Category Archives: Inspiration/ Positive News and Features

2015: The year that saw many Kovaiites make headlines

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

They did not want to follow the masses and hence, took the path less travelled. And then, nothing could deter them from making the headlines in 2015. Here are a few Kovaiites who thought out of the box and won the hearts of many in Coimbatore.

Shradha Prasad While students her age were burning the midnight oil to prep for their examinations, Shradha Prasad had a different agenda in the mind. This space enthusiast and mechanical engineering student from Amrita University was short-listed for the Mars-One mission. She is the only one from India residing in the country to be part of the final selection round of the mission that aims to establish a permanent human settlement on the red planet by offering a one-way trip to the chosen ones. “I want to do ample justice to the mission by being a thorough help in the scientific experiment. Once I reach there, I want to give my best to make the conditions favourable for human settlement.”

Aravind P Right from his childhood, Aravind P was sure that he would not settle for a nine-to-five job like many of his friends. And he did stand apart from the rest, by making it to the Guinness Book of World Records for memorizing the longest binary sequence of 270 digits. For this language teacher, it was a chance encounter with a record for memorizing the longest binary digit sequence a couple of years ago that pushed him to take up the challenge and surpass the record. “Every morning I would spend three hours staring at my laptop trying to recall sequences on the screen. I started with 90 numbers and gradually started increasing the sequences.” Aravind has started a memory club in the city to help students reduce learning time.” He is also contemplating working on memory enhancement techniques for adults.

Auto Chandran When M Chandra Kumar (‘Auto’ Chandran as he is fondly known) returned to Coimbatore after walking the red carpet at the 72 Venice Film Festival in September, he received a hero’s welcome. The auto driver from the Hopes auto stand was in Venice for the screening of the film Visaaranai, which was based on his book Lockup. The film won the Amnesty International Italy’s Cinema for Human Rights Award and became the first Tamil film to have won the honour. The book Lock up published in 2006, chronicles Chandran’s first-hand experience in police brutality as a young man when was working in Guntur. “We have to stop glorifying encounters on screen. Police enquiries have to be done in a fair manner and for that, we have to make some changes in the constitution itself.”

Sakthi B When Sakthi B, a civil engineering student from Coimbatore, did backward skips with his hands clasped, many made jaws drop. The 20-year-old made it to the Guinness Book of World Records by doing the maximum number of backward skips- 46 skips in a minute, a record hitherto held by Brittany Boffo, an Australian (40 skips in one minute). The attempt was recorded in front of a large gathering at a mall in the city. “When I first started working toward it, I was a tad doubtful if I would be able to achieve the feat. I used to wonder ‘Will this ever happen’? But after a few days, I decided to work hard and give it my best.” He is now awaiting the results for 25 skips in 30 seconds, which is expected to come in January.

Rathi Punithavathiyar The transgender community seems to be going places in the city. While Padmini Prakash (country’s first transgender newsreader) made headlines in 2014, it was the turn of author Rathi Punithavathiyar to hog the limelight in 2015. Ostracized by her family at the age of 14, Rathi became the first author from the city to have penned a book. But the journey wasn’t a cakewalk & she even resorted to begging for survival at a point of time. Despite the fact that she had studied only till Class 10, Rani was confident that she would author a book. Her book revolves around stories of transgenders and is expected to hit screens in January. “I hope one day the society would treat us as equals.”

Sabari Venkat 12-year-old Sabari Venkat has no vision in his right eye, and has partial vision in his left. But that didn’t deter the Class VIII student from being winning with the ‘Creative Child with Disabilities’ award by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. “I want to eradicate corruption & illiteracy. I want India to become a leading nation by 2016. I enjoy addressing those issues through my speeches,” says Sabari, who aspires to become a journalist when he grows up. Sabari was also featured in a calendar titled I’m special’.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Coimbatore / P. Sangeetha, TNN / December 31st, 2016

Seacology prize winner donates 2 lakh to schoolto local school

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

Madurai :

The woman from a fishing hamlet in Ramanathapuram, who won the coveted Seacology Prize from Berkeley in California, has donated one third of her prize money (2 lakh) to a local school specifying that the amount should be used to construct more classrooms and develop the playground.

The beneficiary was the Chinnapaalam Government Middle School.

