Category Archives: Amazing Feats

Harish Natarajan: A ‘human debater’ who beat a robot

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, World Opinion
Harish Natarajan | Photo Credit: K. Pichumani
Harish Natarajan | Photo Credit: K. Pichumani

Meet Harish Natarajan, a champion debater who recently triumphed over IBM’s AI debater

Harish Natarajan loves arguing. It has helped him win debates against his parents at dinner table conversations when he was young. It has helped him scale heights in debating circles — he holds the world record for most debate victories. And recently, it helped the 31-year-old triumph over IBM’s artificial intelligence debating system, affectionately dubbed ‘Miss Debater’.

His victory has been celebrated across the globe, thanks to the recent emphasis on man-vs-machine clashes. At his nondescript house in Chennai’s bustling T Nagar, where he is for a day for his grandfather’s birthday celebrations, a jet-lagged Harish is nonplussed about all the worldwide attention. “Before the clash, part of me thought that a machine couldn’t be as good as humans in debating. But then, I knew that a machine had beaten chess champion Garry Kasparov in the past. So, winning against the AI was somewhat of a relief. Maybe in a couple of years, if IBM continues developing the debating side of AI, I’d be happy to have a go at it again… and then, that would be real achievement,” he says.

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Who’s Harish Natarajan?
  • A 31-year-old, settled in the UK, and among the world’s best debaters
  • He recently defeated IBM’s AI-powered debating system in a live face-off
  • Is currently involved in coaching people from less developed debating circuits

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The topic given to the two was about pre-school subsidies, and Harish went about treating the clash like he would with any human. “The first 30 seconds, of course, were strange — I realised I was up against this giant ballot box. But after that, as the AI was making arguments, I kept noting what my responses ought to be. At times, it was putting forth points that I couldn’t really deny. But I was always thinking: How do I use its words against it?”

One of the reasons Harish was able to outsmart the machine in the 25-minute rapid-fire exchange was the emphasis he gave to ‘emotion’ during his arguments. “Emotion elevates the importance of what you’re saying. There were moments when even the machine was trying to evoke emotion. But I did have an edge because, when I talk about experiences, it comes across as more genuine partly because… well, I’m not a machine.”

Point of the matter

His parents are both from Chennai, but Harish was born and brought up in the UK, and has been debating since he was 16. “I was relatively good at school, but I discovered I wasn’t up there once I went to the bigger debating world.” His time at Cambridge helped him put a lot more effort into this side of things. “I realised that I enjoyed debating and had the aptitude for it. Eventually, with practice, I got better.”

Today, he has participated in more than 2,000 debates and is among the world’s best, but Harish has never been too happy with his performances. “That’s why I never re-watch any of my debates, because I am always thinking what more I could have done,” he says.

There have been times when Harish has been caught off guard. At one debate, the topic in front of him was: commercialisation of feminism. “I remember thinking that I had no idea what it was. But I got back home, and read a lot about it. So, a few months later, when a similar topic came up in another debate, I knew a huge deal about it and my teammates gave me looks like: ‘why do you know all this?’” he laughs.

He’s always reading something or the other. “There are things that I don’t care about much, but I know a great deal about. I’ve read so much about academic feminism and elements of climate science in my life. Personally, I like reading about economics and international relations, but as a debater, I have to absolutely keep reading everything under the sky.”

All this reading has helped Harish incorporate debating into his everyday life. “If I read an article in a newspaper, I always think: what is the underlying argument here? With respect to anything I read, I’m always debating within myself. It has now become a way of thinking.”

Out in the world

When he’s not out there debating or attending to his day job — he works as Head of Economic Risk Consulting at AKE International — Harish loves watching football or catching up on a show on Netflix. He loves travelling as well.

“There’s a big difference between having knowledge about a place and actually experiencing something there,” he says, “My last big trip was to Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. What shocked me about the city was that it looks different from anywhere else in world. It looks empty, but there are giant buildings everywhere.”

Currently, Harish is involved in coaching people from less developed debating circuits. “In April, I’ll be in China. A few years ago, I was part of World University Debating Championships right here in Chennai. India has a vibrant school circuit, a good educational system and the parental pressure on children to succeed is huge… and so logically, should be among the best debating countries in the world. Debating at the school level has developed a lot of late and I predict Indian students to be among the best in the next few years,” he wraps up.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Srinivasa Ramanujam / February 20th, 2019

200-year-old chapel commences bicentenary celebrations

About Chennai(Madras) / TamilNadu, Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion

Purasawalkam is home to many heritage buildings and so it is not surprising that there is one celebrating its bicentenary year.

