Courts cannot appoint Fit Persons to manage temples, rules High Court 

Power to do so rests exclusively with the State government, says Division Bench

14/11/2019 , Legal Correspondent, CHENNAI

In a significant ruling, the Madras High Court has held that courts cannot appoint a Fit Person to perform the functions of a board of trustees of a temple, during exigencies, since such power to appoint came under the exclusive domain of the State government, under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Act of 1959.

Justices R. Subbiah and T. Krishnavalli agreed with Additional Advocate General P.H. Arvindh Pandian that courts at best could only direct the government to appoint a Fit Person to manage the affairs of a temple and not pick and choose a lawyer or any other individual, on its own, to administer temples under the control of the HR&CE Department.

The judgment was passed while allowing an appeal preferred by the government against an order passed by a single judge of the High Court on April 24, 2019, appointing advocate M. Baskar as a Fit Person to manage the affairs of Chennai Sri Kalikambal Kamateswara Devasthanam, located on Thambu Chetty Street in Parrys Corner.

The appointment was made until an elected body takes charge of the Devasthanam. Assailing the decision, the AAG said Section 47(1)(c) of the HR&CE Act empowers only the government to appoint a Fit Person through the Commissioner, Joint Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner of the HR&CE.

Election to board

Concurring with him, the judges set aside the single judge’s order with an observation that it was for the government to appoint a Fit Person for the management of the Devasthanam. They also left it to the government to conduct the elections to the board of trustees at the earliest, as it had been done in the past.

Though a request was made on behalf of some of the devotees to allow the Fit Person appointed by the single judge to continue until an elected body takes charge of the administration, the Division Bench rejected it in limine. “We are not in a position to accept the request,” the judges said.

“When the appointment of a Fit Person is contrary to Section 47 of the Act, the Fit Person appointed by this court cannot be permitted to continue to perform his duties any further. When a statute prescribes a particular act to be done in a particular manner, it should be done only in that manner and not in any other manner,” the Bench asserted.

‘Office of Chief Justice of India comes under RTI Act’ 

Transparency, accountability go hand-in-hand: SC Bench
 
14/11/2019 , legal correspondent, NEW DELHI 



The office of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) is a ‘public authority’ under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, a five-judge Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi declared on Wednesday.

The main judgment of the Constitution Bench authored by Justice Sanjiv Khanna said the Supreme Court is a “public authority” and the office of the CJI is part and parcel of the institution. Hence, if the Supreme Court is a public authority, so is the office of the CJI.

Justice Khanna, who shared his judgment with CJI Gogoi and Justice Deepak Gupta, observed that “transparency and accountability should go hand-in-hand”. Increased transparency under RTI was no threat to judicial independence, he held.

Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, in his separate and concurring opinion, eloquently observed that “judicial independence is not secured by the secrecy of cloistered halls”.

மக்களே உஷார்! சார்ஜ் போட்டிருந்த செல்போன் வெடித்ததில், தூங்கிக் கொண்டிருந்த இளைஞர் பலி!
By ENS | Published on : 12th November 2019 01:15 PM |

இளைஞர் பலி

புவனேஸ்வர்: சார்ஜ்ஜில் போட்டபடி, செல்போனில் பேசாதீர்கள் என்று பொதுமக்களிடையே விழிப்புணர்வு ஏற்பட்டுக் கொண்டிருக்கும் நிலையில், உறங்கும் போது செல்போனை அருகே சார்ஜில் போடும் பழக்கம் கொண்டவர்களை அதிர்ச்சியில் ஆழ்த்தியுள்ளது இந்த சம்பவம்.

ஒடிசா மாநிலம் புவனேஸ்வரில் ஜகத்சிங்புர் மாவட்டத்தில் சார்ஜ்ஜில் போட்டிருந்த செல்போன் வெடித்ததில், அருகே உறங்கிக் கொண்டிருந்த 22 வயது இளைஞர் மரணம் அடைந்தார்.

