Category Archives: World Opinion

Meteorologist in Chennai wins prestigious award

Records, All, Science & Technologies, World Opinion
B. Amudha
B. Amudha
Many meteorological observatories in the State and the country still use mercury-based measuring instruments to make weather observations and predictions.

In a bid to address the challenge of using dangerous metal, B. Amudha, Scientist-D, Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, wrote a report assessing the factors preventing many developing countries to switch over to digital devices.

This won her the Prof. Dr. Vilho Vaisala award instituted by World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

She was the first Indian Meteorological Department official to receive the award for development of instruments and methods of observation in developing countries at a WMO conference in Madrid, Spain in September. The award was instituted in 1986 and carries a medal, diploma and a cash prize.

Ms. Amudha was nominated to the expert team of WMO. “It was decided during an convention that the mercury based devices must be replaced with digital ones by 2020. But, many developing countries did not initiate measures. My task was to submit a report on the status of alternatives to such instruments and assessing the factors limiting the countries from switching over to digital devices,” she said.

Ms. Amudha framed a questionnaire seeking 191 member countries to respond about the status of the use of mercury based instruments.

“Only 28 per cent of the developing countries responded. In Tamil Nadu, we are replacing mercury barometers used to measure atmospheric pressure in a phased manner. We now have digital barometers in 12 of the 18 observatories run by the department across the State. However, 24 part-time observatories are yet to get digital barometers,” she said.

Moreover, the department is still in the process of replacing mercury thermometers used to measure temperature across the country.

“My report was chosen for the award as it was considered useful to address the issue of enabling transition to digital instruments in developing countries and assist in policy decisions,” Ms. Amudha said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai/ by Special Correspondent / Chennai – October 14th, 2016

A traveller’s tale

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion

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The Madras of 200 years ago was a place of beautiful architecture, Nature and women, in equal parts — at least in the eyes of Dutchman Jacob Haafner (1754-1809). A traveller in the latter part of the 18th Century, Haafner’s record of works shows that he had been in Madras for a year and a half; in Negapatam for six years; and in Calcutta and Pondicherry among other places, for a few months. In all, he spent 13 years in India and Sri Lanka between 1771 and 1787. All through his travel, he sketched and wrote whatever he saw, in its rawest sense — all in Dutch.

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Enter Bharatanatyam dancer and historian Liesbeth Pankaja Bennink. After her arangetram in 1981 in Amsterdam, and graduation from Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht (The Netherlands), she came to India to research on Indian culture and dance. She joined Raja Deekshithar (1949-2010), an independent researcher and a scholar belonging to the Chidambaram Nataraja temple. It was during her research on the temple, around six years ago, that Liesbeth chanced upon Haafner’s writings.

Two worlds, two centuries apart, collided.

During a recent lecture at The C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation, Liesbeth, who is translating Haafner’s biography into English, spoke about what hooked her to his works, and how his writings present a glimpse of the India of the past.

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Excerpts:

What happened after you discovered Haafner’s works?

I had just finished translating a piece by a Frenchman about the Chidambaram temple, written in 1734. Then I came across a piece on dancers by Haafner. He had written about devadasis or temple dancers, and also dancers, who travel in troupes from place to place and perform for the public. His writings offer great insight into their lives in this period, as he had a passionate love affair with one of them named Mamia. He includes details of their dress, music and make-up. I didn’t stop with the dancers though; I read all his works {books on his journey from Madras to Ceylon via Tranquebar, his sojourn in Negapatam, journey along the Coromandel Coast, journey to Bengal and return voyage to Europe}. Most of them have been translated into German, French and Swedish. English, not so much. But, I didn’t find anything about the Chidambaram temple.

Any other structures of today that find mention in his works?

In his book, Travels by Palanquin {he journeyed comfortably in them, for most part}, he writes about the science and art that went into the making of the seven temples of Mahabalipuram. He calls it ‘one of the most beautiful and largest palaces of our time’ and compares it with the ‘miracles of Egypt’. He also mentions the small choultries that hosted visitors for free, soothsayers, the ritual of Naga puja, children engaging in group study, the different kinds of snakes {he suffered a snake bite during his stay} and temple tanks. He had also sketched a scene of Mamia rushing towards him, in the background of the temple tank, and a group of women clad in wet clothes. But I haven’t been able to trace the temples with the names mentioned by Haafner.

