Good Morning

Monday, May 26, 2025

HC asks for details of convicted public servants in service

Kaushik.K@timesofindia.com 26.05.2025

Madurai : Taking a serious view of the fact that a woman convicted in a disproportionate assets case was allowed to continue in govt service, Madras high court directed the chief secretary and additional chief secretary/vigilance commissioner to furnish details of convicted public servants in service, irrespective of rank. Justice K K Ramakrishnan directed that the report on the action taken against them under 17(c)(i) (1) of the TN Civil Service (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1955, be submitted in a month. Allowing the convicted public servant to continue in govt service is not only deplorable but also shows apathy on the part of the state govt, the court said. “Rule 17(c)(i)(1) of the TN Civil Service (Discipline and Appeal) Rules contemplates that an employee who is convicted by the competent court of law shall be dismissed from service without any further enquiry.

In this case, the petitioner was convicted and sentenced to undergo imprisonment. It is shocking to the conscience of the court that no appropriate action is taken against the public servant who was convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and no order of punishment was passed under the said Rules,” observed Justice Ramakrishnan. Petitioner J Amala Jessi Jacquillin joined as an assistant engineer in the rural development and panchayat raj department in 1998 and was promoted as assistant executive engineer, Tuticorin sub-division.

In Sept 2020, disciplinary proceedings were initiated against her following registration of a case for offences under Prevention of Corruption Act. She was accused of accumulating disproportionate assets to the tune of ₹25.40 lakh in her name and her husband's name between Dec 1, 1999, and Mar 31, 2009. The trial court convicted and sentenced her to three years of rigorous imprisonment. Subsequently, the HC granted her interim suspension of sentence. In 2022, another charge memo was issued to her.

While the proceedings were pending, a promotion list was published without her name, challenging which she filed the present petition. The judge observed that the petitioner has no right to continue in employment as she was convicted in a disproportionate assets case in 2024.

However, she managed to work in the department. The HC had only suspended the petitioner's sentence. Two charge memos are pending against her. The relief sought in the petition is misconceived, and the petitioner is not entitled to any relief. Hence the judge dismissed the petition and imposed a cost of ₹50,000 on the petitioner, payable to the credit of the headmaster of Sethupathi govt higher secondary school in Tiruchuli in Virudhunagar district. The case was posted to July 18 for reporting compliance.

Rising NEET competition, high fees push Indian students to med colleges in Russia

After a surge in aspirants applying to pursue MBBS in Russia, the country added around 2,000 seats

Ayushi.Gupta1@timesofindia.com 26.05.2025 TIMES EDUCATION

As Russia increased 2,000 additional medical seats for Indian students, it reflected mutually beneficial arrangements between Russian medical colleges and Indian students. In 2023, there were around 8,000 seats in Russian medical colleges, which have now increased to 10,000. Indian students constitute a major cohort of international students studying Medicine in Russia, and the latest initiative confirms that the country is ready to welcome more.

Medical colleges in Russia follow the National Medical Commission (NMC) guidelines and support the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2021, which makes studying in Russia a suitable and affordable option for several Indian aspirants. With a surge in NEET competition and soaring fees at private medical colleges in India, many medical aspirants are choosing to study in Russia, besides countries including Malaysia, Nepal, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Poland that offer MBBS courses aligned with the NMC norms.

The total pass percentage of FMGs from Russia at Foreign Medical Graduate Exams (FMGE) is 2025%, indicating promising results. Responding to the growing demand, Russia has increased its intake of international students in recent years. Speaking to Education Times , a spokesperson from the Russian Centre of Science and Culture, Chennai says, “To meet the rising demand and align with the Unified Plan for Achieving National Development Goals approved by Russian prime minister Mikhail Mishustin, the Russian Federation aims to increase the number of foreign students to 5,00,000 by 2030, up from the current 3,89,000.

At present, there are approximately Indian students in Russia, a significant increase from previous years. In 2023 alone, around 8,000 additional student visas were issued to aspiring Indian students.” The spokesperson added, “Russian medical universities are expanding their capacity to accommodate Indian students. For example, Volgograd State Medical University has increased its intake for Indian students from 140 in 2024 to 350 seats at present. Similar trends are observed at Kazan State Medical University, National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, Baltic Immanuel Kant Federal University, Far Eastern Federal University, Moscow Aviation University, and others.” Dr Sparsh Rawat, who completed his MBBS from Mari State University, Yoshkar-Ola, Mari El Republic, Russia, in 2023 and recently finished his internship at GMC Haldwani, Uttarakhand, calls it a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Dr Rawat passed his NEET in 2017 but could not study in private Indian medical colleges due to high fees. “A school senior told me that MBBS in Russia was more affordable, so I chose to study there. My total fees for six years in Russia were about Rs 15 lakhs, whereas private colleges in India cost nearly Rs 1 crore in 2017. I knew I would face challenges like clearing the FMGE and completing an internship, but I was willing to take the risk instead of spending crores in India,” he says. Dr Rawat adds, “After completing MBBS in Russia, one needs to focus on passing the FMGE. It demands rigorous self-study while completing the course abroad.

Indian FMGs must focus on topics relevant to India, such as diseases prevalent here, which differ from Russia’s disease profile. However, some universities assist Indian students by offering instruction in Hindi and inviting Indian guest lecturers. Similar support is also available in countries like Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, and Georgia.” Russia has over 600 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) offering varied courses, including 60 medical universities. The spokesperson says, “Indian students traditionally have been interested in studying Medicine, which aligns with NMC norms. Students begin learning the Russian language from the first year, which is crucial for patient interaction and clinical practice.” Dr Kaushal, media coordinator, All FMGs Association (AFA), says, “The scarcity of MBBS seats highlights systemic failures and harsh realities in Indian medical education.

