Chennai floods: 14 heroes honoured

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All

Chennai :

They have no cutouts in cinema theatres. They have no big fan following. They led a simple life just like anybody else until the rain gods lashed their fury on Chennai in December.

They rose to the occasion. They saved lives and brought smiles to many others. “We had to make a choice. Whether to sit at home or get out there and save people,” they said. They then became real heroes.

On Monday, 14 people, who volunteered in flood relief work and did a heroic job, were honoured with awards at the Adding Smiles Ambassador Awards 2016 organised by Adding Smiles Foundation.

“We were doing our duty to help someone who is in need,” said Blue Cross general manager Dawn Williams, one of the awardees, in a video on the awardees.

All the 14 volunteers, including Peter Van Geit, Chennai Trekking Club founder and senior citizens of Anandam Homes, were presented with ‘Real Hero Awards’.

Awards were also given to celebrities, who were active during flood relief. The team ‘Mana Madras Kosam’ with Telugu film actors including Navdeep, Kajal Agarwal and Samantha , Sathyam Cinemas and Tamil actor Parthepan were presented awards.

 “I am doing whatever little I can do. I have changed myself. As you grow older, you get fearless and want to do things before you go away,” the award winning composer said.

Activist and founder of NGO Prajwala Sunitha Krishnan, team from National Award winning Tamil film Kaaka Muttai, former RBI governor C Rangarajan, national paralympic swimming champion Madhavi Latha, founder and dean of Great Lakes Institute of Management Prof Bala V Balachandran, acid attack survivor Soniya Choudhary were some of the awardees in the ‘ambassador awards’ category.

The highlight of the evening was music composer AR Rahman, who was one of the awardees in ‘Adding Smiles Ambassador Awards’ category. The category included people, who have come the hard way to live a dream and spread smiles in the life of others by way of help.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Chennai / by V. Tejonmayan, TNN / January 19th, 2016

Click and repair

Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features
service deal webpage
service deal webpage

Need a plumber? Help is just a click away

How do I fix a dripping, leaking faucet? How to repair and replace a ceiling fan? Homemaker P.V. Kailasi faced a tough time to maintain her independent home at Vadavalli.

“While people living in apartments have access to a network of service providers, independent house owners have to verify the credentials of a plumber or an electrician before letting them in. Since the segment is highly unorganised, it is difficult for one to contact the right person to get the job done on time and at the right price,” she says.

P.V. Kailasi
P.V. Kailasi

Kailasi along with her son S. Vivek, a design engineer have started www.servicedeal.in that connects a verified datapool of plumbers, carpenters, gardeners, and electricians with customers who are in need of help.

“We thought an online platform would be the best way. We have built our database after verifying their credentials . Once they fulfil the criteria we give them a photo proof ID and enrol them. When a customer makes a request on the portal, we check the availability of the service provider and send a representative to inspect the job. We mail a quotation and designate work after getting the approval from the customer,” says Vivek.

Kailasi, who operates the website out of her home, says communication skills are vital. “You are constantly liaising between two parties. We get a minimum of two calls per day from R.S. Puram, Saibaba Colony and Vadavalli with requests as varied as broken shower tap, broken glass window, a fan regulator or a ceiling fan. We have to learn the exact location and address and communicate it to the servicemen,” she says.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / K. Jeshi / January 18th, 2016

Educationist’s role in integrating culture and education hailed

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Leaders, Records, All
Mrs. Y.G .Parthasarathy (centre) receives the award from Padma Subrahmanyam. Also seen are K. Shivakumar (left) and Mohan Rajan (right) of PSBB Alumni Association and Ravi Venkatraman (second from right), President, Rotary Club of Madras T. Nagar —Photo: S. R. Raghunathan
Mrs. Y.G .Parthasarathy (centre) receives the award from Padma Subrahmanyam. Also seen are K. Shivakumar (left) and Mohan Rajan (right) of PSBB Alumni Association and Ravi Venkatraman (second from right), President, Rotary Club of Madras T. Nagar —Photo: S. R. Raghunathan

Mrs. Y.G. Parthasarathy was conferred the ‘Living Legend’ award on Sunday

Mrs. Y.G. Parthasarathy, dean and director of PSBB Group of Schools, was conferred the ‘Living Legend’ award here on Sunday by PSBB Alumni Association and Rotary Club of Madras T. Nagar.