Does he delve into politics in his writings?

He was clearly against colonisation and looting. He considered the English greedy, and argued for the complete withdrawal of all imperial powers from their respective colonies {probably the reason why his books weren’t translated into English}. Not just that, he had great respect for Indian culture, and was actively involved in the study of Indian languages {he knew Tamil, Urdu, Hindi, Sanskrit and Telugu}. He has translated a part of the Ramayana into Dutch, a 300-page book that was published in 1823.

Do you find all the accounts to be true?

I wish I could find his diaries. They would have more content, in its truest sense, than the books. I think that the writer might have taken the liberty to exaggerate the situations on a few occasions. Like one where he describes falling into a dark tunnel, somewhere near Vizag, and walking through carcasses in the dark before coming out the other side into a whole new land; his description of a snake that is 70 feet long, that is about to swallow him; or Mamia dying in his arms in a very cinematic way; or him engaging in an action-packed fist fight with the locals and defeating them (laughs).

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Metroplus / by Naveena Vijayan / Chennai – December 22nd, 2015

Trade in Madras and its direct link to the Romans

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion

Chennai :

A long with over a dozen students from Beta Matriculation School, we board the Chennai Express – TNIE’s double-decker bus (sponsored by NAC Jewellers) near the famous Gandhi statue. The youngsters were eager to learn more about the history of the city, and were surprised when Suresh Sethuraman, convener of INTACH Chennai Chapter joined us.

Suresh, a numismatic expert and one of the very few with a doctorate in this field, has written over 30 books. Cheerfully greeting the students, he began talking about the heritage buildings along the Rajaji Salai – Wallajah Road stretch.

Student aboard the Chennai Express  P Jawahar
Student aboard the Chennai Express  P Jawahar

“The DGP office to your left was built in 1839, and the Queen Mary’s College in 1914 was the first women’s college in South India…,” were some of the interesting nuggets he announced on the mike. As we cross several other buildings on the stretch, including the Ice House (Vivekanandar Illam), Presidency College and the University of Madras, Suresh quizzes the students. “Why was the ‘Ice House’ called so?” Pat came the reply from a 15-year-old, “The British imported ice from America and stored it here,” and Suresh continued, “Yes, from Boston! And the ice crossed the equator twice and never melted!” he added.

Across the Napier Bridge, we reach the War Memorial and take a detour via the railway office building and notice a few more heritage buildings like the Curzons. “It was built in the early 20th Century and they are wonderful furniture makers. In fact, they made the furniture for the Madras University library,” shared Suresh.

After a satisfying tour, we caught up with Suresh for a small chat about being an archaeologist. “Archaeology has always been a rare subject. But now it’s getting rarer,” he explained. “People are not taking to it due to two main reasons — lack of awareness about the subject and the wrong notion that archaeologists have to live in the forest digging and can’t make money. Senior archaeologists are retiring and we don’t have youngsters with technical qualifications to occupy the post. So, we are trying to spread awareness through career counselling sessions.”

Though foreign governments are giving scholarships to Indian nationals to hone their skills in archaeology, Suresh rued that the number of eligible applicants is few. “This is why engineers and doctors corner the scholarships. We don’t have good archeologists who apply for them!” he said, and added that heritage clubs in schools and colleges could be used to create awareness among the youth. “You can graduate in any discipline and pursue a masters in archaeology,” he said.  The oldest teaching institution for archaeology in India is the University of Madras, while Deccan College, Pune and MS University, Vadodara are colleges that match international standards. “Sadly, we don’t have many Indian students studying the subject in these universities. But, people from abroad come here to study. That’s the sad state,” he sighed.

Scholars have pointed out that before 1947, Santhome, Kilpauk and Chetpet were sites of archaeological digs. “There’s a lot of scope for excavations in Chennai. The irony is that India is rich in archaeology but poor in archeologists,” he averred.

