Latest news with #Cusat
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- General
- The Hindu
Cusat withdraws circular on teachers' workload
Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) has withdrawn a circular asking heads of departments to confirm whether teachers were complying with the workload as prescribed by the University Grants Commission. The circular issued by the Registrar on May 27, 2025 was withdrawn following opposition from teachers, who said that it contradicted an earlier order pertaining to work norms ratified by the academic council and the Syndicate. The varsity authorities said the circular was withdrawn as it had contradicted an earlier order. It would be cleared and placed before the appropriate body for approval, they added. The circular had asked heads/directors of departments/schools/centres to provide the details of workload assigned for a week to each teacher as prescribed by the UGC. They were told to submit the required documentary evidence. The circular, quoting UGC Regulations 2018, pointed out that the workload of teachers in full employment should not be less than 40 hours a week for 30 working weeks (180 teaching days) in an academic year. It should be necessary for the teacher to be available for at least seven hours daily in the university/college, out of which at least two hours for mentoring of students (minimum 15 students per coordinator) for community development/extra curricular activities/library consultation in case of undergraduate courses and at least two hours for research in case of postgraduate courses. The minimum direct teaching-learning process hours should be: Assistant Professor - 16 hours per week; Associate Professor - 14 hours per week; and Professor - 14 hours per week, it said. Teachers who opposed the circular said that the administrative wing had issued the circular without verifying the norms related to workload ratified by the academic council and the Syndicate earlier.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Viral video: Shahid Afridi's 'Boom Boom' welcome at Kerala alumni event triggers row; Organisers say "visit was unplanned"
A major controversy has broken out after Pakistani cricketers Shahid Afridi and Umar Gul appeared at a dance event in Dubai, organised by a group claiming to be alumni of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat). The event was held on 25 May and has triggered strong criticism from several quarters in India. Video goes viral, sparks outrage The event was organised by the Cochin University BTech Alumni Association (CUBAA), UAE. A video of Afridi being welcomed at the venue went viral, with people in the crowd cheering him and shouting his nickname "Boom Boom." The event was hosted at the Pakistan Association Dubai (PAD), which has also added to the controversy. — AtulRaj91844463 (@AtulRaj91844463) by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ingin Tahu Tentang Diagnosis Limfoma? Dapatkan Info Selengkapnya Limfoma Baca Undo Following backlash, CUBAA UAE issued an apology, saying Afridi's appearance was not planned and they never intended to invite him. They said they booked PAD as a venue long before any tensions between India and Pakistan escalated and could not change the location at the last minute. Cusat denies any connection Cusat was quick to distance itself from the event. In a statement, the university said it had no links to CUBAA UAE. It clarified that its only official alumni body is the Cusat Alumni Network (CAN), and that it was not aware of any such programme happening in Dubai. The university said it had no affiliation, partnership, or communication with CUBAA UAE and had not authorised or supported the event in any way. Live Events Political groups demand action Several organisations linked to the Sangh Parivar, including the ABVP, strongly condemned the event. BJP leader K Surendran accused the organisers of insulting the memory of Indians who died in the Pahalgam terror attack. He said on Facebook, 'If not traitors, what else can you call the Malayali organisation that brought Pakistani cricketers for a celebration in Dubai?' ABVP leaders have gone a step further, demanding that the passports of CUBAA UAE office-bearers be cancelled. They have written to the Prime Minister and the Ministry of External Affairs, calling for a probe into the incident. Organisers say cricketers just showed up In a detailed statement, the organisers said they had no role in bringing Afridi or Gul to the event. They claimed the cricketers had arrived at the PAD building for a different event and made an unexpected appearance at the alumni gathering, which was just wrapping up. They stressed that neither Afridi nor Gul was listed on their official programme. 'We regret any confusion or inconvenience caused. The cricketers' arrival was completely unplanned and we were not able to manage the crowd due to the surprise,' the statement said. A sincere apology CUBAA ended its note by expressing deep regret. 'We apologise to anyone who was hurt or offended by what happened. It was never our intention to upset anyone or bring disrespect to our country,' they said. The incident continues to stir debate, especially with calls for investigations into how the event was organised and what links, if any, exist between the organisers and official alumni networks. Inputs from TOI
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Row over Afridi's appearance at Dubai Cusat alumni event, univ denies links
Kochi: The participation of Pakistani cricketers Shahid Afridi and Umar Gul in an inter-collegiate dance event organised by an alumni association of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) in Dubai on May 25 has sparked outrage. The association — Cochin University BTech Alumni Association (CUBAA), UAE — issued an apology, saying the incident was not intentional, after a video of Afridi being welcomed at the event went viral. The event was held at the Pakistan Association Dubai (PAD). Cusat, however, said it had no affiliation, association or connection with the organisation, CUBAA UAE. It said in a statement that its official alumni organisation was the Cusat Alumni Network (CAN) and it was not aware of the programme organised in Dubai. In the video, the crowd can be seen cheering Afridi and chanting his nickname "Boom Boom" as he addressed the gathering. Several outfits affiliated with the Sangh Parivar criticised the organisers for inviting Afridi to the event. Afridi had made several anti-India remarks, particularly in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack . Former BJP state president K Surendran accused the organisers of disrespecting Indians who lost their lives in the Pahalgam terror attack. "If not traitors, what else can you call the Malayali organisation that brought Pakistani cricketers for a celebration in Dubai," he said in a Facebook post. ABVP has called for the cancellation of the passports of CUBAA UAE office-bearers and submitted complaints to the Prime Minister and the ministry of external affairs. ABVP Kerala state secretary EU Eswaraprasad said