M Lakshmi, 46, a seaweed collector was chosen for the prize for her contribution to the development of her community by the non-profit environment organisation, Seacology, which is committed to conserving island environments and cultures. She travelled all the way to the US to receive her prize money of $10,000, the equivalent to 6.48 lakh, on October 9 this year.

Lakshmi, also a ward member of the Chinnapaalam panchayat near the coastal town of Pamban, had never gone to school.

She started collecting seaweed at the age of seven. Then she went on to cultivate the seaweed and also educate local women on the same, using methods that did not harm the marine life in the Gulf of Mannar, where her profession was based.

According to Lakshmi, women could achieve their goals in life and become instruments of development if given higher education. “This is a small contribution with which I hope to enhance the chances of children, especially girls, in the region to pursue higher education,” she said.

Local people, who are already proud of Lakshmi for putting their tiny village on the global map, lauded her effort to help the local school.

“She is committed to developing this backward village and we will do everything possible to help her,” they said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Madurai / TNN / December 26th, 2015

23 Sketches on Chennai’s Bravehearts During Flood

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features

Chennai :

He has always been knonw for his uniquely interesting sketches but now artist A P Shreethar has sketched scenes from the recent floods — especially of those who lent a helping hand to the victims and rescued many.

The artist has released a series of sketches that show common people helping each other which has become a common sighting in the city recently.

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Talking to City Express, Shreethar says, “I was really touched to see the way people helped one another. I started collecting pictures of help being rendered from media personnel, and based on these pictures, I began sketching them.” The artist has sketched more than 23 pictures, two of which are his own images. Says Shreethar, “The entire set was sketched in two to three days. It took between 40 minutes and two hours to complete each sketch. It also depended on the kind of characters I was looking to draw. For instance, some pictures in which there were too many characters took much longer than the ones in which there were fewer.”

On one of his pictures, Shreethar penned the lines, ‘Saluting the super heroes’. He explains, “Thanks to TV channels, social/web media, press, army, navy, airforce, fire service personnel, police, the NGOs and all the individuals for participating and co-ordinating in relief and rescue measures. I dedicate these sketches to their brave deeds.”

Shreethar, a big fan of actor Kamal Haasan, has had his sketches released by Kamal in the past. However, this time, that isn’t the case. Ask him why and he replies with a grin, “Kamal sir is in the US at the moment. But even his fans and staff were working hard to help those affected by the recent floods.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Manigandan  K R – ENS / December 16th, 2015

Meet 9 govt employees who remained honest despite odds

Amazing Feats, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features
Nine honest officials from the district were awarded for their service by anti-corruption movement in the city on Saturday. (TOI photo by Komal Gautham)
Nine honest officials from the district were awarded for their service by anti-corruption movement in the city on Saturday. (TOI photo by Komal Gautham)

Coimbatore :

Dressed in white and white, G Jesuganesan, a village assistant at Ganapathy, rides on his bicycle every day to collect agricultural tax in the area. If the fee is Rs 4 and a farmer pays him Rs 5, he will not return home until he returns the balance Re 1 to the farmer.

Farmers of Chinnavedampatti and Ganapathy in Coimbatore district say they have never seen such an honest and sincere employee. “His heart and mind is as white as his clothes. We have not seen an officer like him,” said B Sundaram, a farmer at Chinnavedampatti.

The Coimbatore unit of the Anti-Corruption Movement honoured Jesuganesan on Saturday. Jesuganesan, who hails from a humble family, said he was delighted to receive the award of an honest officer.

Eight other honest officials working in various government departments in Coimbatore were also felicitated.

Though these officials have done immense service to the public, they had to face their share of challenges to stay on the path of honesty.

P Jayanthi, an assistant executive engineer with the public works department (PWD), was constantly ridiculed for being a straight officer. She had even contemplated on quitting her job.

“My colleagues kept telling me that what change I could bring about by not taking bribe. But in my 33 years of service, I can proudly say that I have been part of several projects which we have completed without heeding to anyone’s personal requests,” said Jayanthi.

She added that when officials were straight forward, one could expect better quality of work from the contractors as they would listen to them.

Many of these officials took a firm decision to help people.

On the tenth day after K K Gopal joined as the block development officer of Annur village panchayat, residents staged a road roko stating that they were not given basic amenities. He checked the records and spoke to the panchayat president asking him to take action to help the villagers.

