Officials seize 29 TV sets during surprise checks at Puzhal prison

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 29.09.2018

Officials conducted surprise checks in Puzhal Central Prison here on Thursday and seized 29 television sets, 28 radios, four pressure cookers, 200kg of basmati rice, 50kg of dal, 75kg of maida flour and 60 litres of cooking oil and cots from several cells. The raid started on Thursday evening and ended late in the night.

This was the fifth raid in the cells after photographs of prisoner’s ‘personal’ life were leaked on September 14. Following the photo leak, prison officials conducted surprise checks in Prison-1and Prison-2 and seized 18 TV sets from A Class wards. Inmates were found using USB ports to charge mobile phones.

Thursday’s raid in the convicts’ prison wascarriedoutby ateam ledby prison DIGMurugesan and new superintendent Senthil Kumar.

Sources said some prisoners got special permission to use cots in their cells. These cots were being used by other prisoners since they had not been returned after those who had been originally using them left the jail. The prison officials were checking if the warders and other prison staffs had been renting the cots out to the prisoners.

Prison officials said there was nothing wrong about certain inmates enjoying differential treatment. "It's not illegal for ‘A’ class prisoners to get their own mattresses," the officer said.

The Puzhal Central Jail, which has a 212-acre campus, can accommodate up to 3,000 prisoners. It is considered one of the most modern prisons in the country.

By early 2019, this app will help you track MTC buses

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:29.09.2018

By early next year, commuters in Chennai will get an app that will tell them when the next MTC bus will turn up at their location.

In October, the government will identify a service provider and sign an agreement to launch a mobile application and a bilingual website. The Institute of Road Transport has floated a ₹20 crore tender for the project. The tracking system, the first for government-run transport companies, will be rolled out within 90 days of a deal being signed for the Metropolitan Transport Corporation in Chennai and over 11 months for the other seven transport corporations in the state.

“One of the biggest problems for the commuter is getting information about the arrival of buses. The result is they take other means of transport. Now we provide a ready reckoner to improve the ridership,” said transport secretary P W C Davidar. Currently, 1.8 crore passengers daily use the eight state transport corporations that have a combined fleet of nearly 22,000 buses.

The mobile app will have a single-touch SOS/panic button, which if activated will send the current location of the phone to select contacts. It also facilitates location tracking.

The app and website will display the routes, stops, and position of the buses in real time.

They will display the arrival time of the next two buses at all the stops along a route, besides suggesting the fastest and cheapest routes available for the entered journey. In case, the bus is reassigned to a different route, the depot concerned will send out a notification.

There are more than one lakh bus stops in the state and currently passengers lack exact information on the movement of buses. The new system will see GPS/tracking devices installed on the buses.

“Each bus stop in the state has already been geo-coded and a unique identity given with in-house expertise by the transport corporations,” said Davidar.

This mobile app and website will enable data analytics, trip search details (origin, destination), and route rationalization to improve the services.

The system, the first for government-run transport companies, will be rolled out within 90 days of a deal being signed for the MTC in Chennai

Panel constituted to appoint VC of MGR med college

Chennai:29.09.2018

The state health department has constituted a three-member search committee for the appointment of the next vice-chancellor of the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University. The term of the present VC Dr V Geethalakshmi will end on December 28.

The panel comprising a government nominee will have former dean of Tirunelveli Medical College Sithy Athiya Munavarah as the convenor. Senior ENT surgeon Dr Mohan Kameshwaran is the governing council nominee and former DME Dr Sembon David is the senate nominee. Applications will be called from candidates and the committee will recommend names of three people to the governor, who is also the university chancellor.

The state medical university has 22-affiliated government medical college and one government dental college besides nearly 12 self-financing medical and dental colleges. The university also affiliates AYUSH and paramedical colleges. The university’s application to the state for constituent college is still pending. A constituent college will make the varsity eligible for applying to national-level ranking system. TNN

Hike cutoff for doing foreign med courses, HC tells MCI

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:29.09.2018

Justice N Kirubakaran of the Madras high court on Friday ordered the Medical Council of India and the Centre to increase the qualifying marks for the screening exam for enrolling in medical courses in foreign countries from 50% to 80%.

In the past 10 years, just 15% to 25% of doctors with foreign degrees have managed to clear the mandatory Foreign Medical Graduate Examination, conducted by the National Board of Examination to practise in India, the court said. When students with more than 95% marks are unable to get a medical college seat in India, how can candidates with 50% marks in the qualifying exam be allowed to get admission in a foreign college, the court asked.

