Category Archives: World Opinion

Currency crisis medicine earns Raghuram Rajan Euromoney award

Business & Economy, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion

RaghuramCF17oct2014

Successfully tackling the currency crisis has earned Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan the Euromoney magazine’s Central Bank Governor of the Year Award for 2014.

“Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan’s tough monetary medicine combatted the storm ravaging the deficit-ridden economy in the recent emerging market crisis. Now, he is battling vested interests to arouse a sleepy financial system for over one billion people,” Euromoney said while announcing the award.

Rajan took charge of the country’s central bank in early September last year, just a few days after the rupee plunged to its historic low, hitting 68.83 against the dollar on August 28, 2013.

“As he confronted capital outflows, the rupee at record lows, and over-blown but palpable, fears India was marching towards an Asia-crisis style abyss, Rajan duly administered tough monetary medicine to ailing bond and currency markets,” said Euromoney.

Rajan took several steps to attract capital flows which helped the rupee strengthen. It is now trading in the narrow range of 60-62 per dollar.

“Remarkably, the internationally-renowned economist, who earned acclaim for his warnings in 2005 of an upcoming global crisis of sorts, has, for the past year, been true to his word.”

After tackling the currency crisis, Rajan’s next task was to tame inflation, which stayed close to the double-digit mark for more than three years. He resolved to bring down inflation – evident from three rate hikes between September 2013 and January 2014, accompanied with a hawkish stance that has helped CPI-based inflation register its slowest growth in September, since the series was launched in January 2012.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> Finance> News / BS Reporter / Mumbai – October 16th, 2014

Citric acid-based disinfectant to kill chikungunya

Records, All, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

Chennai :

A team of scientists in the city, along with experts in Andhra Pradesh and Japan, has found that a citric acid-based disinfectant can destroy the chikungunya virus. The chemically synthesised citric acid developed in Japan, has earlier proved effective in killing the human influenza virus.

The team from the department of virology at Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati; Nichi-In Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Chennai and scientists in Japan have tested the disinfectant in the form of granules on chikungunya virus. The team first collected more than 1,000 samples of chikungunya virus and developed and maintained in both human and mosquito cell line. The disinfectant was then tested on these viruses when it showed it can destroy the virus.

Scientists said the application could be on skin or fumigation to bring down the probability of infection even if bitten by a carrier mosquito. D V R Saigopal, professor of virology, SV University, said that the disinfectant, which is an ingredient in several food additives, was developed in Japan 10 years ago. “The disinfectants we get in India are detergent, phenol, foam or alcohol-based and have high toxicity and side effect. This disinfectant is solvent based and our tests showed it has low level of toxicity. It is not only safer but also cheaper,” the professor explained.

Scientists said that the disinfectant is at present approved as a mouth gargle and rinse in Japan and also used by the Japanese railways department as spray in their train coaches during flu seasons. It is also sold with a brand name ‘Clinister’ by a Japanese multinational company.

Encouraged by the positive result, the scientists have decided to approach the Union government with their research work looking for avenues to try it on other viruses. “It can kill the virus in the environment and in the mosquito as well as on the surface of the human skin where there is mosquito bite. It can be used in detergents, fumigant, mosquito repellent and hand wash,” the professor said.

Scientists have also decided to use the same methodology to test it on other viruses like foot and mouth disease virus and dengue virus.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / by U. Tejonmayam, TNN / October 14th, 2014

India Hopeful of Developing Hyperplane: Noted Scientist Sivathanu Pillai

Leaders, Records, All, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

Chennai :

Could India develop a hyperplane? Yes, says India’s noted scientist Sivathanu Pillai, who is working on the hyperplane project, which will use hydrogen-based fuel and is 25 times faster than sound.

Speaking on the sidelines of being conferred with Lifetime Achievement Award by Rotary Club of Madras, Pillai said the success of hyperplane lies in mastering the scramjet technology, a type of very fast jet engine. Although the US and China have successfully developed the scramjet engine, they are yet to design materials that can withstand the heat generated by an object travelling at such high speed.

Usually in a high speed aircraft, air friction causes extreme heating of the leading edge where the temperature could be very high (Mach 5 generates 1,000 degree Celsius).

