Latest news with #UMSU
Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
BMC maps 3 high-risk areas to prevent dengue cases
1 2 3 Bhubaneswar: With the city reporting 174 dengue cases till Friday, up from 104 two weeks ago, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has mapped three high-risk zones — Patia, Chandrasekharpur and Nayapalli — to chalk out preventive strategies. Patia and Chandrasekharpur usually figure in the high-risk zones every year because of the presence of slums and mosquito breeding sources. "We destroyed around 10,000 mosquito breeding sources, more in the affected areas. Industrial clusters, parks and open spaces are also being covered. Aedes mosquitoes, which cause dengue, were found mostly in containers outside rather than in household samples, contrary to last year's trend," said city health officer Deepak Bisoyi. In 20 household samples, Aedes mosquitoes were found, while water samples in as many as 30 containers contained its larvae. BMC allayed fears by stating the test positivity rate was around 1.3% per 100 samples, which is not alarming. In July this year, more than 90 dengue cases were detected by BMC, which is far less than the figures from the same period last year. Last July, 249 cases were detected in Khurda district, of which 211 were in Bhubaneswar. BMC officials said they have not been able to carry out chemical fogging because of rain. "We will take up fogging very soon as the weather is expected to normalise in a day or two. All mosquito breeding sources have been destroyed," said Bisoyi. Earlier, the BMC wrote to industrial clusters, various offices, and agencies maintaining parks to take strict measures to demolish mosquito breeding sources. Industrial premises, parks and vacant spaces mostly turn into mosquito dens during the monsoon until Oct, officials said. "Clean water remaining stagnant in such places ultimately turn into mosquito larvae grounds," said the BMC officer. BMC officials said 100 more volunteers have been engaged, apart from regular personnel, improving surveillance. The volunteers focus on generating awareness and reducing mosquito breeding sources. The urban malaria surveillance unit (UMSU) has been overseeing the initiative, the BMC officer said.
The Star
30-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
‘Open entry will hurt deserving students from poor families'
ALOR SETAR: The increasing reliance on direct or open entry routes into public universities will shortchange high-achievers from low and middle-income families aiming for critical fields like medicine, engineering and law, says Kedah Higher Education committee chairman Dr Haim Hilman Abdullah. 'It's disheartening when a student from a poor family, who scored straight A's, may not get into a public medical programme due to limited slots, while someone with lower results can enter through the open route if they can afford it,' said Haim Hilman, who is also a former Universiti Utara Malaysia vice-chancellor. He said the pressure intensifies when these students are not offered places through the UPUOnline system and are instead pushed towards courses or programmes that are not in demand. The scenario could also affect those from middle-income parents whose children have excellent academic results but were denied placings due to their lack of finances, he said. He urged the government to re-evaluate education policies to prevent jeopardising the future of high-achieving students, particularly those from B40 and M40 families. Haim Hilman also advocated for Malaysian universities, especially those with five-star Malaysian Research Assessment (MyRA) ratings, to commercialise their research to reduce reliance on traditional funding. He noted that research findings with commercial potential are often underutilised and suggested that universities operate like government-linked companies to monetise innovations. On a related matter, two student leaders have voiced concerns over the increasing use of open entry routes to public universities, claiming that it significantly impacts applications made through the usual UPUOnline system. Universiti Malaya Student Union (UMSU) secretariat Lee Yu Dong, a law undergraduate, said UM should focus on increasing the UPUOnline system quota rather than expanding the direct intake channel. Lee said that public universities should not operate like commercial entities by imposing high increases in tuition fees for students who enrolled through direct channels. Lee also backed a call by MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong that the 2025/2026 MBBS intake through Satu be suspended immediately and that the government should set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry to review the public university admission systems. 'Direct intake should be a last resort for students to enter sought-after courses like medicine, law and pharmacy, based on academic merit, not financial means,' said Lee, who is also the general secretary of UM Association of New Youth (Umany). Citing Umany statistics, Lee said 35% of direct intake students are from B40 families. 'Public universities should prioritise the welfare of students. Ignoring this risks exacerbating brain drain, delaying Malaysia's development goals, and diminishing hope for a brighter future,' he added. Ong Jelyn, a UMSU representative and third-year medical student, said while admissions flexibility might diversify student backgrounds, it risks sidelining those who applied through the rigorous UPUOnline system. She said the 67% fee increase in direct admissions is unjustifiable, especially if it is done without transparency and providing better student support as this would severely affect B40 and M40 families. Ong said that high fees would limit social mobility, jeopardising public universities' role in providing a chance for underprivileged communities. 'Scholarships and financial protections must precede any fee restructuring,' she said, reiterating that education is a right, not a commodity.
