Monthly Archives: August 2012

Perambalur school sets record for largest salt flag

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

Students of Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan matriculation higher secondary school create the largest Tricolour made of salt in Perambalur as part of Independence Day celebrations on Tuesday. — DC

What better way to usher in Independence Day as we, the Indians, take a step into the 66th year of freedom by entering record books.

The 19-year-old Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Perambalur on Tuesday set a record of sorts by creating the largest national flag.

The national flag measuring 45X30 metres was made using 20,500 kilograms of salt. Around 2,000 kg saffron colour powder, 2,000 kg green colour powder was also used to decorate the flag. About 500 kg of navy blue colour powder was used for the Ashoka Chakra.

The feat was accomplished in a matter of four-and-a-half hours. The event started by 7 am at Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan engineering college.

“The event happened in a magnificent way and exemplified that we Indians have yet not forgotten the salt march undertaken by Mahatma Gandhi and all the pains endured during the freedom struggle,” A Srinivasan, founder and correspondent, Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Educational Institutions, said.

The record was adjudicated by Ms Catherine Boussard from London, UK and ambassador of Elite World Records, and Mr Simon Gerard, adjudicator of Asian Records Academy, Singapore. We have also applied to the Indian Records Academy, Mr Srinivasan said. Collector Dr Darez Ahamed of Perambalur district was the chief guest

source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> Channels> Cities> Others / DC, Perambalur, August 15th, 2012

Fashion guru’s herbal garments heal

Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Science & Technologies

A professor of Fashion Technology in Coimbatore has come up with trendy herbal solutions to nagging ailments. He heals sinuses by giving patients handkerchiefs treated with sandalwood and offers neem T-shirt to cure Psoriasis.

Professor K. Chandrasekaran is making good use of the benefits of coming from a family of Siddha doctors even after branching out into fashion technology.

Heading the department of Fashion Technology at PSG College of Technology in Coimbatore, Prof Chandrasekaran teamed up with two other teachers and carried out research into the effect of using 16 medicinal herb extracts like neem, sandalwood, turmeric and tulsi to treat garments used by people suffering from ailments such as chronic headache, asthma, sinus, liver disorders and joint pains.

Qualified naturopathy doctors in Coimbatore monitored the subjects and found remarkable improvements and tests showed that the garments retained the antibacterial performance of the herbal substance for 10-15 washes.

“The results have been hugely encouraging. Patients showed remarkable recovery in 48 days, which constitutes one mandalam in alternative medicine,” Prof Chandrasekaran told this newspaper.

He added that patients had been advised to wear the curative garments
next to their skin for 10-12 hours a day, especially during sleeping, for better results.

The research work was published in the prestigious Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge in its July 2012 edition.

Prof Chandrasekaran said he would soon complete the research and introduce his healing garments in the market. A welcome byproduct would be the elimination of chemical dyes and growing more trees and herbs.

source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> Channels> Cities> Chennai / by Pramila Krishnan / DC, Chennai, August 14th, 2012

Web research and cloud computing’

Education, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

Hari Vasu tells Sangeeta Yadav that there is a lot on offer to the students under the collaboration between Yahoo India R&D and IIT Madras

What is the main agenda behind this collaboration?

Supporting the academic community is a top priority at Yahoo. And we achieve this through scientific leadership, new research, business collaborations, online products and employment opportunities. Our collaboration with IIT – Madras is an example of Yahoo’s global commitment to leveraging industry-academia relationships to deliver breakthrough technology and innovations. We have been working closely for the last three years and our collaboration has now reached a milestone in the form of the Yahoo! grid computing lab launch which aims to spur research in big data problems in areas such as search, personalisation and digital advertising.

What is Yahoo! Grid Computing Lab all about?

