logo
Madurai collector flags off vehicles for doorstep delivery of ration

Madurai collector flags off vehicles for doorstep delivery of ration

Time of India2 days ago
Madurai: District collector K J Praveen Kumar on Tuesday flagged off delivery vehicles for the Thayumanavar scheme that was launched earlier in the day by chief minister M K Stalin.
The scheme ensures home delivery of ration items to elderly and disabled ration card holders. He also handed over ration supplies to beneficiaries at Alathur village in Madurai north taluk
Later, the collector inspected development works carried out in Tirumangalam municipality. He reviewed the 2.77-crore renovation project at the bus stand. The project includes construction of bus bays, an entry arch, seven shops, an office, staff rest area, a milk feeding room and toilets for men and women.
He also inspected a 52.53-crore drinking water improvement project under the Kalaignar Urban Development Scheme. The collector then visited a park on Muhamadhusapuram East 4th Street and instructed officials to repair damaged play equipment, improve landscaping, and install gym facilities to make it a model public space.
Meanwhile, IT and digital services minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan distributed ration supplies at Subramaniapuram and inspected housing construction carried out by TN Urban Habitat Development Board there.
Stay updated with the latest local news from your
city
on
Times of India
(TOI). Check upcoming
bank holidays
,
public holidays
, and current
gold rates
and
silver prices
in your area.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Sindh Doc's Partition Diaries: Tricolour was hoisted in Pak school in 1947, RSS held shakhas in Ghotki hamlet
Sindh Doc's Partition Diaries: Tricolour was hoisted in Pak school in 1947, RSS held shakhas in Ghotki hamlet

Time of India

time2 hours ago

  • Time of India

Sindh Doc's Partition Diaries: Tricolour was hoisted in Pak school in 1947, RSS held shakhas in Ghotki hamlet

Nagpur: Dr Abhimanyu Kukreja, 86, was just nine years old and ensconced in his native Sindh hamlet of Ghotki, when the subcontinent was partitioned. He recalls the day Pakistan declared independence on August 14, 1947, but says his village was untouched by partition pangs. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Hindus were in majority and lived peacefully with Muslims, although we heard about riots in Sukkur, 100km away. It was just another day when Pakistan came into being. A Pakistani flag hoisted on Arya Samaj School's terrace was quietly replaced at night with the tricolour by our neighbour, Sangatram. There were no tremors, nobody could find out who did it, and later Sangatram quietly moved to India," recalls Dr Kukreja. Talking to TOI, Kukreja recalls names of his neighbours in Ghotki village of Sindh, who later settled down in Nagpur's Jaripatka colony. On the eve of 78th independence day, Kukreja, now living in Nagpur, recalled his times in independent India, the family's migration from Pakistan, a flourishing RSS shakha in Sindh and Congress Seva Dal's activities. Decades later, Ghotki became a district, even as the Hindu exodus to India continued. "I don't remember any hype over Pakistan's Independence Day. We didn't face persecution, but I can vividly recall elders talking about shifting to India. I was small and didn't want to leave my Ghotki home," he says. "There used to be an open ground near our home, where RSS cadres would hold their shaka. I did not attend any, but I still remember the disciplined congregation. Even Congress' Seva Dal used to carry out patriotic activities," he said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Kukreja recalls the case of an RSS worker who had to shift to India overnight after he was told that he was on the hit list. However, that was a one-off incident. His father ran an herbal medicine business and practised farming. There was no threat, but as Hindus, many preferred to shift to India, says Kukreja. "We finally moved out of Ghotki in January 1948. We reached Karachi, and the migrants were put up in the Swami Narayan temple there, waiting for their turn to board a ship to Mumbai (then termed Bombay)," he says. Kukreja reached Mumbai with his four siblings and mother. Their batch of refugees was sent to Jabalpur, Faizabad, and then Deolali near Nashik. His father, however, preferred to stay back in Pakistan, while the family travelled to India with an acquaintance. "My father finally came down in November when we were in Deolali. But he quickly returned to Sindh on receiving a telegram that our house was taken over by Muslim refugees from India, who would be termed 'panahgirs'. We were tagged as 'sharnarthis' in India and both words meant refugees. Life began afresh in Ghotki, but the family returned to Mumbai three years later, though Kukreja's father continued to stay in Ghotki. "He finally came to India in 1964. Shuttling between two countries wasn't much of a hassle then. We remained in touch through trunk calls and telegrams. My father would send us money through people coming to India and everything was so simple back then," he says. During the second trip, the family preferred to settle in Nagpur, where there were many others from Ghotki. Kukreja got a bachelor's degree in ayurvedic medicine and surgery. "While he was still in Pakistan, my father chose a bride for me in Ghotki. My wife came to India when she was eighteen, much after the Partition," he says.

