Strings attached: Woman gifts kidney to brother on Rakhi

Strings attached: Woman gifts kidney to brother on Rakhi

51-Year-Old Gynaecologist Gives IRS Brother Gift Of Life

Vijaysinh.Parmar@timesgroup.com

Surat:21.08.2021

There is no better gift in life than the gift of life — something that these siblings will cherish forever more as they share a bond that goes deeper than blood or their umbilical ties — their kidneys.

Just ahead of Raksha Bandhan, this sister added more meaning to the festival that is celebrated with pomp to strengthen sibling bonds. Dr Sujata Dev saluted her bond by gifting her brother Sandeep Kumar, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, a kidney and a new lease of life too.

“I can’t thank her enough. Usually brothers give gifts to sisters on Raksha Bandhan. But Sujata gave me a gift of life with her kidney,” in a quivering voice, emotionally choked Kumar, a 1989 batch IRS officer, told TOI over phone from the hospital.

Kumar is presently posted as principal income tax commissioner at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Dr Dev is a gynaecologist and a professor at the Medical College in Lucknow.

“For me, my elder brother is everything. Being a medical professional, I was aware of the kidney donation and what cares one should take after donating your one kidney. I am happy that I am able to give new life to my brother,” 51-year-old Dr Sujata Dev told TOI, before she left for Lucknow on Friday evening.

Kumar underwent a kidney transplant at the Institute of Kidney Disease and Research Centre (IKDRC) in Ahmedabad on August 14. Kumar is recovering well and his creatinine levels are well within the prescribed limit, doctors informed. He is likely to be discharged soon.

Dr Sujata Dev gifted her brother Sandeep Kumar, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, a kidney and a new lease of life too

I-T commissioner was on dialysis since February

This is the second time that Kumar underwent a kidney transplant. In 2012, after both his kidneys had failed, Kumar had undergone a kidney transplant at the IKDRC in 2013. At that time, the donation was from a brain-dead patient from Surat. During the same time, from 2013-15, Kumar served as income tax commissioner in Surat. After getting a kidney transplant, Kumar became actively involved in creating awareness about cadaver donation in Gujarat. At present, he is the vice-president of Donate Life, a Surat-based NGO working for organ donation awareness.

“After he received organ donation in 2013, he decided to do something for creating awareness about organ and cadaver donations and insisted on creating an NGO for the cause and that’s how we started Donate Life in 2015,” Nilesh Mandlewala, founding president of Donate Life, said.

After undergoing the kidney transplant in 2013, Kumar was leading a normal life till last year when he started suffering renal problems.

“I have been on dialysis since February this year. We tried for cadaver donation twice but couldn’t find the right match. The only option left was that of kidney donation from a family member. My sister readily agreed to donate her kidney and it matched,” Kumar said.

Girl ends life ‘after missing online class’

Girl ends life ‘after missing online class’

Madurai:21.08.2021

An 18-year-old college student who consumed poison eight days ago died at the Government Rajaji Hospital on Thursday. Her mother had told the police that her daughter took the extreme step because she was dejected after missing a day’s online class.

Hailing from Kalvelipatti village near Vadipatti, A Arthi was a second year BCom student at an autonomous college in Madurai. The incident happened on August 12 when her mother had gone to work while her elder sister was also at home. A relative told TOI that Arthi was studious and always among the top two rank holders in the class. She was tensed on the day as there were network connectivity issues and she was complaining about it. “She consumed a pesticide used for mango trees out of frustration the same afternoon,” special sub inspector (SSI) of police A Chinnasamy said. After signs of recovery, her health deteriorated on Thursday and she died. Police registered a case and have ruled out any foul play. Those with suicidal thoughts please seek help at helplines 104 and 044-24640050

Students oppose Pondy univ asking full semester fees

Students oppose Pondy univ asking full semester fees

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Puducherry:21.08.2021

Students and parents have criticised Pondicherry University’s direction asking that they pay full semester fees despite the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, calling the order “baseless and insensitive.”

They cited a Madras high court ruling asking private schools to collect only 75% of fees, in two instalments, as many people had lost their livelihood due to the pandemic and wondered how a public educational institution could force students to pay the entire semester fees. They also pointed out that a central university was insisting on them paying full fees when they won’t be using sports, library and computer facilities. “We have no access to classrooms or labs and students are at their homes. Why should the students currently pay for unused facilities,” asked students council president Parichay Yadav and secretary V Kuralanban in a joint statement.

Univ to set up centre for AI in health sciences

Univ to set up centre for AI in health sciences

Puducherry:21.08.2021

A deemed university in Puducherry has proposed to set up an exclusive centre for artificial intelligence to introduce the emerging field of study in health sciences.

The proposed centre for healthcare artificial intelligence and research (chair) at Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (SBV) aims to realise the potentials of artificial intelligence (AI) in several avenues including storage, retrieval and analysis of patient data, pharmacy services and robotics in surgery. The university proposes to collaborate with other healthcare institutes to introduce AI in academics and research, and patient and healthcare services. “Inclusion of AI in academic and research activities and healthcare system would pave the way for a proactive eco-system in our march towards a better, safer and healthier world,” SBV vice-chancellor S C Parija said. TNN

Pallavaram, Avadi residents can pay tax online soon

Pallavaram, Avadi residents can pay tax online soon

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:21.08.2021

State municipal administration department has urged all municipalities and corporations other than the Greater Chennai Corporation to ensure that their services are offered online for the public.

