Category Archives: Records, All

Tamil computing wizard dead

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Leaders, Records, All

     Anto Peter

Anto Peter, one of the strong proponents of Tamil computing and technical writer who created many Tamil fonts, died here on Thursday. He was 45 and is survived by his wife and two children.

A native of Arumuganeri in Tuticorin district, Anto Peter was the first to launch an exclusive website, tamilcinema.com, for Tamil cinema.

His company, Softview, was the first institution in Tamil Nadu to introduce graphics and animation Courses.

Tamil literary works such as Tirukkural and Aathichoodi entered the Internet portals with graphics and proper pronunciation thanks to the efforts of Anto Peter.

He was closely associated with many Tamil groups in the country and abroad and participated in international Tamil computing conferences. He also wrote the books ‘Graphics and Animation’ and ‘Multimedia Basics’ in Tamil and created awareness of Tamil computing among the masses.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> Newsz. States> TamilNadu / by Special Correspondent / Chennai, July 13th, 2012

Safety device jams driver’s mobile phone

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

Researchers at the Anna University of Technology in Chennai, India have prototyped another system to prevent drivers from using their mobile phones when driving.

According to articles about the research at Smithsonian and Phys.Org, the system detects when a car is in motion and then uses a “jammer” to block the driver’s cell phone signal but not the passenger. It’s not entirely clear to me how that’s possible (unless the phone is tethered to the device), and unfortunately the full research paper is only for paid subscribers of the International Journal of Enterprise Network Management

. Not only does their system limit use, it reportedly also employs RFID to “transmit the vehicle number plate information stored in RFID tag to RFID reader buffer, when driver use of cell phone was detected. Data collected from the reader will be transmitted from car and displayed at traffic signal post containing LCD so that police can take legislative action against the driver.” Of course, if the jammer actually works, that entire part of the system would be unnecessary.

Yeah, so… I’m a bit unclear on the details of this. But the tl;dr is, don’t be distracted by your mobile phone when you’re driving. “Technology to prevent mobile phone accidents”

source: http://www.boingboing.net / by David Pescovitz / Monday, July 09th, 2012

A R Rahman to introduce Punjabi beats for Olympics

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Mumbai, Jun 30 (PTI)

 Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman, who is reuniting with Danny Boyle for London Olympics, will celebrate Indian influence in UK by incluing Punjabi track in the opening ceremony.

The 46-year-old has teamed up with Boyle, the artistic director of the games, for the gala ceremony.

“Clarifying the report on the Olympics track I am composing… It’s a track in Punjabi celebrating the Indian influence in the UK.

source: http://www.ptinews.com / PTI / by Staff Writer / July 01st, 2012

Destination Germany for ‘3’

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

After winning accolades in an American film festival, it is now destination Germany for ‘3’, the maiden directorial venture of Aishwarya Dhanush, which has her husband, Dhanush, and Shruti Haasan, in the lead role.

The movie will be screened at the ninth Indian Film Festival to be held on July 18 at Stuttgart, Germany. Aishwarya will be present at the festival representing the film.

“Aishwarya is happy that her first venture itself has managed to win laurels from various quarters,” sources say, adding:  “Only last weekend, she and Dhanush were honured at SIMAA in Dubai.”

Meanwhile, the elder daughter of Superstar Rajinikanth is also gearing up to start her second directorial venture. Besides, she is also supervising her home production, which has Siva Karthikeyan in the lead.

source: http://www.indiaglitz.com / Thursday, June 28th, 2012

Rahman bags honour

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

It was yet another honour for A R Rahman, when he was named the best music director for Bollywood film ‘Rockstar’, at the 13th IIFA awards in Singapore on Saturday night.

In his acceptance address, the Oscar-Grammy winner said, “I thank the crew of Rockstar, including Mohit Chauhan and Ranbir Kapoor, for their cooperation. Thanks to Javed Akhtar, we can all have our rights to our music now that the Copyright Act has been amended.”