‘Only meritorious should get med seats’

“The above details would only make one to understand that the minimum marks of 50% prescribed by MCI has to be revised and higher marks have to be prescribed as minimum marks as the percentage of candidates passing FMGE is very less. Therefore, for this year, the minimum marks to be prescribed should be raised from 50% to at least 80%,” the judge said.

Justice Kirubakaran made the observations on a plea moved by Thamarai Selvan, a foreign medical degree holder seeking direction to the MCI to issue certificate of provisional registration to enable him to undergo the Compulsory Rotatory Residential Internship (CRRI) in an approved medical college-hospital in the state and subsequently issue permanent registration certificate on successful completion of CRRI.

During the hearing, counsel for MCI submitted that before introduction of NEET, the MCI had prescribed 50% as minimum marks in physics, chemistry and biology together for getting eligibility certificate and the same would continue this year. “One-time exemption was given for academic year 2018-19 since qualification in NEET was made mandatory by notification dated March 1, 2018 and the last date for registration was March 9. The candidates did not have sufficient time to prepare for the examination,” counsel said.

Recording the submission, the court said, “Health is very important for any human being and it is the duty of the governments to provide quality medical service to its subjects. Only those candidates with merits, which is usually determined based on academic excellence, have to be admitted in medical institutions.”

Another male bastion falls as SC opens Sabarimala to all women
Justice Malhotra, Lone Woman On Bench, Dissents

AmitAnand.Choudhary@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:29.09.2018

In a path-breaking verdict to ensure gender equality at religious places, the Supreme Court on Friday opened the doors of the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala to all women devotees, ending the age-old custom that barred women in the menstruating age group of 10-50 from entering the temple to worship Lord Ayyappa.

A five-judge Constitution bench by a 4:1 majority held that devotees of Lord Ayyappa were “exclusively Hindus” and did not constitute a separate religious denomination, and that the practice of exclusion of some women could not be regarded as an essential part of the religion.

Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud were unanimous in their view that the practice of barring women devotees in the 10-50 years’ age group was illegal, unconstitutional and arbitrary.

However, Justice Indu Malhotra, the lone woman judge on the bench, penned a dissenting verdict, holding that worshippers of Lord Ayyappa did belong to a separate religious denomination and the ban on entry of some women in the temple was an essential part of their religion.

Referring to restrictions on women, the apex court said any subversion and repression of women under the garb of biological or physiological factors (like menstruation) could not be given the seal of legitimacy and any discrimination against women because of their biological characteristics was not only “unfounded, indefensible and implausible but can also never pass the muster of constitutionality”.

“Patriarchy in religion cannot be permitted to trump the element of pure devotion borne out of faith and the freedom to practise and profess one’s religion,” said Chief Justice of India Dipak Mishra, who wrote the judgement on behalf of himself and Justice Khanwilkar.

The verdict, another boost for gender equality, came a day after the apex court delivered its verdict decriminalising adultery.

“Any relationship with the Creator is a transcendental one crossing all socially created artificial barriers and not a negotiated relationship bound by terms and conditions. Such a relationship and expression of devotion cannot be circumscribed by dogmatic notions of biological or physiological factors arising out of rigid socio-cultural attitudes which do not meet the constitutionally prescribed tests,” the CJI observed.

CJI Misra said there is no place for discrimination in the matter of faith and religion but religious practices are sometimes seen as perpetuating patriarchy, thereby negating the basic tenets of faith and of gender equality, which must be discouraged. He said the notions of public order, morality and health cannot be used as “colourable device” to restrict the freedom to freely practise religion and discriminate against women by denying them their legal right to enter and offer prayers and that public morality must yield to constitutional morality.


CJI: No proof to show exclusion is part of the Hindu religion

The CJI said, “The dualism that persists in religion by glorifying and venerating women as goddesses on one hand and by imposing rigorous sanctions on the other hand in matters of devotion has to be abandoned. Such a dualistic approach and an entrenched mindset results in indignity to women and degradation of their status. Society has to undergo a perceptual shift from being the propagator of hegemonic patriarchal notions of demanding more exacting standards of purity and chastity solely from women to be the cultivator of equality where the woman is in no way considered frailer, lesser or inferior to man.”

