Category Archives: Education

Rahman launches music school

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Leaders, Records, All
Music maestro A R Rahman. | EPS
Music maestro A R Rahman. | EPS

A R Rahman is a spiritual man. That’s probably why he rushed his staff to get their brand new premises of the KM College of Music up and running on Eid. The landscaping may not be perfect, going by the patches of grass on the lawn, the interiors may need a little more touching up and the location (on a rather bumpy gulley off 100 feet road) isn’t exactly posh, but the ‘Mozart of Madras’ is upbeat as he arrives at his new college. “Inshallah, it will all go off well,” he tells his wife Saira as he awaits the arrival of India’s industrial power couple Nita and Mukesh Ambani — the ‘under-wraps’ guests of honour for Rahman’s college opening. With a host of Hollywood and local films to score music for, Rahman took time to reflect on the journey that his ‘pet project’ has taken from a single room KM Music Conservatory, opposite his house, to this magnificent campus. Notes from the maestro’s mind:

How did this project come to be?

I’ve always been interested in music education, because there is this distance between what people in the music industry need and what is being taught. That was the vision behind KM Conservatory. Some time ago, the students staged a full-fledged musical and they managed a spectacular show with such a small rehearsal space on the old campus. I began to think that we could do a lot more with a larger space and that is how this unfolded. We can comfortably teach about 300 students here.

So, It’s a dream come true?

(Laughs) Everything is. This morning when I came here to see how things were going, I was astonished to hear western classical being practised in one room, while sufi music was coming from the floor above…there were so many musical confluences from all around, it finally made sense. There is room for experimentation and growth here, for every talented musician.

Is it financially viable to run such a top-of-the-line school of music?

Honestly, (clears his throat) it’s like I’ve got a knife to my neck when I think about the amount of work and money that we have pumped in. Like everything else, we’ll just have to wait and see. We have a superb studio here that will be rented commercially at night, so that ought to help!

Do you have partners or a franchisee model in mind. Reliance could be interested in this as a brand…

Not at the moment, no. I can say that things are comfortable at the moment and I am able to finance this institute without worry. When I figure out how much it takes to run things here, then I will think about whether we need partnership or any other support. I’ll know in a month’s time.

Do you see KM being in the league of a Berkeley or Julliard School of Music?

I’ve always felt that KM as a concept is in a different direction. Where Julliard and Berkeley have specified directions for where they see their students, we have always had a mix of musical styles – essentially we are Indian at the heart of it, but there is room and space for any kind of world music to play its part. We’re also trying to teach people how to adapt to the needs of any music industry and not just a theoretical one. We have the option of students doing an internship anywhere and even doing commercial work while they’re studying.

Has the attitude towards music education changed since you started KM in 2008?

Not much, but I’d like to think that we have made a difference somewhere. In India, there is this strange attitude that people have where even musician’s have towards their children taking up IT jobs – abroad, people are proud to say that their kids play for the Boston Chamber Orchestra or study at Julliard, but that’s not the case here. I wanted to change that. These days, music is limited only to cinema, cinema and cinema. I wanted to create an interest among people who wanted to make music and help them get to where they wanted to be – successful musicians, whether for music sake, for personal satisfaction or even to play in the industry.

So it’s about recognition of talent for you?

Right now it’s (industry) all about popularity. Things have changed to a small extent where small bands put stuff up on Youtube and if it’s good, it becomes a sensation. If it doesn’t, it just fades. But there is a lot of good stuff and talent out there that needs to be nurtured and we hope to bridge that gap.

Making music without knowing the industry must be tough

It’s a strange thing, but I’ve found that sometimes people with the best talent have dropped off by the industry very early, like the initial rounds of a reality show. Some musicians and singers may be really talented and technically good, but they get knocked out by the commercial aspects and others who aren’t quite talented make it. This needs to change.

You’ve been away from Tamil films for awhile and now you’re returning. Was it a planned hiatus?

