Category Archives: Science & Technologies

MTS Expands Its High Speed Data Footprint in Tamil Nadu

Business & Economy, Science & Technologies

Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited (SSTL) that provides telecom services under the MTS brand has announced the launch of its high-speed mobile broadband service, MBlaze in 37 new towns across Tamil Nadu  – Neyveli, Sathyamangalam, Tindivanam, Viluppuram, Rasipuram, Pattukkottai, Tenkasi, Udumalaipettai, Oddanchatram, Periyakulam, Sivaganga, Kallakkurichi, Virudhachalam, Gobichettipalayam, Sankarankoil, Mayiladuthurai,  Surandai, Arakonam, Omalur, Pallipalayam, Panruti, Andipatti Jakkampatti, Pavoor chatram, Avaniapuram, Batlagundu, Chinnalapatti, Keelakarai, Othakadai, Sokalampatti, Thirupuvanam, Thirupathur, Tiruvethipuram, Papanasam, Pattamadai, Perur-Chettipalayam, Nallur and Thirunageswaram.  With this roll out, MTS has expanded its high speed data footprint to over 140 towns across Tamil Nadu.

According to Suresh S Kumar, Chief Operating Officer Tamil Nadu Circle, MTS India, “MTS is focused on expanding its high speed data network across the country. As a part of the same endeavor, I am proud to announce the launch of MBlaze services in 37 new towns in Tamil Nadu. This latest expansion will enable MTS data customers to experience state-of-the-art high speed data services including Live TV and Games-on-Demand”. Adding further, Suresh said, “MTS has over 1,75,000 data customers across Tamil Nadu and with further expansion in our HSD footprint in the state, we expect to add many more customers in the next few months”.

source: http://www.lightreading.in / Light Reading India / Home> News Wire Feed / June 20th, 2013

Grandson of acting legends to play genius

About Chennai(Madras) / TamilNadu, Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Leaders, Records, All, Science & Technologies
Ramanujan
Ramanujan

Chennai : 

The grandson of southern acting legends Gemini Ganesan and Savitri will play math genius Srinivasa Ramanujan in a film being shot in Tamil and English.

Abhinay Vaddi, whose mother Vijaya is the daughter of Gemini Ganesan and Savitri, will star as the young mathematician in the film that traces his life from his native Kumbakonam, 400km from here, to Chennai and then to Cambridge before his premature death from pneumonia.

“It is an honour to portray an icon like Ramanujan. At the same time, there is considerable pressure that I must do it right. Then there is the added expectation because of my lineage,” said Abhinay, 29, a former international table tennis player.

The film is being directed by retired IAS officer Gnana Rajasekaran, who has two biopics — Bharati and Periyar — to his credit.

Abhinay said he had little to fall back on when it came to Ramanujan’s physical appearance as only three good photographs were available. “None of us knew how he walked or spoke, so I was coached by the director on how Iyengar Tamil was spoken in those times. Being a Telugu, mastering the dialect was difficult,” recalled Abhinay, who has one Telugu and one Tamil film to his credit.

The first schedule of the film at Kumbakonam is complete, and the story now shifts to Chennai. London-based theatre actor Kevin McGowan plays Professor Hardy, the man who discovered Ramanujan’s genius and relayed it to the world.

Sindhu Rajasekaran, one of the co-producers and Rajasekaran’s daughter, said the director believed in showcasing the lives of real-life heroes.

Abhinay Vaddi
Abhinay Vaddi

 “When Camphor Productions, promoted by my husband Sushant Desai, Srivatsan Nandathur and Sharanyan Nadathur, wanted to produce a good film, my father showed us the script of Ramanujan and we fell for it,” she disclosed.

Rajasekaran had assimilated information on Ramanujan’s life before finalising the script.

Abhinay familiarised himself with Ramanujan by reading The Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life of the Genius Ramanujan by Robert Kanigel.

