Haryana decides to recruit staff for varsities through HPSC, HSSC

Haryana decides to recruit staff for varsities through HPSC, HSSC

Oppn Targets Govt Over Issue Of Autonomy

Manvir.Saini@timesgroup.com

Chandigarh: 11.11.2021

In an unprecedented move, which has put the ruling BJP-JJP combine in the firing line, the government has decided to carry out recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff of all the universities through the Haryana Public Service Commission and Haryana Staff Selection Commission.

The higher education department issued a formal notification related to this on Monday. This has not only triggered unrest among staffers of universities, but has also made the opposition to train guns on the government while terming the move as “ending the autonomy of universities” in the violation of statutes.

Notably, there are eight state government-run universities in Haryana. In all the state universities, there is an issue of shortage of teaching as well as non-teaching staff.

“Universities are an autonomous bodies and they have capable staff and experts to conduct their own recruitment. And committees are constituted for this purpose. Now, this order will certainly have government’s direct interference into the affair. This would prove costly for all,” said a senior professor of MDU.

“This is the biggest blunder which the BJP-JJP government has made on the lines of Union government which has ruined the autonomy of internationally acclaimed universities like JNU. All this is being done to give a backdoor entry to their favourite and choicest candidates or party loyals. This will ultimately ruin Haryana universities as well,” said Rohtak and Jhajjar MLA B B Batra and Geeta Bhukkal at Chandigarh. Aftab Ahmed, deputy leader of opposition, said this way, the government has shown complete disrespect to the Constitution of India.

Haryana education minister Kanwar Pal Gujjar defended the decision. “The government has not taken away anybody’s autonomy. We have just dealt with the recruitment part and this will give more support to universities and they will work more independently,” said Gujjar.

Sources said for group-B posts, universities will send requisition to HPSC. HPSC will conduct examinations and interview for these posts and the list of selected candidates recommended would be sent to the university for appointment.

“For this, the statutes/service rules of the university are to be amended. In case of the registrar, the statutes may be amended to provide for a search-cum-selection committee consisting of the vicechancellor as chairperson, one expert each to be nominated by the HPSC, Haryana State Higher Education Council, state government and Executive Council of the University,” said the higher education department said in its orders to all the vice-chancellors of the universities under it.

For group C and D posts, the universities will send requisitions to Haryana Staff Selection Commission. HSSC will conduct examination and the list of selected candidates recommended will be provided to the university for appointment. And for the post of assistant professor (in case examination are proposed to be held), the university will send requisition to HPSC, which will conduct examination and the list of candidates with the marks obtained in the examination would be provided to the university.

The government has not taken away anybody’s autonomy. We have just dealt with the recruitment part and this will give more support to universities and they will work more independently

Kanwar Pal Gujjar | HARYANA EDUCATION MINISTER

Sacking orders for re-employed staff

TO BE REMOVED IMMEDIATELY

Sacking orders for re-employed staff

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chandigarh:11.11.2021

The Punjab government on Tuesday ordered immediate termination of services of all officers and officials re-employed after retirement, except law officers.

There was a demand from the employees union that those re-employed should be removed immediately so that the junior officials get the opportunity of promotion to higher posts and youngsters could get jobs against vacant positions. The personnel department in its letter addressed to all the department heads informed that services of all the retired officers and other employees re-employed on contract or other basis at their level with the approval of the personnel department should be terminated immediately. “Only re-appointed law officers will be exempt from these instructions,” said the personnel department.

In another decision, while implementing recommendations of the 6th Punjab Pay Commission, the state government on Tuesday issued the notification for grant of Rs 1,000 per month as fixed medical allowance to all its pensioners and family pensioners. This decision will be effective from July 1 this year. The fixed medical allowance was Rs 500 per month earlier.

The finance department also issued a notification on Tuesday increasing the dearness relief to pensioners and family pensioners from 17% to 28% with effect from November 1. “The decision regarding release of arrears shall be taken later,” reads the notification.

Over 50% of dental PG seats still unfilled

Over 50% of dental PG seats still unfilled

Rema.Nagarajan@timesgroup.com

11.11.2021

With just a day to go for admissions to post-graduate seats in dental medicine and more than half the seats remaining unfilled, the association of private medical and dental colleges on Tuesday appealed to the Dental Council of India and the government to reduce the cut-off percentile so that more candidates could become eligible for admission.