KTU plans to scrap year-out system for BTech amid academic crisis
KTU plans to scrap year-out system for BTech amid academic crisis

Time of India

time2 hours ago

  • Time of India

KTU plans to scrap year-out system for BTech amid academic crisis

T'puram: Amid the burgeoning administrative and academic crisis at APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU), interim vice-chancellor (VC) K Sivaprasad said he would initiate steps to abolish the year-out system for BTech courses in colleges affiliated with the university. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Under this system, students are expected to obtain a certain number of credits for promotion to semesters five and seven. "In my capacity as VC, I would initiate steps to implement the abolishment of the year-out system in KTU. The final decision rests with the board of governors," Sivaprasad told TOI. On Wednesday, SFI representatives had met him with a demand to abolish this system. Ever since the introduction of the year-out system, student unions were opposing it. Following protests, the number of minimum credits insisted upon by the university in the early years was lowered. But still, thousands of students failed to obtain the minimum credit required to register for semesters five and seven. As per rules, a student should clear at least 21 of the 38 credits from semesters 1 and 2 for registration in semester five. For semester 7 registrations, students will need a minimum of 47 of the 82 credits from semesters one to four. Following the demand of students and parents, KTU waived the minimum credit criteria year after year. It was argued that the minimum credit criteria left thousands of students in the lurch, prompting many to opt for colleges in Tamil Nadu or Karnataka to complete their engineering studies. KTU founder VC Kuncheria P Issac quit his post following constant pressure on him to dilute the year-out system he insisted on to ensure academic quality in engineering education. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Responding to the fresh move, Issac said the move would be a retrograde step and a total disrespect towards academics. "The curriculum envisages assessment. Formative assessments are designed to monitor student progress and provide feedback to improve learning and summative assessments are conducted at the end of a course to evaluate overall learning and assign grades, which can include one supplementary chance. This is a practice followed in the best universities and such universities are known for their quality of education," he said. As per National Education Policy (2020), students can exit UG programmes after one or two years with a certificate or diploma. Specifically, a certificate is awarded after completing one year of study and a diploma after two years. This policy is to encourage students to change their pathway, take a break, return and complete it at their ease. Student bodies, rather than taking populist measures, should consider ways and means of providing quality education, he said.

Will reconsider holding PU polls if blockade continues, says DSW
Will reconsider holding PU polls if blockade continues, says DSW

Time of India

time2 hours ago

  • Time of India

Will reconsider holding PU polls if blockade continues, says DSW

1 2 Chandigarh: A deadlock over police presence inside Panjab University is still on, with no breakthrough in sight. A day after Wednesday's confrontation over police checkpoints, the blockade has not only persisted, but has now extended. On Thursday night, the blockade was extended to just before the T-point from Gate No 2, forcing anyone entering through that gate to turn left into the residential area to reach the inner campus. The earlier point, closer to the Administrative Block, were also blocked by protesters, effectively restricting movement in the sector of campus that houses several academic departments. Despite rain throughout the day, students turned up, some carrying tricolour in hand as the eve of Independence Day added symbolic colour to the sit-in. Many stayed through passing showers, holding ground at the barricades. Independence Day celebrations are scheduled for Friday morning at the Parade Ground, located barely a few minutes' walk from the main protest site. Protesters themselves held a meeting Thursday evening to decide their course of action for the event. As the Parade Ground is readied for flag-hoisting and cultural programmes, the approach roads remain occupied by placards and slogans. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo If the deadlock holds, Panjab University's 78th Independence Day will open to two contrasting scenes — a formal ceremony honouring the nation's freedom and a swelling student blockade a few hundred metres away. Meanwhile, in a significant development, the Dean of Student Welfare said the ongoing blockade could force the university to speak to Chandigarh Police and reconsider holding student elections, as polls cannot be conducted without police deployment this time. An 11.30 am meeting he called to resolve the standoff was boycotted by all student parties. He said the police presence was meant solely for students' security, but protesters were creating indiscipline. "If we keep security, they complain; and if something unfortunate happens, we will be blamed," he remarked. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Happy Independence Day wishes , messages , and quotes !

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store