NEET abolition: State can demand, Centre can reject

NEET abolition: State can demand, Centre can reject

TN Can Enact Law As Edu On Concurrent List

A.Subramani@timesgroup.com

Chennai:14.09.2021

Tamil Nadu’s renewed battle to scrap NEET is neither impossible nor easy, for it is as much political as constitutional.

Political, because it would need the Union government’s consent and presidential assent. Constitutional, because education, after the 42nd amendment, is on the concurrent list where the Centre and the states have equal power to enact laws.

“As long as education is on the concurrent list, the state government can enact a law,” said Justice D Hariparanthaman, who retired as a Madras high court judge. He, however, added that the law will not come into force till the Centre gives its nod. In 2017, the AIADMK government made a similar attempt, but it did not pursue it. The President rejected it. There are several state-specific laws concerning concurrent list subjects that Tamil Nadu enacted and got the presidential assent.

For example, in 2006 Tamil Nadu did away with the entrance examination for professional courses. Tamil Nadu Admission in Professional Educational Institutions Act, 2006, received presidential assent in March 2007, and in March 2011, the Supreme Court upheld the state law. Similarly, it was a Tamil Nadu-specific amendment to the Hindu Marriages Act which enabled a Hindu in the state to marry without following the rituals. Section 7(A) was inserted in the act by the C N Annadurai government. No other state has this provision.

In 1977, the MGR government inserted Section 2(A)(2) in the Industrial Disputes Act, enabling an individual workman to raise a dispute without the government’s reference. Though the subject is jointly occupied by the Union and state governments, and when even Left bastions like Bengal and Kerala did not have such a law, the Centre gave its assent for the Tamil Naduspecific amendment.

Jallikattu is the most recent Tamil Nadu law which got the presidential assent though it differed from the Centre’s stand. In January 2017, by amending the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (a subject on the concurrent list), Tamil Nadu ensured that jallikattu was exempted from the list of banned performances by animals.

In 1994, the Jayalalithaa government did a Houdini act when Tamil Nadu, with just 39 MPs, mustered a two-thirds majority in the 534-member parliament to include its 69% reservation law in the Ninth Schedule, thereby insulating the state law from judicial review. “Just as now, even then the issue was as political as constitutional. It was a quid pro quo by the Jayalalithaa government for its support to the PV Narasimha Rao government to pass the Panchayati Raj Act in Parliament,” said Justice Hariparanthaman.

The possibility of the law being rejected by the Union government does not mean Tamil Nadu should not demand its right guaranteed by the Constitution. “It is a limited constitutional power, but if Tamil Nadu does not enact a law as per its stated policy, it will amount to giving up its right,” he said.

IN THE PAST: In 1977, the MGR government inserted Section 2(A)(2) in the Industrial Disputes Act, enabling an individual workman to raise a dispute without the government’s reference; Jallikattu is the most recent Tamil Nadu law which got the presidential assent though it differed from the Centre’s stand

Udhayanidhi nominated member of AU syndicate

Udhayanidhi nominated member of AU syndicate

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:14.09.2021

Anna University's Syndicate on Monday got a high profile member as the assembly nominated the DMK MLA Udhayanidhi Stalin to the highest decision making body of the university. The Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni MLA will replace R Nataraj, retired IPS officer and former Mylapore MLA at the syndicate.

While releasing the names of MLAs appointed as members of syndicates of various state universities on Monday, speaker M Appavu said the election was not needed as the applications and number of vacancies were equal. Egmore MLA N Ezhilan and Maduravoyal MLA K Ganapathy appointed as members of Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University. Villivakkam MLA A Vetriyazhagan, Tiruvallur MLA VG Rajendran, Ambattur MLA Joseph Samuel were appointed as the members of Madras University Senate.

TN to release 700 life convicts on Sept 15

TN to release 700 life convicts on Sept 15

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:14.09.2021

The state government has decided to release 700 life convicts on September 15 to mark the birth anniversary of former chief minister C N Annadurai.

Making the announcement in the state assembly, chief minister M K Stalin said the convicts, who have been serving sentences for many years, were being released on humanitarian grounds.