Afridi had expressed support for terrorist groups hostile to India. "The alumni association's approach is suspicious and the event, held in the presence of anti-India forces, undermined the martyrdom of Pahalgam victims and humiliated India globally," he said. The event organisers, meanwhile, released a detailed statement, saying the appearance of the Pakistani cricketers was entirely unplanned. Without naming Afridi, they said PAD was booked for the second season of their inter-collegiate dance competition well before the escalation of India-Pakistan tensions. The first season was also organised at the venue last year, due to its affordability, they said in a statement. "At the time of our event, diplomatic tensions had already eased. Due to the unavailability of an alternative venue at short notice, we proceeded with the programme as scheduled at PAD," it added. CUBAA representatives also claimed that the cricketers had come to the auditorium for another event on the day. "As our programme was concluding, the cricketers made an unannounced and unsolicited appearance... We would like to categorically state that no member of our organising team, officials or alumni invited them or coordinated this appearance. The official schedule of the event we published, which does not include these individuals as guests, supports this," they said. The organisers further said they could not manage the crowd appropriately as the cricketers' visit was a surprise. "We regret any confusion or inconvenience caused to attendees, participants or supporters due to this unplanned development. We deeply regret any hurt or offence our actions may have caused. It was never our intention, and we sincerely apologise to those affected," they added.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Climate
- The Hindu
Unusually high-speed winds over Kerala, a throwback to 2018
The unusual pattern of high-speed wind in Kerala since the onset of the monsoon bears close resemblance to the wind that lashed the State in 2018, just ahead of the August floods that year. The speed of the monsoon low-level jet measured in the wind profiler radar of the Cusat's Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research (ACARR) was 20 m/s (approximately 72 kmph) at around 2 km height from the surface on Thursday. In 2018, the core speed of the monsoon low-level jet was about 20 m/s on August 14, the day ahead of the flood. This is unusual considering the climatological normal of the low-level jet speed over Kerala, which used to hover around 10-15 m/s, said Ajil Kottayil, scientist, Advanced Centre for Automatic Radar Research. The higher speed of westerly winds will normally pump a large quantity of moisture from the Arabian Sea to the land. Further, the orographic lifting of clouds, including their depth and extent, would be higher than normal during such situations, leading to intense spells of rain over the land, said Mr. Kottayil. In various districts The automatic weather stations under the India Meteorological Department also recorded high gusty winds across the State. Palakkad recorded 68.5 kmph strong wind followed by Wayanad 66.6 kmph, Idukki 61.1 kmph, Thiruvananthapuram 55.5 kmph, Kannur 53.7 kmph, Pathanamthitta 53.7 kmph, Ernakulam 53.7 kmph, and Kasaragod 51.8 kmph during the 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on Thursday. Neetha K. Gopal, IMD Director, Thiruvananthapuram, told The Hindu that this unusually high speed of wind has been observed since the onset of the monsoon on May 24. The speed and gustiness of the wind are higher than those normally observed during monsoon. The speed and depth of the wind influence the rain. It is not known what's driving the enhanced speed of the low-level jet, said Ms. Gopal. Global factors Though global factors such as ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) are neutral, conditions akin to La Niña, a climate pattern characterised by unusually cold surface water temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, are prevailing, although temperature criteria technically do not allow it to be termed La Niña. Further, the atmospheric conditions are favourable for a wet spell over Kerala, she added. Local whirlwinds Along with this, the frequency and intensity of short-lived micro-scale whirlwinds reported in the State are also unusually high this time, causing widespread damage to properties. Whirlwinds normally seem to be local, with their causes also either regional or local. One of the main reasons for the development of localised whirlwinds is the climatic changes within the region, especially the decrease in monsoon rainfall and rise in temperature. The increased temperature in the absence of rain at one place may produce gustiness while raining, according to experts.
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Tar balls from oil spills resurface during monsoon and accumulate toxic metals and bacteria along indian west coast
Kochi: Remains from oil spills in oceans and seas do not disappear from waters but resurface as tar balls, accumulating heavy toxic metals and bacteria as they float into coastal regions during monsoon. These are the findings of a joint study carried out by researchers from Cochin university, the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology and Atal Centre for Ocean Science and Technology for Islands. Samples were collected from Arabian Sea coast from Kanyakumari to Mumbai. The tar ball survey was conducted by visual observation during cruises onboard FORV Sagar Sampada and ORV Sagar Kanya. Tar balls were collected from the surface using a bucket as well as by towing a bongo net (Hydrobios) available onboard the two Indian Ocean research vessels. "We observed the surface-floating tar balls, both small and large, and monitored them through two monsoon seasons to understand their behaviour and contents," said Cusat chemical oceanography department assistant professor Shaju S S. The paper is under review for publication. Shaju said these tar balls, formed from large oil molecules, attract bacteria and goose barnacles, have toxic heavy metals, and may contain human pathogens like Vibrio species. Winds transport them along the coast, posing ongoing environmental and health risks. He mentioned that they were around 0.1-4 cm. "We found 11 types of hydrocarbons and harmful heavy metals, including lead, chromium and cadmium, which can bioaccumulate and enter the food chain." The analysis of tar ball samples showed significant concentrations of heavy metals, with the highest levels of lead and cadmium found in samples from off the Mumbai water surface (75m depth). The concentrations were 1,396.34ppm for lead and 1,354.03ppm for cadmium while the lowest concentrations were 32.71ppm for lead from off the Goa surface station (50m) and 15.55ppm for cadmium from off the Mumbai surface station (75m depth). The study stated that temperature plays an important role in maintaining the stickiness of the tar balls. As the temperature increases, the stickiness of the tar balls also increases, which can harm marine mammals, birds, and fish.