Speaking on the occasion, she said many students of the school have attained great heights now. But what was more important was that art and culture have become part of teaching and children have taken to music and dance very well, she said.

“My mother always told me ‘be true to what you do and children will always be grateful to you’,” she said.

Dancer Padma Subrahmanyam, who felicitated Mrs. Y.G. Parthasarathy, recollected her decades-long association with the family.

She noted that Mrs. Y.G. Parthasarathy was the first person to combine education with culture and that is one of her greatest contributions to society.

“I still remember how she completed her doctorate in Vaishnavism at the age of 75. Her husband was in the hospital and she was sitting beside him and writing her thesis to be submitted. She is a very strong woman,” she said.

K. Shivakumar and Mohan Rajan of PSBB Alumni Association were among those who spoke at the function.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Staff Reporter  / Chennai – January 18th, 2016

When Madras had Muhammad Ali in its corner

Records, All, Sports, World Opinion
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran, who was the chief guest, with Muhammad Ali and Jimmy Ellis during a boxing match in Madras on January 31, 1980. —Photo: DIPR
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran, who was the chief guest, with Muhammad Ali and Jimmy Ellis during a boxing match in Madras on January 31, 1980. —Photo: DIPR

As boxer Muhammad Ali turns 73 on January 17, not many know that it was only 35 years ago, in January 1980, that crowds thronged Chennai’s Nehru stadium to witness the legend in action.

Organised by Tamil Nadu State Amateur Boxing Association and Apeejay, the exhibition bout that saw Ali taking on former heavy weight champion Jimmy Ellis left boxing fans dizzy with excitement.

The run-up to the match itself saw The Hindu ’s pages splashed with advertisements enticing spectators to the match.  The tickets were priced at Rs. 100, 70, 50, 20, and 10. Connemara Hotel, which hosted the boxer in one of its luxury suites, also issued an advertisement with an accompanying sketch of the sportsman in deep sleep.

On arriving at Meenambakkam airport from Bombay, the boxer, accompanied by his wife, said: “When I saw thousands turning up to the airport to meet me and greet me, it sent my spirits soaring and I am overwhelmed at the attention bestowed on me. In this short visit a bond has sprung up between us, and I shall treasure this all my life.”

In a dramatic twist to an otherwise smooth press meet, the pugilist faced off with a reporter who questioned his weakness on the left hook. Challenging the reporter to join him on the podium he said “Son, in my 49 fights I have knocked out 32 of my opponents and I haven’t suffered much punishment.  You see my face? Do you see any scars or disfigurements? It looks nice and clean isn’t it? That’s it, that is why I am the greatest.”

The match itself left fans longing for more. According to The Hindu ’s report dated Februrary 1, 1980, “The swift movements, cat-like reflexes, the shuffles and the lethal left jab  were all there but were all too brief  to savour in fullness.”

The proceeds of the programme, which included a session with local boxers and a bout between Ali and an aspiring young boxer, went to a boxing institute in the city.

In 1980, Chennai city’s boxing fans were entertained by an exhibition bout

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Nitya Menon / Chennai – January 18th, 2015

Kumbakonam college physicist bags CSIR project

Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

R. Radha is one of the eight physicists to get it

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has awarded a research project to physicist R. Radha, Director, Centre for Nonlinear Science, Government Arts College, Kumbakonam.

The CSIR will fund the project to the tune of Rs. 25 lakh and Dr. Radha is one of the eight physicists to be awarded the prestigious research project in Physical Sciences in 2015.

The Centre had come out with 30 international publications in the last five years while Dr. Radha received international recognition for pioneering research work from fora such as INSA Royal Society of London Visiting Fellow, INSA Polish Academy of Science Visiting Fellow, Third World Academy of Sciences UNESCO Association Award and is a Visiting Scientist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Tamil Nadu / by Special Correspondent / Kumbakonam – January 18th, 2015

City candidate emerges all-India topper in CA finals

Education, Records, All
James John Britto scored 74.38 per cent with 595 marks on 800. — Photo: Shaju John
James John Britto scored 74.38 per cent with 595 marks on 800. — Photo: Shaju John

The Chartered Accountancy examination is considered to be among the toughest academic tests in the country.

