CM, officials spend endless hours on field for relief work

CM, officials spend endless hours on field for relief work

Komal.Gautham@timesgroup.com

09.11.2021

The spectacle of chief minister M K Stalin, senior ministers and IAS/IPS officers, with sleeves rolled up and sporting gloves and gum boots, visiting flooded neighbourhoods and overseeing relief measures has taken residents by surprise.

R Gowri Shankar and Mahalakshmi of Perambur were originally worried if their marriage would take place at all on Monday due to rain. But the event became more memorable for the couple, as Stalin spotted them on road, blessed them in person and handed them a cash gift too. While returning home after the wedding, the couple noticed Stalin’s entourage at Kannadasa Nagar. They waved at it, but didn’t expect him to stop.

To their surprise, Stalin asked his driver to reverse the car. He did not just get down from the vehicle to bless the couple, but also gave them ₹1000 each as cash gift. “He told me to take care of my wife well, and blessed us. I will frame this currency and will never use it. I will never forget this incident in my life,” Shankar said.

HR&CE minister PK Sekar Babu recalls how Stalin walked into a Sathya Nagar household that was least prepared to host him. “He sat there and inquired about their grievances. This attitude sets an example for us all. When the chief minister himself is travelling hundreds of kilometre we don’t feel like sitting at home at all,” he said.

Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Chennai corporation commissioner, says it is only through field visits certain problems can be resolved. “Many officials and ministers were worried stagnant water in T Nagar. When we made a spot visit, we found there were two blockages in Mambalam canal. When it was removed, water began flowing freely,” he said.

BEST WISHES: Chief minister M K Stalin in rain gear blesses a newly wed couple in Kannadasa Nagar on Monday

CITY STAYS IN WITH FINGERS CROSSED

CITY STAYS IN WITH FINGERS CROSSED

Thunderstorms With Heavy Rain Forecast For City, TN Districts on November 10, 11

U.Tejonmayam@timesgroup.com

09.11.2021

The rain over the weekend was only the prelude. India Meteorological Centre has issued an orange alert for Tuesday (November 9) forecasting thunderstorms with heavy rain in the city and many districts triggered by a low pressure system.

The Nungambakkam weather station (city), with 141cm so far this year, has already surpassed its annual normal rainfall of 140cm, while Meenambakkam (132cm so far) is inching towards its quota of 138cm.

The rain forecast for November 9 may increase on November 10 and 11 with heavy to very heavy and isolated extremely heavy spells.

The city, private forecasters said, may get a break from heavy rain on November 9 before it picks up pace on November 10 and continues through November 11. For the next 48 hours, thunderstorms with moderate rain, heavy at times have been forecast over some city areas and the suburbs with the skies remaining generally cloudy. Maximum and minimum temperature will be around 26 degrees C and 24 degrees C.

“The system is approaching the coast as a depression,” said N Puviarasan, director of IMD’s Area Cyclone Warning Centre.

The low pressure area is likely to form under the influence of a cyclonic circulation over southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining south Andaman Sea extending up to 5.8km above mean sea level. “It is likely to move west-northwestwards, concentrate into a depression and reach north Tamil Nadu coast by November 11 early morning,” IMD said.

IMD has forecast rain of varied intensity over some southern, interior and delta districts on November 9. Intensity may increase on November 10 and 11 with rainfall ranging from extremely heavy to heavy over many parts of the state including Chennai and neighbouring districts.

On Monday, Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam recorded 14.5mm and 14.8mm till 7.30pm. The northeast monsoon has so far left 632.2mm and 520.4mm in the two stations since October 1, an excess of 226.4mm and 116.9mm. Tamil Nadu recorded 346.1mm against a normal of 241.2mm in the same period. Chennai subdivision registered 547.9mm against 392.5mm (40% excess), while neighbouring Kanchipuram recorded 17%, Tiruvallur 31% and Chengalpet 34% excess.

Mahesh Palawat, Skymet Weather chief meteorologist, tweeted that Chennai got 415mm between November 1 and 8, against the average of 374.4mm for November, the wettest for Chennai.

Blogger Pradeep John said models showed the system may move a few hundred kilometres into the land before losing strength. “There won’t be any break in rainfall. We will continue to receive rain even after the system fizzles out because of weak northeasterly winds. But they may be mostly light spells,” an IMD official said.

