Latest news with #R.Subramanian
The Hindu
21-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Election Commission opposes AIADMK's plea for time limit to decide on representations
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday filed a written response before the High Court, opposing the AIADMK's plea to fix a time limit for the ECI to take a decision on its jurisdiction to entertain representations by several expelled party members seeking different reliefs, including freezing of the 'two leaves' election symbol. In a counter affidavit filed before the second Division Bench of Justices R. Subramanian and K. Surender, Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Archana Patnaik said, 'an order requiring specific timelines is not necessary', since the ECI was a constitutional body whose workload due to the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections and other activities need to be factored in. Filing the counter on behalf of the ECI, the CEO assured the Bench that the proceedings in the AIADMK issue would, however, be dealt with in an 'expeditious manner', and in accordance with the order passed by the High Court on February 12, 2025. Earlier, senior counsel Vijay Narayan, assisted by K. Gowtham Kumar, had contended that the ECI could not sit over the matter for months. Responding to it, Ms. Patnaik said, initially, an individual named S. Surya Moorthi and a couple of others had made a representation to the ECI on February 12, 2024 for freezing the 'two leaves' symbol. Hence, the Commission in December 2024 told the court that it would take a decision on his representation within four weeks. In the interregnum, six more individuals aproached the ECI. The CEO said the representations were from P. Ravindranath (former MP and son of former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam), Va. Pugazhendi, M.G. Ramachandiran, P. Gandhi, B. Ramkumar Adityan, and K.C. Palanisamy. The individuals were given a personal hearing on December 23 and 24, 2024, after which, the parties began filing further representations, replies, and rejoinders. Eventually, the number of parties increased to 10, and all of them were given a personal hearing on April 28, 2025. Mr. Pugazhendi, Mr. Ravindranath and Mr. Paneerselvam submitted written representations as late as April 29, 2025; May 7, 2025, and July 3, 2025, respectively, the CEO added. Stating the individuals had relied upon multiple judicial pronouncements, the CEO said, the commission would require time to consider those materials in detail. She said, the commission was now conducting preliminary hearings to find out whether there were rival factions in the AIADMK requiring ECI's interference under paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. 'Once the preliminary hearing is completed, the matter will be dealt with based on the findings therefrom. I respectfully submit that the first respondent (ECI) is sensitive to the matter and its role as a constitutional body,' the counter affidavit filed by the CEO, through ECI counsel Niranjan Rajagopalan, read.
The Hindu
19-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Technology-based courses enter management studies in business schools
Leading educational institutions in Tiruchi have begun to integrate courses on emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data and Analytics into management studies to cater to an evolving economic and employment scenario. According to an official press release, the Indian Institute of Management-Tiruchi (IIM-T) has introduced Text Analytics, AI for Managers and Advanced Machine Learning, among others, in the new curriculum, that reflect the growing importance of data-driven decision-making in different sectors. 'To ensure accessibility for students from all backgrounds, we have introduced no-code AI platforms such as KNIME and Orange. These platforms allow students with limited coding experience to apply AI techniques to solve business problems. Furthermore, AI tools and applications are now integrated within core functional-area courses to ensure broad exposure across marketing, finance, operations, and human resources,' said the release. An increase in demand for graduates who are already skilled in the new technologies has prompted many business schools to design customised study programmes, said academicians. 'The market is changing, and so are recruiters' demands. Students are using AI more now, compared to previous years. However, there should be a balance between using AI and them losing their identity. We have made AI usage in the classroom more application-based so that Management students can use their own thought processes also,' B. Janarthanan, assistant professor, Department of Management Studies, National Institute of Technology – Tiruchi, told The Hindu. He added that new technologies had also been embedded into the pedagogy at the NIT-T. New courses were introduced into the syllabus at Bharathidasan Institute of Management (BIM) over two years ago, with the aim of equipping students with future-ready technology adoption. 'Most companies are expected to become more technology-dependent in the next few years, and we are preparing our students to be ready at the mid- or top-level of the job market. Out of 120 students, 80-90 prefer courses related to technology and analytics,' said BIM professor R. Subramanian. Martech, Text mining and consumer sentiment analysis, Marketing Analytics; Fintech, Blockchain, Cryptocurrency and Derivative analytics in Finance are some of the new technology application-based courses being offered at BIM. Academicians said that the need to balance technological expertise with ethical parameters would assume greater importance in the near future.
The Hindu
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Madras High Court stays order directing Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission to reinstate former employee
A Division Bench of the Madras High Court has stayed the operation of an order passed by a single judge directing the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission in Chennai, to reinstate a former employee with back wages. The Bench has also decided to examine in detail as to whether diplomatic missions would fall under the definition of the term 'industry' under the Industrial Disputes Act of 1947. The Bench comprising Justices R. Subramanian and K. Surender granted the interim stay after the Deputy High Commission preferred a writ appeal, through its counsel G. Kalyan Jhabak, and contended that the single judge had overlooked the proposition that an Embassy or High Commission could not be termed as an 'industry' as it had been defined under Section 2(j) of the I.D. Act. The orders had been passed on a writ petition filed by T. Senthilkumari, who had served as Consular Assistant at the Deputy High Commission of Sri Lanka in Chennai between 2008 and 2018. The Deputy High Court Commission also argued that there was no master-servant relationship between it and the writ petitioner who had sought reinstatement in service and hence the question of reinstatement would not arise at all. Claiming that the petitioner was not terminated at all, the appellant stated that she had worked only in a temporary post and her contractual service had come to an end on December 31, 2018. On the other hand, the single judge, in his February 12 order, had held that foreign diplomatic missions in India could not claim any exemption from following the labour and social security laws of the country, at least with respect to Indians employed in their High Commissions and Consulates here. He stated that the Parliament had enacted the Diplomatic Relations (Vienna Convention) Act, 1972, to give a force of law to a convention adopted by India at the United Nations Conference on Diplomatic Intercourse and Immunities held in Vienna on April 14, 1961. Article 33 of the Convention clearly states that only foreign nationals serving in a diplomatic mission would be exempt from the social security laws of the receiving State. 'Therefore, the exemption provided for in the Article is not applicable to the nationals of the receiving State... In respect of such employees to whom the exemption provided in the Article does not apply, the diplomatic agents shall observe obligations which the social security provisions of the receiving State impose upon employers. In such view of the matter, no immunity can be claimed by the management,' the judge had said. He had further held that Indians serving in foreign diplomatic missions here need not obtain the Centre's permission, under Section 86 of the Code of Civil Procedure, before approaching an industrial tribunal against their employers. Relying upon a 1963 Supreme Court verdict, he had said, industrial tribunals could not be deemed to be a court for the purpose of obtaining the Centre's express permission before suing a diplomatic mission.
