claimed that they were not paid their salaries for the past four months.

Another homoeopathy doctor, on condition of anonymity, stated that the temporary AYUSH doctors worked only in Covid wards, posted one week in the wards, the next week in-home quarantine, returned to the Covid wards in the third week and the cycle continued. Meanwhile, the department doctors are posted in non-Covid wards as part of routine duty, giving them a respite.

The Siddha doctor said, "It came as a rude shock at a time when we were hoping to get another extension of service period, as the previous extension ended by May 31. There was no prior intimation."

A group of AYUSH doctors submitted a petition to Collector Dr S Aneesh Sekhar on Tuesday evening, seeking to appoint them alternatively at any other Covid Care Centres or Interim Covid Care Centres.

Dean Dr Rathinavel said that the termination of temporary AYUSH doctors posted at government medical colleges came as an oral instruction from the office of the Directorate of Medical Education late on Monday night. "Had it been a GRH-specific instruction, arrangements would have been made to retain them. But, their termination is a statewide decision," he mentioned.

Southern Railway resumes 33 pairs of train services in Tamil Nadu and Kerala after two weeks

Southern Railway resumes 33 pairs of train services in Tamil Nadu and Kerala after two weeks

Although the railways extended the cancellation of select trains owing to poor patronage, most of the services were resumed amid speculation that lockdown curbs may be relaxed after June 7

Published: 02nd June 2021 07:18 PM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: After being suspended for two weeks on account of the lockdown in the state and Kerala, Southern Railway has resumed 33 pairs of reserved special train services.

The express special trains which include daily, weekly and Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit (MEMU) services were resumed between May 31 and June 1, according to railway sources.

Although the railways extended the cancellation of select trains owing to poor patronage, most of the services were resumed amid speculation that lockdown curbs may be relaxed after June 7.

According to official documents, the daily special trains were resumed on the following routes in Tamil Nadu:

Arakkonam – Jolarpettai, Chennai – Jolarpettai, Coimbatore – Mayiladuturai, Chennai Egmore – Rameswaram, Chennai – Karaikudi, Chennai – Madurai, Chennai – Tiruchy, Chennai – Erode, Chennai – Coimbatore, Chennai – Bengaluru, Chennai – Tirupati, Chennai Egmore – Puducherry, Coimbatore – Nagercoil, and Chennai Egmore – Thanjavur.

Weekly/tri weekly trains have been resumed on the following routes:

Chennai – Madurai, Chennai – Nagercoil, Chennai – Nizamuddin, Tambaram – Nagercoil, Rameswaram – Coimbatore, Mangaluru – Puducherry, Kanniyakumari – Puducherry, Gandhidham – Nagercoil.

MEMU express specials have been resumed on the following routes:

Villupuram – Madurai, Arakkonam – Salem, Kannur – Coimbatore, Tiruchy – Palakkad Town and Tiruchy – Rameswaram.

Anxiety among TN students after CBSE cancels Class 12 Board exams

Anxiety among TN students after CBSE cancels Class 12 Board exams

Stakeholders divided over the practicality of conducting State Board Class 12 exams but stand united for the idea of coming up with a meaningful way to evaluate students

Published: 03rd June 2021 05:04 AM 

Express Illustration

By SUSHMITHA RAMAKRISHNAN And JEYALAKSHMI RAMANUJAM

Express News Service

CHENNAI/MADURAI: The decision to cancel CBSE Class 12 public exams came as a shocker to students, parents, and even many school authorities. As Tamil Nadu mulls over the possibility of cancelling the State Board exams, stakeholders remain divided on the matter. However, everyone is on the same page on quickly coming up with a meaningful way to evaluate students to aid applying for higher education.

The Centre on Tuesday cancelled the CBSE Class 12 public exams. Following this, it is expected that some combination of internal assessments conducted by the schools will be used as a yardstick to grade students. However, if Tamil Nadu government cancels the State Board exams, it cannot rely on internal assessment scores as many schools did not have the capacity to conduct online tests for students during the lockdown.

Lack of internal assessments

The majority of CBSE and affluent private State Board schools conducted quarterly, half yearly, and revision exams online in addition to the cumulative assessment of class tests. These assessments can be used to ultimately derive a final grade. However, many State Board schools did not conduct any test or were able to hold only one or two revision exams when schools were opened briefly earlier this year.