Under this partnership, IIT-Madras researchers will have access to web-scale data and conduct research in the area of distributed computing, cloud computing, machine learning and big data. The grid computing infrastructure consists of 30 high end servers and is already operational. Unlike many other Hadoop clusters donated earlier by Yahoo to IITs, which were used to do problems on top of Hadoop, this is a first of its kind experimentation cluster by Yahoo which will allow research on core systems and help discover some new paradigms in the area of large scale distributed computing.

How will this benefit the students of IIT?

This cluster of high-end servers at the lab will allow students and researchers to access web-scale data and conduct research on big data and cloud computing systems. The partnership will support researchers at IIT-Madras to process and analyse huge volumes of structured and unstructured data which, to date, has been limited due to significant cost barriers in getting large computing systems operational. We will supplement this with invaluable data access and promote awareness of hard technical challenges through ‘tech talks’ by some of the best minds at Yahoo. Our hope is to catalyse and align research agenda at these premier institutes by providing a level playing field to co-invent next generation web technologies.

Is there any fee or eligibility required to enroll under this programme?

The lab is absolutely free and any student or researcher interested in pursuing research on Grid Computing at the IIT-Madras can access the lab.

What are the other projects Yahoo India has launched to facilitate cloud computing?

We previously established a Hadoop Cluster lab at the IIT Bombay campus. The lab is helping students, researchers and faculty in the domain of Web-scale data research including web search, text mining, data management and natural language processing. With this facility, students, faculty and researchers are getting exposure to cloud computing environment and are supporting research study of advance searching and ranking techniques.

How does this open up a new arena of exciting opportunities for the students?

Yahoo’s collaboration with premier institutes like the IITs will provide some of the brightest minds in India and the world to access raw computing power, web-scale software technology and rich data sets. It’s a win-win situation for all of us. For the students it is now easy to play around with web scale data and get exposure to some real world scientific challenges. For Yahoo, the research that goes in academic institutions like IIT Bombay directly benefits Yahoo who depends on such critical innovation and cannot do everything by itself.

source: http://www.dailypioneer.com / Home> Avenues / Pioneer / Thursday, August 14th, 2012

Life in tea plantations

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Life in tea plantations

The audio and trailer of Bala’s next film, Paradesi, is expected to be launched in London on September 19.

Sources close to the director say he has tried to portray the sad lives of workers in tea plantations in the 1930s. Another reason the film has stepped up expectations is it is being produced by Bala himself.

Shot in Salur, Manamadurai and parts of Kerala, the film has Adharvaa, son of actor Murali, Vedhika and Dhansikaa playing the lead roles. Some sequences have been canned in the forests of Kannakarai in Theni District.

Ajith, a voracious reader too

While many know Ajith loves aeroplanes and racing, what’s not known is he’s also a voracious reader. The actor, who is slogging it out at the gym to lose weight for Vishnuvardhan’s film, says he was impressed with a book he recently read titled, The Teaching of Buddha (Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai). He feels the book will help individuals realise the significance of the concept, ‘live and let live.’

Father-daughter bond

Close on the heels of Deivathirumagal, yet another movie showcasing the bond between a dad and his daughter is being made. Ram, director of Katradhu Tamizh, is directing and acting in the film, titled Thangameengal, being produced by Gautham Menon’s Photon Kathaas.

Yuvan, who composed the music for Katradhu Tamizh, will be composing the music for this film as well. The film will also feature Rohini and Padmapriya in important roles.

Sources close to the film unit say a team has been travelling across the State to create a special album featuring school children and Yuvan.

Come September, watch ‘Anaconda-5’ at crocodile bank

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nature

Chennai:

They were brought from the Czech Republic last October. And now having settled down and acclimatised, they are all set to meet visitors. The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust (MCBT) will unveil their anaconda display in the beginning of September and people will get an opportunity to view the huge reptiles that they have so far seen only in Hollywood movies.

“The enclosure that has been set up for the reptiles will replicate the south American rainforest habitat. It includes a waterbody and a land area which will allow the snakes to bask in the Chennai sunshine,” says MCBT director Colin James Stevenson. Anacondas require access to both land and water, even though they spend a lot of time in the water.

