Former Justice Prabha Sridevan, right, presenting the award to Kenneth M. Quinn. Rotary Club of Madras East vice-president T.R. Gopalakrishnan is also seen.
Former diplomat Kenneth M. Quinn honoured at event
Former U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia and President, World Food Prize Foundation, Kenneth M. Quinn on Thursday underlined the need for encouraging small holder farmers, who are mostly women, to run their farms.
Speaking to reporters after receiving the Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Award for Environment Protection presented by the Rotary Club of Madras East and Cavinkare Private Ltd., he said post-harvest food waste must be brought down, which is why connectivity to small villages was important.
“Small farmers need to take their produce to markets and they need to be provided the latest scientific inputs so that they be able to have sustainable farming practices to produce quality food,” he said, adding more should be spent on agricultural research.
Speaking at the award ceremony, he suggested that agriculture scientist M.S. Swaminathan be awarded the Rotary International’s award for world understanding and peace. Former Judge of the Madras High Court Prabha Sridevan thanked Mr. Quinn for working to rid the world of hunger and ensure access to quality food. UN-WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan, and daughter of Prof. Swaminathan, said Mr. Quinn had brought about many improvements to the World Food Prize, including increasing the cash award.
Appreciating the Rotary International’s efforts for eradicating polio, she said the campaign was in its final stages. Club vice-president T.R. Gopalakrishnan and Cavinkare CMD C.K. Ranganathan were present.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Tamil Nadu / by Special Correspondent / Chennai – August 09th, 2019
The feat was performed at Chennai Trade Center in Nandambakkam.
The feat was performed at Chennai Trade Center, Nandambakkam / Ashwin Prasath
Chennai :
In a move to spread awareness on the importance of protecting skin from the sun, VCare professionals on Tuesday created a world record for the largest skincare workshop and for most people applying sunscreen at the same time. The feat was performed at Chennai Trade Center in Nandambakkam.
As many as 2,200 beauticians working at different salons took part in the workshop that went on for 30 minutes. Later, they all applied sunscreen simultaneously to show their support for the protection of skin against skin cancer and other skin-related issues.
“Summer or winter, monsoon or spring, the need for shielding your skin from the harsh rays of the sun is essential. Sunscreen is the most important product that many people tend to ignore. It helps shield your skin from the harmful UV rays, prevents premature ageing, lowers skin cancer risks, lowers blotchiness on the face, prevents tanning and sunburns among lot other things,” said chairperson of VCare Group, E Carolin Praba.
She also said, “Despite being in the field for many years, even professionals do not understand the importance of sunscreen. We thought a world record is a perfect way to bring the community together to educate them about it.” R Priyamani, a participant, who owns a salon said, “What was new is how and when to apply it.
We were told one must apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before stepping out in the sun for getting desirable results. Also, if you are outside, you must reapply sunscreen every two hours.”
The previous Guinness World Record for the most people applying sunscreen simultaneously was 1,822 — achieved by the Ann’s Hope Foundation (USA) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, on May18, 2014.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / August 14th, 2019
These self-professed nerds would take on topics of international relations and economics over sports and pop culture any day.
The champions of this year’s World Schools Debating Championships with PR Venketrama Raja, chairman of RAMCO and his wife PV Nirmala | D SAMPATHKUMAR
It was India all the way at the World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC) 2019 in Bangkok. The five-man team fielded by the country won the championship and one of the team-members, Chennai’s Tejas Subramaniam, went on to be crowned the ‘best speaker in the world’.
A proud mother Vinutha Subramaniam said she was among those who had given up debating with him as he already was the best speaker in the family.
“After one point he knew too many things. So, we couldn’t debate with him. He started speaking quite early and by the time he was 1, he could speak complete sentences. At around 2, he would speak a sentence in Tamil and be able to repeat it in English so much so that we would call him ‘Major Sundarrajan’ (after a famous Tamil actor),” Vinutha said.
The team, which also included Bhavya Shah, Manya Gupta, Saranya Ravindran and Prithvi Arun, had already prepared 140 motions before the championships with the help of their coaches Dhruva Bhat, Sayeqa Islam and Dhananjay Ashok among others.
“There was not a single topic that we were baffled by,” said Saranya, a student of Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Senior Secondary School in Chennai.