“In no scenario, it can be said that exclusion of women of any age group could be regarded as an essential practice of Hindu religion and on the contrary, it is an essential part of the Hindu religion to allow Hindu women to enter into a temple as devotees and followers of Hindu religion and offer their prayers to the deity. In the absence of any scriptural or textual evidence, we cannot accord to the exclusionary practice followed at the Sabarimala Temple the status of an essential practice of Hindu religion,” he said. “In the theatre of life, it seems, man has put the autograph and there is no space for a woman even to put her signature,” the CJI added.

Agreeing with the CJI, Justices Nariman and Chandrachud held that superstitious beliefs which are extraneous, unnecessary accretions to religion cannot be considered essential parts of religion to be given constitutional protection. And, religion cannot become a cover to exclude and to deny women the basic right to find fulfilment in worship.

“The heart of the matter lies in the ability of the Constitution to assert that the exclusion of women from worship is incompatible with dignity, destructive of liberty and a denial of the equality of all human beings. These constitutional values stand above everything else as a principle which brooks no exceptions, even when confronted with a claim of religious belief. To exclude women is derogatory to an equal citizenship,” Justice Chandrachud said. Justice Malhotra, however, proposed judicial restraint while examining the legality of a religious practice. “Judicial review of religious practices ought not to be undertaken, as the court cannot impose its morality or rationality with respect to the form of worship of a deity. Doing so would negate the freedom to practice one’s religion according to one’s faith and beliefs. It would amount to rationalizing religion, faith and beliefs, which is outside the ken of courts,” she said.

FULL COVERAGE: P 10

› Chandrachud: Morality of mob cannot overrule individual dignity, P 10 › Exclusion on the basis of menstrual status has to go, says SC, P 10

வெளிநாடுகளில் மருத்துவ படிப்பு சான்றிதழ் வழங்க ஐகோர்ட் நிபந்தனை

Added : செப் 29, 2018 01:15


'தகுதி தேர்வில், ௮௦ சதவீத மதிப்பெண்ணுக்கும் குறைவாக பெற்றவர்களுக்கு, வெளிநாடுகளில் மருத்துவ படிப்பில் சேர, தகுதி சான்றிதழ் வழங்க கூடாது' என, சென்னை உயர் நீதிமன்றம் உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது.

வெளிநாட்டில் மருத்துவ படிப்பு முடித்த, தாமரை செல்வன் என்பவர், தமிழகத்தில் மருத்துவ பயிற்சி பெற, பதிவு சான்றிதழ் வழங்கும்படி, இந்திய மருத்துவ கவுன்சிலிடம் விண்ணப்பித்தார். இதையடுத்து, உயர் நீதிமன்றத்திலும் வழக்கு தொடுத்தார்.விண்ணப்பத்தின் மீது, இரண்டு வாரங்களில் முடிவெடுக்கும்படி, மருத்துவ கவுன்சிலுக்கு, நீதிபதி கிருபாகரன் உத்தரவிட்டார். மேலும், நீதிபதி கிருபாகரன் பிறப்பித்த உத்தரவு:தரமான மருத்துவ சேவை வழங்கும் தகுதியை, டாக்டர்கள் பெற்றிருக்க வேண்டும். தகுதியான, திறமையான டாக்டர்கள் கிடைக்க வேண்டும் என்றால், மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகளில், தகுதியானவர்கள் சேர்க்கப்பட வேண்டும். குறைந்த மதிப்பெண்கள் பெற்ற மாணவர்களை சேர்த்தால், நாட்டின் ஆரோக்கியத்துக்கே ஆபத்து ஏற்பட்டு விடும். இதனால், தகுதி மட்டுமே, மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகளில் சேர்வதற்கு, அடிப்படையாக இருக்க வேண்டும்.'நீட்' தேர்வு வருவதற்கு முன், தகுதி தேர்வில், ௯௫ சதவீத மதிப்பெண்ணுக்கும் கூடுதலாக பெற்றவர்களுக்கும், மருத்துவ படிப்பில் இடம் கிடைக்கவில்லை.