Here’s the thing – Hollywood projects come calling only once and you really have to grab on to those opportunities. The good thing about most of those projects is that they take time and allow me a certain space to work. Setting up this kind of an institute could not have been possible without that kind of space or ‘resources’.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com /  The New Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Interview / by Daniel Thimmayya / ENS – Chennai / August 10th, 2013

Noted Prof Rangabashyam no more

Education, Leaders, Records, All, Science & Technologies
Prof N. Rangabashyam
Prof N. Rangabashyam
Chennai:
Renowned surgical gastroenterologist, Prof N. Rangabashyam, 79, passed away in his sleep on Sunday morning.
His last rites were performed the same eve­ning at Besant Nagar crematorium. Prof Ranga­ba­shyam is survived by his wife, son and daughter.
Former head of the depar­t­ment of surgical gastroenterology and proctology and clinical professor of surgery, Madras Medical Col­lege, and GGH, Prof Ranga­bashyam was the first to start a separate department for surgical gastroenterology and again the first to start a specialisation in surgical gastroenterology, M.Ch. degree course in India.
Recalling his association with Prof Ranga­bahsyam from 1985-1991 at GH, the present head of department of surgical gastroenterology, Dr S.M. Chand­­­ra­mohan, said Ranga­ba­­shyam was a visionary and a doctor with commitment.
“I’m sitting in the department that he started. He wanted healthcare of our country on a par with other countries and worked towards it. Ranga­bashyam was the one to start M.Ch degree and the course has produced many eminent doctors,” he said.
A student of Rangaba­shyam and at present the transplant coordinator of state cadaver transplant programme, Dr J. Amalopa­vanathan, said he was a go-getter.  Prof Rangabashyam was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and won the prestigious Dr B C Roy national award twice.
A.C Muthaiah, former president of FICCI and BCCI, condoled the death of Dr Rangabashyam saying that India has lost an eminent surgical gastroenterologist.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / by DC / July 15th, 2013

Madurai students hail exhibition train; slam poor access to Kudal Nagar

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Science & Technologies

Madurai :

A stream of visitors thronged the KudalNagar station, near Madurai junction, on Thursday to explore a special train that is circling the country to promote awareness on science and biodiversity. Aptly named Science Express Biodiversity Special (SEBS), it reached Maduraiafter a four-day stay at Trichy junction.

The 16-coach train showcases the rich biodiversity of the country with each coach displaying in detail the different biodiversity zones of the country. The train also displays other facets of biodiversity and its impact on livelihoods of the people in specific regions.

The SEBS was inaugurated at Kudal Nagar station by V Ajithkumar, additional railway divisional manager, in the presence of railway officials. By afternoon students from more than ten schools visited the train, SEBS project staff said. “The response is very good and school students are the majority. We expect more people on the coming days as next three days are holidays,” commented Divya Pande, a project staff. “Comparatively, the response in south India is overwhelming. For instance, we had 57,000 visitors in a single day at Vizakapatanam, while the average visitor count for four days at a north Indian station is around 50,000,” she said.

“The exhibition train is very informative and the volunteers are explaining the concepts very well,” said D Dhya neswaran, a class 6 student of Equitas Gurukul Matriculation School in Dindigul. Students from government schools were also present for the event. The eager students from government high school, Valayankulam were seen jotting the information they had gleaned from the exhibts. “Our teachers brought us to have a look and we are very thrilled,” commented Roobarani, another school student.

The visitors, including students, had a tough time reaching the station as they had to negotiate the uneven road without proper metal tops. The access roads are poor and moreover the entry is confusing, said a school teacher from Valayankulam government school. The school vans have to navigate a dirt road nearby the Kudalpudur bridge to reach the station. It will be good if the railway authorities construct proper roads since many of the exhibition trains are stationed at Kudal Nagar regularly, the visitors said.

When contacted ADRM, V Ajithkumar said that the proposal to improve the roads is on anvil since the station was declared as Adarsh station recently. “We are working on the proposal and the station will be provided more facilities including roads in future,” he said.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai> Government School / by TNN / August 09th, 2013

WhatsApp, social networking sites keep friendship alive

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education
Students of S.S.Jain College in T.Nagar celebrate Friend­ship Day on the campus on Saturday. — DC
Students of S.S.Jain College in T.Nagar celebrate Friend­ship Day on the campus on Saturday. — DC

Chennai: 

Has the era of social networking sites and WhatsApp robbed Friends­hip Day of the personal element?

While psychologists bel­ieve it has, they also feel the change is inevitable in the world as we know it today.

“Be it teenagers or their parents, everyone has a smart phone now. All they do is text or click on chat to wish their friends. While there’s nothing wrong with that, its not the same as a meeting in person,” they note .