ஞாயிற்றுக்கிழமை இரவு இளைஞர் உறங்கிக் கொண்டிருக்கும் போது, முழுவதுமாக சார்ஜ் ஏறிய செல்போன் திடீரென வெடித்துச் சிதறியது. இதில், அருகே இருந்த குணா பிரதான் என்ற இளைஞர் மரணம் அடைந்தார்.

பாரதீப் பகுதியில் ஜெகன்னாதர் கோயில் கட்டும் பணியில் ஈடுபட்டு வந்த தொழிலாளியான குணா பிரதான் மரணம் குறித்து தகவல் அறிந்து விரைந்து வந்த காவல்துறையினர், இளைஞரின் உடலைக் கைப்பற்றி பிரேத பரிசோதனைக்கு அனுப்பி வைத்தனர்.

இந்த சம்பவம், தினமும் இரவில் தலையணைக்கு அருகே செல்போனை சார்ஜில் போட்டபடி உறங்கும் அனைவருக்கும் கடும் அதிர்ச்சியை ஏற்படுத்தியுள்ளது.

மாணவன் கைரேகை ஆய்வுக்கு உத்தரவு

Added : நவ 13, 2019 01:08

மதுரை : 'நீட்' தேர்வு ஆள்மாறாட்ட வழக்கில், மாணவரின் கைரேகையை ஆய்வு செய்ய, உயர் நீதிமன்ற கிளை உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது.

சென்னை, கோபாலபுரம் மாணவர் ரிஷிகாந்த், 19, அவரது தந்தை ரவிகுமார், 61, உயர் நீதிமன்ற மதுரைக் கிளையில் தாக்கல் செய்த மனு:'நீட்' தேர்வு ஆள் மாறாட்ட வழக்கில், சி.பி.சி.ஐ.டி., போலீசார் எங்களை விசாரணைக்கு அழைக்கின்றனர். எங்களை கைது செய்வரோ என அச்சப்படுகிறோம். முன்ஜாமின் அனுமதிக்க வேண்டும்.இவ்வாறு, மனுவில் கோரியிருந்தனர் .நீதிபதி, ஜி.ஆர்.சுவாமிநாதன் உத்தரவு:ரிஷிகாந்தின் கைவிரல் ரேகை பதிவுகளை ஆய்வு செய்ய வேண்டியுள்ளது. இதற்காக அவர், சம்பந்தப்பட்ட கல்லுாரியில் ஆஜராக வேண்டும்.

மனுதாரர்கள் இருவரையும் கைது செய்யக்கூடாது என ஏற்கனவே பிறப்பித்த உத்தரவு, நவ. 19 வரை நீட்டிக்கப்படுகிறது.இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.

வேலை இல்லாமல் 10 ஆயிரம் டாக்டர்கள்

Added : நவ 13, 2019 00:34

சென்னை : ''டாக்டர்களின் எண்ணிக்கை தொடர்ந்து அதிகரித்து வருவதால், அவர்களுக்கு வேலை இல்லாத நிலை ஏற்பட்டு வருகிறது,'' என, மருத்துவ கவுன்சில் துணை தலைவர் சுரேந்திரன் கூறினார்.

தமிழக மருத்துவ கவுன்சில் துணை தலைவர் சுரேந்திரன் அளித்த பேட்டி: தமிழக மருத்துவ கவுன்சிலில், 1.40 லட்சம் டாக்டர்கள் பதிவு செய்துள்ளனர். இவர்களில், 1.15 லட்சம் பேர், தமிழகத்தில் பணியாற்றுகின்றனர். உலக சுகாதார நிறுவனம், ஆயிரம் பேருக்கு, ஒரு டாக்டர் இருக்க வேண்டும் என, வரையறை செய்துள்ளது. தமிழகத்தில், 719 பேருக்கு, ஒரு டாக்டர் உள்ளனர்.மக்கள் தொகை வளர்ச்சி விகிதம் குறைந்து வருகிறது;

