KMCH opens free paediatric oncology ward

KMCH opens free paediatric oncology ward

27/09/2021

Staff Reporter COIMBATORE

Kovai Medical Center and Hospital (KMCH), Coimbatore, opened a free paediatric oncology ward on Sunday. M.S. Muthusmay, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Coimbatore range), inaugurated the facility at the KMCH Medical College General Hospital in the presence of V. Booma, professor and Head of the Department of Paediatrics at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital and Thavamani Devi Palaniswami, vice-chairman of KMCH.

A release issued by the hospital said the paediatric oncology ward will cater to the needs of children with cancer who cannot afford appropriate therapy.

Children with potentially treatable cancers who cannot afford treatment would be treated in the unit, completely free of cost, it said. According to the hospital, the exclusive unit has both in-patient and day care services and it follows latest protocols for the kids with cancer.

KMCH executive director Arun N. Palaniswami said the ward will help the needy children with treatable cancer to overcome it.

University’s ‘no dowry’ demand from students draws criticism

University’s ‘no dowry’ demand from students draws criticism

Students asked to sign undertaking in University of Calicut

27/09/2021

K.S. SudhiKOCHI

The University of Calicut has come under fire for seeking an undertaking from its students that their admissions and degrees shall be cancelled or withdrawn if they breach the provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act.

The university, following a proposal from Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, had asked the students to sign an undertaking stating that they would not demand or accept dowry, directly or indirectly.

B.G. Harindranath, former Kerala Law Secretary, felt that the order was legally unsustainable if challenged before a court of law. Though accepting or demanding dowry was punishable under the Act, the cancellation of a degree certificate was not contemplated under the Act, he said.

T. Asaf Ali, former director-general of prosecution, too, criticised the move, terming it illegal, unconstitutional, arbitrary and whimsical. A mere complaint to the police was sufficient for the university to deprive a candidate of his/her degree certificate, which could violate his/her constitutional right to life and livelihood. The withdrawal of a degree for an unrelated offence would deprive a person of his/her livelihood, which was unconstitutional, he said.

Kaleeswaram Raj, a Supreme Court lawyer, said the directive was irrational and unconstitutional. The awarding of a degree was based on educational parameters and could not be linked to an extraneous act. Creating awareness against dowry was one thing. But it was absurd to seek an undertaking that he/she would not engage in a penal act, he said.

M.K. Jayaraj, Vice-Chancellor of the university, said the intention was to create awareness among students against dowry.

Why Applied Mathematics has fewer applicants

Why Applied Mathematics has fewer applicants

Unavailability of NCERT books, fewer teachers and limited knowledge about job prospects are worrying students

c-Jagriti.Kumari@timesgroup.com

27.09.2021

To help students develop an understanding of basic mathematical and statistical tools and their applications in various fields including business, Economics and social sciences, the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) introduced Applied Mathematics as an elective for class XI from the academic year 2020-21. The introduction of the new subject is for students who opted for Basic Mathematics instead of the standard version in class X boards. In 2020, out of around 19 lakh students, as many as 6 lakh students opted for Basic Mathematics in class X boards while around 13 lakh students appeared for the standard version of the question paper.

Few takers

Achala Verma, PGT Mathematics at Birla Balika Vidyapeeth, Pilani, explains that lack of awareness about the subject led to fewer takers. “There were no takers for the subject as an elective, in my school last year. This year also, only a handful of students have opted for it,” says Verma. On why this was the case, Verma reasons that students are clueless about the career prospects after studying Applied Mathematics. “Most students opt for subjects that offer a lucrative career opportunity. Hence, students need to be apprised about the future of Applied Mathematics,” says Verma.

Besides, the subject was introduced by the Board when Covid-19 pandemic kept schools closed, says Vivek Choudhary, PGT Mathematics at a Faridabad-based school. “Closure of schools took a huge toll as students and teachers both were clueless about the syllabus. Communication with students and parents was another challenge during the virtual mode of education. Having detailed information might have helped us in spreading awareness about the subject,” says Choudhary.

Challenges

Unavailability of textbooks is a major challenge for both teachers and students, says Choudhary. “Majority of us rely on NCERT textbooks for the board exams and other competitive examinations. But no dedicated books for Applied Math has been published yet,” says Choudhary, adding that study materials provided by the CBSE on its website is good, but more study material is needed.

When contacted, a source on condition of anonymity at NCERT says, “We have been frequently getting queries from parents and students for Applied Mathematics books. The books are not getting published as the government is yet to send the proposal for the publication of the books.

Syllabus

Applied Mathematics includes topics such as Number Theory, Interpretation of Data, Analysis of Data, Commercial Mathematics, Set Theory, Relation and Function, Algebra, Trigonometry, Fundamentals of Calculus, Logical Reasoning, Commercial Mathematics, Probability, Linear Programming, Analysis of time-based Data etc

Students who lost parents to Covid need not pay exam fee

Students who lost parents to Covid need not pay exam fee

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

27.09.2021

In a rare gesture of compassion and support, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided to exempt students who lost both their parents or their only surviving parent to Covid-19 from paying the CBSE examination fees. This was notified by the Board on Tuesday evening.