The team might have made giant strides this year, but proving their mettle on the global debating circuit was an experience in itself.
“Because we are accented, sometimes I think we are not understood. Like, for example, when the judges give us our feedback, they tell us you made a new argument in your third speech when we clearly made it in our earlier speeches too,” Tejas, who like Saranya studies in Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Senior Secondary School, said.
First visually impaired speaker to debate in the final
Bhavya, a student of Rao Junior College of Science in Mumbai, the team’s ‘Funny guy’, became the first visually impaired speaker to debate in a WSDC final and to make it among the top 10 speakers.
He was named the sixth best speaker in the world.
Bhavya shared some of his most memorable moments.
When debating against Canada opposing the motion “This House would ban the practice of ‘importing brides’, Canada’s argument was that if importing brides were to be legalised, other refugees would be affected because of the opportunity cost,” Bhavya said.
“So, I argued that this was an argument against any other form of immigration. What if team Canada so decides, ‘we don’t want Indians coming into the country because they’re better at debating than we are?’,” he said.
Point made, the team went on to win defeat the Canadians 3-0.
It was Canada whom they defeated in the final also, proposing the motion “This house regrets the glorification of soldiers as heroes”.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Express News Service / August 03rd, 2019
Students of Buchireddy Palli Government School with their invention — a walking stick with sensors. | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam
The students of Buchireddy Palli Government School have been winning accolades for their clever innovations aimed at saving lives
It is morning in Maddur, a little village nestled in the valley of the lush Tiruttani hills in Tamil Nadu. I make my way past the railway crossing that looks straight out of an R.K. Narayan story and climb into a rickshaw. It takes me past houses with decorative pillars and thinnais(porches) of old-fashioned houses. As the auto sputters down, I hear the rattle of power looms — the main occupation in Maddur is weaving.
Maddur, of late, has earned a new distinction. The students of Buchireddy Palli Government School have been winning accolades for their clever innovations aimed at saving lives and improving the lives of people with disability. Maddur has few streetlights, and many pedestrians fall prey to road accidents. So Class X students S. Parthiban and V.M. Akashwaran came up with ‘e-slippers’.
The footwear operates on the principle of piezo-electricity and has LED strips that light up when the user walks. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which charge devices like mobile phones, are connected to the slippers.
The duo has also come up with a multi-purpose walking stick with sensors that can detect hazards such as fires or floods.
The Buchireddy Palli Government School is an austere, three-storied building that houses both English and Tamil medium departments from classes VI to XII. When I get there just before lunch break, I spot some bright-eyed children sneaking out of their classrooms. Science teacher R. Dharmalingam, has nothing but appreciation for his students. “They are self-driven, curious and never afraid to ask questions,” he says.
“Most of their projects are self-funded, but the headmaster has also helped. I have sat with them after school hours to encourage them.” The school’s involvement is obvious. Dharmalingam accompanied Akashwaran and Parthiban when they showcased their work at the Southern India Science and Technology Fair in Bengaluru.
Out of the box
At Akashwaran’s house, we are greeted with effusive hospitality. Akashwaran and his friend Gunasekaran, still in their uniforms, are poring over a cardboard model. I ask them what they are working on. “This is a gliding platform meant for people with disability or the elderly so that they can cross railway platforms without having to use the overbridge,” Akashwaran tells me. The two then demonstrate the working model.
Students with a model of a gliding platform for the elderly cross tracks | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam
Akash thought of this when I complained about the climb at the station. Since then he’s been trying to figure out a workable solution,” beams his mother Vatsala.
“It used to be based on hydraulic motion but I changed it to a motor-based system. The platform will move forward when the switch is pressed. IR sensors will detect approaching trains and the platform will then retreat,” Gunasekaran explains. They have even thought about warning systems — a buzzer sound to alert the blind and a flashing red light for the deaf.
M.N. Haripratap is in Class IX in the same school. He has designed a bridge model where the structure opens up during high tide to allow ships to pass and then folds back again. It won him a district-level prize from the Chief Education Officer of Thiruvallur district.
The students’ love for science and innovation is apparent. “Akash took part in a science exhibition at Sri Krishna Polytechnic and was fascinated by what he saw,” says Vatsala. Interested in electronics, programming and robotics, he recently received a special prize for excellence in science from Anna University, Chennai, during its tech fest, ‘Kurukshetra’. He was also awarded a token of appreciation by former ISRO director Mylswamy Annadurai.
