30 AC government buses to hit the road

Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) is set to launch 30 air-conditioned buses from the second week of March in the district.

Published: 29th February 2020 11:13 AM 

By Jeyalakshmi Ramanujam

Express News Service

MADURAI: Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) is set to launch 30 air-conditioned buses (town buses: 10 and mofussil buses: 20) from the second week of March in the district. The first-of-its-kind initiative is part of the corporation's efforts to modernise its fleet. 

Sources said that the air-conditioned low-floor buses have all the innovative features including LED display of desinations and stoppages, automatic door locks, fire exinguisher and the like. 

Meanwhile on Monday, TNSTC Madurai had launched 20 red buses in the district. "These buses are plying on the routes - Arappalayam to Thirumangalm (48AD), Periyar bus stand to Parktown(48P), Arappalayam to MGR bus stand (77B) and MGR bus stand to Thirumangalam (48Y). These buses have public addressing system to help senior citizens board the appropriate buses at ease," they said.

Speaking to Express, a TNSTC official said that as part of modernising the fleet, Tiruchy division had launched red bus in January and that Coimbatore had started operating red city buses even before that. "As on now, 20 red buses are plying from Arappalayam to Thirumangalam, Arappalayam to MGR bus stand and some other places at norminal fare.

"The corporation is planning to collect minimum ticket fare from passengers and the routes are yet to be finalised. City air conditioned buses will cover the main bus stands of MGR bus stand, Periyar bus stand, Arappalayam bus stand and airport," he added.

MBBS Admissions At CMC Vellore Via NEET: Supreme Court Reprimands Medical College, Reserves Order

 By Garima

Published On 28 Jan 2020 1:41 PM  |  Updated On 28 Jan 2020 6:15 PM

CHENNAI: The fight between Christian Medical College (CMC Vellore) authorities and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is finally going to conclude as the Supreme Court is now reserved its order on the case. 

The apex court however, was seen taking a strong view against the medical college's attempts to have a seperate medical exam to its MBBS course "Lawlessness cannot be created in this country. NEET is going to stay," asserted the Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra and comprising Justice Indira Banerjee while hearing a petition of CMC Vellore authorities seeking separate MBBS entrance test other than NEET. 

Medical Dialogues has been extensively reporting about the case that CMC has been contending against National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), ever since it was introduced 3 years ago. Tamil Nadu Health Department accorded a special status to the Christian Medical College in the MBBS admission process. 

The college, like many other private medical colleges had lost its rights to conduct admissions via its own examinations and selection process, after the introduction of NEET. The medical college was seen taking drastic measures in response In 2017, Ida Scudder established CMC Vellore, had sent the entire country to shock after it a full stop to its admission process demanding rights to select NEET qualified students through its own counselling as against the mandated centralized counselling by the committee set up by the MCC and the state government for All India and State Quota, respectively. 

Before the introduction of NEET, the admission process at the institute included a battery of steps apart from entrance exam including aptitude test, commitment to serving in rural areas and social service. 

However, after 2017, students are only going to be admitted based on their marks in NEET. Objecting to the fact that these important aspects of a student was not revealed in the marks secured by a medical college seat aspirant in the NEET, the institution put a full stop to its admissions for 2017-18. 

Out of 100 MBBS seats, only one seat had been filled by the Institute that academic session.  To Run MBBS Course For Only One Student In 2018, during counselling, all 100 seats were declared as management quota seats.  Last year academic session saw CMC inviting applications for MBBS course again for the management quota seats. Tamil Nadu state follows NEET-based rank list and applies 69 per cent reservation. 

The CMC was exempted from the process last year. Later, the medical college moved the apex court seeking separate entrance test for taking admission in medical colleges other than NEET. As the counsel representing the Christian Medical College contended this it is an institution of excellence, Justice Mishra replied the same issue has come again for the very same college, reports IANS "Minority rights should not be used against NEET," he said, insisting the matter has been extensively covered and there is no need for a fresh challenge. 

The court observed "… there are certain systems existing in the country, and running effectively, and against the backdrop of this set up, the court should not interfere." Reserving the order, the top court said the matter will be decided in the light of other cases where the same college was involved. It observed that extensive hearing had already been done regarding the issue covering all the aspects. While expressing discontent over the plea, the SC concluded, "Lawlessness cannot be created in this country. NEET is going to stay in the country... this court will not go back"

https://medicaldialogues.in/state-news/tamil-nadu/mbbs-admissions-at-cmc-vellore-via-neet-supreme-court-reserves-order-62647

NEET PG Counselling 2020: MCC Opens Window For Submission Of Documents For NRI Candidates By Medical Dialogues Bureau

Published On 29 Feb 2020 3:06 PM | Updated On 29 Feb 2020 3:06 PM

New Delhi: With the NEET PG 2020 counselling about to start, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) recently opened the window for inviting candidates to share their documents for proving their claim of change of nationality from Indian/Other to NRI.

Publishing a notice to this effect for concerned candidates who want to get their nationality converted from Indian to NRI, the NBE has clearly stated that all the candidates that those who are claiming to be NRI as per the directions/orders of Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in the case (W.P. (C) No.689/2017- Consortium of Deemed universities in Karnataka (CODEUNIK) & Anr. Vs. Union Of India & Ors.) dated 22-08-2017 (Copy enclosed), such candidates should send their relevant documents as mentioned below, in support of their claim of change of nationality from Indian/Other to NRI through e-mail nri.adgmemcc1@gmail.com from 12:00 Noon of 28" February 2020 (Friday) till 11:59 PM of 04" March, 2020 (Wednesday). 

All such candidates are advised to be in touch with the mcc.nic.in website for further course of action. Mails received after the stipulated time (11:59 PM of 04"" March, 2020) will not be considered. 