Meanwhile, Stalin on Monday said the government would set up a new police commission to find out the demands and needs of police personnel. “A police commission will be constituted again to recommend ways to strengthen the relationship between police and public, to initiate some essential schemes and roll out new training programmes for police personnel,” the chief minister said, while replying to the demand on grants for the home department.

The Madras high court had recently directed the government to reconstitute the commission set up by the AIADMK regime in 2019, headed by retired bureaucrat Sheela Priya, with a retired judge of the high court as head and a social worker, a public representative, retired and serving police officials and civil servants as members.

New Nungambakkam bridge nears completion

New Nungambakkam bridge nears completion

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:14.09.2021

Construction of the foot overbridge across the Nungambakkam subway to the burial ground service road near Loyola College is nearing completion.

The ₹5 crore project to build the 24-metre-long and five-metrewide bridge was awarded in December 2020 by the Greater Chennai Corporation and is to be completed by February 2022. “The steel girders have been assembled and the work will be completed soon,” said an official.

Motorists going from Anna Nagar to Nungambakkam and T Nagar face huge traffic jams at the subway entrance and at the Loyola College junction because commuters who get down at the Nungambakkam railway station usually cross the road at these points. The bus stands opposite Loyola college connects rail passengers to the rest of the city.

“We just wanted to give the railway passengers an easy way to cross the road. Right now, there is no median on Nelson Manickam Road, but once the foot overbridge is constructed we will build one to stop jaywalking. The burial ground compound wall has been shifted as well,” said chief engineer, Rajendiran, in charge of roads and bridges.

MUCH NEEDED: The foot overbridge, being built at ₹5 crore cost, will help commuters exiting the Nungambakkam railway station

Civic polls in 9 TN dists on Oct 6 and 9

Civic polls in 9 TN dists on Oct 6 and 9

14.09.2021

Local body elections in nine newly-created districts of Tamil Nadu would be held in two phases on October 6 and 9, state election commissioner V Palanikumar said Monday. Elections will be held in 39 unions on October 6, while the remaining 35 will go to polls on October 9. Palanikumar said the code of conduct would come into immediate effect in the districts of Kancheepuram, Chengalpet, Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Tirunelveli and Tenkasi where the polls would be held. In 28 other districts, elections would be held on October 9 for 789 posts in the local bodies, which are lying vacant, said the state election commissioner. Filing of nominations will begin on September 15 and continue until September 22. Counting will be held on October 12. TNN

Over 76.5L voters to exercise franchise in two-phase polls

The elections would be held for 27,003 posts, including those of 140 district panchayat ward councillors, 2,901 village panchayat presidents and 22,581 village panchayat ward councillors, the commissioner said.

A total of 76,59,720 voters would exercise their franchise in the two-phase polls. Each voter would cast four votes to elect the district panchayat ward councillors, panchayat union councillors, village panchayat president and village panchayat ward councillors. Ballot paper would be used, the officer said.

Polling will take place from 7am to 6pm. Covid-19 patients and persons with symptoms would be allowed to vote from 5pm to 6pm. “We will appoint a micro observer and videograph the proceedings in sensitive booths,” said the commissioner. He noted that 40,000 police personnel would also be roped in for election duty.

As many as 1.10 lakh government employees would be engaged for poll duty. The commission would engage an IAS officer as an election observer for each district.

“We have taken all precautionary measures to conduct the polls in a free and fair manner. The arrangements have been made after holding a meeting with representatives of political parties,” said Palanikumar. The polls would be held as per the standard operating procedure and in compliance with Covid-19 norms, he added.

The Election Commission has commenced preparatory work to hold elections for urban local bodies too.

TN assembly passes bill to nullify NEET, BJP walks out

TN assembly passes bill to nullify NEET, BJP walks out

It Also Gives 7.5% Quota To Govt School Students

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:14.09.2021

In a near-unanimous motion, the Tamil Nadu assembly on Monday passed a bill for admission to medical courses only on the basis of Class XII marks in board examinations. The bill also provides for 7.5% horizontal reservation in medical courses for students of government schools.