“I want to be a scientist,” says Akash. “Abdul Kalam has always been a role model for me.” I ask him what’s next on the agenda. His small, serious face lights up as he talks of solar-powered cycles, ambulance-sensitive speed-breakers, and earthquake-sensing fences.
Whatever the students of this special school do next, I know they will put Maddur on the map with their thoughtful, people-focused innovations.
The writer is a civil engineer and dog lover with a nose for music and art.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sci-Tech> Environment – Young Minds / by Gayatri Ramdas / August 03rd, 2019
With absolutely no support from the government, Anuradha has been able to bag an international medal. Even after her recent victory, there has been no communication from the state government.
P Anuradha / M Muthu Kannan
Chennai :
It’s common to look for signboards on unknown roads. But, en route to Nemmelipatti in Pudukottai, huge flex boards with congratulatory messages for 26-year-old P Anuradha, a resident of the village who won a gold medal in the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship held at Samoa from July 9 to 14, guide us. The 4-km stretch from Perungalur leading us to the lush green village is dotted with posters of Anuradha, the pride of Nemmelipatti.
We reach the village, which has a population of about 1,000 people. Just the day before we visited, Anuradha was given a hero’s welcome at Tiruchy airport and her village. For young girls in the village, Anuradha is a beacon of hope, of what can be achieved with pure grit, determination and hard work. The people of Nemmelipatti, Anuradha tells us, have always been supportive of her dreams. They have been a great source of support for her family.
We make our way to Anuradha’s house, find a quiet spot and chat with the champion who is soaking in the success of her win and her brother P Marimuthu, about the journey so far. Flanked by agricultural land, Anuradha’s house is a simple abode which her brother has built. From living in a thatched hut to having a house they call their own, Marimuthu is an example of what can be achieved by hard work. We sit in the verandah of their house, their rooster and goats also making us aware of their presence.
With absolutely no support from the government, Anuradha has been able to achieve an international medal. Even after her recent victory, there has been no communication from the state government. No word of congratulation from the CM or anybody from the state government. She was only felicitated by the collector of Pudukottai.
Sibling support
Like most teenagers, Anuradha was unsure about her career goals. She considered a career in engineering, but her brother had other plans for her. “I thought it would be better for her if she pursued sports. I didn’t want her to be one among the 1,000 engineering graduates without a job. So when she completed class 12, I wanted to expose her to the world of sports,” recalls Marimuthu. In 2009, he enrolled her into weightlifting training.
“I used to play handball in school. But, I was told that it is difficult to succeed in a team game. My brother’s friend suggested weightlifting would be good for me. That’s how I started training at the Pudukottai Government Stadium under master Muthuramalingam,” shares Anuradha, a Computer Science graduate from Rajah’s College.
Practice made Anuradha perfect. “I used to leave home at 5 am, train at the stadium from 6 am to 8 am and then attend college. I used to train again in the evening and reach home only by 10 pm,” she shares, confessing that she initially didn’t enjoy the drill. “I was the only girl training with 10 men. I was scared and unhappy. But my brother motivated me.”
Gold calling
The turning point in Anuradha’s life arrived when she bagged her first gold medal in 2009 at an inter-college meet. This victory helped her focus on weightlifting. She went on to win several medals in university championships and national tournaments.
In 2014, she completed her post-graduation in MSc Computer Science from JJ College. But, life came to a standstill. “I didn’t have a job, I wasn’t aware of how I could participate in national championships. There were no coaches or facilities in Pudukottai,” says Anuradha. Her distress turned into relief when she heard of the National Institute of Sports in Patiala, one of Asia’s largest sports institutes. But it came with its own price. Training at this facility required funds, which was a luxury that the brother-sister duo couldn’t afford.
Overcoming challenges
Talking about their ordeal, Marimuthu says, “I lost my father when I was in class 12. My mother was working as a coolie. We didn’t even have money for food. I discontinued my studies and started working in a factory. I was not able to provide the kind of food Anu’s training required. I hardly used to earn `4,000 per month. But, I knew that Anu had the strength to be a good weightlifter. So, I decided to send her to Patiala.” The coaching in Patiala cost `1.75 lakh a year. Marimuthu sold a portion of the agricultural land he owned and borrowed money from his company. He calls it his “best decision”. In Patiala, Anuradha met international weightlifters.
