NEET-UG likely to be deferred to Sept, decision on CUCET soon

NEET-UG likely to be deferred to Sept, decision on CUCET soon

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:10.07.2021

The National Eligibility-cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) for admission to medical courses is likely to be postponed to September while a call on rollout of Central University Common Entrance Test (CUCET) will be taken after education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s interaction with centrally funded institutions, sources said on Saturday.

The entrance test for MBBS/ BDS courses had been scheduled for August 1, but the registration process was deferred due to the surge in Covid-19 cases in April-May and subsequent lockdown.

The education ministry had on July 6 announced fresh dates for JEE (Main)’s April and May sessions. The April session will be conducted from July 20-25 and the May session (fourth and last) fourth from July 27-August 2.

Amid uncertainty over date of NEET-UG, social media has been abuzz with fake claims. A “notice” in circulation, which the National Testing Agency clarified later to be fake, claimed that NEET-UG would be held on September 5.

According to senior government official, the August 1 date for NEET is no longer feasible and it will be postponed. “The fresh schedule along with guidelines for the online registration process is to be announced next week. The new education minister who took charge on Friday would soon take a review meeting. Thereafter, the dates will be announced by NTA. Consultations are on and the exam is likely to be scheduled in the middle of September,” said the official.

There is also uncertainty among undergraduate aspirants and university administration over the status of CUCET.

Full report on www.toi.in

Reserved govt posts for SCs lie vacant for over a decade

GAP IN EXECUTION

Reserved govt posts for SCs lie vacant for over a decade

Shanmughasundaram.J@timesgroup.com

09.07.2021

Tamil Nadu may have 69% reservation, but it doesn’t necessarily reflect in representation on the ground. For nearly a decade at least 30,000 posts reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) are lying vacant in various government departments in Tamil Nadu, multiple sources confirmed to TOI. This, according to employees’ associations and activists, indicated the lack of will to implement the reservation policy in employment in the government sector.

Repeated demands and protests to draw attention of the higher authorities have yielded no results. “The vacancies in our department remain unfilled for several years now,” said an officer in the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare department.

Admitting to the anomaly, a senior officer in Adi Dravidar Welfare department said they have issued a circular asking the district collectors and heads of each government department to furnish the details of the vacant posts.

“We have started the exercise. We will soon start the process of compiling the data,” said the officer on condition of anonymity. “The government is committed to filling the vacancies through a special drive,” he said, recalling such an assurance in the governor’s address in the state assembly recently.

Tamil Nadu’s reservation policy specifies that 18% of the 69% quota should be reserved for SCs in the recruitment process. The recruitment agencies like the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission and the Teachers Recruitment Board have, however, failed miserably to maintain the quota, sources said.

VCK general secretary and MP D Ravikumar said 14,317 teaching and 4,643 non-teaching posts for SCs in the higher education institutions remained unfilled. “The backlog of vacancies are growing every year. The situation is no better in other departments,” said the MP. He said he had petitioned higher education minister K Ponmudi to look into the huge backlog.

Citing a RTI reply to a query, S Karuppaiah of Tamil Nadu Dalit Liberation Movement said 27,264 vacancies of posts meant for SCs were lying vacant in 2019. “Now the number would have surpassed 30,000. It is nothing but denying equal opportunity to the oppressed sections in the land of Periyar (E V Ramasamy) and Anna (C N Annadurai),” he said. A plethora of petitions to the chief minister’s special cell, minister for SC/ST and official departments concerned under the previous regime had no effect.

In March this year, the Centre had disclosed that at least 42,000 posts reserved for the SC and Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Castes had been lying vacant in various Union ministries.

Members of Joint Action Council of Tamil Nadu Teachers Organisations and Government Employees Organisations said the government’s disinterest in filling vacancies derailed the reservation policy meant to ensure social justice. They noted the reservation policy was not followed in promotions too. “Police, education and two other departments followed reservation policies for promotions, while the rest of the government departments followed service rules. This should be taken up too,” said another official.

Govts ease travel restrictions & demand spikes, but flights are still a costly affair

Govts ease travel restrictions & demand spikes, but flights are still a costly affair

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:09.08.2021

While the Union and state governments have relaxed restrictions on air travel, airlines are yet to reduce ticket prices.

The aviation ministry, in a recent order said domestic flights can operate with 65% passenger capacity. Earlier, passenger capacity was capped at 50%. The increase in capacity is likely to help airlines to sell more seats.

However, starting fare for tickets is still at a higher slab and remains stable for one week’s advance booking and for two week’s advance booking. The one-way fare from Chennai to Mumbai is more than ₹5,000. Tickets from the city to Delhi cost ₹6,700 and ₹4,500 to Kolkata. Fares are higher to small towns from Chennai.

“Air fares may remain high as the airlines would want to make the most of people who will be flying after being stuck for a long time,” M K Ajit Kumar of Asia Pacific Tours said.

The fare is fixed based on the market trend, he said, adding that demand for tickets will be high in the coming months as travel has resumed and more relaxations are expected from state governments.

“People will travel if they have to irrespective of the fare,” Kumar said.

“The increase in capacity will be beneficial because demand is rising. There will be more seats available. Travel has resumed, particular as people have started to fly for business on metro routes,” Basheer Ahmed of Chennai Metro Travels said.

People will be able to fly for domestic holidays in the coming days as many state governments have relaxed entry and quarantine rules. The crowds at holiday destinations in Goa and Himachal Pradesh show that leisure travel will increase in the coming days.

“The resumption of travel in connection with trade and business and more flight services will encourage people to travel for leisure. Once domestic travel becomes normal it will help in the resumption of international travel,” said Ahmed.

