Pay for Health Card While Renewing Visa
Pay for Health Card While Renewing Visa
Asma Ali Zain 11 December 2008 for Khaleej Times
DUBAI – Expatriates renewing their residence visas in Dubai will have to shell out an extra Dh300 for the health card that is now compulsory.
Delayed by five months, the rule caught many unawares when it came into effect unannounced on December 1. Residents now have to pay a total of Dh550 instead of the Dh250 charged for the medical fitness test only earlier. Before a residence visa is stamped/renewed, applicants have to undergo screening for diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B & C, tuberculosis and syphilis.
Though a person applying for residency in the UAE for the first time has to obtain a health card, renewing it had not been compulsory until now.
Khaleej Times had reported on July 1 about the new medical fitness rules that were due to come into effect immediately but were put off by the Department of Health and Medical Services until the year end. A health card (valid for one year) was also made compulsory for renewing visas but the date when it would come into effect was not announced.
(The health cardholder can avail of basic health services at low cost only in government hospitals and clinics.)
As per the new rules, health insurance policyholders do not require a health card, though the policy certificate has to be attested by Dohms at a cost of Dh200.
Maisa Al Bustani, Head of Medical Fitness Centre at Dohms, had explained to Khaleej Times earlier, “If the resident does not hold a health card and has a valid health insurance policy, Department of Health and Medical Services will charge Dh200 to attest the policy certificate before the screening is done.”
However, residents who have valid insurance policy said they were forced to pay for the health card when they went for visa renewal.
“When I recently went for my medical fitness test, a requirement for visa renewal, I was asked to pay Dh300 for a health card.
“When I explained to the official that I was holding a health insurance policy, he insisted that I still had to pay for the card,” said Mohammed Afzal, a sales manager.
Farid Hussain, another resident, said that when he informed the official about his insurance policy, the official said it was not his concern.
“I had to pay for the card despite holding a policy,” he added.
Department of Health and Medical Services officials were not available for comments because of holidays.
More Free Rides on Abu Dhabi Buses from January 1Adel Arafah
More Free Rides on Abu Dhabi Buses from January 1
Adel Arafah 14 December 2008 for Khaleej Times
ABU DHABI – There will not be any more free trips in public buses in the capital from January 1, 2009.
The Transport Department would fix the bus fare on Monday, Saeed Al Hameli, General Manager of Public Buses Office, told Khaleej Times on Saturday. Sources in the department said the fare would be very low.
For the past six months, 125 state-of-the-art public buses have been transporting passengers to different areas of the emirate free of charge.
The official said the department is planning to operate buses on many new routes, including on the outskirts like Mousaffah industrial area, Khalifa City and other newly constructed towns.
The number of buses will be increased to 1,360 by the end of next year,” the official added.
Al Hameli added that the department has chalked out a plan to be carried out on a gradual basis with a view of operating as many buses as possible in the capital to solve the traffic problem once and for all. The department is also working to make the public buses the quickest means of transport by widening roads and designating exclusive routes for buses, thus encouraging motorists to leave their own vehicles and switch to public buses, he said.
Dubai Municipality Plans 10-fold Hike in Fines for Overflowing Sewage at Labour Camps
Dubai Municipality Plans 10-fold Hike in Fines for Overflowing Sewage at Labour Camps
Joy Sengupta 15 December 2008 for KHALEEJ TIMES
DUBAI – As overflowing sewage tanks continue to dog many labour accommodations in Al Quoz and parts of Sonapur, the Dubai Municipality is planning a 10-fold increase in the fine for owners of these camps.
In a talk with this reporter on Sunday, Salem bin Mesmar, Assis tant Director-General for Health, Safety and Environment Control, said the fine for accumulation of sewage in the labour camps will be increased to Dh10,000 from Dh1,000. “With many accommodation owners not acting swiftly and seriously enough, the civic body needs to make them understand about the gravity of the situation,” Mesmar said.
Overflowing of sewage from the tanks has been a frequent problem for the past several months in many camps in Al Quoz and Sonapur. As these camps are not connected to the drainage, sewage has to be transported in tankers to Al Aweer Sewage Treatment Plant. The delay in removing sewage results in overflowing of tanks.
Mesmar said the responsibility of ensuring clean and hygienic accommodation is with the owners.
“The owners have to ensure that the camps are clean. Overflowing sewage poses serious health hazards. The municipality has come across a lot of complaints but many of these owners don’t take them seriously at all. In addition to the increased fines, the municipality will intensify inspections,” the official said.
Mesmar added that by the end of this month, a huge ‘lagoon’ will be set up in Lehbab area where 500 tankers can dispose of sewage at a single time. “This temporary arrangement will ease the pressure at the Al Aweer plant for the time being and the trucks will be able to visit the accommodations on a regular basis.
The first phase of the new Jebel Ali Sewage Treatment Plant will be ready by June next year which will further reduce pressure on the Al Aweer Plant,” the official said.