Time of India
20-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
20 ‘jaundice' cases reported from 4 city localities
1 2 Bhubaneswar: At least 20 suspected jaundice cases have been reported from four localities in the city, with authorities also trying to contain the spread of dengue. The urban metropolitan surveillance unit (UMSU), formed at Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters with a nodal officer in the rank of additional director of public health, is monitoring the situation. "Blood samples have been collected based on symptoms. After reports come, we will be able to confirm whether they are jaundice cases," said a BMC officer. "The cases have been reported from Badagada, Uparasahi, Karuna Basti and Kalinga Basti," he added. At three locations, awareness campaigns were held to sensitise residents on the use of clean water. They were educated on how to flag concerns based on symptoms and avoid transmission and asked to take preventive steps. "We are fully alert and prepared. Multiple surveillance teams are working to ensure early detection of cases," the officer said. City health officer Deepak Bisoyi said so far 35 dengue cases have been detected. In view of incessant rain, chemical fogging to kill larvae and mosquitoes has not started. However, 220 workers have been engaged to destroy mosquito breeding sources. "This year, the dengue spread is slow. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Live by the Beach at Sunteck's 2/3BHK Homes starts @₹98L+ Sunteck Realty Learn More Undo But cases have been detected a bit early because the monsoon arrived before the normal date," Bisoyi added. "BMC has been observing every Friday as 'dry day' to carry out mosquito source destruction exercises in various wards," he said. "Stagnant water sources at the big, colony, mini and neighbourhood parks in the city become mosquito breeding ground that people often fail to notice," Bisoyi said. Officials said many people who go to the parks between 4 pm and 5 pm and early morning (before sunrise) get bitten by the Aedes mosquito, which causes dengue. The city has 77 colony (neighbourhood) and 64 big parks that contribute to the green cover. They are also hangout places, fitness centres, places for thinkers and poets, playing areas for children, and relaxing platforms for the elderly. But after some people claimed they contracted dengue after sitting in parks, these places have come under scrutiny. BMC said various govt and private offices and schools have been directed to inspect mosquito breeding sources and destroy them. There are open stockyards in offices and schools, which have abandoned items that turn into places for mosquito breeding, officials said.
Free Malaysia Today
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
UM student union urges withdrawal of policy on venue approval
UMSU said a new policy requiring all clubs and societies to appoint advisers from the student affairs department, and to obtain approval before booking venues, undermines student autonomy and adds unnecessary bureaucracy. PETALING JAYA : The Universiti Malaya Students' Union (UMSU) has demanded the immediate withdrawal of a new policy requiring all student clubs and societies to appoint advisers from the student affairs department (HEP) and obtain HEP's approval before booking venues. At a press conference today, UMSU said the policy undermined student autonomy and added unnecessary bureaucracy, replacing the previous procedure where UMSU directly handled approvals. 'Before this, we could approve proposals within three days and students could proceed with bookings smoothly,' said Yap Jei Shin, UMSU secretary for clubs and societies. 'Now, even after our approval, they still need to go through HEP, and that can take weeks.' The student union said the policy had already disrupted campus activities. Suara Siswa UM's event, 'Pelantikan Azam Baki: Wajar Atau Tidak?' was cancelled just a day before it was scheduled, despite prior approval. 'I received a call at 5.24pm saying the event was considered 'controversial' and required HEP clearance. Just two hours later, my booking was cancelled without a chance to appeal,' said Abishek Prasad, the event's organiser. Eryad, president of AIESEC UM, shared a similar experience. 'We were only told of the new requirement after our booking was revoked. We had just three days left before our event, and most venues were already full. Yet, we were still blamed for 'poor planning',' he said. 'This policy does nothing but impose unnecessary restrictions on student rights.' UMSU vice-president Lim Jing Jet called the policy a blatant attempt to suppress student expression. 'Solid evidence of this lies in the official letter regarding the appointment of (HEP) advisers, which states that their role is to ensure that all student activities are in line with the aspirations of the government,' he said. A total of 49 individuals and student organisations have endorsed a memorandum demanding the immediate retraction of the policy, improvements to the UM Point booking system, and more accessible venues, especially at Kompleks Perdana Siswa and faculty buildings. UMSU said the policy was introduced without consultation and urged the university to prioritise student needs over administrative control.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Students drop claim of Israeli genocide in Gaza