Govt to start vaccination for kids only after nod to Covaxin

Govt to start vaccination for kids only after nod to Covaxin

Sushmi.Dey@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:09.11.2021

Children may have to wait for some more time to get vaccinated against Covid-19 as the government will start immunisation for kids only after Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin is approved for use which might take a few more weeks, a senior official told TOI.

The government is concerned that supplies of ZyCoV-D — a three-dose vaccine given emergency use authorisation (EUA) for children between 12-17 years — may not be adequate to begin inoculating children. Covaxin, currently in use for adults, has been recommended for use in children of 2-18 years. However, the final approval for EUA is pending with the DCGI. The regulator has been cautious in its approach as the vaccinations concern young children. The official said data has been reviewed thoroughly now and DCGI approval for use of Covaxin in children is expected by end of November.

The government plans to initiate vaccination with children who have been diagnosed with certain health conditions that make them more vulnerable to Covid.

Centre places order for 1cr Zydus doses

The health ministry placed an order for one crore doses of Zydus Cadila’s Covid vaccine, ZyCoV-D, at ₹358 per dose, exclusive of GST. The government aims to to start distribution of the jabs by December once supply begins. ZyCov-D, the world’s first DNA vaccine, is a three-dose vaccine that will be given on day zero, day 28 and day 56. P 8

‘ZyCoV-D supplies may not suffice to cover all children’

“We will wait for Covaxin to be approved for used in children before opening up Covid immunisation programme. ZyCoV-D supplies are limited and may not suffice to cover all children. Besides, it has been approved only for children above 12 years of age,” the official said.

Once the DCGI approves Covaxin for use in children, it will be reviewed by National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) before the final guidelines for immunisation of children are issued. The government expects to begin the programme for children by end of December or early next year, once approval is granted.

There are around 44 crore children in the country as per current data and government estimates around 10-12% will be eligible under prioritisation. With limited supplies of ZyCoV-D, it may be difficult for the government to ensure smooth supplies for such a large cohort, the official said.

The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) formally endorsed the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children above five recently. The EU regulators have not yet authorised any Covid vaccine for children below age 12.

L-2 spouses in US may no longer need to apply for work authorisation

L-2 spouses in US may no longer need to apply for work authorisation

Lubna.Kably @timesgroup.com

09.11.2021

A lawsuit contesting that L-2 visa holders do not need a separate employment authorisation (or work permit) to be eligible for job opportunities or self-employment in the US has yielded results. In the coming days, it is likely that the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will announce that L-2 visa holders no longer need to apply for an employment authorisation document (EAD). Dependants such as the spouse of an L-1 visa holder (who is in the US on an intra-company transfer) are given the L-2 visa. H-4 visas are held by dependents including the spouse of the H-1B visa holder.

The lawsuit had contended that L-2 visa holders are eligible for employment ‘incident to status’. In other words, they should be eligible to work without a separate work permit application. However, USCIS required that the L-2 holders apply for a work permit – this often resulted in a job loss, as the wait for the application to be adjudicated took 10-15 months. “We have hammered out the terms of the settlement agreement,” Jonathan Wasden, partner at Wasden Banias, who represented the 16 plaintiffs, told TOI.

These plaintiffs, majority of them Indian nationals, are holding an L-2 or H-4 dependent visa. They had contested that as the immigration agency had violated the law, they found themselves in the precious situation of being unemployed. “In response to our lawsuit (Shergill v/s Mayorkas) the immigration agency will change its policy. L-2 visa holders will no longer need to apply for an EAD. Some H-4 visa holders will be eligible for auto extension of their EAD if they had valid status that lasted longer than the EAD,” explained Wasden.

TOI had earlier reported on the filing of this lawsuit.

Malaysia gives nod to Covaxin, may soon allow Indian tourists

Malaysia gives nod to Covaxin, may soon allow Indian tourists

Aradhana Takhtani

09.11.2021

India and Malaysia seem to be set for a bumper tourism trade with both nations reopening borders, easing immigration curbs, and the latter finally announcing its acceptance of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin. On Saturday, Malaysia’s health minister Khairy Jamaluddin not only gave India’s Covaxin a thumbs up, but also congratulated India “for successfully producing the homemade vaccine”. Just a week prior to reopening tourist hotspot Langkawi to foreign tourists on November 15, Malaysia’s Covaxin approval is being seen as a significant move.

