Category Archives: Education

Kshema to honour two clinician scientists

Education, Records, All, Science & Technologies

Mangaluru:

To mark National Science Day, the Centre for Science Education and Research and KS Hegde Medical Academy (Kshema) will honour two clinician scientists, Dr VI Mathan and Dr Minnie Mathan, for their contribution to medical research on Monday.

Prof Mathan, who superannuated from Christian Medical College, Vellore, as professor of medicine and gastroenterology and director, has a number of awards to his credit. This includes the Ambedkar Award of the Indian Council of Medical Research for his lifetime contributions to health research. Prof Minnie was the head of the department of gastrointestinal sciences at the college till her superannuation in 1997.

At the event Prof Mathan will speak on the challenges of clinical research and Prof Minnie on integrated research.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Mangalore / TNN / February 29th, 2016

SASTRA professor’s win science awards

Education, Records, All, Science & Technologies

Chennai:

Sastra University on Sunday presented National Science Day awards.

Delivering the lecture, D P Singh director of National Assessment & Accreditation Council expressed the need for senior scientists to mentor youth to take up a career in science. This he said was essential for innovation with three prerequisites – novelty, relevance & implementation.

He also awarded the ‘Sastra – Obaid Siddiqi Award’ to professor K Vijay Raghavan, secretary, department of biotechnology, ‘Sastra-G N Ramachandran Award’ to professor T V Ramakrishnan, distinguished associate, IISc Bangalore and the ‘Sastra-CNR Rao Award’ to professor T K Chandraeskhar, former secretary, Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) and professor N Sathyamurthy director of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Chennai / TNN / February 29th, 2016

HOD With Disability, a 1st at Presidency College

Amazing Feats, Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All

Chennai :

Associate professor Jayachandran’s is a story of many firsts. A first-generation graduate from an agricultural family, he was also the first visually challenged student to earn a PhD in Tamil literature at the international level. Last year, he was made the Head of Tamil department in Presidency College, the first visually challenged person to become HoD of a department in the college’s 175-year history.

The 53-year-old is the senior most professor in his department. “I was made the HoD based on my seniority,” he says modestly, while dictating notes to an assistant at his office. The furniture in his office and the infrastructure of the classrooms and the department in general seem to have been unaltered since the year the department was formed in 1856. “There are no office assistants and sanitary workers appointed and not enough financial assistance. So, we have to pay from our own pocket,” says Jayachandran.

A native of Kumalam village in Villupuram district, Jayachandran studied in Cuddalore till Class 5 and completed his schooling at the Poonamalee School for the Blind. It is here that his desire to become a professor was born.

“I had a visually challenged teacher when I was in Class 5. I thought, probably this is the line destined for people like us,” he recalls. College education at Pachayappa’s and a PhD at the University of Madras followed — he was a student of the varsity’s former vice chancellor, Professor Porko.

 

Dr R Jayachandran  P Ravikumar
Dr R Jayachandran  P Ravikumar

Jayachandran considers himself lucky, as he could not see the ‘looks’ from people who discriminated against persons with disabilities. But, his hearing sense, which works perfectly, had to bear some of the insensitive remarks. “Please don’t sit on the first bench! Feels like bad omen,” a lecturer had told him when he was a college student.

In 1990, he got his first posting at Kolanjiappar College, Virudachalam, where the students too used to take advantage of his condition. “Compared to my initial days, students at Presidency College are more cultured. They help us out,” he recalls.

Jayachandran, who had climbed the steps of The Great Wall of China in 2006, says he still has a long way to go. His interest now is to help visually challenged students with computer training. His expertise extends to the Braille teaching methods on a computer and he has also helped develop the Braille and audio division at Anna Library.

His wife, Vennila Juliet, is a teacher at a Corporation school and the couple have a daughter.

