1. Protests at Chennai's Sathyabama College After Student Kills Self
Chennai’s Sathyabama University witnessed unrest on Tuesday, 22 November, after a student killed herself. Reports claimed that the woman was a first-year engineering student at the university.
Over 300 students engaged in protests at the campus, which broke out into full blown violence and arson. Tamil news channel Puthiya Thalaimurai reported that a number of students were rioting, proclaiming “we want justice”. Police personnel has been deployed in and around the campus, and the situation is currently under control.
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2. Monsoon May Pick up Pace from Sunday
Several parts of the state are likely to experience dry weather for two more days. The low pressure that formed over the Andaman sea was over the islands on Wednesday. An associated cyclonic circulation also persists. According to the IMD, the system is likely to become more marked over southwest Bay of Bengal and the neighbourhood around 26 November.
Officials of the meteorological department note that the system is still far away and it is being monitored for revival of monsoon. With the dry spell prolonging for more than a week now, the state’s seasonal rainfall has fallen short by 18 percent against its average. Tamil Nadu has received 26.4 cm against its quota of 32.1 cm so far this season, causing concern of rainfall deficit. The northeast monsoon may get more active towards the weekend. The department forecast that the coastal parts of the State and Puducherry may begin to get fairly widespread rainfall from Sunday. A few places may even experience heavy rain spells on Sunday.
(Source: The Hindu)
Also Read: Chennai Rains: Heroes in Uniform Go Beyond The Call of Duty
3. Plea Filed on Jaya's Thumb Impression
In a petition submitted to the one-man Commission of Enquiry set up to probe the death of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) medical wing office-bearer and Thiruparankundram DMK candidate Saravanan has raised doubts about her thumb impression affixed on the election form submitted as part of the bypoll.
After submitting his petition, Dr Saravanan told reporters that from the day she was admitted, there were plenty of contradictions in the hospital bulletins. Under such circumstances, the claims that she had affixed her thumb impression and that she was aware about the happenings were not acceptable since it had not been duly attested, he pointed in his report.
(Source: The Hindu)
Also Read: Sasikala’s Brother Says Jayalalithaa Left Her Without ‘Protection’
4. For the Film World, It's Death by Thousand Cuts
The suicide of B Ashok Kumar, who was managing Company Productions that produced successful films such as Subramaniapuram and Sundarapandian featuring actor Sasikumar, has exposed the nefarious world of film financing, once again, after the suicide of well-known producer G Venkateswaran in 2003.
In a letter allegedly written by Ashok Kumar, he has squarely blamed Madurai-based distributor and film financier Anbuchezhiyan for his death. Actor Vishal, General Secretary, Nadigar Sangam and President, Tamil Film Producers Council, who has demanded action against Anbuchezhiyan, alleged that he had a lot of political clout. “We will take on any MLA or MP, who tries to intervene. Everyone in the film industry, including myself, has suffered because of private financiers. It is time the industry unites and refuse to tolerate any sort of harassment,” said Vishal.
(Source: The Hindu)
5. Slum Dwellers Must Not Be Forcibly Removed: Activists
Seventy-three-year-old Sarasa and her only son Velankanni, a watchman, are struggling to prevent their house from getting bulldozed by excavators. Theirs is one of the few houses in Thideer Nagar, Greams Road yet to be brought down to make way for the Cooum River Eco-restoration Project by the Greater Chennai Corporation.
Most houses on the street have been demolished and families have been moved to their new homes at the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) tenements in Perumbakkam. Sarasa remains unwilling and adamant, and does not want to move. “This house is all we have. How can they take it away from us?” she said, holding back her tears. “This is gross human rights violation,” said C Lakshmanan, professor at the Madras Institute of Development Studies (MIDS), while addressing reporters at a meeting at the Chennai Press Club held by activists demanding authorities to stop forced evictions and relocation of slum dwellers across the city.
(Source: The Hindu)
6. Anna University Debars 1,070 Teachers for Faulty Evaluation
Anna University has barred as many as 1,070 teachers from taking up examination-related activities for up to three years. These include activities such as setting question papers and evaluation. The university conducted an inquiry based on the central valuation done by examiners during April/May 2017 examinations. It has been receiving flak as, increasingly, students who apply for revaluation had also received better grades.
A student pays Rs 300 for a photocopy and Rs 400 for revaluation per script. The student can also challenge the valuation for Rs 3,000 per script. The university conducted an inquiry on 27 September and 21 October in three cities — Chennai, Tiruchi and Coimbatore.
(Source: The Hindu)
7. Former Advocate-General Habibullah Badsha No More
Senior Counsel Habibullah Badsha, a highly respected lawyer who turned down offers to be elevated directly as a judge of the Supreme Court in 1986 and that of the High Court in 1970, died on Wednesday at the age of 84.
Though Badsha preferred to remain a lawyer all his life, many of the junior advocates attached to his office went on to become judges. Notable among them are Justice Sudhakar, now a judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court; Justice Kirubakaran of the Madras High Court and Justice GM Akbar Ali (since retired) of the same court.
The incumbent Additional Advocate-General C Manishankar was also Badsha’s junior. People close to him recall that he was born in an affluent family in Chennai on 8 March 1933 and was educated at premier schools in the city. He pursued graduation in Islamic Studies and obtained a law degree from Madras Law College before enrolling with the Bar Council in 1957. In 1967, he was appointed as Central Government standing counsel and turned down judgeship at the age of 37.
(Source: The Hindu)
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