Asked why the director picked him, Abhinay said Rajasekaran felt his piercing eyes resembled those of Ramanujan. “I learnt later that he had considered Madhavan and Prashanth before choosing me,” said Abhinay, who had to wear a special wig to portray Ramanujan the boy with a half-tonsured head and a tuft of hair — the traditional Iyengar look.In the past, Rajasekaran had ignored the claims of many Tamil actors and picked Marathi actor Shayaji Shinde to play Tamil poet Bharatiyar in his film In the past, Rajasekaran had ignored the claims of many Tamil actors and picked Marathi actor Shayaji Shinde to play Tamil poet Bharatiyar in his film Bharati.In the past, Rajasekaran had ignored the claims of many Tamil actors and picked Marathi actor Shayaji Shinde to play Tamil poet Bharatiyar in his film Bharati. Shinde captured the restless rebel in Bharati very evocatively in spite of his language handicap.

Rajasekaran has chosen to shoot the film on celluloid rather than on digital medium. Scheduled for a December release, the film also has acclaimed technicians on board — national award-winning editor B. Lenin, cinematographer Sunny Joseph and music composer Ramesh Vinayagam.

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph, Calcutta / Front Page> Nation> Story / by G. C. Shekhar / Chennai – June 11th, 2013

Tussor Machine to invest Rs 40 crore in Coimbatore plant

Business & Economy, Science & Technologies

Move comes in the wake of growing demand;

Tussor Machine Tools Private Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Spanish computer numerical-controlled (CNC) and flat-bed lathe machines maker Tussor SL Andorra, is planning to expand the manufacturing capacity at its Coimbatore facility with an investment of between Rs 35 crore and Rs 40 crore.

“In the face of the growing demand , we are planning to increase the volumes to 5,000 units per year by 2015,” Ganesh Parthasarathy, chief executive officer of Tussor Machine, told Business Standard on the sidelines of the first edition of the four-day Engineering Expo  that kicked off in Hyderabad on Friday.

Tussor SL Andorra, which has the capacity to churn out 5,000 machines a year, established its manufacturing plant at Coimbatore in 2005 with an investment of Rs 100 crore. The 100% export-oriented unit (EOU) currently manufactures around 250 machines a month. It primarily exports its products to Africa, West Asia, Australia, New Zealand and South America.

Stating that the growth in heavy industries was fueling machine tools demand, Parthasarathy said the company had in 2011 changed the status from EOU to the Export Promotion Capital Goods ( EPCG ) Scheme to cater to the domestic market also.

“We have already established around 40 dealers across the country,” he said, adding that Tussor Machine Tools garnered revenues of Rs 65 crore last financial year and was aiming at touching the Rs 200-crore mark by 2015.

source: http://www.business-standard.com /  Business Standard / Home> Companies> News / byu K. Rajani Kanth / Hyderabad – May 31st, 2013

An oxygen chamber that mends wounds

Science & Technologies

Chennai :

Open wounds and sores are often a diabetic’s Achilles’ heel as they take a long time to heal and often lead to complications.

A city hospital seems to have found a way to circumvent this by placing patients in a specialised chamber that pumps oxygen under increased atmospheric pressure. The pure oxygen, doctors say, will catalyse the process of healing areas where blood supply is limited.

The Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) was launched at M V Hospital for Diabetes  in Royapuram on Friday.

“Certain diabetic wounds take long to heal when oxygen supply to the wound is poor and blood supply is limited. By making patients breathe 100% oxygen, the chamber stimulates growth of new blood vessels and blood flow to the wound improves. The blood carries large amounts of oxygen to organs, tissues and wounds. This heals wounds easily,” said Dr Vijay Viswanathan, chief diabetologist, M V hospital for diabetes.

Patients with non-healing wounds like acute thermal burns, traumatic brain injury, radiation damage to tissues, crush injury and sudden hearing loss will benefit, said the doctor. It can also be used to treat various forms of gangrene and carbon monoxide poisoning.

The treatment, dating to the 1660s, was popular across Europe in the 19th century but saw a downslide after medicine became more evidence-based. In the late 20th century, it gained popularity and was used to treat divers and tunnel workers.

“Its use declined due to high cost. In the last decade or two, there has been a renewed interest in this procedure. In India, it was primarily used by the Navy for divers, but hospitals are now using it for other issues,” said Dr Viswanathan.

Patients will require a one-hour session for 14 days. “We have a controlled mechanism which regulates the oxygen supplied according to medical protocol,” said Dr Viswanathan.