டாக்டர்களின் எண்ணிக்கை அதிகரித்து வருகிறது. இந்த நிலை தொடர்ந்தால், ஆயிரம் பேருக்கு, இரண்டு டாக்டர்கள் என்ற, நிலை வரும். டாக்டர்களின் எண்ணிக்கை அதிகரித்து வருவதால், வேலைவாய்ப்பு இழக்கும் சூழல் ஏற்படும். தமிழகத்தில், 10 ஆயிரத்துக்கும் மேற்பட்ட டாக்டர்கள், வேலை இல்லாமல் உள்ளனர்.எனவே, டாக்டர்களின் எண்ணிக்கையை அதிகரிப்பதற்கு பதிலாக, மருத்துவமனைகளின் தரத்தை மேம்படுத்த வேண்டும். பணம் சம்பாதிக்கவும், ஆடம்பரத்துக்காகவும், டாக்டருக்கு படிக்க வேண்டாம் என்ற, விழிப்புணர்வு ஏற்படுத்த வேண்டும்.

ஆண்டுக்கு, 4,500 பேர், எம்.பி.பி.எஸ்., முடிக்கின்றனர். அவர்கள், முதுநிலை மருத்துவம் படிக்க, அதற்கான இடங்களை அதிகரிக்க வேண்டும். இதுகுறித்த பரிந்துரைகளை, மத்திய, மாநில அரசுகளுக்கு அனுப்பியுள்ளோம். இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.

On convocation day, JNU students protest against fee hike, clash with police

The protest, which has entered its third week, is against the new hostel manual which has recently been passed by the University’s hostel committee.

DELHI Updated: Nov 11, 2019 21:58 IST

HT Correspondent

Hindustan Times, New Delhi

Students of JNU protest outside All India Council For Technical Education during JNU convocation, against fee hike in New Delhi on 11 November 2019(Biplov Bhuyan/HT)

Hundreds of slogan-shouting students of New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) clashed with the police outside the campus on Monday as they protested against the administration’s “anti-student” policies, including a 300% raise in hostel fee.

The protests, which started in the morning, escalated as the day progressed with angry crowds of students pushing against police personnel in anti-riot gear.

It forced Union human resource development (HRD) minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ to remain inside an auditorium close to the campus for more than six hours.

The students are demanding the withdrawal of the draft hostel manual, which they claim has provisions for the fee hike, dress code and curfew timings.

JNU has hiked the rent for a single room from Rs 10 to Rs 300, that for a double room from Rs 20 to Rs 600 and one-time refundable mess security deposit from Rs 5,500 to Rs 12,000.

JNU students clash with cops during protest against fee hike
JNU students protested outside the AICTE building in Vasant Kunj against the new hostel manual.

“Police while exercising restraint have kept the situation under control. We are in contact with Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) authorities as well as students. Our talks with the students are on,” Delhi Police’s spokesperson Mandeep S Randhawa said, according to news agency ANI.

Earlier in the morning, the students wanted to march to the auditorium of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), about 3km away from the university campus in south Delhi, where vice-president M Venkaiah Naidu was addressing the university’s convocation.

But they were stopped a short distance away. AICTE’s gates were locked and security personnel were stationed in and outside the premises.

Barricades were placed outside the north and west gates of the JNU campus as well as on the route between the AICTE auditorium and the university on Baba Balaknath Marg and in nearby areas, a police officer said.

Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory on Twitter asking commuters to avoid Nelson Mandela Marg where the JNU students are protesting.

“Traffic movement is closed on Nelson Mandela Marg from Vasant Vihar to Vasant Kunj (both carriageways) due to demonstration. Kindly avoid the stretch,” they tweeted at 5:47pm.

Slogans, tambourines

Students broke police blockades and marched towards AICTE around 11.30am. They beat tambourines, shouted slogans like “Delhi Police Go Back” and called vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar a “thief”.

The police had to use water cannons to disperse the protestors and detain some of them, officials said.