நீட் தேர்வு வந்த பின், ௯௦ சதவீத மதிப்பெண் பெற்றவர்களுக்கும், இடம் கிடைக்கவில்லை.அப்படி இருக்கும் போது, வெளிநாட்டு மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகளில் சேர, குறைந்தபட்ச தகுதி மதிப்பெண்ணாக, ௫௦ சதவீதத்தை, மத்திய அரசும், மருத்துவ கவுன்சிலும் நிர்ணயித்துள்ளன. இதை, மாற்றி அமைக்க வேண்டும். குறைந்தபட்ச மதிப்பெண்ணாக, ௮௦ சதவீதம் நிர்ணயிக்க வேண்டும். இந்த விஷயத்தில், மருத்துவ கவுன்சில் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும்.எனவே, தகுதி தேர்வில், ௮௦ சதவீத மதிப்பெண்ணுக்கும் குறைவாக எடுத்தவர்களுக்கு, வெளிநாட்டு மருத்துவ கல்லுாரிகளில் சேர்வதற்கான, தகுதி சான்றிதழை வழங்க, இந்திய மருத்துவ கவுன்சிலுக்கும், மத்திய அரசுக்கும் தடை விதிக்கப்படுகிறது. விசாரணை, நான்கு வாரங்களுக்கு தள்ளி வைக்கப்படுகிறது.இவ்வாறு நீதிபதி உத்தரவிட்டார்

குழந்தைகளை கொன்ற குன்றத்தூர் அபிராமி வழக்கு விசாரணைக்காக நீதிமன்றத்தில் ஆஜர்

Added : செப் 28, 2018 22:17






ஸ்ரீபெரும்புதுார், குன்றத்துாரில், தன் இரண்டு குழந்தைகளை கொன்ற கொடூர தாய், அபிராமி, கள்ளக்காதலன் சுந்தரத்துடன், ஸ்ரீபெரும்புதுார் நீதிமன்றத்தில் நேற்று ஆஜர்படுத்தப்பட்டார்.காஞ்சிபுரம் மாவட்டம், குன்றத்துார், மூன்றாம் கட்டளை பகுதியைச் சேர்ந்தவர், விஜய், 30; தனியார் வங்கி ஊழியர். இவரது மனைவி அபி ராமி, 25. இவர்களுக்கு அஜய், 7, மற்றும் கார்னிகா, 4, என்ற ஆண், பெண் குழந்தைகள் இருந்தன.குன்றத்துார் பிரியாணி கடையில் பணியாற்றிய ஊழியர், சுந்தரம், 27, என்பவனுடன் அபிராமிக்கு கள்ளக்காதல் ஏற்பட்டது. சுந்தரத்துடன் சேர்ந்து வாழ்வதற்காக, கடந்த மாதம், 31ல், குழந்தைகள் இருவருக்கும் பாலில் துாக்க மாத்திரை கலந்து கொடுத்தும், கழுத்தை நெரித்தும் அபிராமி கொலை செய்தாள்.கள்ளக்காதலன், சுந்தரத்தை கைது செய்த போலீசார், தலைமறைவாக இருந்த அபிராமியை, நாகர்கோவிலில் கைது செய்து, புழல் சிறையில் அடைத்தனர்.இந்த வழக்கு விசாரணைக்காக, புழல் சிறையில் இருந்து, அபிராமியையும், கள்ளக்காதலன் சுந்தரத்தையும், ஒரே வாகனத்தில் நேற்று அழைத்து வந்த போலீசார், ஸ்ரீபெரும்புதுார் நீதிமன்றத்தில், மாஜிஸ்திரேட், சிவசுப்பிரமணியம் முன் ஆஜர்படுத்தினர்.

விசாரணைக்கு பின், இருவரின் நீதிமன்ற காவலை, அக்.,12 வரை நீட்டித்து, மாஜிஸ்திரேட் உத்தரவிட்டார். இதையடுத்து, கள்ளக்காதலர்கள் அபிராமியும், சுந்தரமும் மீண்டும் புழல் சிறைக்கு, பலத்த பாதுகாப்புடன், ஒரே வேனில் அழைத்து செல்லப்பட்டனர்.ஒரே வேனில் வந்த போதிலும், இருவரும் தனித்தனியாக, சுற்றிலும் ஏராளமான போலீசாருடன் அமர வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்தனர். வேனில் இருந்து இறங்கி, நீதிமன்றத்திற்கு செல்லும் போதும், திரும்பி வரும் போதும், அபிராமி தன் முகத்தை கருப்பு துப்பட்டாவால் மூடியிருந்தாள்.வழக்கு முடிந்து, புழல் சிறைக்கு செல்வதற்காக, வேனில் அபிராமி அமர்ந்து இருந்த போது, கண் கலங்கிய படி, சோர்வாக இருந்தாள். சுந்தரத்தை பார்ப்பதற்காக, அவனின் காதல் மனைவியும், நீதிமன்றம் வந்திருந்தார். அவர் மிகவும் சோகமாக இருந்தார்.