“Kids keep texting on WhatsApp and chatting.  Living with gadgets, children don’t have time to socialize. One-on-communication is definitely better,” says Dr Anjana Thadhani, consultant developmental paediatrician, advising parents to communicate with their children and get them to do more in the real world rather than in the virtual.

But Rajani Nanda­kumar, a psychological counsellor, believes there’s nothing wrong with having a social life in the virtual world.

“Today youngsters are always occupied with work and social networking sites allow them to stay connected with friends. We have to understand this virtual world and the friendships that they nurture,” she suggests, while acknowledging that this does deprive some of the pleasure of actually meeting  friends.

But with popularity being a huge yardstick with most youngsters, the Friendship Day chorus on the Net is unlikely to ease.

“It’s easy to tag all your friends and wish them, instead of meeting each one in person,” reasons Amrita Ranganathan, a college student, echoing the sentiments of many of her generation.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / by Uma Kannan, DC / August 04th, 2013

Food centre to help entrepreneurs

Business & Economy, Education
Students of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics of PSG College of Arts and Science at the Food Processing Plant filling sauce bottles and capping them./ Photo: S. Siva Saravanan / The Hindu
Students of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics of PSG College of Arts and Science at the Food Processing Plant filling sauce bottles and capping them./ Photo: S. Siva Saravanan / The Hindu

The Food Processing Centre of PSG College of Arts and Science, set up in 2011, allows entrepreneurs to manufacture their value-added products, and offers a variety of courses to train people the techniques of value-addition.

Operated under the aegis of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics of the college, the centre has been set up by the college management, with partial funding from Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries. It is licensed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.

The focus, according to, S. Radhai Sri, Associate Professor of the department and coordinator of the food processing plant, was to take forward the concept of reducing wastage and post-harvest handling of fruits and vegetables.

“It is also to help conduct research and outreach activities for entrepreneurs, members of self help groups, students, and also farmers, to enhance food safety in all spheres of the food system gamut,” she says.

“Equipment such as steam jacketed kettle, pasteuriser, homogeniser, fluidised bed drier, and pulper, can be used by food business operators for research and development work as well as product development. Consultancy services are also provided on product development and market testing,” she adds.

The unit has product lines for ready-to-serve beverages, jam, jelly, and sauce. It is also equipped for canning of fruits and vegetables, packed and flavoured milk production, instant mixes and masala powders, research and development, and quality checking laboratories.

The centre is equally interested in promoting its training programmes – ranging from one day to one year — for the benefit of those who are trying to establish themselves as entrepreneurs.

There are weeklong programmes on preparing products from fruits, vegetables, etc.

The one-year programme is a Diploma course on Post Harvest Technology approved by the Bharathiar University.

Admissions for the training programmes are open.

Contact

Those interested can contact the Food Processing Centre on 0422-4303300 (extension 3357 / 3314).

source: http://www.thehindu.com  / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by Staff Reporter / Coimbatore – August 08th, 2013

Students design window cleaner robot

Education, Science & Technologies

Chennai :

The life of a window cleaner hangs on a rope, but the invention of a group of Anna University students may just make it safer.

H Ramkumar, along with his three team members from the production technology department of the university’s MIT campus, has created a semi-manned robot that can climb glass walls, cling onto them and give them a wipe.

“We wanted to bring out something that would be lively and stand out from monotonous models,” said Ramkumar on the robot that was designed as part of the students’ BE final year project. “We also need a safe and efficient cleaning system because, conventionally, a human worker has to hang several feet above the ground with an unreliable safety system. Sometimes it proves fatal.”

Though it is in its skeletal form now, the 2.1kg robot is ready with its functions. The remote has four buttons to control the robot’s movement, done with the help of suction cups that take turns to climb glass walls. The light and rectangular vehicle has two wheels in the middle  and four suction cups at the corners. While two cups help in climbing, the other two help the machine hold onto the wall.

WindowRobotCF14aug2013

On one corner of the device is a rolling wiper with a compartment above that to keep a water bottle. Near that is a tube through which water is sprayed continuously and the wiper cleans the wall, moving up or down simultaneously. A sponge wiper at the other corner and two flat ones in the middle do the finishing job. The dirty water is collected by a rolling wiper.

