62 cases of violation of model code of conduct in the ensuing rural polls by government officials and political leaders have so far been reported in Ganjam district, official sources said today. While highest number of 26 complaints came from Chhatrapur sub division, it was followed by Berhampur (23) and Bhanjanagar (13), district collector Krishan Kumar said. A teacher in Khallikote block was suspended on charge of violating the code of conduct after investigation, the collector said adding some other complaints were being probed and reported to State Election Commissioner (SEC). The collector said complaints against MLAs of Goplapur (Pradip Kumar Panighrahi), Berhampur (R C Chyauptaniak) and vice-chancellor, Berhampur University were also received for attending a university function. “We have issued show cause notice to them,” he said. The elections for 69 zilla parishad, 475 sarapanch and 475 samiti members and 6,943 wards will be held in five phases from February 11 to 19 next in Ganjam district. As many as 3989 candidates, including 3841 ward members, 73 sarapanchS and 74 samiti members were elected unopposed after withdrawal of the nominations, official sources said.

Shifting of river mouth and erosion have changed the terrain of the nesting beach of Olive Ridley turtles near the Rushikulya rookery in Ganjam district of Odisha.

Forest officials and environmental activists are keeping their fingers crossed over its possible impact on nesting of the turtles this year. Its mating season is almost over and nesting is expected to start from the third week of February.

In the recent months, the Ruhsikulya river mouth has shifted towards the north. This has completely eroded the long sandy nesting beach near Kantiagada village, where most of the turtles laid their eggs last year. At present, no sandy beach remains in the area and the sea is touching the casuarina forest on the coastline. This shifting of the river mouth has also led to the formation of a 500-metre-long sandbar of more than 200 metres inside the sea.

Such changes, however, are not new.

Olive Ridleys are known to change their nesting place. In the past, most turtles used to nest near Purunabandha village towards the south, then they shift to the north, to the coastline near Kantiagada.

“It remains to be seen what impact this recent change will have on the nesting site of the Olive Ridleys,” said A.K. Jena, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Berhampur.

The question is whether these endangered turtles would prefer to nest on the recently formed sandbar or not. “Usually Olive Ridleys do not prefer to nest on sand patches that are not connected to the mainland. In 2009, after the shifting of the Rushikulya river mouth, a large sandbar was formed in the area, but Olive Ridleys did not prefer to lay eggs on it,” Mr. Jena said.

Experts say that before mass nesting takes place, a large numbers of turtles waiting in the sea get information on the state of the coast from some Olive Ridleys that come for sporadic nesting. Based on this information, females decide whether to nest or not.

Following the mating season, a large number of female turtles are waiting for nesting. Males have started to return. Even after mating, female Olive Ridleys at times do not lay eggs if the environment is not conducive for nesting.

While some experts say the turtles can keep the fertilised eggs inside their body for two to three years, others are of the view that the females can keep the sperm in their body and opt for fertilisation of eggs whenever they want, said Mr. Jena.

Zoologists say female Olive Ridleys can also absorb fertilised eggs in their body if the nesting situation is not favourable. However, the nesting habit of Olive Ridleys still remains a mystery. In 2007, there was no mass nesting on the Rushikulya rookery coast, while in 2006, there was mass nesting on two occasions.

Eighteen doctors were caught using unfair means during post graduate medical entrance examination here on Sunday.

“While 16 doctors were caught using mobile phones, two were involved in unfair cross talks during the examination. All of them were debarred from appearing for the test,” said director, medical education and training (DMET), Dr P K Das. The PG selection committee will take a decision on whether to allow these medicos to appear for the PG exam in future, he added.

Sources said the PG selection committee held the entrance for around 200 seats of master of surgery (MS), master of medicine (MD) and master of dental surgery (MDS) for the three government-run medical colleges of Odisha on Sunday. There were 1,610 applicants, holding MBBS or BDS degrees, for the sought after courses, reserved 50% for in-service doctors.

A two-member squad, comprising the DMET and joint director, medical education and training, Dr Sitaram Mahapatra, inspected around 25 examination halls at Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) and detected the malpractices. At least four of those caught were government servants.

“There was strict prior instruction to the candidates for zero-tolerance towards use of electronic gadgets or any other unfair means. Unfortunately, some students violated the rules,” said Mahapatra. He said the authorities had done prior frisking and also told the doctors not to bring mobile phones or any other such enabling gadget inside the hall. But some of them still managed to take those inside. Sixteen mobile handsets were seized. The authorities would return the handsets after the doctors sign an undertaking that those were seized and they were taking those back, he added.

The mode of examination with multiple choice questions is such that mere talks can influence results and deprive a deserving candidate from getting selected, Mahapatra said. MKCG Medical College, Berhampur, convened the annual examination this year. The 3.5 hours duration test was being held between 10 am to 1.30 pm at OUAT.

The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) which has around 2000 schools affiliated to it in the country and abroad would revamp the syllabus from next academic year. “We have already brought out the new text books recently and will be implemented from the next academic year,” chairman of CISCE Jose Aikara said here yesterday. He said the syllabus in Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and Biology have been changed as suggested by experts and keeping in view an uniform syllabus in the high school level as proposed by the government. The government has proposed that the students would appear the examination to be held in 2014 in the uniform syllabus across the country, he said. Aikara, who was here to attend the silver jubilee function of local De Paul Schoo, however, said the CISCE would maintain its distinct identity, different from others adding a little more courses in some of the subjects. “Extra courses, which are relevant to the students and help them in all India joint entrance examinations in engineering and medical, will be added,” he said. Aikara said CISCE making the subject like English language harder than its counterpart Council of Board Secondary Education (CBSE) keeping an eye on the future examinations of the students and aspirations of the parents. “The parents want their children to qualify in competitive examinations like engineering and medical conducted in English medium. We develop their skill in the language from the primary level,” he said.

Ruling BJD’s Hinjili town unit president has resigned from the party’s primary membership ahead of the panchayat polls in Odisha.

Hinjili is in Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s constituency in Ganjam district and the party leader Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, a follower of late Biju Patnaik, resigned alleging inaction by the party chief in checking corruption and goondaism in the constituency.

I have dispatched my resignation letter to the chief minister, who is also the president of the party and to BJD district unit chief Subash Moharana, he said.

Moharana, however, hoped the matter would be sorted out amicably. He (Mohapatra) is one of the senior members of the party and the matter will be solved through discussion.

There is no dissident in the party in the district, particularly in Hinjili constituency, Moharana said.