Kumbakonam coffee

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

There is neither a challan for over charging nor a morcha against this robbery.

An exhilarating taste lingers on the tongue as you drive into Chennai on the so called Express Highway but while returning from Jayalalita’s republic the feeling, if not the taste, will be bitter. It is the degree coffee, or to be more precise Kumbakonam Degree Coffee, that will have invigorated you but the mood spoilers are the notorious auto drivers of Chennai who are a law unto themselves. The KDC is available on the highway with roadside flexies drawing your attention to this special cup of cheer. As a coffee buff I had heard of and savoured fresh, filter and instant coffee. Degree coffee? Well, it was a different cup. And what is Kumbakonam’s role here? 

After gulping down the hot brew, served in a copper cup, I chatted with the owner to get to the bottom of the coffee mystery. As he explained in Tamilinglish pure milk is used in preparing the degree coffee. The milk’s strength is in degrees as measured by the lactometer. Hence it is christened degree coffee. The brownish white froth at the cup’s surface is a sure proof that the milk is undiluted. Fine. But why Kumbakonam? Well, it was first marketed in Kumbakonam years ago by an enterprising Iyer. And now KDC has gone places.

Refreshed with this brew you reach Chennai where the auto driver is waiting to fleece you. The three-wheelers are officially fitted with meters but the contraption is in Manmohan Singh mode. The meter does not talk but the driver dictates. He fixes the rate and if you know the lingua franca of the terrain you can haggle and get 10 to 20 per cent discount. If not you shell out the fare as demanded by the driver. If it is to the US consulate for visa then they charge you airfare!

It is a thriving business in Chennai aided by and abetted by the police. An auto driver from Vannarpet in Bangalore, who has now relocated to Chennai, spilled the beans. In pure Tamilgannada he explained that his day’s earnings (loot?) equalled what four of his counterparts in the Silicon City earned in the same period. That’s why she shifted his gear to Chennai. Its climate may not be salubrious like Bangalore’s but the earnings are and he is making merry.

Tamil Nadu netas promise freebies galore to the electorate but no one promises a metered auto service in Chennai. If only Jayalalita pays half the attention that she pays to demand Cauvery waters she can perhaps discipline them. The grapevine has it that the three wheelers are owned by either the policemen or politicians.

So there is neither a challan for over charging nor a morcha against this 24×7 robbery. The meter is thus an honorary gadget fitted to the vehicle. The driver can as well discard it and save money. Compared to them not all of Bangalore’s automen aren’t that bad. Are they?

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Right in the Middle / by H N Ananda / August 09th, 2013

Metropolitan Transport Corporation honours its best drivers, conductors

Business & Economy, Records, All

Chennai :

The Metropolitan Transport Corporation honoured the best drivers and conductors as part of its Independence Day tradition.

The MTC identified 50 drivers who drove with the best mileage. E Puniyakodi of the Adyar depot topped the list by maintaining an average mileage of 6.38km per litre of diesel. M Thirumal, also from Adyar depot, came second with a mileage of 6.06km per litre.

The average mileage of 3,637 buses run by the corporation is 4.34km per litre. In financial year 2008-09, the mileage was 4.24km per litre. The corporation had 3,260 buses then. The average age of buses now is 4.29 years.

The corporation honoured 25 conductors with the highest average per day collection in the financial year. K Suresh from Chromepet had an average collection of Rs 7,077. On August 13, B Jayakumar, a conductor on route number 12B, created a record by collecting Rs 17,081.

The corporation gave away cash prizes to the children of its employees who fared well in board exams.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai> Mtc / by Karthikeyan Hemalatha, TNN / August 15th, 2013

From today, Senate House to showcase history

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All

Chennai :

From Thursday, the historic Senate House, the first building of University of Madras, will have a permanent exhibit of photographs that highlight the contributions of the university to education in south India.

At least 320 photographs in A3-size, including 16 folios with inscriptional details of the education system in the past, have been put up in the main hall of the building. Each picture has a story to tell, beginning with a paper folio of inscriptions from ghatikas (seats of higher learning during the Pallava period) and mutts (monasteries ) as educational centres in medieval Tamil Nadu.

The exhibition is also a pictorial recollection of the people and events that contributed to the university, which is one of the oldest in India along with University of Calcutta and University of Bombay.

The photographs have been arranged in 25 sub-divisions. Each division has at least 10 to 15 pictures with detailed captions. “We have exhibited photographs of dignitaries, Indians as well as foreign nationals, who were part of the institution and education in the city as a whole. We have also included the old buildings, particularly schools that were later converted into colleges. Presidency College, Government Arts College and Madura College are the best examples,” says P D Balaji, head of the department of ancient history and archeology, whose team took almost a year to collect the photographs from various sources.

