Woman cop, who carried sick man on shoulder, is now an internet sensation

Woman cop, who carried sick man on shoulder, is now an internet sensation

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

12.11.2021

Inspector Rajeshwari of T P Chathiram, who was clearing an uprooted tree, received a call about a man lying unconscious at a cemetery at 8.30 pm. She rushed there believing the man would could be saved. A tree had fallen on him during the incessant rain that lashed Chennai.

The cop carried him on her shoulders to reach an autorickshaw which she had arranged for a hospital. In a 2-minute video that has now gone viral, Rajeshwari can be seen running frantically, carrying the man on her shoulders and shouting out to her colleagues there that he should be saved at any cost. She had covered him with blanket.

The man, identified as 28-year-old Udhayakumar, was admitted to an ICU and is said to be recovering well.i

Inspector Rajeshwari’s is no stranger to selfless public service. She had led a team that investigated sexual assault on a 11-year-old girl by over a dozen men in Ayanavaram in Chennai in 2018. In 1992, Rajeshwari received an appreciation letter for her exemplary work for saving lives in the Mahamaham stampede.

Senior police officers remember Rajeswari for her courage and humility. She was the only non-IPS officer to receive an award at a police conference a few years ago in Thrissur. She is known for rescuing destitute women.

A native of Theni district, Rajeshwari has emptied all her savings buying clothes and food every week for destitutes.

“I feel I should have some purpose in life and that would be helping the poor. It is more satisfying than anything else,” said Rajeshwari.

Cab rates up as public transport crippled

Cab rates up as public transport crippled

Ram Sundaram & Ayyappan V | TNN

12.11.2021

Demand for recovery and towing vehicles was high on Thursday as several vehicles got stuck in water-logged areas across the city.

“We received close to 25 rescue calls. But we are able to attend only half of them because of the excess rain. Majority of the calls were from Kodambakkam, Vadapalani, Arumbakkam and Taramani areas,” said S Renjith Kumar from OMR Towing Services in Perungudi. It cost ₹1,600 to ₹2,500 to recover a car.

Not just private vehicles, such agencies were instrumental in recovering even autos and taxis, which were the only form urban commute available in interior areas as public transportation crippled.

In some places, autos and cabs charged up to ₹900 for 10-km trips. “We did not have an option as not many were willing to enter our area,” said Inbarajan, a resident of Perambur.

The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), Chennai has suspended services of close to 1,000 buses, according to official data.

MTC managed to operate 1,600 buses to help those leaving for work. But nearly threefourths among them were unable to complete the trips on time and come gor.

Long-distance buses too struggled to reach Chennai as parts of Madurantakam and Tambaram (along Chennai-Trichy highway) got inundated. So, buses had to wait for rain and wind speed to reduce for a safer commute. It extended travel time by at least 90 to 120 minutes on Thursday afternoon.

As far as trains were concerned, suburban services were delayed after tracks got flooded near Ambattur and Avadi along the Chennai-Thiruvallur route. However, railways cancelled only three services and operated the rest of the trains. But many of the services on Tambaram and Gummidipoondi route were delayed.

The Basin Bridge yard was flooded making it difficult for the staff to check trains and get them ready for service from Central. Long-distance express trains were operated as per schedule. As more rain is forecast, railways will operate suburban services on Sunday’s schedule on Friday.

Depression leaves city bruised; low-pressure likely tomorrow

Depression leaves city bruised; low-pressure likely tomorrow

14 Dead Across TN; Several Core City Areas Flooded

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:12.11.2021

The unrelenting showers that battered the city and northern regions of Tamil Nadu all through the night on Thursday slowed down later in the day as the depression over the Bay of Bengal crossed the coast near Chennai by evening.

The heavy rain and release of surplus water from dams, about 13,000 cusecs, has transformed several areas in the city into a water body with streets swirling with deluge and trash.

While at least 14 people were killed in rain-related incidents in the state so far, more than 1,000 tenements, mostly huts, suffered damage across Tamil Nadu.

IMD has forecast a new lowpressure over the south Andaman Sea on November 13 (Saturday). It will move northwest and become more marked around Monday. “The depression crossed the north Tamil Nadu coast close to Chennai between 5.30pm and 6.30pm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 45-55kmph gusting to 65kmph. It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and weaken gradually into a well-marked low pressure area on Friday morning,” said S Balachandran, DDG, IMD and added that the red alert for Chennai and neighbouring districts has been withdrawn.

