Category Archives: Records, All

High honour: 29 scientists felicitated by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami

Records, All, Science & Technologies

Twenty-nine scientists were felicitated with the Tamil Nadu Scientist Award (TANSA), for making valuable contributions to the field of science and technology.

Chennai :

Twenty-nine scientists were felicitated with the Tamil Nadu Scientist Award (TANSA), for making valuable contributions to the field of science and technology. The awards were distributed by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday.

Scientists from across ten disciplines such as agriculture, chemistry, physics, medical sciences, mathematical sciences, etc, received their awards from the Chief Minister and were also given a cash prize of Rs 50,000 each.

The Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology, hosts the event every year to mark the contributions of scientists from across the State. Ten scientists for 2015, nine for 2016 and ten for 2017, were selected to receive the awards. Minister for Higher Education K P Anbalagan, Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan and other ministers, were present during the event.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Express News Service / December 28th, 2018

Attempt to enter Limca Book of Records with 25-hour relay speech

Records, All

KGiSL made an attempt here to enter the Limca Book of Records for the longest relay speech — a 25-hour non-stop speech. It went marginally beyond the 25-hour mark, given the number of participants who took part.

The attempt began on Saturday morning and ended on Sunday afternoon. The organisers said that the previous record of a 12-hour speech was made in Bengaluru.

Director of KGiSL Ashok Bakthavathsalam, who also took part in the event, told mediapersons that the event had aimed at providing a platform to school and college students and professionals to speak on socially relevant issues, and to develop their communication skills. Around 800 persons registered for the event as on Saturday afternoon, with the majority being students. Most of the participants spoke on solutions to environment pollution.

Adjudicators from the Limca Book of Records were at the venue. All participants received a certificate and the organisers will identify and recognise the most eloquent speaker, the speech of substance, and golden voice.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by Special Correspondent / Coimbatore – December 25th, 2018

Documenting the lives of fisherfolk via photographs

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All
Through the lens: A photo exhibition on the fisherfolk, at Chetpet eco-park in Chennai on Sunday.
Through the lens: A photo exhibition on the fisherfolk, at Chetpet eco-park in Chennai on Sunday.

Exhibition captures essence of the State’s fishing community

The pictures tell the tales of Sita, a dry fish seller of Kasimedu, that of Rajakumari, the Irula fisherwoman of Cuddalore who lost her child in the tsunami, and of other fishers — the largest occupational group in the State.

Clicked by Rm.S. Somasundaram and Abha Muralidharan as part of ‘Ek Potlee Ret Ki / Kaani Nilam’, the photographs on display at the Chetpet eco-park capture the essence of the fishing community. ‘Kadalaadu Kaadai’ will be on display till December 25.

Radhika Ganesh, founder-member of ‘Ek Potlee Ret Ki / Kaani Nilam’, said the collective was working with cultural identities in five States in the country.

Along with photographs of the fishing community, narrating their lives and livelihoods from Ennore to Kanniyakumari, they have had also documented the devastation caused by Cyclone Gaja, she said.

Mr. Somasundaram said the series began with their work in Cuddalore about children being involved in caste-based issues.

‘More of a family’

“Over a couple of months, we found that as a community, the fishers liked to identify themselves with their occupation rather than their caste. They work as a family irrespective of where they come from,” he explained.

Ms. Muralidharan, who quit her job with a lifestyle magazine to work among the common people, explained that a lot of stories came out of their documentation. “Some photos remain etched in my mind. For instance, there was something very sad about this one photo of a man. When we meet people, we talk to them and try and mingle with them, drawing them out,” she said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Special Correspondent / Chennai – December 24th, 2018

Musicians honoured by Tamil Isai Sangam

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All
Ila Ganesan, former Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, right, conferring the title ‘Isai Peraringnar’ on mridangam exponent Umayalpuram K Sivaraman, second from right, and ‘Pann Isai Peringnar’ on musician K. Venkatesan, third from right, at the 76th annual Tamil Isai Festival. Honorary secretary of Tamil Isai Sangam A.C. Muthiah and president of Tamil Isai Sangam P.R. Gokulakrishnan are in the photograph. | Photo Credit: M. Vedhan
Ila Ganesan, former Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, right, conferring the title ‘Isai Peraringnar’ on mridangam exponent Umayalpuram K Sivaraman, second from right, and ‘Pann Isai Peringnar’ on musician K. Venkatesan, third from right, at the 76th annual Tamil Isai Festival. Honorary secretary of Tamil Isai Sangam A.C. Muthiah and president of Tamil Isai Sangam P.R. Gokulakrishnan are in the photograph. | Photo Credit: M. Vedhan

Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman given the title Isai Perarignar

Tamil Isai Sangam honoured two musicians — Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman and K. Venkatesan — at the 76th annual Tamil Isai Festival. Mridangam exponent Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman was given the title Isai Perarignar and musician K. Venkatesan the title Pann Isai Perarignar.

At an age where most people’s fingers and hands begin to shake, Mr. Sivaraman was deftly and beautifully playing the mridangam, said former Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, Ila Ganesan. He spoke about how important it was to pick an odhuvar like Mr. Venkatesan and greatly appreciated the Tamil Isai Sangam for honouring him. “There is a difference [in the way music is viewed] here and in the west,” he added.

Mr. Sivaraman, after accepting the award, said technology had blurred boundaries and with internet, students from across the world were able to learn music from artistes here.

President of Tamil Isai Sangam P.R. Gokulakrishnan and honorary secretary of Tamil Isai Sangam A.C. Muthiah were present on the occasion.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Staff Reporter / Chennai – December 22nd, 2018

No debating this student’s terrific oratary skills

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

The curriculum for the World Scholar’s Cup competition is diverse and varies from pop culture to neuroscience to macroeconomics.

Aadi Sai Vijaykaran. (Photo | P Jawahar/EPS)
Aadi Sai Vijaykaran. (Photo | P Jawahar/EPS)

Chennai :

It was half-past 5 and we were at Savera hotel to meet Aadi Sai Vijaykaran, a 13-year-old from KC High, who created history by winning the Junior Debate Championship at the World Scholar’s Cup held at Yale University from November 16-21. Clad in a crisp blazer, holding his shining trophy, the class 8 student oozed confidence. This is the first time an individual from India has won the coveted title. “My wife and I noticed that Aadi had a flair for oration, even when he was very young. We picked that and worked on honing his skill,” said Aadi’s father, Vijay.

The curriculum for the World Scholar’s Cup competition is diverse and varies from pop culture to neuroscience to macroeconomics. “I took quite a bit of time to prepare for this year-long contest. But, it has been a very interesting process…from getting a deep understanding of the syllabus and topics, practising and improving my public speaking and writing skills to working on my body language, I did it all. Motivation from my mother Vanitha Venugopal and father Vijay helped to be steadfast and work all the way till the end. I also trained at A to Zee Creativity — to practice, train and refine my skills with other scholars,” shared Aadi.

The sharp-witted youngster soaks in news and has the knack of picking information from different places and processing it. He also followed the United States Presidential debates as part of the preparation process. “There are several speakers who I draw inspiration from. One of them is Barack Obama and Shashi Tharoor. I wouldn’t declare myself a fan, but I have certainly learnt a lot by watching these speakers,” he explained.

The Tournament of Champions of World Scholar’s Cup is a competition for young debaters from around the world. Of the 40,000 students who participated across the globe, only 2,000 participants qualified for the final of ‘The Tournament of Champions’ through the various rounds held across the world from January.

The theme for the cup was ‘An Entangled World: diplomacy, human relationships, the science of memory, and literature, art and music’. “The competition took place over a series of rounds, and motivated us to discover new strengths, practice new skills and to inspire a global community of future scholars and leaders,” Aadi said.

For Aadi, WSC was not just about winning but also about meeting people from countries he hasn’t visited or even knew existed.“I learnt so much about our diverse world. The experience of cultural diversity and globalism was enthralling. We interacted with professors and got a feel of what it takes to get into college,” he said.

He won ‘the Top Debater in the World’ title across 58 countries, against thousands of students aged 10 to 15. Economics has become a subject of interest for Aadi. “I am good at Math, with numbers and learning about macroeconomics has drawn me to the subject,” he said.The youngster is a trained Carnatic musician, has a black belt in Karate, plays chess and football.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Roshne Balasubramanian / Express News Service / December 26th, 2018

Start-up turns plastic waste into diesel substitute

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Records, All, Science & Technologies

PattersonCF27dec2018

Paterson Energy looks to set up a project in Pallikaranai, tap CSR funds

Chennai-based start-up Paterson Energy is looking to set up a 5 tonne-per-day plastic waste-to-fuel project in Pallikaranai and hoping to tap corporate social responsibility funds for the project.

