Chennai book fair from January 6-23 at YMCA Grounds; Stalin to inaugurate event

Chennai book fair from January 6-23 at YMCA Grounds; Stalin to inaugurate event

BAPASI, which organises the fair, said all Covid-19 protocol stipulated by the State government will be followed and the fair will be used as a platform to create awareness on safety.

Published: 14th December 2021 02:40 AM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin will inaugurate the 45th Chennai book fair at the YMCA Grounds in Nandanam from January 6 to 23. During weekdays, the fair will be open from 3 pm to 8:30 pm and on weekends and government holidays including Pongal, from 11 am to 8:30 pm.

SK Murugan, secretary of BookSellers’ and Publishers’ Association of South India (BAPASI), which organises the fair, said all Covid-19 protocol stipulated by the State government will be followed and the fair will be used as a platform to create awareness on safety.

“We are discussing with officials the possibility of having a vaccination camp within the premises and we will also make sure to intensify awareness campaigns,” Murugan said. Masks and sanitisers will be distributed at the venue.

The programme schedule and details will be available by the first week of January, said Murugan.

In 2021, the fair was conducted in late February which resulted in organisers and publishers losing out on the Pongal holidays that usually brings in a large number of visitors.

In addition, several city residents had moved out of the city to their hometowns due to the work from home option.

When usually an average of 12 lakh people visit the fair, only eight lakh people had turned up and the revenue dropped around Rs 2 crore from the usual average. Political parties’ functionaries, who are usually regular visitors of the fair, had also given it a miss due to election work.

Four seniors booked for ragging Tamil Nadu MBBS student

Four seniors booked for ragging Tamil Nadu MBBS student

Incident in Dharmapuri Medical College Hospital came to light after the ‘assaulted’ junior attempted suicide

Published: 12th December 2021 05:42 AM 

By Express News Service

DHARMAPURI: Four students were booked on Saturday for allegedly ragging a second-year MBBS student, who attempted to die by suicide last week, in the Dharmapuri Medical College Hospital (DMCH) premises. According to sources, following the last week’s incident, the college administration’s Anti-Ragging Committee conducted a probe and the DMCH dean Amudhavalli registered a complaint against four third-year students.

In the complaint, the dean has mentioned that over two weeks ago, the second-year student from Rasipuram had visited the outpatient wing with throat pain. Doctors who diagnosed him found visible injuries and upon inquiry, the student reported that he was physically assaulted by four senior students. Following this, a complaint was filed with the Anti- Ragging Committee. Further, a Faculty Committee (FAC) was formed and the four were removed from the hostel. The complaint also mentioned that the student attempted to die by suicide due to psychological trauma. When contacted, the college administration refused to comment saying a police probe is underway.

Inspector D Ammadurai, the investigating officer in the case, said, “We have also received reports and evidence from the FAC. However, arrests have not been made yet. We need to receive a statement from the victim and cross-examine the witnesses. As the victim has been sent home for recovery, we will resume the investigation after he rejoins the college.”

(Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available on TN’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050)

Narikkuravar family row: Three TNSTC staff reinstated

Narikkuravar family row: Three TNSTC staff reinstated

A bus driver, conductor and a senior officer of Thiruvattar depot have earlier been suspended over allegedly forcing a Narikkuravar family get down a bus.

Published: 12th December 2021 05:43 AM 

By Express News Service

NAGERCOIL: Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) has revoked the order suspending three employees — a bus driver, conductor and a senior officer of Thiruvattar depot — over allegedly forcing a Narikkuravar family get down a bus.

Sources said soon after the Narikkuravar family comprising an elderly man, a woman and a child got on to the bus heading to Tirunelveli from Vadassery bus stand, the woman and the man started arguing over some issue. “The conductor forced the family to get down the bus after the irritated fellow passengers asked him to do so,” they said.

All the three employees have been asked to join duty on Sunday. A senior official of TNSTC said the corporation is giving counselling to drivers and conductors at bus stations and depots, after the incident in Colachel where a dry fish seller was forced to get down from a bus.

Absence of juniors mounts pressure on Tamil Nadu’s medicos

Absence of juniors mounts pressure on Tamil Nadu’s medicos

Seniors working longer hours as PG NEET counselling delayed

Published: 13th December 2021 03:33 AM 

By Sinduja Jane

Express News Service

CHENNAI: There has been no respite for Dr Sangeetha* from her tiring work schedule for more than a year now. The 26-year-old is among the many second year post-graduate students in the State’s government medical college hospitals, who have lost their sleep as they still don’t have any juniors to share their burden. The delay in the counselling for PG NEET 2021 has meant that these students, who are obliged to work in hospitals as part of the course, have a hectic life at the start of their careers.

“My emergency duty started at 7.30 am on Saturday and I finished around 12.30 pm on Sunday. My next shift starts at 6 pm. I am physically and mentally exhausted, and have lost my personal life. I don’t even have time to attend to my mother’s phone calls,” said Sangeetha.

Sangeetha said once during her first year, she started her duty on a Saturday and got relieved only on Tuesday evening. “This is still continuing. Even though I am in the second year, I still do basic works in wards, which are supposed to be done by first year students,” she said. First year PG doctors have to follow-up patients, admit them, take their history, check their blood pressure before surgeries, and get clearance from specialist doctors for the surgery of patients with comorbidities. Post surgery, they have to check on the patient’s condition, Sangeetha said.

