1. Sankaraiah doctorate issue | Higher Edu Minister to boycott MKU convocation
Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy announced that, as the Pro-Chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU), he would be boycotting its convocation on Thursday, November 2, since Governor R.N. Ravi has refused to consent to a proposal for the university to award an honorary doctorate to freedom fighter and veteran Communist leader N. Sankaraiah (CPI-M) despite repeated requests.
Addressing journalists in Chennai, he pointed out that the Governor, who is also the Chancellor of the university, has refused to grant approval despite the Senate and the Syndicate of MKU passing resolutions twice to award ‘Honoris Causa’, the honorary doctorate, to 102-year-old Sankaraiah.
Moreover, the Minister said he requested the Governor twice for approval. The Vice-Chancellor and Registrar of MKU also visited Raj Bhavan to personally request Governor’s approval for this, he added.
2. Racer TTF Vasan gets bail
The Madras High Court granted bail to biker T.T.F. Vasan alias Vaikunthavasan, 23, in a case booked against him for rash riding on a public road.
The vlogger-cum-motorcycle racer was arrested after he was thrown off his bike while performing a wheelie on the service road of the Chennai-Vellore national highway on September 17. His first bail petition was rejected by the court earlier on October 5.
3. Six arrested for assaulting, urinating on Dalit youths
The Thatchanallur police in Tirunelveli have arrested six persons, all belonging to an intermediate caste, for allegedly assaulting, stripping and urinating on two Scheduled Caste youth two days ago.
Police said the victims Manoj Kumar, 21, and his friend Mariappan, 19, of Manimurtheeswaram had gone to take bath in the Tamirabharani River on that day. When they were returning home, the accused youth, who were allegedly consuming liquor near the river, stopped them and inquired them about their native place and their caste.
The victims said when they revealed that they were from a Dalit hamlet in Manimurtheeswaram, the inebriated men assaulted them. The victims alleged they were stripped and the accused urinated on them.
