Chennai girls Varsha Gautam, 16, and Aishwarya Nedunchezhiyan, 18, made history on Tuesday by becoming the first Indian women to win a sailing medal at the Asian Games.
They took the bronze in 29er women’s two-person dinghy event at Incheon. Aishwarya is a student of MOP Vaishnav College. Varsha has completed the 10 standard.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Other Sports / Special Correspondent / Chennai – October 01st, 2014
Noted industrialist and three-time MLA, ‘Pollachi’ N Mahalingam died here on Thursday following cardiac arrest suffered at a function.
A staunch Gandhian, educationist and philanthropist, 91-year-old Mahalingam’s end came on the Gandhi Jayanthi Day.
Chairman of the over Rs 5,000-crore Sakthi Group of Companies and Anamallais Bus Transport Ltd (ABT Services), he was participating in a lecture when he suddenly collapsed. He was rushed to a private hospital but declared brought dead, family sources said.
He is survived by wife, three sons —— M Manickam, M Balasubramaniam and M Srinivasan —— and a daughter.
He had published Mahatma Gandhi’s works in Tamil in 20 volumes.
Born on March 21, 1923 in Pollachi in Coimbatore district in an agricultural family, Mahalingam was an alumnus of Loyola College in Chennai. He also secured a Diploma from the College of Engineering, Anna University, and was also awarded Honorary Doctorate by Bharathiar University, Coimbatore.
A recipient of several awards including the ‘Padma Bhushan’ in 2007, he was elected to the state assembly from Pollachi constituency in 1952, 1957 and 1962 polls on Congress ticket.
He had played a key role in development projects, including the Parambikulam-Aliyar water project.
Mahalingam was also actively involved in spiritual life.
He was a recipient of Indira Gandhi National Integration Award and had been a member of the State Planning Commission for two terms.
MDMK Chief Vaiko condoled the death of Mahalingam saying it was a huge loss to Tamil language and for Tamil Nadu.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Business / PTI / Chennai – October 02nd, 2014
V. Jothi Rao, 62, has been in the business since the 1960s. He set up his shop on Commissary Bazaar in 1977.
“There were several tailors who specialised in making police uniforms then. I used to stitch the short pants in khaki,” he recalls.
Several orders used to come from Police Training College and Police Recruit School personnel. Inside his shop is a picture of his with Panchapakesan, former DIG of Vellore, his customer. He has also stitched the ceremony dress worn by the police official who presides over the Independence Day parade. “The shirt is stitched like a coat with long sleeves. I have stitched uniforms for all, from trainee Sub-Inspectors to Superintendents of Police,” he says.
V. R. Rajan, who has a shop at the Jawans Market, has also been stitching police uniforms since 1975.
“Earlier, we used to get a plenty of orders. Now, we stitch only one or two sets a day,” he says.
Stitching the uniform needs special skills. The straps are special as the stars are fixed there, which differentiates the ranks.
Mr. Rao adds: “Earlier, there used to be only one brand, one colour and only cotton fabric. Now, the shades vary. Government recognition for tailors will help us immensely.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Tamil Nadu / by Serena Josephine N./ Vellore – September 23rd, 2014
Old religious books at the Srirangam Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple library are gradually digitised to preserve them for posterity, thanks to an initiative of Srimad Andavan Arts and Science College at Tiruvanaikoil here.
The college has digitised around 750 books so far since the digitisation project was launched in February. The digitisation works were being carried out using two hi-end face-up page scanners procured by the college for this purpose.
Situated inside the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple premises, the library has a collection of around 2,000 books on religion and culture written in Tamil, Grantham, Sanskrit, Telugu and English by well-versed scholars.
Three Master of Computer Application students of the college have been roped in to scan the books and convert them into Portable Document Format (PDF).
The students are paid a monthly stipend for being involved in the digitisation project which they carry out after college hours every day barring holidays.
The college management has granted Rs. 7 lakh to carry out the digitisation work as a service to society, says S. Lakshmi, college librarian.
The old books in the library are a treasure and hence it was felt that they should be preserved through a digital make over, says K. Sridharan, Director, Computer Science Department of the college.
Scanning is being done with utmost care as pages of some of the books are brittle, says Mr. Sridharan. The project is expected to be completed by 2016. The digitised format will be handed over to the temple authorities upon completion of the project. It can be posted on the temple website or could be retained in the DVD form for ready access, Mr. Sridharan says.
Some old books in the library’s collections include Sri Aalavandar Sthothra Ratnam published in 1878 with slokas and commentary, Vivadhachinthamani published in 1894 in Sanskrit, and Brihada Ramya Upanishad in Sanskrit published in 1911.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Tiruchirapalli / R. Rajaram / Trichy – September 21st, 2014
Jayankondam :
The Shiva temple at Sri Puranthan village is about 1,030 years old and the structure, which belongs to the Uttama Chola period, seems to have been rebuilt during the period of Kulothunga Chola-III in 1184 AD, according to historian L Thiyagarajan.
