Category Archives: Records, All

Did Japanese originate from Tamil?

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion
Katsuma Doi, Director, Japan Foundation, addressing the inaugural of a Japanese language school in Madurai on Friday. / Photo: S. James / The Hindu
Katsuma Doi, Director, Japan Foundation, addressing the inaugural of a Japanese language school in Madurai on Friday. / Photo: S. James / The Hindu

The debate continues three decades after it was raised at the fifth World Tamil Conference held in Madurai in 1981.

It is more than three decades since Japanese linguist Susumu Ohno stirred a controversy at the fifth World Tamil Conference held here in 1981 by raising the possibility that the Japanese language may have originated from classical Tamil. The debate rages to this day.

Vimala Solomon, head of the Madurai-Japan Cultural Foundation and Director of Surya Nihongo Gakko, a Japanese language school here, says:

“I agree with Mr. Ohno because we find many similarities between Tamil and Japanese. We can think in Tamil and speak in Japanese. The syntax is also very similar.” However, she points out that one must learn Japanese first to appreciate the connection.

On the need for more Indians to learn Japanese, Savitri Vishwanathan, former head of the Department of Chinese and Japanese Studies, University of Delhi, says learning Japanese has its advantages as it facilitates interaction with the native speakers and helps in understanding their culture better, especially because Japanese is the only language spoken in all regions of Japan.

Katsuma Doi, director of the Japan Foundation in New Delhi, told The Hindu he is not aware of Mr. Ohno’s theory as the subject is confined to linguistic circles. But he adds that people-to- people contact between Japan and India has been excellent.

Referring to a great wave of interest created by the dubbed version of the Rajinikant film ‘Muthu’ in Japan in 1998 and the consequent interest evinced by Japanese audiences in watching Tamil movies, he says: “Now there is a second wave with the Japanese exhibiting much enthusiasm in watching Bollywood movies such as Aamir Khan’s 3 Idiots, Shahrukh Khan’s Om Shanthi Om and Salman Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger.”

He points out that a survey conducted in 2012 has revealed that Japanese is being taught to 3.98 million learners in 136 countries. “India is in the fourteenth position among countries where Japanese is popular. The number of learners in India has increased by 2,000 over the figure of 18,000 recorded in a survey conducted in 2009,” he points out.

He believes that Madurai will make great strides in learning Japanese in the years to come. “I feel that there will be rapid growth in the number of Japanese learners here as Ms. Vimala, a native of Madurai, has the ability not only to teach Japanese but also nurture the next generation of Japanese language teachers here,” he adds. Mr.Doi was in the city on Friday to inaugurate the Japanese language school.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Madurai / by Mohamed Imranullah S / Madurai – July 20th, 2013

Record attempt by enacting ‘three monkeys’ in sign language

Records, All

25-tamil-nadu-mapCf30jul2013 

Coimbatore :

In an attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Records, 10,000 students from 40 schools and colleges will enact the famous ‘three monkeys’ sings in sign language on July 28 in Coimbatore.

The students will repeat the sign language of ‘See No Evil, Hear No Evil and Speak No Evil’ 10 times, under guidance of Dr V G Mohan Prasad, chairman, VGM Hospital Institute of Gastroenterology, joint organisors of the attempt, as part of World Hepatitis day.

After the Guinness record event, all students would take an oath ‘each one teach one’ on the importance of safeguarding the liver and awareness on Hepatitis and all participating students would get a certificate from World Hepatitis Alliance, UK, one of the partners of the programme, Mohan Prasad said.

Hyderabad-based Shantha Bio-Technics will provide 10,000 doses of Hepatitis ‘B” vaccine free of cost to the children of Coimbatore, which will be administered free of cost at VGM Hospital, for the benefit of those who have not so far vaccinated, he said.

Mohan Prasad said he would speak on ‘Love Thy liver’ will while Anusha Ravi, CEO, Park Institutions, would speak on ‘how can youngster protect themselves from the luring vices of the modern era.’

