The Chennai Corporation, in collaboration with Teaching College affiliated to Columbia University, New York, inaugurated the Centre for the Science of Learning at the Higher Secondary School in Alwarpet on Wednesday.
The centre will be customised to improve teaching capacity and to assess student potential and is said to benefit more than 80,000 students and 3,000 teachers.
“This initiative will monitor students’ performance and enable teachers to modify their methodology to suit student behaviour,” Mayor Saidai Duraisamy said at the inauguration.
Ryan Baker, associate professor of cognitive studies at Teachers College, said that common education problems could be addressed by using global tools and methodologies.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / by Divya Chandrababu, TNN / July 16th, 2014
The district got its first neo-natal ambulance for Coimbatore and two 108 ambulances exclusively for Valparai. The services was launched at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) on Saturday.
The neo-natal ambulance has transport incubators, ventilators and a multiport infusing system.
The 108 ambulance will be stationed at the neo-natal intensive care unit, CMCH. and it would be operated for neo-natal cases only.
Trained physicians who can handle neonatal cases will be available round the clock in the special neonatal ambulance. The state already has 33 neo-natal ambulances which have attended to an estimated 11,000 cases.
Two more 108 ambulances were inaugurated for the Valparai region. The ambulance is a four wheel drive vehicle suitable for hilly areas.
The 108 emergency ambulance services of the GVK emergency management and research institute has decided to operate one of the ambulances between Valparai and Mudis and another between Valparai and Sholaiyar.
“It is difficult for residents of Valpari and neighbouring villages to reach the hospital quickly in an emergency.
“These ambulances can take patients from remote areas to the Valparai GH quickly,” said George Kenneth, district manager, GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI). tnn Health minister C Vijayabaskar flagged off the vehicles on CMCH campus on Saturday. S P Velumani, minister for municipal administration and rural development, S Revwathy, Dean of Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) and other government department officials participated in the function. Health Minister told the media persons that the Department of Cardiology would get two more additional doctors in CMCH for performing open-heart surgery.
He also visited trauma ward and met the people who met accident few days ago near Pillur dam.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore / TNN / July 14th, 2014
L.N. Ram Aravind, who bagged two silver medals in the Asian Youth Chess Championship. Photo: R.M. Rajarathinam / The Hindu
Ram Aravind bags silver medals in Asian Youth Chess Championship
Chess prodigy L.N.Ram Aravind has added two more international medals to his kitty .
The class 7 student of Kamala Niketan Montessori School here bagged silver medals in the standard and rapid formats in the under-12 age category at the recently-concluded Asian Youth Chess Championship in Tashkent (Uzbekistan).
In the standard format, Ram Aravind, who trains at Chess Gurukul in Chennai, and Nguyen Anh Khoi of Vietnam were tied for the top spot with 7.5 points each after the ninth and final round. However, Khoi was adjudged winner since he had defeated Ram Aravind in the fourth round.
Ram Aravind had won gold medals in the under-8 (in the year 2011) and under-10 (2013) categories at the championship. He is also the reigning national under-11 champion.
In the rapid event at the Asian championship, he finished with 5.5 points (five wins, a draw, and a loss) from seven rounds. “I like playing rapid chess as it helps to improve my speed,” he says.
The FIDE Master has set his sights on the World Youth Chess Championship (standard format) to be held in Durban later this year. He had bagged under-8 silver medal in 2011 and under-10 bronze medal in 2012 at the championship. “I am aiming for gold this time,” says the gifted youngster.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Tiruchirapalli / by G. Prasad / Tiruchi – July 03rd, 2014
The Tamil Nadu volleyball team’s record, sweeping all national titles from 1991 to 1994, remains unbroken and the man at the centre of things for TN was Sundaram Ponnusamy, the setter. “Except for setter, there were no specialist positions back then. We had a general game where a blocker may take the role of a universal, an attacker and vice-versa when the situation demanded. Only the setter had a defined role,” says the 46-year-old.
