Latest news with #HemaliChhapia
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Time of India
Cops: Teacher said relationship was ‘beyond physical'
Mumbai: Police probing the alleged sexual assault on a 16-year-old student by a female teacher at a top city school have sought a detailed report from the administration to ascertain if the teacher resigned voluntarily or was compelled to do so, and whether the institution had prior knowledge of the alleged abuse, report Ahmed Ali & Hemali Chhapia. Sources said the alleged harassment began in Jan 2024, and the teacher quit in April the same year. School sources claimed they learned of the abuse only when she was arrested on Saturday. Police on Thursday conducted a psychiatric test on her to ascertain that she was mentally fit to commit the crime. Police on Thursday put the teacher, who has been accused of sexually harassing a minor male student, through a psychiatric test so that she does not take a stand in future that she was mentally unstable. They said the student was abused for over a year. The teacher was on Thursday produced before the special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) court, which sent her to judicial custody until July 16. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Police also have booked the teacher's female friend who allegedly contacted the boy on her behalf when he started distancing himself from her. This friend, it has emerged, is the same doctor who prescribed the anti-anxiety medicines which the teacher gave to the student. Police have said that the teacher took the boy to five-star hotels, even got him drunk before the sexual assault and gave him anti-anxiety pills. Cops have started recording the statements of school officials and are gathering documents pertaining to the teacher's appointment until her resignation and the boy's stint in school. Police said the teacher joined the school in 2021 during the pandemic, when schooling was online. Before her stint at this institute, she had taught at another prominent school, said a senior teacher. Sources said she resigned from the school whose student was abused in April 2024, and no formal complaint was filed by any student or parent against her. Sources added that the teacher's husband's statement will also be recorded as part of the probe. Police said that the report of the psychiatric test conducted on the teacher was positive for her mental health. When police questioned her about the sexual abuse, she told them that her relationship was "beyond physical" and she continued to have the same feelings for the student, officers said. Meanwhile, the police said they might get a lookout circular issued if the accused doctor who prescribed the anti-anxiety pills fails to turn up for questioning. She has reportedly migrated to London. The school authorities said they are fully cooperating with police.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
'Irregularities in stipends for PG med students of private colleges'
Representative image MUMBAI: A nationwide online survey by the National Medical Council showed irregularities in the payment of stipends to postgraduate (PG) medical students in self-financed and private medical colleges. A total of 2,110 postgraduate students said that they were not receiving any stipend at all from their institutions. Additionally, 4,288 students stated that the stipends being paid to them were not on par with those provided in govt medical colleges in their respective states, indicating significant discrepancies. Moreover, 1,228 students who did receive stipends claimed that the amount was being "taken back" by the college management, raising serious concerns about unethical practices. The survey garnered a total of 10,178 responses, of which 7,901 responses from PG students of private medical colleges were deemed valid and included for analysis. The data, collected from 213 colleges spread across 19 states and 2 union territories, painted a concerning picture. "Despite NMC's 2023 notification on PG stipends, private and deemed medical colleges in Maharashtra continue to violate the norms," said Brijesh Sutaria, a parent representative. "With SC's ruling yesterday mandating transparency, uniformity, and fairness in NEET PG counselling, it is time for concrete action from NMC and Maharashtra authorities. These are critical regulation issues, urgent and impactful. " Hemali Chhapia
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Relief for students as NAAC deadline pushed
Mumbai: In a consequential reversal, one that will make several colleges and students breathe a sigh of relief, the state govt has rolled back its earlier decision to bar admissions to hundreds of degree colleges that failed to comply with NAAC mandates, granting them a 6-month reprieve. These institutions—deemed ineligible either for not applying for accreditation to NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) or for failing to constitute their statutory College Development Committees—were struck off the central admission portal, triggering widespread concern among students and educators alike. But now, they're back in the fold. Admissions to these colleges will resume, with their names reinstated on the portal—a decision higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil described as one made "in the academic interest of students, to avoid disruption," and to give colleges a fair window for compliance. In Mumbai alone, 156 colleges faced exclusion for non-accreditation and another 73 for not forming CDCs, a structural requirement under Maharashtra Public Universities Act. Yuva Sena senate members said they too asked the govt to lift the admission ban on these 229 colleges. Many principals said since July 1, 2024, NAAC stopped accepting new applications, citing back-end changes necessitated by roll-out of a new binary accreditation model, with graded, maturity-based tiers. —Hemali Chhapia
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
IIT-B in process of suspending Turkey MoUs
Mumbai: In light of the prevailing geopolitical tensions involving Turkey, IIT Bombay is in the process of reviewing and suspending its academic collaborations and memoranda of understanding ( MoUs ) with Turkish universities until further notice. This move reflects a cautious approach aligned with national interests and security considerations. IIT-B's decision follows similar actions by other premier Indian institutions. Recently, IIT Roorkee officially terminated its MoU with Istanbul Technical University, citing concerns over the strategic implications of continuing such collaborations under current circumstances. JNU and Jamia Millia Islamia have also withdrawn from their academic partnerships with Turkish institutions, reinforcing a broader policy shift among Indian universities to reassess foreign engagements in light of geopolitical developments. The Powai institute said, "Due to the current geopolitical situation involving Turkey, IIT Bombay is processing suspension of its agreements with Turkish universities until further notice." Students and faculty involved in exchange programmes or research initiatives with Turkish institutions are advised to await official notifications. — Hemali Chhapia
Time of India
17-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
2 lakh likely to appear for IIT JEE (Adv) today
Mumbai: Engineering aspirants wanting to join the Indian Institutes of Technology, the premier technology schools of the country, will take the Joint Entrance Exam (Advanced) on Sunday. While IIT Kanpur did not share data on the total number of candidates who registered to take the JEE (Adv), coaching classes said about 2 lakh students are likely to sit for the exam. In 2024, the IITs had a total of 17,740 seats for admission, up from 17,385 in 2023. After the exam and before the counselling, IITs will make the total seat tally available. Sunday's exam will be conducted in two shifts - Paper 1 will be held from 9 am to 12 noon, and Paper 2 will be held from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm. Students have been asked not to wear jewellery or religious items. The candidates have been advised not to wear charm/tabiz, rings, bracelets, earrings, nose pins, chains/necklaces, pendants, badges, brooches, hairpins, hair bands, and clothes with big buttons. They are expected to wear sandals or chappals as shoes or closed footwear are not allowed. Similarly, wearing caps and jackets inside the exam hall is not permitted. Exam centres will open at 7 am. Candidates need to carry a printed copy of the downloaded admit card and any one of their valid original photo identity cards like Aadhaar card, driving licence, voter ID, passport, or PAN card, with a photograph for the examination. —Hemali Chhapia