District Collector M Karunagaran and Chief Educational Officer A Gnana Gowri will be the guests of honour at the function, in which I Varaprasad Reddy, Chairman, Sanofi, would be honoured, Mohan Prasad said.

PTI

source: http://www.news.oneindia.com / Oneindia News / Hone> Oneindia> News> India / Thursday – July 25th, 2013

This year, govt. hospitals are richer than ever before

Records, All, Science & Technologies

For the past year, government hospitals in the city have been generating more money than they ever have before.

One year after the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS) was introduced the once fund-starved hospitals are delighted with the outcome, as through it, they have earned crores of rupees, which in turn has translated into better facilities and equipment.

The CMCHIS has not only changed the lives of several patients, but has also brought smiles to the faces of doctors and heads of institutions.

Under the scheme, cashless treatment is provided to those whose income is below Rs. 72,000 per annum at various government and certain specified private hospitals.

Hospitals are reimbursed by the government for treatment costs. Of the funds received, hospitals can use 15 per cent for incentives to staff – including doctors, nurses and paramedical personnel, while the remaining 85 per cent can be used to upgrade infrastructure and equipment.

The nine institutions under Madras Medical College have received Rs. 53 crore, benefiting 35,000 patients. Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (GH) alone has earned Rs. 41 crore benefiting 25,000 patients, Dean V. Kanagasabai said.

“We have been able to improve wards and upgrade facilities. We have invested in new cots and mattresses as well as equipment. For high-end surgeries, we have started using disposable aprons, which reduce infections,” he said.

The top five revenue-generating departments are – cardiothoracic, medical hepatology, neurosurgery, urology and cardiology, Dr. Kanagasabai added.

Over the past year, GH has used most of the funds on implants, amounting to Rs. 14.4 crore.

Expenditure on equipment has been to the tune of Rs. 5.76 crore and drugs have cost the hospital Rs. 2.52 crore. Incentives given to the medical staff accounted for Rs. 3.92 crore.

The hospital has bought and used 250 pacemakers since the inception of the CMCHIS, Dr. Kanagasabai said.

GH has also placed orders for a fibroscan, a device to conduct liver biopsies that can diagnose cancer even before histological changes are registered.

A liver intensive care unit and a dialysis centre are two major units that have come up thanks to the CMCHIS.

Government Stanley Medical College Hospital has generated nearly Rs. 25 crore. General surgery has earned the most under the scheme with Rs. 3 crore, followed by cardiology and plastic surgery with Rs. 2 crore each.

Orthopaedics generated Rs. 1.5 crore and medical gastroenterology, Rs. 1 crore.

“Doctors are happy as they now have access to new equipment and consumables. We are also performing day-care surgeries such as laparoscopy procedures,” said S. Geethlakshmi, dean of the hospital.

CMCHIS has brought in Rs. 9.37 crore to Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, with paediatrics emerging as the top earner at Rs. 2.42 crore.

The hospital has invested the money on equipment such as ventilators, pulse oxymeters and implants for knee and hip joint replacements.

At the Government Royapettah Hospital, oncology (surgical, radiation and medical) generated Rs. 3 crore followed by cardiology and nephrology at Rs. 2 crore each. Total funds generated stood at Rs. 10 crore.

An ENT professor at GH said that for three years before the CMCHIS, the budget for equipment at his department was Rs. 16 lakh.

“After the introduction of CMCHIS, we have generated Rs. 1.6 crore in a year. This has taken the department ahead of those in the private sector as we now have state-of-the-art equipment,” he said.

Name of hospital Earnings beneficiaries

Rajiv Gandhi Govt. GH Rs. 41 cr 25,000

Institute of Child Health Rs. 6 cr 4,000

Egmore Maternity Hosp Rs. 3 cr 3,000

KG Hosp. Triplicane Rs. 2 cr 1,600

Govt. Eye Hospital Rs. 1 cr 1,400

Stanley Hospital Rs. 25 cr 11,500

Kilpauk Hospital Rs. 11 cr 6,000

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by R Sujatha and Serena Josephine M / Chennai – July 19th, 2013

Noted lyricist Vaali dies at 82

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, Records, All

Veteran Tamil film lyricist Vaali died at a private hospital here today. He was 82.