Over 20 lakh aspirants compete for just 1.18 lakh seats across government and private colleges, yielding a low success rate of only 4 to 5%. Tamil Nadu and Karnataka dominate more than half of the seats, while northern states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar receive only a fraction, leaving rural areas underserved by doctors and training facilities.”

5/26/25, 6:27 AM Times of India ePaper chennai - Read Today’s English News Paper Online https://epaper.indiatimes.com/timesepaper/publication-the-times-of-india,city-chennai.cms 2/3 5/26/25, 6:27 AM Times of India ePaper chennai - Read Today’s E

How to set Google Translate as the default translation app on iPhone

iOS 18.4 lets users set Google Translate as their default app for system-wide translations, expanding customization and complying with global regulatory changes.

Agencias May 25, 2025

Updated: May 25, 2025 at 11:23 PM

With the release of iOS 18.4, Apple has introduced a long-awaited feature: the ability to change your default translation app. This move aligns with broader regulatory pressures, especially from the European Union, and gives iPhone and iPad users more control over system functions. Now, Google Translate can be set as your go-to translation tool across the system.

Why Apple made this change

Apple historically restricted users to its built-in Translate app, especially for translations initiated by Siri or text selection tools. But under new regulations like the EU’s Digital Markets Act, Apple is now required to allow third-party apps more system-level access. While this change responds to EU mandates, Apple has decided to roll out the feature globally, not just in Europe.

How to make Google Translate your default app

Setting up Google Translate as your default app is simple. First, ensure your iPhone or iPad is updated to iOS 18.4 or later. Then go to:

Settings > Apps > Default Apps > Translation,and select Google Translate from the list.

Once selected, all translation requests made through system features will be redirected to Google Translate instead of Apple’s native app. This includes actions initiated via Siri, text popups, and possibly future integrations.

What this means for users

The change marks a significant step in giving users true customization power within iOS. Along with recent options to set default apps for navigation and media playback, Apple is opening its ecosystem more than ever before. For users who rely on Google’s superior language support and real-time camera translation, this is a big win.

Sunday, May 25, 2025

Banks cannot withhold no dues certificate due to undischarged loan for different property: HC

Mohamed Imranullah S. CHENNAI 25.05.2025

In a significant verdict, the Madras High Court has held that banks cannot withhold title deeds of a movable/immovable property and refuse to issue no dues certificate even after discharge of the entire loan amount, with interest, just because the principal borrower happened to be a co-borrower/guarantor in another loan, for a different property, that remained undischarged.

Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy set aside an order passed by the Banking Ombdusman in favour of IndusInd Bank on March 19, 2024 and directed the latter to issue the no dues certificate and the title deeds of a LPG tanker lorry to its owner S. Balaji. He, however, granted liberty to the bank to approach the appropriate forum for attaching the tanker lorry in accordance with law.

The orders were passed while disposing of a writ petition filed by the lorry owner against the order passed by the Banking Ombusman in favour of the bank.

Though the Ombudsman, serving under the Reserve Bank of India, too filed a counter affidavit justifying the decision taken by it as well as the bank, the judge refused to take the counter on file since the ombudsman was akin to a tribunal.

“It is a body set up to adjudicate disputes with specific impetus on resolving issues between the customers and the banks. Thus, it is not expected to defend the order passed by it and it is for the second respondent (IndusInd Bank) to defend the same and accordingly, I reject the counter affidavit and this court is not considering any of the contentions raised by the first respondent (Ombdusman) in the counter,” he wrote.

Further, the judge found that the bank was primarily relying upon a clause in the loan agreement which creates a lien for the bank in all other loans taken by the borrower. However, the judge found that the present writ petitioner was a principal borrower with respect to the tanker lorry but not so with respect to the loan obtained for another vehicle in which he was only a co-borrower/guarantor.

“The right of the bank to combine the accounts can be exercised if only the loan accounts belong to that of the same person in the same capacity... The repayment of a loan is primarily by the borrower and the liability of the co-borrower is triggered only by the default of the principal borrower,” he said.

NEWS TODAY 23.05.2025

5 global univs get nod to open campuses in India

Manash.Gohain@timesofindia.com 25.05.2025

New Delhi : India’s push to become a global education hub is gathering momentum, with five foreign universities receiving Letters of Intent (LoIs) to establish campuses in the country. Close to a dozen international institutions by the start of the next academic session are likely to have an Indian campus, according to govt sources. The LoIs — cleared after evaluation by the University Grants Commission — have gone to Victoria University (Australia), University of Liverpool (UK), Western Sydney University (Australia), Illinois Institute of Technology (US) and Istituto Europeo di Design (Italy).

In addition, six more are under scrutiny and being evaluated by the Liberalized Degree Campuses (LDC) committee. Till now, three foreign universities have established physical campuses in India — Australia’s Deakin University and University of Wollongong in Gujarat’s GIFT City, and UK’s University of Southampton in Gurgaon.

“Several universities are in the pipeline. Out of them, five have received LoIs. As per my knowledge, six more are under scrutiny and being evaluated by our LDC committee,” said union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan in an exclusive conversation. “We’ve engaged with several top global universities with high QS rankings and strong funding — only such universities will be considered. They must meet all our criteria,” he added. The upcoming campuses are expected to offer high-quality courses in STEM and management, sectors identified as national priorities. In an exclusive conversation, Pradhan said, “Three foreign universities have come to the country. Two Australian universities are in GIFT City, Gujarat. University of Southampton is starting its campus in Gurgaon.” He called the developments “a confirmation of India’s growing global reputation in education”.

5/25/25, 7:01 AM Times of India ePaper ahmedabad - Read Today’s English News Paper Online https://epaper.indiatimes.com/timesepaper/publication-the-times-of-india,city-ahmedabad.cms