'பேட்டரி' இல்லாமல் 1,500 பஸ்கள் முடக்கம்

'பேட்டரி' இல்லாமல் 1,500 பஸ்கள் முடக்கம்

Added : நவ 29, 2021 23:29

சென்னை : தமிழகத்தில் 'பேட்டரி' இல்லாமல், 1,500 பஸ்கள் நிறுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளன.

தமிழக அரசு போக்குவரத்து கழகங்கள் பெரும் நிதி நெருக்கடியில் சிக்கித் தவிக்கின்றன. இதனால், ஊழியர்கள், ஓய்வூதியர்களுக்கான பணப் பலன்களை வழங்குவதிலும், பஸ்களை பராமரிப்பிலும் பெரும் சிக்கல் நிலவுகிறது. குறிப்பாக, உதிரி பாகங்கள் வாங்க பணம் இல்லாததால், பழுதடைந்த பஸ்களில் இருந்து கழற்றி மாற்றும் நிலை உள்ளது.

ஆனால், காலாவதியான பேட்டரிகளை அதுபோல மாற்ற இயலவில்லை. ஒவ்வொரு பணிமனையிலும், ஒன்றிரண்டு பஸ்கள் என பேட்டரி இன்றி, தமிழகம் முழுதும் 1,500க்கும் மேற்பட்ட பஸ்கள் முடக்கப்பட்டு உள்ளன. இது போன்ற பிரச்னைகளை சரி செய்து, 100 சதவீத பஸ்களை இயக்க, பட்ஜெட்டில் நிதி ஒதுக்க வேண்டும் என, ஊழியர்கள் வலியுறுத்தி உள்ளனர்

சென்னை டூ- சிங்கப்பூர்; மீண்டும் விமான சேவை

சென்னை டூ- சிங்கப்பூர்; மீண்டும் விமான சேவை

Added : நவ 29, 2021 23:27

சென்னை : சென்னை - சிங்கப்பூர் இடையேயான விமான சேவை, ௨௦ மாதங்களுக்கு பின் மீண்டும் துவங்கியுள்ளது.

கொரோனா தொற்று பரவ துவங்கியதும், 2020 மார்ச் 25ல், சர்வதேச நாடுகளுக்கான விமான சேவைகள் ரத்து செய்யப்பட்டன. பின், அதே ஆண்டு மே 9 முதல், சில குறிப்பிட்ட நாடுகளுக்கு மட்டும், 'வந்தே பாரத்' திட்டத்தின் கீழ், மீட்பு விமானங்களும், சிறப்பு விமானங்களும் இயக்கப்பட்டு வருகின்றன.

இந்நிலையில், டிசம்பர் 15 முதல், அனைத்து சர்வதேச விமான சேவைகளும் இயங்க, மத்திய அரசு அனுமதி அளித்துள்ளது. அத்துடன், சிங்கப்பூர் - இந்தியா இடையேயான விமான சேவைக்கும் அனுமதி தரப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதையடுத்து, சென்னையிலிருந்து சிங்கப்பூருக்கு நேற்று முதல் தினசரி விமான சேவையை, சிங்கப்பூர் ஏர்லைன்ஸ் நிறுவனமும், இண்டிகோ ஏர்லைன்ஸ் நிறுவனமும் துவக்கி உள்ளன.

சிங்கப்பூர் ஏர்லைன்ஸ் விமானம், இரவு 10:00 மணிக்கு சிங்கப்பூரிலிருந்து சென்னை விமான நிலையம் வந்து சேரும். மீண்டும் இரவு 11:15 மணிக்கு சென்னையிலிருந்து புறப்பட்டு சிங்கப்பூர் செல்கிறது.இதேபோல, இண்டிகோ ஏர்லைன்ஸ் விமானம், சென்னை சர்வதேச விமான நிலையத்திலிருந்து, இரவு 9:45க்கு சிங்கப்பூருக்கு புறப்படுகிறது.

தற்போது, 20 மாதங்களுக்கு பின், சென்னை -- சிங்கப்பூர் - இடையே, நேரடி பயணியர் விமான சேவை மீண்டும் துவங்கி உள்ளது.இந்த விமானங்களில் பயணம் செய்யும் பயணியருக்கு, இரண்டு தவணை தடுப்பூசி செலுத்தியதற்கான சான்றிதழ் மற்றும் 48 மணி நேரத்திற்குள் எடுக்கப்பட்ட கொரோனா நெகடிவ் சான்றிதழ் அவசியம்.