CSI Missionary Chapel located at Mookathal Street, Purasawalkam, is commemorating the bicentenary of its consecration. It was established on December 25, 1819 and is considered to be the oldest church in Purasawalkam and Vepery.

A commemoration tablet with a brief narrative on the history of the chapel was recently unveiled marking the year-long celebrations.

Several eminent persons from London Missionary Society shepherded the Missionary Chapel.

It was Anna Drew (wife of William Hoyles Drew, presbyter of Missionary Chapel) who started a small boarding school, ‘London Mission Female School’ for deserving children at Kellys. It is now known to be Bentinck Girls Higher Secondary School, Vepery.

I. Samuel Prabhakar, Presbyter and Chairman, CSI Missionary Chapel, recalled his childhood days when he was a member of the church. He considers serving at his mother Church as a rare opportunity and honour especially during its bicentenary year. Several social activities, including free medical camps, have been conducted through the church.

This year, the church’s medical team has started veterinary services.

The building has some additions. In 1957, a belfry was added and the rear portion of the church was extended to accommodate growing congregation in 1975. There are plans to renovate the church without making any structural changes. At present, nearly 450 families regularly worship at the church.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by K. Lakshmi / February 08th, 2019

IIT-M research generates lasers from carrots

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Education, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

Carrots cooked in alcohol may soon be a popular source of lasers.

Chennai :

Carrots cooked in alcohol may soon be a popular source of lasers. Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) have demonstrated the possibility of generating laser in an eco-friendly way, by using carrots as a lasing material, according to a statement issued by the institute.
The laser, generated through this technique, has immense potential in the field of bio-imaging.

Currently, the most common lasing materials, such as Indium-Gallium-Arsenic and Gallium-Nitrates, are manufactured using toxic chemical processes which are harmful to the environment. The new technique that the researchers have come up with uses just minimally processed carrots.“We fondly call this kitchen laser,” exclaimed Sivarama Krishnan, one of the guides of the research.

The research was undertaken by a team comprising Prof C Vijayan, Assistant Professor Sivarama Krishnan, and Venkata Siva Gummaluri, a PhD research scholar, from the Physics department of IIT-M.
The discovery itself was a result of the after-work-hours fun experiment, said Sivarama Krishnan. “We were pumping light through various organic materials and found that carrots have lasing properties. For example, we also tried orange juice and tomato juice,” he said. What set the humble carrot apart was the optically active bio-pigment called carotenoids present in the vegetable.

Although the fluorescence quantum yield of carotenoids is much less, compared to standard organic laser dyes, the vibrational spectra can be obtained even with extremely low concentrations of carotenoids, said Sivarama Krishnan. “We could easily increase the concentration of caretenoids on the surface of the carrots, by simply cooking it in alcohol. Then we pump light through a slice of the surface to get laser,” he said.

While the traditional polymers used were toxic and non-biodegradable, there has been search for more eco-friendly fluorescent polymers. In this search, the team looked at biological molecules as probable lasing sources.

Speaking about the importance of this research, Vijayan said, “There is now a move towards development of green, sustainable materials for various applications, including in photonics. The need for green photonic technologies is obvious in the current times where sustainability, bio-compatibility and degradability are of paramount importance.”

Carrots, in addition to having carotenoids, also have cellulose fibres that contribute to multiple scattering of photons and resultant optical amplification for Raman random lasing. The demonstration uses a process, first discovered by CV Raman, who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1930.

The researchers plan to advance their research to make the material more commercially viable. Currently, this material has potential as it is natural, bio-compatible, safe to handle and highly reliable.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Sushmitha Ramkrishnan / Express News Service / February 05th, 2019

Kunal Sood: A techpreneur on celluloid

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

KunalSoodCF05feb2019

Chennai-born, US-based social entrepreneur and impact investor Kunal Sood talks about instigating further futurism via tech-vestments

Having spent the past 20 years of his life in the US, Kunal Sood, the Founder of X Fellows and Partner at X Impact Group, uses technology to drive change. A TED Resident and Ambassador to Singularity University NYC, the 41-year-old empowers entrepreneurs and innovators to turn their dreams into reality.

Kunal’s expertise ranges from psychology degrees to being a global health scientist to, of course, entrepreneurship. All this culminates in two important bodies: X Fellows and Novus Summit.