Constructed between 1869 and 1873 by British architect Robert Fellowes Chisholm, the Senate House was where the first meeting of the Madras Legislative Assembly of the then Madras Presidency took place in 1937. With its colourful glass windows, stucco work and frescoes on the ceiling, it is a wonder of the Indo-Saracenic style with Byzantine and European architectural features.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai> Senate House / by M T Saju / February 23rd, 2012

Whimpering fuddy-duddy loco impresses with verve to run

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, Science & Technologies
EIR 21 over the Saidapet railway bridge across the Adyar river on Thursday. (Albin Mathew/EPS)
EIR 21 over the Saidapet railway bridge across the Adyar river on Thursday. (Albin Mathew/EPS)

The 158-year old chugging beauty, EIR 21, was the pride of the Railways ever since it was restored at Perumbur Loco Works and put on tracks in 2010. But, on its 6th dream run, the world’s oldest working steam loco gave passengers and officials tense moments as it came to a halt near Chetpet station, shortly after it was flagged off from Egmore.

Much to the dismay of travellers and officials, the train refused to budge for over half an hour. “There was a leak in a steam pipe joint that brought the train to a stop. Since it is a very old train, such issues are expected,“ said one of the senior staff. The water level in the boiler had reportedly gone down, preventing the production of steam, said a staff of the Perumbur Loco Works.

Finally, much to the relief of Railway officials, the train revived. “Senior officials announced an award of Rs 30,000 for the engineers and technicians who revived the train,” said the staff.

The Railway denied allegations that the train had been pulled by a diesel train after it broke down in Chetpet.“The diesel train is always kept as a stand-by in case of an emergency. But today, the train was revived immediately and the journey continued,” said a Railway spokesperson.

The train, built in 1855, was brought to India from Leeds, UK, where it was built. According to Railway archives, the train was used by the East India Company to transport troops from Howrah to Raniganj to quell the 1857 freedom struggle. After serving for over over 55 years; it was withdrawn from service in 1909. For over a hundred years, it lay at the Jamalpur workshops and Howrah station as an exhibit, where it was exposed to the elements. The damaged and corroded engine reached Perumbur Loco Works, where it was finally restored and put back on tracks.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service – Chennai / August 16th, 2013

Celebrating Chennai landmarks from the colonial era

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence

What’s common between Robert Fellowes Chisholm and Henry Irwin? Well, these are leading British architects who are majorly responsible for planning out some of the best buildings in the city that have stood the test of time. On Independence Day, we take a look at five such beauties…

(Celebrating Chennai landmarks…)
(Celebrating Chennai landmarks…)

Presidency College

That it is expedient that a Central Collegiate Institution or University should be established at Madras – this was part of the proposals passed, which later led to the establishment of this college. This landmark building, which houses one of the oldest government arts colleges in the country, was completed in 1870.

Victoria Public Hall

Built to commemorate the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria, it came about as a result of generous contributions of many prominent citizens of the city. The reason? They all wanted a hall to hold public events. Plays by the stalwarts of Tamil theatre, including Pammal Sambanda Mudaliar, have been staged at this prestigious venue that has also witnessed talks by leading national personalities like Swami Vivekananda.

Senate House

Visitors to the University of Madras cannot help but marvel at this piece of art, built during the British colonial period. Robert Chisholm, considered to be the pioneer of the Indo-Saracenic architecture, is said to have been instrumental in designing this opposite the world-famous Marina Beach around 1873.

Museum theatre

If you’re a lover of plays, then chances are that you would have definitely been to this place. The Museum Theatre is a well-known landmark in the city even today for holding plays and performances. It was built in the 19th century in a semi-circular structure for stage, primarily for the British to stage plays for the elite in the city. The theatre is located in the museum campus, where, around 1854, tiger and lion cubs were kept for visitors to see!

Central Station

Built on a combination of Gothic and Romanesque styles, this grand building – which greets everybody who arrives by train to the city – was initially said to be built with four platforms and then redesigned. The station, and the clock tower, are regular features even in Tamil movies, to mark the arrival of someone to Madras.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Life & Style> Travel> Presidency College / by Srinivas Ramanujam, TNN / August 15th, 2013

TVS Logistics bags Hindustan Motors spare parts warehousing contract

Business & Economy

Chennai :

Supply chain solutions provider TVS Logistics Services Ltd  (LSL) has bagged the spare parts warehousing contract from CK Birla Group  firm Hindustan Motors for managing its warehousing activities.

(TVS Logistics bags HM spare…)
(TVS Logistics bags HM spare…)

“TVS Logistics will be responsible for managing the end-to-end warehousing solutions in parts distribution centre for Hindustan Motors Ltd at its Tiruvallur plant near Chennai”, city-based TVS Logistics said in a statement.

TVS Logistics would provide Hindustan Motors with the expertise and project management capabilities, in order to improve warehousing activities, focus on optimising inventory, reduction of lead times in order execution and improving stock accuracy.