Adhere to guidelines from WHO to the letter: V Irai Anbu

Adhere to guidelines from WHO to the letter: V Irai Anbu

Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu on Monday held detailed discussions with collectors, health officials, and police through a video-conference call from the Secretariat.

Published: 30th November 2021 06:58 AM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu on Monday held detailed discussions with collectors, health officials, and police through a video-conference call from the Secretariat. The chief secretary urged the collectors and other departments to strictly adhere to the guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) with regard to Omicron. Since vaccination is the best weapon to counter the virus, the collectors were told to intensify measures for spreading awareness on vaccination.

Though Omicron is yet to be detected in Tamil Nadu, RT-PCR test is being done at international airports in the State on those coming from South Africa, European countries, Botswana, Hong Kong, China, Israel, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Brazil, Bangladesh, and Mauritius.

Those who test negative in the RT-PCR test are advised to be in home quarantine for a week. After that, they have to undergo another RT-PCR test and continue to monitor their health for another week. If any passenger tests positive, further tests will be done to find out which variant it is. Whole genomic sequencing of samples taken from those arriving from other countries is also being carried out.

Passengers note!

Those who test negative in the RT-PCR test are advised to be in quarantine for a week. After that, they have to undergo another test and continue to monitor their health for another week

NEET-UG 2021 : Supreme Court Issues Notice On Plea Alleging Rigging Of OMR Sheets, Discrepancy In Final Results

NEET-UG 2021 : Supreme Court Issues Notice On Plea Alleging Rigging Of OMR Sheets, Discrepancy In Final Results

Shruti Kakkar29 Nov 2021 3:59 PM

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice in a writ petition preferred by 6 NEET-UG candidates who allege rigging of their OMR sheets after the publication of the answer keys by the National Testing Agency.

Alleging widespread discrepancies in NTA's scoring process, the petitioners challenge their marks and ranks secured in the test which was conducted on September 12, 2021 by the National Testing Agency.

The matter was listed before the bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna.

It has been argued that there was a huge difference between the marks which the petitioners had calculated based on the answer keys published by the NTA and the final marks declared by the NTA on November 1, 2021. One of the petitioners allege that his score as per the answer key was 584 but the final result showed 164. According to another petitioner, his score based on the answer key was 675 but the final result showed 52 marks. Another petitioner's final score was zero, though his estimate as per the answer key was 545 marks.

"It appears that to be massive rigging in the screening of the OMR sheet soon after the publication of the answer keys and consequent uploading of OMR sheet for self assessment and before the actual declaration of result and score card on NTA's website which has resulted in glaring discrepancy in the marks obtained by the petitioners," the petition states.

Referring to the comparative tabulation of marks, the petitioners have contended that it is "manifestly evident" that there has been a huge margin in the scores obtained by them.

It has further been averred that something is utterly wrong on NTA's part which needs to be addressed by instituting investigations against the authority.

Petitioners in their petition have referred to the news for leaking the question paper and criminal conspiracy to sabotage the fair process of exam in regards to which several FIR's were registered at different places in India.

The sum and substance of the initial investigation in these FIR's had established rampant use of unscrupulous means and unfair practices to manipulate the results for benefiting the rich and non merit candidates, the petitioners have stated.

In light of this background it has been stated in the petition that,

"There are malpractices and corrupt practices which are undergoing on at the levels which the innocent, deserving and meritorious petitioners cannot imagine which has resulted in arbitrariness and rejection of meritorious candidates and as such is violative of their rights under Article 14 of the Constitution of India."

The matter will be next heard on December 13, 2021.

Senior Advocate Manoj Swarup with Rajan Kumar Singh (AOR) and Rakesh kumar Singh Advocate appeared for the Petitioners

The petition is filed through Advocate on Record Ranjan Kumar Singh.

Case : WP(C) 1286/2021

Expert: Covishield, Covaxin may offer protection against Omicron

Expert: Covishield, Covaxin may offer protection against Omicron

Umesh.Isalkar@timesgroup.com

Pune:30.11.2021

Covishield and Covaxin jabs can prevent hospitalisation and death of patients infected with the new Botswana variant Omicron (B.1.1.529), novel coronavirus’s most mutated version as yet, a noted infectious diseases expert has said.

“Theoretically, it is possible that the new variant of concern (Omicron) may challenge vaccines’ efficacy. But, we know that our vaccines prevent hospitalization and death, and the same may be potent against the Omicron variant. People must take two doses of the vaccine — either Covishield or Covaxin — and adhere to Covid-19-appropriate behaviour, especially that of wearing a mask, to ward off infection from such variants,” said senior scientist Raman Gangakhedkar, former head of the epidemiology and communicable diseases division of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Gangakhedkar is one of the 26 members of the WHO team appointed to examine the origins of pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 that cause pandemics. “There is not enough data yet to understand Omicron’s ability to evade vaccine or a natural infection-induced immune response. Hence, we should continue to enhance coverage in vaccine rollout, so that hospitalisation does not increase. Unvaccinated people must take two doses of the vaccine and those who have taken one dose must take the second dose at the earliest,” Gangakhedkar said.