X Fellows, a privately-held community of entrepreneurs, is considered the inner-circle of innovators with companies.

Excerpts from an email interview:

Working with world leaders

My work with world leaders is primarily about building extraordinary citizens. The men and women shaping the future of our planet can find common ground around solving our global challenges.

KunalSood02CF05feb2019

People sometimes ask me ‘what do the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi and the President of Estonia, Kersti Kaljulaid have in common?’ I’ve been fortunate to play an important role in helping them unite around solving our world’s most urgent problems. Leaders that live their values in action help drive real-world results.

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Hear it from the leaders
  • As the founder and chairman of Novus Summit launched at the United Nations General Assembly Hall in 2016, Kunal has put the world’s most accomplished and exponential leaders together.
  • Such figures include Peter Diamandis, Anousheh Ansari and Astro Teller on stage, alongside tech titans like Sunil Mittal, Reid Hoffman and Marc Benioff.
  • Expect stories of transformation with a global audience of delegates representing 193 countries, consisting of Heads of State, UN Ambassadors and Youth Leaders.
  • While 2019’s summit on July 20 – to celebrate man’s landing on the moon – is invite-only, Kunal shares there will be a line-up of astronauts, influencers, artists, policy-makers and storytellers present.

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My hope is to make X Fellows and Novus Summit the pre-eminent gatherings at the UNGA, for exponential leaders to unite in action and work to achieve the 17 UN Global Goals.

The Indian influence

Growing up in Chennai was my toughest lesson in life early on, and given where I am today, the biggest blessing. My life, when I was around eight years old, shifted drastically, and I suffered both physically and mentally. While others excelled academically, I was left behind — often lost and without an understanding of why I was not able to keep pace.

My experience taught me how to relate to people with compassion and extraordinary resilience. India continually influences me because my late mentor Dr T J Cherian was a renowned cardiologist and served as a father figure in my life.

The birth of X Fellows

The idea of X Fellows was born out of the extraordinary courage of people like Dr Cherian. The programme was also born out of the need I see in the world to create a new league of extraordinary citizens. It is focused on the vision that we are all gifted, even when seemingly cursed.

Given the fast and accelerated pace at which exponential technology is outpacing our lives, I have learnt that the right community with sparking the right kinds of stories can bring about real impact. Together, they drive a sense of urgent action and offer a genuine opportunity to learn, connect and create something that is larger than us and truly extraordinary at its core.

We have entities such as Astro Teller of Google X, Anousheh Ansari of X Prize and Craig Hatkoff, founder of Tribeca Film Festival and Disruptors to name a few involved with X Fellows.

Tech talk

X Fellows is unique in technology because we believe in the power of mass customisation. Exponential technologies, be it Artificial Intelligence, 3D printing, or life-saving drones, can help us design individual solutions at an unparalleled scale. For example, a child who needed a prosthetic limb 20 years ago would face a lifetime of extremely expensive, poor-fitting choices. Today, tailor-made solutions are available at a fraction of the cost.

KunalSood03CF05feb2019

Sustainable solutions that are customised to the individual experience is where humanity is heading. By 2020, IDC analysts expect 3D printing global revenues to exceed $35 billion. It is human nature to want to create something that improves your life.

Human beings by nature are drawn to stories. Novus gives the youth a voice, as much as we give our elders a platform to share practical wisdom.

(As told to Akila Kannadasan)

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sci-Tech> Internet / by Akila Kannadasan / February 04th, 2019

Major General Dr AVK Mohan: Armed with adventure

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

At 59, the medical doctor qualified in hospital administration is fit as a fiddle.

At 59, Major General Dr AVK Mohan is a cyclist, mountaineer, runner and rider
At 59, Major General Dr AVK Mohan is a cyclist, mountaineer, runner and rider

Chennai  :

What would be a more apt venue for a tete-a-tete with a passionate endurance and adventure sports enthusiast than a bicycle store? We are at Pro-Bikers, OMR — the city’s go-to shop for professional cyclists — to meet Major General Dr AVK Mohan. It’s hard not to notice Mohan with his walrus moustache and crisp-casual attire. At 59, the medical doctor qualified in hospital administration is fit as a fiddle. “I have always been conscious about having a healthy lifestyle. I think everyone should focus on their fitness and well-being,” he says.

Amid a plethora of cycles and spares mounted on the walls, we find a quiet spot, and one of the most admired personalities in the city’s cycling and endurance sports circuit talks to us about his zest for life. The self-confessed ‘daredevil’ goes by the principle — ‘Never wait for opportunities to come your way. You create it, and seize the moment.’