The MCBT will also put up a underwater viewing facility. Native to South America, they are the heaviest snakes.

The three yellow anacondas (Eunectes Notaeus) and two green anacondas (Eunectes murinus) were acquired as part of an exchange programme with the Protivin Crocodile Zoo in the Czech Republic. MCBT, which is the only zoo in India to house both the green and yellow anacondas, hopes that the iconic species will give a boost to their snake talks.

“People will want to see them, so we can use it to talk about snakes and dispel some of the myths surrounding them,” says Stevenson. “Our aim is to create awareness about snakes through our talks and interactions with visitors.”

Since their arrival, the anacondas have been quarantined. “They have been kept in an internal, room-sized enclosure and their health was monitored regularly ,” says Stevenson, who wanted to ensure that the reptiles were well cared for and calm enough to handle visitors viewing them before putting them on display.

The settling-in period has also helped the keepers get used to the snakes’ behaviour — eating patterns, basking behaviour and shedding cycles. “Being reptiles, they do not eat everyday. We normally feed them once a week,” says Stevenson.

Two-full time snake keepers have also been trained in anaconda husbandry. Detailed observations of the snakes are made everyday and the position of each anaconda is also recorded throughout the day. “We have to ensure that we have got their enclosure habitat right,” he says.

At the moment, the green anacondas are around five feet tall (1.5 metres). While the females can grow up to 16ft, the males get to be eight or nine feet. Stevenson is hopeful that the anacondas will be a major draw. “They have quite attractive markings and are a pretty species. They will be very popular with he visitors,” he says.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Chennai / by Priya M Menon, TNN / August 07th, 2012

Development races with time without a course

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

PLEASANT SHADES: A green canopy on the Race Course Road. / Photo: M. Periasamy / The Hindu

Wide road, trees on either side and the quiet neighbourhood are rapidly giving way to multi-storeyed apartments, offices, and retail outlets in Race Course, writes M. Soundariya Preetha

Valankulam, a vast water body that was away from the hustles of daily activities, birds that came to it from far, and the thick green cover around the tank were among the attractions for the British to develop a neighbourhood in what is now the Coimbatore Race Course Road.

About 150 years ago, apart from the Collector’s house, three major firms were present on Race Course Road – T. Stanes, Peirce Leslie and the Tea Estates of India. In the early 1870s came the CSI All Souls Church and the Coimbatore Club.

When young Robert Stanes came down to Coimbatore from Coonoor for treatment of an injured eye, he stayed at the Collector’s bungalow on Race Course Road. He then purchased land from the Madras Railway company (later to become the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway and after independence the Southern Railway), which had erected temporary workshops in Coimbatore in the Race Course area, says K.S. Hegde, managing director of T. Stanes and Company.

The premises of T. Stanes and Peirce Leslie had coffee curing yards. “The Den” where Sir Robert Stanes lived, which is a small house on the Stanes premises with entrance on Tiruchi Road, the Collector’s Bungalow, and the bungalow that was part of the Peirce Leslie premises are some of the existing historical structures in the area.

“Before independence, the area had an English flavour,” says Vijay Venkataswamy, who is a Race Course resident for more than two decades and is the former president of the Race Course and Residents’ Association.

Gradually the area developed, mainly with residences for the officials. Though it is known as Race Course Road, it is believed to have never been used for competitive horse racing. Some of the elders recall how Race Course road was used by cyclists, walkers and horse riders. It was said that there were days when actor M.K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar would ride horse on the road as part of his daily exercise, says one of them.

After independence, the locality started developing with more houses, Government offices and residences for officials coming up.

The sprawling houses, wide road, trees on either side of the road, and the quiet neighbourhood are rapidly giving way to multi-storeyed apartments, offices, and retail outlets in many parts of Race Course. Yet, it continues to be a paradise for walkers. People from across the city come to the Race Course now for their daily walk.