The colleges are also hoping that the November 10 deadline for admissions will be extended.

Roughly 10-12% of dental post graduate (MDS) seats have been going vacant every year since 2018. In 2015, there were no takers for almost 44% of seats, but the vacancies have reduced since then.

Of the 6,658 MDS seats for which NEET PG entrance was conducted, only 2,950 (44%) were filled as on November 8, pointed out a dental council member adding that colleges were hoping for a reduction in qualifying percentile as was done in earlier years.

“This year, out of 27,580 candidates who took the entrance, going by the qualifying cut-off 16,300 qualified. That’s a ratio of barely 1.5 candidates per seat. However, according to the government’s 2017 gazette notification, if the number of qualifying candidates in the respective categories is less than three times the number of seats or vacancies, the cut-off percentile will be automatically lowered to ensure that the number of eligible candidates will be at least three times the number of seats in each category,” explained Dr Keshav Agrawal of the Association of Private Medical and Dental Colleges. Hence, the colleges are expecting a reduction in the qualifying percentile. In 2019, the qualifying percentile had been reduced from 50th to 25.8th for general category, and from 40th to 15.8th for OBC/SC/ST.

Private dental colleges want NEET to be done away with as it is proving to be a barrier in filling seats despite lowering of cut-off, said a DCI member, adding that the council was not entirely happy about lowering standards.

The member added that despite a freeze on opening any more private dental colleges, there are over 27,200 BDS seats and 6,658 MDS seats. Out of the total MDS seats, less than 900 are in government colleges. Out of 320 dental colleges, less than 60 are government ones.

“There are way too many private dental colleges offering bachelor’s degree in dentistry (BDS) and MDS seats. This has led to a glut and most dentists have no job opportunities.

The jobs they get mostly pay very poor salaries, Rs 15,000-20,000 per month. In fact, most BDS graduates prefer to do post-graduation in disciplines such as hospital administration or public health as these offer more job opportunities and better paid options than investing in a far more expensive postgraduate degree in dentistry,” explained a BDS graduate who did a post-graduation in public health after failing to get a decent paying job as a dentist.

“The seats in non-clinical subjects such as public health dentistry, oral pathology and oral medicine are the ones that usually have no takers. We have proposed to the government to allow us to take BDS graduates to fill these seats so that there will not be a shortage of faculty in dental colleges in the future,” said Dr Agrawal.

Madras HC chief justice shifted to Meghalaya HC

Madras HC chief justice shifted to Meghalaya HC

Sureshkumar.K@timesgroup.com

Chennai:11.11.2021

Bringing to an end the eventful tenure of Sanjib Banerjee as Chief Justice of the Madras high court, the Supreme Court collegium has recommended his transfer to the Meghalaya high court. Justice Banerjee was sworn in as chief justice just over 10 months ago — on January 4, 2021.

Though the transfer order is dated September 16, it was released officially only on Tuesday. The collegium also recommended transfer of Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari, a judge in the Allahabad high court, to the Madras high court.

Justice Banerjee, who completed 60 years on November 2, has two more years of service left. From the 75-judge chartered high court, Chief Justice Banerjee is moving to a high court which at present has two judges.

In his 10-month stint as chief justice, Banerjee had penned several significant rulings. In April 2021, the first bench headed by Chief Justice Banerjee lambasted the Election Commission of India for failing to maintain Covid-19 protocols during campaigns for the Tamil Nadu assembly election and had said the “ECI should be put upon murder charges for being the most irresponsible institution (sic)”. He had also warned of stalling the election if protocol was not followed. Though the ECI went to the Supreme Court to expunge the observations made by him, the apex court had refused to oblige.

In July, the judge, while sitting at the Madurai bench of the court, chastised the state government for not booking anyone in connection with the Sterlite police firing in which 13 protesters were killed. “Can we kill people and throw money at them and say that our job is done?” his bench had asked.

