Category Archives: Records, All

Child rights activist from T.N. gets national award

December 5, 2017Amazing Feats, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, Alladmin

Recognising service: Activist Chezhian Ramu receiving the Rajiv Gandhi Manav Seva Award from President Ram Nath Kovind.

His organisation serves as a safe shelter for over 900 children across the State

Chezhian Ramu, a social worker and child rights activist based in Tiruvannamalai district, was awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Manav Seva Award, instituted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

Mr. Chezhian received the award from President Ram Nath Kovind, on November 14, Children’s Day. He is among the three social workers selected across the country for the award.

“It was a great honour to receive the award,” said Mr. Chezhian, who’s journey in protecting rights of underprivileged children began 25 years ago, when he lost his parents in a car accident. “I was left alone and moved to Tiruvannamalai. There I found an unreasonably high number of children begging. I began working for them without any organisation structure,” he said.

For the next three years, Mr. Chezhian devoted his time working on eliminating child beggary and providing job opportunities to their families. “It was not easy as a lot of them were stuck in organised begging rackets. But we managed,” he said.

He later joined the Swiss child relief agency, Terre Des Hommes, and worked on the rescue and rehabilitation of children affected during the 1993 Latur earthquake in Maharashtra. “The scene there moved me immensely and I decided to set up an organisation exclusively to protect children’s rights,” he said.

In the year 1994, he set up TDH CORE – Terre Des Hommes Children Organisation for Relief and Education in Tiruvannamalai, and Lifeline in 1998, where over 900 children are currently being looked after in 16 homes across the State. Four of them are schools meant for disabled children.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Staff Reporter / Chennai – December 05th, 2017

Musicologist Premeela Gurumurthy honoured

December 4, 2017Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, Alladmin

Souvenir released to mark golden jubilee of her concerts

Musician and musicologist Premeela Gurumurthy has made immense contributions to the art of kathakalashebham, N. Murali, president of the Music Academy, said here on Sunday.

“She has made a unique contribution to revive the art. She even brought out a book on kathakalashebham. She is a multi-faceted personality, who has given musical discourses in different languages, and also has a deep understanding and knowledge of Tamil,” he said. He also noted that musician Musiri Subramania Iyer was instrumental in persuading her and her family to shift base to Chennai as he saw talent in her very early.

P. Duraisamy, vice-chancellor, University of Madras, said she played a key role in introducing new courses, including M.A. Bharatanatyam and M.A. Folk Music at the university when she was the dean.

‘Remarkable researcher’

“She is not only a dedicated teacher but also a remarkable researcher. She has made an excellent contribution to research in the field of music,” he added. On the occasion of 50 years of her concert performances, a golden jubilee special souvenir was released.

K.N. Ramaswamy, director, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, and V.V. Sundaram, co-founder and secretary of Cleveland Tyagaraja Aradhana Committee, United States, spoke.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Staff Reporter / Chennai – December 04th, 2017

Madras HC inducts four women judges; tops nation with 11

December 2, 2017Leaders, Records, Alladmin

Six judges were sworn in on Friday taking the number of judges to 60 which is 15 short of the sanctioned strength

Chennai :

By inducting four women additional judges on Friday, the Madras high court bagged the honour of having the maximum number of women judges on its rolls in the country. The court now has 11 women judges, overtaking the Delhi high court which has 10.

The sanctioned strength of the Madras high court is 75, but it has only 60 judges now. This is the first time that the number of women judges in the court has entered double-digits, and four of them were sworn in at the same time.

At least one-third of Tamil Nadu’s subordinate judiciary is taken up by women judges, as the state has been implementing one-third reservation for women.

Among other high courts of comparable size, the Bombay high court has nine women judges at present, while the Allahabad high court has just six women judges of the sitting strength of 98.

Of the six new judges sworn in by Chief Justice Indira Banerjee on Friday, Justice S Ramathilagam, Justice R Tharani, Justice T Krishnavalli and Justice R Hemalatha are women.

Besides the chief justice herself, the chartered high court already has six women judges – Justice S Vimala, Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, Justice V M Velumani, Justice J Nisha Banu, Justice Anita Sumanth and Justice V Bhavani Subbaroyan.