The awards were given away at a glittering ceremony attended by the who’s who of Indian film industry, especially Bollywood. One of the highlights of the show was the stunning dance performance by Prabhu Deva.

Vidya Balan was named the best actress for her portrayal as Silk Smitha in ‘The Dirty Picture’. The actress received the trophy from Kamal Hassan and renowned Hollywood producer Barrie M Osborne.

source: http://www.indiaglitz.com / Monday, June 11th, 2012

Lighting up the lives of those in need

Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technologies

Dedicated to serving On International Nurse’s Day, several nurses were presented with lifetime achievement awards — Photo: R. Ragu / The Hindu

C.N. Janaki, in her nurse’s uniform and starched white cap that keeps wispy white hair neatly in place, has a quick smile that forms deep dimples in her cheeks. The matron is 70 years old and has 49 years of experience as a nurse at the Cancer Institute in Adyar.

NO REGRETS

Ms. Janaki lost her parents when she was 11, and her brother sent her to Avvai Home, a residential facility for orphans in Adyar. In 1964, after training as a nurse, she joined the Cancer Institute and has never looked back.

She barely recognises cancer as a dreaded disease. Unlike in the older days, thing are different now, she says. Ms. Janaki has remained single, devoted to her work. And what has she learnt from her experience? “That I have come this far is an achievement. I have done well in life. As for work, in the early years it was difficult. Now so many new techniques have come to make our job easy,” she said.

ACCOLADES RECEIVED

 

Ms. Janaki was one of the nurses in the State, chosen by the Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, for this year’s lifetime achievement award, presented on International Nurse’s Day, which fell on May 12.

V. Renuka Devi, 54, also a recipient of the award graduated as a nurse from the Madras Medical College and has around 34 years of experience. Her daughter is in college and her husband is a lawyer practising in the Madras High Court. She enjoys her work at the hospital. “I have seen a lot of children come for treatment. What hurts me most is when I hear that someone has died despite treatment,” she says. It is difficult for her to hear of a child’s death. “When patients are treated and then they die, I am very upset,” she said.

Jeeva’s persona would put any patient at ease. An able leader, she organises International Nurse’s Day programmes at the institute.

‘MAKE A COMMITMENT’

According to Dr. V. Shanta, chairman, Cancer Institute, it was Ms. Jeeva who introduced the concept at the institute two years ago. On Saturday, she paid tributes to the nurses and urged them to rededicate themselves and to “make a commitment to do the job well”.

Jeeva travelled and worked abroad before she chose to come to the Cancer Institute. Her rich experience has helped her develop professionally, she said.

Perhaps the best motivation comes from forgotten achievements. T.G. Sagar, director of the Institute, recalled that it was a nurse in the early twentieth century, Mary Joseph, who first identified a malignant nodule, which later came to be known the Sister Mary Joseph nodule after her.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by R. Sujatha / Chennai, May 20th, 2012

Young soldier confident of bagging medal at London Olympic Games

Amazing Feats, Records, All, Sports

Udhagamandalam:

Ooty’s Olympic dreams may very well be fulfilled by a young soldier from the Madras Regimental Centre (MRC) at Wellington in the Nilgiris who has qualified for the London Olympic Games.

Twenty-two-year-old Sepoy K T Irfan is the third Indian walker to qualify for the Games when he finished 19th in the World Race Walking Cup at Saransk in Russia on May 12, covering 20km in 1:22:09 hours. The ‘A’ standard in the 20km walk event for the Olympics is 1:22:30 hours.

Since his enrolment in the army, Irfan has been working hard and his perseverance paid off in 2011 when he won the national championship in the 20km walk held in Kolkata and Patiala. He participated in various state and national events, setting records on two occasions in Cochin and Patiala.

“The soldier has made his regiment, the Indian Army and the entire nation proud. Through hard work, unparalleled focus and devotion, he has qualified for the Olympics,” said Brigadier S S Jadhav, VSM, commandant of MRC.