Retired principal of Ariyalur Government Arts College, Thiyagarajan has been carrying out research on temples in Ariyalur for the past three decades. Now, he is on the task of compiling the history of this temple at Sri Puranthan. He has undertaken extensive studies on stone inscriptions at the temple and a book about the temple is to be released during the Kumbabhisegam ceremony in November.
Speaking to Express, Thiyagarajan said, “Going by the stone inscriptions found near Govindaputhur village, the original name of the village was Periya Sri Vanavan Mahadevi Chathurvethi Mangalam, perhaps the name of the queen of Aditya Chola-I. Later, the village name was changed to Sri Paranthaga Chathurvethi Mangalam during the period of Rajaraja-I. This name used now is the shortened version, Sri Puranthan.” He also said, as per the inscription, the temple’s name is ‘Sri Kailashamudaiyar Koil’.
He said, “A major portion of the temple’s basement is filled with mud. If it is cleared there is scope for finding more stone inscriptions.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Express News Service / September 21st, 2014
Chennai :
The first ever intra departmental debating competition conducted by the Forum for Information Technology, Department of Computer Science at Loyola College proved to be a resounding success.
The competition was initiated with a small briefing about the rules and regulations to be followed during the debate, to the participants.
With topics such as ‘Has technology given more harm than use?’, ‘Are cameras a boon in public places or an invasion of privacy?’ and ‘Are social media and international communication mediums becoming a reason for international warfare?’, the competition provided a perfect platform for the students to put forth their views.
The debating rounds were adjudicated by the faculty of the English department of Loyola College. This was followed by the welcoming of the chief adjudicators for the finals. The adjudicators for the finals were Dr K S Antony Samy, coordinator, WEPRO, Loyola College, and Archana Ram, Director, Smart Training Resources Pvt Ltd. The winning team comprised Adithya of I BSc, Varun, II BCA, Lloyd, I BSc and Md Jaffer, II BCA .
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / September 10th, 2014
He met the bigwigs of the Indian film industry. He met the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu as well. But it was India’s movie fans who blew Hollywood ‘Terminator’ Arnold Schwarzenegger’s mind. The actor, in Chennai for the audio launch of Tamil film I, said, “It’s the fans who make movies run. I’ve been to India many times but this is my first visit to Chennai. I’ve always wanted to come for the red carpet, and finally, I am here for it.”
But that was late on Monday evening at the Nehru Stadium. Schwarzenegger’s day out in Chennai started in the wee hours of Monday, when he arrived at the airport, only to be whisked away to The Leela Palace, where he was put up at the Chairman Suite.
The Hollywood superstar, it seems, was very impressed with the view of the city and the sea from his table at the Spectra restaurant at the hotel.
Apart from the sea, the actor was interested in learning more about the artefacts such as the silver elephants, crystal maharaja chair and the bronze items in his suite.
His elaborate breakfast included scrambled eggs, cereals… and namma dosa, which the actor seemed to enjoy. He specially enquired about the batter.
If the food impressed him a lot, so did the films. “India makes so many films. The number of films made here is far more than what Americans make,” he explained. Is he interested in starring in a film here? “I’d love to work in an Indian movie soon.”
The actor reiterated that point when, at the audio launch, he said on the dais, “I came all the way from Hollywood looking for a job in India. I want to act in your movies. I want to do your next movie, Shankar (director).”
It’s not just movies but his work as governor of California, that made him popular. And, Schwarzenegger is still very passionate about working on that front.
“Having run the fitness crusade for the longest time, this is my new challenge to build sustainable and green governments across the U.S., India and China — the three biggest polluters of the world,” he stated.
Though he was in the city just for a day, the superstar did not miss his fitness regime. His morning schedule included a 45-minute intense workout at the gym, during which he did some resistance training, chest and shoulder press. That was followed by an hour-long spa treatment, where he opted for the signature 60-minute deep muscle massage.
Apart from being known as an actor and a politician, Schwarzenegger is a big name in bodybuilding circles, having inspired several people across the world to take it up.
When asked about his journey, he said, “Many start and end their lives with one job, but I was fortunate to be successful in my bodybuilding career, which led me to becoming a leading actor. Then, the chance came for me to be the governor of California for seven years. It was a good run. What’s important is that you have to be passionate about what you are doing.”
(With inputs from Pei Ting Wong)
Arnie unplugged
* I’d love to act in an Indian film soon. I want to act in your movies. Make a movie with me, maybe Conan…
* Aascar Ravichandran has been promoting my films in India. I thank him for that. Shankar is a creative director and comes up with stunning imagery that will be successful.
* Movies are international; they speak to the whole world.
* I eat foods that keep me lean. I had grilled fish for lunch in Chennai — nice and high on protein.
* I already speak Spanish, German, and English. So, I guess I won’t be speaking Tamil anytime soon.
His food loves
* Black coffee and croissants were among the first things the actor ordered.
* Arnold tried out the plain dosa for breakfast and loved it.
* For dinner, he experimented with some tandoor tiger prawns and also indulged in garlic naan and malai kulfi.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Srinivasa Ramanujam / Chennai – September 16th, 2014
City resident Mahesh Ramakrishnan on Wednesday dedicated to an NGO working for science education a mobile van funded through an expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro.
