KSRTC driver’s conviction shouldn’t affect career: HC

 KSRTC driver’s conviction shouldn’t affect career: HC

Accused Told To Pay Penalty For Rash Driving

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Vasantha.Kumar@timesgroup.com

30,01,2022

Bengaluru: Coming to the rescue of a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation driver, the high court said he need only pay the fine imposed by the trial court and the conviction shouldn’t affect his career or employment.

Disposing of a revision petition filed by H Devendrappa, Justice Sreenivas Harish Ku-mar said the sentence imposed is confined to the fines of Rs 1,000 for the offence under section 279 of IPC (rash driving on a public way) and Rs 500 under section 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) with default sentence as ruled by the trial court.

The judge said in the Rajbir Singh vs state of Haryana case (1985), the Supreme Court had said conviction of an accused should not affect his ser- vice. Also, in the GT Ravindra vs state of Karnataka case (2012), the high court had observed that conviction and sentence should not affect employment of the accused.

The case against Devendrappa was that on August 14, 2014, the KSRTC bus he was driving collided with a private bus at Charmadi Ghat. The accident was attributed to his rash driving.

Based on the evidence presented by passengers, eyewitnesses, and driver and cleaner of the private bus, a court in Belthangady convicted Devendrappa for offences under sections 279 and 337 on December 6, 2019. He was sentenced to two months’ simple imprisonment with a fine of Rs 1,000 and default sentence of 15 days’ imprisonment for offence under section 279, and two months’ simple imprisonment with a fine of Rs 500 and default sentence of 15 days for offence under section 337.

An appeal against this order was dismissed by the 4th additional district and sessions judge, Dakshina Kannada, on August 4, 2021.

Devendrappa then filed a revision petition in the high court, seeking a lenient view in the matter, considering that the sentences could affect his employment/career.

Canada relaxes testing needs for travellers

 Canada relaxes testing needs for travellers

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Saurabh.Sinha@timesgroup.com

30.01.2022

New Delhi: Canada no longer requires passengers travelling on nonstops from India to get a Covid test done within 18 hours before departure. Starting Friday, it has also ended the need for third-country testing for those coming on one-stops from India. This means people travelling from, say India to Canada via the Gulf/Europe/US, will no longer need to be tested at the transit country before taking a connecting flight to their destination.

To be sure, Canada continues to require that all travellers, unless specifically exempted, have a valid negative pre-departure Covid-19 molecular test result taken within 72 hours before a scheduled flight to Canada.

Canada had on September 27, 2021, allowed resumption of direct flights from India, over five months after suspending the same during the second Covid wave here, with stricter testing norms. The nonstops were, and continue to be, from Delhi. And passengers needed to obtain a pre-departure negative Covid-19 molecular result fromatest done at Delhi Airport’s Genestrings Laboratory within 18 hours before their scheduled departure.

This stringent requirement goes now and the move could pave the way for direct flights between more Indian cities and Canada because as of now nonstops only to and from Delhi are allowed.

“Effective January 28, 2022, we’re removing the modified pre-departure Covid-19 test requirements for travellers on direct flights to Canada from India and Morocco, and the requirement for third country testing for travellers on indirect routes to Canada fromthesecountries,” Transport Canada tweeted on Friday. The Canadian government said it is from January 28, 2022, removing the modified predeparture test requirements for travellers coming to Canada on direct or indirect flights from India or Morocco.

 

49k GU students get degrees

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TIMES NEWS NETWORK

30.01.2022

Ahmedabad: At the 70th convocation at Gujarat University (GU) held on Saturday in the online format, 49,528 students of the university were awarded degrees. A total of 200 medals and prizes were given on the occasion.

Chief m inister Bhupendra Patel, who attended the virtual event, said the degrees handed over today are not just certificates but testament to the a spirations of a bright India.

He urged the young graduates to contribute in building a better India as the country is ready to celebrate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav this year.

A revolutio n has taken place in the field of education in Gujarat under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said.

In the last two decades, more than 95 universities in the state have provided world class education to the  youth. In his address, the chief minister also said that Gujarat has prepared a roadmap to realize the Prime Minister’s goal of holisticeducational development in the new education policy.

Education minister Jitu Vaghani and ministers of state Kuber Dindor, Kirtisinh Vaghela and senior education department officials also joined the event online. Gujarat governor Acharya Devvrat in his address described the new Education Policy-2020 as a reflection of taking India’s pride to a higher level.

646 students given certificates at Cept

Atotal of 646 students – 263 undergraduate, 380 postgraduate, 2 PhD and1 MPhil – got their degrees in the annual convocation of Cept University on Saturday. Dr Madhav Khosla, associate professor at Columbia University, was the chief guest at the event. It was the second consecutive virtual convocation for the university. The university awards for proficiency were conferred to 66 students. The convocation address pointed at the 50 years of Faculty of Planning in 2022 – playing a pioneer role in the field with over 2,700 students passing out in half a century.