Patients will experience a feeling akin to what one feels when a flight takes off. Each session will cost 1,500, while one government hospital patient a day will be treated for free.

Doctors say hyperbaric oxygen can help stimulate cell growth and regeneration. “It can also act as an anti-viral and anti-bacterial agent as most of them can’t tolerate oxygen. It can displace toxins and other impurities to assist detoxification of the system,” said Dr M Rajkumar, professor at the vascular department, Madras Medical College.

Others say the machine should be handled carefully as an oxygen overdose can be fatal. “Care should be taken to ensure it is done in a controlled condition or it could lead to complications like seizures,” said Dr George M Varghese of CMC, Vellore. He said it does not “heal” wounds but “catalyses the healing.”

“It is expensive and is beneficial to only 5% of patients with these conditions and few can afford it,” he said.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / TNN / May 25th, 2013

India: A game-changer for parched Perambalur

Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Science & Technologies

Farm ponds being built in Perambalur district of Tamil Nadu under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) programme is expected to prove to be a boon for farmers in this the perennially parched district.

A total of 1000 farm ponds have been allotted to the district, which suffered an over 50 per cent loss in crops last year owing to water scarcity.

Alarmingly low rainfalls in 2012 drove farmers to despair in this predominantly agrarian district that ranks at the bottom of the state’s GDP list. As against the norm of 908 mm, the district received only 608 mm of rainfall, ravaging all major crops, including cotton, maize and small onions.

This year too rainfalls have been scanty—just 37 mm, so far.

According to the District Collector Darez Ahmed almost 90 per cent of the cultivated areas have suffered a loss of more than 50 per cent. The State government has allocated Rs 62 crores as compensation for 1.8 lakh acres.

“The farm ponds would fulfill not only drinking water needs but also recharge ground water. To strengthen the rainwater harvesting system, proper catchment areas are being identified and farm ponds created,” said Saraswathi Ganesan, project officer, District Rural Development Agency. Of the 1,000 farm ponds allotted, 618 have got administrative sanction.

The 15 X 15 metre pit ponds, costing Rs 1.5 lakhs each, will spring up across the district, especially in areas dominated by SC/ST, marginal farmers and small farmers with holdings of less than five acres.

The programme would enable small farmers to not only build new ponds but also stabilize minor irrigation tanks and deepen existing ponds, supply channels and other waterways all under MGNREGA. The Rs-7-crore programme is expected to create 4.78 lakh man-days of work for which, Ms. Ganesan said that more than 1.21 lakh households have been registered and about 1.18 lakh job cards issued.

source: http://www.southasia.oneworld.net / Home / by OneWorld South Asia /May 20th, 2013

India set to join elite UAV club

Records, All, Science & Technologies
P. Soundara Rajan of HAL shares a light moment with IIT-M director Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi.—DC
P. Soundara Rajan of HAL shares a light moment with IIT-M director Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi. —DC

Chennai:

India will soon join the elite league of nations like the US and the United Kingdom in developing unmanned aerial vehicles (drone).

“We have been developing unmanned aerial aircraft and helicopters for which we have signed pacts with several institutes like Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, to do research in rotary motor for helicopters and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for payload, besides sensors”, P. Soundara Rajan, managing director (helicopter complex), HAL, said after signing a  memorandum of understanding with IIT Madras to set up a centre for aerospace transmission system.

Elaborating on HAL’s projects, Soundara Rajan said  the public sector undertaking (PSU) with Russians had embarked on a mission to produce 10-12 tonne category helicopters for VIPs like the President, Prime Minister and top government officials as these helicopters need to fly at an altitude of 23,000 feet at areas like Leh and Ladak.

The helicopter complex chief lamented that most of the components used today in aircraft and helicopters in India come from foreign countries. “We need to work more to develop indigenous components for our military needs”, Soundara Rajan pointed out.