The company uses a technology called plastic pyrolysis and builds plants at locations where it can process plastic waste to produce liquid fuel, which is cheaper than diesel.

This can be used as an alternative to fuel generators, industrial boilers, kilns, furnaces, diesel-powered engines and other such equipment.

It claims that there will be over 20% savings on fuel bills.

Cheaper than diesel

The oil generated as a result of these processes is sold at ₹40/litre on average. The model can generate 500 litres of oil for each tonne of plastic waste. However, the yield depends on the feedstock – the more homogeneous the material, the better the yield output.

“We can also source single-use plastic, which is not normally picked up by ragpickers, for conversion into fuel. But the challenge is we need huge volumes,” Vidya Amarnath, Director, Paterson Energy, said.

“If the State government can bring in regulations on collection of such plastic waste through various collection centres, it would be of great help for us to source,” she added.

She said that the company is working with the Tamil Nadu government in setting up plastic waste-to-fuel plants at feasible locations.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Tamil Nadu / by Sanjay Vijayakumar / Chennai – December 22nd, 2018

Palani student’s artwork to feature in NASA calendar

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All, World Opinion
Thenmukilan and his work
Thenmukilan and his work

Twelve-year-old’s drawing finds a spot in the American space agency’s Commercial Crew Calendar for 2019

A drawing by a 12-year-old from Palani has found a place in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) international Commercial Crew Calendar for 2019.

N. Thenmukilan, a Class VIII student of Shri Vidhya Mandir, Palani, drew an image of an astronaut cultivating fruits and vegetables in space to boost nutrition. He said that it took two full days to put his concept on paper. His entry was chosen from among thousands of others vying for a spot in the calendar at an international level.

Thenmukilan said that he began taking an interest in art from the age of 6. He would spend hours drawing and colouring. “Our school has a club called ‘Image Minds’, which helps us explore ideas creatively. When I first heard about the topic ‘Space Food’, my mind went several places. I finally settled for the concept of cultivating food in space as fresh vegetables never last the journey,” he said.

‘Sense of being home’

The student added that he drew tomatoes, pumpkins, bottle guards, corn, onion, pineapples and paddy to ensure that the astronauts had enough nutrition in outer space. It would give them a sense of being at home, he said.

Thenmukilan’s artwork was chosen for the month of November. He said that he used oil pastels, colour pencils and acrylic paint to produce his artwork. His parents, M. Natarajan, headmaster of a government school, and P. Chandramani, Senior Revenue Inspector, said that they were overjoyed upon hearing the news. “We were pleasantly surprised. The credit goes to his school and his teachers for honing his artistic talent,” said Mr. Natarajan.

According to NASA’s website, the Commercial Crew Calendar would be transmitted to astronauts aboard the space station.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Tamil Nadu / by Staff Reporter / Madurai – December 25th, 2018

Curtains come down on Chennai International Film Festival

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

Pariyerum Perumal wins award for best Tamil feature film

Pariyerum Perumal, directed by Mari Selvaraj, won the best Tamil feature film award at the 16th Chennai International Film Festival (CIFF), as part of the Tamil Film Competition section.

The awards were distributed at the closing ceremony on Thursday evening, and both Mari Selvaraj and Pa.Ranjith, who had produced the film, received the honour. Director duo Gayathri-Pushkar, part of the jury, said that 12 films had been short-listed for the awards and the decision to pick the film had been unanimous. The film 96, directed by Prem Kumar was adjudged the second best Tamil film and director Vetrimaaran received a special jury award for directing Vada Chennai and producing Annanukku Jai.

The film festival, which began on December 13, saw over 150 films being screened. “We had more than 3,500 registrations this year which was a record in itself and were very pleased with the response for the film festival,” said S. Kannan, President of the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation which is organising the festival.