It was late evening and 23-year-old James John Britto of Chennai was still getting used to the news that he was the All India topper in the Chartered Accountancy exam held in November last. He scored 74.38 per cent with 595 marks on 800. He still has four months of articleship left at Sharp and Tannan before he can take up a job.

The Chartered Accountancy examination is considered to be among the toughest academic tests in the country and the overall pass percentage is consistently low.

It required planning, strategy and some hard work to achieve this remarkable feat, says Mr. Britto. An alumnus of the Don Bosco, Egmore, he stood third in class X and would have been ranked sixth in the State but for his choice of second language in class XII.

He was a gold medallist in Loyola College and ranked fourth in ACS (company secretaryship), but says, “I wanted to be a CA and will be applying for membership in four months,” he says.

So what was his winning strategy? He began planning in college by choosing to work on his strengths and weaknesses. “Science required me to draw diagrams, so I took the commerce stream. Then I decided to do CA. That settled I had to find my strengths and weaknesses and then choose faculty who could help me improve. Chennai has the best faculty and I had the guidance of seniors who told me about the faculty,” Mr. Britto reveals.

According to him all students felt that the direct taxes paper was tough. “It was a yorker, but they usually want to shake you up,” he says.

His father is also a chartered accountant and has his own practice. But Mr. Britto plans to work six to 10 years in firms elsewhere as he feels he needs mentoring.

Nagulu Mohan Kumar of Tirupati with a score of 572 marks and Avinash Sancheti of Kolkata with 566 marks have been ranked second and third in the country. Of the 42,469 candidates , 2,440 have passed.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by R. Sujatha / Chennai – January 18th, 2016

Anuradha Kapur awarded first JV Lifetime Achievement award

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All
Anuradha Kapur, former director of National School of Drama, delivering a talk on 'The place of theatre in the changing Indian context' after receiving an award in Madurai on Sunday. / Photo R Ashok
Anuradha Kapur, former director of National School of Drama, delivering a talk on ‘The place of theatre in the changing Indian context’ after receiving an award in Madurai on Sunday. / Photo R Ashok

The first J. Vasanthan Lifetime Achievement Award, instituted by Nigazh Theatre Centre for excellence in the field of theatre, was awarded to Anuradha Kapur, noted theatre personality and former Director of National School of Drama (NSD), at a function organised by J. Vasanthan Art Foundation at Madurai Media and Film Studies Academy (MMFSA) here on Sunday.

Delivering a speech after receiving the award on ‘The place of theatre in the changing Indian context,’ Ms. Kapur stressed the importance of preserving theatre at a time when space for liberal ideas and possibilities of dialogues appeared to be on the wane. She said that theatre was like a magic mirror that used body as its material and enabled a rare dialogue between artistes and the audience. “That is why we should be very mindful about ensuring that theatre and its dialogues continue,” she said.

Stating that theatre was a social medium, Ms. Kapur urged the artistes to be ethical, socially concerned, thoughtful and respectful.

Pointing out the diverse nature of Indian theatre, she said that there was not a single form of theatre in the world that was not already happening in some parts of India. “Be it classical, folk, traditional or popular, every form is here. Therefore, it is a lost cause to define Indian theatre as it exists in hundreds of forms,” she said.

Ms. Kapur was awarded the prize, which included a purse of Rs. 50,000, by G. Srinivasan, a schoolmate of the late J. Vasanthan and president of GOVEL Trust that manages Aravind Eye Hospital. In a noble gesture, Ms. Kapur donated back the cash award as a contribution for encouraging theatre art in Madurai region.

Earlier, T. Chinnaraj Joseph Jaikumar, Managing Trustee of JV Art Foundation, recollected the multi-faceted talents of J. Vasanthan, who started a theatre group at The American College when he was a professor there. The paintings of JV, as he was fondly called by his friends, were exhibited at the venue.

P. Gunasekaran, a painter, was awarded Vasanthan Artists in Residence Fellowship for the year 2016-2017 by Solomon Papaiya, Trustee of JV Art Foundation. Chandni Appadurai, daughter of JV and Founder Trustee of the foundation, welcomed the guests.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Madurai / by Staff Reporter / Madurai – January 18th, 2016

Coimbatore hospital cures 256 spine injury patients in a year

Science & Technologies

Coimbatore :
S Krishnakumar, 31, was pursuing his third year engineering at National Institute of Technology in Trichy in 2005 when he suddenly found himself bed ridden. He and his family did not realise that he had a tumour in his spinal chord, and weeks of neglect led to it suffering permanent damage.

