20 lakh-plus expected to take part in Mahamaham today

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Trichy:

Having ensured that the first nine days of the Mahamaham festival were incident-free, Kumbakonam is all set for the final and most auspicious day of the event that is celebrated once in 12 years.

More than 20 lakh devotees are expected to descend on the town on Monday to take a holy dip in the Mahamaham tank.

Thanks to meticulous security arrangements, medical facilities, accommodation, food and transport facilities made by the authorities, the festival this year has been smooth and safe for millions of devotees, including sadhus and agoris from the northern states. After the stampede that ed around 50 devotees dur killed around 50 devotees during the Mahamaham on February 18, 1992, the organisers have been allowing devotees to take the holy dip from day one of the festival. The temple town witnessed around 35 lakh devotees during the last festival in 2004 that culminated on March 6. This year, the number is expected to cross 50 lakh.

The festival organisers have installed sprinklers to spray holy water on the people, but most devotees are likely to go for a dip in the tank, as is the custom.

One major problem many elderly pilgrims arriving by rail are facing is that many of the long-distance trains overshoot the platforms at the Kumbakonam station. Senior citizens have to be carried down to the ground as the platforms are not long enough to accommodate all the compartments.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Trichy / by Gokul Rajendran, TNN / February 22nd, 2016

Vellore-based Renaura wins at Startups Club Demo Day

Business & Economy

Chennai  :

With Demo Day of Startups Club drawing to a close in Chennai, Renaura Wellness, a Vellore based health and wellness company were announced winners. They won a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh and will be eligible to participate as semi-finalists in the Grand Finale which will be held in Chennai towards the end of 2016.

Renaura, an incubate at the VIT TBI (Technology Business Incubator) was founded by Nishant Gupta and Palash Pandey when they realised that nearly 3/4th of India receives moderate to very hard water leading to hair problems for majority of the population. They have developed a daily use shampoo that can be sprayed onto the hair and need not be washed off. The duo plan to take the product to the market in the upcoming weeks.

While Demo Day used to be an annual event, this year, Bangalore based Startups Club will be visiting 10 cities across 10 months to give a platform for aspiring entrepreneurs and early stage startups to showcase their ideas and get a chance to network, meet potential investors and win prize money.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Chennai / by Ranjani Ayyar / TNN / February 20th, 2016

Award for Dheerajlal Gandhi College

Education, Records, All
Union Minister of State for HRD, Ram Shankar Katheria (second from left), handing over the ‘Most Upcoming Engineering College in South India’ award to Dhirajlal Gandhi College of Technology, Salem, in New Delhi recently.
Union Minister of State for HRD, Ram Shankar Katheria (second from left), handing over the ‘Most Upcoming Engineering College in South India’ award to Dhirajlal Gandhi College of Technology, Salem, in New Delhi recently.

The Dheerajlal Gandhi College of Technology (GDGCT) in the city has bagged the ‘Most Upcoming Engineering College in South India’ award from the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

The ASSOCHAM in association with Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, and Association of Indian Universities recently conducted the 9th ‘ASSOCHAM Higher Education Summit 2016’ in New Delhi.

Minister of State for HRD Ram Shankar Katheria was the chief guest for the summit. During the summit, a paper on higher education by ASSOCHAM and YES Bank was released, which highlighted the financing of higher education in India, its needs and impacts.

During the summit, “The National Education Excellence Awards – 2016” were presented under various categories to institutions and universities by the Minister.

Dhirajlal Gandhi College of Technology, Salem, established in 2011, was awarded “The Most Upcoming Engineering College in South India”.

The award was presented based on various parameters such as infrastructure, research activities, promoting innovation, industry-academia interface, global orientation, placement efforts and ISR initiatives. Dhirajlal Gandhi, chairman, D. Manoj Kumar, vice-chairman and Archana Manojkumar, secretary of DGCT, received the award from the Union Minister.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Tamil Nadu / by Special Correspondent / Salem – February 21st, 2016

Awards presented

Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All

Rathinam Group of Institutions presented the Icons of Coimbatore Award to 16 individuals at a function held on Friday and lyricist Vairamuthu handed over the awards.