Justice Banerjee has two years of service left. From the 75-judge chartered high court, he is moving to a high court which at present has two judges

Prayer of 12 years snuffed out in smoke-filled ICU

Prayer of 12 years snuffed out in smoke-filled ICU

Jamal Ayub & Sudeept Mishra TNN

Bhopal:11.11.2021

Raees and Irfana Ahmed’s 12-year prayer for a child was answered last week. They named him Rahil. After eight days of hospitalization, the baby was scheduled for discharge on Tuesday. The house was decked up for the homecoming.

A discharge sheet signed on Tuesday – but it was a death certificate. “I did not let my wife see our baby’s body. I could identify him but his skin had blackened due to the smoke that engulfed the ward after the fire,” said Raees, struggling to get each word out.

Raees is from Nasrullah Ganj in Sehore district, some 100 km from Bhopal. His first born was referred to the state’s largest tertiary care hospital in the state capital with breathing difficulties.

His mother was with the baby till around 8.30pm. The couple was excited and had made plans for the child’s homecoming. Then, disaster struck.

A fire broke out in the paediatric ICU, and the attendants and patients’ kin were ordered to move out. They resisted, pleading to be allowed to take their children to safety. But the security staff would hear none of it. Firefighting and rescue were to be left to the professionals.

Rahil’s maternal uncle, Rashid, told TOI that when the fire erupted, he had gone home to have dinner. “Irfana called me about the fire in the baby ward. I rushed back and went into the hospital building. It was dark and I tried to find my way with the help of a mobile torchlight. Only 4-5 hospital staff were present, along with seven to eight family members of the babies. Together, we rescued seven to eight babies and shifted them to another ward,” said Rashid.

Raees was all cut up on Tuesday as he waited to collect the little bundle at the mortuary. “My baby was going to be discharged. I should have been allowed to rescue him. After 12 years, when the Almighty finally answered our prayers for a child, he was snatched from us,” ,” he sobbed. “We are in deep shock,” said Rashid.

A newborn baby being shifted to another hospital after fire in Kamala Nehru hospital on Tuesday

Investigation Is Progressing: NTA Informs Kerala High Court In Alleged NEET- OMR Scam

Investigation Is Progressing: NTA Informs Kerala High Court In Alleged NEET- OMR Scam

Hannah M Varghese 8 Nov 2021 6:00 PM

The National Testing Agency (NTA), on Monday informed the Kerala High Court that it has initiated a probe into the alleged incident of manipulation in the NEET-UG OMR sheet.

Justice N Nagaresh after recording the same directed NTA to file its report soon. The matter will be taken up again on November 16.

When the petition came up for hearing, Advocate S Nirmal appearing for NTA informed the court that a Committee was constituted under the chairmanship of the Joint Director to conduct an investigation.

It was further informed that three eminent professors from IIT were also included in the Committee.

The court then enquired as to when the investigation will be over. The counsel replied that the Committee has heard the parties, including the petitioner. He added that the investigation was progressing and the report will be filed soon.

NTA made the submission on the petition filed by a candidate in the NEET UG 2021 exam, conducted on September 12, seeking a CBI probe into the alleged manipulation.

The petitioner alleged that in the OMR sheet, her signature was seen to be manipulated and the names of her mother and father were wrong. She further contended that the markings on the OMR sheet were not hers. It was added that her roll number in the numerical section did not tally with the bubbled portion.

The petitioner also raised serious doubts over the left-hand thumb impression seen in the OMR sheet. Based on these allegations, the Court had ordered a probe by NTA.

Case Title: Rithu Sibi v. Union of India & Ors.

No foreign funds for NGOs if purpose not declared: SC

No foreign funds for NGOs if purpose not declared: SC

AmitAnand.Choudhary@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:11.11.2021

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said NGOs should not be allowed to receive foreign funds if the donor did not declare the purpose for which the money is to be spent and said the Centre has diluted the intent of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) by not insisting on such a provision.

A bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and C T Ravikumar said as per Section 8 of the Act, disclosure has to be made at the outset regarding the purpose for which a contribution has been made and asked the Centre to make its stand clear on the issue.

Section 8 says every person who is registered and granted a certificate or given prior permission under the Act and receives any foreign contribution, shall utilise such contribution for the purposes for which the contribution has been received.

Referring to the section, the bench said the purpose of the contribution has to be disclosed and only then would inflow of funds be allowed. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta contended that an NGO can use the fund for activities for which they are registered which could be social, cultural, religious purposes.

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