Union HRD minister ‘Nishank’ was stuck inside the AICTE auditorium for more than six hours as protests by JNU students escalated, forcing him to cancel two events later in the day, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

‘Nishank’ along with vice-president Venkaiah Naidu was at AICTE to attend JNU’s third convocation ceremony. While Naidu left the premises before the protest escalated, Nishank had to stay inside.

JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) said in a statement that the fee rise “crushes the dream of equality”.

“The fee hike will affect an overwhelming number of students. It denies those from the deprived sections to avail education if they cannot pay,” JNUSU said in a statement.

“It crushes the dream of equality irrespective of the ability to afford. Other provisions like Dress Code and Curfew timings reflect the regressive dystopia that the admin wants JNU to become,” the students’ body added.

The Union HRD minister left the AICTE premises around 4.15pm after he spoke with the office bearers of JNUSU and assured them that their demands would be looked into.

“Human Resource Development Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank held positive talks with JNU students about their problems today at the AICTE campus. The Union Minister assured that their problems will be resolved soon,” the ministry tweeted.

‘Not the end’

The HRD minister has promised that students’ union would be called for meeting to the ministry.

“Historic day for us that we broke barricades, reached the convocation venue and met the minister. This could happen because we were united,” JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh said.

“This is not the end of our movement. We urged the HRD minister to ask the V-C to have a dialogue with the students. It is due to the V-C that things have come to be like this,” the JNUSU president said.

“We will have to ask the executive council members to reject the hostel manual in its upcoming meeting on Wednesday,” Ghosh said.

They, however, were not able to meet V-C Jagadesh Kumar.

Students wanted to meet the vice-chancellor and demand the withdrawal of the draft hostel manual.

The protest is part of the agitation against several other issues like restrictions by the administration on entry to the Parthasarathy Rocks, attempts to lock students’ union office, according to the students.

The students’ union has been on a strike against the draft hostel manual, which was approved by the inter-hall administration. The union has said they would continue to until the hostel manual is withdrawn.

(With agency inputs)

Institution-Industry Connect: UGC Seeks Public Response On Draft Report

The draft report, "Enabling and Enhancing University Linkage Programme", is prepared by a Working Group constituted by the UGC.

Education | Edited by Shihabudeen Kunju S | Updated: November 12, 2019 17:17 IST

The UGC asked the stakeholders to send their suggestions on the report latest by November 22, 2019.

NEW DELHI:

The University Grants Commission or UGC, the higher education regulator, released a draft report on 'Social & Industry Connect for every institution' seeking views and suggestions from stakeholders including teachers, students, researchers and those involved in the field. The draft report, "Enabling and Enhancing University Linkage Programme" which is available online, is prepared by a Working Group constituted by the UGC to study the subject in depth and evolve a strategy as well as road map for implementation towards enhancing the linkages.

"In its report", according to the Commission, "the working group proposes specific measures to create an enabling eco system for fostering and enhancing university-industry linkage".

"It has been decided to solicit views/suggestions from stakeholders including teachers, students, researchers and those involved in the field. The draft report on "Enabling and Enhancing University Linkage Programme" are available on UGC website," the Commission said.

The Central Government Body which works under the Ministry of Human Resource Development asked the stakeholders to send their suggestions or comments on the report latest by November 22, 2019.

"... active engagement of industry personnel in academic activities along with exposure to students/research scholars to industrial settings through internships help in development of the desired skill-set," says the report.

"In developed countries, the alliance has been operative and standing viable for close to 4 decades, unruffled by the changes and shifts in the political landscape. Although, India is home to nearly one thousand universities, it has not fully realized the true potential of U-I collaborations, barring a few sporadic cases of such alliances," it adds.

The Working Group was consisted of Prof. l. K. Bhat, Prof. Rupinder Tewari, Prof. Ravindra D. Kulkarni, Dr. D Yogeswara Rao, Prof. Dileep Malkhede, Prof. A. K. Sapre and Dr. Renu Batra.
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