The awardees were Corporation Commissioner K. Vijayakarthikeyan, G.C. Shyam Sunder of ACC cements, Hemalatha Annamalai, CEO of Ampere Vehicles, Devika Ramesh of RMP Group of Companies, Suresh Bhandari of Clean Cities Foundation, Journalist R. Muthukumar, P. Kanagaraj of Government Arts College, V. Jeevananantham, president of Chitrakala Academy, V. Balasubramanian, retired Medical Superintendent of ESIC, P. Mahendiran of Eera Nenjam NGO, Karate black belt winner Sai Kunthavi Senthil Kumar, National award winner for person with disabilities Master S. Sabari Venkat, Sri Ramakrishna Engineering College principal N.R. Alamelu, Sudha Manoharan of Sri Eshwar College of Engineering, Manmathan, CEO of Sankara Eye Hospital and V. Purushottaman, director of Hotel Anandhaas.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by  Special Correspondent / February 21st, 2016

Madurai karatekas win medals in Goa

Sports
C. Ajith Prakash, Chief Instructor and Technical Director, World Goju Ryu Karate Do, India, with the winners. Instructors S. Suresh Kumar and B. Raja look on.
C. Ajith Prakash, Chief Instructor and Technical Director, World Goju Ryu Karate Do, India, with the winners. Instructors S. Suresh Kumar and B. Raja look on.

A group of six students from Madurai schools has won as many as eight gold and two bronze medals in the Sixth All India Goa Open Karate Championship -2016 held at Mormugoa Port Institute at Vasco Da Gama in Goa on February 14.

The following students won the gold: M.J. Nithilan (kata) from TVS Matriculation Higher Secondary School; C. Santhosh (kata/kumite) from SBOA Matriculation Higher Secondary School; S.K. Akshaya (kata) from St. Mary of Leuca Matriculation School, R. Dinesh Kumar (kata/kumite) from Grace Matriculation Higher Secondary School,and A. Mohamed Madarsa (kata/kumite) and A. Hasan Sahul (kata/kumite) from Velammal Matriculation Higher Secondary School. Hasan and Dinesh Kumar won the bronze in the kumite category as well.

The winners are students of World Goju Ryu Karate Do – India, Madurai, which is a member body of WGKA Watanabe Ha, Japan and Shohbukai.

The students attributed their success to Shihan C. Ajith Prakash, Chief Instructor and Technical Director, World Goju Ryu Karate Do, India, for having trained them rigorously. He was the chief referee at the event while S. Suresh Kumar and B. Raja were the instructors.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Madurai / by Staff Reporter / Madurai – February 21st, 2016

MRF CMD Mammen elected ATMA Chairman

Business & Economy, Leaders
K.M. Mammen, CMD, MRF Ltd
K.M. Mammen, CMD, MRF Ltd

MRF Chairman and Managing Director K.M. Mammen has been elected as the Chairman of Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA), a lobby group representing the automotive tyre sector in India.

Mr.Satish Sharma, President (Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa) Apollo Tyres Ltd., has been elected as Vice Chairman of ATMA, according to a statement.

Mr.Mammen is the eldest son of the MRF Founder, the late K. M. Mammen Mappillai.

The Chennai-based tyre major reported net profit of Rs.388.15 crore on revenue of Rs.3,260.90 crore in the quarter ended December.

Mr.Mammen has held various executive positions in business associations in the country, including President of the Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce.

He is currently an executive board member of FICCI and a member of the Board of the Madras Christian College.

Set up in 1975, ATMA represents the Rs.50,000 crore automotive tyre industry in the country.

Eleven large tyre companies comprising Indian and international manufacturers, who account for more than 90 per cent of tyre production in India, are members of the association.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Business / by Special Correspondent / Chennai – February 18th, 2016

Golden girl does it again

Education, Records, All
S.Alagu, an M.Phil student of Mathematics.
S.Alagu, an M.Phil student of Mathematics.

A girl student of mathematics, who has won four gold medals during her undergraduate and post-graduate programmes, has does it again by winning another gold medal in M.Phil. Alagu Somasundaram, daughter of S. Somasundaram, Professor of Mathematics of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, won three gold medals for securing university first rank in Part I Tamil, Part II English and Part III Mathematics (Major), when she did her bachelor’s degree in Rani Anna Government College for Women, Pettai.

She made her father proud again when she, a UGC merit scholarship awardee, secured the university first mark while doing M.Sc. in St. John’s College, Palayamkottai.

Fifth in a row

Ms. Alagu ensured ‘podium finish’ once again as she stood first in the M.Phil. course also and received the gold medal, the fifth in a row, from Governor K. Rosaiah at the 23rd convocation of MSU on Saturday.