“Admissions to medical education courses are traceable to Entry 25 of List III, Schedule VII of the Constitution. Therefore, the state government is competent to regulate the same. So, I am moving this bill,” chief minister M K Stalin said, evoking loud thumping of desks in the treasury. The bill seeks to circumvent NEET and, instead, have only Class XII marks as criterion for admissions to MBBS, BDS, Indian medicine and homeopathy courses.

While opposition parties like the AIADMK and the PMK, besides DMK allies, supported the bill, the BJP members walked out of the assembly in protest.

A high-level committee, headed by Justice A K Rajan, former judge of the Madras high court, set up by the DMK government in June, reported to the government that NEET had undermined the diverse societal representation in MBBS and higher medical courses, favouring the affluent groups, while thwarting the dream of pursuing medical education by the underprivileged sections.

Constitutional and political tussle

TN’s bid to do away with NEET is as much political as constitutional, reports A Subramani. Political as it would need the Centre’s consent and presidential assent. Constitutional as education, after the 42nd amendment, is on the concurrent list where the Centre and the states have equal say to enact laws. P 5

Allot 1% seats to def personnel’s wards: HC

The Madras high court has said that it expects the TN government to allocate at least 1% medical seats for wards of serving defence personnel from the next academic year and recognise their selfless service to the nation. P 5

Wrong to say NEET improved medical exam quality: CM

The most-affected were students of government schools, those having parental income of less than ₹ 2.5 lakh a year and that of MBCs, SCs and STs.

The committee said the NEET neither seemed to ensure merit nor standard of students being offered MBBS. The Justice Rajan committee received views from 86,342 people both offline and online and submitted its report on July

14. “The committee has recommended that the state government pass an act, like Tamil Nadu Admission in Professional Educational Institutions Act, 2006 (Tamil Nadu Act 3 of 2007),” Stalin said.

Following the recommendations, the state set up another committee of secretaries led by chief secretary V Irai Anbu on July 15. The committee of secretaries recommended the same route to nullify NEET.

The CM said it was wrong to say NEET improved the standard of medical examination. TN had one of the highest number of medical and dental institutions even before 2017. The standard of medical and dental professionals from these institutions was high.

The government decided to enact a law to ensure social justice, uphold equality and equal opportunity, protect all vulnerable student communities, and ensure a robust public health care in the state, especially in the rural areas, Stalin said.

In the afternoon, when the Bill was taken up for consideration and passage, BJP floor leader Nainar Nagendran said his party opposed the Bill. He said 57,219 out of 99,610 students, who wrote NEET, cleared the test last year.

Violation of UGC norms on PWDs under the scanner

Violation of UGC norms on PWDs under the scanner

TNIE had highlighted the struggles faced by M Kamaraj, a disabled rights activist, in getting admitted to Bharathidasan University in Tiruchy for MPhil in 2016-17.

Published: 13th September 2021 03:33 AM 

Kamaraj, who fought for the rights of disabled students, is now pursuing MPhil in Tiruchy | Express

By Sowmya Mani

Express News Service

TIRUCHY: Following an article published in TNIE on Saturday titled ‘Disabled activist’s fight against varsity a win for all students’, State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities Johny Tom Varghese has decided to take up the matter in the court of the state commissioner for persons with disabilities.

TNIE had highlighted the struggles faced by M Kamaraj, a disabled rights activist, in getting admitted to Bharathidasan University in Tiruchy for MPhil in 2016-17. Despite being eligible, Kamaraj was not admitted as several universities do not follow the University Grants Commission (UGC) norms.

Varghese on Saturday wrote to the Department of Welfare of Differently Abled Persons regarding the non-compliance with the UGC recommendations, and said the matter would be taken up suo motu in the court of the state commissioner for persons with disabilities.

The Higher Education department and educational institutions will be directed to adhere to the UGC recommendations, he stated. “We will ask the Higher Education department and universities why the UGC norms are not being followed... We will give a notice and recommendations at the hearing on Tuesday,” Varghese added.