Vaali was undergoing treatment at a private hospital for respiratory problems for a month and was on ventilator support.

Born as T S Rangarajan in the temple town of Srirangam, Vaali penned lyrics for stars across generations, from the veteran M G  Ramachandra  (MGR), Kamal Haasan to present day heroes like Dhanush. He worked with star composers of Tamil cinema like M S Viswanthan and AR Rahman.

Having started in the mid-60s, Vaali went on to pen nearly 10,000 songs in his five-decade-long career.

Vaali also acted in a few movies including veteran K Balachander-directed ‘Poikal Kuthirai’ and Kamal Haasan’s ‘Hey Ram’.

He wrote two songs in Bharat  Bala directed film ‘Mariyan’, starring Dhanush, which is scheduled for release tomorrow.

source: http://www.business-standard.com  / Business Standard / Home> PTI Stories> National> News / Chennai – July 18th, 2013

Youngest woman loco pilot in Madurai division

Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All

Madurai :

A 26-year-old girl has stormed yet another male bastion and has landed the job of a loco pilot in Madurai division of Southern Railway.

Though Madurai railway division already has a woman loco pilot, B A Deepthi, who recently joined as assistant loco pilot, is the youngest. Besides, she is the only woman to pilot trains now as the other loco pilots are assigned to control room.

Deepthi, a native of Thiruvananthapuram, joined duty on July 4 after undergoing a two-month training at Golden Rock, Trichy, and completing another 20 days of road learning exercise in Madurai division. Currently, she navigates passenger trains in the division.

“A job in railways was my passion from childhood, but I can’t say that I was very inclined towards piloting locomotives,” she said. After acquiring a diploma in electronics engineering, she applied for a job in the railways and cleared the examination.

Employees of the Southern Railway were surprised at a young woman coming to the job. Many passengers, who spot Deepthi, initially were also surprised. However, they all congratulate her. On Friday, she co-piloted Madurai – Dindigul passenger train, which arrived at the Madurai junction by 9.10am. When she arrived at Madurai junction, a group of women passengers praised her saying that she has become a role model for women.

Loco pilot K Vinod Kumar who piloted the Madurai – Dindigul passenger said Deepthi has already shown signs of excellence in the job. “The job needs high amount of concentration and a great sense of responsibility as hundreds of passengers travel, trusting us. Deepthi seems to have understood the job’s elements and is doing well,” he said.

As an assistant loco pilot, Deepthi is assigned the tasks of monitoring signals and communicating with the loco pilot of the train, keeping a watch on essential gauges of the locomotive, and assisting the loco pilot in operating the train. “I am enjoying my work and it is quite interesting,” Deepthi said. “I think there are some more women loco pilots in the division but they are doing office works. I enjoy piloting the locomotives at present and am learning the skills eagerly,” she added.

source: http://www.m.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India, Mobile / Home / by J. Arockiaraj / July 14th, 2013

Tiruchi boy scores a double in Asian Youth Chess tourney

Records, All, Sports
L. N. Ram Aravind. / Photo: R. M. Rajarathinam
L. N. Ram Aravind. / Photo: R. M. Rajarathinam

It was a sweet double for city boy L.N. Ram Aravind in the recently-concluded Asian Youth Chess Championship in Iran.

A class 6 student of Kamala Niketan Montessori School here, he pocketed the under-10 title (open category) in the standard and blitz formats.

The youngster achieved a similar feat two years ago when he bagged the under-8 title in both formats in the championship.

In the standard format, Ram Aravind, who trains at Chess Gurukul in Chennai, scored 7.5 points (six wins and three draws) from nine rounds to emerge victorious.

“The third round which I drew with G.M.H. Thilakaratne of Sri Lanka was the toughest,” said the young champion.