FACTOIDS

9 Visually challenged professors in Presidency College, including Dr R Jayachandran

5 Professors out of 22 are visually challenged in the Tamil department

3 Visually challenged professors in the English department and one in the History department too

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Srikanth Dhasarathy / February 24th, 2016

Award for Dheerajlal Gandhi College

Education, Records, All
Union Minister of State for HRD, Ram Shankar Katheria (second from left), handing over the ‘Most Upcoming Engineering College in South India’ award to Dhirajlal Gandhi College of Technology, Salem, in New Delhi recently.
Union Minister of State for HRD, Ram Shankar Katheria (second from left), handing over the ‘Most Upcoming Engineering College in South India’ award to Dhirajlal Gandhi College of Technology, Salem, in New Delhi recently.

The Dheerajlal Gandhi College of Technology (GDGCT) in the city has bagged the ‘Most Upcoming Engineering College in South India’ award from the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

The ASSOCHAM in association with Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, and Association of Indian Universities recently conducted the 9th ‘ASSOCHAM Higher Education Summit 2016’ in New Delhi.

Minister of State for HRD Ram Shankar Katheria was the chief guest for the summit. During the summit, a paper on higher education by ASSOCHAM and YES Bank was released, which highlighted the financing of higher education in India, its needs and impacts.

During the summit, “The National Education Excellence Awards – 2016” were presented under various categories to institutions and universities by the Minister.

Dhirajlal Gandhi College of Technology, Salem, established in 2011, was awarded “The Most Upcoming Engineering College in South India”.

The award was presented based on various parameters such as infrastructure, research activities, promoting innovation, industry-academia interface, global orientation, placement efforts and ISR initiatives. Dhirajlal Gandhi, chairman, D. Manoj Kumar, vice-chairman and Archana Manojkumar, secretary of DGCT, received the award from the Union Minister.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Tamil Nadu / by Special Correspondent / Salem – February 21st, 2016

Golden girl does it again

Education, Records, All
S.Alagu, an M.Phil student of Mathematics.
S.Alagu, an M.Phil student of Mathematics.

A girl student of mathematics, who has won four gold medals during her undergraduate and post-graduate programmes, has does it again by winning another gold medal in M.Phil. Alagu Somasundaram, daughter of S. Somasundaram, Professor of Mathematics of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, won three gold medals for securing university first rank in Part I Tamil, Part II English and Part III Mathematics (Major), when she did her bachelor’s degree in Rani Anna Government College for Women, Pettai.

She made her father proud again when she, a UGC merit scholarship awardee, secured the university first mark while doing M.Sc. in St. John’s College, Palayamkottai.

Fifth in a row

Ms. Alagu ensured ‘podium finish’ once again as she stood first in the M.Phil. course also and received the gold medal, the fifth in a row, from Governor K. Rosaiah at the 23rd convocation of MSU on Saturday.

“I’d say that it is a kind of record created by Ms. Alagu over the past 25 years… It is a rare combination of achievements. The achiever stood up to the recognition granted by the University Grants Commission in bestowing the ‘UGC Merit Scholarship’ on her to pursue M.Sc. Mathematics course at St.John’s College, Palayamottai and has strived hard to achieve the feat once again,” said a faculty member of MSU.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Tamil Nadu / Special Correspondent / Tirunelvelli – February 14th, 2016

Receives award

Business & Economy, Education, Records, All

Winning national awards has become regular for the Salem branch of the Southern India Regional Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).

The Salem branch of the ICAI recently won the best branch award in the small branch category at all India level. The highlight of this achievement is that the Salem branch is winning this award for the tenth consecutive year without any break.

This prestigious award has been conferred on the Salem branch of the ICAI taking into account the innumerable motivation seminars it organised for the budding chartered accountants, special programmes for the members of the Southern India Chartered Accountants Students Association (SICASA), and also for the school students to attract and motivate them to take up chartered accountant course.

Guided by the parent body, the SICASA, the Salem branch’s student committee bagged the best SICASA award in the small branch category at the national level for the second time in a row.

