Baby not yours, Karnataka cops tell couple as they celebrate his b’day

Baby not yours, Karnataka cops tell couple as they celebrate his b’day

Rajiv.Kalkod@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:02.06.2021

A couple from Koppal in North Karnataka was relaxing after celebrating the first birthday of their son on May 29 when a knock on the door turned their life upside down. Bengaluru police broke to them an earth-shattering news: the boy who they thought was their child born out of surrogacy had been kidnapped from a Bengaluru hospital.

Psychiatrist Dr Rashmi Shashikumar, who had allegedly abducted the boy from the BBMP hospital in Chamarajpet, and handed him over to the couple as part of a ₹14.5-lakh surrogacy deal, is now in Bengaluru police custody.

“The house still had all the signs of the birthday celebrations. Balloons, colourful festoons and toys were all over the place. But we had a duty to do and we explained to the couple that they had been cheated by the doctor and we had come to take back the child,” an investigating officer said.

It took more than an hour for the couple to come to terms with what happened and speak to cops. Officials told them to get ready by May 30 (Sunday) and leave for Bengaluru. Accordingly, the child, the couple and cops travelled to the city.

After taking their statements, Dr Rashmi was arrested. The couple with agricultural background told police they have lost all hope in life.

“Our first child, a girl, is specially challenged and can hardly speak or move. We took her to Dr Rashmi when she was with a private hospital in Hubballi during 2014 and 2015. Dr Rashmi, who came to know that my wife’s uterus had been removed, suggested we have another child through surrogacy,” police quoted the Koppal man as saying.

Full report on www.toi.in

Baby-lifter doctor had loans to clear

Dr Rashmi, according to police, was in deep financial crisis. “Her education loan — ₹7 lakh — was still uncleared. Rashmi, wife of a Bengaluru-based software engineer, had also borrowed ₹3 lakh from friends and relatives,” an officer said. Police are now awaiting the court’s permission to conduct a DNA test to establish the child’s parents. The child is currently with the Koppal couple, while the Child Welfare Committee will take a final decision. The child’s parents, Naveed Pasha, an auto driver, and Husna Banu, want to get their baby back at the earliest.

Student safety supreme; CM will decide on fate of Class XII exams

Student safety supreme; CM will decide on fate of Class XII exams

02.06.2021 

In an interview with Julie Mariappan and A Ragu Raman, school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi shares his ideas and views on issues ranging from abolition of board examinations this year, and doing away with NEET forever, to the barrage of sexual harassment complaints coming from school students against their teachers

Now that CBSE has cancelled board examinations for Class XII, what is TN’s decision on holding state board examinations?

Our chief minister has a lot of concern for the safety of students and their future. We will discuss the issue with the chief minister on Wednesday and he will take a call.

Students are venting their anger on social media, highlighting sexual assaults at the hands of teaching staff and indifference of managements. What are you going to do?

Every school should have a committee headed by a female teacher to deal with complaints of sexual harassment. If the school managements go beyond a ‘limit,’ the state government will not hesitate to move the CBSE for action. The teaching staff, who commits such an offence should be punished. Whenever such complaints are received, the education department holds an inquiry and submits a report to the government. For us, the school management or the teaching community should not get affected just because a teacher commits an offence, or a student gives wrong information. It should be noted that the chief minister has ordered a committee to be set up to frame guidelines for online classes.

The DMK government boycotted a meeting convened by the Centre because the latter did not respond to a request to hold a minister-level discussion on New Education Policy (NEP). Is Tamil Nadu the loser?

We only wanted the Centre to have a meeting at the ministerial level since we are elected members. The policy has many flaws which are against the interests of the students. We are against the three-language formula or kulakkalvi thittam (hereditary education) in the name of vocational courses. The chief minister will soon hold a meeting on the NEP.

DMK also promised a separate state education policy to fulfil the needs of the students. Please Comment.

Our promise is to have a policy for our own and abolishing NEET will form part of that. The previous AIADMK did not do the job properly. You wait and see what DMK will d o on NEET.

What are your immediate priorities in the school education department?

I can proudly say we are on a par with the CBSE when it comes to content or syllabus. We need to bring in innovation and reforms. We have set up a thinktank, a 12-member expert group, to aid us in our activities like setting up model schools, CSR activities or availing ourselves of funds. There are also plans to make the state-run Kalvi TV interactive. You will get to see the developments after the upcoming assembly session.

Dropout rates at all levels have been a cause of concern. What is the current status?

It is prevalent in some areas, mostly among the downtrodden sections who either take away children for work or get their girl children married. We are trying to engage with children to minimise the dropout rate. The continued absence of 30 days without an excuse is considered a dropout in our system.

Have you got a blueprint for the revival of Anna Centenary Library?

Yes, soon the work will begin.

PG doctors oppose course extension

PG doctors oppose course extension

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Trichy:02.06.2021

Non-service postgraduate doctors in government medical college hospitals in Tami Nadu staged a protest on Tuesday demanding their absorption into government services.