India, already ahead in its tourism diplomacy, has received two chartered flights full of tourists from Malaysia since the reopening of her borders from October 15. Talking to TOI, Indian high commissioner to Malaysia, B N Reddy, said: “There’s been a 150% increase in tourist visa applications from Malaysians this week compared to mid-October 2021. We anticipate this number to increase based on queries received.” In June 2021, India had announced upto five lakh free visas for international tourists on first-come-first-basis. The Indian high commission has presented a detailed proposal to Malaysia on launching a tourism bubble arrangement between the two nations.

Pandemic pushes IAS dreams to the backburner

 Pandemic pushes IAS dreams to the backburner

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

09.11.2021

The dream of civil services of N Selvakumar, a mechanical engineering student from Tirunelveli, was put on standby in March 2020. He had just joined IAS coaching in August 2019, but the Covid-19 pandemic put a pause on his preparations. Unable to pay for food and accommodation owing to the financial crisis post pandemic, he returned home.

Nivedha, 23, from central Tamil Nadu, had to skip the IAS exam this year as her preparation was not up to the mark after physical coaching classes were suspended.

Anna Nagar, the civil service coaching hub in Chennai, which attracted students from as far as Rajasthan, Kashmir, Kerala and other states wears a deserted look now even after coaching institutes reopened for physical coaching around two months ago. The neighbourhood was home to more than 20 coaching institutes enrolling 6,000 to 7,000 students every year before the pandemic hit, now several smaller institutes have wrapped up operations as they could not afford to pay rent or employ trainers during the pandemic.

The entire industry that came up along with the coaching classes — from exclusive hostels for civil service aspirants, rental houses and catering services — are all affected. Except for a few, the majority of the hostels have less than 30% occupancy. Though some coaching centres and hostels have slashed their fees, still many are struggling to pay for the facilities after the pandemic led to economic distress in many families.

Of the 28,422 candidates who registered for the recently-held Union Public Service Commission’s civil services preliminary exam from Chennai, 53% were absent.

R K Sabarinathan, founder of Santhosh and Sabari IAS Academy in Shenoy Nagar, said enrolment in civil services coaching has come down by nearly 50% after the pandemic. “Many students default their fees due to financial stress. We cannot rent bigger halls to follow social distancing norms as the rent is high so we are conducting online classes now and hope to return to physical classes only next year,” he said.

But online classes leave gaps in learning, feels Selvakumar. “I could not clear my doubts like in physical classes with the trainers. The competitive environment for aspirants and guidance of seniors were missing in home preparation,” he said.

Nivedha, says women face a host of other issues. “Many women got married due to family pressure over the past year. The marriage age has come down to 22 again,” she said. And this socio-economic stress is being felt in the institutes that stand for an aspirational generation.

Though bigger coaching institutes like Shankar IAS Academy started physical classes, the number of enrolment is down by 40% compared to before the pandemic. “Those who adapted to the online mode of coaching before the pandemic have survived,” said S Chandru, academic head, Shankar IAS Academy in Anna Nagar. “It could take at least two years to return to normalcy,” Chandru said.

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Court directs Bar to frame rules to verify law degrees

Court directs Bar to frame rules to verify law degrees

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Madurai:09.11.2021

The Madras high court on Monday directed the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to consider and pass orders on a representation seeking to frame appropriate rules and guidelines to verify the genuineness of law degrees obtained by people during the enrollment process, in order to prevent those without proper qualification from enrolling as advocates.

A division bench of justices Pushpa Sathyanarayana and P Velmurugan passed the order while disposing of a petition filed by an advocate S Muthukumar from Madurai district.

In his petition, the petitioner stated that several people without any basic qualification are getting themselves enrolled as advocates and are cheating the courts as well as the people. He stated that the people who apply for law courses have started to obtain degrees without even attending the classes. Such practices would deteriorate the standards of the legal profession. Appropriate rules and guidelines should be framed by the Bar Council to verify the genuineness of the law degrees and to verify if an individual had undergone the course properly, he said.