The funds collected from the climb that took him to the top of Africa’s highest mountain last year, were used to dedicate the ‘Science on Wheels’ vehicle-an educational van where students can view science experiments — to Agastya International Foundation. Two vehicles were dedicated to students on Wednesday, one of which was funded by Mahesh and the other by State Bank of India. The climb has also generated enough funds for Mahesh to provide for the operational costs of both vehicles.
Participating at the launch function held at Ramakrishna Mission High School, the 18-year-old said he appreciated Agastya International Foundation’s mission to provide creating, innovative and engaging science education for underprivileged children in the country.
The youth had decided to seek donation from friends and relatives for the project but also wanted to do something physically demanding to achieve the goal. Hence, the decision to scale the mountain, he said. Beaming with pride, Ramakrishan said: “The aim was to collect US $25,000 but I ended up collecting $40,000.”
The mobile vehicles are aimed at encouraging students to get hands-on practical experience of science through experiments outside the classroom. K.V. Sai Chandrasekhar of the foundation said each mobile science vans had 150 to 200 science models covering a wide range of topics in physics, chemistry, biology and maths.
The two mobile vans would be visiting government-aided schools and schools run by the Chennai Corporation.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai> Society / Staff Reporter / Chennai – August 14th, 2014
Chennai:
S.Christopher and V.Vaikunth are no ordinary engineering students. They are creating a revolution in the solar power industry, designing and manufacturing their own solar powered devices. These third year engineering students at Sathyabama University have started to make waves in the industry. They have installed their devices in more than 10 educational institutions and commercial establishments.
“There are several misconceptions about solar energy such as they can be used only for a short period. We wanted to disprove these, so we began a company to produce and install solar powered devices. We have been working together for six years on solar research and have done several installations,” Christopher, the mechanical engineering student said.
Asked about their unique selling proposition (USP), the young entrepreneurs instantaneously said, “We refurbish solar panels which are as old as 10 years and reuse it, which brings down the cost of the project, as people think solar is expensive.” The two young students started a company “Vaik & Chris Stalz” to commercialise their products. Vaik & Chris Stalz, which has a gamut of solar household products also plans to produce solar bike, solar car and solar quadrapros.
Continuing their success story, Vaikunth said that they had not only ventured into the solar power industry but computer accessories too. “We have come up with a change in the computer’s printer, according to which a person need not use the printer’s inbuilt cartridge, and can instead use an external toner, which we have developed so that your ink does not get exhausted,” Vaikunth, a third year electronics and instrumentation student said.
Presently, these young entrepreneurs have installed solar powered street lights at Sathyabama University, and a solar power generation unit at a voluntary service organisation in Chengalpattu.
Let’s make history in solar power and become a global leader in this technology to make India’s flag fly high, was what these students said when asked about their ambitions.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / DC Correspondent / August 03rd, 2014
Chennai :
A visit to the alma mater is always special. And at the Queen Mary’s College, the Old Students Association (OSA) had more reasons to cheer as they gathered on Wednesday to discuss the various activities planned for the institution’s centenary year celebrations starting from July 14. Alumnae of the college, founded on July 14, 1914, were present as they fondly recalled their college days.
“I might have studied and worked across the world, but Queen Mary’s is always special to me. The one thing that immediately strikes me when I think of this place is the library and the tennis court where I spent most of time. It is sad that the buildings are now old and collapsing,” said Sarasa Bharathi, 80, who works as an academic advisor in a well-known private institution.
Leela Thiraviyum, 91, one of the oldest students in the group recalled her fellow students’ participation in the Quit India Movement.
“I was the president of the students’ union then. Two students from Intermediate and a research student were jailed at the time of the Quit India Movement. We also witnessed the World War II,” said the student of 1942-43 batch. “You know those days; we were not interested in fashion and style. In fact, we used to make fun of girls wearing lipstick. Admissions were strictly on merit. Today, it has changed so much that girls are so conscious about their looks,” she added with a smile.
Every student had a unique story to tell when it came to their alma mater. Mahalakshmi of the 1989 batch recalled her association with the college from the days of her great grandmother, who handed over 16 acres of land for free to set up the college in 1914. “My great grandfather Arcot Ratna Sabha Mudaliyar ran a hotel here. After he passed away, my great grandma took over but she could not take care of the hotel. She rented it out for 5 annas. Then, following request from the then governor, 16 acres of the land were handed over for free. I completed both my UG and PG courses here,” she said as she sat with other old students in a classroom singing songs.
With celebrations to kick start this month, various activities have been planned, including erecting a pillar with a contribution of `7 lakh from old students and release of a postal stamp.
The OSA had been meeting every Wednesday for the past one year to plan the activities for the centenary year. “The Education Minister will inaugurate the celebrations. We have sent a proposal to the government to construct 60 classrooms as a part of the centenary celebrations. The celebrations will culminate in December,” said R Akthar Begum, principal, Queen Mary’s College.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / July 10th,2014