Monthly Archives: January 2014

Engineer gets dream job past 50

Business & Economy, Records, All
L.Rajagopal / The Hindu
L.Rajagopal / The Hindu

Government job comes 22 years after he registered with employment exchange

Twenty-two years after he registered with the employment exchange in Tamil Nadu, L.Rajagopal’s dream came true: he landed a government job, six years before he is scheduled to retire.

He was given his appointment order for the post of assistant engineer in the Chennai Corporation about 10 days ago. On the first day of the training session for newly recruited assistant engineers at Ripon Buildings on Monday, Mr.Rajagopal along with other engineers half his age, declared his determination to contribute to welfare measures and civic improvement during his tenure.

After two frustrating attempts in his pursuit of his personal ‘Holy Grail’ – a government job – Mr. Rajagopal heaved a huge sigh of relief on the the first day of the training session.

He is the oldest among the 81 assistant engineers selected by the Corporation recently. The youngest engineer is 21 years.

The decision to opt for “private practice” after graduating from Tirunelveli Government Engineering College in the 1980s cost him a secure future, he rues. “I registered late with the employment office, in 1992. I was a (private) licensed surveyor in Srivilliputtur. As competition increased, I was unable to sustain the initial drive. By the time I understood the importance of a secure government job, it was too late,” says Mr.Rajagopal whose eldest daughter is all set to join college next year.

“In 2007, I appeared for a test, and on clearing it, I joined the TWAD Board, but thought the position offered at the TNPCB was better, so I moved. Unfortunately, that batch could not continue in service because of a court case. I was again left without a government job,” he says.

“Now, this new job seems challenging. I will certainly strive to bring about a change in civic conditions of my ward by giving additional focus on maintaining records,” promises Mr.Rajagopal.

“The coming six years will provide me a wonderful opportunity to explore the meaning of public service in life.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Tamil Nadu / by Aloysius Xavier Lopez / Chennai – January 21st, 2014

City Rapunzels donate locks to cancer patients

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features

Chennai :

Rapunzel may have used her locks to allow her lover to visit her, but Chennai’s long-haired girls are using their locks to give hope to children with cancer.

The Rotaract Club of Women’s Christian College (WCC) has adopted an initiative where girls can contribute their hair to make wigs for poor cancer patients. The hair would have to be a minimum of 10 inches long. The students plan to get the wigs made and donate them to the Adyar Cancer Institute.

The girls, who plan to receive hair donations from the public, too, got the idea from Locks of Love, an American organisation that organises a similar donation. “We were looking to take up an initiative that will reach people directly,” said club president Rennee Saradha, a final year student who plans to tonsure for the cause. A group of students visited Adyar Cancer Institute to find out if wigs were required. “We need at least 100 wigs a month,” said Dr V Surendran, psycho oncologist at the institute.

Cancer patients lose hair during chemotherapy. While the hair does grow back once they are cured, patients, especially children and girls tend to feel embarrassed during the treatment. “Hair loss affects their body image,” said Dr Surendran. “So they become even more depressed during the treatment.”

Wigs in the country are expensive and are not easily available. A 10-inch wig costs between 4,500 and 6,000. “Many patients who come to our institute are poor, and they opt for free or subsidised treatment. They cannot afford a wig,” said Dr Surendran.

The initiative will be inaugurated on February 4 with the WCC students being the first to donate hair. “We aim to contribute at least 200 wigs from hair collected from the campus,” says Saradha who plans to contribute her 14 inch-long hair.

The girls have tied up with Green Trends Salon which will visit the campus everyday through February and cut and save the hair of donors. “We have started training our stylists to cut eight-inch locks from customers, but ensure their hair style and looks are not altered drastically,” said S Deepak Praveen, senior marketing manager of the salon.

What the girls need now are more volunteers to donate hair and sponsorship for the cost of making the wigs. “It is a labour intensive small-scale industry. They are charging us 3,500 to make a wig,” says Saradha. “Every rupee counts for the cancer-affected children.”