Five years later, in 2010, that he was operated in Hosmat Hospital, but his lifestyle did not improve. Today, the man has a job and moves around independently in a wheelchair.

As many as 256 patients, like Krishnakumar, suffering from spine injuries have been rehabilitated in the city-based Ganga Spine Injury and Rehabilitation Centre in its very first year. This is only the third centre in the country, the other two being in New Delhi and Christian Medical College, Vellore, that specializes in rehabilitating spine injury patients and the largest in many ways.

“Spine injuries are the worst to suffer during an accident because it leaves you dependent for the rest of your life, and it paralyses the entire family,” said the centre’s director Dr S Rajasekaran at the centre’s annual day event on Monday evening.

“At least three people are required to lift them on and off the bed, move them and take care of them,” he said.

“Our centre aims at making them as independent as possible and take care of their needs from morning till night themselves, so that the other family members can go to work,” he added.

However, for patients who have suffered spine and neck injuries even sitting upright on a wheelchair, using their hands or getting off a bed requires weeks of physiotherapy. “For 10 years I was bed-ridden and would be lifted only to a chair. I never moved around or used a wheelchair because my body had no balance and my legs were like rods,” he said.

“It took me four months of treatment to learn how to transfer myself from a bed to a wheelchair myself and use a toilet,” he added.

Doctors say the 33-bedded hospital’s treatment goes anywhere between two to three months since it is a slow procedure. The treatments which costs around Rs 5 lakh includes seven to eight hours of intensive physiotherapy a day. “We, however, treat one patient free a month and give a concession of more than four lakh for every patient with the help of donors and benefactors,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Coimbatore / by Pratiksha Ramkumar, TNN / January 11th, 2016

Tamil Nadu lawyer is chairman of Bar Council of India

Leaders, Records, All

Chennai :

Tamil Nadu lawyer S Prabakaran was on Sunday elected chairman of Bar Council of India (BCI). He suc ceeds Manan Kumar Mishra of Bihar in the highest office for practising advocates.

 BCI is the apex statutory body with power to regulate le gal education and control practice of law. Elected as member of Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in 2011 with second highest number of votes among its members, Prabakaran was then chosen by the state council as its representative to BCI, Delhi.

In 2012, BCI nominated him as chairman of its disciplinary committee and a year later as co-chairman of BCI.

Prabakaran is a three-time president of Madras High Court Advocates Association and also president of Tamil Nadu Advocates Association.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Chennai / TNN / January 11th, 2016

A temple to worship weapons

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence
The ‘Paramasivan koil’ on the outskirts of Tirupur city.– Photo: R. VIMAL KUMAR
The ‘Paramasivan koil’ on the outskirts of Tirupur city.– Photo: R. VIMAL KUMAR

Swords, spears, bows and arrows greet you when you enter this temple at Uppilipalayam, near here.

The temple is believed to be constructed some 300 years ago.

The main ritual of the temple is the puja conducted for weapons used during the period, probably to hunt, or to protect villagers.

About 75 years ago, an idol of Shiva was placed in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple alongside the weapons.

The temple complex, spread over 60 cents, itself is constructed in a way to hold gram sabha, and padashala (school).

It has facilities to deposit money collected by the village administration, a library, space for teaching youth to use weapons, an Ayurveda centre to treat snake poison, and a place to serve free meals for the poor too.

“The temple was called ‘Vel kottam’ in the earlier days before been renamed as ‘Paramasivan koil’ after the idol was placed,” said S. Ravikumar, an archaeologist who has made many a studies about ancient temples in the region.

The temple architecture resembles those situated in Kerala.

“This is because that those who were residing in the village, who originally were from Vellakoil, migrated to Palakkad for a brief period in search of livelihood. After returning, they built the temple to perform puja on weapons to attain prosperity. They might have copied the construction style in Kerala,” said K. Ponnusamy, a historian at the Virarajendran Historical Research Centre.

Even now during festivities, villagers display their skills on using swords and spears.

“Since the temple is not popular outside the region, there is not much crowd,” said S. Ramesh, the temple priest.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Tamil Nadu / R. Vimal Kumar / Tirupur – January 10th, 2015