Suresh explained about a little-known piece of history — Roman trade in South India. “Romans and Greeks came here 2,000 years ago. They reached Poduke (Arikamedu) and came to Pondicherry. From there they travelled to Melange (Mahabalipuram) and finally reached Mailarfa (Mylapore). They used the ECR route even before we built it!” The Romans took Indian textiles, gems and spices for gold and silver coins and accidental discoveries have shown that their presence was strong in areas like Mambalam and Saidapet. “Excavation is still on in some rural parts like Kodumanal,” he said.

But the most astonishing fact is that scholars and archaeologists from abroad aren’t aware of the Roman trade in South India. “It’s our fault too. We discover something but we don’t publish it in international journals. Even in books about Romans, the trade is either mentioned in merely a line or there’s no reference at all,” he rued.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Roshne B / August 29th, 2016

Kamal Haasan to get prestigious French honour

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, World Opinion
Kamal Haasan. Photo: Nagara Gopal
Kamal Haasan. Photo: Nagara Gopal

The Order is part of France’s premier award, the Legion of Honor.

Actor Kamal Haasan will be awarded the Chevalier de L’Ordre Arts et Lettres (The Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by the French government. The Order is part of France’s premier award, the Legion of Honor.

“The distinction, which is yet another laurel for the actor, is in recognition of his high level of artistic excellence and his distinguished career achievements. The award will be conferred on Kamal Haasan at a special ceremony,” read a statement from the actor’s publicist.

The order of merit is awarded “to recognize eminent artists and writers, as well as people who have contributed significantly to furthering the arts in France and throughout the world.”

The Order has three ranks – chevalier (knight), officier (officer), commandeur (commander) – and two high offices.

Other Indians who have been conferred the Chevalier Order include veteran musician Balamuralikrishna, and actors like Sivaji Ganesan, Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Nandita Das and Shah Rukh Khan.

The actor released a statement thanking his family and fans for supporting him.

Our Staff Reporter adds:

In March 30 this year, the versatile actor, who made his debut as a child artiste in Kalathoor Kannamma in 1959, had received the Henri Langlois Award for his contribution to cinema in France.

Mr. Haasan, who is a recipient of the Padma Bhushan from the Government of India, has donned several hats and has been actively involved in production, direction, playback singing and song writing in films.

Chachi 420 (the Hindi version of Avvai Shanmughi), Viswaroopam and Hey Ram are among the movies he has directed.

He is currently directing and starring in the trilingual film Sabhash Naidu which is being made simultaneously in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu. He was last seen onscreen playing the lead in the movie Thoongavanam.

Here is his full statement:

“The French Government has kindly conferred the Chevalier award for Arts and Letters on me. On this occasion, I bow before my more deserving forerunners, Mr. Satyajit Ray and Mr. Sivaji Ganesan, who made even the common man realise the value of the Chevalier award. I thank His Excellency, the Ambassador of France in India, Mr. Alexandre Ziegler, who inimated me of this honour.

“This award humbles me rather than stiffen me with pride.

“I realise my journey in my chosen field has not been alone. Teachers and admirers abounded around me. With motherly care they have applauded my every little step forward. The melancholy of my parents not being alive to see this day is allayed by the fact that the elders and the young are still around in my family to enjoy it. I dedicate this award to my admirers and audience, who give me the tenacity of purpose to pursue, to this day and moment, my arts and letters. Thank you.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Cinema / Internet Desk / August 21st, 2016

WSF World Doubles: Saurav Ghosal and Dipika Pallikal settle for silver in mixed doubles

Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

This is the first time that India clinched three medals from this event.

The Indian players on the podium during the mixed doubles medal ceremony (image courtesy: WSF World Doubles Twitter)
The Indian players on the podium during the mixed doubles medal ceremony (image courtesy: WSF World Doubles Twitter)

India finished a historic campaign at the WSF World International Doubles at Marrara, Darwin in Australia on Thursday with three medals for the first time in the history of the championships. The second-seeded mixed doubles pair of Saurav Ghosal and Dipika Pallikal had to settle for silver in the summit clash where they lost to the third seeds Paul Coll and Joelle King of New Zealand, 8-11, 8-11 in 34 minutes.