The overnight rain left streets flooded in T Nagar, K K Nagar, Alwarpet, Velachery, and OMR, disrupted power supply, and uprooted 267 trees. On Thursday, 523 locations were water logged but only 68 could be cleared. Two roads, R K Mutt road in Mandaveli and Thirumalaipillai road in T Nagar, have caved in. The authorities used 55 boats to rescue the stranded and 570 motor pumps were used to pump out water. Eight subways still remain flooded.

Tambaram registered 23cm, Ennore 21cm, Nungambakkam 16cm and Meenambakkam 14cm. This was the second big spell after last weekend when Nungambakkam registered a record 22cm and Meenambakkam 11cm.

Many aspirants to architecture oppose new eligibility criteria

Many aspirants to architecture oppose new eligibility criteria

Mumbai:11.11.2021

Even as the Council of Architecture made scores in the National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) mandatory for admissions to non-CFTIs (centrally-funded technological institutions) a few months ago, many students are opposed to it. Earlier, students with JEE (Main) scores were also eligible.

A city college principal, said the National Testing Agency gives percentile scores in JEE (Main), which is relative, and students only have to get a nonzero score to qualify. Whereas in NATA, the general category cutoff is 70 (out of 200) to qualify. It is unfair to larger number of students seeking admissions in architecture colleges through NATA, they said.

While many are opposed to it, principals claimed colleges had to maintain quality of education and the council was authorised to regulate policies on architecture education. TNN

'This Is Not A Circus Or Cinema': Kerala High Court After Man Appears Shirtless On Virtual Proceedings

'This Is Not A Circus Or Cinema': Kerala High Court After Man Appears Shirtless On Virtual Proceedings: After noticing a shirtless man attending the virtual proceedings, the Kerala High Court emphasise

Two blind students graduate with distinction

Two blind students graduate with distinction

Nida.Sayed@timesgroup.com

Panaji:11.11.2021

Sumera Khan, 23, from Margao was born with blindness, but ask her to travel to Santa Cruz for her sessions at the National Association of the Blind (NAB) and she can do so seamlessly using public transport, with only her white cane as support.

The expertise in braille and determination to excel in academics motivated her to score 87% in distinction in graduation, the results of which were announced last week. Dethroning the long lineage of sighted students that came before her, Khan is the topper in her batch, this year.

“It was challenging when we shifted to online classes due to the pandemic. However, once I was able to adjust to the medium, there was no looking back and I was able to complete my studies,” Khan said.

She is now aiming for IAS preparation so that she can uplift people from the underprivileged and rural areas.

“I want to ensure that others get the same opportunities that I did,” she said.

Saish Salkar, 23, a visually impaired student from Old Goa, also graduated with 80% in his graduation course. He is now pursuing a masters degree in English literature at Goa University.

“Shifting to virtual examinations was the toughest challenge since verbally saying our answers on Google Meet was something we had never been exposed to. However, I was determined to excel since I want to further prepare for UPSC,” he said.

The duo’s achievement has made their teachers at NAB extremely proud. Theirs is not just yet another success story to come from the institute, but also an achievement wherein the students have performed against their sighted counterparts in a regular college, instead of a special one.

“They cannot come out of schools as leaders if they do not learn to be a part of regular society early on. We, therefore, follow an integrated regulated programme as part of which students can go to regular schools instead of special schools. Here, the students compete with the sighted students and emerge as successful while overcoming all challenges,” said NAB president Rozendo Mendonsa.

Sumera Khan (left) and Saish Salkar now aim to clear the UPSC exam and become IAS officers

Varsity to offer online course on poll processes

Varsity to offer online course on poll processes

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Panaji:11.11.2021

As the state heads towards the 2022 assembly polls, Goa University students and the general public will be able to learn about the country’s democratic systems and poll processes via a short-term online course introduced at GU’s department of political science by the office of the chief electoral officer, in a collaborative effort.

The course ‘Democracy and Electoral Management in India’ aims to introduces participants to the concepts of democracy and the functioning of the largest electoral machinery in the world. The course will also include hands-on training on an actual EVM.

The total course duration will be 12 hours, spread over four weeks from November 22 to December 22, GU said.

The course has been vetted by the India International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Management, New Delhi, and approved by the GU Academic Council. It is also open to government officials and those who will be working as presiding/polling officers at the upcoming state elections.

“Certificates of participation to be provided to all completing basic class requirements. All lectures will be available on YouTube, with an opportunity for live interaction with resource persons,” GU said.

Those interested have to register before November 17 and must have a minimum of Class XII qualification.

DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM