Three students from Tamil Nadu schools have made it to the list of world toppers in this year’s Pearson Edexcel global examinations, considered a gateway to some of the world’s leading universities.
Aishwarya Edward of Horizon International Academy in Chennai got the top rank in mathematics, while Nivedan Koirala and Vashti Parks of Hebron School, Ooty topped in mathematics, and Religious Studies respectively.
Edward who secured the top rank in Grade 5 said her teachers played a huge role in her success and also credited her habit of doing worksheets.
Nivedan Koirala, who secured 598 out of 600 in maths at the GCSE level (equivalent to Class 10 board), said the most important part of effective studying is to thoroughly understand the subject. “The interest in the topic is what finally gives you the motivation to practice questions or the problems sufficiently,” he said. He was particularly interested in physics, mathematics, and chemistry. “I wish to be able to study these subjects in depth. Being particularly passionate in pure physics, I dream of joining research to further increase my knowledge of the universe,” he said.
Sanjay Shivnani, vice-president and Business Head, Vocational, Pearson India, said India had the world’s largest population of youth. “If this zestful pool of youngsters is educated and channelised well, the Indian economy can stride a never-before path of growth. The stepping stone to this vision is world-class primary and secondary education,” he added.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Chennai / TNN / November 28th, 2015
“Some institutions have been asking me to deliver lectures or start a course on meteorology. I don’t know what is in store for me,” says Ramanan. Photo: K.V. Srinivasan
The State’s most popular weather forecaster talks to Srinivasa Ramanujam on how he found his calling
It’s rather interesting that the overdose of ‘rain holidays’ this year, coincides with the last few months of a certain S.R. Ramanan, at the helm of affairs at the local weather department. No wonder students across the State love him. When he’s on television — and he’s there often this time of the year — they watch with bated breath, anticipating words that could mean the possibility of a holiday the next day.
Officially the Director of Area Cyclone Warning Centre, he’s much loved among the student fraternity, because it is commonly believed that he’s instrumental for schools granting leave due to chances of rain. He also has fan pages on social media, memes created on him and has been referred to in films as well. In a chat with MetroPlus on a sunny afternoon, ironically, he tells us how he got into the weather business, why he isn’t on social media and retirement plans…
Will it rain this week?
There is an upper air circulation in the South-East Bay. It might probably develop into a low pressure and it could bring rains early this week.
You sound just like how you do talk on TV. Tell us about how you got into the weather stream in the first place…
When I completed my post-graduation, the concept of Plus Two came into being. There was a dearth of teachers then, and a lot of my friends entered the teaching profession. But I had a liking for weather, and so I joined the department at the lowest rung and then rose in the ranks.
But why weather?
See, I was good at Geography; it was one of my favourite subjects. But I didn’t take that up in my college days — I took up Physics instead. I enjoyed studying atmospheric physics. I entered as an observer and enjoyed it.
You try to explain science in Tamil and you seem to have an interest in the language. Tell us about it…
I have always been interested in Tamil literature; I used to read the Thevaram regularly. When I joined the weather department, I realised that the only way this subject can reach the common man was in Tamil. I wanted to make the concept and terminology simpler. We even collated a glossary — it’s now part of our website too — of Tamil equivalents of English words.
A meme that was found on social networks:
You work in Chennai, but you coordinate on a global scale on an everyday basis…
If I say there is a system forming in the South Andaman Sea, I have to depend on information from Malaysia and Singapore. If I say there is a development in the Gulf of Mannar, I need Sri Lankan data. We receive pictures from the satellite division and radar division every day. We have video-conferencing discussions every day with colleagues in Delhi. We get information from small observatories too… that only goes into the system. Here, sitting in Tamil Nadu, we don’t work in isolation but with global trends.
If that’s so, why is there so much of ambiguity when you announce the possibility of rain? Some other countries get it more precisely, right?
It differs from area to area. At some places abroad, you can predict accurately by seeing when the cold air mass meets warm air mass. Ours is tropical meteorology — not many know it’s the toughest terrain in the entire world, in terms of weather. We have still managed to get it right on most occasions, but yes, there is scope for improvement.
Over the course of your service you must have seen several technological advancements. How do you view the emergence of weather bloggers and their predictions/forecasts on the Internet?
The Internet alone is not sufficient to predict the weather outside. If you have an illness, will you go to the nearby pharmacy or prefer the doctor? There, you have the answer to your question.
But, do you see them as a threat to you in future?
