Madras HC stays new UGC rule on fixation of CGPA
New UGC rule on fixation of CGPA stayed
Chennai: THE operation of an amendment made to an UGC regulation, which paved the way for fixation of minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and consequential rejection of recognition, has been stayed by the Madras High Court. Constituting the first bench, Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice P T Asha granted the stay on Monday while passing interim orders on a PIL petition from the Annamalai University in Chidambaram, which was taken over by the State government in 2013. The stay will be in force for six weeks. According to petitioner, the university was allowed to impart open and distance learning education till the academic year 2019-20 as per the accreditation of ‘A’ grade given by the NAAC for scoring 3.09 out of 4 points. While so, by amending Regulation 3(1) of the UGC (Open and Distance Learning Education) Regulations 2017 on February 6 last, the cumulative grade point average was fixed. The amendment revised the eligibility grade to 3.26 on a 4-point scale awarded by the NAAC and rejected the recognition for the open and distance learning education. As per the impugned amendment, all universities are directly affected in the State and the State Higher Education secretary also wrote a letter dated April 7 last to the UGC to reconsider the decision and permit the universities having NAAC grade “A”. As there was no response, the present PIL is filed.
HC dismisses Kajal Agarwal’s appeal against VVD
Chennai: An appeal from actor Kajal Agarwal, challenging an order of a single judge passed in July, 2017 relating to copyright of an advertisement in which she acted, was dismissed by a division bench of the Madras High Court on Monday. The bench of Justices M M Sundresh and N Anad Venkatesh, which upheld the single judge’s order, made it clear that VVD & Sons is the first owner of the copyright. A person, who thus becomes the first owner of the copyright for his entire work, has been conferred with a statutory right for 60 years over the cinematograph of the advertisement film. This statutory right cannot be taken away by a performer by the virtue of an agreement. “Hence we hold that VVD is entitled to exploit the work for the entire term prescribed under section 26 of the Copy Right Act and it is not restricted for one year by the agreement,” as contended by the actor, the bench said and dismissed her appeal.
Judge strikes down own order in FERA case against TTV
Chennai: Justice M V Muralidharan of the Madras High Court, while passing orders on a petition from rebel leader and R K Nagar independent MLA TTV Dhinakaran challenging the FERA case registered by the Enforcement Directorate against him, directed the Economic Offences Court to complete the trial in six months. However, within minutes, when it was brought to his notice that in a similar case the High Court had granted a stay on the proceedings pending before the lower court, the judge struck down his own order. The judge had directed the Economic Offences Court, Egmore in Allikulam to conduct the trial in the FERA case against Dhinakaran on day-to-day basis and complete the trial within six months. The same was struck down by the judge minutes later.