TNN

In-service doctors want PG quota in current academic year

 In-service doctors want PG quota in current academic year

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TIMES NEWS NETWORK

30.01.2022

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat high court issued notice to the state government over a petition filed by in-service doctors seeking implementation of reservation for them in postgraduate (PG) courses from the 2021-22 academic year.

By a resolution passed on January10, the state authorities decided to implement 10% reservation in PG degree courses for doctors working at government health facilities from the next academic year, 2022-23. The in-service doctors, who are posted at PHCs and CHCs, have been demanding that the quota for higher  medical studies be made effective from the current academic year.

A petition filed through advocates Rashesh Rindani and Shirish Gohil contended that the NEET-PG exams were conducted late due to the pandemic situation. If the quota system for in-service doctors is implemented from the next academic year, doctors who have successfully cleared NEET-PG exams this year will be at a loss without any fault of theirs.

The change came after the decision to reduce PG diploma seats and increase PG decree seats at the behest of the central authorities. The petitioner doctors submitted that other states have also carved out reservations for government doctors for PG courses as West Bengal has 40%, Madhya Pradesh has 30%, Tamil Nadu has 50% and Andhra Pradesh has 10% reservation. All these states decided to adopt the quota system from the academic year 2021-22. They urged the court to direct the Gujarat government to implement reservation the way these other states have done. Moreover, it has also been contended that this system is viewed as an incentive for doctors to take up government jobs and serve in rural areas.

DMK mouthpiece lashes out at guv for pro-NEET message

 DMK mouthpiece lashes out at guv for pro-NEET message

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TIMES NEWS NETWORK

30.01.2022

Chennai: The M K Stalin-led DMK on Saturday made a scathing attack on governor R N Ravi for his pro-NEET remarks in his RepublicDay message when the state is fighting to get exemption for Tamil Nadu students from NEET. The party mouthpieceMurasoli, in an article carried with a pen name, sought to remind Ravi, “This is not Nagaland, but Tamil Nadu,” in an apparent reference to Ravi’s earlier stint as governor of Nagaland, which had attracted opposition criticism.

In his customary message on the eve of the Republic Day, Ravi said improving the quality of education in government schools was the need of the time. Before the introduction of NEET, the share of students from government schools getting medical seats in government colleges was hardly 1%. “Thanks to the affirmative action of 7. 5% reservation for government school students, that number has improved significantly, however, there is an urgentneedto improvethe quality of education also in government schools,” Ravi said. He also said depriving students of  

knowledge of other Indian languages was unfair to all.

The ruling DMK, which was upset with Ravi for delaying his decision on the Bill seeking exemption for Tamil Nadu from NEET— passed intheassembly in September, has not taken lightly to Ravi’s remarks on NEET. It is incensed over the inference in Ravi’s message that the previous AIADMK government provided 7. 5% reservation to government school students in medical admission.

The article attacking Ravi read, “Intimidating tactics is perhaps needed for the police department (Ravi is a retired IPS officer); it will be helpful on many occasions, but he should realize that it will not help achieve anything in politics”. It charged the governor with transgressing his Constitutional role by supporting NEET when “the whole state, barring a few Sanghis” was opposing the common entrance test.

People in Tamil Nadu, unlike other states, are politically conscious even if they live in remote villages. It would do good for the governor to understand the state and its history before making unsavoury comments that bring disrepute to his position, the article said. Taking a leaf from a folklore, it added, “Kokkendru ninaithayo, Konganava” (Recalling the story of sage Konganavar, who killed a stork, the article asked Ravi whether he thinks it [read DMK gover nment] is a stork).

The governor should explain to the people whether it is fair to take refuge under legal cover andsiton the Bill,dashing thewishes of seven crorepeople and insulting them, it said.

The article also had a word of advice to Ravi about his role as the Union government’s representative. His duty was to inform the Centre about the sentiments of the people and not push the Union government’s agenda down their throats, it said.

ATTENTION MEDICAL ASPIRANTS

 

Docs perform op as patient sings

 Docs perform op as patient sings

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

30.01.2022

Chennai: The Apollo Proton Cancer Centre performed a palliative mastectomy for a patient with metastatic breast cancer while the patient was singing.

According to a statement from the hospital, it was the first time worldwide, a patient was awake and singing during breast cancer surgery, despite the extensive lung metastases and overcoming her anxiety. Seethalakshmi, a classical singer and teacher, from Chennai diagnosed with advanced breast cancer.