What is, however, worrying is that infrastructure development is inadequate. Can you believe that many houses and apartments are not connected to underground drainage system?, asks Mr. Venkataswamy.

Even 25 years ago, garbage was cleared regularly, the roads were not so polluted and vehicles were not eating into the driving space on the road.

Almost 50 per cent of the area is under commercial development now. Commercialisation started in the late 1990s and has accelerated in the last 10 years, says Mr. Venkataswamy. Initially it was corporate offices. However, there is no planned development now. Certain parts of Race Course should be zoned as only residential areas and parking and traffic flow should be regulated, he says.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by M. Soundariya Preetha / August 03rd, 2012

Sundram Fasteners investing in China with long-term plans

Business & Economy

August 3, 2012:

China, where Sundram Fasteners Ltd has local operations, is also in recession mode. But the company says it is investing in the dragon country for the long term.

The company set up a manufacturing plant in China six years ago, one of the first to set up shop there. “We now have enough savvy and know-how in this market. We are looking at China 25-30 years from now.”

SFL began its journey here by partly diverting production from India to gain traction in the Chinese market. Later, it approached its global customers who had factories in China. The company is now gearing up for the third phase – supplying to Chinese car makers.

“This is the most difficult phase because Chinese companies traditionally like to buy from Chinese companies. But China is upgrading its quality to compete internationally in serious engineering. So, they are looking at suppliers whom the MNCs buy from,” says Krishna.

The shift is happening slowly, says Krishna. “We are a Chinese company. Out of 200 people, only five to six are Indians. Right from salesman and production manager to chief accountant and personnel manager, all are Chinese.”

China car sales was around 18 million in 2011

source: http://www.TheHinduBusinessLine.com / Home> Companies / by Vinay Kamath & Swetha Kamath / August 03rd, 2012

Tanuvas starts b tech poultry production tech

Education, Science & Technologies

The Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) on Thursday announced the introduction of a four-year undergraduate programme, B.Tech Poultry Production Technology, from this academic year.

The university plans to develop new-generation vaccines to protect livestock from new and existing diseases, said Dr R. Prabakaran, the vice-chancellor of the varsity on Thursday.

The veterinary sciences universtity is also conducting 154 research projects this year, while last year 53 research projects were carried out with an outlay of `45.11 crore, said the vice-chancellor.

The varsity had established a nano technology center for advanced research projects and a corpus would be raised to provide grants to young scientists, the vice-chancellor said at a press conference here.

TANUVAS will hold its 15th convocation on Friday, Prabakaran said, adding that a total of 225 graduates will be awarded degrees.

As many as 99 medals will be awarded to graduates at the convocation for academic excellence.

Governor K. Rosaiah will preside over the function, while Prof A.K. Srivastava, director and vice-chancellor, National Dairy Research Institute, Haryana, would deliver the convocation address.

source: http://www.AsianAge.com / Home> Metros> Chennai / by Prasanth Vijayakumar, DC- Chennai / August 03rd, 2012

Ooty continues to draw crowds despite MTR closure

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment

The closure of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) did not seem to have, as many feared, stifled tourist flow to the Queen of Hills over the weekend.

Following the Supreme Court order banning tourism in tiger reserves across the country, the MTR was closed last Wednesday.

“The tourist rush was normal, with around 3,600 visiting the Government Botanical Garden on Saturday. More or less the same number visited the garden on Sunday as well. In fact, since it is monsoon month, it is off season now,” an official with the tourism department pointed out.

This, however, was on unexpected lines as the MTR was a tourism hotspot.

“It has been five days since the MTR was closed. Though we feared that the weekend crowd would be very minimal, it was normal. Most of the tourists who visited the garden were from Kerala and Karnataka. Crowds at Ooty Lake and Doddabetta were also normal. Given the situation, the closure of  Mudumalai will not affect tourism in the Nilgiris, in any way, in future,” the official added.

