Chennai colleges filling up, but Maths has few takers

Chennai colleges filling up, but Maths has few takers

Chennai colleges’ undergraduate seats are fast filling up, but there seems to be an exception. Top colleges here are hoping and waiting for candidates to opt for BSc Mathematics.

Published: 29th September 2021 07:03 AM 

By Binita Jaiswal

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Chennai colleges’ undergraduate seats are fast filling up, but there seems to be an exception. Top colleges here are hoping and waiting for candidates to opt for BSc Mathematics. Five years ago, the demand for mathematics and other basic science subjects was so high that Loyola College started a second shift. But this year, almost 70 mathematics seats in Shift II are lying vacant, and about 15 physics and chemistry seats in the college are yet to be filled.

“The demand for basic science courses has been dwindling over the past few years as students are now more interested in computer-related subjects and commerce courses,” the college principal Thomas Amirtham says.

Overall, the number of applications received for basic science courses, such as physics, chemistry and mathematics, is 10-15 per cent less than last year, say the managements of colleges in the city, adding that they never expected to struggle to fill their mathematics seats.

The change is linked to the 100 per cent pass rate in the Class 12 exams, say academicians. “Since all students passed, they aspire to pursue professional courses, such as engineering and computer science,” says A Sudhakar, a retired college principal.

At Guru Nanak College, principal MG Ragunathan says there is an “unusual situation” — while all seats have been occupied, mathematics is the lone exception, with 10 out of 50 seats remaining vacant.

But at MOP Vaishnav College for Women, principal Lalita Balakrishnan is hopeful. The 15 (out of 70) vacant mathematics seats are likely to get filled once the NEET results are out and the engineering counselling is over, she says.

“The deadline for admission is October 6, so students who don’t get an engineering course of their choice or a good rank in NEET will seek admission for mathematics,” Balakrishnan explains. Some academicians, meanwhile, say the declining popularity of mathematics is worrying. “How will students learn the algorithms required for artificial intelligence and machine learning without mathematics?” wondered a professor from Anna University.

AIIMS associate prof in ‘fake’ certificate row

AIIMS associate prof in ‘fake’ certificate row

As per rules, a doctor requires three years teaching experience to become an associate professor at AIIMS.

Published: 28th September 2021 08:54 AM 

By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: AIIMS, Bhubaneswar has issued a show cause notice to Associate Professor of Burns and Plastic Surgery department Dr Sunil Kumar Rout asking him to submit evidence of his previous service at a private medical college and hospital (MCH). The notice was served following a complaint lodged with AIIMS president Prof Subrat Acharya regarding the ‘false’ experience certificate produced by Rout during the selection of faculty. It was alleged that Rout was selected on the basis of the certificate of experience of three years in Hi-Tech Medical College from 2010 to 2013 but there was no plastic surgery department in the MCH during the period.

As per rules, a doctor requires three years teaching experience to become an associate professor at AIIMS. As per the recommendation of the president, AIIMS Director Prof Gitanjali Batmanabane said, Rout has been asked to submit his experience certificate, salary slips and other related documents. “The selection of faculty is done as per the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) rules.

The person, who submits false information or forged documents, is responsible for the discrepancies and liable as per law. The next course of action will be decided after verification of the documents,” she said. Rout, who joined AIIMS in December 2017, has been given 10 days to reply to the notice. “I will submit all the documents sought by the Director and reply to the notice within the time frame,” he said.

60 students of Bengaluru private school test positive

60 students of Bengaluru private school test positive

59 pupils of residential school in quarantine; 1 hospitalised

29/09/2021

special correspondent Bengaluru

A new cluster with 60 COVID-19 positive cases has been detected at the Sri Chaitanya Girls’ Residential School, near Electronics City in Bengaluru.

Of the 60 students who have tested positive, one student, who had high fever, has been admitted to Lady Curzon and Bowring Hospital, one is under home quarantine, while the remaining 58 students are under quarantine in the hostel. The school, which had reopened on September 5, will now remain closed till October 20.

There were 485 students in the hostel and 57 staff, including 22 teachers. On September 26, one hostel inmate, said to be from Ballari, developed symptoms, including fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, and tested positive for COVID-19, BBMP’s health officials said.

Centre’s nod for admission of 850 students to 7 new medical colleges

Centre’s nod for admission of 850 students to 7 new medical colleges

Three colleges allowed to take in 150 students, says Health Minister

29/09/2021

Ma. Subramanian

Special CorrespondentCHENNAI

The Union government has given its approval for admission of 850 students to seven of the 11 new government medical colleges in Tamil Nadu this year, Health Minister Ma. Subramanian said on Tuesday.

While the colleges at Virudhunagar, Kallakurichi and Udhagamandalam were permitted to admit 150 students each, those at Namakkal, Tiruppur, Ramanathapuram and Tiruvallur would admit 100 students each, he told reporters.

The National Medical Commission had conducted inspections at all 11 colleges. “The inspection team pointed out minor deficiencies at the colleges at Dindigul, Krishnagiri, Nagapattinam and Ariyalur. By small deficiencies, they stressed the need for additional buildings. The work will be completed in 10 days; thereafter, we will seek a re-inspection,” he said.

