Venu Srinivasan, chairman of TVS Motor Company, was appointed ‘Goodwill Envoy for Public Diplomacy’ of the Republic of Korea at an event Monday —Photo: Special Arrangement
The Republic of Korea is a shining example for India and Indians to learn from, in terms of development, said Venu Srinivasan, chairman of TVS Motor Company.
He was addressing a gathering after being appointed ‘Goodwill Envoy for Public Diplomacy’ of the Republic of Korea at an event held in the city on Monday.
Kyungsoo Kim, Consul General of Republic of Korea in Chennai, conferred the title on Mr. Srinivasan before lauding the entrepreneur’s dedication to the promotion of Korean culture among Indians.
The industrialist was feted with the recognition for his efforts towards strengthening the relationship between the East Asian nation and India for more than a decade.
Addressing the guests, who included foreign diplomats and Korean industrialists, Mr. Srinivasan reminisced on his 15-year-long association with Korean culture and its people. “Looking into history, Indians has had strong links with Korea, which is rich in arts and culture. Today, I respect what Korea, once a war-torn nation, has achieved mainly in terms of commerce, which is flourishing,” Mr. Srinivasan added.
N. Ravi, Editor-in-chief, The Hindu , said Korea has become a household name in the Indian electronics market.
Lauding Mr. Srinivasan on the title, Mr. Ravi added, “Apart from his entrepreneurial spirit and innovations in his field of work, he has touched the lives of over a million people with his rural development and temple restoration projects. This honour from Korea will have a special place in his heart.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Staff Reporter / Chennai – January 21st, 2015
Students, faculty and trustees of Sigaram Matriculation School in Vaniyambadi , on the eve of the 66th Republic Day celebrations, will be creating the world’s largest Indian national flag using plain salt scheduled to take place in the school premises on Sunday, January 25.
Students will be using around 40 tons of plain salt to create the largest national flag measuring 3,456 square meters (72 meters in length and 48 meters in breadth) on the ground. In addition 300 kgs each of Red and Green coloring powders and 90 kg of blue color power will be used.
The event will begin by 7.30 am on Sunday morning and the salt flag should be ready by 2.30 pm well within the 12 hour period the world record authorities have allowed for setting this particular record.
The world record will be judged by officials from various World Record agencies such as Asian Records Academy (Singapore), India Records Academy (Mumbai) and Tamilan Book of Records who will be present on the occasion. Each participant in the event will also receive a certificate after the acceptance of the record by the adjudicating agencies.
“We have conducted special classes and training to all the students and they have been practicing for the big day for two months,” said the college principal Kalpana.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Express News Service / January 21st, 2015
The German owned Kramski Stamping and Moulding Private Limited (KSMPL) based in Pallikonda has, for the first time, been awarded the Star Performer Award for their outstanding export performance for the year 2012-13 from the Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) under the ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Kramski manufactures high precision miniaturized stampings and plastic injection moldings (such as insert and outsert moldings, Reel-to-Reel moldings and Robot integrated Moldings) that are exported to Japan, Korea, Germany, China, Turkey and Brazil besides catering to the domestic market.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by V. NarayanaMurthy / January 08th, 2015
The 139th International Convention of the Theosophical Society began in the city on Friday, with delegates from several countries arriving at the headquarters in Adyar. The theme of the 2014 convention is ‘Theosophy in a changing world.’
The convention, which began in the morning, observed a two-minute silence in memory of the schoolchildren who were killed in Peshawar recently and the “ongoing cycle of violence” in the world. Representatives from different countries will be participating in the deliberations.
The four-day convention will also see lectures by philosophers, scientists and thinkers.
Members of the Society will examine the meaning and significance of Theosophy in the context of the present-day world, organisers said. There are also information booths, book displays, sales and stalls.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Express News Service / December 27th, 2014
Bringing the community closer is what Solai Adaikalavan’s website on the Nagarathars is hoping to do. Savitha Gautam.
They are known for their sharp business acumen and clan loyalty. For over 150 years, the Nagarathars (better known as Chettiars) of Tamil Nadu have made an amazing contribution to the world of trade and commerce. Often hailed as the pioneers of organised banking in the country and credited with introducing of double-entry bookkeeping (debit and credit), this small community was, and continues to be, a close-knit one.
The rise of the Nagarathars began in the early 1900s when men armed with just courage and determination followed jungle trails in South and Southeast Asia to set up businesses in these virgin areas. Today, their business philosophy is visible across the globe.
But, over the past few decades, the community seems to be slowly losing its stranglehold over the entrepreneurial world. Some attribute it to traumatic post-Independence experiences, while others feel this is due to today’s general economic environment. Whatever the reason, many youngsters are now opting for safe jobs (especially IT) or similar safe-agency businesses. According to statistics, over 80 per cent of today’s Chettiar graduates, both men and women, are employed in the IT industry.