Besides that, the second Indian mixed doubles pair of Harinderpal Sandhu and Joshna Chinappa as well as the top-seeded women’s doubles team of Chinappa and Pallikal both captured the bronze after losing their respective semi-finals.

Pallikal and Ghosal had prevailed over the Kiwi mixed doubles pair in a tight match a day earlier in their final group assignment and were thus considered the favourites. But King and Coll put up a determined show that took the game out of the Indians’ hands.

By constantly varying their pace and returns, they never allowed the Indians to build a rhythm. The Kiwi pair’s dropshots and their strategy of keeping the ball in the middle paid rich dividends.

The Indians had more chances in the second game which was neck and neck. But Coll and King applied just the right amount of pressure in the end, to seal the win in straight games.

The performance of all the Indian players at the World Doubles earned praise from the national coach Cyrus Poncha who called it a ‘fabulous show’.

“Whichever way one viewed it, this has been a fabulous show overall by the Indians. Returning with three medals is something to be proud of and the players surely need a pat on their backs for this,” said Poncha, who was with the squad in Darwin.

The Indians will now be turning their attention to the season’s first World Series event – the Hong Kong Open that starts on August 23.

source: http://www.sportskeeda.com / SportsKeeda / Homepage> Squash> News / by Sudeshna Banerjee @Sudsports / August 18th, 2016

A temple for Tao

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, World Opinion

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The Huan De Temple in Uthandi, the first in India, promotes the philosophy of peace in everyday life

Just off East Coast Road in Uthandi lies a gleaming, modern structure bearing an unusual name —‘Huan De Temple’.

‘Huan De Temple’ literally translates into ‘The Temple of Universal Virtues’ and is a centre for the propagation of a philosophy called Tao.

Not to be confused with Taoism, Tao is a philosophy that propounds an upright way of life as a means of understanding the Universal Truth,” says Master Mak Siew Fong, a founder-trustee who lives in Malaysia, who is on a visit to the temple. Elders of the Tao order are referred to as Masters or Teachers.

The philosophy believes that we are all imbued with the basic values of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness.

These are lost in the course of our daily lives; Tao seeks to bring about a transformation from within to help people connect with their true inner selves. While Tao is popular in China and South East Asia, it has its headquarters in New York, and centres in major cities of the world (there are more than 200 Tao temples worldwide). The Chennai temple is the first in India.

Chennai’s relationship with Tao goes back to the 6th Century CE, when Pallava king Simhavarman ruled Kanchipuram and its surrounding areas. His third son Bodhidharma is supposed to have been a meditative ascetic, who learnt Tao from a scholar. It is reported that he travelled to China, where he introduced Tao to the Chinese Emperor. This led to the proliferation of the philosophy throughout that country.

Master Fong explains that the doctrine of Tao comes from the teachings of Maitreya Buddha (or the ‘Laughing Buddha’ as we know him), who was a disciple of Gautama Buddha. “It is based on the premise that our needs are simple but our wants are endless, which leads to negativity in our lives. Tao teaches us that we are here to love one another and be kind. We hold the power to change our life by transforming our behaviour,” he elaborates.

The Chennai temple was established in April 2015, and holds three prayer services (mainly for world peace) every day. Master Madam Soong Moi Fong, another teacher, says the services are conducted in a serene, solemn atmosphere, where the “body, heart and thoughts have to be clean”.

The Temple does not actively solicit members or advertise ; most members were passers-by drawn to the temple while driving by.

The spacious three-storey temple has a central prayer hall, besides lecture halls, a dining room that can host 500 people, meeting rooms, a library, the administrative office and a couple of apartments for visiting teachers. Most of those who work at the temple are volunteers.

The temple funds some of its expenditure through the sale of fresh, home-made tofu that is made there every day.

As part of its outreach initiatives, the temple funds a host of charitable projects around ECR.

