Latest news with #Gowri
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Gandhi Hospital sets up special ward as Telangana confirms Covid-19 case
Hyderabad: Telangana health officials, on Friday, confirmed the city's first Covid-19 case this year after a resident of Vivekananda Nagar, Kukatpally tested positive for the virus. The patient, a pulmonologist by profession, is asymptomatic and has been following Covid isolation norms for the last five days, officials added. 'Contract tracing has been completed and till now no symptoms have been seen in his family members and others. He has fully recovered and has been advised to continue with containment measures,' Dr C Uma Gowri, district medical and health officer, Medchal-Malkajgiri district said. The DM&HO also advised people to immediately inform the health dept in case they develop a fever or other Covid symptoms. 'They can contact their nearest primary health centres (PHCs), urban primary health centres (UPHCs), Basti Dawakhanas or Palle Dawakhanas,' Dr Gowri said, however, dismissing the need to panic. 'The situation is completely under control. The health dept staff are ready to deal with any situation effectively,' the DMHO added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Didn't Anyone Tell You About This Power Saver? elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Pre-Order Undo Meanwhile, as part of its Covid preparedness — with cases resurfacing across multiple cities in India — the city's Gandhi Hospital reopened its isolation ward with a capacity of 30 beds on Friday. 'We have been setting up the ward from the past two to three days. While we received instructions from higher authorities to set up a 30-bed ward, there has been a revised instruction and the strength will be increased to 50 beds from Saturday,' said Dr Ch N Raj Kumari, the hospital superintendent. For testing purposes, people can visit Osmania General Hospital (OGH) and Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) apart from Gandhi Hospital.
The Hindu
07-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
FIITJEE crisis: Centre closures, unpaid salaries, and legal troubles leave students and parents Stranded
In less than five days this month, two cases – one at Chandigarh and another at Chennai – have been registered against FIITJEE's management, adding to at least four existing cases on the coaching giant. On May 5, the Economic Offences Wing of Delhi Police, which registered a case in March for criminal breach of trust, cheating, conspiracy and common intention, questioned three FIITJEE officials in connection with the case. In centres where parents have filed complaints, the FIITJEE management is resorting to temporary fixes—such as setting up online classes—to placate them. However, with a mass resignation of teachers from the online setup as well, FIITJEE's future remains increasingly uncertain. Hunky dory in the past In February 2024, when Monika Agarwal enrolled her Class 11 studying son at a FIITJEE centre in Ghaziabad, the centre had around 20 teachers and about 800 students. She had paid ₹3.45 lakh for a two-year programme – something the family could afford only after taking a loan. 'We believed their reputation and now, we have been cheated,' said Monika, adding that the management should reimburse more than what was paid because the closure of the centre has disturbed her son. A few months after Monika's son joined the centre, things started taking a downward turn. Teachers kept resigning every month, and the new ones took time to settle down and sync with students' level. Gowri Bhadauria, who appeared for the IIT entrance exam this year and missed the cutoff by just 0.51 percentile, attributes her setback to FIITJEE's problems. She had joined the Gwalior centre two years ago, paying ₹3 lakh for two years. Initially, she found the centre promising — someone who had never liked Math, she began to enjoy the subject for the first time, thanks to the quality of teaching at FIITJEE. But over the preceding months, the quality declined, she says. For most part of the last year, the centre was open only in name, as just two rooms had students, Gowri said. 'There was no proper mentoring, no discussions and no questions asked. In the past year, as teachers kept resigning, we cooped up in one room at the centre and prepared for the exams ourselves,' Gowri said. 'Choosing FIITJEE has been the biggest mistake of my life,' Gowri sighed. Chennai's Bharadwaj Narayanan, who admitted his son to the Velachery centre last year, paid ₹2.7 lakh for the two-year programme. 'Coaching used to be great and the management would follow up if students missed any class,' he said. But since the beginning of this year, as the centre had shut down and FIITJEE teachers were joining Aakash Institute, parents realised that the crisis that had started in North India had now reached the South as well. 