This set Solai Adaikalavan thinking. The Chennai-born Sydney-based second-generation Chettiar spoke to several people from her community. “I felt there was a shift in the attitudes of young Chettiar men and women towards their history.” In 2013, an International Business Conference of Nagarathars, a first-of-its-kind event, was organised by the Nagarathar Association, Singapore. “That was when an idea about setting up a website germinated,” says Adaikalavan.
With help from family and friends, she launched www.nagaratharbusinessgroup.com on November 23, 2013, in Singapore. “There’s a multi-pronged approach to the way the site is designed. Using technology, the site hopes to rope in able, experienced elders who can guide the young entrepreneurs on various biz mantras. Besides, the digital communication platform will serve as link to the Nagarathar groups, speaking their language and transcending geographical boundaries.”
Armed with a Masters in IT, Adaikalavan envisaged a one-of-its-kind online initiative that would have a two-pronged approach in bringing the community closer — communicate and be a catalyst in bringing back the glory Chettiars enjoyed as entrepreneurs.
How different is this site compared to other community sites? “It has a specific purpose. Members can get advice from people within the community, advertise their business, upload articles or voice their thoughts. There’s a heritage link aimed at educating Gen Next about our culture and tradition.” And the target visitor? “It is for both people already in business willing to share their expertise and those passionate about business but in need of some guidance.”
The website now has about 300 members. “The community is rather conservative,” says Solai. “So people register but seem reluctant to use the site.”
Bringing the community together.Photo: special arrangement
The website, designed by her friend Arathi Lawrence, has many interesting features to look out for. To mention a few:
Mentor forum: Here, experienced and knowledgeable elders of the community can guide a greenhorn in the nitty-gritty of business management.
Business Directory: A detailed list of all the members and their business interests, so that members can make enquiries or get other information.
Nagarathar Heritage: This section is an archive of contributions made by the members. It highlights the cultural ethos of the Nagarathars and its uniqueness to a younger generation.
Chat: Members can have online chats and establish contact.
Mobile App: Soon-to-be-launched app will help the tech-savvy keep in touch on the go.
Will it serve the purpose? Only time will tell.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Magazine / by Savitha Gautam / December 27th, 2014
For the second year in a row, students of the Alliance Francaise in American College here sang Christmas carols in French, taking the opportunity of Christmas season to promote the French language and culture.
A group of six students from the batch of 55 gathered to sing the carols, in what turned out to be a different kind of Christmas experience for students from other colleges who had gathered to watch the rendition. Christmas carols, namely, ‘Joie pour le monde’, translated as ‘joy to the world’, was sung in French language, besides ‘jingle bells, jingle bells’ and ‘silent nights’.
Alliance Francaise was started in American College in 2002, where students enrolled to learn French.
Milton Powers, professor of French at American College, said, “This kind of celebration provides motivation to the students and helps them understand French in a better way. I always wanted to teach French in an innovative manner. When it comes to languages, songs are the best way to motivate and encourage students to learn the language.”
Nanette Elizabette, student at Alliance Francaise, said, “We get the idea of French culture and it’s a different learning experience when Christmas carols are sung in a different language. Being a French student, it helps me to learn the language better.”
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai / TNN / December 24th, 2014
James Maynard receiving the 2014 SASTRA-Ramanujan award at a function held in Kumbakonam on Sunday | express
Kumbakonam :
The 2014 SASTRA-Ramanujan Prize was awarded to James Maynard of Oxford University, England, and the University of Montreal, Canada, at a function held in Sastra Ramanujan Centre here on Sunday.
Mangalam Srinivasan, Special Advisor, Kennedy school of Government in Harvard University and fellow of Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CFTA), Harvard University, presented the prestigious award to the 27-year-old Maynard.
Professor Krishnaswami Alladi of Univeristy of Florida and Chairman of the award committee read the citation for the award. He said James Maynard is being awarded the 2014 Sastra Ramanujan Prize for his revolutionary contributions to prime number theory, for making strongest advances thus far on various long standing problems of primes and for the ingenious techniques he has introduced which influence future research in the field.
The citation also pointed out James Maynard, who received his Doctorate in Philosophy from Oxford University in 2013, has been a Post-doctoral fellow at the University of Montreal, Canada. Prof.Krishnaswami Alladi while reading the citation, recalled the genesis of this Award in 2005.
S Vaidhaysubramaniam, Dean, Planning and Development of Sastra was also present during the occasion.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / December 22nd, 2014
A.R. Rahman won the award for his fight against polio — Photo. M. Moorthy / The Hindu
Rotary International presented the polio ambassador award to music director A.R. Rahman at a meeting held in Guindy on Saturday.
Accepting the award, Mr. Rahman spoke of helping fight polio through social media.