With all the works completed at the colleges at Virudhunagar, Kallakurichi and Udhagamandalam, an intake of 150 students each was approved, he said. The inspection team had laid down conditions to take up some minor works at the colleges at Namakkal, Tiruppur, Ramanathapuram and Tiruvallur. These works would be completed soon. Accordingly, admission of 100 students each had been approved for these colleges. Once the deficiencies were rectified, the government would seek a re-inspection of these four colleges to get the approval for admission to the remaining seats.

“The Union government has approved admission of a total of 850 students. The total number of 1,650 seats should be approved at these colleges [11 colleges]. We will rectify all minor deficiencies in 10-15 days. We expect to get approval for the remaining number of seats by October-end after the team conducts a re-inspection,” he said

Functionalities are user profile specific: IRCTC

Functionalities are user profile specific: IRCTC

29/09/2021

Special Correspondent CHENNAI

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has stated that there is no chance of cancelling a train ticket by using a different user identity and password.

Referring to a report titled “Teen flags bug in IRCTC’s system” published in these columns on September 21, 2021, IRCTC’s spokesperson Anand Kumar Jha said that there was no scope to cancel a ticket or change the boarding station, by taking advantage of a vulnerability since the functionalities were user profile specific.

But, he said the issue of accessing the transaction details by changing the transaction identity had been fixed on second September 2, 2021.

P. Renganathan, 17, Chennai-based XII Standard student who flagged the issue had written to the the Computer Emergency Response Team stating that he had discovered a critical vulnerability that leaked the transaction details of millions of travellers.

Explaining how the private data could be accessed, Renganathan said that by changing the transaction identity one could gain access to others travel details.

To this, CERT thanked the teenager and confirmed by email that the vulnerability had been fixed.

Schools to reopen in T.N. for classes 1 to 8 on November 1

Schools to reopen in T.N. for classes 1 to 8 on November 1

Decision is based on inputs from experts, says CM

29/09/2021

Back to school: Standard operating procedure must be strictly followed in schools.

Special CorrespondentCHENNAI

The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday allowed in-person classes for students of classes 1 to 8 from November 1. The standard operating procedure issued in this regard must be strictly followed, it said.

In a statement, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said the decision was based on the inputs from medical experts, educationists and parents.

Students of classes 9 to 12 have already been attending in-person classes.

The experts had contended that students of classes 1 to 8 were under immense stress and experienced a gap in learning as they did not attend in-person classes and remained at home for several months because of the COVID-19 restrictions, Mr. Stalin said.

The School Education Department would make preliminary arrangements for the resumption of in-person classes. He said the lockdown would be in place in the State till 6 a.m. on October 31.

850 more MBBS seats this year in TN

850 more MBBS seats this year in TN

Admissions Okayed In 7 New Colleges

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:29.09.2021

The Centre has granted permission to Tamil Nadu to admit 850 students to undergraduate courses in seven new government medical colleges this academic year, health minister Ma Subramanian said on Tuesday. This will take the total MBBS seats in the state to 4,300.

On Monday, deans of three colleges in Virudhunagar, Kallakurichi and Ooty received permission to start admission with 150 students each. Four other medical colleges in Namakkal, Tiruvallur, Tirupur and Ramanathapuram have been granted permission to admit 100 students each.

Last year, the Directorate of Medical Education applied for permission to start 11 new medical colleges with 150 MBBS seats each. The National Medical Commission sent inspection teams of all these institutions between July and August. The panel of inspectors verified the infrastructure and human resources facility required to admit students for the first year MBBS course in these newly constructed colleges. They visited hospitals, anatomy, physiology and biochemistry labs, library, hostels – required for first year students.

Based on reports from the inspection committee, the centre has asked Tamil Nadu to upgrade infrastructure, mostly civil works, in Dindigul, Krishnagiri, Ariyalur and Nagapattinam medical colleges. “Most of these are civil work and are expected to be completed in ten days,” said Ma Subramanian. “We will reapply for inspection to these colleges in October. We will also ask for an additional 50 seats in Namakkal, Tirupur, Tiruvallur and Ramanathapuram. We are hopeful of getting 850 more seats for the coming academic year. If that happens, the total number of seats will go up to 5,200," he said.

While analysts in private coaching institutes are predicting tough competition for medical admissions, these additional seats will allow more aspirants to join the course, they say. In 2020, the NEET cut off for the open category was 598, followed by 554 for BC, 527 for BCM, 521 of MBC, 443 for SC, 375 for SCA and 346 for ST at the government colleges. “This year, the NEET score may be higher, and the competition is likely to get tougher. Additional seats will offer more space for meritorious students,” said Malini Ravichandran, who coaches students for NEET.

Besides offering medical education, these colleges will help the state expand tertiary care to districts. Most of these colleges will have 700-750 bed hospitals attached to these colleges that have all the facilities to offer quality care, he said. The new medical colleges will help the health department provide quality medical training at affordable cost and offer speciality and super speciality care to people living in the area free of cost, said health secretary J Radhakrishnan.