’m retiring from the department in a few months (laughs)… but someone else will come and give out official information. If other people post contrasting information on the Internet, will it not create confusion?
You’re a cult figure in the social media and online space. There are fan pages for you and a recent meme promoted you as ‘God’, with students bowing to you. How do you react when you see them?
If you delve into such things, you cannot concentrate on your work. I just see them and move on. The only good thing about this attention is that wherever I go, people feel that I’m a part of their family, perhaps because they see me daily on TV.
Why have you abstained from social media? Don’t you feel tempted to look at what people are saying about you?
If I start looking into these things, I feel I will get distracted. I give work my foremost priority.
Do you have work timings?
Weather is a 24/7 job. I have to come in on weekends too — you might have seen me on television. I had to work this Deepavali too.
We see you every day during this time of the year, but what do you do when it’s sunny and all is fine on the weather front?
Apart from my media addresses, there are many other jobs to attend to — like preparing reports. I also have an everyday video-conferencing with my colleagues nationally. Besides, I visit educational institutions to give lectures on weekends.
Stamp and coin collection are hobbies you’ve been indulging in for a while. Tell us where it started…
My uncle gifted me some stamps when I was young and I’ve picked it up since then. The moment you see a stamp, you gain a lot of knowledge. For instance, this stamp I have of Bohemia and Moravia (part of Czechoslovakia) has a picture of Hitler; it was under his rule at one point of time. I’ve another stamp of Mozambique before the Portuguese took over. If you go through any good stamp collection, you will get information about places which might not even exist today.
Don’t you think these are dying hobbies in today’s times, thanks to the advent of the Internet?
You are absolutely right; I see very few students today taking up these hobbies. I wish they take it up. Parents also have a role to get the young interested in hobbies that helps you amass information.
Did these hobbies help you hone your general knowledge, during times when Google was still not invented? You were described by peers as a “walking Encyclopaedia” back in your college days…
See, it depends on your passion. I have no interest in reading fiction; I read up only about facts and countries. Some people have a wonderful knowledge on literature and films; I have no idea about them. My interest lies in places.
Finally, you’re retiring in a few months’ time and that has reportedly upset many school students…
(Laughs) Someone else will be here and give the forecast… it is not man centric, it is system centric. Time alone can tell what I’ll do post retirement; I’m a committee member in a hospital and I may probably take that up seriously. Some farmers have been asking me to guide them with weather forecasts. Some institutions have been asking me to deliver lectures or start a course on meteorology. I don’t know what is in store for me.
A meme that was found on social networks:
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Srinivasa Ramanujam / Chennai – November 28th, 2015
Professor Noboru Karashima was instrumental in setting up the International Association of Tamil Research.
Noboru Karashima, the distinguished scholar and historian of South Asia, whose body of research has rewritten the economic and social history of medieval South India, died in Tokyo on Thursday. He was 82. At the time of his death, Professor Karashima was Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo and Taisho University.
Professor Karashima was the recipient of the Padma Shri in 2013 for his contributions in building India-Japan ties. As he could not travel to New Delhi to receive the award, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in a gesture of recognition and respect, personally presented the award to him in Japan.
From his first study — a small but ground-breaking essay that he published almost 55 years ago on land control in the two Cauvery delta villages of Allur and Isanamangalam, based on the study of Chola inscriptions — Professor Karashima had to delve deeper into understanding land relations and social relationships in medieval Tamil Nadu. His seminal contribution to South Indian history was his use of statistical techniques to distil information from a mass of inscriptions, thereby lending his interpretations and conclusions a more sound and reliable base. His last major book is A Concise History of South India, published last year.
Professor Karashima was instrumental in setting up the International Association of Tamil Research, and had been its president from 1989 to 2010. He was the principal organiser of the 8th World Tamil Conference in Thanjavur in 1995, although he dissociated himself from its 9th edition on the ground that the conference had been hijacked by the political establishment. He had been the president of the Japan Association for South Asian Studies from 1996 to 2000, helping to build it into a vibrant and scholarly organisation it currently is.
In Japan, Professor Karashima was a popular figure on television where he commented on South Asian culture, including Indian cuisine.
A steadfast friend and admirer of India in general, and Tamil Nadu in particular, Professor Karashima has exercised a strong intellectual influence on a generation of Tamil scholars, both in Japan and India.