Volunteers were active during the floods in Chennai last December, taking part in relief efforts.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Metroplus> Society / by Shazia Andaleeb / August 19th, 2016

Adyar Ananda Bhavan to step into the US

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, World Opinion

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Chennai :

If you are pining for some hot ghee drenched dosa while trudging through a cold North American autumn, you have just been offered yet another choice to indulge in the taste of home. It seems one of South India’s most beloved restaurant chains is set to take its first steps into the United States of America.

The US Consulate in Chennai tweeted out late on Saturday night that Adyar Ananda Bhavan, popularly known as A2B, is planning to open its first branch there next month.

“A2B in the US? Yes! Chennai’s @A2BRestaurant plans 2 open its 1st outlet in US in Aug 2016!,” went the US Consultate’s tweet. It’s facebook post had a bit more information.

According to the Consulate, the decision to open shop in the North American nation was a “direct outcome” of the chain’s participation in the U S Commercial Service’s SelectUSA Investment Summit held in Washington D. C recently.

A2B will be following in the footsteps of the now iconic Hotel Saravana Bhavan, which already has three hotels in the United States and 56 outlets across the globe not including those in India, according to its website.

A2B meanwhile has no branches overseas and 95 branches in India. The chain began three decades ago as a small sweet shop started by founder K S Thirupathi Raja in Chennai. Now at the helm are his two sons – Managing Director K T Srinivasa Raja and K T Venkatesan.

The management of the chain could not be reached for comment.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Jonathan Ananda / July 30th, 2016

HIDDEN HISTORIES – From Besant to Vasantha

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion
The road in question is in Adyar, shortly after the bridge / Photo: Special Arrangement
The road in question is in Adyar, shortly after the bridge / Photo: Special Arrangement

That is an intriguing name. The road in question is in Adyar, shortly after the bridge. It had me scurrying home to consult Venkatesh Krishnamoorthy’s book A Tale of Two Schools, which documents the history of the Sankara Schools run by the Indian Education Trust. Much of the details in this article are from that work.

Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and Colonel Henry Steel Olcott founded the Theosophical Society (TS) in 1875 in New York. They acquired the 27-acre estate of the thickly wooded Huddlestone Gardens on the banks of the Adyar River in 1882 and established the world headquarters of the Society there in 1883. Annie Besant, who became its President in 1907, was instrumental in the Society becoming a huge 266-acre estate by 1910.

The TS needed a press for printing its tracts, and in 1907, Annie Besant purchased the necessary machinery and established it just outside the estate, on a narrow road adjoining the Society’s world headquarters entrance. By then, the Theosophists had ‘sanskritised’ Besant into Vasantha, and the printing facility became the Vasantha Press, the road taking its name from it. An interesting aside is that the Besant School begun by the TS had its prayer dedicated to Annie Besant. The song composed by the legendary Papanasam Sivan is in raga Vasantha and begins with the words Devi Vasanthe!

The foundation stone for the Vasantha Press was laid in 1908, and it became functional a short while later. In 1914, Mrs Besant acquired the Madras Standard, a daily, and renamed it New India. The paper, which electrified the freedom movement with its demand for Home Rule, was initially brought out from the Vasantha Press.

Running into frequent trouble with the authorities, it moved its offices in 1916 to the New India Building on Second Line Beach, from where it was published till its demise, which was probably in 1926. New India Building is now home to another of Besant’s creations, the Young Men’s Indian Association (YMIA). It is temporarily housed there, even as it takes ages to make up its venerable mind over what is to be done with its original home — Gokhale Hall, on Armenian Street.

After Annie Besant’s death in 1933, the TS acquired and ran Vasantha Press for long. An expanded facility was built in Besant Gardens in the TS premises in 1971 and the Press moved there. The Sankara School, set up in R.K. Nagar, Raja Annamalaipuram, at the instance of the Kanchi Paramacharya and spearheaded by P.R. Pattabhiraman, was then looking for property that it could acquire and expand in. The Indian Education Society (now Trust) that manages the school purchased the erstwhile Vasantha Press property in 1973. The school moved in the same year and continues to function from there. The old press building has made way for state-of-the-art classrooms, but the spirit of Besant, who believed in preparing the younger generation for meeting the challenges of the future, lives on.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Society / by Sriram V / Chennai – July 29th, 2016

This Chennai girl is a World Whistling Champion

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, World Opinion
Photo Courtesy: Facebook via Swetha Suresh
Photo Courtesy: Facebook via Swetha Suresh

She is a singer, Bharatanatyam dancer and video editor. Multi-talented.

