TN Assembly witnesses heated debate over NEET

TN Assembly witnesses heated debate over NEET

The State Assembly on Tuesday again witnessed a heated debate over the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for medical admissions.

Published: 08th September 2021 05:07 AM 

Image for representation

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The State Assembly on Tuesday again witnessed a heated debate over the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for medical admissions. Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian announced he is ready for a separate exclusive debate over the issue in the House.

AIADMK member N Thalavai Sundaram said ruling party members and the Health Minister had repeatedly charged that NEET was implemented during the Edappadi K Palaniswami regime but the exam was implemented as per a Supreme Court order.

Responding to him, Subramanian asked the AIADMK member whether the previous (AIADMK) government informed the House about the Union Home Ministry sending back the State’s resolution over NEET and about the State resolution being rejected by the President of India. He further asked whether the AIADMK regime had taken steps to meet the President and put pressure on him to grant his nod for NEET exemption.

Stalin gifts Rs 6,480 crore DA hike to TN govt employees

Stalin gifts Rs 6,480 crore DA hike to TN govt employees

13 welfare measures announced for govt staff, pensioners, teachers ,CM promises to fulfil all fair demands of employees ,‘Ban on public Chaturthi festivities based on Centre’s advice’

Published: 08th September 2021 05:11 AM

Chief Minister MK Stalin. (Photo | EPS)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday announced a slew of welfare measures including early DA hike for around 16 lakh government employees, teachers and pensioners. In a significant move, he said the practice of placing a government employee under suspension on the day of his retirement would be dropped. He also promised that his government would fulfil the fair demands of government employees step by step.

Policemen carrying a bubble top water

can during the Assembly session on Tuesday | R Satish Babu

The announcements came in the backdrop of government employee unions demanding DA hike with retrospective effect from July. Recently, the pensioners staged agitation in this regard. Making a statement under Rule 110 in the State Assembly, the Chief Minister said a hike in dearness allowance for government employees and pensioners will be enforced from January 1, 2022 instead of April 1, 2022 accepting representations from the unions.

“This is being done despite difficult financial constraints faced by the government. This will cost an additional expenditure of Rs 1,620 crore to the State Exchequer and annually, the expenditure would be Rs 6,480 crore,” the Chief Minister said. Leaders of various political parties in the Assembly welcomed the announcements.

Talking to Express, M Anbarasu, president, Tamil Nadu Government Employees Association said, “We welcome the announcements of the Chief Minister. However, it failed to make us happy because what we expect is DA hike from July when the Central government announced it. Tamil Nadu government employees used to get DA hike on par with Central government employees whenever it was announced. Now, enforcing the DA hike just three months ahead makes no difference.”

Information dept

Minister MP Saminathan announced several welfare measures for journalists

Establishment of a welfare board to ensure effective implementation of the welfare schemes for working journalists

Hike in financial assistance given to the families of journalists who die in harness from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh

Financial assistance to journalists who wish to train themselves by joining reputed institutions

Kalaignar Ezhuthukol Award for a journalist who contributes to the upliftment of society

Statues of freedom fighters and scholars will be installed in various parts of the State

Law Dept

Minister S Regupathy announced plans pertaining to various law colleges and courts

A new law college to be established at Karaikudi

Rs 28 lakhs to be allocated for conducting international workshops and seminars

English training for govt law college students

Two legal research centres at Tamil Nadu National Law University, Trichy

An additional law officers block to be constructed in the Madurai bench of Madras HC at a cost of Rs 4.28 crores

Chief judicial magistrate courts to be set up at Kallakuruchi, Tenkasi, Ranipet, Kancheepuram, Mayiladuthurai and Tirupattur

Key announcements made by CM MK Stalin

The Chief Minister announced a slew of measures for the welfare of government employees and pensioners in the State

Hike in DA for 16 lakh government employees and pensioners from January 1, 2022

Retirement age of 29,137 cooks and 24,576 asst cooks working for nutritious meal scheme will be increased from 58 to 60