The FIDE master booked a berth for the event after clinching the title in the national under-9 chess tournament held in Ahmadabad in October last year.

In the blitz event, which demands quick thinking and decision making abilities, at the Asian championship, Ram Aravind won all the seven rounds to win the title.

“I just enjoy playing blitz chess,” he says.

The youngster has set his sights on the World Youth Chess Championship (standard format) to be held later this year.

Aiming for gold

He will be competing in the under-10 category for the second time in the championship. He bagged the bronze medal in Slovenia last year and secured under-8 silver medal in 2011 at Brazil.

“I am aiming for a gold medal this time,” he says confidently.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Tiruchirapally / by Staff Reporter / Tiruchi – July 01st, 2013

Armenians to celebrate 360 years in Chennai

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

The Republic of Armenia is planning to organise a grand celebration in September this year in the presence of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, to commemorate 360 years of the Armenians’ existence in Chennai.

The Armenian presence in Chennai began to increase since 1688. The first known house of an Armenian at Fort St  George is called Admirality House today.

The Marmalong Bridge now called ‘Maraimalai Adilagar Bridge’ was originally built in 1726-28 by theArmenian Merchant Mr. Cogia Petrius Uscan at his own expense.

The Armenian Church, constructed in 1712 and reconstructed in 1772, is one of the oldest churches of the Indian subcontinent.

In addition to all the works done by them, The Armenian constitution project for the Armenians named Vorogait Paratz was written in Chennai by Hakob Shah Amirian and the Madras Group.

The Armenians settled here not only for trade, but also built several historical artifacts which are famous worldwide.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service – Chennai / June 29th, 2013

The immortal frets of Thanjavur Veena

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All
In a first, the makers of Saraswati Veena get recognition for identity, sound, technique and form. (Photos: Alock Mohanty)
In a first, the makers of Saraswati Veena get recognition for identity, sound, technique and form. (Photos: Alock Mohanty)

The ancient Thanjavur Veena has got a fresh lease of life. Recently, the veena was accorded the Geographical Indication (GI) status by a High Court. The status recognises the musical instrument as having special characteristics unique to the region and techniques employed by artisans who live in and around Thanjavur, a historic pocket of traditional music. In Thanjavur, the birthplace of the inimitable Saraswathi Veena (Thanjavur Veena), revered as one of the three celestial musical instruments which continues to enthral music lovers, makers of the musical instrument are rejoicing at this announcement.

The GI status provides better legal protection for action of infringement, offering a respite for the few families who are still devoted to this deeply satisfying but complex craft.

Just as Carnatic music is incomplete without this Vedic instrument, the veena-makers of yore enjoyed royal patronage and high respect in the community. With traditional instruments gradually falling out of favour, the living conditions and social standing of the veena craftsmen are, sadly, on the decline. The Thanjavur Veena, unique with its functional resonator and 24 fixed-frets enabling ragas to be played on it, is crafted by master craftsmen who possess immense knowledge of music and understand the nuances of sound and tonal quality. The very instrument exudes grace and elegance.

Having been a home-based cottage industry for generations, the art does not thrive on hereditary knowledge any more. “My two sons have taken up corporate jobs after MBA. I could not press them into veena making knowing the meagre income it would fetch,” says M Narayanan, a fourth-generation veena maker from Thanjavur.

Srinivasan, a state-award winning veena-maker’s son works for a software company. But, not everyone in the younger generation wants to part ways with the art of making the veena. Craftsman Raman’s son Krishnamoorthy returned after a short stint at a private company to help his father. “There was a compelling urge within me to continue making veenas,” says the 25-year-old who started Sri Sai Musicals. Besides crafting, he exports veenas to other countries and markets them online.

Procuring wood has become a challenge. Jackfruit wood is predominantly used for veena crafting as it’s perfect for all weathers. “Earlier, Thanjavur used to house large clusters of jackfruit trees. Nowadays we buy wood from places like Panruti and Cuddalore,” says Narayanan. They used to work with stag horns, which is now legally banned.

