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New Indian Express
7 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Typewriting institute owners in Vellore oppose GO to conduct exams on computers from 2027
VELLORE: Opposing a government circular that mandates typewriting exams be conducted only on computers from 2027, as many as 25 owners of typewriting institutes in Vellore submitted a petition to district collector VR Subbulaxmi on Monday. Stating that typewriting exams have been held on typewriting machines since decades, the petitioners said the move will affect the livelihood of around 10,000 typewriter mechanics and their families. There are around 4,500 typewriting centres in Tamil Nadu, employing nearly 4.5 lakh teachers. These centres would lose business if the rule is implemented, they added. As per GO 187 dated October 28, 2024, the typewriting exam and the certificate course in Computer on Office Automation (COA) will be merged into a single course, which will become a prerequisite for recruitment into Tamil Nadu State and Subordinate Services. If the order is implemented, typewriting centres will become redundant, as students will shift to computer training centres instead, said Mohan A, one of the petitioners. 'This will also affect typing speed, as students develop the ability to type with all eight fingers only when they learn on typewriters. Those learning on computers often type slowly using just two fingers,' he added. Further, raising concerns about affordability, Mohan said, 'We charge Rs 400 at typewriting centres, whereas computer centres charge around Rs 3,000 per month. Many students cannot afford that."
New Indian Express
13-05-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
DBC workers petition Vellore collector for wage hike to Rs 529 per day
VELLORE: Workers of Domestic Breeding Checker (DBC) on Monday petitioned Collector V R Subbulaxmi, requesting a wage hike from the current Rs 325 per day to Rs 529 per day, citing an order copy of district administration dated June 3, 2024. Speaking to TNIE, the workers said that around 140 DBC workers are employed across various zones in the district. Each day, they are required to visit a village or a neighbourhood and inspect at least 50 to 60 houses for dengue-breeding mosquitoes. 'We travel at least 50 kilometers a day, and we are not given any separate allowance for travel. Although buses are an option, they are often unavailable when we need them. So we end up relying on our own vehicles,' said one worker on the condition of anonymity. As a result, they spend around Rs 100 per day on petrol alone. The worker added that if the revised wage is implemented, it would help cover travel and other necessary expenses. The workers, affiliated with the Vellore Mavattam Dengue Kosu Olippu Kala Paniyarlargal Sangam, said they also spray anti-mosquito repellents and assist people who are attacked by animals. 'As dengue mosquitoes can breed in stagnant water left even inside homes for over five days, we are employed year-round. Our wages are fixed by the district administration,' another worker said. The workers said they told the collector that DBC workers in other districts receive daily wages as high as Rs 700, and urged for the revised wage in Vellore to be enforced. They said the collector assured them that the matter would be looked into.
New Indian Express
26-04-2025
- New Indian Express
Farmers demand action as release of untreated waste continues despite SC order
VELLORE: Farmers have urged the district administration to take stringent action to curb industrial pollution, especially the unchecked discharge of effluents from leather units in Vellore into the Palar River - a practice the Supreme Court recently slammed as a gross violation of environmental norms. At the monthly grievance redressal meeting chaired by Collector VR Subbulaxmi here on Friday, farmers alleged that the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) had failed to enforce the court's directives. The court, in its January 30 verdict, had directed the state government to curb pollution and compensate affected communities. Despite the ruling, untreated effluents continue to flow into rivers in Gudiyatham and Pernampattu, turning the water yellow and affecting agriculture, farmers said. 'Compensation is only being paid to those in the Palar basin. Farmers elsewhere are equally affected and deserve compensation,' they added. Illegal sand mining in Palar River was another issue raised during the meet. Farmers accused local officials of ignoring repeated complaints and called for strong measures to prevent sand theft. Additionally, farmers highlighted the long-pending issue of unpaid compensation for land acquired in 2017 for the Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway project in Melpadi Panchayat. They also called for a permanent solution to prevent accumulation of garbage at farmers' markets. In response, the collector directed officials from the departments concerned to take immediate action.