When the panchayat president did not pay any heed to the public requests, Gopal said he would seek the collector’s intervention and use Section 205 of the Panchayat Act making him the special officer.

“The panchayat president immediately took steps to ensure that the residents received water and other amenities,” said Gopal.

“I think it’s a person’s work and character that defines them and once we ensure that we do not do anything wrong, people begin to respect us and our work,” he added.

S Balaji, an income tax officer who received the award, said: “People are defined by their choices, and we are all proud we made the right ones. Moreover, we were also lucky to have families who supported our decisions and were content with what they received.”

Apart from them, T Murugan,(an assistant engineer with Tangedco, Mettupalayam), N Muthuchami (an assistant treasury officer), P Kalimuthu (a lineman with Tangedco, Kinathukidavu) K R Deepa, (an income tax officer) and Prof P Kanagaraj of the Government Arts and Science College here were also felicitated.

City police commissioner, A Amalraj who gave away the awards, said every government official faced challenges and problems but those who overcame them with integrity were always sought after.

“The responsibility of both — the person who gives the bribe and the one who receives it — is equal,” he added.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Coimbatore / by Komal Gautham, TNN / December 12th, 2015

High-risk patient recovers after liver transplant

Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Science & Technologies

Trichy :

A 53-year-old businessman with end-stage liver failure has received a fresh chance at normal life, thanks to the efforts of a team of doctors from a private hospital in the city and the timely reception of organs from a liver and brain dead man.

Motilal Jain from Jodhpur in Rajasthan was admitted at Cethar Hospital in the city a couple of weeks ago. He was suffering from an acute case of Hepatitis B. He also had abdominal swelling due to fluid collection, blood in the motion and jaundice and renal failure.

A team of doctors, including transplant surgeon Dr G Rajarathinam, transplant anesthetist Dr Rasweth Krishnamoorthy and interventional radiologist Dr Bavuharan, assessed the patient and decided that he had to undergo a liver transplant if he was to live, even though the process would be very risky.

The organ of a liver and brain dead man was chosen, and the surgery commenced. It took 16 long hours, since the condition of the patient was volatile, but the doctors emerged successful in the end.

Motilal is now recovering. Doctors and the patient met the media on Sunday to brief them on his condition and explain the technological advancement that had made the surgery possible.

“Humans come in contact with Hepatitis B virus through non-sterilized injections and other reasons. So, it is highly risky to operate on such patients. Despite the difficulties, our doctors pulled it off,” said executive director of Cethar hospital Karthick Sivakumar on Sunday.

A liver transplant usually costs around Rs15 lakh, but in Motilal’s case the expense ran up to Rs23 lakh because he required the expensive ‘immuno suppress’ injection twice, Karthick added.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Trichy / TNN / November 24th, 2015

Virtual boost for Chennai as Google, Facebook step in with online support

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

Internet giants Google and Facebook have stepped in with technical aid for relief work in Chennai. Facebook has activated its “safety check” feature through which people can broadcast to their Facebook friends that they are safe with a single click. Google, on the other hand, has compiled all the crowdsourced material available online on the crisis response page. Meanwhile, small efforts by scattered individuals to bring food, candles, even power banks to the stranded, continued in the marooned city.

The Google Crisis Response page for “South India Flooding” has compiled publicly available links with help on food and shelter resources, and emergency phone numbers. Scattered online information in the form of tweets, google documents floated by rescue volunteers, and news reports are all compiled on a single location.

Facebook switched on its Chennai Flooding safety check featureat around 07.30 am on Thursday. At the time of going to press, data on the number of people who had used it was not yet available.

Besides the one-click safety check, there were several SOS calls on Facebook as well. One Kokila Palaniappan sought help contacting her family in Chennai. Saying that about 10 members of her family were stuck and unreachable, she provided an address and wrote in a public post: “They don’t have any food and most of them are sugar or heart patient. Have been trying for rescue boat for the past 12 hours and in vain. Also they don’t have much charge in their cell phones. So it is getting difficult to reach them. Any help extended would be greatly appreciated.” The post received over 3,000 shares.

By Thursday evening, a less than hopeful response came on the thread: “hi koki, went and searched ur house for 4 hrs today.. We went in boats with food and cried their names, no one responded. There’s 15 ft water in that street and it is impossible to recognise ur house from those photos,” wrote one Ashwin Badri.