Currently, there is no technology that can withstand the heat, said Pillai, adding that the Indian Space Research Organisation, DRDO and other organisations are working to develop hyperplane.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Express News Service / October 15th, 2014

Four TN Firms Make It to Potential ‘Billion Dollar Babies’ List

Business & Economy, Records, All, World Opinion
V Chandrasekar, Secova co-founder, R Narayanan, chairperson, program committee, TiECON, Anup Bagchi, CEO and MD of ICICI securities and Ashwin Narashimhan, MD, Bank of America, at a press conference | r satish babu
V Chandrasekar, Secova co-founder, R Narayanan, chairperson, program committee, TiECON, Anup Bagchi, CEO and MD of ICICI securities and Ashwin Narashimhan, MD, Bank of America, at a press conference | r satish babu

Chennai :

Four of Tamil Nadu’s companies have been judged as potential ‘Billion Dollar’ concerns by The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Chennai. Not one of these four potential ‘big billion’ firms though, are from the state’s manufacturing sector.

Seeking to showcase Tamil Nadu’s success stories and their potential to become truly big players in the global industry, TiE Chennai’s ‘Billion Dollar Baby’ program announced four winners on Monday – Cross platform, global digital magazine store Magzter, Financial services major Financial Software Systems, water processing giant VA Tech Wabag and technology services company Congruent Solutions.

With the four companies showcasing the strength of the Services sector, manufacturing was conspicuously absent on the list. When asked, CEO and MD of ICICI Securities Anup Bagchi, one of the two jurors who selected the companies, said the spectrum of entrepreneurship was very broad in the state and that the absence of a manufacturing firm in the top four was only a coincidence. “I was quite happy with the spectrum of entrepreneurship in the city. But we did not see it through any particular lens when judging the companies. It is only a coincidence that there aren’t any manufacturing firms,” he said.

Chairman of the program committee of TiECon Chennai 2014 R Narayanan did admit that of the 12 companies that were shortlisted from the 50 nominations they received, only four were from the manufacturing

sector. “The conditions of the last few years have made it hard for manufacturing concerns to grow at the pace that the services sector has grown. This could be where the economy is headed,” he admitted. The four companies will be showcased at the TiECon Chennai 2014 conference which will begin from November 1.

source: http://ww.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Express News Service / October 14th, 2014

Jayaram conquers doubts after surgery to win Dutch Open

Records, All, Sports, World Opinion
Ajay Jayaram
Ajay Jayaram

For a long time, Ajay Jayaram was known for losing out on an Olympic berth to Parupalli Kashyap during the 2012 India Open. It seemed as if Jayaram had all but sealed the spot with some good performances round the year, but Kashyap pipped him courtesy a lucky break as the then World No. 4 Chen Jin gave the latter a walkover in the quarter-finals that eventually proved decisive.

Jayaram was crestfallen and since then has been trying hard to bounce back. He enjoyed a decent run but not as much he would have liked. To add to his woes, a shoulder injury during the Hong Kong Open in January this year put him out of action for more than six months.

Jayaram underwent a surgery and did the necessary rehabilitation. But at only his fourth tournament back, the Mumbai shuttler won the biggest event of his career when he clinched the Dutch Open Grand Prix on Sunday.

Ajay Jayaram wins the Dutch Open
Ajay Jayaram wins the Dutch Open

“Definitely it has surprised me. I played some good attacking badminton. I need to maintain this level of focus and discipline in the coming tournaments. That will be the key to getting good results,” Jayaram told MAIL TODAY.

“I am elated. It has been a tough few months. Even after I resumed playing, it wasn’t easy to find my rhythm. It took me a while to get back the match temperament and touch. But I am happy I managed to dig deep and get the muchneeded win which also happens to be my first Grand Prix title. I couldn’t have asked for a better comeback,” he said.

The manner of his win, coming against a tough field, should give Jayaram immense confidence. Beating the likes of third seed Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka (World No. 26) of Indonesia and top seed Rajiv Ouseph (World No. 29) of England would do him a world of good.

“With higher-ranked players like Ouseph and Rumbaka in my half, it wasn’t going to be easy. I secured convincing wins against both. The final was against an upcoming Indonesian (Ihsan Maulana Mustofa). It was a hard fought five-game battle which swung both ways. I had to dig deep and bring all my focus into play in the fifth game where I was 1-5 down. But I played well and was positive when it mattered.”

Coming back from the shoulder injury was never going to be easy and Jayaram admitted that he was often frustrated. “The first few tournaments were quite hard to adapt to. But I knew it was a matter of perseverance. There were trying moments when frustration set in. But I had to keep my chin up and keep working.” Now Jayaram has got a feel of the new scoring system that is being introduced at the Grand Prix level on an experimental basis. The 11-points best-of-five games scoring format has been criticised by many top players. “Although the game gets shorter, most of the match is played under more pressure which requires more focus. Hard to say if it is the way to go for badminton, but I’m glad I was able to adjust to it and do well.” Jayaram, who was ranked as high as 21st in early 2013, has now fallen to 66th, and with many Indian players going past him, he was not part of the Asian Games squad. Getting back to the national team is his priority.