Making TN proud
In 2016, after completing her training, Anuradha returned home. She joined the TN Police Force the same year and joined Thanjavur District Medical College as a trainee sub-inspector. Two years later, she participated in the TN Police Weightlifting Competition and bagged a gold medal. For two consecutive years, she bagged gold in the Senior National Championship.
In March 2019, she had the chance to train at the Indian Camp in Patiala under Sai Central Government’s sponsorship. She participated in the trial for Commonwealth Championships in May and got selected. The rest is history. Anuradha hopes to help young girls pursue sports. “It took me 10 years to win an international gold. I could have done this four years back with proper guidance. I want to create awareness in schools about sports as a viable career. Students can go to the government sports hostels for training,” she says.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Sowmya Mani / Express News Service / July 27th, 2019
Elon Musk with the students team from IIT-Madras’ Avishkar Hyperloop
Avishkar Hyperloop from IIT-Madras met the SpaceX founder at this year’s hyperloop pod competition
Student innovators from IIT-Madras won tech entrepreneur Elon Musk’s admiration with their design of a hyperloop pod at a SpaceX organised competition in Los Angeles.
Avishkar Hyperloop, which was incubated at the Centre For Innovation at IIT-M, was the lone Asian team selected to enter the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition 2019 last month. Hyperloop is a proposed transportation concept of a network of vacuum-sealed tubes which can, theoretically, ferry people at great speeds sans air friction. The competition was held in Los Angeles last weekend with team members of Avishkar earning the opportunity to interact with Musk, founder-CEO of Space X, and Josh Geigel, co-founder of Virgin Hyperloop One.
One of the team members, Pranit Mehta, took to Twitter to share their experience. “Pleasure to have met and interacted with @elonmusk at the @SpaceX @Hyperloop Pod Competition 2019! Also, a wonderful experience for Team @avishkar_loop , the only Asian Finalist there! (sic),” he tweeted.
Avishkar was tasked with developing an indigenous design to build the first-ever self-propelled, autonomous Hyperloop Pod in India. They were among the 21 teams selected from a total of 1,600 applicants globally to participate in the competition.
Prior to the competition, team Avishkar was invited to visit the Los Angeles headquarters of Virgin Hyperloop One. “The @iitmadras @avishkar_loop student hyperloop team stopped by our Los Angeles headquarters to learn more about our progress in India. Always encouraging to see the next generation of thinkers embracing this transformative technology! (sic),” read a tweet by Virgin Hyperloop One.
The competition was, however, won by the team from Technische Universität München (Technical University of Munich), whose pod set a speed record of 463 kilometres per hour.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sci-Tech> Science / by Pradeep Kumar / July 24th, 2019
Hosur-based Kenneth Anderson Nature Society (KANS) has been demanding that the Melagiri region in Tamil Nadu be declared a wildlife sanctuary named after Anderson.
Considered to be a pioneer of wildlife conservation, Anderson authored eight books and close to 60 stories about his hunting exploits.
While they are mostly about his encounters in the wild, the books also discuss the importance of conservation and upholding the rights of the forest dwelling communities.
According to the KANS, Melagiri is under threat from deforestation, irresponsible tourism and unplanned development.
Ironical as it may sound, the legacy of an India-born British hunter from India’s colonial past is now living on in the conservation efforts of a nature society, founded in his memory in Hosur in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu, in 2008. Known as south India’s Jim Corbett, Kenneth Anderson studied and worked in Bengaluru (Bangalore at the time) in the 1920s. After 15 years in the posts and telegraph department, he took up his last job at the British Aircraft Factory in Bengaluru (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) as a factory manager. He was also an avid sport hunter, interested especially in big game.
But it is as a writer that he is remembered most widely today. Anderson authored several books based on his hunting exploits in the jungles of south India and is considered by many as among the first wildlife conservationists in the region.
A view of Jawlagiri made famous by Kenneth Anderson in his writings. / Photo by Peppin Jerold.
