Telangana hospitals see rush for death proof

Telangana hospitals see rush for death proof

27/09/2021

Government hospitals in Telangana have been witnessing a steady flow of applications for the death summary of those who succumbed to COVID-19. With the National Disaster Management Authority recommending an ex gratia of ₹50,000 to the kin of COVID-19 victims, the rush for the document is expected to intensify. In the procedures currently in place, the cause of death is only mentioned in the ‘Death Summary’ issued by a government hospital upon application.

Laparoscopic surgery is the best option to treat cancers: experts

Laparoscopic surgery is the best option to treat cancers: experts

‘It’s quicker, ensures faster recovery’

27/09/2021

Special CorrespondentCHENNAI

Laparoscopic surgery is the best option to treat cancerous tumours as it reduces the need for large incisions and is less painful, say experts.

At a wellness webinar hosted jointly by GEM Hospital and The Hindu, experts felt keyhole surgery was quicker and ensured faster recovery.

Ho-Seong Han, professor in the Department of Surgery in Seoul National University’s College of Medicine, said studies had shown that “keyhole surgery results may be better in cancer than even open surgery”.

Chairman of GEM Hospital C. Palanivelu referred to studies done in Asia that pointed out that laparoscopic and robotics surgeries can increase the chance of survival of patients.

“In open oesophageal cancer surgeries, there is a 60% higher possibility of complication. Anastomotic leak and lung infection could delay recovery and patients need longer hospital stay. Such complications are ruled out in keyhole surgery, he said.

Laparoscope provides better vision than the naked eye of the tissues. Use of laparoscopes to remove cancerous tumours ensures no spillage happens, explained P. Senthilnathan, head of the Department of HPB Surgery, Department of Minimal Access Surgery and Liver Transplantation, GEM Hospital.

M. Vijayakumar, Vice-Chancellor, Yenepoya Deemed University, Mangaluru, said if people came early for treatment, the outcome would be better.

‘Early withdrawal of joint FD only if there is mandate’

‘Early withdrawal of joint FD only if there is mandate’

27/09/2021

Sanjay VijayakumarCHENNAI

Banks will allow premature withdrawal by the surviving depositor in the case of joint fixed deposit and term deposit accounts in the event of the death of one of the two, only if there is a joint mandate from the depositors to do so as per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines, which not many customers are aware of.

Consumer activist T. Sadagopan said there had been recent instances where the surviving depositors had approached banks for early withdrawal of fixed deposit accounts due to the death of the other account holder and their requests had been rejected by banks citing the RBI guidelines. In the case of joint fixed deposit and term deposit accounts, the joint holders choose between two mandates, “Either or Survivor” and “Former or Survivor”. In case of “Either or Survivor”, both the holders can operate the account while in the case of “Former or Survivor”, the former alone can operate the account when both are alive.

In both cases, banks are permitted to allow premature withdrawal of the deposit by the surviving joint depositor on the death of the other, only if there was a joint mandate from the depositors to this effect, according to the master circular on customer service by banks issued by RBI in 2015.

In the absence of a joint mandate, no pre-payment of the deposits would be allowed if the concurrence of the deceased joint holder had not been obtained as per the guidelines. If the operating instruction was “Either or Survivor” and one of the depositors died, no pre-payment of the fixed/term deposit may be allowed without the concurrence of the legal heirs of the deceased depositor. This would not stand in the way of making payment to the survivor on maturity, it said. In the case of “Former or Survivor” mandate, premature withdrawal would require the consent of both the parties, when both of them were alive, and that of the surviving depositor and the legal heirs of the deceased in the case of death of one of the depositors, the circular said.

KMCH opens free paediatric oncology ward

KMCH opens free paediatric oncology ward

27/09/2021

Staff Reporter COIMBATORE

Kovai Medical Center and Hospital (KMCH), Coimbatore, opened a free paediatric oncology ward on Sunday. M.S. Muthusmay, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Coimbatore range), inaugurated the facility at the KMCH Medical College General Hospital in the presence of V. Booma, professor and Head of the Department of Paediatrics at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital and Thavamani Devi Palaniswami, vice-chairman of KMCH.

A release issued by the hospital said the paediatric oncology ward will cater to the needs of children with cancer who cannot afford appropriate therapy.

Children with potentially treatable cancers who cannot afford treatment would be treated in the unit, completely free of cost, it said. According to the hospital, the exclusive unit has both in-patient and day care services and it follows latest protocols for the kids with cancer.

KMCH executive director Arun N. Palaniswami said the ward will help the needy children with treatable cancer to overcome it.