“I used to think Facebook was a waste of time. But when it was suggested that I open a Facebook page and upload videos of my rehearsals, it helped me reach out to a huge user base of 22 million. It was through this page I began sharing awareness messages on polio,” he said.
Pianist Anil Srinivasan played some of Mr. Rahman’s hits songs from Hindi and Tamil cinema and asked him questions based on them.
Speaking about the influences behind Jai Ho, Mr. Rahman said, “I just wanted to approach the song like an anthem, uniting the musical influences of various cultures: Chinese, Japanese, Spanish. The song has all these influences.”
On working with Mani Ratnam, he said he was given the space to experiment beyond what the script required. “There have been occasions when I have tried something out for myself, even if it seemed outside the scope of the film in the beginning. Sometimes, Mani included them in his film. Deivam thanda poove was one such song,” he said.
Having just landed in Chennai from Berlin, Mr. Rahman was in no mood to sing. But the audience was in no mood to let him go without a song. The maestro left with a promise to sing the next time.
Singer Naresh Iyer entertained the audience afterwards.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Staff Reporter / Chennai – December 14th, 2014
Arock Joe, Motheswar and Shiva Manickam, who won second prize in the International Robot Olympiad held in Russia
Chennai :
With wind turbines based on the air velocity in Mars, track wheels based on the planet’s ground texture, sensors and spectrometers, the children who built the robot ambitiously hope to find solutions to the challenges in the Mars rovers. Now armed with second prize in the International Robot Olympiad held in Russia, the team of three from Chennai hope to go a long way.
Arock Joe (Class 9) of St Michael’s Academy, Adyar, Motheswar (Class 10) of Akshayah School, Velachery and Shiva Manickam (Class 9) of DAV Public School are the first Indian team to bag the prestigious prize in the event. The team received its training in Robotics under the Chennai-based trainer TechKnowledge Education Solutions Pvt Ltd.
Over 367 teams from 62 countries participated in the event held in association with the Ministry of Education & Science and Ministry of IT of the Russian Federation.
The theme for the year was ‘Robots and Space’, and the challenge these children took up was the issue of power failures in the Mars rovers in their prototype Infinity-M. “With our research we found that all of them had solar panels as the power source. We found that the wind velocity in Mars was enough to propel a small turbine so we installed a windmill, would supplement solar energy,” said Joe.
The robot built by the children
He said that they found that the wheels were getting stuck in some portions in the Curiosity rover, which they changed by using track wheels with larger surface area to reduce the pressure. The team began their work in May. “We did our research on the Internet and spoke to a scientist from ISRO,” says Joe. The judging was gruelling, with nine judges evaluating the students of whom three were ‘plainclothes’ judges who came to the stalls like visitors.
“There were some last minute challenges like Internet issues. And it was freezing in Russia!” said Siva. But the group made it to second place — a huge achievement. Indian teams have been participating for many years, but nobody has made it to the top three until now.
“Robots find their role in anything from making cars to packing pickles. There is a new wave in the school education system that is recently coming up — robotics for school children,” says Godwin Varghese, director, Development and Operations, Techknowledge Education.
The competition, however, had to be funded by the students themselves, and building a robot over months and a trip to Russia did not come cheap. Scholarships and sponsorships could go a long way in encouraging robotics.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Education> Student / by Express News Service / December 10th, 2014
Dr Mohan Kameswaran, MD, Madras ENT Research Foundation, speaking to mediapersons | R SATISH BABU
Chennai :
Over 600 representatives from leading academic institutions, including the Armed Forces Medical Services, in the country, will discuss the growing problems of deafness in children, sleep apnea and increasing ENT problems due to environmental pollution, at the ‘Indian Academy of ENT Surgeons Meet’ to be held here on December 12-14.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, Dr Mohan Kameswaran, managing director and chief ENT surgeon, Madras ENT Research Foundation, said that the meeting would be the first of its kind with over 15 international experts from the United States, UK, Germany, Turkey, Malaysia, Israel and Japan, interacting with academicians and scientists from India. Representatives from SAARC countries would also participate in the conference.
“The meeting will discuss the growing problems of congenital deafness in children. India has one of the highest incidences of such cases in the world,” Dr Kameswaran pointed out.
The problems of sleep apnea and snoring, increasing incidence of common disorders such as nasal allergies and sinusitis, head and neck cancer were among the other topics scheduled for discussion, he added. Eight medical institutions in the city — Madras Medical College, Stanley Medical College, Kilpauk Medical College, Institute of Child Health, SRM Institute of Medical Sciences, Savitha Medical College, Sundaram Medical Foundation and Madras ENT Research Foundation — would conduct a pre-congress workshop and updates on different topics to apprise ENT surgeons across the country of the recent developments in the field. Former West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi will be inaugurating the meet.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / December 10th, 2014