The students don’t claim it is the first of its kind. “We were inspired by some models in other countries,” said Ramkumar. “They use high-end technology for skyscrapers but we’ve used simple methods so far. But, our innovation would be an image processing camera,” said Ramkumar. The sensor in the built-in camera would show obstacles in the path or in any particular area to be cleared so that the machine can be moved accordingly. “The video can be continuously observed on a screen,” he said.

“Finalising the design was the toughest part,” said Ramkumar’s teammate S R Sadhve. “We had to stay back till late in the evening during the designing stage. Building the device was easier because we got most of the equipment from our college laboratory.” There are many such robots in other countries, but these are not available in the Indian market. “We would like to take this project forward and improvise it,” said Sadhve.

The duo, along with Sahil Bharti and S Ishwarya Lakshmi, got the ‘excellent paper’ award at the International Conference on Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering (ICCSME) and their paper was also published in the journal of South Asian Research Centre ( SARC).

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai> Mechanical Engineering / by Saradha Mohan Kumar, TNN / August 02nd, 2013

Librarians go for digital makeover

Education, Records, All

 

Staff at Egmore Connemara library take a closer look at old books preserved by the library on Monday. — DC
Staff at Egmore Connemara library take a closer look at old books preserved by the library on Monday. — DC

Chennai:

As the Internet becomes the platform to study and research, and libraries are trying to keep pace with the digital wave, librarians in the city talk of adapting to this change on Na­tional Library Day.

Meenakshi Murugan, assistant librarian at Connemara public library in Egmore for the last 32 years, says, “Changing reading habits and increased dependence on internet are some of the changes happening across the domain,” but asserts that the responsibility of the librarian remains unaltered. “The librarian is still the guide when it comes to conveying to the reader the know-how of which books to refer and where.”

The day is celebrated on the birth anniversary of S. R. Ranganathan, mathematician and librarian, and also the father of library sciences in India.

T. Vijayalakshmi, librarian at the British Council,  for the past 11 years seconds the opinion and adds, “We are looking at integrating physical resources (books) with online academic material.”

Speaking of the cause that led her to her choice of profession she says, “My interests since childhood were books and that triggered the choice.”

She says, “Being a librarians is a profession where being updated about a new book and what is of interest to the reader is imperative.”

Talking of the new tech in the library, Vijayalakshmi adds, “At the British Council library, books are enabled with radio frequency identification technology which minuses the librarian’s role of issuing a book; a swipe with the chip fitted on the book is all that’s needed.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / by Jackson Jose, DC / August 13th, 2013

SRM University to honour eleven Tamil scholars, writers

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All

Chennai :

SRM University will honour Tamil scholars, researchers and authors for their contribution to the growth and development of the language. The university will present 11 experts in Tamil with the Tamil Academy Awards  on August 24, which is also the birthday of university chancellor TR Pachamuthu.

University officials said the third edition of the awards would carry a total cash prize of Rs 20.5 lakh.

The Lifetime Parivendhar Achievement Award, carrying a cash award of Rs 5 lakh, will be given to Tamil scholar Tamizhannal. The Parithimaar Kalaignar Award for the best Tamil scholar would be given to Kovai Gnani. It carries a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh.

The Vipulanandar Award, instituted this year, will be presented to an author who has published Tamil books abroad. A Muthulingam will be the first to get this award for his book titled ‘Amerikakkari’. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 1.5 lakh.

Jayamohan’s ‘Aram’ has been selected for the Pudumaipithan Award for short stories and drama, while the Bharathiyar Poet Award goes to Elakkumi Kumaran Gnana Draviyam for his book ‘Perunayaipuraithal.’

The Valliappa Child Literary Award will be shared by three authors this year. The GU Pope Translation Award will go to MA Suseela for the book ‘Asadan’ and the Appuswamy Scientific Tamil Award will go to Mohan Sundararajan for his book ‘Nano : the Next Revolution.’

The Anandakumaraswamy Fine Arts Award will go to Kudavayil Balasubramanian for his book ‘Raja Rajecharam,’ and the Muthuthandavar Tamil Isai award for E Angayarkanni, while the Development Tamil Award will go to K Jawahar. These awards carry a cash prize of Rs 1.5 lakh.

