Govt set to trim list of univ VC aspirants before guv chooses

Govt set to trim list of univ VC aspirants before guv chooses

Bhavika Jain & Hemali Chhapia

Mumbai:  16.12.2021

Whittling down the autonomy of public universities, the state cabinet on Wednesday cleared amendments to the Maharashtra Public University Act, 2016, and decided to shortlist vice-chancellor candidates. Altering the selection method, the state will now receive the list of five nominees picked by the selection panel, choose two and dispatch them to the governor, the chancellor of universities, to finally pick the candidate.

Taking a cue from the agriculture universities, the state also decided the higher education minister will now be the pro chancellor of all state public universities. The pro VC, who is appointed by the chancellor in consultation with the VC, will now be only from a government or an aided college.

“The VC selection process has been changed to avoid the political interference of the chancellor,” said a state officer.

To date, the selection was free of governmental interference. The VC/proVC search panel was headed by a governor’s nominee, one member was recommended by the management council and the third by the academic council. It invited applications, shortlisted aspirants, interviewed them and sent five names to the chancellor, who picked one.

Higher and technical education minister Uday Samant told TOI that these recommendations were made by an expert panel under Sukhdev Thorat, former UGC chairman. The panel was formed to suggest changes in the Act for effective implementation of the national education policy. “The agricultural universities have a post of pro chancellor, which is held by the agriculture minister. It was only the universities under the higher and technical education department which did not have the post,” said Samant. “Also, as far as the selection process of VCs and pro VCs is concerned, we have followed the procedure in the central universities in which the selection panel sends its recommendations to the government which then sends it to the President,” said Samant.

The minister denied speculation that the decision is likely to become another flashpoint between the governor and the MVA government. “The governor is a constitutional post and there is no question of taking away its rights,” said Samant. The ties between the MVA government and Governor B S Koshyari have been strained with differences on a host of issues, including the governor-nominated seats in the legislative council.

Educationist and former principal Anil Rao condemned the decision. “This is an unwarranted attack on the pre-supposed autonomy of academics. The chancellor is the apex authority and above all politics. Higher education should be completely autonomous and miles away from politics. Also, vested dubious interest will creep in with the decision to appoint the higher education minister as the pro chancellor.”

“It is doubtful if there is such over-centralisation of university functions and powers with the government in any other state,” said A Mathew, National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration.

CBI to investigate TNPSC exam scam

CBI to investigate TNPSC exam scam

The judges, however, had orally questioned the TNPSC as to why the examination conducted in the two centres where the malpractice is said to have taken place was not cancelled.

Published: 15th December 2021 05:02 AM 

By Express News Service

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, transferred the investigation into the TNPSC Group IV-2019 exam scam to the CBI.

A Division Bench of Justices Pushpa Sathyanarayana and P Velmurugan passed the order on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed last year by one I Mohamed Razvi, an advocate from Madurai. Razvi alleged that the scam could not have been orchestrated without the help of higher officials and he was dissatisfied with the CB-CID’s probe as the department has arrested only some of the candidates and the alleged middlemen. Apprehending that a State agency like CB-CID may not expose the involvement of higher officials of the State, he wanted the investigation to be transferred to the CBI.

In the previous hearing last month, the CB-CID had told the court there was indeed negligence on the part of the TNPSC officials in carrying out their duties but except the two staff – a record clerk and a typist – no other official was found to have colluded in the scam.

The judges, however, had orally questioned the TNPSC as to why the examination conducted in the two centres where the malpractice is said to have taken place was not cancelled. They also asked why the tampering of the wax seal of the transit van, in which the answer sheets were transported to Chennai, was not identified at the initial stage; they had then adjourned the case.

On Tuesday, the Bench allowed Razvi’s plea and transferred the investigation from the CB-CID to the CBI and directed it to hold a free and fair investigation. In the TNPSC Group-IV examination held in September 2019, 99 candidates from Rameswaram and Keelakarai exam centres in Ramanathapuram district reportedly used pens having ‘vanishing ink’ to mark their answers in the OMR sheet.

Later, some persons, allegedly with the help of two TNPSC staff, tampered with the answer sheets when they were being transported to Chennai in a van, and filled the correct answers on the sheets. The CB-CID investigated the scam and arrested 118 persons.

17-year-old twin brothers attempt suicide, one dies

17-year-old twin brothers attempt suicide, one dies

Police Suspect Duo To Be Under NEET Pressure

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Vadodara:  15.12.2021

Tragedy struck the Patel household in Shantam Residency on New Alkapuri Road in Vadodara when 17-year-old twin brothers studying in Class 12 attempted suicide on Monday evening. While one of them died, the other brother is under treatment at a private hospital in the city.

The police suspect that the brothers took the extreme step due to pressure of performing well in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), but they are yet to ascertain the exact reason. According to the police, Rupen Patel and Rehan Patel, whose parents are teachers at a school in Anand, were science stream students at a school in Karelibaug.

“The duo was preparing for NEET. One of their friends said that they were under pressure to score good marks. As of now, we believe that it may be the reason behind the suicide, but further investigation is on,” said R K Gosai, police sub-inspector, Laxmipura police that has filed a case of accidental death.