An accusation that Israel has committed genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza has been dropped by students at the University of Manchester following a backlash. The 2,000-word motion, which expresses solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas war, was withdrawn earlier this week. It was lodged with the university's student union (UMSU) by a student from the university's Friends of Palestine group several months ago. The motion accuses Israel 'in its entirety' of being 'an apartheid settler-colonial state committing ongoing genocide against Palestinians' and recognises that 'as an occupied nation, the people of Palestine have the right to armed resistance under international law.' It also urged full support for the BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) movement against Israel. In addition, the motion argues that a two-state solution has become 'impossible' due to the 'continued expansion of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine' and advocates for a 'single, free, multi-faith Palestinian state'. Manchester University's Friends of Israel Society was outraged by the motion and wrote to the UMSU, setting out why the proposal and the procedure for considering it were unlawful. It said the statement contained 'false and one-sided allegations'. In March, a debate took place, and Jewish students put forward nine amendments to the motion, but these were rejected. These included one that would have recognised Hamas as a terrorist organisation and another calling on Hamas to release the remaining hostages it still holds captive. A third urged the student union to refrain from 'glorifying' violence against Israeli civilians. Jewish students held a silent protest outside the building where the meeting took place, holding pictures of Ariel and Kfir Bibas, who were held hostage in Gaza by Hamas. Commenting on the motion being withdrawn, Jonathan Turner, chief executive of UK Lawyers for Israel (UKFLI), who worked with the Friends of Israel Society on getting the motion dropped, said: 'We are very pleased with this outcome, which clearly results from drawing attention to the student union's legal obligations. 'Student unions must conduct political debates fairly, must not discriminate against Jewish or Israeli students, and must not engage in political campaigns outside their charitable objects. 'We congratulate Naomi Brookarsh, president of the Israel Society at Manchester University, on her work resisting this attempt to misuse the student union to intimidate Jewish students and other students who support Israel.' A spokesman for Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), who also wrote to the union and university to express concerns, told The Telegraph: 'Manchester University Students' Union disregarded the concerns of Jewish students and regulations for charities when it tried to advance this reckless and divisive motion. 'Whether or not it is meant as such here, the phrase 'armed resistance' is commonly used in this context as a euphemism for terrorism and the destruction of the Jewish state. 'At a minimum, this motion aspired to deprive the Jewish people of their right to self-determination. 'These motions do nothing to change things in the Middle East but contribute to the ostracisation of Jewish students on campus. 'This motion never should have been even drafted, let alone put forward. Jewish students have the same right to feel safe on their campus as any other group. 'We wrote to the students' union and are pleased to see that the motion has been withdrawn, even if there was no remorse in the withdrawal statement. 'We will continue to tackle extremism and antisemitism on university campuses wherever we find it.' In a statement, the UMSU apologised for the length of time it took to consider the motion and said: 'We will be reviewing our democratic processes as a result.' It added: 'We stand in full solidarity with the Palestinian resistance to ongoing genocide in Gaza. 'The double standards held over colonised people compared to those doing the colonising are absurd. 'Those in support of Palestinian liberation are required to constantly qualify their support of basic human rights, whilst Israel continues its extermination, starvation and 'conquest' of Palestinians undeterred.' It went on to criticise charity law, which it said prevented students' unions from taking 'principled positions and resourcing campaigns on the most pressing issues of our day'. In a statement issued previously, the University of Manchester said it considered 'aspects of this motion to be wholly unacceptable'. It added that it had raised 'serious concerns with the students' union regarding its wording, particularly where it risks undermining the principles of equality, safety, and wellbeing.' The University of Manchester has been approached for further comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