Providing details about the tie-up between the institute and HAL, Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, director, IIT Madras, said the strategic cooperation would help undertake joint research in the field of transmission system for helicopter and engine programmes for HAL. “This partnership will evolve required software and design solutions for different types of gears, bearings, lubrication system, vibration monitoring systems and production technologies”, he added.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / May 21st, 2013

Math whiz Ramanujan scores high with filmmakers

Leaders, Records, All, Science & Technologies

RamanujamCF25may2013The recent interest in mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan has just grown deeper, with many Hollywood studios interested in chronicling his life on the big screen. Many actors are keen to play the world-renowned mathematician, who was born in Erode and grew up in Kumbakonam and, what was then, Madras. TOI lists a few actors who are in race to play the genius…

WHO: Madhavan
WHAT: Titled The Man Who Knew Infinity, the film was announced in late 2011. It was to be based on Robert Kanigel’s book of the same name and directed by Matt Brown. Oscarwinner Colin Firth was apparently approached to play Ramanujan’s mentor-friend Thomas Hardy.
STATUS: Madhavan has now been replaced by Dev Patel

WHO: Siddharth
WHAT: James Bond director Roger Spottiswoode announced that he will make A First Class Man, a The King’s Speech-like film, based on the friendship between Ramanujan and Hardy. The script had been completed in 2011 and shooting was supposed to begin in 2012.
STATUS: On hold at the moment.

WHO: Dev Patel
WHAT: The actor, who rose to fame with Slumdog Millionaire, is the latest to be approached to play the mathematical genius. The film is being produced by Prashita Chaudhary, who is one of the producers of Danis Tanovic’s film that stars Emraan Hashmi. Chaudhary will produce the film that’s based on the book The Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life Of The Genius Ramanujan, with H’wood producer Edward R Pressman.
STATUS: The shooting for the film is expected to start in September, and it’ll be shot in parts of India and London.

WHO: Abhinay
WHAT: This young actor, who is the grandson of Kadhal Mannan Gemini Ganesan, is playing Ramanujan in a Tamil-English bilingual. The movie is being directed by National Award winning director Gnana Rajasekaran, who earlier worked on Bharathi, which chronicled the life of the famous poet Bharatiyar, and Periyar, which told the story of the social reformer.
STATUS: Currently being shot in Kumbakonam, where the mathematician studied and grew up in. Suhasini Mani Ratnam has been roped in to play Ramanujan’s mom in this project.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Regional / by Srinivas Ramanujam & M Suganth, TNN / May 21st, 2013 

Siddha association promotes greens, vegetables as BP cure

Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Science & Technologies

The Tamil Nadu Paarambariya Siddha Maha Sangam here came up with healthcare tips to prevent and cure hypertension using simple food products.

Vaidyar Arjunan, state president of the sangam said, “High blood pressure (BP) is a major health problem in India and was rapidly increasing among urban and rural populations.” he said.

He said tender banana stem, tender brinjal, tender drumstick, tender fig, big gooseberries, radish, yellow pumpkin and bottle gourd could help in setting right problems related to blood circulation. Seemai aththipzham (a variety of fig), badam, dry grapes, dates and fruit of the ‘nuna’ tree also help in controlling blood pressure.

A concoction of leaves of the Asoka, Vilvam, Vengai, Arjuna and Nettilingam trees also help in lowering BP. Sirukeerai, murungaikeerai, vallaraikeerai, manathakkalikeerai, thuthuvalaikeerai and kothumallikeerai should be consumed regularly. Ragi, green gram, wheat, toor dhal, cumin seeds, pepper and Hibiscus flowers could  effectively prevent BP.

Arjunan said Hibiscus flower not only cured BP anomalies but also problems related to the heart.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by V. NarayanaMurthi – Vellore / May 18th, 2013

AIR Tiruchi promises more as it steps into its 75 year

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, Science & Technologies

To celebrate its platinum jubilee from tomorrow with series of new programmes

Starting off with just a 5 KW medium wave transmitter when it was launched 74 years ago, All India Radio, Tiruchi, which now covers 10 districts with a 100 KW high power transmitter, is poised to celebrate its platinum jubilee from May 16 with a series of new programmes targeting both urban and rural listeners.

The first broadcast conveyed a message on spreading happiness to excited listeners from the then Chief Minister of composite Madras State C.Rajagopalachari who inaugurated the country’s sixth AIR station in Tiruchi along with the first Controller of Broadcasting India Lionel Fielden, on May 16, 1939. After a year, a separate time chunk was introduced in July 1940, and in July 1969, Ilaya Bharatham (Youth Programme) was started. It was followed by the launch of Regional News Unit on November 14, 1981, for broadcasting daily news bulletin in Tamil, and Audience Research Unit on September 3, 1991.

