CHENNAI: The second bench of the Madras High Court has extended till December 17, the time limit for paying fees by medical students of Annamalai University in Chidambaram.
The bench of Justices S K Agnihotri and K K Sasidharan extended the time limit, while passing interim orders on appeals from students of Rajah Muthiah Medical College and others, on Friday. The appeals challenged the orders of Justice V Ramasubramanian, who, while dismissing a batch of writ petitions from M Aamira Fathima and 189 other students, pursuing second year, challenging the action of the Medical College, a constituent of the Annamalai University, held that the fee structure stipulated by the government will not be applicable to the colleges affiliated to Annamalai University. The judge had said that the existing fee structure was necessitated by the financial position of the college and justified by the income and expenditure account. As on July 31, 2014, the Annamalai University had a negative balance of `385 crores when it came to medical accounts alone. Even with the annual fee of `5.54 lakhs for MBBS and `3.50 lakhs for BDS, the University fell short of `18 crore during 2013-14. The government has taken a positive stand that the fee fixed by the University is not with the object of profiteering but for the purpose of at least partially compensating for the expenditure involved in running the institutions. The Raja Muthiah Medical College was originally designated to be a private unaided professional college supported by AU funds.
“But today, it is financially in the ICU and any attempt at reducing the fee structure would destroy the very institution and may result in either the closure.... the consequences are disastrous for the students”, the judge had added.
HCP TO Produce wife, Kid DiSmissed
Chennai: A Division Bench of Madras High Court has dismissed a Habeas Corpus Petition praying for a direction to the police to produce Sowmya (28) and Naisha (5), wife and daughter of a city-based businessman and set them at liberty. The Bench of Justices S Tamilvanan and T Mathivanan dismissed the petition from Velivela Rakesh of Kodambakkam, who had alleged that the two were kidnapped by Vetriduraisamy of CIT Nagar. When the mater came up on Friday, Sowmya, the petitioner’s wife, told the judges that she was not kidnapped as alleged. Recording the submission, the Division Bench of the High Court dismissed the petition.
‘Issue Ads for Government Jobs’
Chennai: Madras High Court has held that employers should invite applications by releasing newspaper advertisements apart from calling candidates from employment exchanges. Justice D Hariparanthaman made this observation while disposing of a writ petition by J Kovaisamy (44), who had registered with an employment exchange two decades ago but is yet to get employment. The judge said law was well settled now that appointment to public employment shall be made not only through employment exchanges, but also through advertisement in newspapers, announcements on radio and television, etc.