In fact, the Hosur-based Kenneth Anderson Nature Society (KANS) has been demanding that the Melagiri region in Tamil Nadu be declared a wildlife sanctuary named after Anderson.
According to S.R. Sanjeev Kumar, vice-president of KANS, this would invite global attention to conservation efforts in the region. The society works extensively to reduce man-animal conflict in Aiyur, Jawlagiri and Anchetty– all forest areas in Tamil Nadu that have repeatedly found mention in Anderson’s books.
With Karnataka’s Bannerghatta wildlife sanctuary to its north and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary of Tamil Nadu to the south, Melagiri has two major elephant corridors that account for the huge numbers of the pachyderms in the area. The tiger reserves of B.R. Hills, Sathyamangalam and Male Mahadeeswaran Hills are also in the vicinity.
The biggest attraction of Melagiri is the Hogenakkal falls of the Cauvery river. Thousands visit the falls regularly to indulge in coracle rides and other river activities like river rafting, walks and medicinal baths. Trekking up the Melagiri hills, to enjoy the view of the Eastern and Western Ghats merging, is also popular among visitors.
Tourists paddling coracles at the Hoggenakkal falls. Photo by K.A. Shaji.
Wildlife conservation in Anderson’s writing
Anderson authored eight books and close to 60 stories about his hunting exploits. His first, Nine man-eaters and one rogue, first published by London-based George Allen and Unwin in 1954 was about the reasons behind tigers, leopards and panthers turning man-eaters and elephants turning rogue. He starts with a tiger that turned man-eater in Jowlagiri in Melegiri and a panther in Gumalapur, which caused 42 human deaths.
While all his books narrate his encounters in the wild, they highlight the importance of conservation and upholding the rights of forest-dwelling communities as well.
“Although he contributed immensely to the literary genre known as shikar writing in India, Kenneth Anderson remained relatively obscure. He never got the recognition Jim Corbett had won – probably because he was writing in Corbett’s powerful narrative shadow,” said Peppin Jerold, a wildlife enthusiast and an avid Kenneth Anderson fan.
Jerold is an engineer based in Bengaluru, who moderates a popular social media group titled Kenneth Anderson with 18,000 members who are avid readers of Anderson classics.
Among Jerold’s favourite Anderson stories is the one about Muniappa, a wily shikar guide well-known in the Melagiri division of forests spread across Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts. Muniappa once approached Anderson for help to kill a man-eater tiger that, according to him, was creating terror in Jawlagiri. Sceptical about Muniappa’s intentions, Anderson first undertook a fact-checking mission. Sure enough, he discovered that the alleged culprit was a panther with no inclination to kill human beings. Further investigation revealed that Muniappa had promised to make a gift of the animal’s hide to some senior forest officials.
The Jawlagiri forest bungalow where Anderson has stayed. / Photo by Peppin Jerold.
“The ecological horrors of hunting were less those days,” said Laxmeesha Acharya, president, KANS. “People like Anderson targeted only man-eaters and spared all other animals. They remained proven conservationists, who were extremely sensitive towards the fragile ecology of the region,” he added.
“Anderson hunted man-eaters mainly on the request of government and forest officials of that time in response to the fear that gripped local affected communities. But his stories are full of concern for the depleting animal population and the flora around. Going by the books, he had a keen sense of natural history and appreciation of the wild. He was also an expert on animal behaviour,’’ said R. Mohan Raj, Coimbatore-based conservationist and secretary of Tamil Nadu Green Movement.
Interestingly, a mango tree planted by Donald, Anderson’s son and a hunter himself, still provides shade to Muniappa’s grave, located in the Jawlagiri forest. Anderson succumbed to cancer in 1974.
What ails Anderson’s haven
Once infamous for the presence of number of man-eating tigers, Melagiri is the setting for 20 of Anderson’s most famous hunting tales. With more and more young fans taking to his writing, thanks to accessibility to his works on the Internet, Melagiri has been put on the global map. Its proximity to Bengaluru has also made it easier for wildlife enthusiasts eager to retrace Anderson’s jungle trysts in the region.
Many wildlife activists, say KANS members, have been inspired by the vivid tales of Anderson to pitch in with forest department officials in the region to conduct wildlife censuses, dig elephant-proof trenches and help forest-dwelling communities to live safely and in harmony with nature.