TVS LSL would be responsible for implementing the technological solutions that would be required to support the complete end-to-end supply chain ensuring maximum flexibility and real time visibility of inventory, it said.

“We are glad to have the services of TVS Logistics for our warehousing solutions and for distributing spare parts and tools across the nation for our key products”, Hindustan Motors, Chief Operating Officer , P Vijayan said.

“With their high level of expertise at the automobile logistics sector, we are confident that TVS LSL will add value to our business.”, he added.

TVS Logistics’ end-to-end solutions would ensure uninterrupted availability of spare parts across the country for Hindustan Motors products including — premium sedans Lancer, Cedia, SUVs Montero, Pajero, Outlander, luxury sedan Lancer Evolution, the statement said.

“Warehouse management solutions is one of the many specialised services that are being offered by TVS Logistics and we are delighted to offer this service expertise to Hindustan Motors”, TVS Logistics Services, CEO-India, R Shankar said.

The outsourcing of warehousing activity would allow Hindustan Motors to focus on service quality, product management, reduction in lead time of order execution,the statement added.

source: http://www.articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com / The Economic Times / Home> Shipping-Transport> Collections> Spare Parts / by PTI / August 12th, 2013

Learning through exchange of ideas

Education, World Opinion
WCC students being trained by American faculties as a part of the transfer program
WCC students being trained by American faculties as a part of the transfer program

Building on the transfer program that they started with the Concordia College, New York, last year, the Women’s Christian College has now launched a teaching initiative with academicians from the US at the helm.

Six faculty members of the Concordia College along with the president, Viji George are now handling a series of one-week courses for over 350 of their undergraduate students at the WCC campus in Nungambakkam. The courses carry one credit (under the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS)) and offer Business, Psychology, Special Education, Life Sciences and Humanities as options.

WCC began the transfer program last year with the reputed American institution, which encouraged a mutual sharing of students, resources and knowledge between the two.

This year, the professors from Concordia are here to further their academic relations and hone their teaching expertise with a new set of students. Jim Burkee, associate professor of History and Economics said, “This is a unique opportunity for me as an American faculty member to share my passion for my discipline (entrepreneurship) with the students of WCC. I will walk away from this experience immensely enriched.”

Ridling Margaret Waller, principal of WCC, said that collaborations of this nature reflected the functional and meaningful ways of sharing expertise across institutions, thus providing a pathway for exchange of ideas between people.

source :  http://www.newindianexpress.com / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service – Chennai / August 15th, 2013

A day with doughty Gautam Gambhir

Sports
Gautam Gambhir takes a walk down the pitch of the cricket ground that he inaugurated in Theni, Dindigul in Tamil Nadu. (DC Photograph)
Gautam Gambhir takes a walk down the pitch of the cricket ground that he inaugurated in Theni, Dindigul in Tamil Nadu. (DC Photograph)

Gautam Gambhir is no ordinary member of the pack of IPL millionaires. He has a mind of his own and he does not mind speaking it. Spending a day with him in Chennai-Madurai on his visit to a couple of schools was a revelation.

Maybe, all of NextGen of the cricket world may not be as bright as Gambhir but it’s clear they may be different from their uncertain prede cessors of the previous millennium when the selection axe and financial uncertainty seemed to affect their outlook and confidence.

A difficult question came up in an interaction with school children in Tiruvallur, near Chennai. What did Gambhir think of the situation on the border? Ten times out of ten cricketers would have ducked the question with the same instinct with which they let bouncers go.

But Gambhir was bold enough to say “What happened is sad. Jawans can’t be killed on their own soil. Imagine the kind of motivation soldiers would need to be posted on the border“

And how should India act?

“Stop talking to Pakistan. The time has come to take some very tough decisions.“ He said it with the decisiveness in the manner of confident youth. But then Gambhir may also be considered an exception in the crowd of toiling cricketers. Long before he first wore the India blue and much before IPL transformed the lot of players, Gambhir was a rich kid, his dad being a prosperous businessman. His background and his awareness shows in the variety of subjects he is willing to discuss.

Gambhir sprang the name of Shaheed Bhagat Singh when asked whether he had a hero. No, he had no cricketing icons he looked up to when young, just the revolutionary Bhagat Singh who fought the British. The spontaneous answer in many Indian cricketers to the question of who his favourite ODI player was would probably be Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Not for Gambhir who rates Shane Watson of Australia and Rajasthan Royals as the best ‘instant’ cricketer.

But then the background to that could be the tensions between India’s most successful skipper and the opener that went public soon after the World Cup win.

While Dhoni soaked in the praise for his up-the-order aggression that settled the match, the top scorer of the innings felt team work had done the trick. “A captain is only as good as his team,“ Gambhir stressed when probed.