Disciplinary proceedings against teachers who took part in the strike during the previous AIADMK government will be dropped. If their promotional aspects were affected due to the disciplinary action, it would also be set right. Besides, those who were transferred during the strike, will be given priority in the counselling for transfers

Steps to fill vacancies for junior assistant posts in government schools

The period of suspension and period of agitation of govt employees who struck work during AIADMK government in 2016, 2017 & 2019 will be treated as service period

Orders will be issued to provide treatment for the children of government employees who depend on them irrespective of their age under the health insurance scheme

Practice of suspending an employee on the date of his retirement will be dropped

Appropriate guidelines will be issued for appointing legal heirs of the government employees who die in harness on compassionate grounds

Incentive for additional educational qualifications acquired during the service period to government employees which was cancelled in 2020 will be resumed soon

Considering the increase in the number of students getting admitted to the government schools, an appropriate number of teachers will be recruited to fulfil the student-teacher ratio

For Corona infection, treatment cost above `10 lakh will be allowed under the health insurance scheme for government employees

Training will be given to government employees at the district level to simplify and expedite works of the Treasuries and Accounts Department

Training will be given to newly appointed govt employees and those who are promoted to higher positions, in their respective districts

Electricity dept

Minister V Senthil Balaji said steps to boost power generation and facilitate consumption will be taken up

One lakh agriculture service electricity connections

A 4,000 MW solar power generation plant with a solar power bank of 2000 MW capacity

Two hydropower generation plants with a capacity of 500 MW at Kothaiyar in Kanniyakumari district and at Manalar in Theni district

A total of 159 EB sub-stations to be set up at a cost of Rs 1,979 crore

Smart meters to be set up on transformers at a cost of Rs 1,270 crore to monitor their performance.

Upgradation of 33 KW sub-stations to 110 KW at a cost of Rs 125 crore

High Voltage Distribution System (HVDS) to set up at 900 feeders at a cost of Rs 5,050 crore

Announcements made for Home, Prohibition and Excise Department

The consolidated pay for TASMAC employees will be hiked by Rs 500 from April next year.

These three ‘Golden Girls’ from Mysore University show true grit

These three ‘Golden Girls’ from Mysore University show true grit

Chaitra Narayan Hegde, an MSc Chemistry graduate, Madalambike T S and Latha H N, MA graduates, defied all odds to make it big in their studies.

Published: 08th September 2021 05:41 AM 

Chaitra Narayan Hegde, Vidyashree LR, Madalambike TS, Harshitha N and Sindhu Nagaraj with their medals in Mysuru on Tuesday | udayshankar s

By Karthik K K

Express News Service

MYSURU: Surmounting hurdles like lack of public transport, disability and financial difficulties, these three spirited “Golden Girls” of Mysore University bagged whopping 31 medals among themselves at the 101st convocation of the university on Tuesday.

Chaitra Narayan Hegde, an MSc Chemistry graduate, Madalambike T S and Latha H N, MA graduates, defied all odds to make it big in their studies. Chaitra moved to Mysuru University as her village in Uttara Kannada district did not have public transport or good educational institutions.

She did her B.Sc from Yuvaraja’s College and got a seat for M.Sc Chemistry. She helped herself to 20 medals and four cash prizes, emerging as the highest medal winner in the university. Madalambike, who comes from Tammdahalli village in Chamarajanagar district, showed true grit in the face of deep personal loss.

Rural background not a barrier

Soon after Madalambike registered for MA Kannada exam, her father passed away. She did not lose heart, studied hard and bagged 10 gold medals and four cash prizes. Latha HN, who is visually challenged, faced problems in getting access to Braille texts and scribes to write the exams. But she soldiered on to bag a gold medal in MA Kannada. Aware of the poor financial condition of her family, this youth from Handithavalli village in Periyapatna taluk, completed her postgraduate course with scholarships.

All the three come from families of farmers and from remote, rural pockets of the state. “Lack of of public transport buses made me shift to Mysuru for my studies. Though I never expected to bag medals, I think I did ‘smart’ work, which helped me achieve this,” said Chaitra, who is working as an assistant professor now. “Considering the financial condition of my family, I wanted to opt for distance education to complete my masters. But my elder sister and parents encouraged me to take up a regular degree.