Mohan has done it all — from going on mountaineering expeditions to Mount Satopanth with Italians in 1991, being the first in an Army brigade to climb a live volcano in Mount Nyeiragango in Congo in the early 2000s, to motorbiking to Siachen Glacier to commemorate the Army Medical Corps reunion, and biking to all the eight states on the Northeast including two China borders at Nathu La in Sikkim, Bumla in Arunachal Pradesh, Myanmar border at Moreh, Manipur and Bangladesh border at Agartala, Tripura.
His second-self is diverse, and he has a hard time picking a favourite. “From mountaineering, motorbiking, to cycling and running, they are all my favourites. Each one compliments and empowers the other. For instance, I cycle as cross-training for running,” he explains.

After traversing the country, Mohan moved to Chennai in December 2014 — a shift he never imagined would change his life. “I came to Chennai with inhibitions. The culture here was entirely different in comparison with my previous placements. I have served and commanded in Military hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir, Tezpur and so on,” he says.

But, what happened next was serendipitous. In June 2015, during one of his usual morning rides to OMR, he met Ashish Thadani and Kirtanya Krishnamurthy, who encouraged Mohan to join the Chennai Joy Riderz, a popular cycling group in the city. “My love for cycling tripled, and we went on several long distance rides. I met many like-minded people after my initiation into the group. I will treasure these memories forever,” says Mohan.

The tetra super randonneur has completed several long-distance rides including the 1,000km brevet event from Chennai to Vijayawada and back, a 900km tour of Nilgiris cycling — in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu in 2015, and the 4,500 km Tour de Rotary K2K from Kashmir to Kanyakumari as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan in 2016.

Mohan’s day starts at 3 am, where he runs or cycles for a minimum of 70 km, before heading to work. Recently, despite an ankle fracture, Mohan went on a 15-km run on the Marina circuit. “It’s healing, but I don’t think the fracture will stop me from doing what I love,” he shares.
Mohan is an unofficial mentor and inspiration for budding cycling and fitness enthusiasts not only in Chennai but across the country. “I make sure I push and motivate others to take steps towards a better living.

To be a role model is a big responsibility, but I enjoy being one,” he shares.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Roshne Balasubramanian / Express News Service / February 04th, 2019

Chennai’s Omandurar Hospital sets another record with minimally invasive heart surgery

Amazing Feats, Records, All, Science & Technologies

The doctors performed Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), a minimally invasive surgical procedure that repairs the valve without removing the old, damaged valve on two senior citizens.

Chennai :

Another feather has been added to the cap of the Tamil Nadu Government’s Multi Super-Specialty Hospital at the Omandurar Estate with the private doctors performing advanced heart surgery, first-of-its-kind procedure, on two senior citizens in the government sector hospitals in the State recently.

The State Health Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2018 with paediatric cardiologist Dr Neville Solomon and interventional cardiologist Dr A B Gopalmurugan, who head the Heart Team India, to perform the advanced procedure at government hospitals for the initiative.

The doctors performed Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), a minimally invasive surgical procedure that repairs the valve without removing the old, damaged valve on two senior citizens at the Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super-Speciality Hospital at the Omandurar Estate on November 16.

“The State Health Department signed MoU with Heart Team India to perform the procedure and it is an initiative of Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar,” said Dr V Anandakumar, Nodal Officer, Tamil Nadu Multi Super-Specialty Hospital.

Speaking to Express, Dr Gopalmurugan said, “So far it was limited to private hospitals only. Now things have changed with the procedure performed at the Government Multi Super-Speciality Hospital at the Omandurar Estate,” he added.

“In conventional procedure, the main valve aortic valve is replaced by an open heart procedure, but in TAVI, the new valve is implanted in the place of old valve through a blood vessel. Just like stenting,” Dr Gopalmurugan explained the procedure.

“The procedure is generally done for people beyond the age of 60 here. But, it can be performed on anybody who needs aortic valve replacement from low-risk group to medium-risk group for open heart surgery. Though in other countries open heart procedures were almost stopped and shifted to minimally invasive procedures, in India still open heart procedures are being done,” said Dr Gopalmurugan.