In 1993, Salem-born Sundaram’s cup of joy was overflowing as he got the captaincy of TN and the national team but a bike accident in 1995 threw his career off track. He escaped with minor injuries to the stomach, but running and training were impossible. “For six months, I couldn’t play at all and regaining my position in the Indian team seemed impossible,” he recollects.
Not one to give up easily, the fitness junkie set about regaining his health. “It was a slow process and it took me another six months to start playing actively. I knew I had to start from scratch, so played in all the small tournaments,” he says.
His perseverance paid off and he re-joined the state team after 3 to 4 four years. Another four years later, with the national squad lacking a quality setter, a super-fit Sundaram became the automatic choice for the Asian Championship in Thailand in 2006. At 38, he was the oldest and was given the opportunity to lead the team. “We lost to China in the semifinals and that remains our best performance since the third place finish in 1982,” the former setter says of his last international game.
On the popularity of the game in Chennai, the current IOB coach who also guided the state team to the national title in December 2013 says, “I have been in Chennai for the last 25 years. Nothing much has changed in terms of crowd reception. You play in the stadiums of Egmore or Santhome, there is hardly any crowd. Even if people come, they stay till 8.30 at the most. Go to residential localities like Kodambakkam or Ashok Nagar, the stadiums are packed with vociferous crowds who don’t mind staying even if the match goes well past midnight. It is a rural sport with rural following.”
He says the game should be taken to the people, to the residential places. “Stadiums wouldn’t do any good.” As for the evolvement of the sport, he adds, “Coming from rural areas and with a passion for the game, all we cared about was playing and securing some job. Things are not the same now. Job opportunities have dwindled and players are also choosy about the team they play and the pay they receive.”
(A weekly column on famous sportspersons whose first playing field was Chennai)
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / by Anjana Senthil, TNN / July 12th, 2014
Picture for representational purpose (Photo: DC archives)
Chennai:
The state government has proposed to set up a deep water port and a gas-based power plant (500 MW capacity) with a floating storage re-gasification unit (FSRU) project in Nagapattinam district as a joint venture with an estimated investment of Rs 3,500 crore.
The FSRU required for import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) will be on a charter basis. The land needed for the back up area for the deep water port for the gas- based power plant and future developments have been identified in south of Nagapattinam.
A policy note tabled by industries department in the assembly on Monday by industries minister P. Thangamani said plans were also on to set up maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in a 50-acre area adjoining the existing Chennai airport. The land has been identified for the project.
It has also been proposed to develop the components manufacturing park for aerospace industry in Sriperumbudur in an area of about 300 acre. Among some of the other projects proposed in the note include a plastic industries park that would be established at Voyalur vilage near Ponneri in Tiruvallur district for Rs 243 crore through the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO).
It will have specialised infrastructure required to accommodate about 70 plastic goods manufacturing units. When fully developed, this park will be able to attract investments to the tune of Rs 2,100 crore and is expected to generate employment for about 25,000 people. The Centre will extend Rs 40 crore as grant for the project.
Tidco would also develop solar power parks to set up around 1000 MW of power projects in multiple locations in association with private players involving a total investment of Rs 9,000 crore. A petroleum, chemicals and petrochemicals investment region (PCPIR) project, would be implemented in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts to create manufacturing facilities.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / by DC Correspondent / July 15th, 2014
A terracotta ring well, believed to be over 2,000 years old, was found near Cuddalore during the desilting work in a lake, under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
When the workers were desilting the Kondangi Lake near Cuddalore old town on Saturday, they found a strange round-shaped object and informed the Annamalai University’s History Department.
A team, led by assistant professor J R Sivaramakrishnan of the Annamalai University,went to the spot and examined the object on Sunday.
Sivaramakrishnan said, “It is a terracotta ring well, which might be 2,200 years old. The ring well is 42 cm high with a radius of 54 cm. A 100 metres away, we found broken pieces of an urn. With all these findings, we could say there was a settlement here during the stone age.”
He added that based on the stone manufacturing style, the ring well may date back to 2nd century BC.”