Tourists from Kerala and Karnataka accounted for 70 per cent of visitors, he said. For them, Mudumalai was a transit point on the way to Ooty.“Now, they drive straight to Ooty skipping Mudumalai due to a ban on entry,” the official said.

Reiterating the hypothesis that the closure of the MTR was unlikely to affect tourism to the area, a senior forest official explained, “Not all tourists preferred to visit MTR. As per the official figures, over 20 to 22 lakh tourists visit Ooty every year. Of these, only two lakh tourists visit Mudumalai. While tourist spots in Ooty earned a minimum annual income of `10 crore, the income earned by Mudumalai was just `1 crore.

The SC order, the forest official felt, could be a blessing in disguise.

“As instances of man-animal conflict has reached the nadir in the Nilgiris forest areas, particularly in Gudalur and Mudumalai, in the last two years due to drought and deforestation, it may be better to develop tourism activities in non-forest areas for the welfare and safety of wildlife, local residents and tourists,”

“The unwanted legal conflicts between forest officials and serious environmentalists will also end. The government’s manpower and people’s tax money can also be saved,” he said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / Home> States> TamilNadu / by R. Haldorai – Udhagamandalam / July 30th, 2012

Meet the Halai Memons of Madurai

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Uncategorized

Madurai:

The Halai Memons migrated to Madurai from Ranavav, situated close to Gandhiji’s birth place Porbandar in Gujarat in the 1870s for trade and business purposes. Incidentally, it was a Memon who took Gandhiji to South Africa for the first time.

Established in 1878, the Hajeemoosa store is a famous landmark in Madurai, situated near the east gate of the Sri Meenakshi Amman temple and still continues to be patronized by people from Madurai and many southern districts. M Ismail Omar, the present owner of the store says that his forefathers realized the great potential that Madurai had in terms of trade and started establishing their businesses here. The present store has many floors, but originally it was established as a small 100 sq feet shop. Many of them established their shops around the temple and flourished as they were well versed in the textile trade. These merchants were the connection to the outer world, as their goods included fabrics exported from across the world, making them much sought after by the elite.

Though reluctant to come to Madurai at first and leave their relatives behind, the ladies soon followed their husbands and started adapting to Madurai, as the journey back and forth from their hometown took many days. Their counterparts, the Sourashtrians, came forward to rent their homes to them when they first started settling in Madurai. Even today both communities continue to maintain close ties.

As their trade flourished, the Halai Memons reduced the number of visits to Ranavav as they could not leave their work in Madurai unattended. Ismail says that he has never been to his native place. But many still continue to visit their hometown for family functions and weddings.

People of this community make sure that their children converse in their language called Memoni, a mixture of Gujarati and Sindhi, right from the beginning. Weddings are a time to showcase their cultural and traditional art forms like the dandiya dance. All the 350 families of this community who live in Madurai are members of the Halai Memon Association, which has one of the oldest marriage halls in the city constructed in 1965. They rented out the premises to the people of Madurai for a very nominal cost, even when marriage halls were not constructed here.

Being pious Muslims, they celebrate and observe the festivals of Ramzan Eid, Eid-ul-Azha and Milad-un-Nabi, with a lot of religious fevour. Ramzan feasts are grand affairs with traditional delicacies and include dates brought all the way from Saudi Arabia.

The founder president of the Tamil Nadu Textile Merchants Association A C Mohammed, belonged to this community. His contribution to the development of the textile trade in Tamil Nadu is still remembered by the textile industries. He was also the founder member of the Rotary Club of Madurai, which is celebrating its centenary year this year and is the second oldest club in Tamil Nadu.

This community is also known for its charitable nature, contributing in a big way to orphanages, hospitals and the members are active members of the Rotary, Lions and Jaycees clubs. Today, the Halai Memons constitute an important part of Madurai, helping the city make significant strides towards development.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Madurai / by Padmini Sivarajah, TNN / July 31st, 2012