The director of municipal administration, P Ponniah, on August 13 issued a circular instructing local bodies to ensure delivery of online services in cases of filing self-assessment of property tax returns, levy and collection of property tax, application for name transfer of property tax and issue of name transfer orders.

The urban tree information system website (tnurbanepay.tn.gov.in) should be used, the official directed, adding that this would be an improvement for the ease of doing business.

When implemented, online services will bring a relief to lakhs of residents who live in areas governed by smaller local bodies like Avadi corporation, Pallavaram municipality, Tambaram municipality, Sriperumbudur town panchayat and others.

These are localities which have sprung up within 20-30km from Chennai, but the facilities and services are not comparable to those available in the city.

V Pugalventhan, an activist who lives in Kundrathur on the fringes of the city, said that GCC offers services like property tax, water tax, birth and death certificates online. But other local bodies have failed to replicate this model.

“The websites are totally unprofessional and look like blogger sites,” he said.

Due to absence of online services, residents have to run from pillar-to-post for basic public sevices such as birth certificates or death certificates from local offices, he said.

“Currentlhy, this work does not get done without payment of bribes. If services are brought online, payment of bribes can be eliminated,” he said.

He cited a reply to an RTI application by Sriperumbudur town panchayat which denied receipt of any order or instruction to process online applications for new property tax assessment or water connection requests.

When implemented, online services will bring relief to lakhs of residents who live in these areas

Distance edu PG not enough to teach pre-law courses: HC

Distance edu PG not enough to teach pre-law courses: HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:21.08.2021

Candidates who obtained post-graduate degree through distance education or correspondence, and those with cross major degrees, are ineligible for appointment as assistant professor for pre-law courses in government law colleges, the Madras high court has ruled.

“Any recruitment to a post of teaching faculty in higher education is not intended to provide job opportunities to the potential candidates, but towards fulfilment of achieving higher academic standards. Although the court is conscious of the fact that distance education has become a social imperative considering the lack of education to vast majority of disadvantaged class, in the larger interest of institutional growth, the degrees obtained through distance education and correspondence cannot be considered as valid degree for appointments,” said a division bench of Justice V Parthiban and Justice N Kirubakaran (since retired).

The judges also directed the state authorities to revisit the entire criteria for appointment to the post of assistant professor or any other post in the teaching faculty in government law colleges in the state.

The notification stated that candidates would be eligible for the post only if they had a masters degree in law with not less than 55% of marks and if they had enrolled as an advocate in the Bar Council. A similar notification was also issued in 2014. These qualifications were prescribed apart from the main qualifications – PG degree in the subject concerned from the universities in Tamil Nadu with not less than 55% of marks and passing the National Eligibility Test (NET).

“The state authorities are to conform to the minimum standards set by the Bar Council of India and expedite the process of recruitment,” the bench said and disposed of a batch of petitions.

The court also ruled that notifications mandating that candidates must have enrolled as advocate and possess a master’s degree in law (ML degree) to be qualified for appointment as assistant professors for pre-law courses in government law colleges are irrational and illegal. The court, however, added that any appointments already made pursuant to the 2014 and 2018 notifications would not be affected by the ruling.

The court was referring to a notification issued in July 2018 by the Teachers Recruitment Board for the recruitment of assistant professors (pre-law) in government law colleges in Tamil Nadu for the year 2017-18.

Those Opting To Write The Test In Tamil Up by 16%

NEET applicants from TN fall by 7%

Those Opting To Write The Test In Tamil Up by 16%

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:21.08.2021

The number of students applying for NEET (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test) 2021 from Tamil Nadu has dropped by 7% compared to previous year. For the second year in a row, the number of applicants from the state has dropped after reaching 1.4 lakh applicants before the pandemic in 2019.

From 1,21,617 applicants for NEET 2020, the number has come down to 1,12,889 for NEET 2021, according to National Testing Agency's registration data. Among the applicants, 71745 (63.5%) are female candidates and 41,144

(36.5) are male candidates.

Experts cite the delay in conducting the common medical entrance test and increase in the cut-off for medical admissions as reasons for dip in the applications.

Meanwhile, the number of students opting to write the exam in Tamil increased by 16% as the number went up from 17,101 in 2020 to 19,867 in 2021.

NEET 2021 is scheduled to be held on September 12, 2021.

"During the last two years, the cut-off for medical admissions increased by 100 marks. The current students are reluctant to take up the exam without coaching as the cut-off for government colleges has gone up to 570 and 580 marks. This year students did not attend even regular classes as the classes were held online. So, students who are mentally not prepared might have decided to apply after preparing for a year," said career consultant Jayaprakash Gandhi.

He further said the quota for government school students could be the reason behind the increase in the number of students opting to write in Tamil.

Students counsellors said the delay in conducting the NEET could be the reason for dip in applicants from Tamil Nadu.

"Due to the pandemic, the NEET exam has been conducted in September for the last two years. The more the medical admissions are delayed, students who are not confident and undecided are joining engineering colleges. If the NEET exam is conducted in May, the registrations will be more from Tamil Nadu," said Manickavel Arumugam, a students counsellor.

From government and government-aided schools, 11,236 students have applied to the exam. Last year, around 10,000 students applied for the exam.

Experts cite the delay in conducting the common medical entrance test and increase in the cut-off for medical admissions as reasons for dip in no. of applications