University’s ‘no dowry’ demand from students draws criticism

University’s ‘no dowry’ demand from students draws criticism

Students asked to sign undertaking in University of Calicut

27/09/2021

K.S. SudhiKOCHI

The University of Calicut has come under fire for seeking an undertaking from its students that their admissions and degrees shall be cancelled or withdrawn if they breach the provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act.

The university, following a proposal from Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, had asked the students to sign an undertaking stating that they would not demand or accept dowry, directly or indirectly.

B.G. Harindranath, former Kerala Law Secretary, felt that the order was legally unsustainable if challenged before a court of law. Though accepting or demanding dowry was punishable under the Act, the cancellation of a degree certificate was not contemplated under the Act, he said.

T. Asaf Ali, former director-general of prosecution, too, criticised the move, terming it illegal, unconstitutional, arbitrary and whimsical. A mere complaint to the police was sufficient for the university to deprive a candidate of his/her degree certificate, which could violate his/her constitutional right to life and livelihood. The withdrawal of a degree for an unrelated offence would deprive a person of his/her livelihood, which was unconstitutional, he said.

Kaleeswaram Raj, a Supreme Court lawyer, said the directive was irrational and unconstitutional. The awarding of a degree was based on educational parameters and could not be linked to an extraneous act. Creating awareness against dowry was one thing. But it was absurd to seek an undertaking that he/she would not engage in a penal act, he said.

M.K. Jayaraj, Vice-Chancellor of the university, said the intention was to create awareness among students against dowry.

Why Applied Mathematics has fewer applicants

Why Applied Mathematics has fewer applicants

Unavailability of NCERT books, fewer teachers and limited knowledge about job prospects are worrying students

c-Jagriti.Kumari@timesgroup.com

27.09.2021

To help students develop an understanding of basic mathematical and statistical tools and their applications in various fields including business, Economics and social sciences, the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) introduced Applied Mathematics as an elective for class XI from the academic year 2020-21. The introduction of the new subject is for students who opted for Basic Mathematics instead of the standard version in class X boards. In 2020, out of around 19 lakh students, as many as 6 lakh students opted for Basic Mathematics in class X boards while around 13 lakh students appeared for the standard version of the question paper.

Few takers

Achala Verma, PGT Mathematics at Birla Balika Vidyapeeth, Pilani, explains that lack of awareness about the subject led to fewer takers. “There were no takers for the subject as an elective, in my school last year. This year also, only a handful of students have opted for it,” says Verma. On why this was the case, Verma reasons that students are clueless about the career prospects after studying Applied Mathematics. “Most students opt for subjects that offer a lucrative career opportunity. Hence, students need to be apprised about the future of Applied Mathematics,” says Verma.

Besides, the subject was introduced by the Board when Covid-19 pandemic kept schools closed, says Vivek Choudhary, PGT Mathematics at a Faridabad-based school. “Closure of schools took a huge toll as students and teachers both were clueless about the syllabus. Communication with students and parents was another challenge during the virtual mode of education. Having detailed information might have helped us in spreading awareness about the subject,” says Choudhary.

Challenges

Unavailability of textbooks is a major challenge for both teachers and students, says Choudhary. “Majority of us rely on NCERT textbooks for the board exams and other competitive examinations. But no dedicated books for Applied Math has been published yet,” says Choudhary, adding that study materials provided by the CBSE on its website is good, but more study material is needed.

When contacted, a source on condition of anonymity at NCERT says, “We have been frequently getting queries from parents and students for Applied Mathematics books. The books are not getting published as the government is yet to send the proposal for the publication of the books.

Syllabus

Applied Mathematics includes topics such as Number Theory, Interpretation of Data, Analysis of Data, Commercial Mathematics, Set Theory, Relation and Function, Algebra, Trigonometry, Fundamentals of Calculus, Logical Reasoning, Commercial Mathematics, Probability, Linear Programming, Analysis of time-based Data etc

Students who lost parents to Covid need not pay exam fee

Students who lost parents to Covid need not pay exam fee

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

27.09.2021

In a rare gesture of compassion and support, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided to exempt students who lost both their parents or their only surviving parent to Covid-19 from paying the CBSE examination fees. This was notified by the Board on Tuesday evening.

The CBSE affiliated schools in the country are already in the process of collecting fees and finalising the list of candidates for the class X and XII board examinations. A student to be included in the list of candidates (LOC), will have to pay the examination fees. The process of LOC started on September 17 and must be completed before September 30, the board had notified in an earlier statement.

The basic fee for five subjects is Rs 1,500 for class X and XII, and Rs 1,200 for SC/ST candidates of Delhi government schools. Along with the additional amount for each practical and additional or optional subject, the total fee would amount to around Rs 2,500 for many class XII students whose subjects have the practical component.