“If I am able to maintain the same positive tempo, I’m sure I will regain my place in the core group,” he said.

source: http://www.indiatoday.intoday.in / IndiaToday.in / Home> Sports / by Avishek Roy / New Delhi – October 14th, 2014

Chennai hospital gets certification from national board

Education, Records, All, Science & Technologies, World Opinion
N. Ram, chairman of Kasturi & Sons Limited (centre), hands over the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Health Care Providers’ certificate to Sister Magdeline Fernandes, president of St. Isabel Society — Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam
N. Ram, chairman of Kasturi & Sons Limited (centre), hands over the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Health Care Providers’ certificate to Sister Magdeline Fernandes, president of St. Isabel Society — Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam

Saturday was a milestone for the doctors and nurses of St. Isabel’s Hospital in the institution’s 65-year-old run.

The hospital, which is run by the Franciscan Sisters, received accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Health Care Providers (NABH).

N. Ram, chairman, Kasturi & Sons Limited, who handed over the certificate to Sister Magdeline Fernandes, president of St. Isabel Hospital Society and the provincial superior, wished that the hospital would be able to continue its dedicated service to society.

He recalled how the hospital had taken care of M.S. Subbulakshmi at a very difficult stage. He said he was happy to note the hospital had been able to modernise and was also a teaching institution.

It took three years for the hospital to follow and implement the 625 stringent objective elements stipulated by NABH.

Though the Franciscan Hospitaller Sisters of the Immaculate Conception arrived at Goa in 1886, they came to Madras only in 1942 and the hospital was set up in March 1949. Initially, St. Isabel’s Hospital was a maternity home with a few beds. It has now grown into a 300-bed facility with 31 clinical departments.

Sister Celine Philip, administrator and president of St. Isabel Hospital Society, Sister Danis Mary, assistant provincial, Sister Betty D’Souza, vice-president of the hospital, Sister Philomina Joseph, medical superintendent, George Thomas, senior consultant and head of emergency medicine, and K. Ravi, ophthalmologist, were present on the occasion.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Special Correspondent / Chennai – October 12th, 2014

Top technician feted by Yamaha

Science & Technologies, World Opinion
Meenakshi Sundaram, winner of the Yamaha World Technician Grand Prix 2014, is seen with Masaki Asano, MD of Yamaha Motors, India. Photo: Bijoy Ghosh
Meenakshi Sundaram, winner of the Yamaha World Technician Grand Prix 2014, is seen with Masaki Asano, MD of Yamaha Motors, India. Photo: Bijoy Ghosh

Two-wheeler technician Meenakshi Sundaram (34), a resident of Madurai, was a nervous man when he flew to Japan in September to represent India at the Yamaha 6 World Technician Grand Prix 2014.

However, he returned home with the coveted world title that he won on October 1 after beating 19 other contestants from 18 countries.

On Wednesday, Sundaram was felicitated by Yamaha in the city for his achievement. Clad in a bright red jumpsuit, the technician was overjoyed to receive the winner’s trophy from Masaki Asano, managing Director of Yamaha Motors, India, to thunderous applause.

Addressing the audience, Sundaram recalled the morning of May 5, 1998, when he joined a Yamaha service station in Arapalayam after completing class X. “My love for Yamaha’s RX 100 model drove me to join the team of mechanics. Now, I have come a long way and cannot believe I have been crowned top technician in the world by Yamaha,” he said.

In 2012, after clearing a written test, Sundaram got a shot at winning the National Technician Grand Prix India, but could manage only the 11 place. “I gave it another shot in 2013 and was one of the two winners who went on to represent India at the grand prix in Japan,” Sundaram added.

The biennial event in Japan, whose winners this year were from 18 countries, including New Zealand, Germany and Vietnam, was dominated by the Indian technician, who worked with a Yamaha R15 to showcase his talent. He excelled in five categories — trouble shooting, electrical wiring, wheel alignment, periodic maintenance and a written test — and was adjudged the overall winner in the commuter model class.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Staff Reporter / Chennai – October 09th, 2014

CM announces cash awards for Asiad medallists from TN

Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam has congratulated the 11 sportspersons from the State who won at the Asian Games, Incheon, South Korea. He also announced cash incentives for them.

Gold medallists Kush Kumar, Harinder Pal Singh and Saurav Ghoshal (squash), and Sreejesh Parattu Ravindran (hockey) will get Rs. 50 lakh each.

Silver medallists Aparajitha Balamurukan, Anaka Alankamony, Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallika (squash) will get Rs. 30 lakh each.