Clustering for excellence
Clustering for excellence
R. KRISHNAMOORTHY for THE HINDU
The concept is aimed at enabling higher education institutions to put their facilities to optimum use and address the infrastructure and academic needs.
The idea of establishing clusters of advanced centres was mooted by the Kothari Commission as one of the possible means for extension of excellence from the centre to the periphery.
Taking the cue from the Western systems, the National Knowledge Commission has recommended that autonomous status be given to some clusters of colleges as part of restructuring undergraduate education. On its part, the University Grants Commission has been pursuing the project of clustering higher education institutions to put the facilities to optimum use and address the infrastructure and academic needs.
Against this backdrop, the Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education is encouraging universities to form clusters and derive the benefits of mutual cooperation in the forms of sharing Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in teaching-learning; opportunities for teachers to develop and offer new innovative credit courses thereby improving the standard of education in the members of the cluster; possibilities of opening up new areas of knowledge, promoting research and extension, institution of scholarships, and coming up with common research publications and newsletters.
Each cluster of voluntarily partnering colleges, as per the proposed system, should consist of a few well developed and established institutions and newly started self-financing colleges, under the regulation of the affiliating university. The cluster will have a shared vision based on the principles of equal status; collective decision-making; autonomy and accountability; and independence and interdependence.
According to a framework for cluster formation readied by the Bharathidasan University for consideration of the Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education, the cluster of colleges shall progressively share existing facilities in partner colleges and undertake common ventures for promoting access, equity and quality of education. The concept note states that the government should facilitate setting up of clusters through liberal grants, and encourage government and government-aided colleges for introducing new programmes in addition to the aided programmes introduced in the clusters on a permanent basis.
The vital advantages of cluster formation listed in the concept note are opportunities for new and developing colleges to avail specialised resource persons working in the developed colleges; opportunities for students to register for courses in any other college of the cluster; and promotion of cross-cultural development.
The likely disadvantages are there could be reservations if sharing of resources is one-sided, and problems may arise in accommodating more students in one course from other institutions taking into consideration the size of the available classrooms or laboratories. The solution advocated to solve these problems is signing of agreements for sharing services at mutually agreed costs.
The most important advantage under the cluster system is the scope for developing cost-intensive infrastructure in constituent colleges of clusters through submitting joint project proposals. National funding agencies are eager to provide liberal funding for such proposals, the vice-chancellor of Bharathidasan University, M. Ponnavaikko, told a gathering of principals at a recent meeting.
With the objective of implementing the cluster concept from the next academic year, Bharathidasan University has already nominated coordinators at the district-level to generate the lists of programmes that could be pursued in each college under the CBCS by mid-January 2009.
MBA in media and entertainment
MBA in media and entertainment
The Indian media and entertainment industry is expected to grow at a 19 per cent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) to reach an overall value of Rs. 1.15 trillion by 2012 from its present size of Rs. 513 billion, according to a report published by PWC for the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
This represents a huge growth opportunity for highly qualified and trained professionals in this field.
Understanding this requirement, Manipal University has designed a programme to cater to this growing demand.
The two-year MBA in Media and Entertainment has specialisations in Film, Broadcasting, New and Interactive Media and Event Management. Admissions are now open for the January 2009 intake. Manipal University is offering this course in association with Whistling Woods International.
The first year of the programme will be conducted at the Manipal University Off-Campus in Bangalore, covering all general management subjects and media case studies.
Training
The second year will consist of hands-on training at the Whistling Woods International in Mumbai.
The course is new, exciting and truly industry-focussed, combining managerial tools and frameworks with an in-depth understanding of the creative processes that are involved in the media and entertainment industry.
The programme prepares the students to be well-rounded media professionals and opens up avenues for exciting and successful careers in one of the fastest growing sectors — the media and entertainment industry.
Upon graduation, the students can have a choice of careers in international and Indian production houses, news and entertainment channels and event management companies, functioning as either business/marketing managers or creative/production managers.
The last date to submit applications is December 22. The programme, which will commence from January 2009, is open to those who have completed any undergraduate degree.
For further details, log onto http://www.manipal.edu/me or call +91 97400 67213 or write to mbame@manipalu.com
Talent Share Year-End Fest 2008
Act now and SHARE your child’s creative talent to the world around. Send their works with the following details to team1dubai@gmail.com before 30th December 2008:
Name:
Date of Birth:
Class:
School:
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Contact Address by Post:
Talent Share Year-End Fest 2008
Act now and SHARE your child’s creative talent to the world around. Send their works with the following details to team1dubai@gmail.com before 30th December 2008:
Name:
Date of Birth:
Class:
School:
Place:
Parents Name:
Contact Telephone No(s):
Contact address : e-mail
Contact Address by Post:
Talent Share Year-End Fest 2008
Act now and SHARE your child’s creative talent to the world around. Send their works with the following details to team1dubai@gmail.com before 30th December 2008:
Name:
Date of Birth:
Class:
School:
Place:
Parents Name:
Contact Telephone No(s):
Contact address : e-mail
Contact Address by Post:
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