“People might have objections in calling a hunter a conservationist. But we have no information that Kenneth Anderson killed animals other than man-eaters and that too at the behest of local governments and forest officials. On the other hand, his books are still prompting youngsters to engage in conservation activities,” said Piyush Manish, a Salem-based green activist.
However, the region has been beset with problems. Deforestation and consequent soil erosion have been rampant.
“Large scale deforestation by the timber lobby and land mafias is killing a major portion of the Melagiri forests, especially on the banks of the Cauvery. Though little known outside Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, indiscriminate tourism is becoming a growing threat to wildlife. Wildlife offences are high in the region as violators can easily escape to nearby Karnataka by swimming across the river,” said Sanjeev Kumar, adding, “illegal laterite quarries are another cause for concern.”
“Located close to Karnataka and on the banks of the inter-state river Cauvery, Melagiri forests are now under stress mainly because of interference by timber lobby and land mafias,” said K.J. Sreekumar, an organic farmer and environmental activist based at Dhenkanikottai on the outskirts of Melagiri. “Wildlife offenders are managing easy escape by swimming across the river and running to the Karnataka region on the other side. Unregulated tourism in the form of large scale trekking and camping within the forests also posing as a big challenge to conservation,” he pointed out.
Tourism on the Kaveri has had an impact on the Melagiri forests. Photo by K.A. Shaji.
Native vegetation has also taken a hit with the unchecked growth of invasive lantana shrubs that are affecting the growth of other flora that herbivores like deer and elephants feed on.
It hasn’t helped either that Melagiri has been largely overlooked on the conservation map, and received very little media attention.
According to KANS president Acharya, Melagiri is a biodiversity hotspot that has fallen prey to unplanned development that has resulted in the unprecedented loss of wildlife. KANS has identified the number of hit-and-run deaths in the national highway stretch between Anekkal and Dharmapuri as the most alarming. The organisation has been conducting roadkill awareness programmes for the general public regularly.
“There is a forest village called Belekare located hardly 35 kilometres from Bengaluru’s Electronic City. But reaching there involves a huge risk because of the lack of any motorable road and presence of wild elephants,” said Acharya. The villagers were accused of helping poachers and the timber lobby. KANS has been working with the forest department to involve the 40 families in the village in conservation activities, said Acharya.
Fishing and cattle-grazing are now threatening the existence of smooth-coated otters in the region. An Otter Conservation Project in the Biligundlu Reserve Forest along the banks of the Cauvery is another KANS initiative. Conservation efforts are also on to protect four-horned antelopes and grizzled giant squirrels.
According to Acharya, most KANS members started engaging in conservation activities inspired by Anderson’s writings. Despite the challenges, the support that they have managed to garner through social media is driving their efforts. Locals in the area feel that an interpretation centre and museum on Kenneth Anderson, ‘the hunter, nature enthusiast and chronicler of wildlife’ close to the waterfalls can make create more awareness.
“Kenneth Anderson used to say that jungle was his birthplace and heaven. He had also wanted to make it his resting place. So, it is only fitting that this area be declared a wildlife sanctuary and named after him in order to inspire more people to join hands to save his beloved Melagiri,” concluded Peppin.
Yamaha Corporation of Japan opened its factory in Kanchipuram for musical instruments under the Make in India initiative.
The factory has been launched in Kanchipuram
Chennai :
Yamaha Corporation of Japan opened its factory in Kanchipuram for musical instruments under the Make in India initiative. Takashi Haga, MD, Yamaha Music India, said that Yamaha Music India plant is fully geared up to produce the full line of Yamaha Musical Instruments.
Stating that Yamaha has designed and created the most versatile and customised portable keyboard for Indian customers, he said the new keyboard will address the requirement of all customers. Under the Chennai factory project, the musical instruments will be manufactured in India and sold in India.
By 2022, Yamaha has committed an investment of Rs 500 crore which will generate jobs to 800 people. Under phase-I, the company will manufacture acoustic guitars and portable keyboards which will be later diversified to portable audio speaker from 2020.
Yamaha is planning to tap education institutes in India which stress on the importance of learning music. The products are expected to be unique, efficient and customised to suit the needs of music teachers, students, and professionals.