Total 50 doctors under the banner of non-governmental service doctors association (NGSDA) carried out the demonstration at Mahatma Gandhi memorial governmenthospital (MGMGH) in Trichy.

Their main demand was that they be considered as senior residents. They are students of 2018 to 2021 batch of PG medicine courses. The latest circular from the director of medical education (DME) in Chennai extended their course for one more month, which prompted the PG doctors to protest.

HIGH COURT RULINGS ON EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

HIGH COURT RULINGS ON EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

02.06.2021

BDU justifies using last year’s test for semester exam

Trichy: Bharathidasan University has drawn flak from teachers for using question papers printed for last year’s semester exams in the online exams which began last month and were put off after four days.

However, the university has justified it saying there was nothing wrong in it. While online semester exams were held for a few subjects from May 5, it was subsequently postponed following the surge in Covid -19 cases.

The university has been conducting semester examination in hybrid mode. In this mode, question papers are mailed on the day of exam to the student who have to write it at home and submit the answer scripts in person at the respective colleges after the three-hour exam.

Students who appeared for the first two exams found it strange to see a correction on top of the question paper. They learned that last year’s question paper was given to them after changing the month and year from April 2020 to April 2021 which was visible.

One of the students sent the paper to his teacher who checked it with that of last year but found the questions to be different.

AUT general secretary M S Balamurugan said it was a dent on the integrity of the university. “Old question papers are usually not used. This has left the university exposed of its inefficiency. When there are corrections in the question paper, it is natural for students to have doubts. The office of the controller of examination should have prepared a fresh set,” he said .

Revoke illegal postings in state universities: HC

Chennai: Universities in the state should ensure equal opportunity, fairness and transparency in appointments to all posts, Madras high court has ruled.

Though Justice R Mahadevan passed an order to this effect while hearing a case relating to Bharathiar University, he made it clear that the verdict would apply to all universities in the state.

The judge also ordered the Bharathiar University to videograph interviews conducted for recruitments, to revoke illegal appointments and recover salary paid to such candidates so far.

The court passed the order while disposing of a plea moved by R Ramesh, S Ramkumar and S Kanakaraj challenging the appointment of assistant technical officer (library) made by the university. They wanted the court to direct the university to remove M Gowthaman, who was appointed as the assistant technical officer to Arignar Anna Central Library in the university.

According to the petitioners, Gowthaman did not possess the required qualification – a degree in any subject along with a degree in library science. While an inquiry was conducted by a university committee based on the representation made by the petitioner, Gowthaman was promoted as technical officer.

Concluding the hearing, the court stated that Gowthaman, being unqualified, was not entitled to be appointed as assistant technical officer.

Rejecting the contention that the issue has become infructuous on the superannuation of Gowthaman, Justice Mahadevan said: “This court does not think so, because any illegality cannot be given a seal of authenticity just due to lapse of time.”

Question papers are mailed on the day of exam to the student who has to write it at home and submit scripts in person

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Alas, men have no domestic violence law: HC

Alas, men have no domestic violence law: HC

Junks ‘Domestic Issue’ Case Filed On Man By Wife

Sureshkumar.K@timesgroup.com

Chennai:02.06.2021  

Times of India 

Reinstating a suspended officer who had suffered cruelty and voluntary desertion by his wife, the Madras high court on Tuesday bemoaned the lack of legal provisions akin to the Domestic Violence Act for a husband to proceed against his wife.

“The present generation must understand that marriage is not a contract, but a sacramental one. Of course, the word ‘sacrament’ has no meaning after coming into effect of the Domestic Violence Act, 2005, that approves live-in-relationship,” observed Justice S Vaidyanathan on Monday.

The case related to the suspension of Dr P Sasikumar by the director of animal husbandry and veterinary services in Chennai on the ground that he was “involved in a domestic issue” and on the basis of a complaint lodged by his estranged wife.

However, Justice Vaidyanathan, pointing out that the domestic violence complaint was lodged by his wife just before the ruling in a long-drawn divorce case, said: “It appears that only to harass the petitioner, the present complaint has been lodged by his wife, based on which police initiated action and the department placed him under suspension.”

The complaint was given four days prior to grant of divorce by the family court which clearly shows that the wife has anticipated divorce order and created unnecessary trouble to the petitioner, said the judge in his ruling.

No need to place petitioner under suspension: HC

The divorce proceedings, initiated before a Salem court in 2015, ended with the divorce order in February 2020.

Justice Vaidyanathan said there was no need for the department to place the petitioner under suspension, and ordered his reinstatement within 15 days. “As the case on hand is an exceptional one, this court interferes with the impugned order of suspension passed by the director of the department, and directs him to reinstate the petitioner in service within 15 days,” the judge said.

Justice Vaidyathan then observed: “Husband and wife must realize that, ‘ego’ and ‘intolerance’ are like footwear and should be left out of their house, when they enter the home, else, the child/children will have to face a miserable life.”