He is survived by his wife, Takako Karashima, who is the author of a popular book on India that has run into several editions, three sons and three grandchildren.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National / by Parvthi Menon / November 27th, 2015
Winter is just around the corner and what better way to kick-start the season with some run-bike-run combination. Yes, Coimbatore is all set to host the city’s first duathlon- an event that consists of a running leg, followed by a cycling leg and culminating with a running leg. Coimbatore Duathlon will be a combination of a 5 km run, 40 km ride and 5 km run. The event is organized by the Coimbatore Cycling and Coimbatore Runners and will be held on November 29. The event will kick-start at 6 am on Avinashi Road near Codissia with a five-km run around the locality, followed by a 40-km cycle ride till Kaniyur & back and ending with a five-km run around Codissia.
Chakravarthy Birur, one of the organisers of the event, tells CT, “The Coimbatore Cycling and Coimbatore Runners have always wanted to get together and do an activity. Some of our members have represented duathlons and triathlons at international level and some have been preparing for the same. In fact, we wanted to kick off with a triathlon, but since some of our members are not great swimmers, we decided to go with duathlon. This is just a start and we are planning to make it an annual event in the city. We are also mulling over conducting a triathlon sometime in March next year. (Triathlon is a multi-stage competition that involves the participants to complete three activities- running, cycling and swimming -in quick succession) We are exploring different water bodies in the city for the swimming session.”
Birur adds, “Coimbatore duathlon will begin at 5.45 am on November 29 and is expected to conclude around 10 am. The event is open to all above 16 years of age since endurance activities are not recommended for those below 16. The average age group competing in the event falls under the age bracket 35- 38. The registrations are fast filling up and we have 5 women competing at the event as well. Some of the registrations are from people who have been running and cycling regularly.” The duathlon is a non-competitive event and around 50 participants are expected to take part in the first edition.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Coimbatore / by P. Sangeetha, TNN / November 26th, 2015
His cricket was driven by passion. The lanky all-rounder was past 60 years of age when he turned out for the Madras Cricket Club in the TNCA league. Those who watched him remember his zest for the game.
Jayanthibai C. Patel, who passed away here recently aged 85, epitomised the spirit of the game in his era. He sought fulfilment on the field without seeking financial rewards. The purity in his cricket typified the amateur era where the game was bigger than individuals.
Remembering Patel, a left-handed top-order batsman and a left-arm spinner, champion leg-spinner V.V. Kumar said to The Hindu, “JC was a gritty batsman who grafted for his runs. He had a good straight drive. And he was a steady bowler with an effective arm ball.”
Kumar, Patel’s team-mate in the Madras Ranji side, said: “He (Patel) was a lively person. And he had so much enthusiasm for the game.”
“MCC had a good attack when M. Balakrishnan bowled his outswingers from one end and Patel sent down his left-arm spin,” said Kumar.
Turning out for two States in the Ranji Trophy in the 50s and 60s, Surat-born Patel represented Baroda before settling down in Madras. In all, he made 1,248 runs in 41 first-class matches at 21.15. Patel also claimed 54 wickets at 22.57.
Recalling an anecdote, Kumar said: “Chandu Borde told me this story. Patel, then playing for Baroda, got the vital wicket of Bombay’s Madhav Apte with an arm ball. When Baroda captain Vijay Hazare walked up to the bowler and told him it was a good arm-ball, he replied, ‘No captain, it was an ‘army ball’.’ He further explained that the ball could get an army out! Patel had his own way of communicating.”
Former India stumper Bharat Reddy said: “Before you settled in your stance and looked up, he (Patel) would be ready to release the ball. There were times when the batsmen moved away. It was one of his tactics to unsettle them. He went through his deliveries and overs quickly.”
Reddy added: “He was a versatile cricketer. He could bowl slow medium pace with the new ball and brought the delivery in. He was also a fun-loving personality. In all, his contribution to MCC was immense.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sports> Cricket / S. Dinakar / Chennai – November 26th, 2015
It is a powerful medium. The radio station is expected to reach 50,000 people in 30 villages in both Puducherry and Tamil Nadu, K. Senthilkumar,Director, SARVAM
Your FM station brings happiness to the community as they get to hear their own voices on the radio. This is what makes our station special!” says Natesan Bala, station manager of the PudiyaUdayam community radio station at Poothurai village (Villupuram District, Tamil Nadu) near Puducherry, which was launched on Tuesday.
The PudiyaUdayam 91.2 FM radio station is a project of the Sri Aurobindo Rural Village Action and Movement (SARVAM) which has been working in the area of village integral development for the last ten years.