Surprisingly, #chennairains not only lost its top spot from the national Twitter trends list on Thursday evening, but vanished from the list all together.

Even the city-specific trends for Chennai the tag, or one even related to the deluge, like #ChennaiFlood was nowhere on the list. However, volunteers, rescuers, and those in need of help continued to tweet their locations and the materials they required or could provide.

Chennai flood alert: Helpline numbers

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Chennai / TNN / December 04th, 2015

TOI’s coffee table book lauds

Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All

Coimbatore  :

Angels of Change, a first-of-its-kind coffee table book showcasing the achievements of women in the field of education in Coimbatore, an initiative of The Times of India, was launched by the University Grants Commission vice-chairman H Devaraj at a function here on Wednesday.

The book profiles 15 women educationists from the city who have dedicated their lives to selflessly serve the academic world. All the personalities featured in the book have had strong social and personal reasons to start a school or a college in the city.

Devaraj unveiled the first copy of the book and felicitated the women featured in it. A citation and a copy of the book were given to each of the outstanding contributors to education.

Congratulating all the women achievers, he said, “I am happy to launch this book that showcases the legacy of school and higher education in the city. I will take back messages from the book to frame policies on women empowerment.”

He praised the women for taking forward the legacy of serving the society for which Coimbatore is known.

President of Indian Chamber of Commerce, D Nandhakumar, also congratulated the women for their untiring service to the society and Coimbatore.

He recalled the contribution of women in improving education in the city, and cited the role of the Indian Chamber of Commerce for the betterment of the society through education.

Corporation commissioner Dr K Vijayakarthikeyan also congratulated the women achievers and The Times of India.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Coimbatore / TNN / November 26th, 2015

The culture curator

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

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Abhinaya Rangarajan’s Facebook page, ‘The Artist Project’, is a tribute to the Indian craftsman

She is 23, but Abhinaya Rangarajan has her life sorted. While she is an architect during the day, by dusk, she is a busy entrepreneur. The Artist Project, a Facebook page started by her in July, is getting “overwhelming responses”.

The page that is followed by around 5,500 people, features an artist/artisan from across India every two weeks, and promotes his or her products.

“If you are buying a handmade product, you might as well care to know the hands that made it. After all, the product is a cumulative result of all the skills that the person possesses,” she says, taking just a second’s glimpse at her cell phone that beeps occasionally. “Ever since I started the page, messages have been pouring in — orders, enquiries and requests to be featured. I did not see it becoming such a hit. I get around five to six orders a day, am still coping with the success,” she says.

Abhinaya notes all the orders, and at the end of the week, passes them on to the artisans, who either courier it to the address of the customers themselves or send it to her.

“While I used to handle everything myself, with increasing orders, I now have an intern working for me; a final-year college student,” she says. A no-profit venture, Abhinaya runs it for the sheer pleasure of helping encourage the craftsmen/artisans (she refers to them as artists), and to provide a platform for those who either do not have access to market benefits.

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Each post on the Facebook page has a brief description about the artist’s background, besides high resolution photos of their products. Till date, seven artists have been unveiled on the page — Auroville-based shoemaker Rajasekaran who runs ‘Aasai footwear’; an alumni of Vidya Sagar, Swaminathan who weaves mats and sells them in his boutique; Nimisha Zachariah who specialises in textile jewellery; Amrita Giriraj, a visual arts graduate from Stella Maris, who makes accessories from shells; award-winning leather puppet makers D. Venkatramana and K. Ramdas from Andhra Pradesh; and Karishma who makes home decor using bangles.

“The artists featured by us are happy. For example, the puppet makers were almost out of business. They were hosting workshops for a living, which hardly helped them meet their needs. Now, they get orders for their products, and make money,” says Abhinaya. “And Karishma, who had started making bangle decor as a means to pass time while she was pregnant, has now taken it on as a full-time project,” she adds.

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It all began when Abhinaya, who graduated in Architecture from SRM University two months ago, was interning in Bangalore. “Since there was not much work, I would pack my bags and head to the outskirts every weekend. It was one one of those trips that I came across the wooden-toy makers of Channapatna. There were a line of stalls, all selling the same products,” she says.

And from her conversations with the artisans, she realised that they did not know how popular their toys were all across the world, and were definitely not getting the due for the amount of effort and time they put in.