Not the type to curry favour in order to make comebacks, the Delhi lad who lives in the neighbourhood of the Gangaram Hospital, is convinced Test selection will come when the time is right, which will be very soon is his guess.

A lover of the Delhi Metro rail, Gambhir spoke of how much the infra transportation project had done to ease the lives of Delhiites. “How much the Metro means to life in the capital will be known if they so much as shut it for a day,“ Gambhir says.

“The stations offer protection, from the heat in summer and the cold in winter, so too the travel in the coaches. Going by DTC bus in any part of the year is uncomfortable. They should have a Metro in every city,“ he says with that idealism of the young who can recognsie what represents the common good. By that token, Bengaluru is not a favourite of Gambhir although he visited the city a lot in his early career days when he trained at the NCA.

“Today the traffic doesn’t move. You are stuck inside a car for hours. The Metro project is slow. Imagine the impact on city life if anyone going out can connect by Metro. There would be far less motorcycles and cars on the roads. Again, the problem in India is demand outstrips supply even before the infra can be put up. We have to plan for the cities because that is where most of India will live,“ he says with a logic that cannot be questioned.

He was unfazed by a manic day which began with a crawl in morning traffic to Shree Niketan School in Thiruvallur and then weaving in and out of the traffic to make it to the airport on time for a just after noon flight to Madurai. A positively paranoia-inducing drive to Natham for a visit to the NPR Group of Institutions and back just in time to make the flight to Chennai and on to Delhi would have told on anyone. Not on the doughty opener for whom it was all a day’s social service to inspire the youth of today to dream big for tomorrow.

While frequent conversations on the mobile may have thrown light on how much of a family man he is, queries every few minutes to know the score in the Ashes Test were privy to his passion for cricket.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle /Home> Sports> Cricket / DC / by R Mohan / August 15th, 2013

Ugam Solutions Partners with Leading Institute PSG to Co-create Next Gen Retail & Analytics Talent

Business & Economy, Education, Science & Technologies

Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu :

PSG Polytechnic College, and PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, signs MoU with Ugam Solutions to create a Retail and Analytics Elective. 

Ugam Solutions has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with PSG Polytechnic College and PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, to expand their student training opportunities by creating a new industry elective for retail and analytics. The college will work closely with Ugam Solutions to develop a business-based elective that will prepare students for specific and highly marketable skills within the retail and analytics fields.

(Left to right)Dr Rudramoorthy Principal, PSG Polytechnic college and Mr Sunil Mirani, CEO Ugam Solutions exchanging the MOU

(Left to right)Dr Rudramoorthy Principal, PSG Polytechnic college and Mr Sunil Mirani, CEO Ugam Solutions exchanging the MOU

The MoU was signed by Dr. R. Rudhramoorthy, Principal of PSG College of Technology and Polytechnic College, and Mr. Sunil Mirani, CEO Ugam Solutions, at the college on Monday 12th August 2013. Dr. R. Rudhramoorthy presided over the signing ceremony. Other dignitaries attending included Ms. S. Sharmila, Head of Department – Information Technology, and Mr. Dharmesh Mistry, Chief Talent Officer, Ugam Solutions.

Commenting on this new academic offering, Mr. Sunil Mirani said, “While students today come well equipped with the technical skills, the application of the same in the business context is missing. With this new elective, Ugam will impart the practical understanding of the application of analytics and technology in the world of retail, thereby making students more employable”, Dr. R. Rudhramoorthy added, “Bridging the gap between academics and industry is one of the major trends of PSG polytechnic college. This MoU targets the final year students to fulfill the expectations of the industry and make them industry ready.”

source: http://www.itnewsonline.com / IT News Online / Home / by Business Wire India / August 14th, 2013

Man awarded for selling purified ground water at low cost

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technologies

Coimbatore :

Anuj Sharma, COO of Sarvajal, a firm that sells water, was in town to receive the Force Park Shared Value Award from the Park Group of Institutions on Wednesday. His firm purifies ground water and sells it through water ATMs.

“Pure water can easily be made available at a lower cost,” said Anuj. He had started the project 4 years ago in his home town of Alwar in Rajasthan. His water is now available in a few states as of now. The purified water is supplied through tanks from where people can collect it using their ATMs. “A litre of water will cost a maximum of 50 paise. The ATM which is similar to those used to withdraw money from banks can be recharged using cards. They will show the quality of water apart from the balance available.

“We target places where there are ground water sources, but lack quality water distribution. There should be a minimum of 1,000 households in the area,” he said. ‘Water ATM’ was a concept they developed to monitor the distribution of the water and check its quality.

“Around 50 percent of diseases are water borne diseases. At the same time, most water purifiers are either inefficient or costly. Thus, I came up with this idea,” he said. Responding to charges of commercialisation of water resources, he says they make sure their business model is affordable to all.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore> Water Resources / TNN / August 08th, 2013