Speaking on the occasion, Kadambur Raju, Minister for Information and Publicity, said the State government was working with the Tamil film industry and ensuring that they work in coordination. “Further, the Tamil Nadu government will be giving away the state awards for films in January close to the Pongal festival in 2019. The ceremony was to be held in November this year but had got postponed,” he added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Staff Reporter / Chennai – December 21st, 2018

Chennai’s ‘Rs 5 doctor’ S. Jayachandran is no more

Amazing Feats, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technologies
Dr. S. Jayachandran
Dr. S. Jayachandran

He had endeared himself to residents of North Chennai

North Chennai’s famous ‘₹5 doctor’ S. Jayachandran is no more. He passed away on Wednesday morning after a brief illness. Ever since news of his death spread, people from Royapuram and Kasimedu have been flocking to his house-cum-clinic on Venkatachalam Street in Old Washermenpet to pay their respects.

The 71-year-old doctor, an alumnus of Madras Medical College, used to treat people often for free during his 43-year-long career.

His fee was ₹5 at the most and he used to give medicines to patients, often buying them from his own pocket. Posters have come up in the locality and patients like Vinoth, who was saved by the doctor when he was just 7, have stayed put at his home.

“I was brought here to him in an unconscious state. But in the evening I walked back. I brought my daughter as a 6-day-old infant when she vomited blood and he saved her too,” said Mr. Vinoth.

The doctor, an alumnus of Madras Medical College, ran his clinic for 43 years in north Chennai. He is survived by his wife, also a doctor, and a daughter and two sons. The last rites would be performed on Thursday.

Long-time friend Ernest Paul said Jayachandran had pride in being a resident of north Chennai and always wanted to project the area in a positive manner. “He was active in several associations and was always encouraging youngsters,” he said.

M.D. Dayalan, another long-time well-wisher, said that the doctor would send elderly patients back home by rickshaws if they came walking to his clinic. “He would even give them money to buy footwear if they were diabetic or had any foot injury,” he recalled.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Deepa H. Ramakrishnan / Chennai – December 20th, 2018

Tamil Nadu: Sculptors to bring back tales of unsung dalit activists

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All

Activists like Veerammal, Vanjinagaram Kandan and Cuddalore Pandian had fought for the rights of the oppressed at different periods of time from 1890 to 1990.

Chennai  :

An alumni group from various government fine arts colleges in Tamil Nadu is in the process of etching in stone portrait statues of unsung dalit activists who fought for the rights of the downtrodden.

Activists like Veerammal, Vanjinagaram Kandan and Cuddalore Pandian had fought for the rights of the oppressed at different periods of time from 1890 to 1990.

“I have compiled a list of 26 such activists for making their statues,” Dalit historian Stalin Rajangam told PTI. In the 1950s, Veerammal, belonging to Tiruchirapalli, constructed a school for dalit girls.

Hailing from Madurai, Vanjinagaram Kandan, during the 1980s, fought for the rights of dalits to access water.

While Tirunelveli’s Ponnusamy fought for temple entry, Pandian sought the right to refuse to play the Parai (drum) when demanded by dominant castes, Rajangam said.

“Kandan, Ponnusamy and Pandian – all were murdered for fighting for the cause.

There are a lot of others who contributed during the century, but these 26 names had enough documents and photographs available,” Rajangam said.

Former Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai, Principal, G Chandrasekaran, who is leading the team of sculptors said Mahatma Gandhi is an icon.

However, there were also a lot of people who worked on the ground but were not as recognised as him, he said.

“This is an attempt to appreciate the contributions made by such unsung heroes,” Chandrasekaran said.

An initiative of director Pa Ranjith’s ‘Neelam Panbaattu Maiam’ (Neelam Cultural Centre), the 26 statues would be displayed at a three-day event – Vaanam Arts Festival – to be held in Chennai from December 29 to 31.

Neelam Cultural Centre coordinator Udaya said the festival would display various dalit art forms.

Rajangam said while 25 of them were natives of Tamil Nadu, a foreigner who made it to the list is James H A Tremenheere.

Tremenheere was the Chengalpattu collector in the 1890s. He assigned 12 lakh acres to the oppressed classes of the Madras Presidency, Rajangam said.

The sculptors are from Government College of Architecture and Sculpture, Mahabalipuram and Government College of Fine Arts at Kumbakonam, Puducherry and Chennai.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by PTI / December 13th, 2018