Besides her steely resolve to give the artists a bigger audience, Abhinaya, who is planning to pursue a Masters in Product Design, says her interest was piqued also by the urge to know more about the creative products. “Also, I was a DIY kid myself. Be it birthday parties or get-togethers, I wanted to make my own earrings and hats. So this was expected,” she says with a child-like laugh.

For details, look up The Artist Project page on Facebook.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Naveena Vijayan / Chennai – November 30th, 2015

Finally, Indian Tribesman’s Marriage With Belgian Lover Gets Legal Stamp

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, World Opinion
File photo of the Indo-Belgian couple Suresh and Sarah
File photo of the Indo-Belgian couple Suresh and Sarah

Namakkal :

The three-month long ordeal of an Indo-Belgian couple came to end with their marriage getting duly registered with the Registration Department of the state government.

Their joy had no bounds when R Suresh, a tribesman hailing from Kolli hills and Sarah, his Belgian lover, tied the holy knot at a function held atop the hills on August 17 this year.

However, the excitement and ecstasy of the couple and their respective family members waned when the newly-wed tried to get their marriage the legal stamp.

“Initially, the Registration Department officials turned us away citing lack of credible documents to validate our marriage. So we approached the Namakkal Collector, who directed us to submit the application with Sub-Registrar’s office in Senthamangalam”, Suresh recalled.

But the hassles did not stop there. It had just began as the authorities there raised the jurisdiction issue after sitting upon the application for weeks.

The life after marriage of the couple, who fell in love while employed in a cruise ship, did not drift along the current as they had to run from pillar to post.

Finally, it was found out that the couple had to submit the application with SR office in Namagiripet. The entire process had to be initiated from the beginning once again. In the mean time, Sarah, who came on a tourist visa, had to return leaving her husband here. The ship seemed to run aground but the man held his nerve to fight all odds. The officials began to ask for document after document to endorse the marriage giving sleepless nights to the 28-year-old Suresh.

“At last, our marriage was registered under the Special Marriages Act on November 9 and the registration certificate was handed to me ten days later”, he said. The couple nurtures hopes of settling down in India in the future.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by R. Sivakumar / November 23rd, 2015

City bizman to launch int’l brand of sanitary napkins

Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

Coimbatore :

A Muruganantham, who ushered in an era of low-cost sanitary napkins with a machine he invented, is all set to launch his own international brand of sanitary napkins in January with an initial investment of 75 crore. He has already partnered with two major brands in the sanitary napkin industry to launch his new venture.

Muruganantham, who was ranked among the 100 most influential people in the TIME magazine, said he had submitted the documents for registration. “I have submitted four names. Once we are through the registration, we will decide on formal announcement,” he said. Muruganantham will own more than 65% shares in the company and also be in charge of the management.

“I was approached by many people, but I partnered with companies that were willing to agree to my terms and conditions,” Muruganantham, who sold his first machine in 2004 in Madhubani, Bihar.

“In 2004, when I sold my first machine, only around 5% of women were using sanitary napkins. Today, it has grown to around 13%. To be able to live my dream, I realized it is important to become a corporate. I aim to achieve my dream in the next 20 years. And, for this, I will need support from central and state governments, educational institutions and society,” he further said.

Along with the launch of the new company, Muruganantham will also introduce his new sanitary napkin manufacturing machines. “The machines will be available in two types — power operated and powerless. The powerless machines are tailor-made for villages, where power supply is poor,” he said. The machines will be designed in the US and manufactured in the country. “I have got engineers from Pennsylvania to work on the design,” the Coimbatore-based entrepreneur said.

The school-dropout-turned-social-entrepreneur said the company would have its headquarters in Mumbai. “We have found a place in Nariman Point. We will have regional offices in Chennai, Delhi and Kolkata,” said the 52-year-old, adding that the company will have 2,500 production centres across the country.

The company will also have offices in Singapore and Dubai to cater to international market. Muruganantham said he has so far sold 2,500 machines, besides supplying his products to 17 countries, including Kenya, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Ghana.

“At present, around 970 people are with me as volunteers and supporters in Coimbatore and other places. I will be hiring around 250 people for administration,” Muruganantham said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Coimbatore / by Adarsh Jain, TNN / November 03rd, 2015