But it is her unique talent of whistling that has been fetching this Chennai girl laurels. Swetha Suresh is a professional whistler.

She has won the first prize in two competitions at the World Whistling Convention held in Japan between July 15-17, and is already a record-holder for whistling 18 hours straight in 2014. Her name has entered the Tamil Nadu Book Of Records, Asia Book of records and also the Limca Book Of Records. She has next set her sights on the Guinness world records, which she plans to conquer soon.

Asked how she got interested in whistling, Swetha says “I started taking Carnatic music lessons at a very young age and joined a children’s orchestra as a vocalist in my fifth standard. I was fascinated by the sound of the flute and wanted to learn to play it. But at that time, I was unable to. So I tried to whistle the sounds and that’s how I got interested in whistling. As whistlers, we call ourselves ‘flute without bamboo’.”

Swetha’s parents encouraged her unique talent and helped her join the Indian Whistler’s Association (IWA) to develop it.

There are different forms of whistling — blowing in, blowing out, teeth whistling and wolf whistling. Swetha is a blowing-out whistler and she groomed herself as an artist through different innovative training exercises at the IWA.

The World Whistling Convention, which she won, is a biennial affair, and this year it took place in Kawasaki, Japan. There was online audition which she cleared with a top rank, bolstered by which she set about planning her trip. Giving her a leg up, her college, Shankarlal Sundarbai Shasun Jain College,  where she had completed her undergraduate studies, sponsored her trip.  A few friends also pitched in to help Swetha realise her dream.

The convention in Japan saw 50 contestants from six countries participating in different categories. Swetha participated in the Recorded Accompaniment (Adult female) and the Allied Arts categories. The whistle artist says it was a really tough competition and she felt added pressure because she was performing in front of her idol, Geert Chatrou, a world champion whistler from the Netherlands.

WATCH SWETHA’S PERFORMANCE AT THE WORLD WHISTLING CONVENTION

 

But this youngster was able to top both her competitions and got the first prize in both. She even got a special souvenir from her idol.

Whistling is usually seen as a roadside Romeo’s toll of choice, and it is never taken seriously. But this Chennai girl has conquered the world stage with her whistling prowess and hopes that people see it for the art it is.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Stanley John / Online Desk / July 29th, 2016

IIT Madras marks second edition of its AlumNite event

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion

Chennai :

IIT Madras celebrated its second AlumNite, a variant of the traditional alumni day, on Saturday.

Dr Jayant Baliga Distinguised University Professor and Director, Power Semiconductor Research Center, North Carolina State University, was conferred Distinguished Alumnus Award 2016 on the occasion.

The other recipient of the Alumnus awards were Dr. S. Christopher Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Director General, DRDO and Dr. Aravind Srinivasan Professor, Department of Computer Science and Institute for Advanced Computer Studies, University of Maryland.

Speaking on the occasion, president of IIT Madras Alumni  Association (IITMAA) Ravi Venkatraman, who passed out in 1971 said, “The Alumni Association besides trying to bring together entrepreneurs, was involved in social work. We refurbished schools affected in floods and collected Rs 15 Lakh within a week. We are also engaged with projects in villages and identified two villages in Kanchipuram. An alumni card is on the anvil,” he said.

Thiru Srinivasan from 1989 batch said, “This year industry has taken a bigger role. Employment to the graduating students has increased. We are starting to reach out to the governing bodies like Anna University and NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council). We want to touch 100 colleges and would like to get more alumni.”

Abhishek Sharma who graduated this year said last year the fund raised from graduating students was Rs 15 Lakh and this year it Rs 35 Lakh.

V Balaraman who is the former Managing Director of Ponds and under whose name an alumni chair was established in April was officially launched on AlumNite.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / July 24th, 2016