Ilaya Bharatham, according to senior officials of AIR Tiruchi, has been serving as a platform for youth to analyse their problems and find solutions through talks and interviews.

Youngsters are given guidance and counselling regarding employment training facilities, entrepreneurship and self employment. The impact of the Farm and Home (‘Pannai Illam’) Unit, AIR Tiruchi, established during 1966 to provide purposeful and effective information to the farming community was such that ADT 27 variety paddy released during that time was popularly called ‘Radio Rice’ by the agricultural community. During the silver jubilee celebrations of ‘Pannai Illam’, 30,000 farmers took part in a function spread over two days.

AIR Tiruchi, started as one of the six pioneering stations in pre-Independent India and second station in the erstwhile Madras State after the first one at Madras, would continue to spread happiness with its range of programmes covering education, culture, literature, music, science, community, and farming, T. Periyaswamy, Deputy Director General (Engineering), AIR, Tiruchi, and M. Jothimani Elangovan, Programme Head, told mediapersons on Tuesday.

About 1,000 archived programmes including talks by leaders such as late Chief Minister Annadurai and performance of folk artistes would be packaged in a programme titled ‘Pavazha Malli’ and presented to listeners till May 15, 2014. The station would also conduct invited audience programme in each of the 10 districts covered by AIR Tiruchi on music, agriculture, health, industry and other topics, in its programme zone covering 56 per cent of Tamil Nadu’s total area encompassing Tiruchi, Perambalur Ariyalur, Karur, Salem, Namakkal, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, and Pudukottai districts. The programmes cater to all age groups, Ms. Jothimani Elangovan said.

The platinum jubilee celebrations would begin with a formal inauguration at 5.30 p.m. on May 16. The inauguration would feature Natyanjali, a dance programme by Bala Kala Vidhanam dance school students; a folk arts events, and felicitations by P. Kumar, Tiruchi MP, and other invited speakers. South Zone Additional Director General, AIR and Doordarshan, Chennai and Bangalore, G. Jayalal, would preside over the inauguration programme.

From May 16 onwards, a photo exhibition open for public would feature a collection of 350 rare photos with footnotes illustrating AIR Tiruchi’s growth path. Sets of photos will be changed periodically.

A programme titled ‘Namathu Vaanolikku Vayathu 75’ would be broadcast on the prime channel at 9.30 p.m. on May 16. It would be preceded by folk programmes and jugalbandhi of Hindustani and Carnatic music.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities / by  R. Krishnamoorthi / Tiruchi – May 15th, 2013

Government offers training in agri-related enterprises

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Science & Technologies

Training would be extended in agri-enterprises for three months at an integrated training centre run by the Co-operative Department for candidates from Ariyalur district.

According to a release from M. Ravikumar, Collector, of the total cultivated area of 1,06,409 hectares in the district, 67,158 hectares is rainfed and 39,254 hectares is irrigated.

While paddy is raised in 26,000 hectares, maize is raised in 16,000 hectares, pulses in 3,400 hectares, groundnut in 11,000 hectares, gingelly in 2,000 hectares, cotton in 8,000 hectares, cashew in 27,500 hectares, and sugarcane in 8,000 hectares. Besides, crops like chillies, tapioca, tamarind, mango, brinjal and banana are also grown in a considerable area. “Hence, Ariyalur district is quite conducive for starting agri-allied industries. By establishing units for value addition of agri-products, processing, grading and preparation of by-products, there is potential for generating considerable employment and also augmenting agricultural income.” Those who have studied agri-related courses in Plus Two, graduates and postgraduates in agriculture, diploma-holders in agriuculture and those who have secured either a diploma or a degree in any of the agri-related sectors like Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Horticulture, Forestry, and Dairy would get training. Those interested may contact Director, Natesan Institute of Co-operative Management and Training Centre, 2377-A, Anna Nagar, Chennai — 600040 (ph: 044-26210423). Log on to www.nicmchennai.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Tiruchirapalli /  by Special Correspondent / Ariyalur – May 14th, 2013