Norms for employing retired officials defined

Norms for employing retired officials defined

Fresh rules require vigilance clearance

04/06/2021

Devesh K. Pandey NEW DELHI

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has laid down a defined procedure to be followed by government organisations for getting vigilance clearance before employing a retired official on a contractual or consultancy basis.

In a letter to the Secretaries of all the Union Ministries and departments, chief executives and chief vigilance officers of public sector undertakings, the CVC said the absence of a uniform procedure sometimes led to a situation where officials with tainted past or cases pending against them were engaged.

According to the procedure, before offering employment to retired All India Services and Group A officers of the Central government or their equivalent in other organisations owned or controlled by the Centre, vigilance clearance from the employer organisation, from which the officer has retired, should be obtained.

In case a retired officer served in more than one organisation, clearance has to be obtained from all of them where the person was posted in the 10 years prior to retirement.

Simultaneously, a communication seeking clearance should also be sent to the CVC.

If no reply is received from the erstwhile employer (s) within 15 days of sending the communication by speed post, a reminder can be sent.

If there is no response within 21 days, vigilance clearance should be deemed to have been given. Later, if the employee is found involved in any vigilance-related matter or not cleared from the vigilance point of view, the erstwhile employer organisation would be responsible for all consequential actions.

Cooling-off period

In the case of retired officials taking up full-time or contractual assignments in the private sector, the Commission said often, the “cooling off” period was not observed and the act constituted serious misconduct. It directed all government organisations to formulate rules to ensure the cooling-off period was observed

CBSE cannot deny students name change on certificates’

CBSE cannot deny students name change on certificates’

Right to change names is part of freedom of speech: SC

04/06/2021

Krishnadas Rajagopal NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court on Thursday found a Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) rule that prohibited students from changing or correcting their names on Board certificates, based on a presumption that it would affect “administrative efficiency”, far-removed from social realities and even “absurd”.

The court said the CBSE’s examination bylaws of 2007 made it look as if the Board was more concerned about administrative paperwork than the future prospects of its students, who use their certificates as a public document to go for higher studies and gain employment.

“Students stand to lose more due to inaccuracies in their certificates than the Board, whose sole worry is increasing administrative burden… Administrative efficiency cannot be the sole concern of CBSE. Every institution desires efficiency in their functioning. But it does not mean that efficiency is achieved by curbing their basic functions… One of the primary functions of CBSE is to grant certificates to its students,” a three-judge Bench led by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar observed in a 132-page judgment.

Right to be forgotten

On the other hand, the court illustrated how a juvenile accused of being in conflict with the law or a sexual abuse victim whose identity is compromised due to lapses by the media or the investigative body may consider changing the name to seek rehabilitation in the society in exercise of their right to be forgotten. “If the Board, in such a case, refuses to change the name, the student would be compelled to live with the scars of the past,” Justice Khanwilkar highlighted.

The court ordered the CBSE to take “immediate steps” to amend the by-laws and incorporate a mechanism outlined in the judgment “for recording correction or change, as the case may be, in the certificates already issued or to be issued by it”. The court said one’s name is an intrinsic element of identity. The right to change our name is part of the right to freedom of speech and expression

Class 12 evaluation criteria might be similar to that of Class 10

Class 12 evaluation criteria might be similar to that of Class 10

04/06/2021

S. Poorvaja

CHENNAI

Following the cancellation of the Class 12 exams for CBSE students, schools now expect that the evaluation criteria, which will be announced in two weeks, might be similar to the framework announced for the class 10 results earlier this year.

The evaluation criteria for the Class 10 results took into account marks in the tests and exams conducted throughout the academic year as well as 20 marks weightage for internal assessments. The results also had to be in consonance with the school’s performance in the Class 10 board exams during the last few years. Private CBSE schools began online classes at the start of 2020-21 and through the year, conducted assessments online for Class 12 students.

“Whatever exams we used to conduct during a regular school term, we conducted online. We were able to physically administer revision exams when students came back to the campus in January,” said Srinivasa Raghavan, principal, Bala Vidya Mandir.

While schools had been given the flexibility to conduct practical exams any time till the end of the board exam schedule, CBSE schools in Tamil Nadu scheduled and completed the practical exams in March and April.

Ashok Shankar, general secretary, CBSE Schools Management Association, said most schools also conducted multiple rounds of revision exams and pre-board exams.

“The onus will now lie on the schools to comply with the criteria that the CBSE comes up with. With regard to ensuring transparency, the CBSE can recommend that its officials will carry out audits of this process at random, in schools across the State,” he said.

Superspeciality hospital coming in Guindy

Superspeciality hospital coming in Guindy

Govt. announces free city bus travel for transpersons and the differently abled

04/06/2021

The hospital will come up on the King Institute campus

.B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM

The Hindu

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI

The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday made six major announcements, including the construction of a 500-bed multi-superspeciality hospital at Guindy and free city bus travel for transpersons and the differently abled.