Vice-chancellor of the university M Ponnavaiko said 523 entries were received for the 11 awards. The best five were shortlisted and circulated among eminent scholars to bring down the choice  to two. The final choice was made by a panel of jurists.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai> SRM University / by M. Ramya, TNN / August 02nd, 2013

University of Bristol students help bring electricity to Indian villages

Education, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

Chloe Tingle and Adam Smith, students at the University of Bristol, have travelled to the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu to look at ways in which the residents of a Mumbai slum and two remote villages can improve their lives by generating their own power.

India has a population of 350 million people, but a quarter of the country still has no electricity. Vast areas of Tamil Nadu suffer from intermittent electricity or no energy supply at all, making even the most basic daily tasks extremely difficult.

Students are visiting India as part of a project led by Bristol-based charity The Converging World
Students are visiting India as part of a project led by Bristol-based charity The Converging World

Chloe and Adam arrived in Mumbai on Saturday 27 July to undertake a fact finding mission as part of a project led by Bristol-based charity The Converging World (TCW), which has installed wind farms in the area, investing the profits into helping people who live in energy poverty.

The pair will run workshops in the Mumbai slum, where a solar project is underway at a local community centre, educating local people about the importance of renewable energies. They will then travel to the villages of Kalilaspura and Muthumakamura, which are close to wind turbines built by TCW, where they will assess the energy needs and lifestyles of the local people and will also meet local suppliers of biomass and biogas generators.

Both students are part of the Bristol branch of Engineers Without Borders (EWB), a student-run organisation working to remove barriers to development through engineering.

Chloe, who is in the final year of a Master’s degree in Engineering Design, is a volunteer project manager for TCW’s Access to Affordable Sustainable Energy programme. She says:  “Our trip is a fact-finding mission to gain an appreciation of local lifestyles. Meeting with communities face to face is the best way to understand their needs and learn about how their quality of life could be improved.”

Adam, who has just completed a Masters in Physics, adds: “At The Converging World we are focussed on sustainability, so it’s important that we don’t go straight in and install energy systems that no-one understands how to use or maintain, that will be forgotten after a couple of years.”

When the pair return to the UK at the end of August they will continue to work on the project, using their research to compile recommendations regarding the best type of technology to use and which suppliers in India could help.

Chloe and Adam’s part time internships at TCW are sponsored by the University of Bristol and their trip to India has been self-funded through grants and fundraising events.

Further information can be found at www.sponsorcraft.com/p/theconvergingworld/.

source: http://www.guide2bristol.com / Guide 2 Bristol / Home> Bristol News/Features / July 31st, 2013

New set of students at KAP College vow to serve in rural areas

Education

Trichy : 

It was a new beginning for students of the K A P Viswanatham Government Medical College (KAPVGMC), as they stepped into the college portals for the first time after gaining admission into the 15th batch of the MBBS course, which commenced on Thursday. As part of this, the students pledged to dedicate their noble service to the rural service.

A total of 85 students enrolled into the MBBS course under the state merit quota. Of the total 100 seats, the 15 seats are reserved for national quota. The first day of the college for these students was marked by a function to welcome the freshers. Dr MA Aleem, vice-principal of this college presided over the event and advised the students to minimize the use of mobile phone and maximize their period of study as well as to make use of library.

In an interaction with few students, it was found that most of them were first-generation medicine students. It showed that not only the children of doctors but also others too win the race to become future doctors. B Sowmya, a student from Dindigul, who is a first medicine student in her family told TOI, “It was my grandparents’ wish to produce a doctor in our family. And, I was also determined to become a doctor in a Government College. With the support of my father L Boomirajan, a farmer and my mother V Santhanalakshmi, I achieved this feat. After successful completion of my course, I would dedicate my service to the rural people.”

Another first generation medicine student K Kaviya from Peravoorani in Thanjavur district also echoed the same view. “It was my lifetime aim to serve the rural people. I have felt the difficulties of rural people in getting quality medical treatment. I want to serve them to prove that it is a noble profession,” Kaviya said, whose father is working as a tailor abroad.

Asked whether they would have joined medicine if they had not secured a seat in a government college, the students said ‘no’.

In addition to the 100 seats, the Medical Council of India has approved to increase the number of seats to 150 from this year. So, the counselling for rest of the seats will be over shortly.counselling for rest of the seats will be over shortly.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai> Government College / TNN / August 02nd, 2013