Both the awards were presented by Jayant Sinha, Union Minister of State for Finance, at the 66th annual function of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India held at New Delhi recently.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Tamil Nadu / by Special Corrrespondent / Salem – February 18th, 2016

Meet Swetha, First Narikurava Engineering Girl from Tamil Nadu

Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All
The first Narikurava engineering girl wants noon meal organiser post to serve her people
The first Narikurava engineering girl wants noon meal organiser post to serve her people

Tiruchy :

The urge to do something for the people of her community pushed the 22 year old first Narikurava engineering graduate of Tamil Nadu to apply for noon meal organiser’s post in the primary school in her colony here with the district collector on Monday.

“Most of our children suffer of anaemic due to malnutrition. We are known for good physical condition once owing to our food habits. But now, those food items are not available to our community and so most of them are suffering a lot” Swetha, the first BE in Computer Science in Narikurava community told Express.

Though Swetha, who studied BE in a local engineering college was selected for a company in Chandigarh through campus interview, she refused the offer and was seriously thinking of her community people who mostly drop out after  primary school education. The main thing in my mind is to make our children from present symptoms with anaemic problems. She opted for the post as the staff retired recently and the post is lying vacant in the school- Thiruvalluvar Gurukula Primary school, an aided school run by Narikurava education and welfare society.

“Previously, the staff use to go away after two hours work. If i am selected, i can stay along with our children and do whatever they are in need. Let me make them healthy first” the determined Swetha stressed.

As usual, she has been ridiculed by her community people and a few of her college mates.  But, Swetha, is firm in her decision and will work for the people by all means.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by S J Michael Collins / February 15th, 2016

Associate Prof With Einstein’s Gravitational Pull

Amazing Feats, Education, Records, All, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

DrArunCF13feb2016

K G Arun, an associate professor from Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI),  was part of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory Scientific Collaboration (LIGO LSC), which made headlines across the globe with its most stunning and significant discovery of gravitational waves.

What is your role in this discovery?

I was one of the 61 Indian participants, representing the CMI in the LSC, under the umbrella of the Indian Initiative in Gravitational-Wave Observations (IndIGO).  The CMI’s role was to check the correctness of the detected GW signals and analyse whether the monitored wave form was consistent with Einstein’s relativity theory which was crucial in the final phase.

What was the method of operation?

We started working on this research right from September 2014. We regularly interacted with the scientists in the United States and other countries through teleconferencing about the recent developments in our research work. Since I have worked with some of these experts in earlier researches in St Louis and Paris, that helped me a lot.

What was the most challenging portion?

Though the entire research work is complicated, we, the Indian scientists, found the initial stages of research more challenging. Since there were several methods and algorithms to validate the relativity theory, we had to explore every one of these to arrive at one single method which can answer the question of consistency. Though the theory was proposed 100 years ago, changes less than the scale of nucleus of an atom were recorded and analysed.

Support from your Indian counterparts and the government?

Research of this magnitude was not possible without their support. My entire research was from the institute (CMI) funded by various government agencies including the Department of Science and Technology (DST). We had several conferences and meetings regarding this and scientists from LIGO-India were extremely supportive throughout the entire process.

What does this detection mean or what is its significance?

This is a very important breakthrough in the field of astrophysics that has provided new ways to look at the universe. This will also allow us to know more about the Big Bang and with LIGO-India’s GW detector proposal in India, this gives us a chance to colloborate with various other industries that can help in differentiating conventional and gravitational astrophysics.

PROFILE

Dr K G Arun

Associate Professor, Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI)

Qualifications

Ph D, Raman Research Institute, Bangalore

MSS in Physics, Cochin University of Science and Technology

Positions Held Previously

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Washington University in St Louis, USA.