Husband and wife must realize that, ‘ego’ and ‘intolerance’ are like footwear and should be left out of their house, when they enter the home, else, the child/children will have to face a miserable life

JUSTICE VAIDYATHAN

‘Cancelling Class XII Boards May Affect College Admissions’

Mixed response to CBSE move to scrap exams

‘Cancelling Class XII Boards May Affect College Admissions’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:2.6.2021

The decision to cancel CBSE Class XII board examinations has evoked a mixed response among principals of city schools. Some said the decision will create confusion in admissions to arts and science courses, while others said the situation is not conducive to conduct board exams.

The CBSE has said the Class XII assessment will be made according to well-defined objective criteria in a time-bound manner. The CBSE will provide an option to appear for the examinations to students who are not satisfied with the assessment when the situation becomes conducive.

“The present Covid-19 situation is not conducive to conduct physical mode exams. Now, the important issue is how they will calculate the marks and declare results. The criteria should not affect the career of the students,” said P G Subramanian, principal of Bhavan’s Rajaji Vidhyashram in Kilpauk.

Some principals felt the exams could have been conducted on a regular schedule in March when the Covid-19 cases were very low. “Students were ready to write the exams in March. The cancellation of Class XII exams will create confusion in admissions to colleges. and foreign universities may not accept the all-pass decision,” a principal from a city school said.

Asha Nathan, principal of Chennai Public School in Anna Nagar, said students are disappointed with the cancelling of the exams. “Students are worried about getting admissions to arts and science colleges, which are based on Class XII board exam marks,” she said. However, she also said students’ lives are more important than exams and the government might have taken the decision after getting the broader picture about the pandemic.

R Srinivasa Raghavan, principal of Bala Vidyamandir Senior Secondary School in Adyar, said, “The cancellation might give clarity to colleges on how to go about the admissions. The colleges should come out with new methods for giving admission to undergraduate courses instead of just relying on board exam marks.”

N Vijayan, senior principal of Zion and Alwin Group of Schools, said the CBSE should take an average of three revision tests conducted in schools to award marks instead of taking last three years' exams.

“The schools were aware of the possibility of cancellation of exams. All schools conducted their revision tests fairly. Marks should be awarded based on recent performances instead of previous years performance,” he said.

Educationist P B Prince Gajendrababu urged the state boards not to follow CBSE in cancelling the Class XII board exams. “States need not follow CBSE and depending on the prevailing situation in their states, the board exam could be conducted at a later date by giving a time-table well in advance,” he said.

While all parties agreed that students’ health was paramount, some principals fear that foreign varsities may not accept the all-pass decition. They said the exams could have been conducted on a regular schedule in March when the cases were low

Centre cancels Class XII CBSE board exam, CISCE follows suit

Centre cancels Class XII CBSE board exam, CISCE follows suit

Assessment Likely On Tests Through The Yr

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:02.06.2021

Times of India Chennai Edition 

Ending the uncertainty over the Class XII CBSE boards, the Centre on Tuesday decided to cancel the examination due to the Covid-19 situation across the country after deliberations at a high-level review meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The decision came as a relief to lakhs of students, parents and teachers. The Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations, a private board that conducts the Class XII ISC exams, followed suit.

An official release said the Prime Minister held that the health and safety of students is of utmost importance and there would be no compromise on it. It was necessary to end anxiety among students, parents and teachers, the PM had said.

The government had earlier in April cancelled the CBSE Class X exams. According to CBSE sources, Class XII results will reflect the “well-defined objective criteria” developed by the board for Class X where assessment will be done based on the marks scored by a student in the different tests and exams conducted during the year. “Among the options being worked out is to whether the assessment should be based on performances in the final exams of the previous three classes (IX, X, XI) or give a certain weightage to Class X board results and internal assessments of Class XII. The modalities will be announced in a couple of days,” said a senior official of the CBSE.

“The government of India has decided to cancel the Class XII CBSE board exams. After extensive consultations, we have taken a decision that is student-friendly, one that safeguards the health as well as the future of our youth,” the PM tweeted.

CBSE yet to finalise alternate assessment criteria for board exams

Around 21.5 lakh registered for the Class X exams while 14 lakh candidates registered for those of Class XII. Meanwhile, CISCE secretary Gerry Arathoon said: “The exams have been cancelled. The alternative assessment criteria will be announced soon.”

TOI first reported on May 14 about the possibility of Class XII exams being cancelled due to the pandemic and on May 30 that results may be based on performances in previous classes and during the year leading to the board exams.

While the alternate assessment criteria for the exams has not been finalised by the board yet, CBSE sources said that it is expected to be on similar lines as announced for Class X which took into account the performance of the student in various tests and exams through the year. It was also decided in the meeting that in case some students want to take the exams, such an option would be provided to them as and when it is possible.

Welcoming the decision, Ashok Pandey, director, Ahlcon Group of Schools, said: “Under the given circumstances, centre-based examinations were no longer an option. Considering the trauma the children had undergone and the threat of the virus and no vaccination for students doesn’t inspire confidence among the people. This is a well-considered decision by the government and I am happy that the PM has asked for a time-bound transparent and equitable assessment plan.”