Dr Keerthy Varman, a second year PG doctor at the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, said, “Our work has only doubled since the pandemic. Now, non-Covid services have also resumed. Then there were the medical camps during floods, and Covid vaccination duty. We have to do all these.” The doctors rued that the busy hours have left them with very little time for their studies. “There is no time for our peripheral postings to other departments such as cardio-thoracic, where we learn their specialities. When will I study my lessons or learn new things when I am still busy doing routine ward works,” asked Dr Keerthy Varman. He added that they were compensating for about 2,000 PG first year students (including diploma) in government medical colleges, who are yet to be let in.

A second year PG student at the Royapettah Government Hospital said, “If juniors are there, they can take care of ward duties on the days we go for peripheral duty. But now if we leave and go for peripheral duty, no one is there to do routine works.” The doctors said they are still uncertain on until when the situation would continue. The PG counselling was temporarily suspended due to a case on the EWS quota seats, which is pending in the Supreme Court.

The doctors association had recently met Health Minister Ma Subramanian and requested the State Government to pressurise the Union Government, and request the Supreme Court to finish the hearing quickly and conduct the counselling. It had demanded contract extension for doctors recruited for mini-clinics, and posting them in hospitals under the Directorate of Medical Education till the first year PG students come. It had also asked for the service of Covid medical officers who were temporarily recruited during the Covid second wave, to compensate the manpower shortage. Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry has issued a plea to fast track the court hearing.

*Name changed

Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian writes to Centre seeking approval for Diabetology course

Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian writes to Centre seeking approval for Diabetology course

Tamil Nadu was the first State in the country to start a full-time, two-year diploma in Diabetology at the Institute of Diabetology at Madras Medical College, in 1986.

Published: 13th December 2021 03:33 AM |

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Friday wrote a letter to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya requesting approval for starting a new course on MD Diabetology, Nutrition and Metabolism in the State.

“We propose and request the National Medical Commission to Include MD (Diabetology, Nutrition and Metabolism) degree course nomenclature in the NMC schedule, thus enabling us to upgrade diploma seats in Diabetology to MD degree, and to start the course in other institutions in our State,” Subramanian said in the letter.

Tamil Nadu was the first State in the country to start a full-time, two-year diploma in Diabetology at the Institute of Diabetology at Madras Medical College, in 1986. Converting the diploma seats to MD degree seats will help in creating more number of teaching faculties in the speciality as per NMC norms, the minister said.

This will help in the successful implementation of the State’s and Centre’s policy of creating diabetes-care units across the country. This will also help in creating diabetes-care units in all the district peripheral hospitals in TN, Subramanian wrote.

Tamil Nadu: Colleges question Health Minister’s direction barring entry to unvaccinated

Tamil Nadu: Colleges question Health Minister’s direction barring entry to unvaccinated

The colleges are worried that if unvaccinated students are not allowed inside campuses, it will become difficult to complete the syllabus on time.

Published: 13th December 2021 03:37 AM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Health Minister’s proposed direction on allowing only vaccinated students to enter college campuses has not gone down well with managements of many institutes. The minister had asked the higher education department to direct all the college managements on the decision, in the wake of 10 students from Anna University’s Alagappa College of Technology testing positive for Covid-19.

The colleges are worried that if unvaccinated students are not allowed inside campuses, it will become difficult to complete the syllabus on time. Many college administrations have said as they are continuing in-person classes, it will be difficult for them to conduct online classes partially for unvaccinated students.

“Students’ ability to understand and grasp subjects has reduced a lot during the pandemic and it is necessary to have in-person classes. It will be very stressful to take both online and offline classes simultaneously,” said a senior lecturer of a college in Chennai.K Prakash, a lecturer, said majority of the first year students are unvaccinated.

MG Ragunathan, principal of Guru Nanak college, said they are yet to receive any Government Order regarding the direction. “Such an order will definitely create a problem for us. We will have to make arrangements again for online classes. The government should give a clarity on the issue,” said Ragunathan.

Even the students are worried. “I am 17 years old, and not eligible for vaccination. How am I going to understand subjects if I am not allowed to the attend classes? I completed my class 11 and 12 through online mode,” said T Ashok , a student in Anna University.

Compassionate-ground appointee cannot be deprived of job: Madurai Bench of Madras High Court

Compassionate-ground appointee cannot be deprived of job: Madurai Bench of Madras High Court

Hearing a petition filed by one S Chinnadurai in 2017, Justice SS Sundar quashed the dismissal order and directed the government to accommodate the man in any Class IV posts.

Published: 13th December 2021 03:57 AM 

Madras High Court

By Express News Service

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court recently came to the rescue of a man, who was appointed as surveyor on compassionate grounds but dismissed from service for not completing the mandatory departmental test. Hearing a petition filed by one S Chinnadurai in 2017, Justice SS Sundar quashed the dismissal order and directed the government to accommodate the man in any Class IV posts.

The judge referred to several judgments which said a person appointed on compassionate ground cannot be deprived of his employment simply because he has not completed the departmental examination or has not undergone training. “Even if a person is unable to complete the departmental test, his service cannot be terminated and the authorities should accommodate the petitioner in Class-IV post,” he added. However, the petitioner is not entitled to back wages for the period when he was terminated from service, the judge clarified.

He directed the Assistant Director of Survey and Land Records to appoint the petitioner in the post of office assistant or field assistant within six weeks. “Even if no vacancy is available under Class-IV post, the authority should create a supernumerary post to accommodate the petitioner,” he added and disposed of the petition.