The Rotaract Club of Women’s Christian College (WCC) has started an initiative where girls can contribute their hair to make wigs for poor cancer patients. Rennee Saradha (left) and Ramya Ramachandran will be among the first to donate their hair.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / by Pratiksha Ramkumar, TNN / January 12th, 2014

Restaurant waste fuels Chennai noon-meal kitchen

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Science & Technologies
The plant is yet to reach its full capacity. However, the gas generated now is enough to boil eggs, served to the students of Cantonment High School along with lunch./ Photo: G. Krishnaswamy / The Hindu
The plant is yet to reach its full capacity. However, the gas generated now is enough to boil eggs, served to the students of Cantonment High School along with lunch./ Photo: G. Krishnaswamy / The Hindu

Once the plant reaches full capacity, there will be enough gas to run the stove for 150 minutes, nonstop, every day

Food waste generated from restaurants has helped to light the stove at the noon-meal kitchen of a government school in St. Thomas Mount.

More than 150 children have lunch at the school every day.

Clean energy

A biogas plant was set up at Cantonment High School in St. Thomas Mount last week. Through the simple process of fermentation of degradable waste, the plant produces methane gas from food waste.

Through a pipeline, the gas reaches a conventional stove in the noon-meal kitchen of the school.

The plant is yet to reach its full capacity as trials are still on. However, the gas generated now is enough to boil eggs that are served to the students along with the lunch. Once the plant reaches full capacity, there will be enough gas to run the stove for 150 minutes, nonstop, every day.

Plant costs Rs. 25,000

The plant was inaugurated by S. Prabhakaran, chief executive officer of St. Thomas Mount-cum-Pallavaram Cantonment Board, in the presence of Army officers and elected representatives.

Hand-in-Hand, an NGO associated with the Board’s solid waste management project from 2009, has installed the plant, which costs Rs. 25,000. “This is a very small plant but can be scaled up in the future. It has resulted in significant savings in LPG usage,” said Mr. Prabhakaran.

Peter Durairaj, health superintendent, said the plant had now been filled with about one kilogram of food waste sourced from restaurants every day. The food waste is mashed before being poured into the plant.

The resultant sludge from the plant — high-quality manure — can be used in gardening.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by K.Manikandan / Chennai – January 12th, 2014

Record banana harvest in Theni: horticulture department

Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Records, All

Madurai :

Banana farmers in Theni district have produced a record 120 tonnes of bananas per hectare breaking national record, claimed a horticulture department official.

Several farms in Kamayakoundanpatti in Theni district yielded 120 tonnes of banana per hectare, said S Murugan, deputy director of horticulture department at Theni. However, the department couldn’t document the feat on time for a mention in record books. The harvest should have been calculated by the horticulture and statistics departments, he said.

Theni production is a record by all means as Maharashtra with its alternating cold and hot climates could not have exceeded 75 tonnes per hectare, Murugan said.

The official cited the case of one farmer Gurunathan and his son Loganathan who took up banana cultivation using tissue culture saplings. They relied on drip irrigation and reaped over 120 tonnes per hectare. “These farmers also provided nutrients and fertilizers in measured amounts,” Murugan revealed, adding Gurunathan has completed about 70% of the harvest. “The yield may go up to 150 tonnes per hectare at the end,” he said.

Theni district, which has a conducive climate for banana cultivation, has 8,000 hectares under the crop. A green banana variety known as Grand Naine is cultivated by many farmers here. About 90 tonnes is the average production at many farms.

It is Maharashtra that holds the record for the highest production per hectare of 68 tonnes. The horticulture department is planning to organise a competition for the banana farmers after January, he added.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai> Tonnes / by Padmini Sivarajah, TNN / January 05th, 2014

Winner of 1kg gold to help fund wedding, educate poor children

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All

Dubai:

Indian expatriate Jayaprakash Balureddy knows exactly what to do with the one kilogramme gold in his hand — help prepare for his wedding and help educate children in his hometown.

Balureddy, 30, from Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu, bagged the first 1kg gold prize (roughly worth Dh146,000) on Thursday from the Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group (DGJG) for this year’s Dubai Shopping Festival.

“This is definitely a big help for me. This is like receiving my three years’ worth of salary at one time only. That’s why I want to help,” Balureddy, an air conditioner technician, told Gulf News.

Balureddy said he plans on selling the gold bar so he could put the money to good use.

“I want to use a portion of the money to help my family and also for my wedding on February 10. I will use some of it to pay off my loan here,” Balureddy, the sole breadwinner of his family, said.

Balureddy said he will use the rest of the money, roughly Dh50,000, to help send underprivileged children to school in his village.