The Thanjavur Veena is undergoing a lot of structural changes.
The Thanjavur Veena is undergoing a lot of structural changes.

Srinivasan, who is familiar with modern crafting techniques aided by new tools and machines says that the motifs and symbols etched on the instrument have changed. “Earlier, it used to be figurines of Gods and motifs like the swan and peacock. Now it’s all modern designs and patterns,” he says.

Another pressing issue is the involvement of intricate workmanship and labour shortage. “We used to make the veena from scratch, including chopping the wood, carving, fixing the frets and waxing. These days, with only a few trained hands assisting us, we outsource parts from carpenters, and pay a large chunk to middlemen,” rues Narayanan. The Government-run ITIs offer training in veena craftsmanship, but there are no concessions or assistance to help artisans. The dearth of craftsmen may have a threatening impact on the quality, says a concerned Krishnamoorthy.

“Unfortunately, today’s focus is predominantly vocals; the instrument comes secondary. It’s also undergoing lots of structural changes. Anything that can be dismantled can’t be called a veena,” points out ‘Veenai’ E Gayathri, popular veena exponent and principal-director of the Tamil Nadu Government Music Colleges in Chennai, Thiruvaiyaru, Madurai and Coimbatore.

The Tamil Nadu Government has announced the setting up of a university exclusively for music. Efforts will be made to academise the craft of veena-making and providing a better platform to artisans. A good sign: the demand for the veena has not dwindled despite the popularity and influence of Western instruments. The veena’s sound has been preserved forever.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Magazine / by Sundari Sivasubbu / July 07th, 2013

IIT Madras on patenting spree

Business & Economy, Education, Records, All, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

Chennai :

The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, is wasting no time patenting the technologies developed by its faculty members. It plans to leverage the Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) of technologies as revenue earners.

The institute also found that filing patents in emerging nations such as Bangladesh and Africa provide more value for the innovation than registering them in advanced countries.

This year, IIT Madras is likely to file nearly 40 patents, a 25 per cent increase over last year. Next year, the target is to reach 50, said Krishnan Balasubramanian, Dean, Centre for Industrial Consultancy & Sponsored Research.

Last year, revenue from IPRs was about Rs 2 crore. “We are negotiating a large deal this year that will double or triple revenue from IPRs. On an average, we are targeting Rs 3-4 crore annually in the near term,” he told Business Line.

TOP FIELDS

Tield of nanotechnology saw the highest number of patents, as some of the faculty in this domain are “very aggressive.” Other areas include wireless technology, air-conditioning, noise and vibration, said Subramanian, who is also a professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Faculty members also separately apply for patents for technologies they have developed in collaboration with various companies. This could be another 20 every year. Companies file the patents with the faculty’s name in it. There will a revenue sharing agreement on this, he said.

There used to be a perceived conflict between patenting and publishing. This is only a perception, but not true. If a faculty member feels that they have developed something that is patentable and publishable, they can do both, said the institute’s director, Prof Bhaskar Ramamurthi. The institute has an Intellectual Property Cell, he said.

Balasubramanian said that the IPR management involves patent process and commercialisation. Through incubation, faculty and students take up some of these technologies for formulating business propositions.

There is also an eco-system – the IIT Madras Research Park – developed over the last few years to foster incubation. The institute also work with companies to take certain scalable IPs rapidly into the market. The patent process takes a long time. “So on the date we apply for patent, its commercialisation starts simultaneously,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Industry> Education / by T.E. Raja   raja.simhan@thehindu.co.in  / Chennai – June 26th, 2013

All in the race, but…

Records, All, Sports, World Opinion
Rajini Krishnan (third from the right) won the overall championship in the Losail road racing series in Qatar / Photo by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Rajini Krishnan (third from the right) won the overall championship in the Losail road racing series in Qatar / Photo by Special Arrangement / The Hindu

The Madras Motor Race Track will vroom with life from July 12 to 14 when the Petronas Asia championship will be held. Though top Indian racers are to participate, one wonders how well-equipped they are to compete with their international counterpart.