Gosai said that Rupen and Rihan were studying in their room on Monday afternoon and their elder brother Maulik (19) was in the next room. “Rupen and Rehan took separate towels and hung themselves to the ceiling fan. While Rupen died on the spot, Rehan fell on the floor as the towel came off the fan,” Gosai told TOI. The incident came to light when their father Rajesh Patel came home from work at about 5.30 pm on Monday. He went into Rupen and Rehan’s room and raised alarm after seeing Rupen hanging from the fan. Rehan, who was unconscious, was rushed to the hospital.

Sub-inspector Gosai said that the brothers haven’t left any suicide note or sent message to anyone before taking the extreme step. “We have questioned the parents too but they have no idea as to why their sons took the step. We will be able to get more details once Rehan’s condition stabilizes and he gives a statement,” Gosai added.

Man fails physical test for cops, ends life

Rajkot:15.12.2021

A 26-year-old man ended his life by consuming a poisonous substance after he failed the physical examination for police recruitment for the third time. According to police, the deceased was identified as Nikunj Makwana, a resident of Lili Sajadiyari village near Sardhar in Rajkot taluka. Police said he consumed poison on Monday evening at his residence. He used to work at a snack factory in Rajkot. Makwana had appeared for the physical test for recruitment as police sub-inspector on Sunday. However, he failed the test, for the third consecutive time and got depressed, his family members told police. TNN

Why not recruit docs with better perks: HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:  15.12.2021

The Gujarat high court on Tuesday questioned the state government why it does not recruit specialist doctors by offering them higher perks.

The court raised the question during the arguments on petitions filed by 452 post-graduate medical students who are practising now, but had approached the court after the state government threatened them with criminal action for not reporting on Covid duty during the second wave of the pandemic.

They had offered to pay Rs 10 lakh bond amount, but the state government was unrelenting then. However, it changed its stance later and started accepting bond amount and freed 114 such petitioners from their bond because they paid in lieu of serving in rural areas for one year as part of their bond conditions.

On shortage of doctors that led the government to pressurise the bonded doctors to take up Covid duty, the high court opined that the government can offer them better salaries to attract and retain them for rural services. To this, the government submitted that it has offered them salaries on par with private hospitals, but the specialist doctors were not ready to join the duty. Those who joined also left after few months. The HC completed hearing on the petitions filed by 452 bonded doctors and reserved its verdict.

BJ Medical College gets 157 junior resident docs

BJ Medical College gets 157 junior resident docs

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad: 15.12.2021

BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, on Tuesday appointed 157 junior resident doctors to reduce the burden on resident doctors in their second year of PG medical courses.

“About eight positions lie vacant after the appointment of 157 doctors,” said an official aware of the developments. “Of these, 22 junior doctors have been appointed in the general medicine department and 21 in the general surgery department.” The state health department last week had issued a notification for allowing the recruitment of junior resident doctors at governmentrun medical colleges. The junior doctors are to be paid a fixed monthly salary of Rs 63,000 which is inclusive of all entitlements, the notification says.Among others, 12 junior doctors were appointed in the paediatrics department and 16 in the anaesthesiology department at Civil Hospital on Tuesday.

The resident doctors of Gujarat, who joined the recent nationwide protests over the delay in NEET-PG 2021 counselling, have been demanding medical officers to assist them till the new batch joins.

NEET-PG exams for MD/MS admissions are usually held in January, but due to Covid they were conducted in September. While counselling was to commence on October 25, petitions challenging a central government notification has stalled the process. Senior resident doctors (final-year students from the 2018 batch) were relieved a few months ago. As a result, hospitals have been managing with only two batches, instead of three.

Ex gratia for Covid relief can be applied via TN govt portal

Ex gratia for Covid relief can be applied via TN govt portal

covid

15.12.2021

Applications for ex gratia for people, who died due to Covid-19, are available on www.tn.gov.in. According to a press release, the ex gratia relief application form is available on the ‘what’s new’ section of the Tamil Nadu government's official website, where applications can be filled online for the purpose.

It may be recalled that the state government had announced a compensation relief of ₹50,000 for the families of those persons who succumbed to Covid-19, last week. TNN

Spl court sentences inspector to three-year RI for graft

Spl court sentences inspector to three-year RI for graft

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:15.1`2.2021

A special court dealing with Prevention of Corruption Act cases found a former police inspector guilty of corruption and sentenced him to three years rigorous imprisonment. DVAC searches found he had amassed wealth 370% more than his known sources of income.

Mohammed Nazeer joined the police department in 1987 as a sub-inspector. According to the prosecution, the DVAC (Directorate of Vigilance and anti-corruption) received a complaint about Nazeer possessing disproportionate assets while he was an inspector with the Prohibition and enforcement wing in Tiruvallur district in 2009.

DVAC verified his assets from 1999 to 2006 and found that he and his wife had amassed wealth to the extent of Rs 22 lakh but could not account for it satisfactorily. During the check period, Nazeer’s income was only about Rs 6 lakh, the prosecution submitted.

His wife was a homemaker with no income and she abetted Nazeer in amassing the wealth by agreeing to register properties in her name, the prosecution stated. The prosecution submitted the final report before the court in 2012.

In response, the inspector denied the charges and his counsel submitted that Nazeer and his wife were not in good terms and had been living separately. The property registered in her name was from the money given by her family members.

After perusing documents submitted by both sides, the court noted that Nazeer could not submit anything to substantiate his contention that he separated from his wife within one year of marriage and noted that during crossexamination, his wife had said that had been living for 16 years as a couple.

Based on the evidence, the former inspector was sentenced to three years imprisonment and his wife to one year imprisonment. The properties acquired are to be confiscated by the state, the court said.