Irfan hails from a modest family in Kizhuparamba village in Malapuram district in Kerala. He chose to join the Madras regiment as a sepoy in 2010 and completed his training period of one year in 2011. At the regiment centre he had been given special one-on-one training.

Irfan has won more than a dozen awards including TN State Athletics Championship in 2010, Kerala State Athletics Meet award in 2010, Inter State Athletic Championship held in Bangalore in June 2011 and Open National Athletics Championship held in Kolkata and Patiala in 2011.

He returned from Russia just a couple of days ago and is training at the National Institute of Sports/ Olympic squad in Patiala. “My ambition is to excel in sports at the international level. I have got this far only because of MRC and I am grateful to the regiment. I was given special care and individual training which has enabled me to qualify for the London Olympic Games,” he said.

“Irfan’s achievement will motivate youngsters to join the army. He is the third soldier from MRC to enter the Olympic Games,” said Jadhav.

Famous footballer M Thangaraj, ‘dribbler par excellence,’ a native of Ooty serving at the MRC, played for the Madras Province. In 1948 he was selected for the Indian Olympic Team. He could not make the trip to England though. In 1953, as a member of the touring Indian team, he played in the USSR and Romania.

In 1981, Subedhar Major, I Ibrahim, attached to 9 Madras unit of the MRC, won the bronze medal in the 100 and 400 meters race in the Olympic Games. Ibrahim retired from service a few years ago.

Olympic dreams

Famous footballer M Thangaraj, ‘dribbler par excellence,’ a native of Ooty serving at the MRC, played for the Madras Province. In 1948 he was selected for the Indian Olympic Team.

In 1981, Subedhar Major, I Ibrahim, attached to 9 Madras unit of the MRC, won the bronze medal in the 100 and 400 meters race in the Olympic Games.

Quote

My ambition is to excel in sports at the international level. I have got this far only because of MRC and I am grateful to the regiment. I was given special care and individual training which has enabled me to qualify for the London Olympic Games — Sepoy K T Irfan, athlete

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Coimbatore / by Shanthi Thiagarajan / TNN / May 17th, 2012

Mahabharata Mela at Kumbakonam in July

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

Mahabharata Mela, a dance programme in which 1,500 artistes would take part to create the Guinness record, would be held at the end of July at Kumbakonam.

The programme would be organised by Sri Abhinaya Kalai Kuzhumam of Kumbakonam under the Dasasahitya scheme of Tirupathi Tirumala Devasthanam (TTD).

The dance programme would be overseen by the officials of TTD and those who take part in the programme would be taken to Tirumala for a three-day dance programme during Purattasi Brahmotsavam in September, said a press release issued by the Kalai Kuzhumam on Sunday.

TTD has approved the Kalai Kuzhumam to conduct the programme as the Kuzhumam has been taking part in the Sri Vari Brahmotsavam and Padmavathi Thayar Brahmotsavam. Dikshithachariyar, special officer of TTD, has issued the orders approving the Kuzhumam to organise the Mahabharata Mela, said the release. Dikshithachariyar and Shanthi Sarvothaman, Tamil Nadu coordinator of TTD, would oversee the programme in July.

Interested artistes, who have completed the salangai puja and is above 12 years, could contact 8883143777 and 9791797373 to take part in the programme. Artistes from all over Tamil Nadu could take part in the programme.

Arrangements for the Mahabharata Mela are done by Suryanarayana, senior auditor of Kumbakonam, Balasubramaniam of Kumbakonam Paraspara Sahaya Nidhi Ltd, S.Ganesan, Director of V.G.Homes, S.M.Martin of Star Manitha Neya sangamam, and dance teachers Vijaya Sarathy and Guna .

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / National> TamilNadu / by Special Correspondent / Kumbakonam, May 07th, 2012

Two success stories with a message for IAS aspirants

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

Rank-holders prove medium of instruction and coaching centres don’t matter

It is a tale of two candidates who overcame different odds to emerge successful in the all-important Civil Services examinations, whose results were announced on Friday. While one has proved that poverty is not an impediment to success, the other has shown that there is absolutely no need for coaching centres to clear the country’s top examinations.