Virgo Ego Scientific Fellow, Institute of Astrophysics (IAP), Paris

Associate of the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Bangalore

Research Interests

Gravitational Wave Astronomy

Short Gamma Ray Bursts

High Energy Astrophysics

Cosmology

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Ram M. Sundaram / February 13th, 2016

ISTE award for engineering college professor

Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technologies
N. Santhiyakumari, Professor and head, Electronics and Communication Engineering, Knowledge Institute of Technology, Salem, receiving the Indian Society for Technical Education award at the 45th ISTE annual convention in Amravathi, Maharashtra.
N. Santhiyakumari, Professor and head, Electronics and Communication Engineering, Knowledge Institute of Technology, Salem, receiving the Indian Society for Technical Education award at the 45th ISTE annual convention in Amravathi, Maharashtra.

The India Society for Technical Education (ISTE) has announced 20 awards in various disciplines in connection with the 45th ISTE annual convention, 2015.

The ISTE recognises research work from all over the country.

N. Santhiyakumari, Professor and Head, Electronics and Communication Engineering, Knowledge Institute of Technology, Salem was selected for the Maharashtra State National Award – 2015 in recognition of her outstanding research work in the area of biomedical image processing. She received the award from Anandrao Adsul, MP, at a function organised by the ISTE, New Delhi, at the HVPM’s College of Engineering and Technology, Amravati, Maharashtra.

Dr. Santhiyakumari won the award for her research work on implementation of medical decision making system for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease analysis, a press release from the college said

ISTE recognises research works from all over the country

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Tamil Nadu / by Special Correspondent / Salem – January 31st, 2016

IIT-M Lads Design Foldable Rail Ramp

Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Science & Technologies

Chennai :

Ever wondered why railway coaches should have just the vertical footboard that is risky for passengers? This could soon change if the idea of a group of IIT Madras students, who have designed a semi-automatic one to be fitted to the coaches, becomes a reality.

Designed at one of India’s premium technology institute’s tech festival Shaastra, the idea has already attracted the attention of top Railway officials.  Impressed by this project idea along with two other ones that won the ‘Indian Railways Design Challenge’, Railway officials have decided to try out these modifications in upcoming coaches.  The contestants were asked to design a suitable mechanism or device that could be fitted to the bogie or moved about on the platform without major alterations to the coaches.

Taking up this task, team ‘Innovators’ comprising mechanical and civil engineering students from IIT, had created a foldable semi-automatic footboard. Explaining its working principle, Borde, a team member said, “On arrival at the station, the guard should press a centrally-connected switch so that the steps, with multiple pin joints and controlled by single pneumatic cylinder and micro-controllers, roll out. When the switch is pressed again, these would fold back.” Borde’s team had designed a standard four-bar mechanism, which will be attached to the bogie with the fixed pivots attached close to the door. This mechanism consists of a ladder, a stepped ramp and a pneumatic telescopic bar.

RailwaysCF27jan2016

A student event-organiser, Surya said, “One of the team members, whose father lost a limb while getting into a train, came up with this innovative automatic footboard design for Southern Railway coaches. This could end the woes of the elderly and differently abled persons.”

Speaking to Express, Narendra Borde, one of the team members said, “Every year, hundreds of passengers get either maimed or even killed while entering or exiting trains through the steep footboard. This is because of the large gap between the platform and the coach.”

While Borde’s team’s project was selected as one of the top three projects by Southern Railway officials who were the judges, another team from IIT-M secured the first place.

Raj Dandekar, a student from the team said, “After taking the maximum and minimum gap into consideration (229-305 mm) across India, with no major modifications in the coach design, our mechanism can help 22-24 people comfortably entrain and detrain within 180 to 250 seconds.”

The students claimed that the total cost of this device would be around Rs 8,300.

R Kuppan, Chief Mechanical Engineer, Southern Railways, who attended the event said, “We are generally skeptical when it comes to student projects, but today their projects were outstanding. The winners will be given a chance to work on their ideas with Railway engineers to develop them and we will try it on our railway coaches.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Ram M Sundaram / January 25th, 2016