It now works in 15 villages, including Poothurai, says K. Senthilkumar, Director, SARVAM, and head of the radio project.
“We had a journal called Grama PudiyaUdayam (village new dawn) which was well-received by the villagers. This is when we thought of a community radio station which can reach out to more people, including those who are illiterate. We got the licence from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting last month,” says Mr. Senthilkumar.
The radio station is expected to reach 50,000 people in 30 villages in both Puducherry and Tamil Nadu, and broadcasts can be heard up to 10 km away, says Mr. Senthilkumar. The radio station, which is equipped with a 30 metre tower, includes studios for live programming, recording and hosting talk show programmes.
For and by the villagers
The station will be managed by a village committee of 12 members and volunteers, apart from Mr. Bala and Ilandjejiane, programme coordinator, who will together decide on the programmes. Programmes for children, women, labourers and aged persons, apart from devotional and patriotic songs, and health segments have been planned. The villagers participate in the programming by recording their own songs and stories, including long-forgotten tales, say Mr. Senthilkumar.
Some scheduled programmes include ‘Namma Ooru Nalla Ooru’ which will have information about a historical place or monument of the area. Another programme is ‘Ninaivirukkum Varai’ which will have senior citizens taking listeners down memory lane with their memories. ‘Nambikkai Siragugal’ will have interviews of successful women self-help groups and entrepreneurs. “This community radio station is easily accessible to the villagers, and its doors are open to the community,” says Mr. Bala.
“It is a powerful medium. Students will benefit through motivational talks on how to prepare for examinations. With Jipmer close by, we will have doctors giving information on health. We will also be getting officials from the agriculture department to talk about farming, as well as a programme on livelihood options. Radio also keeps aged people engaged,” says Mr. Senthilkumar.
Programmes on the first day included devotional songs, a segment on diabetes and interaction with P. Agilan, Director, Indian Bank Self Employment Training Institute and Anbu Kamal Raj, Lead District Bank Manager, Indian Bank on banking initiatives.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Tamil Nadu / by Annie Philip / November 25th, 2015
Veteran Congress leader and seven-time member of the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly A S Ponnammal died of cancer on Tuesday. She was 82.
She was undergoing treatment at Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH).
Ponnammal was first elected to the assembly on Congress ticket from Sholavandhan constituency in 1957. She represented the constituency for two terms till 1967.
She was elected to the assembly as an independent candidate from the same constituency in 1980.
In 1984, she won from Palani on Congress ticket. Later she won on Congress ticket from Nilakottai (in 1989 and 1991). In 1996, she contested the elections on Tamil Manila Congress ticket and won.
After her health condition deteriorated, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi called her up and enquired about her health. He offered to shift her to another hospital, but Ponnammal told him that she was offered the best care at GRH.
Ponnammal is survived by three daughters and a son.
The final rites would be held at Alaganpatti in Nilakottai where she was born and lived most of her life, relatives said.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Chennai / by J. Arockiaraj, TNN / November 24th, 2015
File photo of the Indo-Belgian couple Suresh and Sarah
Namakkal :
The three-month long ordeal of an Indo-Belgian couple came to end with their marriage getting duly registered with the Registration Department of the state government.
Their joy had no bounds when R Suresh, a tribesman hailing from Kolli hills and Sarah, his Belgian lover, tied the holy knot at a function held atop the hills on August 17 this year.
However, the excitement and ecstasy of the couple and their respective family members waned when the newly-wed tried to get their marriage the legal stamp.
“Initially, the Registration Department officials turned us away citing lack of credible documents to validate our marriage. So we approached the Namakkal Collector, who directed us to submit the application with Sub-Registrar’s office in Senthamangalam”, Suresh recalled.
But the hassles did not stop there. It had just began as the authorities there raised the jurisdiction issue after sitting upon the application for weeks.
The life after marriage of the couple, who fell in love while employed in a cruise ship, did not drift along the current as they had to run from pillar to post.
Finally, it was found out that the couple had to submit the application with SR office in Namagiripet. The entire process had to be initiated from the beginning once again. In the mean time, Sarah, who came on a tourist visa, had to return leaving her husband here. The ship seemed to run aground but the man held his nerve to fight all odds. The officials began to ask for document after document to endorse the marriage giving sleepless nights to the 28-year-old Suresh.
“At last, our marriage was registered under the Special Marriages Act on November 9 and the registration certificate was handed to me ten days later”, he said. The couple nurtures hopes of settling down in India in the future.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by R. Sivakumar / November 23rd, 2015