'FIITJEE had tied up with Aakash and asked our children to attend online classes, saying the same teachers would be taking them. But now, even those teachers are resigning from Aakash too,' Bharadwaj said. From filing police cases, writing to the management and sending legal notices – parents have been resorting to various measures. However, FIITJEE management has kept mum about the whole crisis. Parents who can afford it are admitting their children to the new centre, while the majority—already burdened with multiple loans—are asking their kids to prepare for the exam on their own. Why are teachers quitting Dharam Prakash Kanda, who taught mathematics at the Ghaziabad centre between June 2023 and January 2025, is to receive the dues of ₹11.73 lakh from FIITJEE. 'Few months, we received 70 percent of my salary and in other months, it was just 27 percent. All dues when calculated comes to ₹11,73,359,' Dharam Prakash said. When the centre was closed in January 2025, he wrote to the management on email and Linkedin but received no response. Many teachers, like Dharam Prakash, did not resign even when they weren't receiving their salaries, as they felt responsible for their students. 'My father helped me financially. It has been so tough to run the family – paying rents and fees of two school going kids – without getting the salary,' Dharam Prakash said, who has joined another coaching centre recently. 'I have so much faith in FIITJEE. Academically, the institute is strong. I feel bad that I'm no longer a part of it—the level of teaching, conceptual depth, and the calibre of students are all top-notch,' he said. It was only in March 2025 that FIITJEE sent a termination notice to the teachers via email, accusing them of tarnishing the image of the institution. FIITJEE has a decentralised business approach where centres are managed by heads or partners. The financial decline took off at FIITJEE long ago. A senior teacher who worked at FIITJEE for more than five years said that the declining curve started way back in 2017, when the coaching giant celebrated its silver jubilee and went for double and triple appraisals of the staff based on the assurance from the centre heads. 'However, admissions expected in 2018 and 2019 to support such increments did not materialise,' said the teacher, seeking anonymity. Between May 2018 to April 2019, FIITJEE deducted salaries of the teachers which was repaid only a year later. In 2019, it revised the salaries, even reducing it for many, based on the income generated by the centres. 'During the pandemic, the number of admissions were very low. Adding to that was the irresponsibility of the managing partners in a few centres who failed to generate the income. Even the teachers who resigned in 2018 after following the due procedures have dues left from FIITJEE,' the teacher said. Former teachers and FIITJEE staff The Hindu spoke to put forth multiple theories behind the downfall of FIITJEE: cash crunch, investment in share markets, purchase of assets and change of business module. 'Our Chairman Dinesh Kumar Goel has been affirmative of the franchise model for quite some time. We are hopeful that the organisation would overcome these challenges at the earliest,' said the teacher. With no clarification from the organisation and the closure of centres, teachers feel unsure about FIITJEE's future and blame the silence for the growing confusion. The Hindu reached out to the managing partners of FIITJEE, but they declined to comment on the situation. A questionnaire has been emailed to them, and this report will be updated if a response is received.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Cooku With Comali 6: Contestant Priya Raman—Here's everything you need to know about the Surya Vamsam actress
Veteran actress , known for her iconic role in the Surya Vamsam, is now donning a new avatar—as a contestant on . The actress, who has won hearts on both the silver screen and television, is all set to stir up some fun in the kitchen in the much-anticipated . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Who is ? Priya Raman's portrayal of Gowri in the 1997 family drama Surya Vamsam—opposite Sarathkumar that remains one of her most beloved roles. The film's emotional depth and strong performances earned it both critical acclaim and box office success. Priya Raman has showcased her acting prowess across Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, and Kannada films. Over the years, she's built a reputation as a dependable performer capable of handling both intense and light-hearted roles. Television Journey In addition to her film success, Priya Raman is a familiar face on the small screen. She played the powerful matriarch Akhilandeshwari in the hit Tamil serial , and became a huge hit with the audience. Her performance won her accolades and brought her back into the limelight after a brief hiatus. She's also hosted television shows and is admired for her composed screen presence, making her a natural fit for reality-based entertainment. With judges , Chef Koushik Shankar, and Madhampatty Rangaraj, and anchor Rakshan returning to host, the stage is perfectly set for Priya Raman to charm audiences yet again—this time, through her cooking chops and candid moments. As Cooku With Comali kicks off its sixth season, fans are eager to see how this beloved actress adapts to the kitchen's quirks and comic chaos. Will she whip up success in the kitchen like she did on screen? Time will tell—but one thing is certain: Priya Raman is here to cook up a storm! Stay tuned as the Surya Vamsam star adds her own spice to the Cooku With Comali kitchen!