The Hindu
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
File written response to AIADMK's plea on early decision in ‘two leaves' symbol row, Madras High Court directs ECI
The Madras High Court on Friday (July 11, 2025) directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to file its written response to a batch of six petitions preferred by the AIADMK for taking an expeditious decision on the commission's jurisdiction to entertain representations made by expelled members of the party to freeze the 'two leaves' symbol. Second Division Bench of Justices R. Subramanian and K. Surender wanted the ECI to submits its written response by July 21, 2025. The orders were passed after senior counsel Vijay Narayan, representing the AIADMK, complained that the commission was sitting on the matter for months without taking any decision. A Division Bench comprising Justices Subramanian and G. Arul Murugan on February 12, 2025, permitted the ECI to find out if there were rival groups staking claim to the AIADMK, and decide which of those groups was actually entitled to be recognised as the political party. Holding that the ECI could not be prevented from exercising its powers under paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order of 1968, the judges had, however, insisted that the commission must first decide the preliminary issue of its jurisdiction, to entertain the representations, before proceeding further. Mr. Narayan, assisted by advocate K. Gowtham Kumar, said, the ECI had completed the inquiry on April 28, 2025, itself but had not passed orders till date on the preliminary question of jurisdiction. He insisted on an early decision on the issue since the 2026 Assembly election was fast-approaching. On the other hand, ECI counsel Niranjan Rajagopalan said, the commission would take a call on the matter as expeditiously as possible though he was not in a position to commit to a specific deadline. He said, the ECI does not want to commit to a specific date and then end up facing contempt of court proceedings. He said, many individuals had made representations regarding the AIADMK dispute and therefore, the ECI officials had to read all their pleadings before taking a decision. He said, the commission had received written representations even as latest as on July 3, 2025, and therefore, the matter was getting delayed. Responding to it, Mr. Narayan said, 'People will keep filing representations but that cannot stop a constitutional authority from passing orders within a reasonable time.' He pointed out that the Supreme Court had recently prescribed time limits even for the President to act upon Bills referred by the Governors. After hearing both sides, the judges insisted on a written response from the ECI within 10 days. Those who had approached the ECI, complaining about the AIADMK intra-party affairs, included expelled party coordinator O. Panneerselvam's son P. Ravindranath, Va. Pugazhendi, K.C. Palanisamy, B. Ramkumar Adityan, P. Gandhi, M.G. Ramachandiran, and S. Surya Moorthi.
The Hindu
21-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Madras High Court's 133-year-old heritage building gets a new lease of life
The Madras High Court is all set to complete 163 years since its establishment on June 26, 1862 and the heritage building in which it is housed in at present will be completing 133 years since its inauguration on July 12, 1892. What better time could there be to give a new lease of life to the timeless edifice still serving as a functional building visited by thousands of litigants and lawyers on a daily basis. The High Court's building committee comprising Justices R. Subramanian, R. Suresh Kumar, P.T. Asha and N. Mala have spent considerable amount of time and energy in turning the building's ground floor, that had been neglected for decades, into a pleasant haven that brings back nostalgic memories of the past. Now, the entire two-storey building looks magnificent. According to Public Works Department (PWD) Executive Engineer S. Kulanthaiyan, the biggest challenge in undertaking the renovation work was to shift the old case records that had been stored inside the rooms on the ground floor by stacking them on very tall iron racks. 'We had to spend considerable time on shifting those case bundles and then dismantling the racks using gas welding in order to free up the rooms,' he said. After completing the exercise, repairs were carried out on the damaged walls and ceiling joints, the stone arches were restored, both interior and exterior walls were white washed, doors varnished, all gates leading to the court buildings from multiple sides were opened up, the corridors were spruced up, vintage lighting arrangements were made and the walls were decorated with acclaimed illustrator Manohar Devadoss' pencil sketches of iconic locations in Chennai city. Not just this, the committee also insisted on opening up the spiral staircases that connect the ground floor with the top floors. These spiral staircases had remained under lock and key for several years and used as a place to dump the discarded furniture and other articles. They were also kept shut due to security concerns ever since the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) began guarding the court building. However, the committee insisted on opening up the spiral staircases too and made the CISF deploy additional personnel at those entry points. Even on the exterior front, multiple standalone overhead water tanks that had been blocking the view of the heritage building were razed down and alternative arrangements were made for water supply without disturbing the classic Indo Sarcenic structure. Advocate M.R. Jothimanian said, the lawyers would always be indebted to the committee for having taken the pains to restore the glory of the heritage building. 'For us, the lawyers, this High Court building is virtually our second home because we spend most of our time over here and we know that it is not an easy job to keep such a beautiful edifice functional without turning it into a museum.'
