Latest news with #KER
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Electrocution: Thevalakkara school manager disqualified
1 2 3 4 T'puram: More than a week after a student was electrocuted to death at the Thevalakkara Boys High School in Kollam, the general education department on Saturday disqualified its manager and took over its administration. Kollam district education officer will function as the manager until a new manager is appointed. Midhun, an eighth-standard student died on July 17 after coming into contact with a dangling power cable. General education minister V Sivankutty announced on Saturday the decision to disqualify the school manager, Thulaseedharan Pillai, who, according to the education department inquiry, committed grave mistakes by not adhering to the instructions given by the govt to ensure the safety of school students. Thevalakkara Boys High School is under the Thevalakkara Boys and Girls High School management, run by a pro-CPM educational society. Sivankutty said the department inquiry found that several students reached the school compound well before the school working hours. There were serious lapses on the part of the school headmistress and the manager in ensuring the safety of students. The headmistress was already suspended from service. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 3 & 4 BHK Starts ₹1.65 Cr in Kukatpally Honer Signatis Book Now Undo The manager failed to adhere to the KER Rule 9 of Chapter 3, which holds the aided school manager responsible for implementing the directions given by the govt from time to time. The manager was disqualified as per Rule 7 of KER, Chapter 3. The department had given a show-cause notice to Pillai to cite reasons, if any, for not disqualifying him as manager. He, however, denied all the charges of duty dereliction. Meanwhile, the school management announced financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to the family of Midhun. KSTA, a pro-CPM school teachers' association, also announced Rs 10 lakh to the family. The general education department sanctioned Rs 3 lakh and KSEB provided Rs 5 lakh assistance to the family. Sivankutty said the department would take steps to ensure that students do not face any danger on school premises. A checklist on the safety of schools will be prepared. Officials will carry out inspections and submit reports in three weeks. "A safety cell has been set up under the director of general education. The public can approach this cell if they have complaints about safety in schools," he said.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- The Hindu
Kerala student's electrocution: Thevalakkara school manager dismissed
The government has dismissed the manager of Thevalakkara Boys High School, in Kollam district and entrusted the District Education Officer (DEO) with the school's administration. A Class VIII student had died owing to electrocution from an overhead power line inside the school on July 17, 2025. Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty told mediapersons in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday (July 26, 2025) that a report of Director of General Education (DGE) Shanavas S. had found grave dereliction of duty on the part of the manager R. Thulasidharan Pillai. Electrocution of school student: Kerala government orders inquiry Earlier, the school headmistress Suja S. had been suspended from service after the Kollam Assistant Education Officer (AEO) visited the school and found lapses on her part in ensuring safety of the students. Mr. Sivankutty said the government could take over the school's management as per Section 14 of the Kerala Education Act, 1958, if it appeared that the manager had neglected to perform his duties. The school management, particularly the manager, had failed to ensure student safety as part of school reopening arrangements. The death of Midhun from electrocution was prima facie the result of lapses on the part of the manager in discharging his responsibilities as per Kerala Education Rules (KER) Chapter III Section 9. Accordingly, the manager had been issued a show-cause notice by the Kollam AEO as per KER Chapter III Section 7. His reply stated that there had been no deliberate lapses on his part in ensuring students' safety and that he had tried to discharge his duties properly. However, the manager's reply was found to be unsatisfactory and he was deemed unfit to hold the post of manager of Thevalakkara boys and girls high school. 'The Kollam DEO would act as the manager for the smooth administration of the school till a new appointment was made,' Mr. Sivankutty said.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- New Indian Express
Thevalakkara student electrocution death: Govt dismisses manager, takes over school administration
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Following the death of a Class VIII student due to electrocution at High School for Boys, Thevalakkara in Kollam, the government has dismissed the manager of the aided school and entrusted administration of the institution to the District Education Officer (DEO). General Education Minister V Sivankutty told reporters here on Saturday that as per a report by the Director of General Education, there was serious dereliction of duty on the part of the manager R Thulasidharan Pillai. The manager has been removed as per Section 14 of the Kerala Education Rules (KER), 1958, he added. Last week, Suja S, the headmistress of the school was suspended from service after Kollam assistant education officer (AEO) visited the school and found lapses on her part in ensuring safety of the students. Senior Mathematics teacher G Molly was given the responsibility of headmistress. Midhun, a Class VIII student of the school was electrocuted on July 17 while trying to retrieve a footwear that had fallen from the roof of a bicycle shed on the school premises. The incident evoked widespared protests with the Opposition calling for a comprehensive safety audit in schools.