The National 600cc bike racing champion K. Rajini. / Photo: S.S.Kumar / The Hindu
The National 600cc bike racing champion K. Rajini. / Photo: S.S.Kumar / The Hindu

When India’s Rajini Krishnan was crowned the overall 600cc champion in the Losail Asian road racing series held in Qatar last month, few noticed his admirable feat; there was hardly any space devoted by the media to the 32-year-old’s achievement. Not that Rajini was dejected. He had long known that two-wheelers have always been given short shrift by many stakeholders in the sport.

Decha Kraisaart who won the supersports 600cc category at the Petronas Asia Road Championship 2011 held in Irungattukottai, near Chennai / Photo: S. R. Raghunathan / The Hindu
Decha Kraisaart who won the supersports 600cc category at the Petronas Asia Road Championship 2011 held in Irungattukottai, near Chennai / Photo: S. R. Raghunathan / The Hindu

Now, when the third round of the Petronas Asia road racing championship makes its fourth visit to the country (Chennai) at the Madras Motor Race Track from July 12 to 14 after a two-year gap, you’d imagine Rajini to be one of the favourites at the Asian event in the 600cc category, but that’s not so. “In Qatar, in the 600cc category, all the participants were given the same Yamaha 2005 bike model, whereas here the 2008 Yamaha is the model that Indians will ride, while top international riders will be astride the latest 2013 models. That makes a huge difference,” explains Rajini.

Old models

Some of the top Indian riders have been facing this problem for quite a while. Though it would be unfair to blame manufacturers in the country for not supporting the Indians with the latest of bikes (600cc) during International events because they believe it’s not commercially feasible, drivers are right when they say that riding old models while their foreign counterparts race on the latest ones proves to be a great disadvantage for them.

Vicky Chandhok, president, Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India, feels that with Bajaj, Mahindra and Hero (of Hero Honda) entering the two-wheeler market, the sport will see exciting times. The 54-year-old is of the view that the day is not far off when a rider riding for a particular manufacturer will be treated as an employee. “As far as two-wheeler markets go, India is second only to China. There is a market here that’s waiting to be explored. I wish with events such as the Petronas Asia championship riders can survive by taking part in championships alone,” he says. “There are several drivers who can ride the 600cc SuperSports category, but we need manufacturers to provide them with machines,” he adds.

Started in 1996, the Petronas Asia road racing championship has been in the forefront of bringing Asian motorcycle champions together on the same stage. As the event grew bigger, the 600cc SuperSports category (similar to its class in the World SuperBike championship) has become the showpiece race with the best Asian racers taking part in it.

The top GP riders, Chris Vermeulen, Ratthapak Wilairoj and Doni Tata Pradita, have at one stage or the other taken part in the Petronas Asia championship. Can the Indian drivers ever reach the level where they can match their Asian counterparts? “Yes”, says Rajini, “provided we are trained regularly abroad and take part in more events around the globe.”

R. Deepak, who finished second to Rajini in the Losail series in Qatar, echoes the same view. “I am riding a 2007 model bike for this championship, whereas the top bikers from Malaysia and Indonesia are riding the latest model. They are improving day by day. They train almost everyday. In a year, the top riders take part in 25-30 races, while we participate in only 4-5 races. We lag behind in all aspects. We need to train and compete abroad.”

R. Deepak who finished second in the Losail championship
R. Deepak who finished second in the Losail championship

Deepak rues the lack of support from Indian manufacturers. Concurs Rajini: “Racers from Malaysia and Indonesia ride the best bikes with support from manufacturers such as Yamaha and Honda. If we get the same support from Indian manufacturers — Yamaha and Honda — it would be great.”

If the Indian manufacturers could somehow find the finances to support the 600cc (and other categories) riders in major competitions in India and abroad, the day would be not far off when India would have a homegrown champion we could brag about.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Sports> Chennai / by K. Keerthivasan / July 10th, 2013