The number would have touched the dozen mark, but for the decision of the Supreme Court to defer the selection of Sarojhinidevi, a senior district judge who had been recommended by the Madras high court along with the six selected candidates.

Her name was delinked from 11 names recommended in two batches for appointment as judges of the high court, in view of a pending case.

The apex court collegium had asked the high court to submit a status report on the matter. Since the pending case had been concluded in her favour, the high court sent the report to the apex court. Had she also been appointed, the strength of women judges in the high court would have touched 12, accounting for one-fifth of the sitting strength of judges in the court.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ The Times of India / News> City News> Chennai News / by A. Subramani / TNN / December 02nd, 2017

British era air raid shelter demolished

December 1, 2017Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinionadmin

The World War II air-raid shelter near Kasimedu being demolished. | Photo Credit: R. Ragu

Historian V. Sriram says structure near Kasimedu should be protected

A piece of the city’s rich colonial past made of concrete and metal is being demolished to make way for development work along Ennore Expressway. On Thursday, a hydraulic breaker found it hard to dismantle the concrete behemoth constructed several decades ago.

The air-raid shelter constructed by the British to withstand bombs during World War II that usually stands neglected near Kasimedu, will soon become history.

Locals not bothered

Locals unaware of the history of the structure, do not seem to be bothered about the demolition.

While those at the site said it was being pulled down for widening Ennore Expressway’s service lane, another said it was being done for laying of the Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd’s (CPCL) crude oil pipeline. However, both the National Highways Authority of India, which manages the road, and the CPCL denied that they had anything to do with the demolition.

Historian V. Sriram said the grey concrete structure was constructed by the British Government during the World War II as an air-raid shelter. He said several such air raid shelters were constructed in and around the city to house the local people in the event of an air attack.

Over the years the concrete building, which was not put to use for the purpose it was constructed, had remained neglected by government agencies and had gradually become a public convenience for the locals.

Dumping of garbage

The concrete structure resembling a water sump with no doors reeks of a bad smell and is filled with garbage going to show the way ‘historic’ building has been treated by the government authorities.

Mr. Sriram rues that when several buildings not of any historic value could be lifted and moved, this air raid shelter certainly deserves to be protected. He pointed out the concrete structure, though not converted into a museum, could have been preserved by moving it to the other side of the road so that it could serve as a reminder to a time when the city came close to be bombed.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by R. Srikanth / Chennai – December 01st, 2017

CMC wins award for quality improvement team

November 30, 2017Records, All, Science & Technologies, World Opinionadmin

The team from Christian Medical College, Vellore, receiving the BMJ South Asia award from Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recently. | Photo Credit: Handout/email

Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, has bagged the British Medical Journal (BMJ) South Asian award under the category “Quality Improvement Team” of the year 2017.

Lallu Joseph, quality manager, along with Santosh Varughese, deputy director (Quality and HR) and Vikram Mathews, associate director (Admin), received the award from Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at New Delhi on November 18, a press release said.

The BMJ awards South Asia 2017 recognises healthcare teams for their contribution towards the improvement in quality of healthcare across the region. The fourth edition of the awards received 2,015 nominations from eight countries – India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, Maldives, Nepal and Bangladesh for 10 categories of awards such as healthcare quality, medical education, clinical excellence, innovation in technology and research.

A total of 131 nominations were shortlisted in the first round for the 10 categories. The last round of jury presentations had 30 finalists, with CMC being the only institution that had two finalists, according to the release.

The 30 finalists faced the jury consisting of eminent clinicians, healthcare leaders and industry veterans at New Delhi on November 17. Thirteen winners were announced in 10 categories – seven for India, two for Pakistan, two for Bangladesh and one each for Nepal and Sri Lanka.

CMC bagged the award under the category “Quality Improvement Team” of the year for its hub and spoke model of quality management.

In her presentation to the jury, Lallu Joseph said the quality management system at CMC involved the stakeholders of the departments and the central quality team as facilitators. “The benefits of this model in terms of trust, ownership, culture of openness and cost effectiveness have helped the hospital establish a strong quality culture, sustainability and improvement. The involvement of the clinical teams in the day-to-day quality management initiative is the major success of this model,” she said.