“This advanced procedure was only available at private hospitals, but with the initiative taken, it has reached even the poor. It is performed under the Chief Minister Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme,” he said. “The procedure was performed on two senior citizen, one from Rajapalayam and other from Erode. The patients were doing well and discharged subsequently,” Dr Anandakumar told Express.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / January 14th, 2019

Hotel Saravana Bhavan to attempt Guinness record for longest dosa

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All, World Opinion

This concept, envisioned by celebrity chef Vinodh Kumar, will be implemented by 50 chefs from Saravana Bhavan at IIT Madras.

Masala dosa (File picture)
Masala dosa (File picture)

Chennai :

Hotel Saravana Bhavan will attempt to break the Guinness World Record by making a 100 ft-long dosa on Friday. This concept, envisioned by celebrity chef Vinodh Kumar, will be implemented by 50 chefs from Saravana Bhavan at IIT Madras.Speaking at a press conference in the city on Monday, chef Vinodh Kumar said that around 20 kg of batter will be used to make the dosa. “We have gone to great lengths to plan this endeavour, and we will be successful,” he said.

Currently, Hotel Dasapalla in Hyderabad holds the record for making the longest dosa measuring 54-feet-8.69-inches. “We could have decided to make a 60-feet dosa to claim the record, but we are going all in by making a 100-feet-dosa,” he said.

The 105-feet dosa pan for the event is being made in coordination with Saravana Bhavan’s engineering team, and it is learned that the pan will be maintained at a temperature of 180-200 degrees celsius to ensure the dosa batter doesn’t set immediately.

“The temperature will be maintained, so all the batter can be transferred to the pan and then the chefs will work in tandem to roll up the dosa,” said Vinodh Kumar, replying to a question from a journalist at the press conference.

Actor Nakul’s wife Shruti Nakul, who also spoke at the press conference, welcomed the initiative and expressed confidence that it would be successful. Saravana Bhavan’s general manager Damodaran was also present at the event.

The current record holder

Currently, Hotel Dasapalla in Hyderabad holds the record for making the longest dosa measuring 54-feet-8.69-inches.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / January 08th, 2019

The girl with green wonders

Amazing Feats, Education, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature

Prasiddhi Singh is unlike other five-year-olds.

Prasiddhi Singh is a class 1 student of Mahindra World School
Prasiddhi Singh is a class 1 student of Mahindra
World School

Chennai :

Prasiddhi Singh is unlike other five-year-olds. She has successfully raised Rs 41, 254 on Ketto, a crowdfunding platform for her mission to ‘save flora, fauna and the planet we live in’. The class 1 student from Mahindra World School is an inspiration to people of all ages. Talking to us about how environment-based issues piqued her interest at such a young age, Stuti Singh, Prasiddhi’s mother says, “My husband and I have always been inclined towards fitness, and we introduced Prasiddhi to jogging when she was two years old.

As a family, We participated in a Ridley Run event — for ‘Save the turtles campaign’ in 2015. She was the youngest participant in that event.” Since then, Prasiddhi has been actively taking part in several events, including tree plantation drives, beach cleaning, that promote environmental awareness. “Eventually, she started understanding the impact of pollution and wanted to do her bit to save the planet. We understood her interest in such activities and decided to give her the needed exposure,” shares Stuti.

The cause-driven child has also spent a considerable amount of time being mentored by Hafiz from CommuniTree. “Recently, Mahindra World City, where we live, conducted a ‘one lakh tree plantation drive’ and Prasiddhi used to ask her father almost every day to take her to the field to plant. That’s when we connected with Hafiz. She spent a lot of time with him understanding the way plants grow, how fences save plants from external damages, and why planting is instrumental in keeping the environment thriving,” she says.

After being part of the tree plantation drive, Prasiddhi discussed the possibility of planting another one lakh saplings in the area, with Hafiz, Praveen (her father) and Stuti. “She was determined and had her goal set. But, the scale of the project was quite overwhelming and that’s when Hafiz suggested that we plan it in multiple phases. We started exploring different crowdfunding options and chose Ketto. This is the first phase of a bigger project,” she explains.

Prasiddhi plans to harvest a micro fruit farm to feed the depleting bird population in the city and spread the message on the importance of trees. The idea for such a farm popped when Prasiddhi came across her father’s childhood anecdotes — about climbing trees, eating and enjoying fruits with his friends. “These tales resulted in fruit tree plantations, but her willingness to share it with other kids, especially the underprivileged, made us take this project to government schools to ensure that every child can enjoy the fruit forests,” says Stuti.