“Many CBSE schools had already conducted multiple online tests. However, this is not true of State Board schools,” said KR Nandhakumar, head of the Tamil Nadu Matriculation, Higher Secondary and CBSE Schools Association, adding that the State government may not have much choice but to conduct an exam, at least for government school students.

R Visalakshi, the head of the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association, said, “Board exams to go on or not, the government should tell us soon how students will be evaluated.” She said passing all students in Class 12 was not a viable solution as it will cause chaos while applying for higher education. “Attendance for online classes was not compulsory; meaning, exams were not compulsory. Some children, therefore, did not write any test. How is it their fault when everything was optional to begin with?” she questioned.

Students who plan to apply for higher education in professional courses are in favour of conducting public exams while others do not want to risk exposure to Covid-19. Even teachers are divided. PK Ilamaran, head of Tamil Nadu Teachers Association (TNTA) said government should prioritise the safety and welfare of students in the wake of the pandemic and cancel the public exams. He, however, said that the State should consult stakeholders on evaluation procedures.

The competitive exam conundrum

On the other hand, S Arumainathan, president of the Tamil Nadu Parents Teachers Association, told Express that many schools, particularly State government schools, did not conduct any serious internal assessments. “If they cancel State board public exams without cancelling competitive exams like JEE and NEET, students will be in a fix.

They will have to rush to coaching classes to crack these exams,” he said. MDMK leader Vaiko also opined that the situation will increase the importance of common entrance exams like NEET, paving way for the union government to implement the National Education Policy silently. “The decision of cancelling the board exams and not the competitive exams has been made without any consultation. Tamil Nadu students will be at disadvantage as they will not have enough experience to face competitive exams,” said KPO Suresh, leader of the Tamil Nadu Post Graduate Teachers Association.

“The DMK needs to pass a resolution in the Assembly, inform to the union government and proceed to Supreme Court’s to get concurrence. All these must be done before the National Testing Agency (NTA) begins to invite applications for NEET,” said Suresh.

State Platform for Common School System (SPCSS) Tamil Nadu General Secretary P B Prince Gajendra Babu said, “The Union government’s decision is not based on the interest of the students. In a pandemic situation, if CBSE conducts exam, it might affect the students, so the exams are cancelled, but the same students, when they write National Eligibility Test for admission into colleges, will they not be affected? We are unable to understand the logic here.

In the States where the New Education Policy (NEP) is already in effect, there will be All India Exam by NTA and only its score will be considered by colleges for admission and not the Class 12 board exam score. Whether you conduct the exam or not, it becomes irrelevant. States need not follow CBSE and depending on the their condition, State Board Class 12 exams should be conducted at a later date by giving timetable well in advance,” he said.

Ensure equal opportunity, fairness while appointing staff: HC tells TN varsities

Ensure equal opportunity, fairness while appointing staff: HC tells TN varsities

The Madras High Court on Tuesday ordered that all State-run universities in Tamil Nadu must ensure equal opportunity, fairness and transparency while appointing staff.

Published: 02nd June 2021 04:41 AM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday ordered that all State-run universities in Tamil Nadu must ensure equal opportunity, fairness and transparency while appointing staff. The court issued the direction after it was found that a person, who did not possess any valid educational qualifications, was appointed as assistant technical officer (library) by the Bharathiar University in Coimbatore.

Justice R Mahadevan in his order said, “His appointment has deprived opportunity to eligible candidates. In furtherance to illegality, he has not only enjoyed the fruits of his illegal appointment but also all benefits attached until and post retirement.” The court also ordered the university to videograph interviews, revoke illegal appointments and recover salary paid to such candidates.

The judge made the observations while disposing of petitions moved by Dr K Ramesh and two others challenging the appointment of one Gowthaman. “Though his appointment was challenged, the Registrar did nothing to revoke it. Knowing fully well that he did not possess required qualifications, Gowthaman continued in the post and enjoyed benefits.

Therefore, culpability is to be fixed on the person liable to recruit candidates, and whenever illegal appointments are made, immediate action must be taken not only to stop the continuance of service of appointees, but also against the persons who were responsible for such selection,” the order added.

In conclusion, the court said, “The benefits of public employment, not only includes social security, respect from society and monetary benefits throughout the tenure of employment, but also is extended post retirement. Hence, the appointments to government jobs, more particularly in universities and educational institutions have become a matter of public and judicial scrutiny.”