J,V. Peter, director of CMC, said the award has provided their quality management systems the necessary visibility to encourage hospitals, to adopt the hub and spoke model, which will benefit the quality and safety of healthcare delivery in the country, the release said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Tamil Nadu / by Staff Reporter / Vellore – November 30th, 2017

Young girls in Chennai win Nationals in skating

November 29, 2017Records, All, Sportsadmin

Chennai:

On a sunny evening, two young girls artistically skated on a concrete rink at 100 feet Road in Nanganallur in the city. Their parents, who watch them twist and twirl, cheer them energetically.

The two girls need no introduction in the area as they recently bagged prizes in CBSE national-level skating championship held at Bhopal. R S Lakshitha and K Srilakshana won gold and silver medal respectively.

They were tutored by eminent master skaters, Sundar, Karthik and Mahesh. The members of Greater Chennai Skating Club, the girls started on the sport around two years ago. Their goals are similar too, to get into international competitions.

The eight-year-olds are excited and passionate about the sport and aim to reach the international level.

Lakshitha’s mom, Sindhu, said, She starts her day at 5 am to practise skating and to attend school. She is so passionate that she never looks for reasons to bunk.

Lakshitha has won two goals in the south zone competition, which took her to the national level. When asked about the popularity of the sport in the locality, Lakshitha’s mother said the number of children opting for it has increased. It is only in recent times that this change was noticed, she pointed out.

A resident of Madipakkam, K Srilakshana won a gold and silver in the south zone competition and reached the national level.

Both of them are multi-taskers as they are good in academics. The girls practise in the morning and evening. We thank their masters for understanding their talent and giving it importance, Sindhu said.

source: http://www.newstodaynet.com / News Today / Home / NT Bureau / November 29th, 2017

Living life, freestyle

November 29, 2017Amazing Feats, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Sports, World Opinionadmin

Undeterred by disabilities, Madhavi Latha knows how to fight back. A champion swimmer, she now heads the Wheelchair Basketball Federation of India

Polio at the age of seven months paralysed Madhavi Latha from the waist down. It left her with minimal movement in her hands and robbed her of her voice even. But with time and perseverance she managed to regain some control over her hands and her voice. The daughter of a school teacher father and a homemaker mother, Latha, was the youngest of four siblings in a remote village in Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana). The polio attack and her limited motor skills didn’t deter her from completing school and pursuing a college degree privately. After she completed her MSc in Math, she eventually got a job with a bank in Hyderabad, before moving on to Standard Chartered in Chennai.

And life seemed set for her, until 10 years ago when her limited movements led to a compression of her spinal cord and in turn compression of her lungs, leading doctors to give her not more than a year to live. Determined to fight back, as she always has since she was a baby, Latha turned to hydrotherapy to strengthen her muscles and ease the pressure on her spine. And that’s when she discovered her new love — swimming. Through sheer grit and determination, she began to swim competitively and went on to become the National Paralympic swimming champion when she won three gold medals in her category in 2011. No mean feat for someone with a disability as severe as hers and at the age of 40.

Her win, silenced all the nay-sayers. “The first time I wanted to swim competitively at the corporate Olympiad, the organisers were not convinced. So, I had four people swimming around me for my security. In fact, when I first tried my hand at swimming, I didn’t have a coach. I self-learnt freestyle, which then convinced the coach to teach me the remaining styles. I wanted to set an example for other people with disabilities and so pushed myself further,” she says. Her tryst with swimming was a turning point in her life. “Moreover, being in water made my body light and the buoyancy helped me do all the things that I couldn’t outside of it,” she adds.

Swimming, was only the beginning for this determined woman. She is now heading the Wheelchair Basketball Federation of India that she set up in conjunction with others in 2014. “This came about when a UK-based NGO introduced me to the sport and encouraged me to promote it. It intrigued me as it is rather energetic and inculcates a great sense of team spirit in those involved in the sport. In the last three years we’ve managed to enrol 600 players from 14 states in the country — from Jammu and Kashmir to Kanyakumari,” she says, adding that this venture is not without its fair share of challenges either. “One of the biggest challenges is convincing people to encourage this sport; often it is concerns over players’ safety that comes to fore, since people aren’t convinced about just how much people with disabilities are capable of. Also, sports wheelchairs are not manufactured in India and are often imported, thereby raising costs. We’re also working towards making sports arenas more accessible for those with disabilities. When tournaments take place there are concerns about accessibility in terms of transport and accommodation. And since we know that a lot of these aren’t inclusive in nature yet, we go prepared, so there are no rude shocks upon our arrival.”