Candidates are advised to send all documents enclosed in single mail only within stipulated time, the notice read. The following conditions are required to be met by the candidates applying for change of their category (Indian/Others to NRI):- 

As per the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in the case (W.P. (C) No.689/2017- Consortium of Deemed universities in Karnataka (CODEUNIK) & Anr. Vs. Union Of India & Ors.) dated 22-08-2017 and principles set out in Anshul Tomar (supra) case. The list of documents to be sent through e-mail are as follows:-

 1) Documents claiming that the sponsorer is an NRI (Passport, Visa of the sponsorer). 

 2) Relationship of NRI with the candidate as per the court orders of The Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in case W.P.(c) No. 689/2017- Consortium of Deemed Universities in Karnataka (CODEUNIK) & Ans. Vs Union of India & Ors. dated 22-08- 2017.

 3) Affidavit from the sponsorer that he/ she will sponsor the entire course fee of the candidate duly notarized.

 4) Embassy Certificate of the Sponsorer (Certificate from the Consulate). 

5) NEET Score Card of the candidate.

https://education.medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/pdf_upload-124911.pdf

https://education.medicaldialogues.in/medical-education/neet-pg-counselling-2020-mcc-opens-window-for-submission-of-documents-for-nri-candidates-63550

Pigeons fly into GoAir plane in Ahmedabad

01/03/2020, PRESS TRUST OF INDIA,AHMEDABAD

Videos of the incident were shared widely on Twitter. ANI

Two pigeons found their way inside a GoAir aircraft, which was preparing for departure for Jaipur from the Sardar Vallabhbhai International airport here on Friday, prompting the airline to urge the Airports Authority of India to deal with the issue of bird menace. The crew managed to shoo the birds away and the flight took off as per its scheduled departure of 5 p.m., the airline said in a statement.

Foreigners’ passport not must for citizenship: HC

‘Applicant should cite reasons in detail’

01/03/2020, INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE, ,NEW DELHI

The Calcutta High Court has ruled that foreigners could apply for Indian citizenship even without a valid passport from the country of their origin, if they could furnish detailed reasons for the “non-furnishing of passports”.

Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya said a provision has to be made for persons who do not have all the particulars of their passports, which is read as optional, to file the applications manually. Also the software has to be amended “so that the online applications can be presented with or without passports — in the latter case, furnishing the reasons as to the non-furnishing of passports,” the judge said.

Petitioner Bismillah Khan had moved the court saying that he was being denied citizenship due to the passport clause. His counsel Sharmistha Podder said he was a Pakhtoon and due to turmoil in his native land and its merger with Afghanistan and Pakistan, he migrated to India as a five-year-old with his father in 1973.

Two Nirbhaya convicts move court

Akshay Thakur and Pawan Gupta have sought a stay on the execution scheduled for March 3

01/03/2020, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

Final attempt: Delhi gang rape convicts Akshay Thakur, left, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and Mukesh Singh.File photo

Two of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, Akshay Thakur and Pawan Kumar Gupta, on Saturday moved a Delhi court seeking stay on the execution of their death warrants, scheduled for March 3.

Additional sessions judge Dharmender Rana issued notice to the Tihar Jail authorities on the pleas directing the officials to file their response by March 2.

In his plea, Akshay claimed that he had filed a fresh mercy petition before the President, which is pending. Gupta told the court that he had filed a curative petition before the Supreme Court and that he also had an option to file a mercy petition. Both the convicts said several other petitions were also pending before the Supreme Court and other authorities. Gupta has not filed a plea for clemency with the President.

SC to hear Gupta’s plea

Meanwhile, a five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court led by Justice N.V. Ramana will hear on March 2 the curative plea file by Gupta.

Gupta’s lawyer A.P. Singh told the media that he was a juvenile at the time of the crime and was not present at the place of crime. He was attending a musical show, he claimed. The petition said the court did not follow the principles of natural justice while confirming his death sentence.

Recently, the Supreme Court had dismissed a petition filed by Vinay Sharma, one of the convicts, challenging the rejection of his mercy plea by the President.

The curative petition would be decided by circulation among the judges on the Bench in their chambers.

(With PTI inputs)

NIRBHAYA CASE

Two convicts file plea seeking stay on the execution

Court Seeks Tihar’s Reply By March 2

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:01.03.2020

As the date of hanging approaches, convicts in the Nirbhaya case have once again got active.

Saturday saw two of the four moving a Delhi court seeking stay on execution of the death warrants, scheduled for March 3, on the ground that a fresh mercy plea had been filed by Akshay Thakur.

Additional Session Judge Dharmender Rana issued notice to Tihar Jail authorities on the pleas moved of Thakur and Pawan Gupta, directing the officials to file their response by March 2.

In his plea moved through his lawyer, Thakur claimed he had filed a fresh mercy petition before the President, which was pending and therefore the death warrants needed to be deferred.

Meanwhile, advocate A P Singh, appearing for Mukesh Singh, claimed that his earlier mercy petition dismissed by the President did not have complete facts and were filed in a hurry which led to it being incomplete.

Gupta, in his plea, told the court he had filed a curative petition before the Supreme Court, which too was pending. He said that he also had the option of filing a mercy petition, which he was yet to exercise.

On February 17, the court had ordered that the four convicts — Singh, Gupta, Thakur and Vinay Sharma be hanged on March 3 after it issued fresh death warrants, observing that deferring the execution any further would be “sacrilegious” to the rights of the victim for expeditious justice.

Meanwhile, in a connected development a PIL was filed on Saturday in Delhi high court seeking directions to the National Human Rights Commission to set up an inquiry and submit a report about the physical and mental condition of the four death row convicts.