Further he said that as the area from where the ring well was found was full of sea sand, the place might have been a sea-area centuries ago.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States>Tamil Nadu / by Express News Service / July 14th, 2014
A view of the historical shore temple at Mamallapuram, near Chennai. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Tuesday announced that six more towns in the State would get the heritage tag File photo: K. Pichumani
Thirumuruganpoondi, Kazhugumalai, Swamimalai, Punnainallur Mariamman temple, Thirupuvanavasal and Thirubhuvanam added to the list of heritage towns in the State
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Tuesday announced Rs. 1 crore each for the infrastructure development of 10 ancient and historical towns in the State
The Chief Minister told the Assembly that the State had already declared 64 places as historical and ancient towns and released Rs. 50 lakh each towards the infrastructure development of 60 towns.
Now her government decided to increase the amount to Rs. 1 crore and accordingly Thiurparamkundram, Thiruvattar, Suchindram and Kodumudi would benefit from the announcement.
She also included six more places in the list of ancient towns. They are Thirumuruganpoondi, Kazhugumalai, Swamimalai, Punnainallur Mariamman temple, Thirupuvanavasal and Thirubhuvanam
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National / by Special Correspondent / Chennai – July 15th, 2014
The Laidlaw Memorial School, popularly known as St George’s Homes, located in a scenic valley in Ketti near Ooty, is set to celebrate its centenary on Thursday. The centenary celebrations will be attended by ?old Georgians’ (as the alumni are called), from all over the world and the festivities will continue for three days, said Michael James, principal of the school.
On the inaugural day a statue of Rev John Breeden, the founder of the school, will be inaugurated. St George’s Homes, essentially a residential school, was founded in 1914 by Rev Breeden to provide boarding and education to the children of the Protestant Europeans and Anglo Indian communities.
As it was liberally endowed by Sir Robert Laidlaw, the school was named after him. The school was started in Kodaikanal and was moved to its present home in 1922.
The centenary celebration of the institution is being organised in association with ?Old Georgeons Association’ which boasts of many famous names including Dr Mammen Chandy, one of the leading haematologists and director of Tata Medical Centre in Kolkata and former president of World Hematology Congress and Noel French, gold medal winner in World Veteran’s hockey championship, held recently in Amsterdam. .
A coffee table book containing photos of the school, ?now and then’ and the surrounding forests and the Nilgiri hills will be brought out during the function.
A new pathway named the?Old Georgian Centenary Pathway’ will also be inaugurated on Thursday.
According to James, Thursday will mark the beginning of the year-long celebrations to mark the 100{+t}{+h} year of the institution. Beginning with only three students, the school now has a strength of 525 students, including 250 girls and is a compulsory boarding institution. Since the school was started specifically for the Anglo-Indian community, even today they are provided free education.
About 76 Anglo-Indian students are presently studying in the school.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore / by Shanthan Thiagarajan, TNN / July 10th, 2014
Archaeologists and Telugu scholars in the city say such a rare plaque has been found in the city after many years./ Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam / The Hindu
3-foot-tall block has Telugu inscriptions detailing donations made by merchant
A few metres away from Misri Complex on Narayana Mudali Street in Sowcarpet of north Chennai lies one of the treasures of Old Madras: a three-feet-tall granite plaque with Telugu inscriptions that comprise details of donations made by a prominent merchant to a Shaivite temple in Kancheepuram, in the late 19 century.
The discovery came to light when The Hindu photographer, B. Jothi Ramalingam, who was covering a fire accident in the area, found the plaque, quite by chance, in a two-storey building there.
Archaeologists and Telugu scholars in the city say such a rare plaque has been found in the city after many years. Tucked between the entrance of a building and a shop in its basement, the plaque has 30 short sentences inscribed on it, and a Shiva Lingam and Nandi on top.
Archaeologists and Telugu scholars in the city say such a rare plaque has been found in the city after many years/ Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam / The Hindu
The Lingam and Nandi on the plaque indicate the owner of the plaque may have been a Shaivite, say Telugu scholars.