For the Asian Para games

While the WBFI has received an invitation from the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation — Asia Oceania Zone, Madhavi Latha and the teams are working towards raising support to help them participate in the qualifiers in Thailand.
To arrange a training camp in Chennai for the national team (for men and women) to prepare for the qualifiers and to select 12 players in each team.
A coach from abroad to run this camp.
To send both the men’s and women’s teams to Thailand and pay their registration fees which amounts to ₹ 3.7 lakhs.
Madhavi Latha can be contacted on 9841609601
__________________________________

But this struggle is not new to Latha. “My parents always wanted me to be financially independent. So after completing my MSc in Mathematics, I even trained as a typist so I could get a typing job. That is when a cousin told me about jobs in banks that I could apply for. In 1991 I managed to land my first job with State Bank in Hyderabad; expectedly there was a lot of convincing to do. Having had to move to Hyderabad from my small town, I even learnt how to ride a scooter so I could commute and gradually moved on to driving a car. I eventually got an opportunity to join Standard Chartered and moved to Chennai for the new role in 2006,” she says.

In the meantime, the lack of physical activity began taking a toll on her. “The exercises I’d been asked to do were rather painful and involved callipers being put from shoulder down. It felt like being in a cage and I neglected to follow up on them, not realising the seriousness of the consequences.”

Even while she was pursuing her college degree privately, Latha began giving tuitions at home to students a couple of years younger than her. “I wanted to surround myself with people closer to my age so I didn’t miss college life as much,” she smiles.

Today, she leads a busy life with her hands full with professional responsibilities at Standard Chartered and her role at the WBFI. “I want people to realise that people with disabilities can do a range of things as well. It’s important to sensitise people around them to lend adequate support. Currently our basketball team is gearing up for the qualifiers of the Asian Para Games that will be held in March 2018 in Bangkok. While our players have great potential, there’s a lot more we need in terms of support. And we are working towards ensuring that our teams qualify,” she says.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society / by Ranjani Rajendra / November 27th, 2017

History faculty discovers hero stone in Anamalai

November 28, 2017Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, Alladmin

The hero stone discovered near Anadigambareswarar Temple in Anamalai shows two warriors’ valour. | Photo Credit: HANDOUT_E_MAIL

Dated around 16th century, it depicts an incident that could have taken place in the area

A hero stone depicting the valour of two warriors has been discovered in a bush behind the Anadigambareswarar Temple in Anamalai. Assistant Professor of History, Rajapalayam Raju’s College, B. Kandasamy, who spotted the stone, says it has two warriors, three women and child. Hero stones are carved in memory of warriors’ valour and worshipped.

In this case, it shows a warrior holding a jagged sword in his left hand. The portion depicting his right hand is damaged. The second warrior is seen holding a long sword in his right hand and a jagged sword in his left hand.

Garland

One of the women is seen holding a garland and the child is seen supporting a warrior. The second woman is also seen holding a garland. The third woman is seen holding a hand fan and taking them to heaven after martyrdom.

The stone, dated around 16th century, depicts an incident that could have taken place in the area.

The warriors’ head gear, lower garment and the women’s lower garment are also clearly visible.

The discovery of the stone assumes significance in the light of discovery of iron objects and another three-tier hero stone from near the Perumal Kovil Karadu in the area.

The three-tier hero stone is now in the Coimbatore Museum, Mr. Kandasamy adds.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by Karthik Madhavan / Coimbatore – November 20th, 2017

Ravichandran Ashwin enters elite club, becomes fastest to 300 wickets

November 28, 2017Records, All, Sportsadmin

Ravichandran Ashwin continued to weave his magic in Tests as the Tamil Nadu offspinner became the fastest to reach 300 wickets during India’s comprehensive win against Sri Lanka in the Nagpur Test.

