CHENNAI: The Arni branch of Indian Bank has escaped from the levy of Rs one lakh as costs for not sanctioning educational loan to a bright student.
Considering the undertaking given by the bank that it would act in terms of the revised IBA Model Educational Loan Scheme, 2015, Justice S Vaidyanathan refrained himself from imposing the costs, on June 26.
S Naveen had secured 1,017 marks in the State board public exam during 2014-15. He got admitted in the Bachelor of Siddha Medicine and Surgery College/Sri Sai Ram Siddha Medical College & Research Centre, on allotment of seats made by the selection committee, Director of Indian Medicine & Homeopathy Medical Science. Initially, he was able to pay the tuition fees by taking hand loans from known sources. For further payment of the fees, he made an application to bank, which by a reply dated March 28, 2016, rejected his plea on the ground that college was not maintaining placement records of its students.
Contending that if production of placement record is a pre-condition for granting student loan, then, it would defeat the very purpose of granting educational loan, petitioner moved the court to quash the rejection order and for a directive to sanction the loan. The judge said the petitioner was a bright student and the co-obligation of his parents was sound to ensure repayment of loan in terms of the revised IBA Model Educational Loan Scheme, 2015. “Hence, this court is of the view that if the petitioner fulfills the guidelines stipulated by the bank, the request shall be considered.”
The bench also observed that it is very unfortunate that the future of the student is at stake, due to the flimsy reasons given by the bank. Though a cost of `one lakh should have been imposed on the officials, who have rejected the loan, which shall be recovered from their personal funds, taking note of the fact that henceforth, the bank would act in terms of the revised IBA Model Educational Loan Scheme, 2015, no costs is being imposed, the judge said.
Instal CCTVs in RTOs: HC
Holding that corruption is a social evil and it is the greatest hurdle to development of the country, the Madras High Court has directed the State government to install closed-circuit TV (CCTV) cameras in all Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) in the State. Justice S M Subramaniam gave the directive while disposing of a writ petition from Thennindhiya Ottunar Payirchi Palli Urimaiyalargal Koottamaippu (Federation of Driving School Owners of South India) at Nanganallur, on June 25.
The petition sought to restrain the authorities from implementing the electronic driving test in ‘H’ track for light motor vehicles and two-wheelers and consequently direct them to follow the physical driving test as per the provisions of Rule 31 of Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.
Three week time to Marans
Madras High Court has granted time till July 17 to counsel to prepare and defend the Maran brothers in the decade-old alleged multi-crore telephone exchange scam case. Challenging the orders dated March 14 last of the Special Court for CBI cases, which discharged all the accused in the scam, CBI had preferred the present appeal.
When the matter came up before Justice G Jayachandran, their counsel prayed him to adjourn the matter till the end of July, as their senior counsel were out of station in foreign countries. “The CBI had taken three months to file this appeal after the trial court’s verdict. We need a reasonable time to go through the voluminous affidavit filed by the CBI,” counsel said. The judge also directed counsel to cooperate with the court.