“Based on the Saka year mentioned in the inscription, which is in chaste Telugu, the plaque has been dated to 1878 A.D. The plaque is nothing but a public document of the donations made by an individual,” says M. Sampathkumar, head of department of Telugu, University of Madras (Marina campus).
He, along with Telugu scholars at the Government Oriental Manuscripts Library, decoded the inscriptions on the plaque.
According to the inscription, K. Chenchenaiya Chetty, a well-known merchant and philanthropist in the then Old Madras region, was the adopted son of Krishnamaiya Chetty, a native of Nellore.
In the inscription, Chenchenaiya says that the income from the building where the plaque is affixed has been donated to a Shiva temple in Kancheepuram.
The donation should be used to conduct evening rituals and pujas at the temple. Further, a portion of the donated money should be used to provide free food and shelter to three pilgrims who visit the temple daily, says the inscription.
Interestingly, the inscription also says that the revenue from the building will be continued to be donated to the temple by Chenchenaiya’s heirs, after the merchant’s lifetime.
Historians and Telugu scholars say the trend of erecting individual plaques on donations was common in Old Madras, especially among rich traders and merchants, mostly Telugus settled in George Town since the Vijayanagara era in the 14 century.
However, over the years, many such plaques from Old Madras have been lost following the destruction or demolition of old buildings.
In fact, most of the plaques at Government Museum in Egmore have Tamil inscriptions and were found in the southern districts.
“Such rare discoveries, especially from the city where Modern India began, should be preserved for future generations,” says K. Sridharan, retired deputy director of the State archaeology department.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai> Society / by D. Madhavan / Chennai – July 13th, 2014
CMC director Dr Sunil Chandy having a look at the pre-analyser that was inaugurated on Friday | EXPRESS
Vellore :
The Christian Medical College Hospital here has emerged as the first hospital in the country to have established a fully-automated clinical biochemistry laboratory that can handle around 1000 samples an hour effortlessly.
While the hospital had introduced automatic sample analysers sometime back, with the inauguration of a fully automated pre-analyser on Friday, the diagnosis of samples has now become a lot easier, safer and faster.
Describing the automation move as ‘hallmark of excellence’, hospital director Dr Sunil Chandy said the push was a result of fusion of useful technology and human enterprise. While the hospital had been on relying on accurate, high- quality lab diagnosis to extend quality care services, the challenge all along has been on achieving prudent and regulated growth to meet the demand from the increasing patients flow, he added.
Hitherto when a sample specimen was received, it went through a pre-analytical phase, comprising registering, centrifuging to separate the plasma or serum or other things, de-capping the tube, bar-coding and organising the samples before it was sent to the analyser machines for testing various parameters.
All these steps were being done manually. It is during this phase that 70 per cent of errors occur and the technologists are maximally exposed to the sample.
The new pre-analyser system offered by multinational company Roche has addressed these issues with a lot of simpler solutions. The bar-coded samples can be loaded on to the pre-analyser system now and the ‘pick and place’ robotic arm would sort the samples and load them on the analyser specific racks or carriers, which could be sent to the analysers for various tests.
Also, Roche has developed customised software for the CMC, that integrates the pre-analytics to the various analysers in the department and to the hospital information system.
General Superintendent Dr Selvakumar, who is also the head of the Department of Clinical Bio-chemistry, said that it was a big leap of automation in the history of the hospital. According to him, the first level of lab automation was started in CMC in 1984 when analysers were introduced for the first time in the country that could handle 250 tests/hour.
Then, bar-coding, pneumatic transport of samples from any part of the hospital followed over a period of time. With the introduction of the two pre-analysers now (each costing around `2.5 crore), the lab is fully automated to reduce the time taken for the tests by 50 per cent besides ensuring safety and accuracy of results.
The lab is manned by 24 technicians, to conduct as many as 170 tests of blood, urine and cerebrospinal fluid on a daily basis. The 40-year-old lab, which was accredited by the NABH in 2002 is presently handling around 5,000 samples a day, which can be scaled up depending on the future needs, Selvakumar added.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by V. NarayanaMurthy / July 12th, 2014