The CBSE affiliated schools in the country are already in the process of collecting fees and finalising the list of candidates for the class X and XII board examinations. A student to be included in the list of candidates (LOC), will have to pay the examination fees. The process of LOC started on September 17 and must be completed before September 30, the board had notified in an earlier statement.

The basic fee for five subjects is Rs 1,500 for class X and XII, and Rs 1,200 for SC/ST candidates of Delhi government schools. Along with the additional amount for each practical and additional or optional subject, the total fee would amount to around Rs 2,500 for many class XII students whose subjects have the practical component.

ADMISSION ALERTS

ADMISSION ALERTS

27.09.2021

BITSoM, the BITS School of Management, Mumbai invites online applications for admission to its two-year full-time residential MBA programme for the academic year 2022-24.

Eligibility: Candidates must have a recognised undergraduate or postgraduate degree in any discipline from a recognised Indian institution or international university or be in the final year.

Deadline: November 21

Link: https://www.bitsom.edu.in/

Vidyasagar University in Midnapore, West Bengal invites online applications for admission to MA in Bengali, English, History and MSc in Chemistry, Clinical Nutrition, Dietetics and Zoology.

Eligibility: Candidates must have BA degrees with honors or pass in Bengali, English and History for applying for admission to MA and for applying to MSc candidates must have BSc with honors or pass in Chemistry, Zoology, Nutrition and BMLT.

Deadline: October 7

Link: http://onlineadmission.vidyasagar.ac.in/

Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi invites online applications for admission to certificate, diploma and online postgraduate programmes

Eligibility: For certificate courses, candidates need to have a secondary school certificate (class X) or equivalent from a recognised board and for diploma courses candidates would be required to have a 10+2 or equivalent from a recognised board or university.

Deadline: September 30

Link: https://jmi.ucanapply.com/univer/public/secure?app_id=UElZMDAwMDAzNA==

National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management, Hyderabad invites applications for admission to PG Diploma in Agri-Warehousing Management.

Eligibility: Candidate must have a bachelor degree in any discipline from a recognised Indian university.

Deadline: September 30

Link: https://www.manage.gov.in/pgdawm/pgdawm-moocs.asp

You’ve got mail

You’ve got mail

Click on this link and lose all your money, says new Nigerian pal

Shinie Antony

27.09.2021

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a man in possession of a new computer, must be in want of a virus. Can you keep a PC, however branded and dusted, from catching a bug? In the current era of continuous online shopping, more criminals are going digital. Cybercrime saw a growth of almost 12% last year, according to latest NCRB data, making it a viable career option during Covid times. Revenge porn, identity theft, extortion …. Actors who send nudes on phone might as well post them on the net. A link clicked and your wallet’s empty. You are sleeping like a baby in Delhi when phone pings; your credit card was used in Dublin. You can be bankrupted with a remote.

Time was when people only had to worry about the straightforward burglary. Robbers snuck into homes to loot and plunder, grabbed gold god idols and any loose change. But thieves are hi-tech now, addressing you as ‘my dear’ or ‘dearest’ in SMS or email. Their spellings are iffy and names exotic. They all have large fortunes to give away and only you to give them to. Sometimes they pretend to be your friend stranded in Timbuctoo asking for money; you don’t reply, hoping they have other friends.

We first learnt of the web’s third eye when we told our boss we were on our deathbed only to be seen doing the Macarena on social media. Go to your mail and it always says ‘open in six other places’ – and you have only one ex! Deferential to future hackers, I periodically clean my browser history. Am I vitamin deficient, how to tell your suspicious BFF no one will romance her husband even if he pays for it, how many m in ‘recommend’ …. Occasionally to impress them I google brain surgery.

No use thinking up eccentric passwords – everything can be breached. Either they create a website just for you for spoofing or indulge in outright phishing. Don’t be surprised if you cannot access your files, ransomware bars you via encryption. Of course, if you pay, they may still keep your gibberish. Through the Internet of Things, one is connected to the outside world even through a toaster! The next time you get a call from your own number, don’t dismiss it as a technical glitch. It is not your alter ego or a you from the future, it is just your personal hacker saying hi.

Apply for GATE 2022 by Sept 28

Apply for GATE 2022 by Sept 28

27.09.2021

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, the organising Institute for Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE-2022) has extended the application deadline till September 28. Earlier, it was supposed to be closed on September 24. “Due to technical problems, the application deadline has been extended upto September 28, 2021 with no additional fees. Candidates can register themselves through the official website, gate.iitkgp.ac.in,” reads a notification issued by the IIT Kharagpur. Leh (Ladakh) has been added as a new GATE 2022 examination city. The exam fee for general candidates is Rs 1500 and with late fee it is Rs 2,000. For reserved category students, the regular application fee is Rs 750 and with late fee it is Rs 1,250.