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Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Govt scraps EWS quota in private medical colleges
MUMBAI: The state government has scrapped the contentious EWS quota in private medical colleges, after fierce opposition from parents who refused to back down. The 10% reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) was introduced in undergraduate courses, in the general category, without a corresponding increase in the number of seats. This would shrink the number of seats available on merit, currently just 3,500. (Representative Image) The state government has scrapped the contentious EWS quota in private medical colleges, after fierce opposition from parents who refused to back down. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO) The quota was introduced with no formal announcement; it was merely mentioned in the admission brochure released by the state Common Entrance Test (CET) cell before admissions began recently, a rude shock to parents and students alike. Parents had sent emails to state medical education minister Hasan Mushrif, and then, along with education activists, met Mushrif on Tuesday to protest the implementation of the reservation. On Wednesday, the state medical education department walked back the decision to implement the quota. It said the EWS reservation would not be implemented in private medical colleges unless seat capacity increased, a move that aligns with the central government's original 2019 approach. Activist Sudha Shenoy, part of the delegation who met the minister, said, 'It is now clear that the government is not applying EWS reservation in private medical colleges unless seats increase as per the Supreme Court order.' Another activist, Brijesh Sutaria, said, 'This is a welcome decision. It protects merit-based access while preserving the intent of social justice. It is a balanced and constitutionally sound approach that other states should also consider.'
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Climate
- Hindustan Times
Karnataka sees 22% rainfall deficit in July so far, Bengaluru anticipates increased rainfall mid-August
The southern state of Karnataka experienced a notably dry July this year, with rainfall levels falling 22 per cent short of the seasonal average. Despite this significant shortage, meteorologists anticipated a surge in downpours across the state in August that could make up for the current deficit. IMD forecasted a wet spell for Bengaluru mid-August, with cooler temperatures and brisk winds anticipated.(Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) ALSO READ | Bengaluru's long-delayed civic body polls likely to happen after November: DCM DK Shivakumar A regional review from the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) said four districts, namely — Vijayapura, Bagalkote, Gadag and Koppala — benefited from above average rainfall between July 1 and July 29, while seven other districts endured notably low precipitation. These drier regions included Bidar, Dharwad, Haveri, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Kolar and Mysuru. The rest of the districts experienced rainfall that was more or less in line with typical expectations for the month. ALSO READ | Bengaluru Airport reports highest bird strikes in south India with 343 cases: Report Looking ahead, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted a wet spell for Bengaluru city starting mid-August, with showers expected to intensify as the month progresses, as per a report from the Deccan Herald. This shift is attributed to an evolving low-pressure system over northwest Madhya Pradesh and the positioning of the monsoon trough stretching from Sri Ganganagar through several northern and eastern Indian cities to the north-eastern Bay of Bengal. ALSO READ | Bengaluru homebuyers drag builder to KRERA over missing rooftop pool; Authority orders resolution via joint consensus For the immediate future, residents in Bengaluru can expect mostly overcast skies peppered with occasional light rain over the next two days. Winds are forecast to remain brisk, ranging from 40 to 50 kilometres per hour (kmph). Maximum and minimum temperatures are predicted to hover around 27 degrees Celsius and 19 degrees Celsius in the city, respectively.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
BMC recovers ₹13 crore with AI detection of irregularities in desilting
MUMBAI: Having Artificial Intelligence (AI) monitor vast swathes of photographic footage/evidence of pre-monsoon desilting, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has identified multiple instances of violations that have saved the civic body over ₹13 crore. When the AI system detected violations indicating a possible irregularity in desilting, the BMC did not pay the contractor for the tainted trip. Pre-monsoon drain cleaning work (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times) Considering this foray into using AI as successful, particularly as monitoring desilting requires wading through legions of footage, additional municipal commissioner Abhijeet Bangar said the civic body will be investing more and bringing on board an agency for better AI detection for the next pre-monsoon desilting exercise. 'The most common violation the AI system flagged was when photos and videos of desilting were not uploaded, which made it an open and shut case,' said Bangar. 'Another slight the system caught is when the time difference between an empty van and a van filled with silt was too little to be believable.' The AI detection system also recognised desilting footage that was filmed from an old pre-recorded video from a different phone at the site to have correct GPS markers. This was spotted from the shadowing seen in the footage. In these cases, the BMC automatically deducted the payment for the desilting trip to the contractor, without seeking an explanation. Bangar said this was done to increase compliance from the contractors and ensure the job was carried out properly. In one instance in the T ward, the AI system flagged 90 desilting trips for a 200-meter stretch of a nallah, where far fewer trips were needed. The BMC issued notices to the contractor in this matter before taking action. AI also helped officials identify vehicles allegedly having adulterated debris with silt in the M West ward in May 2025. This resulted in BMC cancelling the contract and blacklisting the implicated contractor for three years. As the BMC spent a whopping ₹238 crore in 2025-26 on desilting across all nallahs -- minor, major and the Mithi, Bangar reasoned it makes sense to invest in AI so that the exercise would be foolproof. 'For instance, AI can be trained to identify if there is a lot of dust in the process of desilting in the videos uploaded to flag debris being mixed. For this, it needs to be trained repeatedly and refined. An agency will help us perfect this,' he said. Sources in the BMC also suggest that the stringent requirements of footage and AI checks have resulted in a backlog in the desilting target, particularly in the minor nallahs, with contractors shrinking the work due to the increased checks. Instead of being worried, officials said this would help identify how much desilting is required for the city next year to function in heavy rains.