Ravichandran Ashwin became the fastest bowler to get to 300 Test wickets, breaking Dennis Lillee’s record as he spun India to a massive win over Sri Lanka in the Nagpur Test.(AFP)

Ravichandran Ashwin has been a vital cog in India’s dominant run in Tests since 2015. In the last nine series against various opponents, Ashwin has been a trump card in Virat Kohli’s Indian cricket team.

During the second Test against Sri Lanka in Nagpur, Ashwin spun himself into the record books with his haul of 4/63. He clean bowled Lahiru Gamage with a carrom ball to not only give India a massive innings and 239 runs victory, but became the fastest to reach 300 Test wickets.

Ashwin’s magnificent feat, combined with India’s record win makes for some fascinating statistics. Here is a list of the major numbers accumulated by Ashwin and India during the course of this Test.

54 – Number of Tests taken by Ravichandran Ashwin to get to 300 Test wickets. The previous best was 56 Tests by Australian pacer Dennis Lillee. When one looks at spinners, Muttiah Muralitharan took 58 Tests while Shane Warne achieved the feat in 61 matches. For India, Anil Kumble reached the mark in 66 Tests.

52 – Number of wickets taken by Ashwin in 2017, the joint-most by a spinner. He is the third spinner to take over 50 wickets in a calendar year. Rangana Herath is tied with Ashwin while Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon is third with 51 wickets.

46 – Number of wickets by Ashwin in eight Tests against Sri Lanka. He is third in the all-time list, with Harbhajan Singh (53) and Anil Kumble (74) ahead of him.

186 – Number of wickets taken by Ravichandran Ashwin in the last two years. Since 2015, Ashwin has the second-best bowling average behind James Anderson, while in five-wicket hauls he leads the pack with 17. Rangana Herath is a distant second with 146 wickets.

Innings and 239 runs – Victory margin for the Indian cricket team against Sri Lanka in the Nagpur Test, which is their joint-highest in terms of runs. They had achieved a similar margin of victory against Bangladesh in the Dhaka Test of 2007.

8 – Number of innings victories by India against Sri Lanka in Tests, the most by India in Tests. The innings and 239-run defeat is the worst-ever for Sri Lanka.

5 – Number of double centuries for Virat Kohli in Tests as captain, equalling the record set by Brian Lara. His tally equals Rahul Dravid’s mark while only Virender Sehwag is ahead of him with six.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/ Hindustan Times / Home> India / by Siddharth Vishwanathan, Hindustan Times,New Delhi / November 27th, 2017

Chennai girl wins accolades in frisbee tourneys

November 27, 2017Records, All, Sports, World Opinionadmin

Chennai:

For many, frisbee is only a beach game or a pastime, but M Selvi (20) takes it seriously.

This resident of Guindy in the city has been playing the sport from class six. She is an international player and aims to become an IAS officer. She speaks to News Today about her journey.

When did you start playing frisbee?

I was nine when my father taught me how to play frisbee. I initially played it during my leisure time. I eventually grew interest in it and started playing professionally.

How important is sports in your life?

I am doing my final year in political science. It is tough to balance studies and sports. However, I manage it with the help of my parents and teachers. I never give up my game for anything. It is my passion.

What is your upcoming game?

We are a team of 15. We are currently playing a national level game in Surat. We are also training for several upcoming international events.

What are your goals in life?

I have participated in several international games. The recent one was in London last year. I want to excel in this sport and represent India in more international events.

Who/what is your biggest strength?

My parents. They are the ones who keep motivating and encouraging me. I am busy with college and sport, and hence, hardly have time to spend with them. They understand and trust me in whatever I do. I also want to thank my coach and my team for believing in me.

How do you handle pressure?

There is lot of pressure to perform well in sports and studies. Although my parents encourage me, they want me to complete my degree. I have drawn up a timetable to create a balance between work and play. Once I injured my right leg and it needed surgery. I was confined to the bed for few months. It was testing time for me.

Tell us about your future plans.

There is no future for me without frisbee. I will continue to play and win medals. After I complete my degree, I want to study and become an IAS officer.

Your advice to youngsters?

A. Time management is important. Plan everything accordingly and work around your goal to achieve.

Selvi can be reached at 9787683310.

source: http://www.newstodaynet.com / News Today / Home / by M P Jesu Priya / November 27th, 2017

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