Both of them have brought pride to their families. Gopala Sundara Raj of Ramanathapuram secured the 5th place at the all-India level and the first place at the State level and R.V. Karnan of Sri Ram Nagar in Karaikudi in Sivaganga got the 158th rank.

Mr. Raj comes from Mavila Thoppu, a tiny village near Kilakarai. His mother S. Rajammal and father S. Shanmugavel could not study beyond standards III and V respectively.

Though they thought of putting him in English medium school since the early stage, their abject poverty did not allow them to do so.

However, the perceived disadvantages of having studied in the Tamil medium in no way affected his performance in the Civil Services examinations.

“I have no words to describe my happiness. Raj has not studied in a sophisticated atmosphere. He has brought meaning to our life. The hard work, sheer determination, dedication and sincerity have made him so special in our life. My pain is that his father is no more to hear the happiest news in our lifetime,” says S. Rajammal.

Her family owns no land or house and she is residing in a portion of her brother Mariappan’s house, a retired school headmaster.

His moral support and motivation helped Mr. Raj, who is currently an agricultural scientist in Rajasthan, in his endeavour. His sister, Sundara Yoga Lakshmi, is working with Infosys in Chennai.

Mr Karnan (27) was the all-India topper in the Indian Forest Service examinations in 2007.

His father R. Veeraragavan (56) is working as a librarian at Alagappa Arts College and his mother V. Vijayalakshmi is a sub-registrar in Karaikudi.

“My dream has come true. The Civil Services examinations are all about clearly understanding the methods and patterns well. I didn’t join any coaching classes for the preparations,” Mr. Karnan told The Hindu over phone from Maharashtra, where he is working as Assistant Conservator of Forests.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / News> States> TamilNadu / by C. Jaishankar / Ramanathapuram, May 05th, 2012

State’s largest temple bell to chime in Trichy soon

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

Erode:

The largest temple bell in the state, weighing more than 1.5 tonnes, will be ready to ring in two months from the premises of Ugrakaliamman Temple at Thennur near Trichy. The brass bell’s sound will reportedly be heard within a 20km radius. Over two dozen artisans from Kumbakonam and Thanjavur will work with award winning sculptor L Radhakrishnan in Erode city round the clock to get the bell ready by the last week of May.

The wooden mold has already been made and works regarding its replica was completed on Monday. Sculpting of the brass bell will begin on Tuesday. It will be transported to Trichy by the first week of June.

According to Radhakrishnan, the bell will be six feet in length and the estimated cost is more than Rs 20 lakh. “Most temple bells in the state weigh less than a tonne. It has been my long cherished dream to make the state’s largest bell,” says Radhakrishnan, who has made more than 300 huge temple bells so far.

His workplace is located inside Edissia Industrial Estate in Kangayam Bypass and residents are starting to trickle in to view the finished clay model. “Though most temples in Tamil Nadu are located in the Thanjavur-Kumbhakonam belt, the bell manufacturing business has remained in Erode for the last several centuries. However, due to manpower shortage I had to depute artisans from Kumbakonam and Thanjavur,” says Radhakrishnan. Winner of the National Award for the best sculptor in 2002 and Shilpa Guru Award of Union Government in 2007, Radhakrishnan also won Tamil Nadu state award for sculptor in 1979 and 1981.

He won Erode Jaycee’s young person award in 1988 and Rashtriya Nirman Rattan Award in 1999. He had also won Gowri Shankar Stapathiyar Award in 1999 and Tamil Nadu Kalainanmani Award in 2002. “I am very passionate about sculpting temple bells. When the Thennur temple committee approached me with the project, I instantly agreed to do it as they were able to afford the cost,” says Radhakrishnan, who is also making bronze statues of Radha and Krishna for a Coimbatore temple. “More than the job satisfaction and the money in it, what motivates me to keep going is my desire to keep the art of sculpting alive,” he added.

source: http;//www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Coimbatore / by K A Shaji , TNN / April 03rd, 2012