Prasiddhi wants to create her own ‘Kids Army’ — where she will plant trees in all the schools and create students club to maintain the trees. “I will monitor those fruit forests regularly,” she says. Prasiddhi’s observation about the depleting bird population comes from quite a startling incident. Narrating the incident, she says, “Sometime back, during a drive with my parents, a few butterflies dotted the windscreen.

I asked my parents, ‘Why do these butterflies come in our way?’ for which they answered, ‘We are coming in the way of birds and butterflies as we have cut a lot of forests and trees. They have lost their habitats.’ I was shocked. Since then, I have been keeping water for birds in my gallery. I want to take baby steps to make a difference.” Prasiddhi’s day starts in the wee hours, with a morning jog along with her father, followed by a gardening session and mantra chanting. She heads to school by 7.30 am, followed by playschool till 7 pm.

“She completes her school work there so that she can spend some quality time with us once she is back. At home, we play indoor/outdoor games and talk about the entire day’s activities. We have dinner together, read some bedtime stories and sleep by 9.30 pm. Our daughter inspires us and we are proud of her,” says Stuti.

Kids army
Prasiddhi Singh plans to harvest a micro fruit farm to feed the depleting bird population in the city and spread the message on the importance of trees. She wants to create her own ‘Kids Army’ — where she will plant trees in all the schools and create students club to maintain the trees. “I will monitor those fruit forests on a regular basis,” says Prasiddhi. She recently initiated the fruit tree planting in a children’s home in Puducherry. “This month, we will also plant in one of the government schools in Kancheepuram,” says Stuti Singh.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Roshne Balasubramanian / Express News Service / January 03rd, 2019

Her love for anatomy matches fondness for Tamil literature

Amazing Feats, Education, Records, All, Science & Technologies
Governor Banwarilal Purohit giving the appointment order to Dr. Sudha Seshayyan on Saturday.
Governor Banwarilal Purohit giving the appointment order to Dr. Sudha Seshayyan on Saturday.

New V-C of M.G.R. Medical University has donned many hats

Beginning her career at the Madras Medical College (MMC) in 1987, 57-year-old Sudha Seshayyan has come a long way. Her love for Tamil literature and spirituality has travelled alongside her medical career spanning over 30 years.

Dr. Seshayyan is no stranger to the people of Tamil Nadu. She has donned many roles including that of the official Master of Ceremonies at many State government programmes. On Saturday, she was appointed as the 10th Vice-Chancellor of the Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University.

Dr. Seshayyan, a professor of Anatomy, has authored a three-volume textbook on anatomy in 2015. This textbook is being used by MBBS students during their first year, and also by postgraduates across the country.

Pivotal roles

In anatomy, her areas of interests include upper abdominal organs, neuro anatomy and genetics. As director of the Institute of Anatomy, Madras Medical College (MMC), she played a pivotal role in taking steps to create a museum of anatomical specimens.

She had planned to set up a museum showcasing specimens for comparative anatomy and materials tracing the history of MMC in the 121-year-old heritage building that earlier housed the Department of Anatomy on MMC campus.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Staff Reporter / Chennai – December 30th, 2018

IIT-Madras students turn cardboard boxes into study desks for students

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Education, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, World Opinion

The design was inspired from a South Korean interior designer, Ha Young Lee, who designed a sturdy desk made out of cardboard for underprivileged kids in his country.

Chennai  :

IIT-Madras students have designed study desks using discarded cardboard boxes, for underprivileged students, in some of the government schools. Under the REACH (Reuse cardboard to help children) initiative as part of Shaastra, IIT-M’s annual technical fest that starts from January 3, students have created a supply chain network to collect hundreds of used cardboard cartons from shopping malls, electronic shops, retailers and other places.

The material was then sorted, based on size, shape, and thickness, and then shaped by cutting the sorted boxes into pieces such that they can be assembled easily by anyone with minimal instructions.

The design was inspired from a South Korean interior designer, Ha Young Lee, who designed a sturdy desk made out of cardboard for underprivileged kids in his country. “After a month of trial and testing, we came up with a prototype which was tested by distributing in schools which are devoid of these facilities and infrastructure.

We collaborated with one NGO named ‘BHUMI’, which helped us to get volunteers for making the desks and TFI (Teach For India) which helped us to reach out to schools which didn’t have desks. We have currently reached out to 200 students in 5 schools with each child getting access to these desks,” Shaastra team said in a release. In India, according to a survey, there are 20 million students in the age group of 6-14, who lack basic facilities.

source:http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / December 28th, 2018