“I know how they feel. I myself had difficulty getting an education because we had no money when I was growing up. So I want to help.”

Balureddy was buying gold ornaments on Thursday for his wedding when he was given a raffle coupon. The Indian resident said he was clueless about the raffle and was surprised when raffle organisers called him.

“I didn’t believe it at first when they called me because I had just bought the gold an hour before that. I asked myself, ‘How can this happen?” he added.

Sunny Chittilappilly, DGJG chairman, described Balureddy as an extremely lucky man. And this, he said, was what they had meant by doubling the chances for everyone to win at the gold raffle.

“We lowered the minimum spend to Dh500 and gave two raffle coupons to give everyone more chances of winning,” Chittilappilly said.

Apart from the 1kg gold given away daily, the group is also giving away a diamond solitaire ring every day for 32 days.

source: http://www.gulfnews.com / Gulf News / Home> Gulf> UAE> Leisure / by Janice Ponce de Leon, Staff Reporter – Gulf News / January 04th, 2014

Vesti Day from January 7

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

VestiDayCF17jan2014

Chennai:

Co-optex has called young men across Tamil Nadu to participate in ‘Vesti Day’ (from January 7 until Pon­gal) to promote the use of the traditional attire.

U. Sagayam, managing director, Co-optex, said he had written letters to district collectors, secretaries of all government departments, vice chancellors of various universities and many voluntary organisations, suggesting they wear vestis on any of the days preceding Pongal.

“‘Vesti Day’ will also help weavers across the state to gain good profits,” he said, hoping that government officials and youth in colleges do so too.

Not many men wear the vesti to the workplace unlike the sari because “there is a misconception that the vesti is for rural men and farmers. But it is suitable clothing for men in all age groups and vocations,” said Saga­yam, who consulted fashion experts and doctors for their comparative view of the vesti and trousers prior to launching the initiative.

Fashion designers sugge­sted using models to draw attention to the vesti while doctors said that this was comfort wear for men in Tamil Nadu.

All male staff at Co-optex will wear a vesti on Jan­uary 7 to launch the observance.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / by Pramila Krishnan / January 03rd, 2014

New Bus Stand in Theni Named After Pennycuick

Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All

Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has inaugurated the new bus terminus  at Theni-Allinagaram municipality named after Colonel John Pennycuick, the British engineer who constructed the Mullaiperiyar dam, the life-line of many southern districts.

While inaugurating the memorial for Pennycuick on January 15 at the Lower Camp in Theni district, the Chief Minister had announced that the new bus terminus would be named after the late British engineer.

The Chief Minister inaugurated this terminus through video conferencing facility at her Kodanadu camp office on December 30. The terminus has been constructed in an area of 7.35 acres at a cost of Rs 15.25 crore. As many as 59 buses can be parked in this terminus which has all the basic amenities including police control room, information officer, reception and driver’s rest room.,

Drinking water projects and underground drainage facilities established at a cost of Rs 64.47 crore in Tiruvannamalai, Kanchipuram and Kuttalam in Nagapattinam district, besides another six  districts were also inaugurated by the Chief Minister.

Apart from these, she also inaugurated new buildings in various districts.  In all, the Chief Minister has inaugurated and laid foundation for new projects worth Rs 118.2 crore.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Express News Service – Chennai / January 03rd, 2014

Celebrations commences at Sethupathi School in Madurai

Education, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All

Madurai :

Scholars, alumni and students gathered in large numbers to celebrate yet another milestone in the illustrious history of Sethupathi Higher Secondary School here. One of the oldest schools in the city, the two-day annual day celebration to commemorate its 125th anniversary was launched in its premises on Friday.

Although the school has produced freedom fighters, scholars, exceptional thinkers and speakers, the school is best known as the school where Subramanya Bharathi taught. The poet and renaissance personality had a stint as teacher here in 1904. The function on Saturday is expected to witness a large number of scholars and representatives of local administration.

Sethupathi School was started by Venkatarama Iyengar, who was then running a town primary school in the same area. Baskara Sethupathi, the then ruler of Ramnad, had supported establishing the school by donating his guest house. Bharathi worked in the school for a salary of Rs 17 a month in 1904. The school has received a coat of paint and have underwent repairs to sport a new look on its 125th b’day.