“I’d say that it is a kind of record created by Ms. Alagu over the past 25 years… It is a rare combination of achievements. The achiever stood up to the recognition granted by the University Grants Commission in bestowing the ‘UGC Merit Scholarship’ on her to pursue M.Sc. Mathematics course at St.John’s College, Palayamottai and has strived hard to achieve the feat once again,” said a faculty member of MSU.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Tamil Nadu / Special Correspondent / Tirunelvelli – February 14th, 2016

Receives award

Business & Economy, Education, Records, All

Winning national awards has become regular for the Salem branch of the Southern India Regional Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).

The Salem branch of the ICAI recently won the best branch award in the small branch category at all India level. The highlight of this achievement is that the Salem branch is winning this award for the tenth consecutive year without any break.

This prestigious award has been conferred on the Salem branch of the ICAI taking into account the innumerable motivation seminars it organised for the budding chartered accountants, special programmes for the members of the Southern India Chartered Accountants Students Association (SICASA), and also for the school students to attract and motivate them to take up chartered accountant course.

Guided by the parent body, the SICASA, the Salem branch’s student committee bagged the best SICASA award in the small branch category at the national level for the second time in a row.

Both the awards were presented by Jayant Sinha, Union Minister of State for Finance, at the 66th annual function of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India held at New Delhi recently.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Tamil Nadu / by Special Corrrespondent / Salem – February 18th, 2016

Belgium honours A.C. Muthiah

Business & Economy, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion
SPIC Chairman A.C. Muthiah presented with ‘Order of Leopold II’ of the Kingdom of Belgium at a function in Chennai on Wednesday. Pieter De Crem, Secretary of State for Foreign Trade of Belgium, H.E. Jan Luykx, Ambassador of Belgium to India, Bart de Groof, Consul-General of Belgium for India, are in the picture. Photo: Shaju John
SPIC Chairman A.C. Muthiah presented with ‘Order of Leopold II’ of the Kingdom of Belgium at a function in Chennai on Wednesday. Pieter De Crem, Secretary of State for Foreign Trade of Belgium, H.E. Jan Luykx, Ambassador of Belgium to India, Bart de Groof, Consul-General of Belgium for India, are in the picture. Photo: Shaju John

The Kingdom of Belgium on Wednesday conferred the ‘Order of Leopold II’ to SPIC chairman, A.C.Muthiah, for his services as honorary consul of Belgium.

Mr. Muthiah served as honorary consul for 25 years from 1988-2013.

Pieter De Crem, Secretary of State for Foreign Trade of Belgium, recalled Mr. Muthiah’s services to Belgian citizens in South India.

“I specifically mention your hospitality during the visits of both our King Albert and crown Prince, now King Philip,” he said.

The minister said Mr. Muthiah resigned from his post in 2013 after Belgium decided to open a Career Consulate General office in Chennai.

“This is a proud moment for me to receive the honour from the Kingdom of Belgium,” Mr. Muthiah said. He recalled Prince Philip’s love for Sanskrit. When he visited Chennai, Mr. Muthiah had arranged a Sanskrit teacher to teach him the language. N. Ram, Chairman, Kasturi & Sons, participated.

This article has been corrected for a factual error

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Special Correspondent / Chennai – February 18th, 2016

Meet Swetha, First Narikurava Engineering Girl from Tamil Nadu

Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All
The first Narikurava engineering girl wants noon meal organiser post to serve her people
The first Narikurava engineering girl wants noon meal organiser post to serve her people

Tiruchy :

The urge to do something for the people of her community pushed the 22 year old first Narikurava engineering graduate of Tamil Nadu to apply for noon meal organiser’s post in the primary school in her colony here with the district collector on Monday.

“Most of our children suffer of anaemic due to malnutrition. We are known for good physical condition once owing to our food habits. But now, those food items are not available to our community and so most of them are suffering a lot” Swetha, the first BE in Computer Science in Narikurava community told Express.

Though Swetha, who studied BE in a local engineering college was selected for a company in Chandigarh through campus interview, she refused the offer and was seriously thinking of her community people who mostly drop out after  primary school education. The main thing in my mind is to make our children from present symptoms with anaemic problems. She opted for the post as the staff retired recently and the post is lying vacant in the school- Thiruvalluvar Gurukula Primary school, an aided school run by Narikurava education and welfare society.

“Previously, the staff use to go away after two hours work. If i am selected, i can stay along with our children and do whatever they are in need. Let me make them healthy first” the determined Swetha stressed.

As usual, she has been ridiculed by her community people and a few of her college mates.  But, Swetha, is firm in her decision and will work for the people by all means.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by S J Michael Collins / February 15th, 2016