The second dose boosts not only virus-specific antibodies but also the T cells (T-lymphocytes), which are memory cells and part of the broader immune response against the virus, Gangakhedkar said, advising strict adherence to the two-dose regime.

Disease-causing properties of this variant, like transmissibility, potential to cause severity and immune evasion either from vaccination or previous infection with other variants, are unclear as yet.

“More studies are needed to delineate whether previous exposure to the Delta strain or currently available vaccines will shield us against severe illness due to Omicron,” infectious diseases expert Sanjay Pujari, a member of the National Covid Task Force, told TOI. India’s advantage lies in the knowledge that a majority of the population has encountered the virus and acquired immunity, senior clinical epidemiologist Amitav Banerjee said.

Omicron: wary world slams doors shut

Omicron: wary world slams doors shut

New cases in Portugal and Scotland may point towards local spread of the variant, fear officials

30/11/2021

Warning bells: People waiting to be transported to a quarantine facility after arriving at an airport in Japan. AFP

Associated Press Brussels

Taking an act-now-ask-questions-later approach, countries around the world slammed their doors shut again to try to keep the new Omicron variant at bay on Monday as more cases of the mutant coronavirus emerged and scientists raced to figure out just how dangerous it might be.

Japan announced it would bar entry of all foreign visitors, joining Israel in doing so just days after the variant was identified by researchers in South Africa. Morocco banned all incoming flights. Other countries, including the U.S. and European Union members, have moved to prohibit travellers arriving from southern Africa.

Travellers infected with the new version have turned up in a widening circle of countries over the past few days, including Spain, and cases in Portugal and Scotland have raised fears that the variant may already be spreading locally.

“Many of us might think we are done with COVID-19. It’s not done with us,” warned Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization.

The infections have underscored the difficulty in keeping the virus in check in a globalised world of jet travel and open borders. Yet, many countries are trying to do just that, against the urging of the WHO, which noted that border closings often have limited effect and can wreak havoc on lives and livelihoods. Some argued that such restrictions could provide valuable time to analyse the new variant.

“This time the world showed it is learning,” said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, singling out South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for praise.

“South Africa’s analytic work and transparency and sharing its results was indispensable in allowing a swift global response. It no doubt saved many lives.”

Late last week, Ms. von der Leyen successfully pushed the 27-nation EU to agree to ban flights from seven southern African nations, similar to what many other countries are doing.

Cases had already been reported in EU nations Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands before Portuguese authorities identified 13 Omicron infections among members of the Belenenses professional football team. Authorities reported one member had recently travelled to South Africa.

Spain also reported its first confirmed case of the variant. It was detected in a traveller who returned on Sunday from South Africa after making a stopover in Amsterdam. And after Scotland reported its first six cases, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned that “there might already be some community transmission of this variant”.

Taking no chances, Japan, which has yet to detect any Omicron cases, reimposed border controls that it had eased earlier this month. “We are taking the step as an emergency precaution to prevent a worst-case scenario in Japan,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. The new measures begin on Tuesday.

26k students bought PINs for medical and allied courses

26k students bought PINs for medical and allied courses

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:30.11.2021

The Admission Committee for Professional Undergraduate Medical Educational Courses (ACPUGMEC) on Monday said it has completed the registration process for state quota in medical, dental, homeopathy and Ayurveda courses for the academic year 2021-22.

The committee has also completed the registration process for self-financed Ayurveda and homeopathy courses for 15% All India Quota, it said. A total of 26,186 candidates have purchased the personal identification number (PIN), according to a media statement. Of these 5,453 are from the open category.

All candidates qualifying NEET (UG) - 2019 are eligible for All India Quota and other quotas under the state governments/institutes, irrespective of the medium of the examination, subject to other eligibility criteria.

The admission committee started online registrations for medical, dental, homeopathic and Ayurveda seats from November 17.

There are 30 medical colleges in the state with 5,550 MBBS seats, 12 dental colleges with 1,255 seats, 2,242 seats in 33 Ayurveda colleges and 36 colleges having a total capacity of 3,710 seats. In all there are 12,707 seats for which the Admission Committee for Professional Under Graduate Medical Educational Courses (ACPUGMEC) will undertake the admission process this year.