The function on Friday involved all the stake holders and was organised by the Madura College Board. Addressing the gathering, G Manivannan, one of the directors of Madurai College Board, said many schools in Madurai have been producing many top students. But most of these students are from well-off families.

However, Sethupathi Higher Secondary School has been transforming sons of auto rickshaw drivers, load men and other members of the working class into good class students. “The school was started basically to support the education of the students from unprivileged section. We have been producing centum in subjects including science, social science and mathematics,” he said.

Addressing the gathering, V V Rajan Chellappa, mayor, Madurai Corporation, said the school has the reputation for having produced a vast number of scholars. Lauding the school for its service to the society, he said the school has done so much to the society. The school has been the destination for a large number of underprivileged children from the surrounding areas.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai> Large number / by V Devanathan, TNN / January 04th, 2014

Bharathiar University student to represent India at meet in Japan

Education, World Opinion

Coimbatore :

KM Shashirekha, a first year post-graduate student in Mass Communication at Bharathiar University will represent India along with eight other students from various parts of the country in a programme on leadership to be held in Japan on January 22. Shashirekha was selected on the basis of her performance in social service organisations, including the National Service Scheme (NSS) and other youth service organisations. The ministry of youth affairs had recently informed her about the selection for the programme. She is one of the very few students selected from south India for the meet.

Shashirekha hails from a poor family at Hassan in Karnataka. From her under graduation years she has been active as an NSS volunteer. She was selected as to go for the overseas trip representing India at Japan on ‘Global Leader Development Program’ conducted by the Japanese embassy from January 22 to February 13. Students from nine countries from across the world will attend the meet.

She had won the best volunteer award in 2011 for various activities in NSS. She had also written street plays and dramas on various themes especially regarding social welfare activities. “I enjoy writing scripts in Kannada, my mother tongue,” she said. She has been an active volunteer here too but in various programmes. From speaking and distributing pamphlets to holding programmes, she has shown her interest in the various programmes.

Shashirekha will be part of the eight students who will be led by a young activist and will attend the month long activities in Japan. The programme is to identify potential leaders among youth from various nations. The team will take part in the deliberations and present papers on various topics. Shashirekha will present a paper on ‘Chanakya’s ideas on leadership’.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore> Programme / TNN / January 12th, 2014

Ropes ready for cattle, courtesy Andrews

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

Trichy :

Sitting in a small room belonging to the  Tamil Nadu Veera Vilayattu Jallikattu Padukappu Nala Sangam at Milaguparai, S Andrews has been knitting colorful ropes day and night. They will be used around cattle during Maatu Pongal celebration as well as for jallikattu events commencing in a few days with Pongal.

Every cattle owner in the state decks up his animals with all the fancy items for the occasion. Andrews knows the demand for fancy ropes and is in the knitting business for a decade. The rope, which is an essential item, is tied in a peculiar fashion around the cattle is called the “manda kayir”. “Pidi Kayir” is necessary to control the bull.

With the jallikattu season on, Andrews has been constantly knitting the nylon ropes day and night. The orders come much ahead of the traditional festival season. His clients are from across the state and are mostly bull-owners letting their bulls in for jallikattu. “The rope will be passed through the nostrils of the animal and then taken around their forehead and neck. Bells and fancy fur balls are tied to the rope,” Andrews explained.

When a bull enters the jallikattu arena, the rope is cut near the nose. A special knife, which is attached to a stick, is used for cutting so that the bull is not hurt. The nylon ropes are sometimes brought by the clients or Andrews has to travel to Coimbatore or Madurai to purchase them. A rope costs Rs 6,000.

Andrews quit his job at the head post office to concentrate on rope-making. “I learnt the art from one R Subramananian, a resident of Pudukkottai. After his demise in 2000 I took over the work and found it interesting,” said Andrews knitting a head rope.

Demand for Andrews’ skill grew only when he was spotted by Ondiraju S, state secretary of the Tamil Nadu Veera Vilayattu Jallikattu Padukappu Nala Sangam. “Previously Andrews’ services were required only ahead of Pongal. However, in recent years he is constantly knitting for more than seven months in a year,” Ondiraju said.

For the current jallikattu season Andrews has so far knitted at least 25 sets.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Trichy> Cattle / by Harish Murali, TNN / January 13th, 2014