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Plea against Aadhaar for school admissions: Kerala HC seeks state govt's views
Kochi: A high court division bench has directed the state govt to file a counter affidavit in an appeal challenging a single bench order which had upheld the state's directive requiring aided schools to provide the Aadhaar numbers of all students to prevent duplicity and bogus admissions. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The bench of Justices Anil K Narendran and S Muralee Krishna further adjourned the appeal, which was filed by the manager of St Antony's LP School at Mala in Thrissur, to Aug 8. Earlier, the single bench had dismissed the petition filed by the manager challenging the requirement to furnish Aadhaar numbers of students while determining the sanctioned staff strength of the school. The single bench had observed that the state govt, while providing grant-in-aid, was justified in insisting upon the Aadhaar numbers of all students to avoid duplicity and bogus admissions, and that there was no illegality in such action. However, in the appeal, the manager contended that the Supreme Court, in the K S Puttaswamy case, had explicitly held that Aadhaar cannot be made mandatory for school admissions, as education is neither a service nor a subsidy. He further argued that denying education to children solely because they lack an Aadhaar number would violate their fundamental right to education under Article 21A of the Constitution. The petitioner's main grievance is that three students who were admitted to Class I do not possess UID Aadhaar numbers, and their admissions will not be considered for the purpose of sanctioning divisions and posts. Since no other student has joined Class I, and the school is classified as 'uneconomic,' no class division or teaching post will be sanctioned in light of the amended KER.
The Hindu
15-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Imposition of pension cess by CESC violates spirit of power sector reforms, says MGP
The Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP) has said that the Pension and Gratuity cess being imposed by Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) since May was a violation of the spirit of power sector reforms. It places an unfair burden on consumers who had no role in agreements between the government and power sector employees. In a release, Bhamy V. Shenoy, founding president of the MGP, criticised the P&G cess, calling it legal but unethical. He said consumers using more than 200 units or those who opted out of free power have been charged an additional 36 paise a unit as the Pension and Gratuity cess. 'Though it was too late to reverse this charge without a massive public protest which is unlikely, registering dissent could deter future imposition of such levies in other forms in future,' said Mr. Shenoy. The Karnataka Electricity Reform (KER) Act, 2002, was enacted to separate power generation, transmission, and distribution, with the State government responsible for funding pensions and gratuities. However, in 2022, the BJP government amended the Act, permitting power companies to recover pension contributions through tariffs, said Mr. Shenoy. Though the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) initially rejected this move, citing the Act's original provisions, the Karnataka High Court upheld the amendment in March 2024, dismissing a challenge by the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Shenoy added. He pointed out that the move, while legally sanctioned, amounts to the government reneging on its commitment. 'While the power sector reform took place, the government had agreed to pay its share of pension contribution. Once an agreement is reached, breaking a solemn promise, though legal by amending the law, is unethical and highhanded,' he said. This precedent undermines the KERC's autonomy, the very body established to protect consumers from political interference in tariff decisions, according to the MGP. It also criticised all major political parties for their role in the issue and pointed out that the BJP amended the Act, the Congress government exploited the amendment to offset the cost of its free power scheme, one of its five guarantees. Underlining the imperatives of safeguarding the independence of the KERC to prevent misuse of tariff mechanism for political ends, Mr. Shenoy warned that future governments might impose similar levies for unrelated causes.
