When students forced judge to suspend virtual hearing

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court’s virtual hearing on Friday had unexpected ‘visitors,’ who forced the judges suspend the proceedings. A total of 350 college students, who gained entry into the virtual hearing through a link found on the Madras High Court website, created chaos forcing the judges to suspend the hearing of a plea filed against the State government’s decision to cancel arrears exams.

Former V-C of Anna University E Balagurusamy and advocate Ramkumar Adityan had challenged the cancellation of the examinations, and UGC counsel was waiting to file a detailed reply on the plea, during the hearing.

However, a two-member Bench comprising judges M Sathyanarayanan and R Hemalatha witnessed bizarre sounds, comments and noise made by the students, blacking out the entire hearing. Though the item was listed only for the afternoon session, the students gained entry into the hearing in the morning and began shouting, “please cancel the exams.” When the counsel requested the students to maintain silence, they started exchanging weird comments among themselves. Suspending the virtual hearing, the judges removed all the participants. The hearing was then adjourned to next Tuesday.

Students protest in support of Surappa
Chennai: A group of students at the Anna University staged a protest in support of Vice-Chancellor M K Surrappa, on whom the government has initiated a probe on corruption charges. The students, in a statement, said the Vice-Chancellor has resolved many students-guide conflicts and has also fought for students’ rights by protecting students hospitals from being turned into Covid wards during the lockdown.  “It is our duty to show him our gratitude,” the statement read.  Speaking to Express, one of the students’ representative said the protests were low-key as the students were not supposed to gather at the campus before the opening of the university. “However, we will stage a bigger protest once the university reopens,” a student said. Meanwhile, in a separate incident, about 20 members of the Students’ Federation of India, staged a protest demanding dismissal of Surappa for his alleged involvement in corruption.

Museum in a box: Contest for school students
Chennai: Imagine you have a box that can fix anything in it -- even an entire museum! Now, you have to pick five things to put in the box that tells people why “WaterMatters”. What would they be? An open contest is being organised exclusively for school students by city-based environmental organisation Care Earth Trust. Students can send in their submissions to careearthtrails@gmail.com by November 23. Students must select five objects, which can be in any form -- drawings, photos, even newspaper clippings. All objects should be drawn within a box frame to convey “Museum in a Box” idea. Winners will receive exclusive printed copies of Museum in a Box contents and a Water Matters certificate, said a press release.