Hindustan Times
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
EWS quota sparks concern in pvt medical colleges
MUMBAI: Students applying to private medical colleges for undergraduate admission are concerned at the introduction of reservations for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) within the open category – a first. They say the introduction of the quota without a corresponding increase in the total seat intake would reduce the number of seats open to all in the general category. (Photo by Satish Bate/Hindustan Times) (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO) While the move aligns with constitutional mandates and has already been implemented in government and aided institutions, there was no formal announcement for private medical colleges. Instead, the new quota – 10% of the seats in the open category – came to light when students and their parents noticed its mention in the admission brochure released by the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (CET) cell. They say the introduction of the quota without a corresponding increase in the total seat intake would reduce the number of seats open to all in the general category. According to the brochure released on Wednesday, the reservation applies to all private unaided medical colleges (excluding minority institutions) under the state quota. 'In government / government aided / corporation / private unaided institutions (excluding minority institutions), 10% of the available seats under state quota shall be reserved for candidates belonging to EWS category,' the brochure states under the constitutional reservation annexure. Parent groups argue that this clause, if enforced without increasing seat capacity, will shrink the already limited pool of general merit seats. 'This is the first time EWS quota is being applied to private medical colleges. Without increasing the seat intake, it will affect open-category students,' said Brijesh Sutaria, a parent representative. Sutaria pointed out that admissions to private medical colleges fall under state regulatory bodies, and any increase in seat capacity must be approved by the National Medical Commission (NMC). 'Unless the state approaches NMC and gets a one-time seat hike, general category students will suffer a setback,' he said. Another parent, Sudha Shenoy, cited the 2019 Supreme Court order, which mandated that the EWS quota be implemented only after increasing 25% of the total seat intake. 'The government did increase seats in government colleges following that order, but no such step has been taken for private institutions. If private colleges are not allowed to raise intake, this implementation will only reduce open seats,' she said. Sutaria also highlighted that EWS students already receive financial support under state schemes – 50% fee reimbursement for boys and 100% for girls – making the impact on open seats even more disproportionate. In a separate development, the CET cell has also revised the eligibility criteria for NRI quota admissions. From this year, only candidates who are NRIs themselves or whose parents or legal guardians are NRIs will be eligible. This replaces the earlier, more relaxed rule, where any NRI family member could act as a sponsor.
Hindustan Times
18-07-2025
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Eyeing the Tesla Model Y? Here are all the colour options and costs explained
Tesla India has inaugurated its first experience centre showroom in Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times) Check Offers The Tesla Model Y is finally available in India as the debut offering from the American EV brand, and the all-electric crossover comes with both RWD and Long Range RWD variants. While the ex-showroom price tag for the two variants is ₹ 59.89 lakh and ₹ 67.89 lakh, the Model Y's final price will bear additional costs, depending on the buyer's colour of choice. If you are interested in purchasing the new EV, here is a concise breakdown of the Model Y's colour schemes and the extra charges for each option: Tesla offers the Model Y with a range of 6 exterior colour options regardless of the variant, and these include Stealth Grey, Pearl White Multi-Coat, Diamond Black, Glacier Blue, Quicksilver, and Ultra Red. Out of the lot, Stealth Grey is offered as the base option and comes with no additional cost. Also Read : Tesla Model Y: 5 things you need to know before buying the new American EV Pearl White Multi-Coat and Diamond Black are both offered with an additional charge of ₹ 95,000. The Glacier Blue paint scheme can be had for ₹ 1.25 lakh. If you want your Model Y in Quicksilver or Ultra Red, you will have to cough up ₹ 1.85 lakh in extra costs. Tesla Model Y: More options The Model Y is offered with two interior themes, All Black or Black and White, and both can be had without extra charges. Additionally, Tesla offers the Full Self-Driving (FSD) package for ₹ 6 lakh. The company has noted that FSD features remain subject to regulatory approvals, and in its current form, the system requires active driver supervision. The Model Y will receive OTA updates as the FSD suite evolves over time. Also Watch: Tesla Model Y arrives in India! Here's what you need to know Tesla Model Y: Key highlights The Tesla Model Y is offered in India with two battery packs: the 60 kWh unit in the base model provides up to 500 km of WLTP-certified range, and the 75 kWh battery pack for the Long Range variant delivers up to 622 km of claimed range on a single charge. The Model Y is powered by a single rear-mounted electric motor that makes 295 bhp. With this, the crossover can sprint from a standstill to 100 kmph in 5.9 seconds. It supports Tesla's Supercharging network, and a 15-minute charge is estimated to replenish between 238 km to 267 km of range, depending on the battery pack. The electric SUV brings a clean, aerodynamic design with flush-fitting handles, slim LEDs, and a fastback profile. Its feature-laden cabin offers a minimalistic dashboard layout with all controls embedded within a 15.4-inch central touchscreen. There is also an additional 8-inch display for the rear occupants, dual-zone climate control, power-adjustable front seats, a power-operated tailgate, and a panoramic sunroof. Check out Upcoming EV Cars in India. First Published Date: 18 Jul 2025, 13:00 pm IST