World over the music industry is on a growth trajectory. Thus, Yamaha Music India will not only produce its equipment for the Indian market but make India its major export hub. The company plans to upgrade its factory as and when required depending on the growing demand.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / May 28th, 2019
Great journey: From training in the driveway of his house to the nets at The Oval, Vijay Shankar has come a long way. | Photo Credit: AP
‘The great guy’ who put behind him adversities with aplomb
Away from the chaos that’s part of every Indian metropolis resides Vijay Shankar, in a two-storey house in the suburbs of Chennai.
Krishnan, the owner of a juice shop across the road from Vijay’s house, describes him as “a great guy”. So do family, friends, coaches and school principal.
The principal at his first school, Modern Senior Secondary, K. Mohana, remembers Monday morning prayer assemblies (she was vice-principal then) when Vijay would invariably be present with awards and trophies after exploits over the weekend.
For the sake of cricket
It was around Class X that Vijay’s father, Shankar, asked him if he wanted to take up cricket seriously. He then switched from the Central Board of Secondary Education to a State board school, King’s Matriculation.
But regular cricket engagements meant maintaining required attendance became a problem. Vijay dropped out and gave his Class XII examinations via correspondence.
Shankar, meanwhile, provided his sons, Vijay and elder brother Ajay, with everything needed to pursue a cricketing career — move to a bigger house, space to put up nets and work out.
“Through school to college, we used to practise on his terrace,” said N.S. Chaturved, who plays Twenty20 cricket for Tamil Nadu.
Today Vijay is living his father’s dream.
Now a medium-pacer, Vijay switched from off-spin after the age of 22. S. Balaji, his personal coach, felt he could use his height and strength to add pace bowling to his arsenal.
There was a point in time during his Ranji days when Vijay feared he would lose his spot. He had made 190 runs in six innings during the 2014-15 season before the quarterfinal against Andhra.
Coach W.V. Raman pulled him aside for a quick chat in the lead-up to the game. Vijay values Raman’s backing in getting over his insecurities.
“He backed me at the right time and I delivered,” he says. Vijay scored 111 and 82 in the win over Andhra. He followed that up with a 91 in the semifinals and 103 in a losing cause in the final against Karnataka to finish as Tamil Nadu’s third highest run-scorer that season.
The 28-year-old has had many ups and downs in his career. His momentum in domestic cricket and India-A series were halted by what Vijay considers “freakish injuries.”
But none were as painful as the time when he had to undergo a knee surgery in 2016, which ruled him out of the India-A tour of Australia.
Vijay’s introduction to international cricket was a trial by fire.
Followers of the game will remember how he struggled to put bat to ball in the Nidahas Trophy final against Bangladesh. Luckily for Team India, Dinesh Karthik’s late cameo saved the day.
But Vijay wasn’t too lucky. He was the subject of vitriol and jokes on social media. And it wasn’t just limited to the virtual world.
Hitting back
Vijay immediately put the disappointment behind. He scored 212 runs for Delhi Daredevils in the IPL that season before impressing on the ‘A’ tour of New Zealand in which he finished top-scorer.
His impressive run led to the call-up to the India side for the shorter formats on the tours of Australia and New Zealand.
For Vijay, who enjoys long drives, the journey has only begun.
Former Health Minister of Tamil Nadu H.V. Hande being presented the award on Monday
Former Health Minister stresses on importance of voting
The Rotary Club of Anna Nagar Madras conferred the “For the Sake of Honour Award” to former Health Minister of Tamil Nadu, H.V. Hande, on Monday.
The award is given to individuals who have rendered exemplary service to society. Addressing the gathering, Dr. Hande highlighted the role played by the Rotary in the Pulse Polio campaign.
Appeal to members
He appealed to Rotary members to educate the masses on the importance of casting a vote and stressed on the need to abstain from taking money to swear allegiance to a party.
He also recalled his confrontation with the British police while he was involved in India’s freedom movement as a student.
J. Radhakrishnan, Transport Secretary, felicitated Dr. Hande and said he was a guiding light and mentor to him. He also lauded his efforts in creating awareness about leprosy and treating patients, even at a time when there was no social media and technology.
Former district governor of Rotary Krishnan V. Chari and president of the club Vrinda Deepak were among those who took part in the event.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Special Correspondent / Chennai – May 15th, 2019