Bronze medallists Varsha Gautham and Aishwarya Nedunchezhiyan (sailing), and Rajiv Arokia (400 m race) will be given Rs. 20 lakh each.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Special Correspondent / Chennai – October 10th, 2014

Model UN Helps Kids With Int’l Affairs

Education, World Opinion
Students suited up for their roles as model delegates with Masanori Nakano, Consul General of Japan | MARTIN LOUIS
Students suited up for their roles as model delegates with Masanori Nakano, Consul General of Japan | MARTIN LOUIS

Chennai :

Over 500 students from 27 schools in Chennai turned into delegates representing the members at United Nations, during a model UN organised by Sishya School in Adyar on Monday.

Dressed in their formal best, comparing notes and doling out figures on carbon footprint of the country, the students got ready to get involved in heated discussions on topics of international interest, and tried to emulate the proceedings at United Nations at SISHMUN 2014.

The two-day programme for students to be abreast with awareness on international issues of importance would involve moderated and unmoderated discussions among those representing the nations. The student delegates split into various committees such as the International Court of Justice and Security Council put forth related issues from their country’s perspective, a consensus would be arrived at and a resolution passed. The secretary general of SISHMUN, Vivek Jajoo added that emergency situations would be declared and the delegates from each council would deliberate and arrive at a solution.

The inauguration was presided over by Masanori Nakano, Consul General of Japan and P V S Giridhar, a senior advocate who addressed the student delegates. Masanori informed them about the discussions in the UN General assembly and urged the students to deliberate on international issues, especially those in Iraq and Syria. Giridhar, on the other hand, spoke about the need for disarmament. He also welcomed the initiative of conducting a model UN in schools. “When children leave school and get exposed to the real world, they need to be informed on what’s happening. This goes a long way to help them,” he said.

Student delegates are benefitted as well, feels Malavika Nambiar who has been participating for four years. “This not only keeps us informed of international affairs but lets us think from their perspective,” she concluded.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service  / October 07th, 2014

When a duo punched above their weight

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion
The match between Sita Bai of Tanjore and Kamala Bai of Malabar saw enthusiastic crowds but also led to controversy./ The Hindu Archives
The match between Sita Bai of Tanjore and Kamala Bai of Malabar saw enthusiastic crowds but also led to controversy./ The Hindu Archives

The 1st all-woman boxing bout lasted only 3 rounds but ignited a fiery debate

Sunday was a fine day for Indian women’s boxing at the 17th Asian Games in Incheon. Olympic bronze-medallist M. C. Mary Kom, L. Sarita Devi and Pooja Rani entered the semi-finals, assuring medals for the nation. However, it was right here, in Madras city, that the first punches in women’s boxing in the country were thrown.

It was Saturday, the 15th of March, 1931, when two Indian women stepped into the ring for a bout of professional boxing at the famous White City Carnival held in the city. Looking fierce in knee-length shorts, sleeveless jerseys and gloved fists, the women appeared every bit combat-ready. Kamala Bai of Malabar and Sita Bai of Tanjore were trained boxers, touted to be in good form. Singapore’s English daily The Straits Times reported that this was arguably a first for India.

Visibly excited, The Hindu published an article five days prior to the event urging its readers to brace themselves to witness for the first time two ‘Indian ladies’ meeting in the boxing arena — until now the most exclusive preserve of men.

Large crowds, including a number of Europeans, assembled to watch history in the making. While the first two rounds saw the boxers on the defensive, the third round saw them packing a punch, exchanging double jabs, hard rights, hooks, and uppercuts. Disappointingly, by round three, the session drew to a close with referee V.E.J Brackstone of Messrs. Parry and Company declaring it a draw.

Despite their underwhelming performance, both Kamala Bai and Sita Bai stayed in the news — even making international headlines for days to come.

‘Shocked and pained’

The fact that two Hindu women dared to ‘invade’ the boxing ring also left many Indian men and women ‘shocked and pained’. Florida’s The Evening Independent published a report on March 16, 1931 titled ‘Women Boxers arouse India’. The story stated that ‘feminine India was up in arms’ with the female boxers facing ‘social ostracism and disgrace,’ having engaged in a boxing match in Madras.

For a country that had for centuries relegated their women to rigid domesticity, ‘ladies boxing’ became particularly hard to digest.

Mahatma Gandhi for instance found this to be especially problematic. He was quoted in Pennsylvania’sReading Eagle as saying women boxing was ‘degrading, disreputable and totally unbecoming of the finer instincts of Indian womanhood.’

Today, as the country celebrates the laurels of our women boxers, it seems only appropriate to pause and acknowledge the spirit of Kamala Bai and Sita Bai. For if not for them, we as a nation may have not dared to imagine the likes Mary Kom, L Sarita Devi and Pooja Rani fighting the good fight.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Nitya Menon / Chennai – September 30th, 2014