My father was happy when a girl from a neighbouring village got a medal. I too had decided that I should reward him with a medal. Today, I have got 10 medals, but I feel sad that my father is not here to see this,” said Madalambike, who is preparing for NET exams. Latha said that screen recording software and other tools helped her, though she faced problems in getting access to audiobooks, especially of Kannada texts.

“The encouragement from my parents, my younger sister and my teachers helped me bag the medal. I have cleared TET and NET exams and looking for opportunities to work as an assistant professor. I also want to train other visually challenged students who aim for competitive exams,” she said.

PhD student jumps to death

PhD student jumps to death

Rajkot:   08.09.2021

A 23-year-old doctoral research student of Saurashtra University allegedly committed suicide by juming into the Aji (2) dam in Rajkot city on Tuesday.

According to police, the deceased was identified as Aditya Prakash Raval, a resident of Rajkruti Apartment in the city. Police found an identity card on the body, which revealed that he was a PhD student in the chemistry department of the university. The reason for the extreme step was not known immediately. “Someone spotted a dead body floating on the water and informed the fire brigade department and a team fished out the body,” police said. TNN

College teachers trained on supercomputers

College teachers trained on supercomputers

08.09.2021

Ahmedabad:

The Gujarat Council on Science & Technology (GUJCOST) and C-DAC jointly organized a training programme on highperformance computing and deep learning for faculty members of 26 institutes that have been given PARAM Shavak supercomputers by the department of science and technologyt in the past three years. Dr Narottam Sahoo, member secretary of GUJCOST, said that 130 faculty members are participating. TNN

Hospital sealing: Doctors meet civic chief

Hospital sealing: Doctors meet civic chief

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:08.09.2021

A delegation of 60 medical personnel, including doctors of 42 aggrieved hospitals that were sealed by the civic body for lack of building use permission, met municipal commissioner Mukesh Kumar on Tuesday. The delegation highlighted how hundreds of patients will suffer and may face complications availing of medical insurances for no fault of theirs.

Among the delegation that met Kumar was former Ahmedabad Medical Association (AMA) president Mona Desai. “We have only requested that all be treated equal before law. We have instances where many commercial units, including hotels, continue to function in the same commercial building where hospitals have been sealed for lack of BU permission. Ahead of the third wave, many mid-size and small hospitals that played a pivotal role during the pandemic will be forced to close. There are an estimated 40,000 clinics and hospitals without BU permission across nagarpalikas and villages in Gujarat,” said Desai.

Dr Nilesh Shah pointed out how smaller hospitals, which form the bulk of Covid healthcare inventory in the city, will suffer. Of the 700 clinics and small hospitals in the city, nearly 60 per cent were designated as Covid hospitals. “We shall abide by the law, but our only petition is that it should be equitably implemented, be it hospital, commercial unit, office or residence.”

Other doctors also pointed out how the withdrawal of C-forms on Monday has put hundreds of patients in a fix. “Many will be shifted in 2-3 days to other hospitals. Following the withdrawal of forms, medical insurance companies can cause problems for patients,” they said.

A delegation including doctors of 42 hospitals met AMC chief Mukesh Kumar at Riverfront House on Tuesday

SC seeks govt response on challenge to FCRA norms

SC seeks govt response on challenge to   FCRA   norms

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:08.09.2021

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought the Centre’s response to a joint petition by two NGOs, one of which is run by the former director of the social service centre of Catholic Diocese of Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, challenging the recent amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act on the ground that it impeded disbursement of foreign funds to provide succour to the marginalised sections of the country’s population.

A bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar, Hrishikesh Roy and CT Ravikumar asked the Centre to file its response within three weeks to a joint petition filed by Noel Harper and Nigel Mills of Share and Care Foundation in Andhra Pradesh and Joseph Lizy and Annamma Joachim of National Workers Welfare Trust in Telangana.

Appearing for the Union government, additional solicitor general Sanjay Jain and advocate Kanu Agrawal said that the main grievance of the petitioners appear to be the difficulty in assessing foreign funds and their disbursement.