The announcements coincided with former Chief Minister and DMK leader M. Karunanidhi’s birth anniversary.

An official release said a state-of-the-art library would be built in Madurai at a cost of ₹70 crore in memory of Karunanidhi. ‘Ilakkiya Mamani Virudhu’ will be instituted for Tamil literary figures on a par with Kalaimamani awards. Free houses will be given to the recipients of Jnanpith, Sahitya Akademi and other national and State awards.

Warehouses will be established at a cost of ₹30 crore in Tiruvarur.

The ₹250 crore hospital will come up on the campus of the King Institute. The state-of-the-art library, to be built over 2 lakh sq ft, is meant to benefit the people of southern districts. It will be similar to the Anna Centenary Library in Chennai, which has been serving the people of northern districts.

Transpersons and the differently abled can travel free on town buses, in a measure similar to the benefit announced for women last month. “This order will come into force after the lockdown is lifted,” the release said. The ‘Ilakkiya Mamani Virudhu’, comprising a cash prize of ₹5 lakh and a citation, will be presented to three writers every year.

Under the dream house scheme, a house will be given free to scholars who are natives of Tamil Nadu and have won important awards. The house will be in their native district or in any district of their choice.

The government will construct a 16,000-tonne storage unit at a cost of ₹24.3 crore in Tiruvarur, besides 54 drying units and solar dryers costing ₹6.2 crore.

New IT rules don’t apply to us, Google tells HC

New IT rules don’t apply to us, Google tells HC

03/06/2021

Staff Reporter NEW DELHI

Google told the Delhi High Court on Wednesday that the new Information Technology Rules 2021, which came into effect late last month, did not apply to the U.S.-based tech giant as it was a “search engine” and not a “social media intermediary” like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

On April 20, the High Court issued a slew of directions on a petition by a woman who claimed her photographs and images, though not in themselves obscene or offensive, were taken from her Facebook and Instagram accounts without her consent, and uploaded on a pornographic website with derogatory captions added to them.

Why not buy 100% vaccines if you get discount, SC asks Centre

Why not buy 100% vaccines if you get discount, SC asks Centre

Bench questions Union govt.’s logic that it is getting the sop due to bulk orders

03/06/2021

Krishnadas Rajagopal NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court has questioned the Centre’s logic that manufacturers are selling it COVID-19 vaccines for a hefty discount because it places bulk orders. The court then asked the government why it cannot buy 100% of the vaccines at a discount instead of leaving the States to fend for themselves.

“The Central government justifying its lower prices on account of its ability to place large purchase orders for vaccines raises the issue as to why this rationale is not being employed for acquiring 100% of the monthly CDL [Central Drugs Laboratory] doses,” a Bench, led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, noted in a 32-page order.

The Centre can buy vaccines for ₹150, while the States have to shell out between ₹300 and ₹600.

If the Central government’s unique monopolistic buyer position is the only reason for it receiving vaccines at a much lower rate from manufacturers, it is important for us to examine the rationality of the existing Liberalised Vaccination Policy against Article 14 [right to equality] of the Constitution since it could place severe burdens, particularly on States/Union Territories suffering from financial distress,” the court held.

It said the Centre, with a ₹35,000 crore budget to buy vaccines, has money to spare unlike the States which have suddenly been burdened with the task to cough up funds for vaccines. “The Union Budget for 2021-2022 earmarked ₹35,000 crore for procuring vaccines. In the light of the Liberalised Vaccination Policy, the Central government is directed to clarify how these funds have been spent so far and why they cannot be utilised for vaccinating persons aged 18-44,” the court ordered.

Central varsities wait for clarity on CUCET

Central varsities wait for clarity on CUCET

Consultation was held in March

03/06/2021

Priscilla Jebaraj NEW DELHI

With major school boards cancelling their Class 12 examinations, students looking to apply for college are now waiting for clarity regarding a new avatar of an old admission method — the Central Universities Common Entrance Test (CUCET). In March, about 45 Central universities were told that the National Testing Agency would conduct the CUCET this year for all aspiring students, but the pandemic may have cast a pall of uncertainty over those plans.

“We were told that the NTA would take over the conduct of the exam, and it would be used for all admissions, with separate tests for UG and PG courses... About 45 universities consented,” said the admissions director of one of the newer universities in southern India, who did not want to be named. He claimed that the older universities such as the Jawaharlal Nehru University, the Delhi University (DU), Jadavpur and Shantiniketan were not so keen on a common entrance test, as they have their own admission processes.

However, the controller of examinations from one of the older institutions said all Central universities were on board. “All the controllers were unanimous that apart from a common entrance test, we should have a common counselling process as well, as is done for [engineering admissions via] JEE,” he said.

DU Vice-Chancellor P.C. Joshi told The Hindu on Tuesday that if the Education Ministry approves the use of the CUCET, that could be implemented, adding that the DU would not compromise on merit.

Officials at the Education Ministry, NTA and UGC did not respond to queries regarding CUCET 2021