Most state governments relaxed test and quarantine rules have been relaxed for passengers who have received both doses of vaccines. Chennai airport is also handling close to 60 departures and 60 arrivals a day as demand has gone up

.

Anna varsity to grant affiliation to 525 colleges

Anna varsity to grant affiliation to 525 colleges

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:09.07.2021

Anna University will grant affiliation to 525 engineering colleges, standalone architecture, MBA and MCA colleges for 2021-22 based on the online scrutiny of applications in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Earlier, the university said it would conduct physical verification of colleges. However, due to the pandemic situation and less than a week’s time to grant affiliation to the technical institutions, the university plans to grant affiliation based on approval from AICTE and online scrutiny of applications.

In a circular to principals of all engineering colleges, the centre for affiliation of institutions at Anna University asked them to submit the soft copy of AICTE for approval for 2021-22.

“Grant of affiliation will be considered for the applied intake or new courses which are approved by the centre for academic courses and also by the AICTE. The non-applied courses and any modifications in intake submitted after the deadline of applications for affiliation will not be considered,” the circular said.

Further, the university also released instructions to colleges on how to pay affiliation fee online for 2021-22.

As of April 2021, 525 colleges applied for affiliation and around 16 colleges, including 14 engineering colleges, had not applied for affiliation for 2021-22.

7 months after seizures, DVAC books ex-official

7 months after seizures, DVAC books ex-official

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:09.07.2021

DVAC officials registered a disproportionate assets case against S Pandian, who held the post of superintendent of the department of environment, and his wife Latha on June 30, almost seven months after police seized valuables from his residence. Pandian was suspended in December 2020.

The DVAC team filed an FIR in December 2020 to conduct a surprise check at Pandian’s home in Maduravoyal. On December 15, 2020, the team led by the superintendent of police Lavanya seized ₹23 crore, gold, diamond, silver and documents for property worth ₹7 crore and other valuables.

A request was sent to the state vigilance commissioner in Tamil Nadu to book a fresh cases against Pandian and his wife Latha. However, the DVAC got the nod to proceed with the case only recently after new vigilance commissioner V Irai Anbu took over.

Officials said a detailed probe is planned as they suspect that Pandian colluded with politicians, former and senior police officers and those still in the force to block the DVAC investigation. Officials said Pandian, while working in the environment department, took bribes to redraw Tamil Nadu’s coastal map, thereby leading to the disappearance of 6,569 acres of land in Ennore creek.

PMK slams Leoni’s appointment

PMK slams Leoni’s appointment

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Villupuram:09.07.2021

The appointment of orator and staunch DMK supporter Dindigul Leoni as the chairman of Tamil Nadu textbook and educational services corporation by the DMK government has drawn flak from various quarters. Leoni has been accused of making derogatory remarks against women while campaigning for DMK candidates ahead of April 2021 assembly polls. PMK youth wing president and Rajya Sabha MP Anbumani Ramadoss demanded the government revoke Leoni's appointment as the chairman of the corporation immediately. Anbumani took to Twitter to condemn the government's decision to appoint a person “with the habit of making misogynist remarks” as the chairman of the corporation and termed his appointment an insult to the position. The PMK leader expressed serious concerns over the future of the students, who must follow the syllabus derived by the corporation headed by a person known for “making derogatory remarks on women”.

Pallavaram residents protest as drinking water supply cut

Pallavaram residents protest as drinking water supply cut

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:09.07.2021

A group of residents in Pallavaram staged a protest against the local civic body for stopping drinking water supply through pump without prior intimation. For more than 15 years, residents of NSK Nagar, MGR Nagar and Kamala Street in Pallavaram have depended on the pump for their drinking water needs.

Last week, Pallavaram municipality stopped the supply to pumps abruptly. It later said it was impossible to extract water from the hand pump anymore as the groundwater level had dropped below 300 feet. The local body also told the residents that they were planning to convert the pump into a rainwater harvesting pit so that groundwater level might improve in the future.

However, A Subramanian, president of NMK Residents Welfare Association which covers the three areas, said there could be an ulterior motive behind this sudden move. “Recently, a premium apartment has come up in our area and the drinking water pump is obstructing free movement of vehicles into the apartment. They don’t want to see water cans in front of their entrance,” he said.

Rejecting this, a senior Pallavaram municipality official said groundwater levels dropped below 300ft a few years back and it has got nothing to do with the apartment coming up there. To meet drinking water needs, the municipality has installed a hand pump and a mini-water tank (filled with the help of a bore well motor) on an adjacent street. Besides, water is supplied through tankers once every five days.

But how is this even sufficient, asked Subramanian, who said the majority of residents affected are daily wagers who leave very early for work. “They don’t have the time to stand in queues for hours to fetch water from the water tank on the next street. So once they return home in the evenings, hand pumps are the only source of water,” he said.

As protests continued, Pallavaram MLA I Karunanidhi, police and municipality senior officials arrived at the scene and appeased the protesters by giving up the move to disconnect the pump temporarily. They also promised to provide water through tankers twice a week till a permanent solution was found. Authorities promised the locals that the underground drinking water pipe works in Pallavaram municipal area is nearing completion and it will be inaugurated within 20 days. Once the project becomes a reality, water can be supplied once in two or three days.

BASIC NEED: The hand pump has been their only source for drinking water for more than 15 years

A premium apartment complex has come up in our area and the drinking water pump is obstructing free movement of vehicles into the building. They don’t want to see water cans in front of the entrance

A SUBRAMANIAN | president of NMK Residents Welfare Assn